System for delineating and annotating areal regions
US5553214A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 24, 1993 |
| Grant date | Sep 3, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 24, 2013 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06T11/00
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A system for delineating partially- or fully-bounded areal regions of a map utilizes deformable templates, which it dynamically expands and contorts to conform to the boundaries of the regions. The system segments the map into a number of cells, with each cell relating, for example, to a pixel. The system then defines an "energy" field for the floor plan by assigning cells corresponding to boundary edges predetermined minimum energy values, cells corresponding to boundary interiors predetermined maximum energy values, and each non-boundary cell an energy value defined by the distance of the cell from the closest boundary edge cell. The system then iteratively manipulates a template over a selected region of the floor plan in an attempt to minimize the "potential" of the template, which is defined by a potential function that includes a "total energy score" and various size and test terms that encourage desired template deformations. The system determines the total energy score, by (i) scan converting the template sides, (ii) weighting the energy values of the cells through which the sides pass based on the lengths of the sides passing through the cells, and (iii) summing the scores…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.