Patent ID: 7050646

Claim:
A method for processing an image recorded by an imaging device, said method comprising the steps of: a) providing an image comprising an array of adjacent elements each corresponding to a respective part of the image and having a respective intensity value associated therewith; b) processing said intensity values to determine an intensity contrast value for each respective element according to differences in intensity values between respective adjacent elements; c) providing depth information for each element corresponding to the distance between the imaging device and at least part of an image forming object represented in the image by the respective element; d) processing said depth information to determine a depth contrast value for each respective element according to differences in depth in the vicinity of the respective element; modifying the respective intensity contrast values according to the respective depth contrast values, and altering the intensity values of the respective elements towards an average intensity value determined by intensity values of surrounding elements if the respective modified intensity contrast value of the element is below a threshold value; and e) processing said altered intensity contrast values to identify at least one area of the image corresponding to one or more respective objects in the image being processed.