System and method for image analysis with characteristic curves

摘要

Characteristic curves representative of ridges or edges in an image can be generated from a gradient magnitude image and gradient vector data associated with the image. Such characteristic curves may be evaluated with filter criteria in order to identify whether a characteristic curve or curves is indicative of a feature in the image. Filter criteria can be determined to identify a desired feature in the image, whereby the filter criteria evaluates a characteristic curve or curves, or points in a characteristic curve or curves in order to identify features in the image. Identified features can be graphically indicated on the display of a computing device.

主权项

1. A method of generating characteristic curves, wherein the characteristic curves are representative of ridges in an image, the method comprising:
generating a gradient magnitude image and gradient vector data based at least in part upon the image, the gradient magnitude image comprising a plurality of points, the plurality of points comprising a set of points having respective non-zero intensities; identifying from amongst the set of points a plurality of seed points, the plurality of seed points being a predefined percentage of highest intensity points in the set of points; and building characteristic curves, wherein building each characteristic curve comprises;
identifying, from amongst the plurality of seed points, a highest intensity seed point not yet associated with a characteristic curveselecting as a selected point, a first curve point based at least in part upon the identified seed point;examining points at least one unit orthogonal to a gradient vector of the selected point;selecting a subsequent point based at least in part upon the examining of the points; anddetermining whether an indication of a terminating event has been received;when the indication has not been received, iterating the examining of points, the selecting of a subsequent point and the determining, wherein the subsequent point of an iteration is the selected point of a subsequent iteration; andwhen the indication has been received, recording the characteristic curve based at least in part upon the selected points.