Method for computing correlation operations on partially occluded data

Patent 5867609 Issued on February 2, 1999. Estimated Expiration Date:

December 7, 2015. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

Pattern inspection method
Patent #: 4776023
Issued on: 10/04/1988
Inventor: Hamada , et al.

Image correlation system
Patent #: 4864629
Issued on: 09/05/1989
Inventor: Deering

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Patent #: 5150429
Issued on: 09/22/1992
Inventor: Miller, et al.

Image processing method and apparatus Patent #: 5479537
Issued on: 12/26/1995
Inventor: Hamashima, et al.

Inventors

Assignee

NEC Research Institute, Inc.

Application

No. 568771 filed on 12/07/1995

US Classes:

382/278, Correlation382/275Artifact removal or suppression (e.g., distortion correction)

Examiners

Primary: Couso, Yon J.

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Torsiglieri; Arthur J., Brosemer; Jeffery J., Isztwan; Andrew G.

International Class

G06K 009/64

Abstract

A method for finding a match between a pattern of data of relatively small size in a base of related data or relatively large size in the presence of occlusions which are gaps or noise that obscure portions, either of the pattern or of the base. The method involves masking out occluded points in both the base data and the pattern so that correlation can be computed only at those points that are not occluded.