# US 2016/0260412 A1 · Techniques for imaging a scanned object > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2016/0260412 A1 - Document ID: US20160260412A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/028,362 - Filed: 2014-10-09 - Published: 2016-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2013-10-09 - Assignees: Voti Inc. - Applicants: Voti Inc. - Inventors: William AWAD; Simon ARCHAMBAULT - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160260412A1 ## CPC - G09G 5/02: characterised by the way in which colour is displayed {(details of colour display specific for CRTs G09G1/28; specific for flat matrix panels other than liquid crystal displays G09G3/2003; specific for liquid crystal displays G09G3/3607)} - G06T 5/40: using histogram techniques - G06T 5/92: based on global image properties - G06T 7/0004: {Industrial image inspection} - G06T 2207/10116: X-ray image - G06T 2207/30112: Baggage; Luggage; Suitcase - G09G: ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION (arrangements for transferring data between digital computers and displays G06F3/14; static indicating arrangements comprising an association of a number of separate sources or light control cells G09F9/00; static indicating arrangements comprising integral associations of a number of light sources H01J, H01K, H10H, H05B33/12; scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission, details thereof H04N1/00) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract A technique for enhancing an image includes manipulating a base image to highlight pixels showing a particular material based on the energy absorption information of each pixel. In another technique, pixels in a base image are each converted to an output value to produce a converted image. Another technique allows imaging an obstructed object within a base image which is made of pixels, each representing a captured signal from a source emitting a source signal I0. An obstruction region contains pixels representing a combined signal I3 having traversed the obstructed object and an obstructive layer. Knowing a layer signal I2 representing a signal having traversed the obstructive layer outside of the obstruction region, the layer signal I2 may be removed from the combined signal I3, in order to reveal the original signal I1 representing an image of the obstructed object. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for detecting a material in an object, the method comprising: receiving, via an input port, a base image of the object comprising one or more material to be detected, the base image being composed of pixels, each pixel comprising energy absorption information; providing in a memory, one or more reference value, each representing an energy absorption of a reference material; transforming the base image, by means of a material detection module embedded in a processor, by highlighting each of said pixels of which the energy absorption information correlates with one of said reference material stored in the memory, based on a comparison of the energy absorption information of each pixel with said one or more reference value stored in the memory, in order to produce a detection-enhanced image; and displaying, on a display screen, the detection-enhanced image having highlighted pixels corresponding to said one or more material to be detected. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, wherein the base image is generated by capturing a source emission having traversed the object and converting said source emission to a pixel value. ### Claim 3 (canceled) ### Claim 4 (depends on 2, 3) A method according to claim 2 or 3, wherein each of said one or more reference value is set for a given signal level of the source emission and wherein said comparison between the energy absorption information of the pixel and the one or more reference value in the transforming step, takes into account said signal level. ### Claim at position 5 -6. (canceled) ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, wherein the energy absorption information of each pixel comprises a low energy absorption component and a high energy absorption component. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) A method according to claim 7, wherein the low energy absorption and the high energy absorption components are converted into a corresponding grey scale value for the pixel. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) A method according to claim 7, wherein the one or more reference value comprises a low energy reference value and a high energy reference value for each of said reference material and wherein said comparison between the energy absorption information of the pixel and the one or more reference value in the transforming step, comprises: comparing the low energy absorption information with the low energy reference value; and comparing the high energy absorption information with the high energy reference value. ### Claim at position 9 -15. (canceled) ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium for detecting a material in an object, the non-transitory processor-readable storage medium comprising data and instructions for execution by a processor, to execute the steps of the method, in accordance with claim 1. ### Claim 17 (canceled) ### Claim 18 A system for detecting a material in an object, the system comprising: an input port for receiving a base image of the object comprising one or more material to be detected, the base image being composed of pixels, each pixel comprising energy absorption information; a memory for providing one or more reference value, each representing an energy absorption of a reference material; a material detection module embedded in a processor, the processor being in communication with the input port and the memory, for transforming the base image by highlighting each of said pixels of which the energy absorption information correlates with one of said reference material stored in the memory, based on a comparison of the energy absorption information of each pixel with said one or more reference value stored in the memory, in order to produce a detection-enhanced image; and a display screen being in communication with the processor, for displaying the detection-enhanced image having highlighted pixels corresponding to said one or more material to be detected. ### Claim 19 A method for enhancing a display of a base image of an object, the method comprising: receiving, via an input port, a base image comprising pixels, each pixel having an intensity value; providing in a memory, one or more reference intensity, each being associated to an output value; transforming the base image, by means of a conversion module embedded in a processor, to convert pixels of the base image into the associated output values, by correlating the intensity value of each pixel with said one or more reference intensity stored in the memory, to produce a converted image; and displaying the converted image, on a display screen. