Method and apparatus for pattern recognition and detection

摘要

A system is disclosed for analyzing 3-dimensional as well as 2-dimensional images represented by digital electrical signals corresponding to a matrix of points constituting the image. The 3-dimensional and 2-dimensional portions of the system each include a serial chain of neighborhood transformation stages which are individually programmable from a central programming source to selectively alter the pattern analysis in each of the transformation stages. Through a series of dilation/erosion transformations, the original image matrix is transformed in such manner as to locate the position and/or identify the shape of particular objects contained in the original image. A unique transformation which is particularly useful in analyzing multivalued 3-dimensional image data is disclosed.