Recognition of patterns in images

Apparatus for recognizing a pattern within an image based on visual characteristics of said pattern, said pattern having edges, said image being represented by signals whose values correspond to said visual characteristics, comprising

• an orientation analyzer adapted to analyze the orientations of edges of the pattern within subwindows of said image,
• a strength analyzer adapted to analyze the strengths of edges of the pattern near the periphery of a portion of said image,
• a classifier for processing the outputs of said orientation and strength analyzers as part of a spectrum, and
• a mapper for causing outputs of subwindows of said image to be treated in said spectrum in an order such that outputs of subwindows nearer to the center of the image are treated as appearing higher on the spectrum than outputs of subwindows near the periphery of the image.

Apparatus for recognizing, as one of at least two possible patterns, a pattern within an image based on visual characteristics of the pattern, said image being represented by signals whose values correspond to said visual characteristics, comprising

• a location channel which determines the location of the pattern within the image based on the signal values, and
• a classification channel which categorizes the pattern based on the signal values and generates an indication of the pattern's object identity from among a set of possible identities, said classification channel comprising
• addition means for summing said signal values to generate an indication of the overall size of said pattern,
• orientation means for sensing edges of said pattern and generating indications of orientations of said edges, and
• an unsupervised classifier which processes a classification spectrum comprised of said size indication and said orientation indications are based on said processing, automatically selects and associates characteristics from the spectrum to define categories, and
• a feedback path from said classification channel to said location channel to cause said location channel to adapt to classification results generated by said classification channel,
• said location channel and said classification channel operating simultaneously in parallel and cooperatively to recognize said pattern as said one of said patterns.

Apparatus for recognizing, as one of at least two health conditions, the health condition of a biological cell within an image based on visual characteristics of the cell, said image being represented by signals whose values correspond to said visual characteristics, comprising

• a location channel which determines the location of the cell within the image based on the signal values, and
• a classification channel which categorizes the cell based on the signal values and generates an indication of the cell's object health conditions from among a set of possible health conditions, said classification channel comprising
• addition means for summing said signal values to generate an indication of the overall size of said cell,
• orientation means for sensing edges of said cell and generating indications of orientations of said edges, and
• an unsupervised classifier which processes a classification spectrum comprised of said size indication and said orientation indications and based on said processing, automatically selects and associates characteristics from the spectrum to define health condition categories,
• said location channel and said classification channel operating simultaneously in parallel and cooperatively to recognize the health condition of said cell as said one of said health conditions.

Apparatus for recognizing the health condition of a biological cell within an image based on visual characteristics of said cell, said cell having visible edges, said image being represented by signals whose values correspond to said visual characteristics, comprising

• an orientation analyzer adapted to analyze the orientations of edges of the cell within subwindows of said image,
• a strength analyzer adapted to analyze the strengths of edges of the cell near the periphery of a portion of said image,
• a classifier for processing the outputs of said orientation and strength analyzers as part of a spectrum, and
• a mapper for causing outputs of subwindows of said image to be treated in said spectrum in an order such that outputs of subwindows nearer to the center of the image are treated as appearing higher on the spectrum than outputs of subwindows near the periphery of the image.

Apparatus for recognizing, as one of at least two health conditions, the health condition of a biological cell within an image based on visual characteristics of the cell, said image being represented by signals whose values correspond to said visual characteristics, comprising

• a location channel which determines the location of the cell within the image based on the signal values,
• a classification channel which categorizes the cell based on the signal values and generates an indication of the cell's health condition from among a set of possible health conditions, said classification channel comprising
• addition means for summing said signal values to generate an indication of the overall size of said cell,
• orientation means for sensing edges of said cell and generating indications of orientations of said edges, and
• an unsupervised classifier which processes a classification spectrum comprised of said size indication and said orientation indications and based on said processing, automatically selects and associates characteristics from the spectrum to define health condition categories, and
• a feedback path from said classification channel to said location channel to cause said location channel to adapt to classification results generated by said classification channel,
• said location channel and said classification channel operating simultaneously in parallel and cooperatively to recognize the health condition of said cell as said one of said health conditions.