Patent Document ID: 5533143
Application ID: 08233980
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method for determining an orientation from a recorded image of a physical object, wherein the orientation, in which the physical object was placed when the image of the physical object was recorded, is determined, the method comprising the steps of: i) retrieving an image signal of the physical object which is stored on an image storing means, the image represented by said image signal being capable of taking either a symmetric orientation or an asymmetric orientation with respect to a center line of the image serving as the axis of symmetry, said image signal being made up of a series of image signal components representing picture elements in the image, ii) sending the retrieved image signal to an image processing means, iii) calculating, using said image processing means, the difference between values of image signal components representing at least a single pair of picture elements, which correspond symmetrically to each other with respect to the center line of the image, and calculating a characteristic value, which represents symmetry or asymmetry of the image, from the value of said difference by carrying out a predetermined operation, and iv) using said image processing means for making a judgment from the level of said characteristic value as to determine whether the image of the object represents a symmetric orientation or an asymmetric orientation.