Patent ID: 6579239
Filing Date: 2003-06-17
Classification: G01S

Abstract:
An imaging system comprising a data acquisition system for acquiring acoustic data, an image processor for converting acoustic data into a set of pixel intensity values for each image frame, a display monitor for displaying image frames, and a computer programmed to perform the following steps:(a) computing histogram data from a set of pixel intensity values generated by said image processor, said histogram data comprising counts representing a number of pixels having pixel intensity values belonging to a respective bin, said bins being defined to encompass non-overlapping subsets of pixel intensity values, each subset comprising either a different pixel intensity value or a different range of pixel intensity values; (b) decreasing the pixel intensity values in bins having pixel intensity values in a first range of lowest pixel intensity values, said first range including a predetermined fraction of a total count of pixel intensity values, and said decrease in pixel intensity values in said first range being implemented by multiplying each pixel intensity value in said first range by a multiplication factor, said multiplication factor being less than unity and greater than zero; and (c) decreasing the pixel intensity values in bins having pixel intensity values in a second range of pixel intensity values excluding at least a third range of highest pixel intensity values, wherein said first through third ranges do not overlap, said decrease in pixel intensity values in said second range being implemented by logarithmic filtering each pixel intensity value in said second range, wherein said display monitor displays an image frame based on pixel intensity values derived by a process that includes at least steps (a) through (c).