Patent · US Expired

Outline discrimination and processing

US5666439A · kind A · utility

31Cited by
5References
22Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 25, 1994
Grant dateSep 9, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 25, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06T7/12
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An image processing method and apparatus extracts outline vectors from a binary image, by defining outline points at positions between white pixel area and black pixel area, closer to the black pixel area, to extract vectors representing the black pixel area smaller than the white pixel area. Outline vector patterns are defined in advance in consideration of the length and the direction of an object vector and the lengths and relative directions of preceding and subsequent vectors. Upon smoothing of the image, outline point after the smoothing are determined in accordance with an outline vector pattern that corresponds to the states of an object vector and its preceding and subsequent vectors in an outline.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.