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:
Nov. 08, 2011
Filed:
Jan. 23, 2008
Takao Goto, Tokyo, JP;
Takao Goto, Tokyo, JP;
GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC, Waukesha, WI (US);
Abstract
An image processing method of performing an imaging process on an original image having a connection figure including a first figure and a second figure connected to the first figure to generate an extraction image of the first figure extracted, includes the steps of: obtaining a first image in which the connection figure in the original image is selectively extracted by performing a segmentation process on the original image; obtaining a second image including a third figure separated from the second figure and a fourth figure separated from the first figure in the connection figure by sequentially performing an erosion process and a dilation process in a morphologic operation so as to separate the first and second figures from each other, in the connection figure included in the first image; obtaining a third image by performing a segmentation process so as to selectively extract the third figure in the second image; obtaining a fourth image by performing a process of obtaining the difference between the first image and the third image; obtaining a fifth image by determining whether the size of a figure included in the fourth image obtained in the fourth image processing step is equal to or larger than a reference value, and when the size is equal to or larger than the reference value, eliminating the figure from the fourth image and, when the size is less than the reference value, processing the fourth image so as to leave the figure in the fourth image; and obtaining the extraction image by adding the third image and the fifth image.