Information processing apparatus for processing a photographed image of a person

• US 6,789,087 B1
• Filed: 07/06/2000
• Issued: 09/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sako, Tsukasa
• Primary Examiner(s): Corrielus, Jean M.
• Application Number:
  US09/611,268
• Time in Patent Office: 1,524 Days
• Field of Search: 700/90, 707/104, 707/100, 707/101, 707/5, 707/6, 250/370.09, 235/462.02, 235/472.01, 378/98.8, 378/98.7
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/583 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

When radiography or other photography is executed on a mass basis, by use of an information processing apparatus that processes a photographed images as digital image signals, identification information for identifying an examining location (e.g., a particular company), etc., is inputted. A database in which information regarding one or more examinees is stored, is selected, identification information that identifies the current examinee is inputted, and corresponding information is obtained from the database. A series of numbers for identifying photographing is generated for every examinee, and the examinee is photographed. The obtained image information is stored in a nonvolatile storing unit together with a series of numbers and the examinee information.

Claims

1. An apparatus adapted for photographing, after inputting first information that contains at least group identification information and inputting second information that contains at least examinee identification information, a radiographic image of an examinee using the examinee information searched from a database based on the inputted information, said apparatus comprising:

an input unit for inputting first information that contains at least group identification information or second information that contains at least examinee identification information;

a medium reading and interpreting unit for analyzing a character train of the information inputted by the input unit and extracting the group identification information or the examinee identification information;

a nonvolatile storing unit for storing databases of the examinee information corresponding to each of a plurality of sets of group identification information and data structure of the second information corresponding to each of a plurality of sets of group identification information;

a database selecting unit for selecting, from the nonvolatile storing unit, a database of the group corresponding to the extracted group identification information;

a database search extracting unit for searching and extracting examinee information corresponding to the extracted examinee identification information from the selected database; and

a photographing unit for photographing a radiographic image of the examinee based on the searched and extracted examinee information,

wherein the medium reading and interpreting unit, when the first information is inputted, reads in, from the nonvolatile storing unit, the data structure of the second information corresponding to the group identification information contained in the first information, and analyzes the character train of the second information based on the data structure.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the medium reading and interpreting unit decides whether the information is the first information or the second information, based on an identification character among the character train.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the photographing unit further comprises:

an X-ray vessel for radiating radiant rays;

an X-ray apparatus for limiting the area in which the X-ray vessel radiates the radiant rays;

a solid-state image pickup device for radiographing an examinee irradiated with radiation of which the area of radiation has been limited by the X-ray apparatus, and for thus obtaining radiographic image data; and

an irradiating field aperture value determining unit for controlling the X-ray apparatus,

wherein the irradiating field aperture value determining unit controls the X-ray apparatus based on the searched and extracted examinee information.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an image processing unit for processing the radiographic image of the examinee,

wherein the image processing unit processes the image based on the searched and extracted examinee information.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a characteristic quantity region specifying unit for specifying a region on the radiographic image of the examinee;

a characteristic quantity calculating unit for calculating a characteristic quantity from the region; and

an image processing unit for designating the curve profile of the density-converting curve based on the character quantity,

wherein the characteristic region specifying unit specifies the region based on the searched and extracted examinee information.

6. An apparatus according to claim 3, 4 or 5, wherein the examinee information includes at least the height or weight of the examinee.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the input unit is a bar code reader or a magnetic card reader.

8. A method for photographing, after inputting first information that contains at least group identification information, and inputting second information that contains at least examinee identification information, a radiographic image of an examinee using examinee information searched from a database based on the inputted information, said method comprising the steps of:

inputting first information that contains at least group identification information or second information that contains at least examinee identification information;

reading and interpreting a character train of the information inputted in said inputting step, by analyzing that character train and extracting the group identification information or the examinee identification information;

storing, in a non-volatile storing unit, databases of the examinee information corresponding to each of a plurality of sets of group identification information and data structure of the second information corresponding to each of a plurality of sets of group identification information;

selecting, from the nonvolatile storing unit, a database of the group corresponding to the extracted group identification information;

searching for and extracting examinee information corresponding to the extracted examinee identification information from the selected database; and

photographing a radiographic image of the examinee based on the searched and extracted examinee information,

wherein, when the first information is inputted, said reading and interpreting step includes reading in, from the nonvolatile storing unit, the data structure of the second information corresponding to the group identification information contained in the first information, and analyzing the character train of the second information based on the data structure.

9. A computer-readable storage medium, storing in computer-readable form, computer-executable code for a method for photographing, after inputting first information that contains at least group identification information, and inputting second information that contains at least examinee identification information, a radiographic image of the examinee using the examinee information searched from a database based on the inputted information, said method comprising the steps of:

inputting first information that contains at least group identification information or second information that contains at least examinee identification information;

reading and interpreting a character train of the information inputted in said inputting step, by analyzing that character train and extracting the group identification information or the examinee identification information;

storing, in a non-volatile storing unit, databases of the examinee information corresponding to each of a plurality of sets of group identification information and data structure of the second information corresponding to each of a plurality of sets of group identification information;

selecting, from the nonvolatile storing unit, database of the group corresponding to the extracted group identification information;

searching for and extracting examinee information corresponding to the extracted examinee identification information from the selected database; and

photographing a radiographic image of the examinee based on the searched and extracted examinee information,

wherein, when the first information is inputted, said reading and interpreting step includes reading in, from the nonvolatile storing unit, the data structure of the second information corresponding to the group identification information contained in the first information, and analyzing the character train of the second information based on the data structure.