Abstract: Methods and systems for segmenting a digital image are disclosed. In one embodiment, the image can be segmented based on adding parameters to the feature data of a pixel that representative of the location of the pixel. In another embodiment, the image can be divided into regions that are individually segmented and then combined together. In a further embodiment, the image can be processed to yield a rank-opened image and a rank-closed image and a new image is formed that combines the feature data of the two images together. The new image can then be segmented.

Abstract: A method of determining a unique number of colors for an image is described which uses homotopic transformation (in particular the watershed transformation) within feature space formed by red, green and blue components, or any other set of attributes, of the pixels of the image. Each color is given a label and the image is then segmented into regions of uniform labels. The color or characteristic of each segment can then be altered or used to identify an object. The method can be applied to any scalable, either integer or real, data set.