SIGNAL PROCESSING APPARATUS, SIGNAL PROCESSING METHOD, AND PROGRESS

• US 20190310184A1
• Filed: 08/03/2017
• Published: 10/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: OTANI, Takahide
• Granted Patent: US 11,047,793 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 7/00 Botany in general
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/1797 in landscape, e.g. crops
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/8466 Investigation of vegetal material, e.g. leaves, plants, fruits
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/27 using photo-electric detection G01N21/31 takes precedence; circuits for computing concentration logarithmic circuits G06G7/24; photometric circuits in general G01J
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/31 Investigating relative effect of material at wavelengths characteristic of specific elements or molecules, e.g. atomic absorption spectrometry G01N21/72 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/35 using infrared light G01N21/39 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/84 Systems specially adapted for particular applications

Abstract

A signal processing apparatus, method, and program that enable growth conditions of vegetation to be easily confirmed are disclosed. An NDVI relative value calculation provides a relative value to an average of a vegetation index indicative of growth conditions of grass, on the basis of a sensing image. An image indicative of the growth conditions of an inspection object can be displayed on the basis of the relative value. Further, an NDVI average calculation section calculates an NDVI average obtained by averaging normalized difference vegetation indexes NDVI indicative of the growth conditions of the grass in the entire grass, and a correlation coefficient calculation section calculates a correlation coefficient that matches the NDVI average with a predetermined NDVI specified value. The NDVI relative value calculation applies the correlation coefficient in providing the relative value in each measurement unit in which a measurement is performed on the grass.

Claims

1. A signal processing apparatus comprising:

a relative value calculation section configured to calculate a relative value to an average of an index from the index indicative of a state of an inspection object, which is calculated on a basis of a sensing signal; and

a display processing section configured to perform processing to allow an image indicative of the state of the inspection object on a basis of the relative value to be displayed.

2. The signal processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an average calculation section configured to calculate the average of the index, which is obtained by averaging the index in an entire inspection object; and

a correlation coefficient calculation section configured to calculate a correlation coefficient that matches the average of the index calculated by the average calculation section with a predetermined specified value, wherein

the relative value calculation section applies the correlation coefficient and calculates the relative value of the index relative to the average of the index in each measurement unit in which a measurement is performed on the inspection object.

3. The signal processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the sensing signal includes at least a detection value according to brightness of near-infrared light and red light, and

the relative value calculation section divides a value obtained by subtracting a value obtained by multiplying the detection value of the red light by the correlation coefficient from the detection value of the near-infrared light by a value obtained by adding a value obtained by multiplying the detection value of the red light by the correlation coefficient to the detection value of the near-infrared light to thereby calculate the relative value.

4. The signal processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a spectral sensor configured to detect components in a plurality of different wavelength regions regarding reflected light in which environmental light is reflected by the inspection object.

5. The signal processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the spectral sensor has a sensing device in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in a detector plane in a matrix pattern and a spectroscope in which a plurality of optical filters that transmit light in a predetermined wavelength region are arranged in each pixel of the sensing device.

6. The signal processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the display processing section generates an image indicative of the state of the inspection object and allows a display section to display the image on a basis of the relative value of the index calculated in each measurement unit by the relative value calculation section.

7. The signal processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the average calculation section specifies a predetermined area of the inspection object projected on a sensing image including the sensing signal as an area of interest and calculates the average of the index in the area of interest.

8. The signal processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the correlation coefficient calculation section obtains the correlation coefficient regarding the area of interest, and

the relative value calculation section calculates the relative value of the index in the area of interest.

9. The signal processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

a sunny area in which sunlight is radiated on the inspection object and a shadow area in which sunlight is not radiated on the inspection object are specified as the area of interest.

10. The signal processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

an area on which the inspection object in an entire sensing image is projected is specified as the area of interest.

11. The signal processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

an arbitrary area in the entire sensing image is specified in accordance with setting of a user as the area of interest.

12. The signal processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the inspection object is a plant, and

the state indicates growth conditions of the plant.

13. The signal processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

the index is a vegetation index based on reflection of light by the plant.

14. The signal processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein

the vegetation index is an NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index).

15. A signal processing method comprising the steps of:

calculating a relative value to an average of a vegetation index from the vegetation index indicative of a state of an inspection object, which is calculated on a basis of a sensing signal; and

performing processing to allow an image indicative of the state of the inspection object on a basis of the relative value to be displayed.

16. A program for causing a computer to execute signal processing comprising the steps of:

calculating a relative value to an average of a vegetation index from the vegetation index indicative of a state of an inspection object, which is calculated on a basis of a sensing signal; and

performing processing to allow an image indicative of the state of the inspection object on a basis of the relative value to be displayed.