Methods and apparatus for centroid based object segmentation in object recognition-type image processing system
First Claim
1. A method of determining whether an image pixel of an input image having a plurality of image pixels including edge pixels corresponds to part of an object using a set of masks, each mask including a matrix of bits, wherein each image pixel of the plurality of image pixels has a gradient value and one of the image pixels of the plurality of image pixels corresponds to a centroid of the object, the method, performed in a signal processing system, comprising the steps of:
- dividing the input image into four quadrants using the centroid, each of the quadrants having a corresponding set of masks;
identifying the edge pixels in the input image, each identifies edge pixel having a gradient value greater than a threshold gradient value; and
comparing each one of the sets of masks for each quadrant with a matrix of the image pixels within the same quadrant toidentify image pixels in the matrix that correspond to part of the object.
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Abstract
A digital signal processing system which uses an input image including a plurality of pixels to establish boundaries of objects in the input image. Each of the pixels has a gradient value and the object includes a centroid. Using a segmentation process, the digital signal processing system decides on a perimeter surrounding the object in the input image and then repeatedly searches for a pixel having the highest gradient value and marks that pixel having the highest gradient value as an edge pixel of the object.
61 Citations
4 Claims
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1. A method of determining whether an image pixel of an input image having a plurality of image pixels including edge pixels corresponds to part of an object using a set of masks, each mask including a matrix of bits, wherein each image pixel of the plurality of image pixels has a gradient value and one of the image pixels of the plurality of image pixels corresponds to a centroid of the object, the method, performed in a signal processing system, comprising the steps of:
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dividing the input image into four quadrants using the centroid, each of the quadrants having a corresponding set of masks; identifying the edge pixels in the input image, each identifies edge pixel having a gradient value greater than a threshold gradient value; and comparing each one of the sets of masks for each quadrant with a matrix of the image pixels within the same quadrant to identify image pixels in the matrix that correspond to part of the object.
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2. An image processing system for determining whether an image pixel of an input image having a plurality of image pixels corresponds to part of an object using a plurality of masks, each mask consisting of a matrix of bits, wherein each image pixel has a gradient value and one of the image pixels of the input image corresponds to a centroid of the object, the system comprising:
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means for dividing the input image into four quadrants using the centroid, each of the quadrants having a corresponding set of masks; means for identifying edge pixels among the image pixels of the input image, each edge pixel having a gradient value greater than a threshold gradient value; and means for comparing each one of the masks for each quadrant with a matrix of image pixels within the same quadrant to identify image pixels in the matrix that correspond to part of the object.
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3. A method of establishing the boundaries of an object in an input image including a plurality of image pixels having gradient values of a predetermined scale, wherein the object includes a centroid, the method, performed by a signal processing system, comprising the steps of:
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deciding on a perimeter surrounding the object in the input image; repeatedly searching from an image pixel corresponding to the centroid of the object to the perimeter for an image pixel having a highest gradient value of the image pixels searched; and marking, as an edge pixel, the image pixel having the highest gradient value for each of the repeated searches when said highest gradient value exceeds a predetermined threshold.
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4. An image processing system for establishing the boundaries of an object in an input image including a plurality of image pixels having gradient values of a predetermined scale, wherein the object includes a centroid, the system comprising:
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means for deciding on a perimeter surrounding the object in the input image; means for repeatedly searching from an image pixel corresponding to the centroid of the object to the perimeter for an image pixel having a highest gradient value of the image pixels searched; and means for marking, as an edge pixel, the image pixel having the highest gradient value for each of the repeated searches when said highest gradient value exceeds a predetermined threshold.
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Specification