US 12,437,506 B2
Image annotation system and method
Patric Pelzer, Wetzlar (DE); and Markus Ott, Wetzlar (DE)
Assigned to LEICA MICROSYSTEMS CMS GMBH, Wetzlar (DE)
Filed by LEICA MICROSYSTEMS CMS GMBH, Wetzlar (DE)
Filed on Dec. 14, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/065,705.
Claims priority of application No. 21216273 (EP), filed on Dec. 21, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0196725 A1, Jun. 22, 2023
Int. Cl. G06V 10/74 (2022.01); G06F 3/04812 (2022.01); G06F 3/04883 (2022.01); G06F 3/14 (2006.01); G06T 7/00 (2017.01); G06V 10/25 (2022.01)
CPC G06V 10/761 (2022.01) [G06F 3/04812 (2013.01); G06F 3/04883 (2013.01); G06F 3/14 (2013.01); G06T 7/0012 (2013.01); G06V 10/25 (2022.01); G06T 2207/10056 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An image annotation system for annotating a microscopic image of a sample, the image annotation system comprising:
an output unit configured to display the image of the sample;
an input unit configured to capture a first user input sequence comprising a first movement of a cursor over the displayed image, the first movement defining a first closed path, and to capture at least one second user input sequence comprising a second movement of the cursor over the displayed image, the second movement defining a second closed path; and
a processor configured to:
determine a first image area of the image of the sample corresponding to an area of the displayed image enclosed by the first closed path;
determine whether the second closed path comprises at least one proximity section where the second closed path is close to a border of the first image area by:
determining a distance between each respective image point on the second closed path and an image point on the border of the first image area that is closest to the respective image point on the second closed path;
comparing the distance to a threshold value; and
based on at least a predetermined number of the distances being less than the threshold value, determining that the second closed path comprises the at least one proximity section;
based on the second closed path not comprising the at least one proximity section, determine a second image area of the image of the sample corresponding to an area of the displayed image enclosed by the second closed path; and
based on the second closed path comprising the at least one proximity section, determine the at least one proximity section based on the image points on the second closed path for which the distances are less than the threshold value, determine the second image area corresponding to the area of the displayed image enclosed by the second closed path, and automatically add at least one area of the displayed image between the border of the first image area and the at least one proximity section to the second image area.