Environmental Research Institute of Michigan

Other

Ralph E Richardson

David L McCubbrey

Robert M Lougheed

William O Dargel

Stanley R Sternberg

A system for analyzing images represented by a serial stream of digital electrical signals corresponding to values of pixels in a matrix of points constituting an image. The system includes a pipeline of substantially identical neighborhood transformation stages. Each stage includes a processor portion for analyzing the pixel values and a memory portion communicating with the processor portion for sequentially providing a window of neighboring pixels to the processor for analysis. A central programmable controller communicates with the pipeline over a single communication link which provides both the pixel value data to the pipeline and transformation control instructions to the processor portions of each stage. The memory portion preferably includes a random access memory which serves as a line storage device which may be readily adjusted to accommodate different raster scan line lengths from various image sensors. Each stage includes improved logic circuitry capable of performing a wide variety of analyses on both two-dimensional image data represented by binary pixel values and three-dimensional image data represented by multi-valued pixel values. Image border or off-image detection circuitry is also disclosed which is capable of detecting nonlinear boundaries for the image matrix.

Neighborhood transformation logic circuitry for an image analyzer system

A system for analyzing images represented by a plurality of raster scan lines of pixel values employs at least one neighborhood transformation stage. The stage includes a processor portion for analyzing windows of neighboring pixel values and providing a transformation output as a function of the pixel values contained in the window. A random access memory (RAM) repetitively stores a given plurality of successive pixel scan lines fed to the stage. Selected pixel values from the RAM are loaded into the processor portion so as to sequentially access the neighborhood windows for analysis. The RAM serves as a recirculating line storage device for accommodating different raster scan line lengths.

Image analyzer with variable line storage

An image analyzer system employs one or more neighborhood transformation stages. The stage operates to access groups of neighboring pixels in an image matrix, analyzes them and generates a transformation output as a result of the analysis. The stage includes a logic circuit which is programmable from a central controller. In the preferred embodiment, each pixel in the neighborhood is analyzed by the logic circuit and temporarily stored until other pixels in the group have been analyzed. The combination of analyzed pixel values form the basis for generating the transformation output for the stage. Preferably, the logic circuit is designed to perform both two dimensional and three dimensional image analyses.

An image analyzer system and a method of analyzing image information contained in serial scan lines of pixels in which some of the pixels have valid data values representing image information while other pixels have invalid data values not representing characteristics of the image to be analyzed. Off image detector circuitry is utilized to generate output signals to neighborhood transformation logic when one or more pixels in a neighborhood contain invalid values. Preferably, the off image detector means monitors the status of a control line which indicates whether valid or invalid pixels are being transferred over a bus to a stage of the image analyzer system. The detector circuitry operates to store the number of valid pixels in subsequent scan lines presented to the stage. This comparison is utilized to detect invalid pixel values which may be contained in each neighborhood.

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Eatontown, NJ, United States of America

Ralph E Richardson