Systems and method for image processing

Abstract

A facility is provided for recognizing blank and nearly blank images. In various embodiments, the facility receives an indication of an image, creates an analysis image based on the received image by detecting edges, determines an edge ratio for the analysis image, determines whether the edge ratio exceeds a threshold and, when the edge ratio does not exceed the threshold, identifies the received image as a blank image. The facility can include an edge detector component that creates an analysis image based on a selected image by detecting edges in the selected image, a calculator component that calculates an edge ratio for the analysis image, and an analysis component that determines whether the calculated edge ratio exceeds a threshold.

I claim: 
     
       1. A computer-implemented method for processing an image, comprising:
 identifying at least one characteristic of the image; 
 determining a number of first colored pixels and a number of non-first colored pixels associated with the identified characteristic of the image; 
 randomly selecting an image from a video;  
 calculating, using a processor, a ratio for the image based on the a number of first colored pixels and the a number of non-first colored pixels; 
 comparing the ratio for the image with a threshold; and 
 identifying the image as being blank based on the comparison of the ratio to the threshold. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first colored pixels are black pixels and the non-first colored pixels are non-black pixels. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein calculating the ratio for the image comprises calculating a quotient based on the number of black pixels and the number of non-black pixels. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one characteristic of the image comprises an edge. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 detecting edge pixels in the image; and 
 determining, based on the detected edge pixels, a number of black pixels and a number of non-black pixels. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the ratio is an edge ratio. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the image is associated with a frame in a the video. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 generating a thumbnail image based on the frame when the image is not identified as being blank; and 
 linking the thumbnail image to the video. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein identifying the image as being blank comprises identifying the image as being blank or nearly blank based on the comparison of the ratio to the threshold. 
     
     
       10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions for processing an image that, when executed by a processor, perform the steps of:
 identifying at least one characteristic of the image; 
 determining a number of first colored pixels and a number of non-first colored pixels associated with the identified characteristic of the image; 
 randomly selecting an image from a video;  
 calculating, using a processor, a ratio for the image based on the a number of first colored pixels and the a number of non-first colored pixels; 
 comparing the ratio for the image with a threshold; and 
 identifying the image as being blank based on the comparison of the ratio to the threshold. 
 
     
     
       11. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein the first colored pixels are black pixels and the non-first colored pixels are non-black pixels. 
     
     
       12. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein calculating the ratio for the image comprises calculating a quotient based on the number of black pixels and the number of non-black pixels. 
     
     
       13. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one characteristic of the image comprises an edge. 
     
     
       14. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 13 , further storing instructions for:
 detecting edge pixels in the image; and 
 determining, based on the detected edge pixels, a number of black pixels and a number of non-black pixels. 
 
     
     
       15. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 13 , wherein the ratio is an edge ratio. 
     
     
       16. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein the image is associated with a frame in a the video. 
     
     
       17. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , further storing instructions for:
 generating a thumbnail image based on the frame when the image is not identified as being blank; and 
 linking the thumbnail image to the video. 
 
     
     
       18. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein identifying the image as being blank comprises identifying the image as being blank or nearly blank based on the comparison of the ratio to the threshold. 
     
     
       19. A device for processing an image, comprising:
 a storage for storing instructions; and 
 a processor for executing the instructions to perform the steps of:
 identifying at least one characteristic of the image; 
 determining a number of first colored pixels and a number of non-first colored pixels associated with the identified characteristic of the image; 
 randomly selecting an image from a video;  
 calculating a ratio for the image based on the a number of first colored pixels and the a number of non-first colored pixels; 
 comparing the ratio for the image with a threshold; and 
 identifying the image as being blank based on the comparison of the ratio to the threshold. 
 
 
     
     
       20. The device of  claim 19 , wherein the first colored pixels are black pixels and the non-first colored pixels are non-black pixels. 
     
     
       21. The device of  claim 20 , wherein calculating the ratio for the image comprises calculating a quotient based on the number of black pixels and the number of non-black pixels. 
     
     
       22. The device of  claim 19 , wherein the at least one characteristic of the image comprises an edge. 
     
     
       23. The device of  claim 22 , further storing instructions for:
 detecting edge pixels in the image; and 
 determining, based on the detected edge pixels, a number of black pixels and a number of non-black pixels. 
 
     
     
       24. The device of  claim 22 , wherein the ratio is an edge ratio. 
     
     
       25. The device of  claim 19 , wherein the image is associated with a frame in a the video. 
     
     
       26. The device of  claim 25 , further storing instructions for:
 generating a thumbnail image based on the frame when the image is not identified as being blank; and 
 linking the thumbnail image to the video. 
 
     
     
       27. The device of  claim 19 , wherein identifying the image as being blank comprises identifying the image as being blank or nearly blank based on the comparison of the ratio to the threshold. 
     
     
       28. A computer-implemented method comprising:
 randomly identifying a first frame within a video file;   determining, using a processor, that the first frame is blank;   randomly identifying a second frame within the video file;   determining that the second frame is not blank; and   generating a thumbnail representative of the video file using the second frame.    
     
     
       29. The method of claim 28, wherein determining that the first frame is blank comprises:
 calculating an edge ratio for the first frame;   comparing the edge ratio to a threshold; and   determining that the first frame is blank based on the comparison of the edge ratio to the threshold.    
     
     
       30. A system for processing an image, comprising:
 one or more processors configured to:
 randomly identify a first frame within a video file; 
 determine that the first frame is blank; 
 randomly identify a second frame within the video file; 
 determine that the second frame is not blank; and 
 generate a thumbnail representative of the video file using the second frame.  
   
     
     
       31. The system of claim 30, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 calculate an edge ratio for the first frame;   compare the edge ratio to a threshold; and   determine that the first frame is blank based on the comparison of the edge ratio to the threshold.