US6018592A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Multiresolutional critical point filter and image matching using the same
Assignee: JBF PARTNERS Inc
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Filing: 1997-04-28
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Granted: 2000-01-25
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Expires: 2017-04-28
Abstract
Abstract A multiresolutional filter called a critical point filter is introduced. This filter extracts a maximum, a minimum, and two types of saddle points of pixel intensity for every 2×2 (horizontal x vertical) pixels so that an image of a lower level of resolution is newly generated for every type of a critical point. Using this multiresolutional filter, a source image and a destination image are hierarchized, and source hierarchical images and destination hierarchical images are matched using image characteristics recognized through a filtering operation.
Inventors
- 👤 Yoshihisa Shinagawa
- 👤 Tosiyasu Laurence Kunii
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 21:30
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06V; G06V10/00; G06V10/40; G06V10/44; G06V10/443; G06V10/46; G06V10/462; G06V10/70; G06V10/74; G06V10/75; G06V10/754; G06V30/00; G06V30/10; G06V30/24; G06V30/248; G06V30/2504
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
56 words
A multiresolutional filtering method comprising: a detection step of detecting critical points through a two dimensional search carried out inside each of a plurality of blocks constituting a first image; and a generation step of generating a second image having a lower resolution than that of the first image through extraction of the detected critical points.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
56 words
A multiresolutional filtering method comprising: a detection step of detecting critical points through a two dimensional search carried out inside each of a plurality of blocks constituting a first image; and a generation step of generating a second image having a lower resolution than that of the first image through extraction of the detected critical points.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the detected critical points is detected by comparing pixel values within said each of the blocks.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method as defined in claim 2, wherein a pixel having a maximum pixel value in a first direction and a second direction of the two-dimensional search is detected as a maximum.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method as defined in claim 2, wherein a pixel having a minimum pixel value in a first direction and a second direction of the two-dimensional search is detected as a minimum.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method as defined in claim 1, wherein a critical point detected inside each of the blocks is chosen to represent the block in a second image to thereby reduce resolution of the second image relative to the first image.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 1, wherein each of the blocks has an identical shape.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 6, wherein each of the blocks has identical dimensions.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 7, further comprising selecting one pixel from each of the blocks, wherein the second image is formed from the selected pixels.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
96 words
A multiresolutional filtering method comprising: a detection step of dividing a first image into a plurality of blocks and detecting critical points through a two-dimensional search carried out in each of the blocks; and a generation step of generating a second image having a lower resolution than the first image through extraction of the detected critical points, wherein the critical points are saddle points, wherein each of the saddle points has a value that is a maximum in a first direction of the two-dimensional search and a minimum in a second direction of the two-dimensional search.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
96 words
A multiresolutional filtering method comprising: a detection step of dividing a first image into a plurality of blocks and detecting critical points through a two-dimensional search carried out in each of the blocks; and a generation step of generating a second image having a lower resolution than the first image through extraction of the detected critical points, wherein the critical points are saddle points, wherein each of the saddle points has a value that is a maximum in a first direction of the two-dimensional search and a minimum in a second direction of the two-dimensional search.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
124 words
A multiresolutional filterng method comprising: dividing a first image into a plurality of blocks, wherein each of the blocks includes four pixels consisting of two pixels in a horizontal direction and two pixels in a vertical direction; detecting a critical point through a two-dimensional search carried out in each of the blocks, wherein the detected critical point in said each of the blocks is detected by comparing pixel values within said each of the blocks; and generating a second image having a lower resolution than the first image through extraction of the detected critical points, wherein each of the four pixels in said each of the blocks is classified into one of a maximum, a minimum and one of two types of saddle points.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
124 words
A multiresolutional filterng method comprising: dividing a first image into a plurality of blocks, wherein each of the blocks includes four pixels consisting of two pixels in a horizontal direction and two pixels in a vertical direction; detecting a critical point through a two-dimensional search carried out in each of the blocks, wherein the detected critical point in said each of the blocks is detected by comparing pixel values within said each of the blocks; and generating a second image having a lower resolution than the first image through extraction of the detected critical points, wherein each of the four pixels in said each of the blocks is classified into one of a maximum, a minimum and one of two types of saddle points.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
