NICE_VisLearning/featureLearning/FeatureLearningGeneric.h

/**
* @file FeatureLearningGeneric.h
* @brief abstract interface for feature learning algorithms
* @author Alexander Freytag
* @date 16-04-2013 (dd-mm-yyyy)

*/
#ifndef _INCLUDEFEATURELEARNING
#define _INCLUDEFEATURELEARNING

#define ROADWORKS fthrow(NICE::Exception, "Feature Learning -- not yet implemented!");

#include <string>
#include <core/basics/Config.h>
#include <core/image/ImageT.h>
#include <vislearning/cbaselib/CachedExample.h>


namespace OBJREC
{

  /** abstract interface for feature learning algorithms */
  class FeatureLearningGeneric
  {

    protected:   
      
      //! section information for parsing config files
      std::string section;      
      
      //! Configuration File
      const NICE::Config *conf;    
      
      //! where should an initial codebook be located, i.e., read from and written to?
      std::string cacheInitialCodebook;
      //! was an initial codebook already computed?
      bool b_loadInitialCodebook;
      //!shall the initially computed codebook be stored somewhere?
      bool  b_saveInitialCodebook; 
      
      //! additional evaluation in the process of feature learning, e.g., visualize the most useful features in the current image
      bool b_evaluationWhileFeatureLearning;
      
      /**
       * @brief Load a previously computed codebook which serves as initial codebook
       * @author Alexander Freytag
       * @date 17-04-2013 (dd-mm-yyyy)
       * @return bool (success of loading)
       * @note This function has to be overloaded by all subclasses!
       */
      virtual bool loadInitialCodebook ( ) = 0;
      
      /**
       * @brief Store the initially computed codebook
       * @author Alexander Freytag
       * @date 17-04-2013 (dd-mm-yyyy)
       * @return bool (success of writing) 
       * @note This function has to be overloaded by all subclasses!
       */      
      virtual bool writeInitialCodebook ( ) = 0;
      

    public:

      /**
       * @brief  simple constructor
       * @author Alexander Freytag
       * @date 16-04-2013 (dd-mm-yyyy)
       * @param _conf global settings
       * @param _section section information for parsing config files
      */
      FeatureLearningGeneric ( const NICE::Config *_conf, const std::string & _section = "featureLearning" );

      /** simple destructor */
      virtual ~FeatureLearningGeneric();

      
      /** this function has to be overloaded by all subclasses
          @param imgWithNovelContent 
      */
      virtual void learnNewFeatures ( const std::string & _filename) = 0;  
      
      virtual NICE::FloatImage evaluateCurrentCodebook ( const std::string & filename , const bool & beforeComputingNewFeatures = true) = 0;
  

  };


} // namespace

#endif