OMI hari so MAGE LOGE 18, 236-258 (1982 Elliptic Fourier Features of a Closed Contour! Frank P, Kun, S.A Armament Research and Drcopnent Commend, Deer, New ene 7801 CHARLES R. GianDinn Faslgh Dickinson Uncen, Teach Newer 07070 Received ane 2, 1581 A diet proce for obaining the Fouser cise of «einen contour is rnd Adniges of the procedure ar that dvs mt eat Intec ee at {ast Fowierwasfrm teciqus and at oonds on the ssersy ofthe tang canoe ‘eeonsrton ae ey to ply. lip peperisof the Four events ae she sed teed fr a covenent and inttvelypetngprosedre of normals Fees a ‘epesemtaton Exesion ofthe conor represnstio le abieayobeee stony sti cused. The procedures have de applesion to ahey of patos aegiae robles tat inva als of wel Sliding ona |. wtropuction Fourier descriptors have been successfully used by many investigators [1-4] for the characterization of closed contours. In this paper, a particularly simple way of ‘obtaining the Fourier coefficients of a chain-encoded 5, 12 contour is presented os well as bounds onthe error of such a represenation and, also, an iatuitively pleasing way of normalizing the Fourier coeficients using a harmonic, elipic description of {he contour (6, 7}. The resulting Fourier descriptors are invariant with rotstion dilation and translation of the contour, and also with the starting point on ihe ‘contour, but lose no information about the shape of the contour 2, FOURIER COEFFICIENTS OF CHAIN’ CODE ‘The chain code frst described by Freeman [5] approximates a continuous contour by a sequence of piecewise linear fits that consist of eight standardioed tine Segments. The code ofa contour is then the chain V’of lengthy k Y= a4ay0y-..25, where each link ai an integer between 0 and 7 oriented inthe direction (x/4), (as ‘measured counte-clockwise from the X axis of an X-Y coordinate system) aod of Tength 1 or v2 depending, respectively, on whether a, is even or oad, The revioy "he views, pins, 2/0 inings contain in he pape af thes ofthe auton and Lol ot be conse a a fii Deparment ofthe ray pion pey edn ‘The iain in thi papr Gf te nme of commer hms conncelyaable pac o sxrcs doesnot conte ofl enonement spc ef sch comme tice ee oe Serves by the Usted Sts Goverment oe eo onasenasn00/0 ELLIPTIC FEATURES a? representation of the link a, wsing phasor notation is (8-1), ny Le nye ‘An example ofa chain code, , = o0ns676644822125, an area quantized is shown in Fig. 1b, using the method of deriving a chain code from an area-q image (Fig, 1a) described by Kuhl (8), The Fourier coefficients of chain encoded cain code ¥, = WaSTEC44223. (0) Ave quand age) Ch238 KUHL AND GIARDINA contov developed in tis section of the paper for & yarticular starting point on the contour. The Foutier series representation is appropriate for the chain code Decause the code repeats on Successive reversals ofthe contour Elementary properties of the chain cade are easly described. Assuming that the chain code is followed at constant speed, the time needed to traverse a particular link as a1 ay e+ 0-0") ‘The time required to traverse the first p links inthe Sa and the basi period ofthe chain code is 7 ofthe chain asthe link a, is traversed are 4x, = sen(6 — a,)sp0(2 ~ a), 4y,= sanl4 — a,)san(,), ix- The changes inthe x, y projections where 1 z50 sen(Z)} 0 Z=0 =) Z<0, and, arbitrarily locating the starting point of the chain code at the origi, the projections on x and y of the first p links of the chain are, respectively, Sax, = Dy, ‘The Fourier series expansion for the x projection ofthe chain code ofthe complete contour is defined as fa, Ff Melos ta, end fein Ea “The Fouter coethcents corresponding to the nth harmonic a, ant most easily found because 2(1) is piecewise linear and contindous for alltime. The ‘etivation of the eoefiients here involves the time derivative #(¢), which consists of the sequence of piecewise constant derivatives &3,/B1, associated with the time Intervals <1 1, for values ofp inthe ange of 1 S'p = K. The time derivative is period with period T and can ile be represented by the