76 words
A multiresolutional filtering method comprising: a detection step of dividing a first image into a plurality of blocks and detecting critical points through a two-dimensional search carried out in each of the blocks; and a generation step of generating second images having a lower resolution than the first image through extraction of the detected critical points, wherein one of the second images is generated for each critical point te detected inside said each of the blocks.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
76 words
A multiresolutional filtering method comprising: a detection step of dividing a first image into a plurality of blocks and detecting critical points through a two-dimensional search carried out in each of the blocks; and a generation step of generating second images having a lower resolution than the first image through extraction of the detected critical points, wherein one of the second images is generated for each critical point te detected inside said each of the blocks.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
115 words
The method of claim 11, wherein the detected critical points are one of a maximum critical point type, a minimum critical point type and a saddle point critical point type, and wherein a pixel in each of said blocks having a minimum pixel value in a first direction and a second direction of the two-dimensional search is detected as the minimum critical point type, the pixel having a maximum pixel value in the first and second directions is detected as the maximum critical point type and the pixel having the maximum pixel value in the first direction and the minimum pixel value in the second direction is detected as the saddle point critical point type.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
64 words
A multiresolutional filtering method, wherein a critical points are detected in a first image by performing a two dimensional search in each of a plurality of blocks, and a second image having a lower resolution than that of the first image is generated with the detected critical points, wherein the detected critical points are one of a maximum, a minimum and a saddle point.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
64 words
A multiresolutional filtering method, wherein a critical points are detected in a first image by performing a two dimensional search in each of a plurality of blocks, and a second image having a lower resolution than that of the first image is generated with the detected critical points, wherein the detected critical points are one of a maximum, a minimum and a saddle point.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
53 words
A multiresolutional filtering method, comprising: a detection step of detecting critical points through a two-dimensional search carried out on a first image; and a generation step of generating a plurality of second images based on said critical points, wherein the plurality of second images each has a lower resolution than said first image.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
53 words
A multiresolutional filtering method, comprising: a detection step of detecting critical points through a two-dimensional search carried out on a first image; and a generation step of generating a plurality of second images based on said critical points, wherein the plurality of second images each has a lower resolution than said first image.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
75 words
The method of claim 14, wherein each of the critical points are only one of a set of critical point types, wherein the set of critical point types includes a maximum critical point type, a minimum critical point type, a first saddle point type and a second saddle point type, and wherein each of the plurality of second images is formed using only one corresponding critical point type of the set of critical point types.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
63 words
A multiresolutional filtering method, comprising: detecting critical points through a two dimensional search carried out in each of a plurality of blocks constituting a designated image; generating a current image having a lower resolution than that of the designated image using the detected critical points; and setting the current image to be the designated image; and repeating the detecting, generating and setting steps.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
63 words
A multiresolutional filtering method, comprising: detecting critical points through a two dimensional search carried out in each of a plurality of blocks constituting a designated image; generating a current image having a lower resolution than that of the designated image using the detected critical points; and setting the current image to be the designated image; and repeating the detecting, generating and setting steps.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 16, wherein each of the blocks has an identical shape.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 16, further comprising outputting the current image when a resolution of the current image is not greater than a prescribed resolution.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
116 words
The method of claim 16, wherein the detected critical points are only one of a maximum critical point type, a minimum critical point type and a saddle point critical point type, and wherein a pixel in each of said blocks having a minimum pixel value in a first direction and a second direction of the two-dimensional search is detected as the minimum critical point type, the pixel having a maximum pixel value in the first and second directions is detected as the maximum critical point type and the pixel having the maximum pixel value in the first direction and the minimum pixel value in the second direction is detected as the saddle point critical point type.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US5347594A
Cited
JPH0997334A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-01-24 | 2003-07-26 | 2004-01-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-01-24 | 2007-07-26 | 2008-01-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-01-24 | 2011-07-26 | 2012-01-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |