Image Processing Device and Method

• US 20080292174A1
• Filed: 07/06/2005
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sato, Makoto
• Granted Patent: US 7,912,268 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/132
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/50 using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/00 ICT specially adapted for the handling or processing of medical references

Abstract

The present invention provides image processing device and method for effectively generating a difference image from plural images. The plural images generated by an image generation unit are first associated with radiography date and time information and stored in a storage unit, at least one reference image and one comparison image are designated by an image designation unit from the stored images, the date and time information of the designated reference image is compared with the date and time information of the designated comparison image by an image comparison unit, a difference process is executed by a difference processing unit based on an operation determined based on the comparison result, and the processed difference image is displayed on a display unit under the control of a display control unit.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. An image processing device comprising:

a storage unit adapted to store plural images;

an image designation unit adapted to designate a reference image and comparison images from among the plural images stored by said storage unit;

a comparison unit adapted to acquire radiography date and time information of the designated reference image and the designated comparison images, and compare the radiography date and time information of the reference image with the radiography date and time information of each of the comparison images;

a determination unit adapted to determine an operation in case of generating a temporal difference image based on each of the comparison results by said comparison unit; and

a difference image generation unit adapted to generate the temporal difference image from the reference image and each of the comparison images by using the operation, corresponding to the each of the comparison images, determined by said determination unit.

22. An image processing device according to claim 21, wherein said determination unit determines, based on each of the comparison results by said comparison unit, whether to subtract the comparison image from the reference image or subtract the reference image from the comparison image.

23. An image processing device according to claim 21, wherein said difference image generation unit deforms each of the comparison images on the basis of the reference image designated by said image designation unit, and generates the temporal difference image from the reference image and the deformed comparison image.

24. An image processing device according to claim 21, wherein said image designation unit can display a list of the images stored by said image storage unit, and selects the reference image and the comparison images from the displayed list of the images.

25. An image processing device according to claim 21, wherein said image designation unit can display reduction images acquired by reducing the images stored by said storage unit, and selects the reference image and the comparison images based on an indication input with respect to the displayed reduction images.

26. An image processing device according to claim 21, wherein said image designation unit can display the images stored by said storage unit in predetermined order based on the radiography date and time information, and selects the reference image and the comparison images based on an indication input with respect to the displayed images.

27. An image processing device according to claim 21, wherein said difference image generation unit determines, based on the comparison result by said comparison unit, the operation so as to subtract the image of which the radiography date and time information indicates more recent date and time from the image of which the radiography date and time information indicates more past date and time.

28. An image processing method comprising:

an image designation step of designating a reference image and comparison images from among plural images stored in a storage unit;

a comparison step of acquiring radiography date and time information of the designated reference image and the designated comparison image, and comparing the radiography date and time information of the reference image with the radiography date and time information of each of the comparison images;

a determination step of determining an operation in case of generating a temporal difference image based on each of the comparison results in said comparison step; and

a difference image generation step of generating the temporal difference image from the reference image and each of the comparison images by using the operation, corresponding to the each of the comparison images, determined in said determination step.

29. An image processing method according to claim 28, wherein said determination step is adapted to determine, based on each of the comparison results in said comparison step, whether to subtract the comparison image from the reference image or subtract the reference image from the comparison image.

30. An image processing method according to claim 28, wherein said difference image generation step is adapted to deform each of the comparison images on the basis of the reference image designated in said image designation step, and generate the temporal difference image from the reference image and the deformed comparison image.

31. An image processing method according to claim 28, wherein said image designation step is adapted to display a list of the stored images, and select the reference image and the comparison images from the displayed list of the images.

32. An image processing method according to claim 28, wherein said image designation step enables the display of reduction images acquired by reducing the stored images, and is adapted to select the reference image and the comparison images based on an indication input with respect to the displayed reduction images.

33. An image processing method according to claim 28, wherein said image designation step enables the display of the stored images in a predetermined order based on the radiography date and time information, and is adapted to select the reference image and the comparison images based on an indication input with respect to the displayed images.

34. An image processing method according to claim 28, wherein said difference image generation step is adapted to determine, based on the comparison result in said comparison step, the operation so as to subtract the image of which the radiography date and time information indicates more recent date and time from the image of which the radiography date and time information indicates more past date and time.

35. A computer-readable storage medium which stores a control program including:

an image designation step of designating a reference image and comparison images from among plural images stored in a storage unit;

a comparison step of acquiring radiography date and time information of the designated reference image and the designated comparison image, and comparing the radiography date and time information of the reference image with the radiography date and time information of each of the comparison images;

a determination step of determining an operation in case of generating a temporal difference image based on each of the comparison results in said comparison step; and

a difference image generation step of generating the temporal difference image from the reference image and each of the comparison images by using the operation, corresponding to the each of the comparison images, determined in said determination step.

36. A computer-readable storage medium according to claim 35, wherein said determination step is adapted to determine, based on each of the comparison results in said comparison step, whether to subtract the comparison image from the reference image or subtract the reference image from the comparison image.

37. A computer-readable storage medium according to claim 35, wherein said difference image generation step is adapted to deform each of the comparison images on the basis of the reference image designated in said image designation step, and generate the temporal difference image from the reference image and the deformed comparison image.

38. A computer-readable storage medium according to claim 35, wherein said image designation step is adapted to display a list of the stored images, and select the reference image and the comparison images from the displayed list of the images.

39. A computer-readable storage medium according to claim 35, wherein said image, designation step enables the display of the stored images in a predetermined order based on the radiography date and time information, and is adapted to select the reference image and the comparison images based on an indication input with respect to the displayed images.

40. A computer-readable storage medium according to claim 35, wherein said difference image generation step is adapted to determine, based on the comparison result in said comparison step, the operation so as to subtract the image of which the radiography date and time information indicates more recent date and time from the image of which the radiography date and time information indicates more past date and time.