Patent ID: 7773789
Filing Date: 2010-08-10
Classification: G06K

Abstract:
1. A method to process an image that includes a first object, and a second object and a third object, comprising: segmenting by a processor of the second object and the third object in the image; determining by the processor of a centerline for the first object in the image, wherein the centerline is related to one or more training images which include labels for the the second object and the third object and wherein the centerline is related to the segmentation of the second object and the third object in the image; generating an outer boundary relative to the centerline of the first object; determining a first probability of an element of the image to be part of a centerline of the first object given the one or more training images wherein each training image is registered to the second and third object in a reference image, wherein the first probability is determined by the processor evaluating an expression wherein p C (x|{C 1 , . . . , C N }) represents the first probability, p(x|C i ) represents a conditional probability of an element x of the image being part of a centerline given a training image C i , and iε {1, . . . , N}; determining a second probability of an intensity of an element inside the first object given the one or more training images wherein the second probability is determined b the processor evaluating an expression wherein p(I|{C 1 , . . . , C N }) represents the second probability, p(I|C i ) represents a conditional probability of an element of the image having an intensity I given a training image C i ; combining the first and second probability in a single term; and optimizing the single term.