GrabCut usage

asked 2018-02-06 10:41:09 -0600

dusker gravatar image

updated 2020-11-07 02:14:01 -0600

sturkmen gravatar image

Hey everyone,

I haven't found a definitive answer to this question hence I'm reaching out to the community.

Can GrabCut code from the core OpenCV repository be used in commercial projects?

The underlying method is patented by Microsoft, so the question is how much implementation of the OpenCV GrabCut differs from the one listed in a patent document.

Did anyone use GrabCut in a commercial project here?

edit retag flag offensive close merge delete

Comments

"The underlying method is patented by Microsoft" please give a reference

LBerger gravatar imageLBerger ( 2018-02-08 10:11:02 -0600 )edit

Sure, right here: http://www.google.com/patents/US6973212

dusker gravatar imagedusker ( 2018-02-09 04:57:06 -0600 )edit

It is 'Graph cuts for binary segmentation' and not grabcut

LBerger gravatar imageLBerger ( 2018-02-09 10:31:08 -0600 )edit

Yup, however grabcut AFAIK is severely based on Graph cuts method. Correct me if I'm wrong here...

dusker gravatar imagedusker ( 2018-02-09 10:32:20 -0600 )edit

Yes but in abstract 

In this paper we extend the
graph-cut approach in three respects. First, we have developed a
more powerful, iterative version of the optimisation. Secondly, the
power of the iterative algorithm is used to simplify substantially the
user interaction needed for a given quality of result. Thirdly, a robust
algorithm for “border matting” has been developed to estimate
simultaneously the alpha-matte around an object boundary and the
colours of foreground pixels.

I understand that is not siemens method

LBerger gravatar imageLBerger ( 2018-02-09 10:37:20 -0600 )edit

If I correctly understand how patents work - it is not important are these algorithms are the same or not. The only important thing is "Is the GrabCut method fits patent claims or not".

It seems that claims of the patent covers any segmentation algorithm that calculating a segmentation cut having the smallest total cost of all cuts separating said source from said sink, wherein said total cost of each said cut is defined as the sum of the costs of all said n-links and t-links that each said cut severs.

The GrabCut paper states that Minimisation is done using a standard minimum cut algorithm [Boykov and Jolly 2001; Kolmogorov and Zabih 2002]., so I don't know why GrabCut is not covered by the patent.

Polar Nick gravatar imagePolar Nick ( 2018-03-30 05:18:48 -0600 )edit
add a comment