IMAGE PROCESSING SYSTEM, APPARATUS, AND METHOD AND MEDICAL IMAGE DIAGNOSIS APPARATUS

• US 20130181979A1
• Filed: 07/19/2012
• Published: 07/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.), Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: TSUKAGOSHI, Shinsuke, Hara, Takumi
• Granted Patent: US 9,336,751 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/275 from 3D object models, e.g. computer-generated stereoscopic image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/341 using temporal multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/351 for displaying simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/354 for displaying sequentially

Abstract

In an image processing system according to an embodiment, a display unit simultaneously displays a predetermined number of parallax images. A parallax image generation control unit performs control such that a group of parallax images of point-of-view positions which are larger in number than the predetermined number is generated. A display control unit classifies the group of the parallax images into a first parallax image sub group including a set of parallax images whose point-of-view positions are discontinuous to each other and a second parallax image sub group including parallax images whose point-of-view positions are between the set of the parallax images, and performs control such that the display unit displays the first parallax image sub group and the second parallax image sub group while switching the first parallax image sub group and the second parallax image sub group at a predetermined switching speed.

Claims

1. An image processing system, comprising:

a display unit configured to simultaneously display a predetermined number of parallax images;

a parallax image generation control unit configured to perform control such that a group of parallax images of point-of-view positions which are larger in number than the predetermined number is generated; and

a display control unit configured to classify the group of the parallax images generated by control of the parallax image generation control unit into a first parallax image sub group including a set of parallax images whose point-of-view positions are discontinuous to each other and a second parallax image sub group including parallax images whose point-of-view positions are between the set of the parallax images, and perform control such that the display unit displays the first parallax image sub group and the second parallax image sub group while switching the first parallax image sub group and the second parallax image sub group at a predetermined switching speed.

2. The image processing system according to claim 1,

wherein the display control unit performs control such that the first parallax image sub group and the second parallax image sub group are switched and displayed such that each of the parallax images included in the first parallax image sub group and the second parallax image sub group is displayed an arbitrary number of times for one second.

3. The image processing system according to claim 1,

wherein the display control unit classifies a plurality of parallax image sub groups obtained by classifying a plurality of parallax images whose point-of-view positions are between the set of the parallax images into different parallax image sub groups as the second parallax image sub group, and performs control such that the first parallax image sub group and the parallax image sub groups included in the second parallax image sub group are sequentially switched and displayed.

4. The image processing system according to claim 1,

wherein the display control unit generates an interim image obtained by averaging pixel values of a plurality of parallax images included in either of the first parallax image sub group and the second parallax image sub group from the plurality of parallax images on a portion in which point-of-view positions of a plurality of parallax images included in the first parallax image sub group and point-of-view positions of a plurality of parallax images included in the second parallax image sub group are alternately continuous between the parallax image sub groups, and performs control such that the display unit displays the generated interim image instead of the plurality of parallax images while switching the interim image at a predetermined switching speed.

5. An image processing apparatus, comprising:

a display unit configured to simultaneously display a predetermined number of parallax images;

a parallax image generation control unit configured to perform control such that a group of parallax images of point-of-view positions which are larger in number than the predetermined number is generated; and

a display control unit configured to classify the group of the parallax images generated by control of the parallax image generation control unit into a first parallax image sub group including a set of parallax images whose point-of-view positions are discontinuous to each other and a second parallax image sub group including parallax images whose point-of-view positions are between the set of the parallax images, and perform control such that the display unit displays the first parallax image sub group and the second parallax image sub group while switching the first parallax image sub group and the second parallax image sub group at a predetermined switching speed.

6. An image processing method, comprising:

performing control such that a group of parallax images of point-of-view positions which are larger in number than a predetermined number is generated; and

classifying the group of the parallax images generated by the control into a first parallax image sub group including a set of parallax images whose point-of-view positions are discontinuous to each other and a second parallax image sub group including parallax images whose point-of-view positions are between the set of the parallax images, and performing control such that the display unit that simultaneously displays the predetermined number of parallax images displays the first parallax image sub group and the second parallax image sub group while switching the first parallax image sub group and the second parallax image sub group at a predetermined switching speed.

7. A medical image diagnosis apparatus, comprising:

a display unit configured to simultaneously display a predetermined number of parallax images;

a parallax image generation control unit configured to perform control such that a group of parallax images of point-of-view positions which are larger in number than the predetermined number is generated; and

a display control unit configured to classify the group of the parallax images generated by control of the parallax image generation control unit into a first parallax image sub group including a set of parallax images whose point-of-view positions are discontinuous to each other and a second parallax image sub group including parallax images whose point-of-view positions are between the set of the parallax images, and perform control such that the display unit displays the first parallax image sub group and the second parallax image sub group while switching the first parallax image sub group and the second parallax image sub group at a predetermined switching speed.