Morphological based segmenter

• US 20040126013A1
• Filed: 12/30/2002
• Published: 07/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Olson, Teresa
• Granted Patent: US 7,899,245 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10048 Infrared image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20104 Interactive definition of region of interest [ROI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20132 Image cropping
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30212 Military
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/12 Edge-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/155 involving morphological operators
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/246 using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments

Abstract

A method for segmenting an object within an image including extracting an edge image containing a first set of pixels from the image, generating a second set of pixels from the first set of pixels using mathematical morphology, and identifying a segment corresponding to the object.

Claims

1. A method for segmenting an object within an image comprising:

extracting an edge image containing a first set of pixels from the image;

generating a second set of pixels from the first set of pixels using mathematical morphology; and

identifying a segment corresponding to the object.

2. The method for segmenting an object within an image according to claim 1, wherein the first set of pixels have at least a predetermined gradient magnitude.

3. The method for segmenting an object within an image according to claim 1, wherein the edge image is extracted from a processing window within the image that is centered about a centroid for the object.

4. The method for segmenting an object within an image according to claim 3, wherein dimensions and position of the processing window are based on priori information regarding size of a pre-screener box for the object and location of the centroid for the object from a pre-screener.

5. The method for segmenting an object within an image according to claim 3, wherein dimensions of the processing window are at least two times greater than dimensions of a signature for the object within the image.

6. The method for segmenting an object within an image according to claim 4, wherein dimensions of the processing window are at least two times greater than dimensions of the pre-screener box.

7. The method for segmenting an object within an image according to claim 1, wherein the mathematical morphology dilates the first set of pixels N times and then erodes N times to generate the second set of pixels.

8. The method for segmenting an object within an image according to claim 7, wherein the first set of pixels are from a processing window positioned about the object.

9. The method for segmenting an object within an image according to claim 6, wherein the mathematical morphology dilates the first set of pixels N number of times and then erodes N number of times to generate the second set of pixels and N is equal to a lesser dimension of the pre-screener in pixels divided by four and then rounded up to a whole integer.

10. The method for segmenting an object within an image according to claim 7, wherein N is equal to a lesser dimension of the object in pixels based on priori information regarding size of the object divided by four and then rounded up to a whole integer.

11. The method for segmenting an object within an image according to claim 1, wherein identifying a segment includes determining a third set of pixels representing the object from the second set of pixels.

12. The method for segmenting an object within an image according to claim 6, wherein identifying a segment includes determining a third set of pixels representing the object from the second set of pixels.

13. The method for segmenting an object within an image according to claim 11, wherein the third set of pixels are determined based on a predetermined centroid shape.

14. The method for segmenting an object within an image according to claim 12, wherein the third set of pixels are determined based on a predetermined centroid shape and dimensions of the centroid shape are no more than half of the dimensions of the pre-screener box.

15. The method for segmenting an object within an image according to claim 11, wherein identifying a segment includes marking pixels within the third set of pixels that represent a perimeter of the object within the image.

16. The method for segmenting an object within an image according to claim 14, wherein identifying a segment includes marking pixels within the third set of pixels that represent a perimeter of the object.

17. A method for segmenting an object within an image comprising:

extracting a edge image containing a first set of pixels representing edges within the image;

filling in additional pixels to generate a second set of pixels; and

determining a third set of pixels representing the object from the second set of pixels based upon a predetermined centroid shape.

18. The method for segmenting an object within an image according to claim 17, comprising:

marking pixels within the third set of pixels that represent a perimeter of the object.

19. The method for segmenting an object within an image according to claim 17, wherein the first set of pixels are from a processing window within the image having dimensions that is at two least times greater than dimensions of a signature for the object.

20. The method for segmenting an object within an image according to claim 19, wherein the predetermined centroid shape is from a pre-screener.