Patent ID: 6298148
Filing Date: 2001-10-02
Classification: G06T

Abstract:
A method for registering surfaces comprising:acquiring a first surface from a body to be imaged, said first surface having a curvature;acquiring a second surface from said body;determining a first curvature of said first surface, wherein the step of determining a first curvature comprises determining a mean curvature, wherein, in a Cartesian coordinate system, said mean curvature is represented asK.sub.m =(k.sub.xx +k.sub.yy)/2,wherek.sub.xx =[n.sub.x (x+a, y, z)-n.sub.x (x=a, y, z)]/2a;andk.sub.yy =[n.sub.y (x, y+b, z)-n.sub.y (x, y-b, z)]/2b,and where n.sub.x and n.sub.y represent vectors in the x and y directions, respectively, when the direction normal to each of said first and second curvatures is in the z direction, and a, b, and c are the spacings between sampled points;determining a second curvature of said second surface;shading said first surface in response to said first curvature;shading said second surface in response to said second curvature; andvarying orientation of at least one of said first surface and said second surface to align said first surface and said second surface in registration with each other.