Fourier series ey Bacon? pin 2 h Hoe 3 aco sin, A — where FI Hee a 2 fruandtttal focetae suse | rf os “anit 2, By “The Fourier series expansion forthe y projection of the chain code of the completewhere ‘The applicability of the expressions for the Fe i for the Fourier coeficientszxtends to the tetera chin code deeied by Freeman (3) as wel as 102 rcs enes Fepresentation of contour since no constraints are made on the incremental Jchanges Ox, and Ay, (As, = (Ax3 + 8), ‘The DC Components in these Fourier Seis areas follows + Sheets ar a1} Shia nz 2 rant where and 4 Graphic examples of ts 23, and harmonic Fourie approximations ofthe code V, are shown in Fig, Ie. Me — >. NUMBER OF HARMONICS NEEDED IN THE FOURIER aPPROXIATION 1 is useful (0 be able to specify the number of he number of harmonies required such that a teuncated Fourier approximation to a contour be in error by no more than «in the cory dimension. Let Dowty 2A Hy = dot Yost + 6 sin AH Intl gq Dat Wem Gt % ec0s“F7 + asin“ be the Fourier series truncated after N harmonies lor the x{¢) ane 11) proyeeous respectively, and define the eror, 35 sna sta) ~ sale) stv) 906 “Then itis shown by Giardina and Kull (7 tha is bounded by the expression same Zo. Lo). store the (oa vasiation ofthe derivative (4) has been symbolized as BCR) and tine dean a0 EUS. The deans forte ik ae 4 ie ay a, and can be tabulated according to the value of a, a5 shown in Table 1. Then, the total variations of $(1) and j(e) ar, respectively 'A graph of the actual eror,«, versus the number of harmonies, N, used in the Foutier approsimation is shown in Fig, 1d for the chain code ¥;. The predicted bounds on the error are shown superimposed on the graph as predicted by the ‘maximum, total-variation formula, The following five chain codes ae now examined ¥,— miirannees6essease4222, ¥, = 5412343001010007711075454s06541344486, 1, = 06602604624653267124022 , = 003107045476895715345041331420600, V, = 23334467665494332679000 1223254543322 156677010 4443221 10455667000321 1077324556710007762334485007776. They are examples of image contouts of increasingly greater complexity (i. vwigliness) as shown in Figs. 2 through 6. la each figure the chain-code representa tion of the image contour is displayed with superimposed Fourier approximation, ‘shich incosporate inereasingly higher harmonic content. Also, the actual ervor and ‘nehalf the predicted bound on the error versus harmonic content, W, aze shown atthe botiom of each figure. The factor of one-half as been incorporated on the predicted bound because it has been experimentally found that for sll but the most Simple figures, as for example an equilateral triangle, the bound is quite conservs tive. Ibis apparent from inspection of the figures that as the contour becomes more complex, the predicted bound becomes more conservative, nd that to make com: prisons of the accuracy of harmonic reconstruction for different contours both plots of must be normalize against T= tq; ie, usec! = «/T. ‘The predicted bound on c offers the advantage of quick and easy computation ‘compared to the calculation of the actual erro, but a heuristic factor (eg, division bby constant) must be applied tothe bound to obtain a closer approximation tothe error curve. The heuristic factor would be developed by experimentation for partici. lar applications and might, for example, be a function of the nusuber ut large angular changes in the contour 4 PROPERTIES OF THE FOURIER EXPANSION OF A CLOSED CONTOUR. ‘The truncated Fourier approximation to 4 closed contour can be writen as HHA DX Qtdy, He where the components of the projections X,.¥, ( 4 starting point displaced b units in the direction of rotation arouad the VR FREDIETED BOUND ON KOR 000 beretheterttretetod Prope ofthe hain cole Hi = OEnsOU27 160726) Tad 8.Fa.7. lite approximation to contour ‘contour from the original starting point will have projections for n = 1 2an Aue +) =ag2E (0-49) + hso222 (42). ¥,(19 +2) = egos ?Z2 (Ur +2) + dysin 2B (0% +2), where et Expanding X, and Y, and collecting terms, AGU") = aeos 2B + eps T en? Den Ys(e") = egeos22E + asin 2 where cos gg BAA eh sin | —in2™™ oe aa, “The coefficients at, bf, of and dy are corsect fr the origin of ¢* (Le. al the displaced starting point The elliptic locus forthe points (X,,Y,) i shown by removing the dependency on the sine and cosine terms to obtain Op located (dbs eh) xe + (af + BE) WE = 24 Mate + bade) (od, bea) and similarly fe Ye projections X3. 