System and method for automatically detecting and extracting objects in digital image data
First Claim
1. A method for detecting and extracting objects in an image, comprising:
- classifying each pixel within the image to obtain a pixel classification data;
defining an image function to process the pixel classification data;
dividing the image into sub-images based on disparities in the image function; and
processing the sub-images to determine a size, an orientation and a position for each of the objects.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An object detection and extraction system and method for processing digital image data. The system and method segregates objects contained within a single image and allows those objects to be considered as an individual object. In general, the object detection and extraction method takes an image containing one or more objects of know shape (such as rectangular objects) and finds the number of objects along with their size, orientation and position. In particular, the object detection and extraction method includes classifying each pixel in an image containing one or more objects to obtain pixel classification data, defining an image function to process the pixel classification data, and dividing the image into sub-images based on disparities or gaps in the image function. Each of the sub-images is processed to determine a size and an orientation for the each of the objects. The object detection and extraction system uses the above method.
41 Citations
53 Claims
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1. A method for detecting and extracting objects in an image, comprising:
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classifying each pixel within the image to obtain a pixel classification data;
defining an image function to process the pixel classification data;
dividing the image into sub-images based on disparities in the image function; and
processing the sub-images to determine a size, an orientation and a position for each of the objects. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A process for determining a size, an orientation and a position of rectangular objects in a two-dimensional image, comprising:
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defining an image function having a recognizable characteristic when used on a single rectangular object;
calculating the image function in two different directions of the two-dimensional image;
using the image function to determine the size, the orientation and the position of the rectangular objects in the two-dimensional image. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method for determining a number, a size, an orientation and a position of rectangular objects contained in a image, comprising:
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classifying each pixel within the image as one of;
(a) a data pixel;
(b) a background pixel;
calculating an image function along two or more different directions of the image;
examining the image function to determine whether a disparity is present;
dividing the image into sub-images if a disparity is found;
repeating the calculating, examining and dividing actions for each of the sub-images; and
examining the image and each of the sub-images to determine if the image functions have a recognizable shape. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A method for detecting and segregating rectangular objects in a two-dimensional image, comprising:
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defining an image function that sums data pixels contained in the two-dimensional image along two orthogonal directions;
decomposing the two-dimensional image into a plurality of sub-images based gaps in the data pixels until one of the following occurs;
(a) each of the plurality of sub-images contains a single rectangular object;
(b) a sub-image cannot be further decomposed; and
using the image function to find a size, an orientation and a position for each of the single rectangular objects in the plurality of sub-images. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for detecting and extracting objects from an image having data pixels and background pixels, comprising:
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applying to the image a two-dimensional coordinate system having a first axis and a second axis;
defining a first image function that calculates a first data set along the second axis;
defining a second image function that calculates a second data set along the first axis;
dividing the image into a plurality of sub-images based on gaps in the first data set and the second data set; and
repeating the above for each of the plurality of sub-images until one of the following transpires;
(a) the sub-image contains a single object;
(b) the sub-image cannot be further divided. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. An object detection and extraction system for processing digital image data, comprising:
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a data pixel detection module that classifies each pixel within the digital image data and defines an image function;
a segmentation module that is capable of dividing the digital image data into smaller sub-images based on disparities in the image function; and
a single object extraction module that processes the sub-images to detect a number, a size, an orientation and a position of objects within the digital image data. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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Specification