Methods and apparatuses for analyzing digital images to automatically select regions of interest thereof

A computer-implemented image processing method comprising:

• obtaining an image represented by an array of pixel intensity values;
• and
• evaluating the image for regions of interest, wherein the evaluating includes:
• (i) employing a first pixel box in evaluating the image, the employing including determining for pixels within the first pixel box a pixel-intensity-related characteristic, wherein the first pixel box is sized as a first two-dimensional coordinate sub-array of pixels;
• (ii) determining for pixels within a second pixel box the pixel-intensity-related characteristic, wherein the second pixel box is sized as a second two-dimensional coordinate sub-array of pixels, and wherein the second pixel box is smaller than the first pixel box and shares a common center with the first pixel box;
• (iii) selecting pixels within the first pixel box as a region of interest of the image if a difference between the pixel-intensity-related characteristic of the first pixel box and the pixel-intensity-related characteristic of the second pixel box exceeds a defined threshold;
• and
• performing at least one of saving or outputting location identifying information for the selected regions of interest of the image.

A computer-implemented image processing method comprising:

• obtaining an image represented by an array of pixel intensity values and comprising multiple identified regions of interest within the image, wherein at least two regions of interest of the multiple regions of interest within the image overlap;
• and
• selecting one region of interest of the at least two regions of interest overlapping within the image, the selecting comprising:
• selecting the region of interest of the at least two regions of interest having a highest multiple of at least two pixel-intensity-related characteristics of pixels within the respective regions of interest of the at least two overlapping regions of interest of the image;
• and
• performing at least one of saving or outputting location identifying information for the selected region of interest having the highest multiple of the at least two pixel-intensity-related characteristics.