APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DETECTING AN EDGE OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL IMAGE DATA

An apparatus and a method for detecting an edge of a three-dimensional image. A scan-line approximation unit creates an approximated quadratic curve with regard to each scan-line corresponding to each surface of the three-dimensional image by scanning the three-dimensional image in several directions of a row, a column and both diagonal lines. A curvature value calculation unit calculates approximated curvature values with regard to each division point regarded as different surfaces of the three-dimensional image on the quadratic curve. An edge decision unit decides an edge by comparing the calculated curvature values of the division points with a threshold. According to the above apparatus and the method for detecting the edge of the three-dimensional image, both a jump edge and a crease edge can be detected through one threshold. The method of detecting the edge can detect all edges according to the characteristic of the object of the three-dimensional image by using one threshold, thus the edge can be quickly and more accurately detected. Furthermore, the capability of the entire system can be improved by using information gained during the process of detecting the edge in a pre-process and a post-process.