Abstract: In a method of detecting and segmenting characteristic regions in an image, such as a colour image having characteristic regions, where the image is represented by a plurality of pixel values expressed in grey tones, a circle of radius r is defined for a plurality of pixel positions, which radius approximated is regarded as the radius of a characteristic region. The optimum value of radius r is determined by calculating, for a large number of possible values of r, the difference between the characteristic grey tone value of an outer zone having the radius range r1 to qr1 (=r2), where q is a constant, and the characteristic grey tone value of an inner zone having the radius range 0 to r1. Then the radius r1 providing the greatest difference is selected as the radius of the object.

Abstract: In a method of analyzing a plurality of objects, which each are expressed by a set of parameters consisting of a plurality of parameter values, a plurality of samples (predetermined objects) is divided into a plurality of classes. These objects may inter alia be represented by colour pixels in an image processing system, wherein each object is identified by a set of parameters formed by a plurality of parameters, e.g. the intensities of the 3 primary colours. Sets of parameters additionally include e.g. those which are related to marketing, economic, financial, legal, organizing, sociological, anthropological, historic, linguistic, psychological or political scenarios. The sets of parameters of the samples, which are expressed as a set of numbers, determine in which of the classes the individual samples are arranged. The classes of the objects are established by given criteria, such as distance relations in vector form between the sets of parameters of the objects and the sets of parameters of the samples.

Abstract: In the teaching of an image analysis system, a video image of a reference object is captured. Several areas, each of which represents a class (22, 23), are marked on the video image, which is divided into pixels having their separate identification, such as color. Once all classes have been formed, each class is given a color which is assigned to all pixels in the class irrespective of identification. Pixels which may belong to more than one class, a so-called conflict class (24), and pixels which do not belong to any class, a so-called 0 class (25), are transferred to a residual class. Then the entire video image is processed in that the pixels which are not represented in the zero class (25) or the conflict class (24), are given a color value from the class having a pixel identification which is closest to the pixel concerned. The principles of the invention may be applied in general in connection with analysis techniques where objects may be characterized by means of an N-dimensional set of parameters.