Container Door Image Analysis via Rectification and Block Correlation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for determining whether inbound and outbound container doors represent the same container are inefficient and inaccurate, as they rely on manual inspections or basic computer comparisons that fail to enhance inspection efficiency and accuracy.
Innovation Solution
An image analysis apparatus and method that rectifies images of container doors to standardize size and pixel coordinates, divides them into blocks, calculates correlations between corresponding blocks using grayscale and color parameters, and determines if the doors represent the same container based on these correlations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual inspection is used to compare container door patterns, then human judgment can identify subtle differences, but inspection efficiency is low and consistency is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical inspection with an automated image analysis system that uses computer processors to compare container door images. The system rectifies images to standard sizes, divides them into blocks, and calculates correlations between corresponding blocks to determine if doors belong to the same container, thereby eliminating human labor while maintaining or improving accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides container door images into multiple blocks and calculates correlations between corresponding blocks from different images. This segmentation approach allows the system to analyze local differences systematically across the entire door surface, improving both efficiency and accuracy in identifying matching doors.
2Productivity
If ordinary computers are used for automated image comparison, then inspection speed increases, but accuracy remains insufficient due to inability to handle complex image variations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary image rectification to standardize image sizes and coordinates before comparison. This preprocessing step ensures that all images are in a consistent format, making subsequent automated correlation calculations more accurate and reliable, thereby enabling ordinary computers to achieve both high speed and high accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms images into standardized parameters by rectifying them to uniform sizes and coordinate systems. It then extracts correlation parameters between corresponding image blocks, converting complex visual comparison into quantitative parameter analysis that computers can process efficiently and accurately.
3Device complexity
If direct image comparison is performed without standardization, then processing is simpler, but comparison reliability is poor due to varying image sizes and coordinates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates equipotential conditions for image comparison by rectifying all images to the same size and coordinate system. This standardization eliminates variations in image dimensions and positioning, ensuring that correlation calculations between corresponding blocks are performed on equal footing, thereby significantly improving comparison reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
An image analysis apparatus rectifies a first image and a second image to generate a first rectified image and a second rectified image respectively. A first container door in the first rectified image and a second container door in the second rectified image have the same sizes and the same pixel coordinates. The image analysis apparatus divides the first rectified image into a plurality of first blocks and divides the second rectified image into a plurality of second blocks in a same manner. The image analysis apparatus calculates respective correlations between every first block and its corresponding second block. Each of the correlations includes a grayscale correlation and at least one color correlation. The image analysis apparatus determines whether the first container door and the second container door represent the same container door based on the correlations.