2, because xxl) = x00 +) Yl) = Yl #0). (ad + eh) xg? + (od + OB)YE? = 2x2 VE onc, + bade) (anda ~ ben) “Thecefre, the same elliptic loci ate obtained for different starting points. "Counter clockwise rotation of the X, ¥ coordinate axes through ¥ degrees into the UV anes, as shown in Fig, 7, is accomplished by the rotational operation W-lss Sal “The efect of this axial rotation on the Fourier coefficients a3, bg. cf. and dis Tendily apparent when the projections X,Y are expressed in matrix form, fel-(se, Salsa, Ss aud an axially rotated set of Fourier eoeffivients 02°, 6 Selined 35 and ds* may be oro |: cosy Se | / cr dse|7[-siny cosulfer at ‘The combined effects of an arial rotation and a displacement ofthe starting point nthe voethcients 0, by. ex amd d, of the original starting point are ready texpressed in matrix notation as follows ee] cosy end a, b]] 7 ce d.y) 220d sin 2h deed250 KUHL AND GIARDINA, ‘ELLIPTIC FOURIER FEATURES The Fourier coetiients ax, bs cud dy (1 Sm = N) ofthe taneted Fours approximation toa closed onto se used hee asthe clsifistion ofthe contour Since the colfiints vary scoring tothe sartng point of «trae of the contour (athe Freeman chain cos) and the spatial oaton, magnitude and transaion of the conour,selconsistem normalization procedures based ony on the inthis, shape props ofthe contour most be specified. The rotating phasors provide the basis of & most convenient mode of aormalzaton when the locus of the fist, harmonic phasor iselipti, yielding two simply related classification corespondag tothe positions at either end ofthe majo ais ofthe elie. When tis Toews Creal useful asiicaion consist ofthe coelicient descriptions for those pases fon the original contour that areata speed (eg, maximo) distance from the oniou centerpoint (4g, Cy. The two elated methods of clssifeation are now resented withthe elip locus case discussed first. SL, Classifications for Elliptic Ist Harmonie Locus ‘A contour classification is obtained for this casein a two-step proces. Initially the {irs harmonic phasog is rotated unt itis aligned witha semi-major axis of is lew. ‘Then the X.Y coordinate axes in which the contour was originally oriented ave rotated into new U, coordinate axes, defined by uke major and minor axes of the clipe, such thatthe positive X axis is coincident with the semimajor axis located in the phasor rotation. The existence of only two possible classifications is easly verified by constructing phasor-addition diagrams of contours similar to thoie shown in Fig. 7 for different combinations of rotations and by observing that the phasor additions at each semimajor axis are always oriented the same way in the Framework of the U,V coordinate axcs. To determine the relationship betwexn the two classifications, let the classification associated with one semimajor ans be ‘obtained through starting-point and spatial angular rotations of 8, and Y, radians, respectively, where 6, = 2eA,/T and A, isthe displacement ofthe starting poi “}-[c zee ssh m2) ‘The classification forthe other semimajor axis is wbtained by a further rotation of both the starting-point and spatial angles through w radians as follows [ =) cosy, +4) sin(ys +2) fa, 4] at adzt | | -sin(y, +) cost tales cosn(, +7) sin n(0, + #) sinn(6, +=) cosn( 2 +=) cosy sinvi][e, 8], .feosna, —sinnd, ee eal cl lee eal dst conf | | ELLIPTIC FEATURES 251 ‘Therefore, the odd harmonics of the 1wo classifications remain the same for alm, ‘but the even harmonics (not including the bias terms ay and C,) change sig. “The starting-point, angular rotation 6,. is determined from the point (x.y) with elliptic locus “ 2086 + B,sin8, 9, = 10080 + disin@, where @ = 231/T, by differentiating the magnitude of the first harmonic phasor E= (x) + yf)? and setting the derivative equal to 2er0, which yields Haid, + ed) ata eal | cate This expression locates the first semimajor as to our moving anny from the 5, starting point ia the decton of rotation about the contour, This ean be proven by substituting the vale of 6 im the second derivative of E and ating tat 8 negate Quanity isalvayscbuined fe, 0= 8, <= “he spatial oan ys eteined fom the Four coeents af and tat are cota for the sarting pint displaced 8, radans, Now at et] _[ e058, sing }fa or dt] “[-sing, cosa jlo 4 and the point (xf, y7) with elliptic locus is ea | ae Ld ate) = oteos Eee + oysin 3 sles) = cteos22ee + afsin ZZ r+ Hor) = efeos2Z or + asin Zr Since ¢* = 0 when the frst harmonic phasor is aligned with the semimajor axis, is readily obtained as 10) ate 0) 0s 4, <20, Furthermore, the magnitude of the semimajor axis is ao 1a (31007 +») (oP + 3) ‘The classification can be made independent of sie by dividing each of the coe cients by the magnitude of the semimajor axis, and independent of translation by282 KUHL AND GIARDIN ignonng the bias terms Ay and C,. It should be noted thatthe firs harmonie content We size-normalized classification is always characterized by af* = 1.0, b* — 00, 0, and |a*|= 1.0. ‘An example of the elliptic classification procedure is shown for the tank on an ‘incline in Fig 8. In Fig. 8a the image and the fist harmonic ellipse are shown and in Fig 8 the 30th harmonic approximation of the tank is given. In Fig. Be the tw possible classifications involving the 30th harmonic approximation are shown by solid and dotted lines, respectively, as generated by the normalized coefficients 3.2. Clasfications for Cirewar Ist Harmonic Locus ‘A contour classification for this case is obtained in a manner analogous 10 the elliptical ease except tha the starting-point and spatial rotations cannot be made to 8 semimajor axis. Instead, the rotations are made tothe line emanating feom the bias point (4p, Cp) t0 the point on the contour most distant from the bias point. It ‘several such maximal points on the contour are equidistant from (4, Cy) then like O 7 BLLIPTIC FEATURES 283 umber of classifications will be obtained, Working with the prenously described Chain code representation of the contour the candidate distances E, (I =p = K) wll be among the bias point (4g, Cq) and the heads of the chain finks a, Each distance £, is Ey = ((4o- 2) + (G-»)) ‘The indices of p corresponding to equally large maxima are stored and a classifica tion is required for each one. The starting-point rotation 8 for a classification corresponding to index p is ‘The classification for index p is then yar br a, a4 tation of the classification is again accomplished by dividing each of the Fourier coeficients by [a? + cf], which isthe radius ofthe first harmonic circle Note, the first harmonic locus is a circle when cosy, sin, Hsin yy e084, a} tbh + ef +d? = Aad, ~ bey), I contour can be rotated by 360° /m (where m is un integer = 3) so as to coincide with itself, it will have 4 crculur fist harmonic locus and only one unique classification, Examples of such contours are squares and pentagons, and hurricane- like figures with many identical, equispaced, swirling, shaped arms. An example of the classification procedure for a windmill blade is shown in Fig. 9. In Figs 9a and the blade, the fst harmonic eitele, and the thirteenth harmonic approximation of the blade are given. In Fig. 9, the classification invalving the fest thirteen Iharmonics i shown as generated from the normalized coefficients “The cirle-case normalization procedure can be modified to act as a substitute for the elipi-case procedure by employing a diferent method of size normalization; ie, by normalizing the magnitude of the coefficients against the maximal distance 5, 6 RECOGNITION DECISIONS ‘The contour clussfications are wsed in both a taining (Le, library cataloging) mode for known examples of classes and a decision mode for recognizing unknown images. Te colation and size normalized classifications stored fora known cass mELLIPTIC FEATUR, Fio.9, Example of csleese approximation (2) Wind Made ad harmo ppenima (©) Wid bade and Dharmas spponiman fe) Nomad (3 Mind ‘Nord 3h harm appoints ie a slain is gnoted by omiting the bis cole. For the ese of a frst harmonic lous the elasicaton indies cortespondng tothe wo semen axes are p= 1,2 and for the case of a circular first harmonic locus with P auidstant maximal contour poins,p = 1.2.