Method for forming a depth image

• US 20050129305A1
• Filed: 02/01/2005
• Published: 06/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CareStream Health Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Chen, Shoupu, Ray, Lawrence A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,236,622 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/154
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10112 Digital tomosynthesis [DTS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10116 X-ray image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30004 Biomedical image processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/596 from three or more stereo images
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/10 Image acquisition document image scanning and transmission H04N1/00; control of digital cameras H04N23/60
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/12 Acquisition of 3D measurements of objects

Abstract

A computer vision/image processing method generates a depth map. In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method of forming a relative depth map from at least three x-ray images of a patient taken from different perspectives. The method includes the steps of: (a) selecting one of the x-ray images as a reference image; (b) identifying corresponding objects within the reference image and the other images; (c) computing a disparity between the identified corresponding objects; and (d) generating the relative depth map from the disparities.

Claims

1. A method of forming a relative depth map from at least three x-ray images of a patient taken from different perspectives, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting one of the x-ray images as a reference image;

(b) identifying corresponding objects within the reference image and the other images;

(c) computing a disparity between the identified corresponding objects; and

(d) generating the relative depth map from the disparities.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) is accomplished by applying a shift-and-add operation to the at least three x-ray images.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) is accomplished by averaging a distance between an object in the reference image and the corresponding object in the other images.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) is accomplished by applying a reverse function to the disparity.

5. A computer storage product having at least one computer storage medium having instructions stored therein causing one or more computers to perform the method of claim 1.