Image and Annotation Display

• US 20130187911A1
• Filed: 09/23/2011
• Published: 07/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Dries, Sebastian Peter Michael, Wenzel, Fabian, Netsch, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 9,514,575 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/20 Editing of 3D images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/004 Annotating, labelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/008 Cut plane or projection plane definition

Abstract

A system (100) for displaying a multi-dimensional image and an annotation located therein, the system comprising receiving means (110) for receiving: the multi-dimensional image, the annotation, and representation data associated with the annotation, the representation data being indicative of a preferred representation of the multi-dimensional image and the annotation located therein; display means (130) for displaying an initial representation (300) of the multi-dimensional image and the annotation located therein; input means (120) for enabling a user to provide a visualization request when the initial representation shows at least a first part (310) of the annotation; and the display means (130) being arranged for, after receiving the visualization request, displaying the preferred representation (400) of the multi-dimensional image and the annotation located therein in accordance with the representation data, the preferred representation showing at least a second part (410) of the annotation, the second part being different from the first part.

Claims

1. A system for displaying a multi-dimensional image and an annotation located therein, the system comprising:

receiving means for receiving;

the multi-dimensional image, the annotation, and representation data associated with the annotation, the representation data being indicative of a preferred representation of the multi-dimensional image and the annotation located therein;

display means for displaying an initial cross-section of an image as an initial representation of the

multi-dimensional image and the annotation located therein;

input means for enabling a user to provide a visualization request when the initial representation shows at least a first part of the annotation; and

the display means being arranged for, after receiving the visualization request, displaying a preferred cross-section of an image as the preferred representation of the multi-dimensional image and the annotation located therein in accordance with the representation data, the preferred representation showing at least a second part of the annotation, the second part being different from the first part, and the preferred cross-section being different from the intial cross-section.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the multi-dimensional image is a three-dimensional image, and

the initial cross-section and the preferred cross-sections are cross-sections of said three-dimensional image;

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the annotation is located in a plane within the three-dimensional image, and wherein

the initial cross-section of the three-dimensional image intersects the plane and the annotation located therein;

and

the preferred cross-section of the three-dimensional image coincides with the plane and the annotation located therein.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the multi-dimensional image is a four-dimensional image comprising a plurality of time-dependent three-dimensional images,

the initial cross-section is a cross-section of an initial one of the plurality of

time-dependent three-dimensional images;

and

the preferred cross-section is a cross-section of a preferred one of the plurality of

time-dependent three-dimensional images.

5. The system according to claim 1, the system further comprising an annotation generation means for enabling the user to generate the annotation, using the preferred representation of the multi-dimensional image, the annotation generation means being arranged for generating the representation data in dependence on the preferred representation.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the second part of the annotation shown in the preferred representation is larger than the first part of the annotation shown in the initial representation.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the second part encompasses the annotation, and wherein the first part is a subset of the annotation.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the input means is a pointing device enabling the user to provide the visualization request by pointing to the annotation or by clicking on the annotation.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the display means is arranged for:

displaying the initial representation of the multi-dimensional image and the annotation located therein in a first window; and

displaying the preferred representation of the multi-dimensional image and the annotation located therein in a second window, the second window being located on top of, or alongside, the first window.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the display means arranged for:

displaying the initial representation of the multi-dimensional image and the annotation located therein, using a display setting; and

after receiving the visualization request, displaying the preferred representation of the multi-dimensional image and the annotation located therein, using the same display setting.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the display setting is indicative of a display contrast of the initial representation of the multi-dimensional image and the annotation located therein.

12. A workstation comprising the system according to claim 1.

13. An imaging apparatus comprising the system according to claim 1.

14. A method of displaying a multi-dimensional image and an annotation located therein, the method comprising:

receiving the multi-dimensional image, the annotation, and representation data associated with the annotation, the representation data being indicative of a preferred representation of the multi-dimensional image and the annotation located therein;

displaying an initial representation of the multi-dimensional image and the annotation located therein;

enabling a user to provide a visualization request when the initial representation shows at least a first part of the annotation; and

after receiving the visualization request, displaying the preferred representation of the multi-dimensional image and the annotation located therein in accordance with the representation data, the preferred representation showing at least a second part of the annotation, the second part being different from the first part.

15. A computer program product comprising instructions for causing a processor system to perform the method according to claim 14.