Method for the processing of images by hierarchically organized queues
First Claim
1. A method for processing an image stored in a memory containing, at each picture element address, a physical value of a physical element of a body associated with each picture element and a marker value associated with each said picture element used to obtain a physical image and a marker image, said method comprising an initialization phase and a processing phase, and being aimed at the construction of a result image, wherein in the initialization phase:
- a hierarchically organized group of queues HOQ, is created, the queues of this group being of the first-in-first-out type and being differentiated from one another according to an order of priority determined by their correspondence with one value among the possible values of a priority parameter,in at least one of the physical image and the marker image, picture elements for initiating the method are identified,a level of priority of each initiating picture element is assessed as a function of the physical and marker values associated with the picture element or neighboring elements of the picture element,the address of each initiating picture element is stored in a queue that corresponds to the level of its priority,in the processing phase, steps 1 and 2 are repeated so long as the HOQ is not empty;
step 1;
the address of the picture element with the highest priority is extracted from the queue with the highest priority that is undergoing processing, x designating this picture element,step 2;
neighbors of x are put on a neighborhood list of x, for each neighbor, y, of x that is found in said neighborhood list of x and that has never yet been stored in the HOQ during the processing phase, the level of priority of y is assessed as a function of its physical value or of physical values of picture elements of a neighborhood of y, the address of y is stored in the HOQ that corresponds to this level of priority, and x is given, in the result image memory, a label depending on its window.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for processing images using hierarchically organized queues is provided. In particular, the method relates to the segmentation and filtering of certain shapes whose contours appear to be imprecise due to the existence of image noise, thereby eliminating such noise and providing a more precise image. The disclosed method is applicable to all sectors of image analysis and is especially useful in the analysis of images acquired by tomographs used in the medical field, whether these images are two-, three- or even four-dimensional. The method can also be extended to numerous dimensions and to color images. The method is also of particular usefulness in the fields of traffic control, i.e., detection of vehicles and roads, and more generally to all fields of industrial vision. The disclosed method can also be essential in coding and image compression for telecommunications and archiving.
-
Citations
21 Claims
-
1. A method for processing an image stored in a memory containing, at each picture element address, a physical value of a physical element of a body associated with each picture element and a marker value associated with each said picture element used to obtain a physical image and a marker image, said method comprising an initialization phase and a processing phase, and being aimed at the construction of a result image, wherein in the initialization phase:
-
a hierarchically organized group of queues HOQ, is created, the queues of this group being of the first-in-first-out type and being differentiated from one another according to an order of priority determined by their correspondence with one value among the possible values of a priority parameter, in at least one of the physical image and the marker image, picture elements for initiating the method are identified, a level of priority of each initiating picture element is assessed as a function of the physical and marker values associated with the picture element or neighboring elements of the picture element, the address of each initiating picture element is stored in a queue that corresponds to the level of its priority, in the processing phase, steps 1 and 2 are repeated so long as the HOQ is not empty; step 1;
the address of the picture element with the highest priority is extracted from the queue with the highest priority that is undergoing processing, x designating this picture element,step 2;
neighbors of x are put on a neighborhood list of x, for each neighbor, y, of x that is found in said neighborhood list of x and that has never yet been stored in the HOQ during the processing phase, the level of priority of y is assessed as a function of its physical value or of physical values of picture elements of a neighborhood of y, the address of y is stored in the HOQ that corresponds to this level of priority, and x is given, in the result image memory, a label depending on its window. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
Specification