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method according to claim 19, wherein the intensity value of the receiving step represents an intensity level within a monochromatic scale, wherein the one or more reference intensity stored in the memory comprises ranges of the monochromatic scale, wherein the output value stored comprises an output color for each range, and wherein the transforming comprises converting each pixel from said monochromatic scale to a corresponding one of said output color, such that the converted image is a color-mapped image. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method according to claim 20, wherein each range of the monochromatic scale is associated to a spectrum of color, and wherein the output value is selected by correlating a position of the intensity value of the pixel within said range, with a corresponding position within said spectrum of color. ### Claim 22 (canceled) ### Claim 23 (depends on 20) The method according to claim 20, wherein adjacent ranges of the monochromatic scale stored in the memory correspond to contrasting colors. ### Claim 24 (depends on 19) The method according to claim 19, wherein the transforming further comprises defining a region of interest in the base image, and wherein the pixels of the converting step are within the region of interest. ### Claim at position 19 -29. (canceled) ### Claim 30 (depends on 19) The method according to claim 19, wherein the transforming and displaying steps are repeated for a plurality of iterations, in order to modify the displayed image within a period of time. ### Claim at position 21 -32. (canceled) ### Claim 33 (depends on 30) The method according to claim 30, further comprising: at a first iteration, prior to the converting step: defining a first threshold of intensity, filtering out pixels having an intensity value which exceeds said first threshold to keep only unfiltered pixels of the first iteration, and multiplying the intensity values of the unfiltered pixels by a factor; and at a second iteration, prior to the converting step: defining a second threshold of intensity different from said first threshold, filtering out pixels having an intensity value which exceeds said second threshold to keep only unfiltered pixels of the second iteration, and multiplying the intensity values of the unfiltered pixels by said factor. ### Claim 34 (depends on 30) The method according to claim 30, wherein the output value associated to the one or more reference intensity is further changed between successive iterations. ### Claim at position 24 -39. (canceled) ### Claim 40 (depends on 19) A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium for enhancing a display of a base image of an object, the non-transitory processor-readable storage medium comprising data and instructions for execution by a processor, to execute the steps of the method, in accordance with claim 19. ### Claim 41 (canceled) ### Claim 42 A system for enhancing a display of a base image of an object, the system comprising: an input port for receiving a base image comprising pixels, each pixel having an intensity value; a memory for providing one or more reference intensity, each being associated to an output value; a conversion module embedded in a processor, the processor being in communication with the input port and the memory for transforming the base image in order to convert pixels of the base image into the associated output values, by correlating the intensity value of each pixel with said one or more reference intensity stored in the memory, and to produce a converted image; and a display screen displaying the converted image. ### Claim 43 A method for imaging an obstructed object in an image, the method comprising: receiving, via an input port, a base image comprising pixels, each representing a captured signal from a source emitting a source signal I0; locating, by means of a locating module embedded in a processor, a region of interest in the base image wherein the pixels represent a combined signal I3 having traversed the obstructed object and said obstructive layer; providing, in a memory, a layer signal I2 representing a signal having traversed the obstructive layer outside of said region of interest; isolating, by means of a calculator embedded in the processor, an original signal I1 in said region of interest, by removing for each pixel in said region of interest, the layer signal I2 from the combined signal I3, on the basis of said source signal I0, the resulting original signal I1 representing an image of the obstructed object; and displaying on a display screen, a resulting image from said original signals I1, wherein the region of interest reveals the obstructed object. ### Claim 44 (depends on 43) The method according to claim 43, wherein the isolating step is based on the Beer-Lambert Law. ### Claim 45 (depends on 44) The method according to claim 44, wherein the original signal I1 is obtained according to the following equation: I 1 = ( I 3 · I 0 ) / I 2 = I 0 2  (  - μ 1  t 1 ·  - μ 2  t 2 ) I 0   - μ 2  t 2 = I 0   - μ 1  t 1 wherein I1=I0e−μ1t1, where μ1 represents an attenuation coefficient of the obstructed object and t1 represents a thickness of the obstructed object; and wherein I2=I0e−μ2t2, where μ2 represents an attenuation coefficient of the obstructive layer and t2 represents a thickness of the obstructive layer. ### Claim at position 31 -48. (canceled) ### Claim 49 (depends on 43) A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium for imaging an obstructed object in an image, the non-transitory processor-readable storage medium comprising data and instructions for execution by a processor, to execute the steps of the method, in accordance with claim 43. ### Claim 50 (canceled) ### Claim 51 A system for imaging an obstructed object in an image, the system comprising: an input port for receiving a base image comprising pixels, each representing a captured signal from a source emitting a source signal I0; a locating module embedded in a processor, the processor being in communication with the input port for locating a region of interest in the base image wherein the pixels represent a combined signal I3 having traversed the obstructed object and said obstructive layer; a memory for providing a layer signal I2 representing a signal having traversed the obstructive layer outside of said region of interest; a calculator embedded in the processor, for isolating an original signal I1 in said region of interest, by removing for each pixel in said region of interest, the layer signal I2 from the combined signal I3, on the basis of said source signal I0, the resulting original signal I1 representing an image of the obstructed object; and a display screen for displaying a resulting image from said original signals I1, wherein the region of interest reveals the obstructed object.