Correlation operational apparatus for multi-dimensional images

• US 4,998,286 A
• Filed: 01/20/1988
• Issued: 03/05/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Badique, Eric, Komiya, Yasuhiro, Kikuchi, Susumu, Ohyama, Nagaaki, Honda, Toshio, Tsujiuchi, Junpei
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, David K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Couso, Jose L.
• Application Number:
  US07/146,162
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• Field of Search: 382/1, 382/17, 382/18, 382/34, 382/41, 382/42, 382/44, 382/45, 358/27-29, 358/80, 358/88, 358/98, 358/296, 364/526, 364/725, 364/728, 356/2, 356/12
• US Class Current: 382/165
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/153 Multidimensional correlation or convolution
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/751 Comparing pixel values or logical combinations thereof, or feature values having positional relevance, e.g. template matching

Abstract

A correlation operational apparatus for multi-dimensional images includes: means for reducing at least two-dimensional components of the multi-dimensional images composed of at least two components by at least one component by projecting a vector representing the image onto a space perpendicular to a vector representing a large variance of distribution of the multi-dimensional image in a vector space whose orthogonal axes represent the individual dimensional component values of the multi-dimensional image; and means for performing a correlation operation for each component on the multi-dimensional images whose dimensional components have been reduced by at least one. In consequence, images having a relatively high number of high spatial frequency components and whose components have been reduced by at least one are extracted, and a correlation operation is performed thereon.

Claims

1. A correlation operational apparatus for correlation of objects between multi-dimensional images each composed of at least two components, said correlation operational apparatus comprising:

means for reducing at least two-dimensional components of said multi-dimensional images composed of at least two components by at least one component by projecting a first vector, representing said images, onto a projection plane which is perpendicular to a second vector, said second vector representing a large variance of distribution of said multi-dimensional images in a vector space, said vector space having orthogonal axes represent individual dimensional component values of said multi-dimensional images; and

means for performing a correlation operation among said multi-dimensional images for each component on the multi-dimensional images whose dimensional components have been reduced by at least one to correlate objects within said multi-dimensional images.

2. A correlation operational apparatus for multi-dimensional images comprising:

an image inputting unit including n-dimensional (n≧

2) image inputting devices and image memories;

a main component analyzing unit including a covariance matrix operator, a memory, an eigenvalue operator, and an eigenvector operator calculating m (m<

n) vectors, said vectors representing a small variance of distribution of an image in n-dimensional vector space;

an image transforming unit including matrix operators for transforming n-dimensional input images into m-dimensional images by projecting said n-dimensional images in directions of said m vectors;

a correlation operating unit including m correlation operators performing correlation of objects within the multi-dimensional images;

an image memory for storing a correlated image produced by said correlation operating unit; and

a controller for controlling an operation of each of said units.