Patent · US Active

System and method for finding saddle point-like structures in an image and determining information from the same

US9946947B2 · kind B2 · utility

1Cited by
12References
17Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 12, 2013
Grant dateApr 17, 2018
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 5, 2034

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06T7/60
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

This invention provides a system and method for finding features in images that exhibit saddle point-like structures using relatively computationally low-intensive processes, illustratively consisting of an anti-correlation process, and associated anti-correlation kernel, which operates upon a plurality of pixel neighborhoods within the image. This process enables an entire image to be quickly analyzed for any features that exhibit such saddle point-like structures by determining whether the anti-correlation kernel generates a weak or strong response in various positions within the image. The anti-correlation kernel is designed to generate a strong response regardless of the orientation of a saddle point-like structure. The anti-correlation process examines a plurality of pixel neighborhoods in the image, thereby locating any saddle point-like structures regardless of orientation, as it is angle-independent. The structures are then grouped and refined (for example in a grid) in an effort to locate and decode ID topologies within the image.

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