Patent ID: 6862364

Claim:
A method for stereo image processing of an object, the method comprising the step of: obtaining at least a pair of stereo images each having a plurality of pixels, said stereo images being a digital representation of a corresponding pair of stereo radiographs taken of the object, wherein the pair of stereo radiographs is obtained by an X-ray imaging device, the X-ray imaging device being moved between times when a first radiograph of the pair of stereo radiographs and a second radiograph pair of the stereo radiographs are obtained; correcting illumination errors within the pair of stereo images; removing distortions from the pair of stereo images; combining pixels of the pair of stereo images into a composite image; and adjusting a corresponding screen parallax for the composite image, wherein the step of correcting illumination errors comprises the substeps of: selecting a first group of pixels from a first image of the pair of stereo images; selecting a second group of pixels from a second image of the pair of stereo images, the second group of pixels being respectively associated with the first group of pixels; determining an intensity level for each pixel in both groups of pixels; determining a mean intensity level and a variance for each of the first and second groups of pixels; equalizing the mean intensity level and the variance of the first group and the second group; and adjusting the pixels to equalize the mean intensity level and the variance of the first group and the second group.