Disney is attempting to patent technology that could automatically remove crowds and other unwanted background elements from photos. This could be extremely beneficial for PhotoPass services at the Disney parks.

Crowd Removal and Automatic Focus Patent

“Crowd Removal and Automatic Focus for Images” was published this week and describes a process of detecting and removing obstructions in a photo. Here’s the abstract:

A computer implemented method includes receiving, by a processor, an image including one or more subjects and one more obstructions. The method further includes partitioning, by the processor, the image into a plurality of image segments, where the one or more subjects and one or more obstructions are represented as separate image segments of the plurality of image segments. The method further includes obtaining, by the processor, depth information for the plurality of image segments. The method further includes identifying one or more focal image segments of the plurality of image segments based on the depth information of the plurality of image segments and modifying the image based on the one or more focal image segments to generate a modified image.

In other words, a computer would split a photo into segments, separating desired subjects from obstructions. It would detect depth information, helping it identify the image’s focal points, then modify the image based on that information.

The patent mostly focuses on the detection and removal of unwanted obstructions, not how the computer would then replace or cover the obstructions. But it does state, “the background or other areas of the image where obstructions were removed may be backfilled or otherwise modified” to create a final image.

As the patent says, current methods of removing unwanted objects like background crowds from a photo require a user to manually designate which subjects are desired and which should be removed. With the technology in this patent, a computer would do that instead.

This could easily be implemented at Disney Parks, with crowds automatically removed from PhotoPass photos. However, the patent’s publication does not mean we will necessarily see this technology any time soon.

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The post Disney Files Patent to Automatically Detect and Remove Background Crowds From Photos appeared first on WDW News Today.