Patent ID: 6240197
Filing Date: 2001-05-29
Classification: G06K,G06T

Abstract:
A method for disambiguation proximate objects within an image, wherein the image defines a plurality of pixels, and vertical and horizontal directions, and wherein at least one grouping of substantially adjacent pixels has been identified in the image, the method comprising the steps of:identifying discontinuities of the substantially adjacent pixels in the vertical direction thereby defining a top and bottom boundary of the image;identifying discontinuities of substantially adjacent pixels, in the horizontal direction thereby defining a side to side boundary of the image, wherein an extension of the top, bottom, and side boundaries define a square corner boundary encompassing the proximate objects;defining a number of adjacent vertical columns of pixels between the side to side boundaries;identifying further discontinuities at the top of said vertical columns;identifying further discontinuities at the bottom of said vertical columns,modifying the top and bottom of the boundary encompassing the proximate objects with respect to the further indentified top and further identified bottom discontinuities,dividing each of the identified groupings of substantially adjacent pixels according to the identified discontinuities; anddetermining if each of the divided identified groupings of substantially adjacent pixels correspond to an object to be classified.