Patent ID: 8135199

Claim:
An image processing method, said method comprising: accessing digital image data representing an image of a first object, the image also including, against a background, an element which belongs to a second imaged object, wherein the second object is not related to said first object and is independent from said first object; accessing reference data including a shape model relating to shape variation of objects from a baseline object, said objects and said baseline object being from a class of said first object; performing shape registration for said image which includes said first object and said element belonging to said second imaged object, to obtain an object representation for said first object, by representing a shape of said first imaged object from said image using said shape model; and removing from said image said element which belongs to said second imaged object, said element removing step being performed based on a difference between the shape of said first imaged object from said image, and said object representation for said first object.