Patent Document ID: 20120263371
Application ID: 13085240
Patent Status: 0

Claim One:
1. A method of fusing images comprising the steps of: providing at least two images of the same object, each image being a digital image or being transformed in a digital image formed by an array of pixels or voxels, the pixels or voxels of the at least two images being combined together to obtain a new image formed by the combined pixels or voxels using the following steps defined in terms of equations: Linear Stretching: 
 P (1) i,j m =F ( P (0) i,j m )=Scale m ·P (0) i,j m ·Offset m ; P (1) i,j m ∈[0,1].   (1) where: P(0) i,j m is the pixel at the row i column j of the image m of the m=1 to M images at the step 0 of the method; P(1) i,j m is the pixel at the row i column j of the image m of the m=1 to M images at the step 1 of the method, the step 1 consisting in the linear stretching step, and where: Scale m = 1 , 0 Max m - Min m is a scaling factor for the m-th image of the m=1 to M images, Offset m = - Min m Max m - Min m and where: 
 Max m =Max{ P (0) i,j m } 
 Min m =Min{ P (0) m i,j }; Non Linear Focusing: Legend : M=Number of Source Images; x _ i , j = 1 M · ∑ m M P ( 1 ) i , j m ; m ∈ [ 1 , 2 , … , M ]. ( 2 ) c i , j = x _ i , j 1.0 - x _ i , j ; ( 3 ) d i , j m = P ( 1 ) i , j m - x _ i , j ; ( 4 ) P ( 2 ) i , j m = c i , j c i , j +  - d i , j m. ( 5 ) where: P(2) i,j m is the pixel at the row i column j of the image m of the m=1 to M images at the step 2 of the method, the step 1 consisting in the non linear focusing step; Weights Initialization: Legend : R=Radius of Pixel Neighbourhood. σ i , j m = ∑ k = - R R ∑ z = - R R ( P ( 2 ) i , j m - P ( 2 ) i + k , j + z m ) 2 ; ( 6 ) Win = Arg Max m { σ i , j m } ; m ∈ [ 1 , 2 , … , M ] ; ( 7 ) W i , j , i + k , j + z ( t ) = 2.0 · P ( 2 ) i , j Win - 1.0 ; k , z ∈ [ - R , + R ]. ( 8 ) said radius of pixel neighborhood being defined by the number of steps from the target pixel to the last shell of pixels enclosing the target pixel; Delta Calculation: Each pixel of any image VS its neighbourhood: α i , j , i + k , j + z = 1 M · ∑ m M ( P ( 2 ) i , j m - P ( 2 ) i + k , j + z m ) 2 ; ( 9 ) Each neighbourhood of an image VS each neighbour of the other images: β i , j , i + k , j + z = 2 M · ( M - 1 ) · ∑ M - 1 ∑ M n ≠ m ( P ( 2 ) i + k , j + z n - P ( 2 ) i + k , j + z m ) 2 ; ( 10 ) Each central pixel of each image VS the neighbour of the other images: γ i , j , i + k , j + z = 2 M · ( M - 1 ) · ∑ M - 1 ∑ M n ≠ m ( P ( 2 ) i , j n - P ( 2 ) i + k , j + z m ) 2 2 ; ( 11 ) δ i , j , i + k , j + z = 2 M · ( M - 1 ) · ∑ M - 1 ∑ M n ≠ m ( P ( 2 ) i + k , j + z n - P ( 2 ) i , j m ) 2 2 ; ( 12 ) ϕ i , j , i + k , j + z = α i , j , i + k , j + z + β i , j , i + k , j + z 2 ; ( 13 ) φ i , j , i + k , j + z = γ i , j , i + k , j + z · δ i , j , i + k , j + z. ( 14 ) Weights update: ψ i , j , i + k , j + z = ϕ i , j , i + k , j + z φ i , j , i + k , j + z ; ( 15 ) y = ψ i , j , i + k , j + z ; ( 15 a ) W i , j , i + k , j + z ( t + 1 ) = W i , j , i + k , j + z ( t ) +  - y -  y  - y +  y. ; ( 16 ) Visualization: NewP i , j = f ( 1 ( 2 · R + 1 ) 2 · ∑ k = - R R ∑ z = - R R W i , j , i + k , j + z ( t ) ) ; ( 17 ) wherein for the function f(.) the following is valid: 
 f (·)=New P i,j ∈[0,255]; Linear Stretching.   (18) and printing or displaying the new image on a printing substrate or with a displaying device.