Image analysis

Claim 3

A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the selected distance from the left hand edge of the blank frame is made equal to or just greater than the longest dimension in the line scan direction of any feature in the field of view.

Claim 4

A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the information signals relate to the duration of their associated constant amplitude pulses and also serve as count pulses.

Claim 5

A method as set forth in claim 3 and further comprising the step of applying a size criterion to the information signals before they are counted.

Claim 8

A method as set forth in claim 5 in which the second mask has left hand and top edges spaced from the left hand and top edges of the blank frame mask, the distance between the left hand edge of the blank frame mask and the left hand edge of the second mask being made at least equal to the longest dimension in the line scan direction of any feature in the field of view and the distance between the top edge of the blank frame mask and the top edge of the second mask being at least equal to the longest dimension in the frame scan direction of any feature of the field of view.

Claim 11

A method as set forth in claim 7 wherein the information signals relate to the duration of their associated constant amplitude pulses and also serve as count pulses.

Claim 12

A method as set forth in claim 8 and further comprising the step of applying a size criterion to the information signals before they are counted.

Claim 15

Apparatus for analyzing the features in a field of view comprising in combination, means for forming an image of the field, means for scanning the image to generate an electrical video signal, means for generating electrical pulses in synchronism with the scanning to define a blank frame mask having left hand, right hand, top and bottom edges within the scanned field of view, threshold detection means responsive to the video signal for converting detected video signal amplitude excursions into constant amplitude pulses, pulse width measuring means responsive to the output from the detector for generating an information signal proportional to the duration of each pulse at the end thereof, means for generating a seCond series of electrical pulses in synchronism with the scanning to define a second mask within the blank frame mask, and gating means operable by the pulses defining the second mask to inhibit information signals not occurring within the second mask.

Claim 16

Apparatus for analyzing the features in a field of view comprising in combination, means for forming an image of the field, means for scanning the image to generate an electrical video signal, means for generating electrical pulses in synchronism with the scanning to define a blank frame mask having left hand, right hand, top and bottom edges within the scanned field of view, threshold detection means responsive to the video signal for converting detected video signal amplitude excursions into constant amplitude pulses, pulse width measuring means responsive to the output from the detector for generating an information signal proportional to the duration of each pulse at the end thereof, means for generating a seCond series of electrical pulses in synchronism with the scanning to define a second mask within the blank frame mask, and gating means operable by the pulses defining the second mask to inhibit information signals not occurring within the second mask.

Claim 17

Apparatus for analyzing the features in a field of view comprising in combination, means for forming an image of the field, means for scanning the image to generate a video signal relating thereto, means for generating electrical pulses in synchronism with the scanning to define a blank frame mask having left hand, right hand, top and bottom edges within the scanned field of view, means for detecting the video signal amplitude excursions which relate to features and converting the detected excursions into constant amplitude pulses, means responsive thereto to generate an information signal unique to each feature from the constant amplitude pulses relating thereto which are generated from the scanning of the feature, means for detecting the last constant amplitude pulse relating to each feature, means for releasing the information signal for each feature after the last constant amplitude duration pulse relating thereto, means for generating a second series of electrical pulses defining a second mask within the blank frame mask, and gating means operable by said second series of electrical pulses to inhibit the release of information signals not occurring within the second mask.

Claim 18

Apparatus for analyzing the features in a field of view comprising in combination, means for forming an image of the field, means for scanning the image to generate a video signal relating thereto, means for generating electrical pulses in synchronism with the scanning to define a blank frame mask having left hand, right hand, top and bottom edges within the scanned field of view, means for detecting the video signal amplitude excursions which relate to features and converting the detected excursions into constant amplitude pulses, means responsive thereto to generate an information signal unique to each feature from the constant amplitude pulses relating thereto which are generated from the scanning of the feature, means for detecting the last constant amplitude pulse relating to each feature, means for releasing the information signal for each feature after the last constant amplitude duration pulse relating thereto, means for generating a second series of electrical pulses defining a second mask within the blank frame mask, and gating means operable by said second series of electrical pulses to inhibit the release of information signals not occurring within the second mask.

