Patent Document ID: 6047090
Application ID: 08895253
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method of processing a digital image representing ribbon-shaped objects of non-uniform intensity contrasting with a background of lower intensity, which method includes an automatic segmentation phase comprising: a plurality of morphological opening operations effected, respectively, by means of a plurality of elements of a set of N three-dimensional structuring elements having anisotropic two-dimensional bases parallel to an image plane with respective principal axes which are angularly equi-spaced in the image plane by .pi./N and having respective non-binary intensity functions in a third dimension, with an optimum (maximum or minimum) in the center of the principal axis of the base, wherein each said morphological opening operation is effected by passing said anisotropic structuring elements over points of the digital image along lines of points parallel to said principal axes, to produce a set of N opening images in which respective ribbon-shaped object sections are detected which have the same orientation as said principal axes, and constructing a segmented image including said detected object sections from the N opening images and the background.