Fast image search using a multiscale stochastic model

Searching an image for the occurrence of a pattern or a template is an essential step in a number of image processing applications. We propose a new multiresolution matching criterion based on the generalized log likelihood ratio. We also developed a multiscale search technique which facilitates finding the best solution by searching a small subset of the entire set of possible template locations. The search technique is designed to keep the amount of computation at each resolution approximately the same. The results obtained on our example images demonstrate the robustness and accuracy of the matching criterion along with a speed-up of over two orders of magnitude by the search technique.