Patent ID: 7263208
Filing Date: 2007-08-28
Classification: G06K

Abstract:
1. A method for threshold selection in analysis of an image having a plurality of pixels and a plurality of values, each value in the plurality of values corresponding to a respective pixel in the plurality of pixels, the method comprising steps of: (a) identifying and storing a peak value from the plurality of values; (b) identifying a pixel in the plurality of pixels corresponding to the peak value and storing a location of the identified pixel; (c) bounding an area around the location of the identified pixel, the area corresponding in size to an area of a known target image; (d) excluding from further processing each pixel within the bounded area and the value associated therewith; (e) repeating steps (a) through (d) until the peak value is less than or equal to an insignificant value; (f) calculating an average peak value from the stored peak values; (g) calculating a threshold according to the average peak value; (h) calculating a number of objects having values exceeding the threshold; (i) identifying a highest peak value in the determined peak values; (j) excluding from further processing the current highest peak value and calculating a new average peak value derived from the remaining identified peak values; (k) calculating a new threshold based on the new peak average; (l) calculating a new number of objects having values exceeding the new average peak value; and (m) if the new number of objects is greater than the number of objects, then replacing the number of objects with the new number of objects and repeating steps (j), (k), (l), and (m) until the new number of objects remains constant in value.