Applying fast segmentation techniques at a binary image represented by a set of non-overlapping blocks

Run length smoothing algorithm (RLSA) and projection profiles are among the fundamental algorithms in binary image processing, mainly used for segmentation of monochrome images. In this paper, fast RLSA and projection profiles are applied to binary images represented by a set of nonoverlapping rectangular blocks. The representation of binary images using rectangular blocks as primitives has been used with great success for several image processing tasks, such as image compression, Hough transform fast implementation and skeletonization. We show that this representation can be applied with great success for fast RLSA application and fast projection profiles evaluation. The experimental results demonstrate that starting from a block represented binary image we can apply RLSA and evaluate projection profiles in significant less CPU time. The average time gain is recorded at 60% and 88%, respectively.