--sP. The aomalzed clasifcston for an unknown image are art bat cea here the classification index ris defined identically to that of p for a known class "lis clear that in dea ELLIPTIC FEATURES 255 ‘A metic distance, D,, between the known class m and the unknown image is Gefined 35 the combined minimum over the classification indices rand p. p= mio | min, 3 02%. p.m}. where “The expression for D,, seduces according 10 the aumber of values ofp that are stored {or class m and the number of Values of r computed for the unknown image. For example, if only one value ofr is computed for the unknown image the expression feduces toa minimum over the p index. And, if all values of rate computed forthe Unknown image but only one value of p is stored the expression reduces to a Ininimum over ther index. The minimum ofthe distances D, (1 = m = M), among the unknown image and the known claies determines the’ class of the unknown image 1g with continuous, unquantized contours the Fourier escrptors will give unique, separable classifications as Tong as enough harmonics fre inladed in the truncated Fourier series, and that the Fourier descriptors are Therefore good for template matching applications. However, in sampling these tontouts some information is destroyed according 10 the coarseness ofthe sampling immerval and the contours wil in general, be encoded differently for each particular fnemtation on the sampling grid, The result is a nonzero metric, D. among the formalized classifications of the same contour for diferent relaive grid orientations nd prid coursenesses, The importance of these effects is of course extremely ‘Sependemt on the application and the inherent separability ofthe clases of interest Sand merits @ case-by-case statistical cxamination in arriving at an overall sytem design, A simple example of the quantization effect on the metic is given forthe sinplane images in Fig. 10, each of which is derived from the same original Uinquantized image. The image shown st the top left of the figure has the highest fesaution and consists of pixels of unit size on edge while the other images have progressively lower resolution and consis of respective pel sizes of 2, 3, 4 and 5 Sits on edge, which are indicated in Roman aumerals. Notmalized image classfica- tions at each level of resalution are shown for harmonic truncations N= 7. 14,2 tnd 28, The metric matics for harmonic truncations of N = 7, 14, 21, and 28 are Shown in Table 2, and each matrix corresponds to its respective row W of normalized Classifications in Fig, 10. I is noted thatthe metric among different grid resolutions becomes greater as the harmonic content ineseases, as expected from inspection of the expression for D. What is surprising is thatthe metric among different resolu tions does not necessarily increase 3s the separation among the resolutions increases “This experimental result isan indication that the Fourier-coeficent classifications well en to cluster the eassification space for different pixel resolutions across an image256 KUHL AND GiaRDINA PR ON DR OH, Plasfasfasfosfos i ea a I" ]2= [as [> [> 9. RECOGNITION OF SOLID OBJECTS AT ARBITRARY ASPECT ANGLE A ecopition stem for arity shaped, soli bjs at abitrary spect angle that wis elie Fourier features is propo hee ab an extension of oe Seng fecopitin system already discussed. The sytem requires that dete el knowledge be avalible about the shape ofthe object. The nom mene en aspect cin be riled ino thee componcoisrll ich and yond