IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING SYSTEM AND IMAGE PROCESSING PROGRAM

• US 20090092297A1
• Filed: 07/06/2006
• Published: 04/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Holdings Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Holdings Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Yoshida, Yukio, Hung, Po-Chieh, Kitoh, Shin-ichiroh
• Application Number:
  US11/995,792
• Publication Number:
  US 20090092297A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/128
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/508 measuring the colour of teeth
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/25 Colour; Spectral properties, i.e. comparison of effect of material on the light at two or more different wavelengths or wavelength bands
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/274 Calibration, base line adjustment, drift correction
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30036 Dental; Teeth
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30201 Face
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/009 Global, i.e. based on properties of the image as a whole applied in cameras using an electronic image sensor H04N23/80, H04N23/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/92 based on global image properties
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/90 Determination of colour characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/6027 Correction or control of colour gradation or colour contrast H04N1/6058 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/628 Memory colours, e.g. skin or sky
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/88 for colour balance, e.g. white-balance circuits or colour temperature control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/643 Hue control means, e.g. flesh tone control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/73 Colour balance circuits, e.g. white balance circuits or colour temperature control camera processing pipelines for colour balance H04N23/88

Abstract

An image processor performing image processing for reproducing the skin color of an object easily on a screen without being affected by variation in surrounding environment. The image processor (3) comprises a living body color information acquiring section (9) for acquiring color data in the white region of a living body from image data obtained by photographing the living body as an object, and a data processing section (10) performing white balance adjustment of the photographed image data based on the color data acquired at the living body color information acquiring section.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a living body color information acquisition section for acquiring color data in a white area of a living body from image data obtained by photographing the living body as a subject; and

a data processing section for adjusting white balance of the image data obtained by photographing, based on the color data acquired by said living body color information acquisition section.

2. The image processing apparatus described in claim 1 wherein the white area of the living body is a tooth area.

3. The image processing apparatus described in claim 1 further comprising a data management and storing section for storing reference data in the white area of said living body, wherein said data processing section calculates a correction parameter from the color data and the reference data, and the white balance of the image data obtained by photographing is adjusted based on the correction parameter.

4. The image processing apparatus described in claim 3 wherein said data management and storing section stores the color data and correction parameters calculated by said data processing section in chronological order.

5. The image processing apparatus described in claim 4 wherein said data processing section compares the color data with color data stored in said data management and storing section as data corresponding to the previously used correction parameter;

and, if a difference obtained by the comparison does not exceed a predetermined threshold value, white balance is adjusted by the previously used correction parameter.

6. An image processing system comprising:

an image processing apparatus described in claim 1; and

an image inputting apparatus for photographing a living body as a subject, said image inputting apparatus being connected communicably with said image processing apparatus over a network.

7. An image processing program product for causing a computer to execute:

a living body color information acquisition step for acquiring color data in a white area of a living body from image data obtained by photographing the living body as a subject; and

a white balance adjusting step for adjusting white balance of the image data obtained by photographing, based on the acquired color data.

8. The image processing program product described in claim 7 wherein the white area of the living body is a tooth area.

9. The image processing program product described in claim 7 wherein the program product if for further causing the computer to execute a reference data storing step for storing reference data in the white area of the living body;

and in the white balance adjusting step, a correction parameter is calculated from the color data and the reference data, and the white balance of the image data obtained by photographing is adjusted based on the correction parameter.

10. The image processing program product described in claim 9 wherein the program product is for further causing the computer to execute a data storing step for storing the color data and correction parameter in chronological order.

11. The image processing program described in claim 10 wherein, in the white balance adjusting step, the color data is compared with the color data stored in said the data storing step as data corresponding to a previously used correction parameter;

and, if the difference obtained by the comparison does not exceed a predetermined threshold value, white balance is adjusted by the previously used correction parameter.