Labeling pixels of an image based on near neighbor attributes
First Claim
1. A method of operating a system that includes memory and a processor connected for accessing the memory, the method comprising steps of:
- for an image that includes a plurality of pixels, storing in the memory a respective data item for each pixel, each pixel'"'"'s respective data item including respective value data for the pixel and pixel set data indicating whether the pixel is in an indicated set of pixels;
operating the processor to produce, for a first one of the pixels, near neighbor attribute data;
the near neighbor attribute data indicating a first attribute for a first near neighbor link of the first pixel and indicating a second attribute for a second near neighbor link of a second one of the pixels; and
operating the processor to use the near neighbor attribute data of the first pixel to determine whether the first near neighbor link of the first pixel is a link to the second pixel and the second near neighbor link of the second pixel is a link to the first pixel and, if so, setting the first pixel'"'"'s pixel set data to indicate that the first pixel is in the indicated set of pixels.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Pixels within an image are labeled based on near neighbor attributes. The attributes may be attributes for a near neighbor link or for a near neighbor pixel to which the link leads. The near neighbor attribute data for a pixel may indicate attributes for plural near neighbor links, and a link relationship criterion may be applied to determine whether the links are related in a manner that meets the criterion. For example, a pixel may be labeled only if its near neighbor links include a pair with relative orientation difference of approximately 180°, both of which have been previously labeled or are links to a boundary; this criterion is useful in labeling a partially bounded region. A distance independent connected component labeling criterion may be applied during parallel labeling of pixels for rapid connected component labeling. Labeling based on a near neighbor labeling criterion may be iterated until a component or region is completely labeled.
36 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method of operating a system that includes memory and a processor connected for accessing the memory, the method comprising steps of:
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for an image that includes a plurality of pixels, storing in the memory a respective data item for each pixel, each pixel'"'"'s respective data item including respective value data for the pixel and pixel set data indicating whether the pixel is in an indicated set of pixels; operating the processor to produce, for a first one of the pixels, near neighbor attribute data;
the near neighbor attribute data indicating a first attribute for a first near neighbor link of the first pixel and indicating a second attribute for a second near neighbor link of a second one of the pixels; andoperating the processor to use the near neighbor attribute data of the first pixel to determine whether the first near neighbor link of the first pixel is a link to the second pixel and the second near neighbor link of the second pixel is a link to the first pixel and, if so, setting the first pixel'"'"'s pixel set data to indicate that the first pixel is in the indicated set of pixels. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of operating a system that includes memory and a processor connected for accessing the memory, the method comprising steps of:
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for an image that includes a plurality of pixels, storing in the memory a respective data item for each pixel, each pixel'"'"'s respective data item including respective value data for the pixel and pixel set data indicating whether the pixel is in an indicated set of pixels; operating the processor to produce, for a first one of the pixels, near neighbor attribute data;
the near neighbor attribute data indicating a first relative orientation from the first pixel to a first near neighbor pixel and indicating a second relative orientation from the first pixel to a second near neighbor pixel; andoperating the processor to use the near neighbor attribute data of the first pixel to determine whether the difference between the first and second relative orientations is approximately 180° and
, if so, setting the first pixel'"'"'s pixel set data to indicate that the first pixel is in the indicated set of pixels. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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10. A method of operating a system that includes memory and a processor connected for accessing the memory, the method comprising steps of:
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for an image that includes a plurality of pixels, storing in the memory a respective data item for each pixel, each pixel'"'"'s respective data item including pixel set data indicating whether the pixel is in an indicated set of pixels;
a first one of the pixel'"'"'s pixel set data indicating that the pixel is in the indicated set of pixels; andfor each of a series of steps, operating the processor to set the pixel set data of a number of additional ones of the pixels until a final step in which the number of additional pixels is not sufficient to justify another step; each of the steps of operating the processor to set the pixel set data of additional pixels comprising substeps of; producing, for each pixel, near neighbor attribute data indicating an attribute of a near neighbor pixel of the pixel, the attribute being whether the near neighbor pixel'"'"'s pixel set data indicates that the pixel is in the indicated set of pixels; and for each pixel whose near neighbor attribute data indicates that the near neighbor pixel is in the indicated set of pixels, applying a labeling criterion to determine whether to set the pixel'"'"'s pixel set data to indicate that the pixel is in the set of pixels and, if so, setting the pixel'"'"'s pixel set data accordingly. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of operating a system that includes memory and a processor connected for accessing the memory, the method comprising steps of:
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for an image that includes a plurality of pixels, storing in the memory a respective data item for each pixel, each pixel'"'"'s respective data item including respective value data for the pixel and pixel set data indicating whether the pixel is in an indicated set of pixels; operating the processor to produce, for a first one of the pixels, near neighbor attribute data indicating an attribute for a plurality of near neighbor links; and operating the processor to apply a link relationship criterion to the near neighbor attribute data of the first pixel to determine whether the plurality of near neighbor links are related in a manner that meets the link relationship criterion and, if so, setting the first pixel'"'"'s pixel set data to indicate that the first pixel is in the indicated set of pixels; the near neighbor attribute data indicating a distance between the first pixel and a second pixel;
the step of operating the processor to apply the link relationship criterion comprising a substep of varying the criterion with the distance indicated by the near neighbor attribute data.
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15. A method of operating a system that includes memory and a processor connected for accessing the memory, the method comprising steps of:
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for an image that includes a plurality of pixels, storing in the memory a respective data item for each pixel, each pixel'"'"'s respective data item including respective value data for the pixel and pixel set data indicating whether the pixel is in an indicated set of pixels; operating the processor to produce, for each of a plurality of the pixels, near neighbor attribute data that indicate a first attribute for a first near neighbor link of the pixel and that indicate a second attribute for a second near neighbor link of the pixel; and operating the processor to apply a link relationship criterion to the near neighbor attribute data of each of the plurality of the pixels to determine whether the first and second near neighbor links of each pixel are related to each other in a manner that meets the link relationship criterion and, if so, setting the pixel'"'"'s pixel set data to indicate that the pixel is in the indicated set of pixels. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification