Method and apparatus for acquiring image of internal structure, and computer product

• US 20060204132A1
• Filed: 06/27/2005
• Published: 09/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Aoki, Takahiro, Watanabe, Masaki, Endoh, Toshio, Fukuda, Mitsuaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,970,238 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/282
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0007 Image acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/50 using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/14 Vascular patterns

Abstract

An apparatus for acquiring an internal-structure image of an object from a plurality of images of the object photographed by a photographing unit includes a control unit that controls the photographing unit to obtain the images under different photographing conditions; and an extracting unit that extracts a portion common to the images as the internal-structure image.

Claims

1. An apparatus for acquiring an internal-structure image of an object from a plurality of images of the object photographed by a photographing unit, the apparatus comprising:

a control unit that controls the photographing unit to obtain the images under different photographing conditions; and

an extracting unit that extracts a portion common to the images as the internal-structure image.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the photographing unit irradiates a light on the object while photographing the object, and the photographing conditions include at least one of intensity of the light, direction of the light, wavelength of the light, direction from which the object is photographed, and photographing time.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a correcting unit that corrects the images, wherein the extracting unit extracts a portion common to the images corrected as the internal-structure image.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a characteristic extracting unit that extracts a characteristic of the images, wherein

the image extracting unit extracts a portion common to a plurality of images from which the characteristic is extracted as the internal-structure image.

5. A method of acquiring an internal-structure image of an object from a plurality of images of the object photographed by a photographing unit, the method comprising:

controlling the photographing unit to obtain the images under different photographing conditions; and

extracting a portion common to the images as the internal-structure image.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein

the photographing unit irradiates a light on the object while photographing the object, and

the photographing conditions include at least one of intensity of the light, direction of the light, wavelength of the light, direction from which the object is photographed, and photographing time.

7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising correcting the images, wherein

the extracting includes extracting a portion common to the images corrected as the internal-structure image.

8. The method according to claim 5, further comprising detecting a characteristic of the images, wherein

the extracting includes extracting a portion common to a plurality of images from which the characteristic is detected as the internal-structure image.

9. A computer-readable recording medium that stores a computer program for acquiring an internal-structure image of an object from a plurality of images of the object photographed by a photographing unit, wherein the computer program causes a computer to execute:

controlling the photographing unit to obtain the images under different photographing conditions; and

extracting a portion common to the images as the internal-structure image.

10. The computer-readable recording medium according to claim 9, wherein

the photographing unit irradiates a light on the object while photographing the object, and

the photographing conditions include at least one of intensity of the light, direction of the light, wavelength of the light, direction from which the object is photographed, and photographing time.

11. The computer-readable recording medium according to claim 9, wherein the computer program further causes the computer to execute correcting the images, wherein

the extracting includes extracting a portion common to the images corrected as the internal-structure image.

12. The computer-readable recording medium according to claim 9, wherein the computer program further causes the computer to execute detecting a characteristic of the images, wherein

the extracting includes extracting a portion common to a plurality of images from which the characteristic is detected as the internal-structure image.