IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD AND DEVICE

• US 20180089858A1
• Filed: 03/29/2016
• Published: 03/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mas Innovation (Private) Limited
• Original Assignee: Mas Innovation (Private) Limited
• Inventors: IDDAGODA, Iddagoda Hewage Don Mavidu Nipunath, DAYARATHNE, Keshan Danura
• Application Number:
  US15/561,699
• Publication Number:
  US 20180089858A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10024 Color image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/12 Edge-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 9/20 Contour coding, e.g. using detection of edges
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/409 Edge or detail enhancement; Noise or error suppression
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/644 using a reduced set of representative colours, e.g. each representing a particular range in a colour space
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/14 Coding unit complexity, e.g. amount of activity or edge presence estimation H04N19/146 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/186 the unit being a colour or a chrominance component

Abstract

An image processing method comprising the steps of: acquiring an image to be processed (102); calculating a combined colour index for each pixel in said image, based on the colours contributing to each pixel (108); calculating the gradient of said combined colour index for each pixel to obtain colour gradient change data for the total image; smoothing said gradient change data to highlight relevant colour changes on said image (110); sectoring said smoothed gradient colour change data to allow information to be extracted from each said sector of said image (111); and identifying at least one anchor point or sets of points pertaining to edges within one or more sectors (112).

Claims

1. An image processing method comprising the steps of:

acquiring an image to be processed;

calculating a combined colour index for each pixel in said image, based on the colours contributing to each pixel;

calculating a one-dimensional gradient of said combined colour index for each pixel to obtain one-dimensional colour gradient change data;

smoothing said gradient change data to highlight colour changes on said image;

sectoring said smoothed gradient change data to allow information to be extracted from each said sector of said image;

and determining one or more edge features within one or more sectors.

2. An image processing method according to claim 1 wherein said step of determining said edge related feature comprises the step of clustering said colour gradient change data.

3. An image processing method according to claim 2 wherein said clustering step is performed using a pixel distance limiting factor.

4. An image processing method according to claim 2 further comprising the step of comparing clustered gradient data with a template representative of the shape of said edge.

5. An image processing method according to claim 4 further comprising the step of using a scaling function to scale the clustered gradient data to match said template.

6. An image processing method according to claim 5 further comprising a conformity check to determine the combination of edges that matches the overall shape of the object in the image.

7. An image processing method according to claim 1 wherein the step of determining at least one edge related feature includes identifying at least one anchor point within one or more sectors.

8. An image processing method according to claim 7 further comprising the step of using at least one of said anchor points to assist in determining an edge feature within said image.

9. An image processing method according to claim 1 wherein said combined colour index for each pixel is calculated as follows:

combined index=(Z×

Z×

Red)+(Z×

Green)+Blue

where Red, Green and Blue represent the magnitude of that primary colour in each pixel, and Z represents the total range of values available for each colour in the image.

10. An image processing method according to claim 9 wherein the value for each of Red, Green, or Blue in the combined index equation is between 0 and 255, and Z is 256.

11. An image processing method according to claim 1 wherein said smoothing is performed by Gaussian convolution.

12. An image processing method according to claim 11 wherein said parameters of said Gaussian convolution are adjusted according to the origin of said image.

13. An image processing method according to claim 12 wherein the origin of said image is a photograph acquired with a mobile device.

14. An image processing method according to claim 1 wherein said sectoring is performed using a logic process.

15. A image processing method according to claim 14 wherein said logic process clusters similar colour gradient data together.

16. A method according to claim 7 wherein said anchoring point is a single pixel within said sector.

17. A method according to claim 7 further comprising the step of identifying additional anchor points for each said sector to assist in defining one or more boundaries of said sector.

18. A method according to claim 16 wherein the location of said anchoring point is determined by a logic process.

19. A method according to claim 1 wherein information is extracted from one or more sectors by a logic process.

20. A method according to claim 19 wherein said logic process is based on one or more of:

a) values of peaks within said sector relative to each other;

b) location/occurrence of peaks within said sector relative to each other; and

c) clusters of peaks governed by distance limiting factors.

21. A method according to claim 14 wherein said logic process further comprises one or more error correction steps.

22. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of analysing the colour distribution within said image by analysing said combined colour index.

23. An image processing method according to claim 22 wherein the results of analysing said colour distribution can be used to identify colour based features in said image.

24. An image processing apparatus for image processing comprising:

means of acquiring an image to be processed; and

processor means for processing said acquired image;

said processor means;

calculating a combined colour index for each pixel in said image, based on the colours contributing to each pixel;

calculating a one-dimensional gradient of said combined colour index for each pixel to obtain a one-dimensional colour gradient change data;

smoothing said gradient change data to highlight colour changes on said image;

sectoring said smoothed gradient colour change data to allow information to be extracted from each said sector of said image; and

determining one or more edge features within one or more sectors.