Propagating sparse labels through edge-aware filters

In this paper, we show how linear, but not necessarily shift-invariant, filters can be used to propagate sparse labels throughout an image. We propose a new propagation method based on the domain transform filter, a linear, shift-varying filter whose kernel width varies based on local edge information. We contrast this against the more well-known energy minimization approach and show that it can produce significantly better results when the input labels contain errors. Finally, we show how minimization-based methods are better suited for purely user-guided applications.