Image acquiring device and method capable of performing optimum time lapse imaging easily

• US 7,432,959 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2004
• Issued: 10/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Ueda, Hitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho; Tuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le; Tuan H
• Application Number:
  US10/768,884
• Publication Number:
  US 20040183921A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,713 Days
• Field of Search: 348/333.02, 348/222.1, 348/79
• US Class Current: 348/221.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6458 Fluorescence microscopy fluorescence microscopes per se G02B21/0076 and G02B21/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/64 Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/73 by influencing the exposure time

Abstract

An imaging portion performs imaging of a subject. A time lapse imaging condition setting portion sets a time lapse imaging condition including at least an exposure time and an imaging interval, prior to the imaging of the subject by the imaging portion. A determining portion determines a contradiction of the time lapse imaging condition set by the time lapse imaging condition setting portion according to a predetermined criterion. A presenting portion presents at least information relating to the contradiction of the time lapse imaging condition based on a determined result by the determining portion.

Claims

1. An image acquiring device for performing time lapse imaging, comprising:

an imaging portion which performs imaging of a subject;

a time lapse imaging condition setting portion which sets a time lapse imaging condition including at least an exposure time and an imaging interval, prior to the imaging of the subject by the imaging portion;

a determining portion which determines a contradiction of the time lapse imaging condition set by the time lapse imaging condition setting portion according to a predetermined criterion; and

a presenting portion which presents at least information relating to the contradiction of the time lapse imaging condition based on a determined result determined by the determining portion;

an avoiding condition generating portion which generates a plurality of time lapse imaging conditions for avoiding the contradiction of the time lapse imaging condition based on the determined result determined by the determining portion, and causes information relating to the plurality of time lapse imaging conditions to be presented by the presenting portion;

a selecting portion which selects one of the plurality of time lapse imaging conditions from the information relating to the plurality of time lapse imaging conditions presented by the presenting portion;

an instructing portion which instructs the imaging portion to execute time lapse imaging based on the time lapse imaging condition selected by the selecting portion;

an exposure time setting portion which sets the exposure time set by the time lapse imaging condition setting portion to the imaging portion;

a gain setting portion which enables setting of gain of an output signal from the imaging portion; and

a brightness correcting portion which enables correction of brightness of an image by correcting the output signal from the imaging portion;

wherein the determining portion determines the contradiction of the time lapse imaging condition by using a relation between the exposure time and the imaging interval as the predetermined criterion;

wherein, when the determining portion determines as the contradiction that the exposure time is longer than the imaging interval, the avoiding condition generating portion changes a set value of the exposure time set by the exposure time setting portion to be shorter than the imaging interval, and sets a value of the gain set by the gain setting portion to a value determined from a ratio of the exposure time after the change and the imaging interval, and when a set gain value exceeds a maximum gain value, sets the maximum gain value as the value of the gain set by the gain setting portion and sets a value for correcting the brightness of the image by the brightness correction part based on a value determined from a ratio of the value of the gain determined from the ratio and the maximum gain value.

2. The image acquiring device for performing time lapse imaging according to claim 1, wherein the imaging portion comprises an imaging portion of a microscopic image acquiring device.

3. A method for an image acquiring device, which includes an imaging portion which performs imaging of a subject and a presenting portion, the method comprising:

setting a time lapse imaging condition including at least an exposure time and an imaging interval, prior to the imaging of the subject by the imaging portion;

determining a contradiction of the set time lapse imaging condition according to a predetermined criterion;

presenting, via the presenting section, at least information relating to the contradiction of the time lapse imaging condition based on a result of the determination of the contradiction;

generating a plurality of time lapse imaging conditions for avoiding the contradiction of the time lapse imaging condition based on the result of the determination of the contradiction of the time lapse imaging condition, and presenting information relating to the plurality of time lapse imaging conditions by the presenting portion;

selecting one of the plurality of time lapse imaging conditions from the information relating to the plurality of time lapse imaging conditions presented by the presenting portion; and

instructing the imaging portion to execute time lapse imaging based on the selected time lapse imaging condition;

wherein the predetermined criterion according to which the contradiction of the time lapse imaging condition is determined is a relation between the exposure time and the imaging interval;

wherein the image acquiring device further comprises an exposure time setting portion which sets the exposure time, which is set by the setting of the time lapse imaging condition, to the imaging portion, a gain setting portion which enables setting of gain of an output signal from the imaging portion, and a brightness correcting portion which enables correction of brightness of an image by correcting the output signal from the imaging portion; and

wherein, when the exposure time is determined to be longer than the imaging interval as the contradiction, the generating the plurality of time lapse imaging conditions changes a value of the exposure time set by the exposure time setting portion to be shorter than the imaging interval, and sets a value of the gain set by the gain setting portion to a value determined from a ratio of the exposure time after the change and the imaging interval, and when a set gain value exceeds a maximum gain value, sets the maximum gain value as the gain value and sets a value for correcting the brightness of the image by the brightness correcting portion based on a value determined from a ratio of the value of the gain determined from the ratio and the maximum gain value.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the imaging portion comprises an imaging portion of a microscopic image acquiring device for fluorescence photography.

5. An image acquiring device for performing time lapse imaging, comprising:

imaging means for performing imaging of a subject;

time lapse imaging condition setting means for setting a time lapse imaging condition including at least an exposure time and an imaging interval, prior to the imaging of the subject by the imaging means;

determining means for determining a contradiction of the time lapse imaging condition set by the time lapse imaging condition setting means according to a predetermined criterion;

presenting means for presenting at least information relating to the contradiction of the time lapse imaging condition based on a determined result determined by the determining means;

avoiding condition generating means for generating a plurality of time lapse imaging conditions for avoiding the contradiction of the time lapse imaging condition based on the determined result determined by the determining means, and causing information relating to the plurality of time lapse imaging conditions to be presented by the presenting means;

selecting means for selecting one of the plurality of time lapse imaging conditions from the information relating to the plurality of time lapse imaging conditions presented by the presenting means;

instructing means for instructing the imaging means to execute time lapse imaging based on the time lapse imaging condition selected by the selecting means;

exposure time setting means for setting the exposure time set by the time lapse imaging condition setting means to the imaging means;

gain setting means for enabling setting of gain of an output signal from the imaging means; and

brightness correcting means for enabling correction of brightness of the image by correcting the output signal from the imaging means;

wherein the determining means determines the contradiction of the time lapse imaging condition by using a relation between the exposure time and the imaging interval as the predetermined criterion; and

wherein, when the determining means determines the contradiction of the time lapse imaging condition in which the exposure time is longer than the imaging interval, the avoiding condition generating means changes a set value of the exposure time set by the exposure time setting means to be shorter than the imaging interval, and sets a value of the gain set by the gain setting means to the value determined from a ratio of the exposure time after the change and the imaging interval, and when a set gain value exceeds a maximum gain value, sets the maximum gain value as the value of the gain set by the gain setting means and sets a value for correcting the brightness of the image by the brightness correction means based on the value determined from a ratio of the value of the gain determined from the ratio and the maximum gain value.

6. The image acquiring device for performing time lapse imaging according to claim 5, wherein the imaging means comprises imaging means of a microscopic image acquiring device.