Method and apparatus for the simultaneous display and correlation of independently generated images

• US 4,987,412 A
• Filed: 08/25/1988
• Issued: 01/22/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: United States Department of Energy
• Original Assignee: United States Department of Energy
• Inventors: Vaitekunas, Jeffrey J., Roberts, Ronald A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brier, Jeffery A.
• Application Number:
  US07/236,582
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 340/721, 340/706, 340/709, 340/710, 340/724, 340/723, 364/518, 364/521
• US Class Current: 345/635
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

An apparatus and method for location by location correlation of multiple images from Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) and other sources. Multiple images of a material specimen are displayed on one or more monitors of an interactive graphics system. Specimen landmarks are located in each image and mapping functions from a reference image to each other image are calcuated using the landmark locations. A location selected by positioning a cursor in the reference image is mapped to the other images and location identifiers are simultaneously displayed in those images. Movement of the cursor in the reference image causes simultaneous movement of the location identifiers in the other images to positions corresponding to the location of the reference image cursor.

Claims

1. A method of visually demonstrating a location of an image of an object which corresponds to a selected location on another image of the object and simultaneously visually identifying those locations with sufficient accuracy to permit comparison of Nondestructive Evaluation results, said method comprising:

(a) displaying a plurality of images of an object on a monitor of an interactive display system;

(b) locating three or more landmarks on each displayed image of the object on the monitor;

(c) selecting one image as the reference image;

(d) calculating mapping functions from the selected reference image to each other displayed image using the landmark locations;

(e) selecting a location of interest in the reference image;

(f) identifying the location on each displayed image that corresponds to the selected location on the reference image;

whereby locations that can be visually located on one image are visually demonstrated in other images that may contain Nondestructive Evaluation results to be correlated to the selected location.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting the reference image is accomplished by locating the landmarks in the image to be the reference image at a predefined numerical position in the sequence of images during landmark location.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said locations in each displayed image that correspond to the selected location on the reference image are identified by displaying a cursor at those locations.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of displaying images includes the step acquiring said images from Nondestructive Evaluation data acquisition apparatus, from digitized video input of images, and/or from returning stored image for display.

5. An interactive display system including a monitor, computer means, for movement of a location identifier on the monitor and a means for input of commands to the computer, the improvement to enable said display system to correlate corresponding positions in multiple independently generated images on the same object further compromises:

a means for display of at least two images or an object on the display means;

a means for appearance of a location identifier on a predetermined displayed reference image;

a means for correlating through employment of a mapping function a location identifier on each of the alternate displays to a corresponding position as depicted by said location identifier on the reference image;

means for moving the location identifier on the reference image;

means for correlating a response to a movement of the location identifier on the reference image to the respective movement of said location identifiers on the other alternate displayed images with the result that a change in the position of the location identifier on the reference image will result in a corresponding change in the alternate image location identifier producing the effect that one location identifier tracks the other with respect to their physical location on the displayed object;

whereby images can be compared at specific locations and their relationship to each other or an image demonstrating failure location can be evaluated.

6. The interactive graphics display of system of claim 5 wherein said location identifier appearing on each image other than the reference image is the location identifier which appeared on the reference image moved rapidly from image to image appearing at the locations specified by said mapping function, or in the alternative, if the apparatus will support multiple location identifiers unique to each image these location identifiers will appear to track simultaneously controlled by said mapping function.

7. The interactive display system of claim 5 wherein said system includes a high capacity data storage system wherein information for the generation of the images by the computer is stored and supplied to the computer by said system.

8. The interactive display system of claim 5 wherein said system includes a Nondestructive Evaluation data acquisition apparatus which generates an information stream and a means for utilizing said information stream in a format including a direct input signal which requires no signal processing, a direct input signal which must be processed, and a visual information display which must be processed.