Information search and retrieval system
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorsPamela R. Lipson, Pawan Sinha
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An image search and retrieval system and method of operation within such a system are disclosed. The image search and retrieval system includes a search engine coupled to an image analyzer, an input system, an output system and an image database. The image search and retrieval system includes one or more feature modules which define particular regions of an image and particular measurements to make on pixels within the defined image region as well as the measurements to make on neighboring pixels in neighboring image regions for a given application and communicate this application specific information to the image analyzer thereby allowing rapid comparisons of images.
Claims26
An image processing system comprising:
- (a) a search engine;
- (b) an image analyzer coupled to receive images from said search engine and to compare a first image in a first field of use to a second image in the first field of use provided thereto from said search engine;
- and
- (c) one or more feature modules, each of said one or more feature modules coupled to at least one of said search engine and said image analyzer with each individual one of said one or more feature modules specifying information relevant to a particular field of use and wherein a particular one of the one or more feature modules provides to said image analyzer, application specific information which is used by said image analyzer to compare the first and second images, wherein the information corresponds to at least one of an image parameter, an image characteristic and a constraint in the first field of use.
A process for comparing two images comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a compact primary image by providing application specific information to collapse at least one primary image subregion;
- (b) aligning a target image having a first predetermined characteristic and the compact primary image having the first predetermined characteristic;
- (c) dividing the compact primary image into a plurality of image regions each of the image regions of the primary image having a set of image region characteristics;
- (d) selecting a primary image region of the compact primary image;
- (e) dividing the target image into a plurality of target image regions;
- (f) selecting one of the plurality of target image regions;
- and
- (g) comparing one or more image region characteristics of the selected one of the primary image region of the compact primary image to corresponding image region characteristics in the selected one of the plurality of target image regions.
A method of manufacturing a printed circuit board comprising the steps of:
- (a) performing a manufacturing operation on a printed circuit board;
- (b) obtaining an electronic image of the manufacturing operation wherein the image includes at least a portion of the printed circuit board and wherein the image corresponds to a primary image having a first application specific predetermined characteristic;
- (c) aligning the primary image to a target image of the manufacturing operation wherein the target image includes at least the portion of the printed circuit board included in the primary image and wherein the target image has the first predetermined characteristic;
- (d) dividing the primary image into a plurality of primary image regions each having a set of application specific primary image region characteristics;
- (e) combining the set of primary image region characteristics in first ones of the plurality of primary image regions with the set of image region characteristics in second ones of the plurality of primary image regions to provide a plurality of combined image regions which represent the primary image wherein each of the combined image regions are provided having a set of image region characteristics which are a combination of the image region characteristics of at least first and second primary image regions;
- (f) selecting one of the plurality of combined image regions;
- (g) dividing the target image into a plurality of target image regions;
- (h) selecting one of the plurality of target image regions;
- and
- (i) inspecting the result of the manufacturing operation by comparing one or more image region characteristics of the selected one of the plurality of combined image regions to corresponding image region characteristics in the selected one of the plurality of target image regions.
A memory for storing a model for access by an image processing system, the model comprising:
- a plurality of image regions each of the image regions from a primary image having a set of application specific image region characteristics;
- and
- a set of image region characteristics wherein the set of region characteristics are provided from a combination of the set of image region characteristics in first ones of the plurality of image regions with second ones of the plurality of image regions to provide a plurality of combined image regions which represent a compact primary image wherein each of the combined image regions are provided having a set of image region characteristics which are a combination of the image region characteristics of at least a first and a second image region of the primary image.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.