Patent ID: 7386169
Filing Date: 2008-06-10
Classification: G06K,G06T

Abstract:
1. An edge detection method, comprising the steps of: detecting edge pixels of an image; tracing the connected edge pixels to generate non-branched edges; and clustering the non-branched edges, wherein tracing of non-branched edges further comprises the steps of: selecting a starting pixel s from the edge pixels E; removing the starting pixel s from the edge pixels E, adding the starting pixel s to a container EPList with an initial marking value M(s)=0, and setting a maximum marking value Max(M)=M(s); for each pixel P in the container EPList, checking each connected pixel p′ of the pixel p; removing the connected pixel p′ from the edge pixels E, adding the connected pixel p′ to the container EPList with a marking value M(p′)=M(p)+1, and setting the maximum marking value Max(M)=M(p′) if the connected pixel p′ is in the edge pixels E; and repeating checking and removal for each pixel p until all pixels in the container EPList are processed; checking the last pixel p from the container EPList, removing the pixel p from the container EPList if M(p)<Max(M), and repeating checking and removal for each pixel p until M(p)=Max(M); and checking the next pixel p′ of the pixel p from the container EPList in the backward order, removing the pixel p′ from the container EPList if M(p′)≠Max(p)−1, and repeating checking and removal for each pixel p′ until the next pixel is the first pixel in the container EPList.