1. A computer implemented method of transforming a list of feature points of an image into a list of maxima suppressed feature points of the image, comprising the steps of: receiving an original list of feature points including x and y coordinates and a reliability score of the feature point determination for each feature point, the feature points sorted of the original list in image raster scan order; initializing a working buffer having a number of entries equal to a width of the image, each entry capable of storing a combined y coordinate and reliability score of a feature point of the original list; scanning the original list in a forward direction from a first feature point to a final feature point, for each feature point including comparing a combined y coordinate and reliability score of a current feature point with a combined y coordinate and reliability score of an entry of the working buffer having a location corresponding to an x coordinate one less than the x coordinate of the current feature point thereby determining whether to suppress the current feature point dependent upon results of said comparison for a potential left neighbor of the current feature point, comparing said combined y coordinate and reliability score of the current feature point with a combined y coordinate incremented by 1 and reliability score of an entry of a working buffer having a location corresponding to an x coordinate one less than the x coordinate of the current feature point thereby determining whether to suppress said current feature point dependent upon results of said comparison for a potential top left neighbor of the current feature point, comparing said combined y coordinate and reliability score of the current feature point with a combined y coordinate incremented by 1 and reliability score of an entry of a working buffer having a location corresponding to an x coordinate equal to the x coordinate of the current feature point thereby determining whether to suppress the current feature point dependent upon results of said comparison for a potential top neighbor of the current feature point, comparing said combined y coordinate and reliability score of the current feature point with a combined y coordinate incremented by 1 and reliability score of an entry of a working buffer having a location corresponding to an x coordinate one more than the x coordinate of the current feature point thereby determining whether to suppress the current feature point dependent upon results of said comparison for a potential top right neighbor of the current feature point, and storing the combined y coordinate and reliability score of the current feature point in an entry within the working buffer corresponding to the x coordinate of the current feature point; re-initializing the working buffer; scanning the original list in a backward direction from a final feature point to a first feature point, for each feature point including comparing a combined y coordinate and reliability score of a current feature point with a combined y coordinate and reliability score of an entry of the working buffer having a location corresponding to an x coordinate one more than the x coordinate of the current feature point thereby determining whether to suppress the current feature point dependent upon results of said comparison for a potential right neighbor of the current feature point, comparing said combined y coordinate and reliability score of the current feature point with a combined y coordinate incremented by 1 and reliability score of an entry of a working buffer having a location corresponding to an x coordinate one more than the x coordinate of the current feature point thereby determining whether to suppress the current feature point dependent upon results of said comparison for a potential bottom right neighbor of the current feature point, comparing a combined y coordinate and reliability score of the current feature point with a combined y coordinate incremented by 1 and reliability score of an entry of a working buffer having a location corresponding to an x coordinate equal to the x coordinate of the current feature point thereby determining whether to suppress the current feature point dependent upon results of said comparison for a potential bottom neighbor of the current feature point, comparing a combined y coordinate and reliability score of the current feature point with a combined y coordinate incremented by 1 and reliability score of an entry of a working buffer having a location corresponding to an x coordinate one less than the x coordinate of the current feature point thereby determining whether to suppress the current feature point dependent upon results of said comparison for a potential bottom left neighbor of the current feature point, and storing the combined y coordinate and reliability score of the current feature point in an entry within the working buffer corresponding to the x coordinate of the current feature point; and forming a list of maxima suppressed feature points of the image by including feature points from the original list not determined to be suppressed by any said comparison steps.