Patent ID: 7257244
Filing Date: 2007-08-14
Classification: G06T

Abstract:
1. A method for identifying anomaly regions in a material sample comprising: (a) acquiring pre-deformed images of a material sample; (b) acquiring post-deformed images of the material sample; (c) generating a model having a spatial distribution of properties and that simulates deforming the pre-deformed images of the material sample based upon the pre-deformed and post-deformed images, the model including model-deformed images created by simulating a deformation of the acquired pre-deformed images; (d) calculating, using a similarity metric, a change in regional similarity between the model-deformed images and the acquired post-deformed images; (e) optimizing the model by determining how the similarity calculated in step (d) changes with respect to changes in the spatial distribution of properties, and subsequently adjusting the model, including the spatial distribution of properties, to improve the similarity between the model-deformed images and the acquired post-deformed images; (f) iteratively repeating steps (d)-(e) a predetermined number of times or until a prescribed condition regarding the quality of the model is met; and (g) identifying anomaly regions within the material sample utilizing the optimized model.