Grey level image components for multi-scale representation

A method to identify grey level image components, suitable for multi-scale analysis, is presented. Generally, a single threshold is not sufficient to separate components, perceived as individual entities. Our process is based on iterated identification and removal of pixels, with different grey level values, causing merging of grey level components at the highest resolution level. A growing process is also performed to restore pixels far from the fusion area, so as to preserve as much as possible shape and size of the components. In this way, grey level components can be kept as separated also when lower resolution representations are built, by means of a decimation process. Moreover, the information contents of the image, in terms of shape and relative size of the components, is preserved through lower resolution representations, compatibly with the resolution.