The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 13, 2007
Filed:
Jul. 17, 2002
Keith L. Frost, Seattle, WA (US);
James K. Riley, Redmond, WA (US);
Keith L. Frost, Seattle, WA (US);
James K. Riley, Redmond, WA (US);
Amnis Corporation, Seattle, WA (US);
Abstract
In automated computation-based interpretation of images, the accuracy and reliability of the detection and delineation of objects, known as 'object segmentation,' is implemented so as to provide efficient performance. In a multi-step process, objects are first detected and captured into regions of interest (ROIs). Sets of pixels belonging to respective objects are then identified. Preferably object detection is achieved using both a two-dimensional (2D) low pass filter and a 2D edge enhancement filter. Two different gradient based edge enhancement filters are disclosed. One embodiment of the invention defines a (ROI) by first determining the center of objects by executing a plurality of decimations on the filtered image data, and then establishing object boundaries. In a second embodiment the ROI is defined by generating an amplitude histogram of the filtered image data, and for histograms exceeding a threshold determining by pixel which rows are to be included in the ROI.