Scale-invariant interest points have found several highly successful applications in computer vision, in particular for image-based matching and recognition. This paper presents a theoretical analysis of the scale selection properties of a generalized framework for detecting interest points from scale-space features presented in Lindeberg (Int. J. Comput. Vis. 2010, under revision) and comprising: an enriched set of differential interest operators at a fixed scale including the Laplacian operator, the determinant of the Hessian, the new Hessian feature strength measures I and II and the rescaled level curve curvature operator, as well as an enriched set of scale selection mechanisms including scale selection based on local extrema over scale, complementary post-smoothing after the computation of non-linear differential invariants and scale selection based on weighted averaging of scale values along feature trajectories over scale. A theoretical analysis of the sensitivity to affine image deformations is presented, and it is shown that the scale estimates obtained from the determinant of the Hessian operator are affine covariant for an anisotropic Gaussian blob model. Among the other purely second-order operators, the Hessian feature strength measure I has the lowest sensitivity to non-uniform scaling transformations, followed by the Laplacian operator and the Hessian feature strength measure II. The predictions from this theoretical analysis agree with experimental results of the repeatability properties of the different interest point detectors under affine and perspective transformations of real image data. A number of less complete results are derived for the level curve curvature operator. / <p>QC 20121003</p> / Image descriptors and scale-space theory for spatial and spatio-temporal recognition

Un algorithme permettant de discrétiser les équations aux dérivées partielles (EDP) tout en préservant leurs symétries de Lie est élaboré. Ceci est rendu possible grâce à l'utilisation de dérivées partielles discrètes se transformant comme les dérivées partielles continues sous l'action de groupes de Lie locaux. Dans les applications, beaucoup d'EDP sont invariantes sous l'action de transformations ponctuelles de Lie de dimension infinie qui font partie de ce que l'on désigne comme des pseudo-groupes de Lie. Afin d'étendre la méthode de discrétisation préservant les symétries à ces équations, une discrétisation des pseudo-groupes est proposée. Cette discrétisation a pour effet de transformer les symétries ponctuelles en symétries généralisées dans l'espace discret. Des schémas invariants sont ensuite créés pour un certain nombre d'EDP. Dans tous les cas, des tests numériques montrent que les schémas invariants approximent mieux leur équivalent continu que les différences finies standard. / An algorithm discretizing partial differential equations (PDEs) while preserving their Lie symmetries is provided. This is made possible by the use of discrete partial derivatives transforming as their continuous counterparts under the action of local Lie groups. In applications, many PDEs are invariant under the action of Lie point symmetries of infinite dimension designated as Lie pseudo-groups. To extend the invariant discretization method to such equations, a discretization of pseudo-groups is proposed. The pseudo-group action discretization transforms the continuous point symmetries into generalized symmetries in the discrete space. Invariant schemes are then created for a number of PDEs. In all cases, numerical tests demonstrate that invariant schemes are better approximations of their continuous equivalents than standard finite differences.