1. A method for automatic segmentation of a cardiac structure, comprising: obtaining echocardiographic images; defining a search space within the echocardiographic images using a pair of one-dimensional (1D) profiles; and using an energy based function constrained by non-local temporal priors within the defined search space to automatically segment a contour of the cardiac structure with the 1D profiles, wherein using the energy based function comprises penalizing a spatial smoothness of the acceleration of the 1D profiles.