William E Full

US Patent:

8422744, Apr 16, 2013

Filed:

Nov 20, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/622945

Inventors:

Stephen P. J. Cossey - Durango CO, US
William Edward Full - Wichita KS, US

Assignee:

Cossey and Associates Inc. - Durango CO

International Classification:

G06K 9/00

US Classification:

382109

Abstract:

A computer based method for determining a characteristic of a material, including accepting as input to a specially programmed portable computer, and using a processor for the computer, image data, for a surface of a material. The image data is accepted from a device including a light source and a magnifying element. Using the processor, the method: creates a binary image from the image data such that each pixel in the plurality of pixels has one of two possible values; segments the binary image such that an object occupying an area of the surface is located in the binary image and boundaries surrounding the object are located in the binary image; and generates, using the segmented binary image: one or more parameters regarding features of the material, or at least one statistical parameter regarding at least one feature in the image data.