1. An apparatus for determining the extent of movement of an object appearing within two or more images, comprising:
a first logic configured to classify one or more points in each of the images as either on-object or off-object;
a second logic configured to compare the classified points in order to determine those points for which the classification differs; and
a third logic configured to aggregate those points for which the classification differs in order to quantify a measure of the movement of the object.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first logic further comprises memory employable for the storage of at least one video frame.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an inverter coupled to the input of the first logic, the inverter configured to invert pixels before the pixels are conveyed to the frame comparison logic.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a memory for a mask coupled to the input of the first logic, the mask configured to be applied to at least one pixel before the at least one pixel is conveyed to the frame comparison logic.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a threshold comparator coupled to the input of the first logic, the first logic configured to determine whether a value associated with at least one pixel is above or below a threshold value.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first logic comprises exclusive-or logic.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an aggregator configured to accept an output of the first logic.
8. The apparatus of claim 7, flirt her comprising a normalizer configured to divide an output of the aggregator by the total number of pixels in a second video frame associated with an image of a test animal.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory for storing at least one video frame for processing by the frame comparison logic is at location externally to the first logic.
10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second logic calculates a normalized ratio associated with the change of the status of pixels from a first video frame and the second video frame.
11. A method for determining the extent of movement of an object appearing within two or more images, comprising: classifying each point in the images as either on-object or off-object to create classified images; and
comparing one classified image to at least one other classified image to determine those areas for which the classification differs;
measuring at least one neurological impulse; and
correlating the determination of those areas for which the classification differs to the measurement of the at least one neurological impulse.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of classifying comprises thresholding the image to create a thresholded image.
13. The method of claim 12, further comprising masking the thresholded image.
14. The method of claim 12, further comprising removing details from the thresholded image.
15. The method of claim 11, wherein the images are monochrome.
16. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the images is represented as a finite number of digital picture elements.
17. The method of claim 11, further comprising time-stamping the plurality of neurological impulses.
18. The method of claim 17, further comprising correlating a centroid calculation to the time-stamped neurological impulses.
19. A computer program product for determining the extent of movement of an object appearing within two or more images, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium with a computer program embodied thereon, the computer program comprising:
computer code for classifying each point in the images as either on-object or off-object to create classified images; and
computer code for comparing one classified image to at least one other classified image to determine those areas for which the classification differs;
computer code for measuring a plurality of neurological impulses; and
computer code for correlating the determination for which the classification of the at least one image to the at least one other image differs to the measurement of the at least one neurological impulse.
20. A processor for determining the extent of movement of an object appearing within two or more images, the processor including a computer program comprising:
classifying each point in the images as either on-object or off-object to create classified images; and
comparing one classified image to at least one other classified image to determine those areas for which the classification differs;
measuring a plurality of neurological impulses; and correlating the determination for which the classification of the at least one image to the at least one other image differs to the measurement of the at least one neurological impulse.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A marine riser comprising:
one or more buoyancy modules running along a length of the marine riser, wherein the one or more buoyancy modules are molded such that an umbilical may be secured along a length of the one or more buoyancy modules.
2. The riser of claim 1, wherein a buoyancy of the one or more buoyancy modules is adjustable along a length of the riser.
3. The riser of claim 1, wherein the one or more buoyancy modules comprise:
an outer buoyant shell having at least one groove molded into an outer surface and running along a length thereof; and
one or more inner chambers.
4. The riser of claim 3, wherein the one or more buoyancy modules further comprise a center section disposed within the outer buoyant shell and centered with multiple outer fins, wherein the center section comprises a hollow central bore.
5. The riser of claim 3, wherein the outer buoyant shell comprises molded polypropylene.
6. The riser of claim 3, wherein the one or more buoyancy modules further comprise a supply valve configured to allow air and water enter the one or more inner chambers.
7. The riser of claim 3, wherein the one or more buoyancy modules further comprise one or more orifices configured to allow air and water to exit the one or more inner chambers.
8. The riser of claim 1, further comprising an acoustic Doppler current profiler.
9. The riser of claim 1, further comprising a riser monitoring system configured to indicate stress points along a length of the riser.
10. The riser of claim 1, further comprising a cathodic protection system.
11. A buoyancy module installed on a riser, the module comprising:
an outer buoyant shell;
one or more inner chambers within the outer buoyant shell; and
a supply valve configured to allow air and water to enter the one or more inner chambers.
12. The module of claim 11, further comprising a center section disposed within the outer buoyant shell and centered with multiple outer fins, wherein the center section comprises a hollow central bore.
13. The module of claim 11, further comprising at least one molded groove formed in an outer surface of the outer buoyant shell along a length thereof and configured to correspond with a conduit.
14. The module of claim 11, wherein the outer buoyant shell comprises polypropylene.
15. The module of claim 11, further comprising an acoustic Doppler current profiler.
16. The module of claim 11, further comprising a riser monitoring system configured to indicate stress points along a length of the riser.
17. The module of claim 11, further comprising a cathodic protection system.
18. A method comprising:
installing one or more buoyancy modules along a length of a subsea riser; and
providing communication to one or more downhole components installed on the one or more buoyancy modules through an umbilical running along a length of the one or more buoyancy modules.
19. The method of claim 18, further comprising adjusting a buoyancy of the one or more buoyancy modules to move stress points and touchdown points of the subsea riser.
20. The method of claim 19, further comprising displacing water and air within the one or more buoyancy modules.