athe Coordinate anes ar locate athe cen of paviy of he bless soon ee bere line of sight about which pich changes “The elie Fours feature Sts invariant mth pitch, but for abit bodies the vavaion a function of yaw and rally ule complicated. Therloe te ears sel mt be tepresented in a4 XW asifcation space a3 oil safe ates Gan be approximated by a single closed line tat sl cont of se aes at onneting tne sepmens, Each dosed curve ise the eure st soranoe sh 360° of afr a particular yaw ange, and each conneing line comer hone Mons Mate ft the ive Dilfrcnt Reston eas Fie. Wat Hao Tanain ‘0000 asI801—2omTS 26ST 1ASI6 ‘rnciion =? ‘osmel contami ame 28 gents “rn ogoamn Dass 7131 bien) “ines 335 oma —_“sesa8 diese Sree TL i904 0K z 3 7 066026 .oce00d 18599549960 294752 3 owe “985 ooo 2emog Soo. 33sem “isso "neo oom 214873 nie eerst oom “ater ooo 2 3 5 ‘asso asia ‘705s OKO “uaSHS—2asoT7 sate fnnsie “tees oot 6346 Sotuet uor anger) se ogoamo nao? Sst eolet ae oe . ? 3 . 5 oo0000 © oTase7 ase ease RATT romavos 2k toec? Comm twoeaz“wsrs uae foam "imme 00000 nek 30k a9) em 8886 UO Feature set variation with an ineremental change ofthe yaw angle for constant ral angle. The clasifieation surface contour is traced ou, starting at O° roll and yaw. By Following these roll and yaw curves in proper sequence and without repetition so that all are included Recognition of an unknown body requires a means of measuring the mean square distances between multiple observations of it and the classification surfaces of known body shapes. A procedure for encoding such surfaces and performing fecognition decisions using -dimensional chain codes is discussed by Kut [10) and Kuhl and Perrela [11] ia gelation to the recognition of arbitrary targets at arbitrary aspect angle using polarized radar-backscatter measurements.5 KUHL AND GlagDW & CONCLUSION ‘4 classification and recognition procedure has been described that is dire applicable to clases of objects that cannat change shape and whose images a subject to sensory-cquipment distortions, but that may occur in diflexet cag, ions, sizes and translations, The features used in the procedure ate reveal Fourier coeticients derived from chain cades ofthe image comtovrs. The nancy tion is performed according to various liptic properties ofthe Fourie cesta, themselves, ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ‘The authors wish to express thet appreciation fora well one computer progr: ming effort to Dorothy Heater, Mary Jane Webster, and Michael Rajon, cen thanks are also due to Maxine Barrett Kuhl for her considerable efforts in cag this paper. REFERENCES |. GH Granlund, Fourier preprocessing fr hand print chusce exigion EEE Trans Con 2k. 1972 195-20) Penaon and K-5. Fu. Shape dcinination wing Fo deciptrs JEEE Tran. ten, items SMC. 170-19, 7. Wallace and PA. Win, An lca te dimensional air eogston aor fama Foes desir, Coneuer Cpt rl nage Ponosne Bde oh TP Malaceand 0. Michel, Amos of tice dinenseal monensin Fore cp {EEE Toss Patera Anat ond Maine lligene PAMES 180. Se 1H. Freeman, Compote rosin fie dawg sap Conpar Su 19h 7-91 Kal. Ciena fr dctermiing connourvaatatnn sig baronial tlie signs Prone! of he IEEE Rexion } Convention (Southet Con, Unvciy ef Reese, Rese sec. Api 1-12 1929p S84 ©. Giardia nd F Kul, Acca of cue spprximation by hamnicly ed wets Sips. Copter Grapes and Fouts Penn 99a FF Kab Casicton ang opion eT hand ped Caates EEE nkrntonl Convent Recor. 10) pp. 15-38 9-H. Freoman. Appicatonct the peered hin cling shee mp dla procesiny, Prose of the IEEE Computer Soy Conference on Fan Recegiion fant Proce, Chicago. lina, My 31-Tune 2 197 10-F. Kab Region of geomet class io ie spas, Preece ofthe IEEE Rep neni (Sothen Conh. Unversty of Lal: Lal: Reso Agata fe WB. pp FSi se OF P Kuhl and A.J Pei, Radar tye ecogaition at abiary spect, Paced of th Reson 3 Convnion Southeast Com, Unveniy of Vagina, Chainer Pagina 22k I pp teste FF Kohl CR Giardina, M.J. Webster apd B. O'Connor outer ssc. aprnimation ‘haimencodd contours Proceedings ofthe Elcv0 Oper #0 Conan & bine