Intermediate-level visual representations and the construction of surface perception

Abstract Visual processing has often been divided into three stages-early, intermediate, and high level vision, which roughly correspond to the sensation, perception, and cognition of the visual world. In this paper, we present a network-based model of intermediate-level vision that focuses on how surfaces might be represented in visual cortex. We propose a mechanism for representing surfaces through the establishment of "ownership"-a selective binding of contours and regions. The representation of ownership provides a central locus for visual integration. Our simulations show the ability to segment real and illusory images in a manner consistent with human perception. In addition, through ownership, other processes such as depth, transparency, and surface completion can interact with one another to organize an image into a perceptual scene.