Patent · US Expired

Image processing method and apparatus

US6014474A · kind A · utility

18Cited by
2References
48Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 28, 1996
Grant dateJan 11, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 28, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06T2207/30068
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An operation of an iris filter is carried out on an original image signal representing an image, and the degree of centralization of gradients of the original image signal with respect to a picture element is thereby calculated, each of picture elements constituting the image being taken as the picture element. An image portion, which is associated with a high degree of centralization, in the image is detected in accordance with the calculated degree of centralization. Image emphasis processing is then selectively carried out on the detected image portion. Alternatively, a morphology operation is carried out on an original image signal Dorg by using a multiply structure element Bi and a scale factor .lambda., and a morphology signal Dmor is thereby obtained. The morphology signal Dmor represents whether each of picture elements constituting the image is or is not the one corresponding to an image portion, at which the original image signal Dorg fluctuates in a spatially narrower range than the multiply structure element Bi. Image emphasis processing is then carried out on the original image signal Dorg and in accordance with the morphology signal Dmor.

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