Method for generating time independent images of moving objects
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for generating time independent images of moving objects comprising the following steps:
- providing a sequence of digital images of the moving part of an object;
transforming image information of said sequence into a series of space-time images comprised of pixels or groups of pixels on a series of adjacent line-segments, said line-segments being positioned in such a way as to cross the said moving part of said object and being distributed in such a way as to completely cover said moving part of the said object;
aligning said space-time images of each of said line-segments related to different images of said sequence in order to compensate for motion of said moving part of said object along said line-segments by shifting said images of said sequence taken at different times along a given line-segment for a distance corresponding to the displacement of said moving part of said object;
defining an evaluation function having at least one parameter and calculating for each pixel or group of pixels the value of the said parameter for best fitting said evaluation function with a curve representing the values of said pixel or group of pixels obtained from said aligned space-time images; and
constructing a parametric image by defining a pixel appearance scale univocally correlated to said at least one parameter.
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Abstract
A method for generating time independent images of moving objects in which the image information is related to properties of the moving object by parameters.
7 Citations
36 Claims
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1. A method for generating time independent images of moving objects comprising the following steps:
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providing a sequence of digital images of the moving part of an object;
transforming image information of said sequence into a series of space-time images comprised of pixels or groups of pixels on a series of adjacent line-segments, said line-segments being positioned in such a way as to cross the said moving part of said object and being distributed in such a way as to completely cover said moving part of the said object;
aligning said space-time images of each of said line-segments related to different images of said sequence in order to compensate for motion of said moving part of said object along said line-segments by shifting said images of said sequence taken at different times along a given line-segment for a distance corresponding to the displacement of said moving part of said object;
defining an evaluation function having at least one parameter and calculating for each pixel or group of pixels the value of the said parameter for best fitting said evaluation function with a curve representing the values of said pixel or group of pixels obtained from said aligned space-time images; and
constructing a parametric image by defining a pixel appearance scale univocally correlated to said at least one parameter. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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2. A method for generating time-independent images of moving objects, comprising the steps:
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acquiring a sequence of a plurality of digital images of a region of interest of an object which has at least one part performing a cyclic or oscillatory or non oscillatory motion;
defining at least one segment of a line oriented in such a way as to cross the moving part of said object, said segment having a starting pint and ending point which lie outside said images of said moving part of said object;
defining a certain number of pixels or groups of pixels along said segment;
generating a first image of each pixel or group of pixels along said segment such that a plurality of images are presented in the correct time sequence so as to form a two-dimensional image defined by two axes, where one axis is the distance position of each pixel or group of pixels along said segment and the other axis is time;
compensating the motion of said moving part of said object by aligning relative to time adjacent images of said pixels or group of pixels along said segment by shifting relative to the distance axis said position of said pixels or group of pixels along said segment for at least part of each image along said segment taken at different times;
retrieving pixel data from said digital image of each of said pixels or groups of pixels along said segment and representing said pixel data in a two-dimensional image defined by two axes, where one axis is said pixel data and the other axis is time;
defining an estimation function of said pixel data as a function of time, where said function has at least one parameter;
calculating said parameter of said estimation function leading to the best fit of said estimation function with said pixel data;
defining a plurality of additional segments which are placed side by side in order to cover at least a portion of said moving part of said object;
repeating said preceding steps with respect to each pixel or group of pixels along each of said additional segments;
defining a scale of pixel appearance which is univocally related to the values of said at least one parameter and which defines different appearances of said pixels or groups of pixels; and
reconstructing an image in which each of said pixels or groups of pixels is positioned on a segment in a time-independent position and where each of said pixels or groups of pixels has an appearance corresponding to the value calculated for said at least one parameter with respect to said pixel or group of pixels. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification