METHOD OF GROUPING PIXELS IN 2D DIGITAL IMAGE

• US 20100150444A1
• Filed: 03/30/2009
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: LEE, Sung Jin, JEONG, Hyo Won, CHOI, Won Tae, KIM, Joo Hyun, KANG, Bong Soon, KWAK, Boo Dong
• Granted Patent: US 8,275,202 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/180
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/11 Region-based segmentation

Abstract

There is provided a method of grouping pixels in a 2D digital image that assigns labels to regions of objects to differentiate between objects separated in the input image and groups a region of an object having the same label into one group when pattern recognition and image process are performed on the 2D digital image. A method of grouping pixels in a 2d digital image according to an aspect of the invention may include: determining whether a target pixel in an input image is included in a labeling section; determining whether the target pixel is connected to a previous pixel of the target pixel and an upper pixel located adjacent to and above the target pixel to perform a labeling process, and renewing a label table while saving a labeling result in a line memory when the target pixel is included in the labeling section and is a valid pixel including object information; and grouping pixels of the input image using the labeling result and the renewed label table, and renewing a group.

Claims

1. A method of grouping pixels in a 2d digital image, the method comprising:

determining whether a target pixel in an input image is included in a labeling section;

determining whether the target pixel is connected to a previous pixel of the target pixel and an upper pixel located adjacent to and above the target pixel to perform a labeling process, and renewing a label table while saving a labeling result in a line memory when the target pixel is included in the labeling section and is a valid pixel including object information; and

grouping pixels of the input image using the labeling result and the renewed label table, and renewing a group.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the renewing of the label table comprises:

determining whether the target pixel is a valid pixel including object information;

performing a labeling process on the target pixel when the target pixel is a valid pixel;

saving the labeling result in the line memory; and

renewing the label table to reflect changes according to the labeling result.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether a labeling process is completed by searching to determine whether a region of a group exists in a line preceding the corresponding line when it is determined that the target pixel is not a valid pixel, and initializing the group using information about the group.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

renewing data of the line memory using the label table when the target pixel is not included in the label region; and

initializing the label table to perform a labeling process on the next line after the renewing of the data of the line memory is completed.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the performing of the labeling process is labeling the target pixel according to whether the target pixel, the previous pixel, and the upper pixel are valid pixels.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the performing of the labeling process comprises:

searching for information about a group and information about the label table and assigning the number of a group having an initial value as a label of the target pixel when only the target pixel among the target pixel, the previous pixel and the upper pixel is a valid pixel,

searching for a value of the label table corresponding to a label of the upper pixel, assigning the searched value as the label of the target pixel, and changing a value of the label table corresponding to a label of the previous pixel into the label of the upper pixel when the target pixel, the previous pixel, and the upper pixel are all valid pixels,

searching for a value of the label table corresponding to a value of the label table corresponding to a label of the previous pixel, and assigning the searched value as a label of the target pixel when the target pixel and the previous pixel are valid pixels, and

searching for a value of the label table corresponding to a label of the upper pixel, and assigning the searched value as a label of the target pixel when the target pixel and the upper pixel are valid pixels.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the saving of the line memory is saving a result of labeling every pixel in each line included in the labeling section in the line memory having the same length as the labeling section in real time.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the grouping and the renewing of the group comprises:

saving coordinates of the target pixel in a group having the same number as a newly assigned label of the target pixel as information of the group when only the target pixel among the target pixel, the previous pixel and the upper pixel is a valid pixel,

incorporating a group of the previous pixel into a group of the upper pixel, comparing information about group of the upper pixel, information about the group of the previous pixel, and the coordinates of the target pixel, and saving coordinates covering all the information and the coordinates as information of the incorporated group when the target pixel, the previous pixel, and the upper pixel are all valid pixels,

comparing the group information of the previous pixel and the coordinates of the target pixel, and saving coordinates including the coordinates of the target pixel in the group of the previous pixel when the target pixel and the previous pixel are valid pixels, and

comparing the group information of the upper pixel and the coordinates of the target pixel, and saving coordinates including the coordinates of the target pixel in the group of the upper pixel.