Method and product for processing digital images
First Claim
1. A method for processing a digital image, the method comprising:
- acquiring a digital first image of a biological object;
estimating a foreground region from the first image relating to the biological object, wherein the estimating of a foreground region includes defining an initial foreground region as that region containing those pixels of the first image meeting a first criterion;
estimating a background region from the first image relating to other than the biological object, wherein the estimating a background region includes defining the background region as that region containing those pixels of the first image meeting a second criterion; and
by using the first image, the estimated foreground region and the estimated background region, calculating a transition region disposed between the foreground region and the background region by a gradient constrained hysteresis threshold method, wherein pixels of the transition region meet a third criterion;
wherein the estimated foreground region, the estimated background region, and the calculated transition region, each comprise a separate set of pixels that may each be processed separately for suppressing pixel intensities in the estimated background region and improving image quality;
iteratively calculating incremental transition regions, each having an incrementally larger gradient tolerance value, until a gradient tolerance value threshold is met or exceeded, wherein;
each incremental transition region is calculated to be that region containing pixels connected to a pixel of a previously calculated incremental transition region, having an intensity greater than the second threshold, and having a gradient magnitude that is within the incrementally larger gradient tolerance value of the gradient magnitude of the incremental transition region pixel to which it is connected; and
,generating a second image of the biological object when the gradient tolerance value threshold is met or exceeded.
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Abstract
A method and computer program product for processing a digital image is disclosed. A foreground region relating to an imaged object is estimated, a background region relating to other than the imaged object is estimated, and by using the image, the estimated foreground region and the estimated background region, a transition region disposed between the foreground region and the background region is calculated. The estimated foreground region, the estimated background region, and the calculated transition region, each include a separate set of pixels that may each be processed separately for suppressing pixel intensities in the estimated background region and improving image quality.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method for processing a digital image, the method comprising:
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acquiring a digital first image of a biological object; estimating a foreground region from the first image relating to the biological object, wherein the estimating of a foreground region includes defining an initial foreground region as that region containing those pixels of the first image meeting a first criterion; estimating a background region from the first image relating to other than the biological object, wherein the estimating a background region includes defining the background region as that region containing those pixels of the first image meeting a second criterion; and by using the first image, the estimated foreground region and the estimated background region, calculating a transition region disposed between the foreground region and the background region by a gradient constrained hysteresis threshold method, wherein pixels of the transition region meet a third criterion; wherein the estimated foreground region, the estimated background region, and the calculated transition region, each comprise a separate set of pixels that may each be processed separately for suppressing pixel intensities in the estimated background region and improving image quality; iteratively calculating incremental transition regions, each having an incrementally larger gradient tolerance value, until a gradient tolerance value threshold is met or exceeded, wherein; each incremental transition region is calculated to be that region containing pixels connected to a pixel of a previously calculated incremental transition region, having an intensity greater than the second threshold, and having a gradient magnitude that is within the incrementally larger gradient tolerance value of the gradient magnitude of the incremental transition region pixel to which it is connected; and
,generating a second image of the biological object when the gradient tolerance value threshold is met or exceeded. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A program storage medium, readable by a computer, storing a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform a method for processing a digital image, comprising:
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estimating a foreground region relating to an imaged object; estimating a background region relating to other than the imaged object; and by using the image, the estimated foreground region and the estimated background region, calculating a transition region disposed between the foreground region and the background region; wherein the estimated foreground region, the estimated background region, and the calculated transition region, each comprise a separate set of pixels that may each be processed separately for suppressing pixel intensities in the estimated background region and improving image quality; wherein the calculating a transition region further includes iteratively calculating incremental transition regions, each having an incrementally larger gradient tolerance value, until a gradient tolerance value threshold is met or exceeded; wherein each incremental transition region is calculated to be that region containing pixels connected to a pixel of a previously calculated incremental transition region, having an intensity greater than the second threshold, and having a gradient magnitude that is within the incrementally larger gradient tolerance value of the gradient magnitude of the incremental transition region pixel to which it is connected. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for processing a digital image, the method comprising:
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acquiring a digital first image of a biological object; estimating a foreground region from the first image relating to the biological object as a region containing those pixels of the first image that have an intensity greater than a first threshold; estimating a background region from the first image relating to other than the biological object as a region containing those pixels of the first image that have and intensity less than a second threshold; by using the first image, the estimated foreground region and the estimated background region, calculating an initial transition region by a gradient constrained hysteresis threshold method, said initial transition region being disposed between the foreground region and the background region; defining a plurality of incremental transition regions from the initial transition region, wherein each of the plurality of incremental transition regions each have an incrementally larger gradient tolerance value; wherein the estimated foreground region, the estimated background region, and the calculated transition region, each comprise a separate set of pixels that may each be processed separately and independently of each other for suppressing pixel intensities in the estimated background region and improving image quality to generate a second image of the biological object. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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Specification