Claim 19

Apparatus for analyzing features in a field of view comprising in combination, means for forming an image of the field, means for scanning the field to produce a video signal relating thereto, means for generating electrical pulses in synchronism with the scanning to define a blank frame mask having left hand, right hand, top and bottom edges within the scanned field of view, threshold detection means for detecting video signal amplitude excursions which relate to features and converting the detected excursions into constant amplitude pulses, means responsive to said threshold detection means for generating an information signal after each separate constant amplitude pulse proportional to the duration thereof, coincidence detection means responsive to the electrical pulses defining the blank frame mask and said constant amplitude pulses from the detector for generating a coincidence signal for the duration of any constant amplitude pulse which is coincident with an electrical signal defining an edge of the blank frame mask, and gating means operable by said coincidence signals and adapted to inhibit the information signals from each constant amplitude pulse for which a coincidence signal is generated.

Claim 20

Apparatus for analyzing features in a field of view comprising in combination, means for forming an image of the field, means for scanning the field to produce a video signal relating thereto, means for generating electrical pulses in synchronism with the scanning to define a blank frame mask having left hand, right hand, top and bottom edges within the scanned field of view, threshold detection means for detecting video signal amplitude excursions which relate to features and converting the detected excursions into constant amplitude pulses, means responsive to said threshold detection means for generating an information signal after each separate constant amplitude pulse proportional to the duration thereof, coincidence detection means responsive to the electrical pulses defining the blank frame mask and said constant amplitude pulses from the detector for generating a coincidence signal for the duration of any constant amplitude pulse which is coincident with an electrical signal defining an edge of the blank frame mask, and gating means operable by said coincidence signals and adapted to inhibit the information signals from each constant amplitude pulse for which a coincidence signal is generated.

Claim 21

Apparatus for analyzing the features in a field of view comprising in combination, means for forming an image of the field, means for scanning the image to generate an electrical video signal relating thereto, means for generating electrical pulses in synchronism with the scanning to define a blank frame mask having left hand, right hand, top and bottom edges within the scanned field of view, threshold detection means for detecting the video signal amplitude excursions which relate to features and converting the detected excursions into constant amplitude pulses, means responsive to the constant amplitude pulses for generating an information signal unique to each feature from the constant amplitude pulses relating thereto and which are generated from the scanning of the feature, means for detecting the last constant amplitude pulse relating to each feature and for releasing the information signal for the feature after the last constant amplitude duration pulse relating thereto, means for detecting coincidence of a constant amplitude pulse and an electrical signal defining an edge of the blank frame mask and generating a key pulse for said constant amplitude pulse, means for generating a second information signal fOr a feature for which a key pulse is generated for one of the constant amplitude pulses relating thereto, means for releasing the second information signal for a feature with the first information signal thereto, and gating means operable by said second information signal to inhibit the release of a first information signal for a feature if a second information signal is also present therefor.

Claim 22

Apparatus for analyzing the features in a field of view comprising in combination, means for forming an image of the field, means for scanning the image to generate an electrical video signal relating thereto, means for generating electrical pulses in synchronism with the scanning to define a blank frame mask having left hand, right hand, top and bottom edges within the scanned field of view, threshold detection means for detecting the video signal amplitude excursions which relate to features and converting the detected excursions into constant amplitude pulses, means responsive to the constant amplitude pulses for generating an information signal unique to each feature from the constant amplitude pulses relating thereto and which are generated from the scanning of the feature, means for detecting the last constant amplitude pulse relating to each feature and for releasing the information signal for the feature after the last constant amplitude duration pulse relating thereto, means for detecting coincidence of a constant amplitude pulse and an electrical signal defining an edge of the blank frame mask and generating a key pulse for said constant amplitude pulse, means for generating a second information signal fOr a feature for which a key pulse is generated for one of the constant amplitude pulses relating thereto, means for releasing the second information signal for a feature with the first information signal thereto, and gating means operable by said second information signal to inhibit the release of a first information signal for a feature if a second information signal is also present therefor.