Magnification observation apparatus and method for creating high tone image file

• US 8,130,264 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2008
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Keyence Corporation (Keyence)
• Original Assignee: Keyence Corporation (Keyence)
• Inventors: Inomata, Masahiro, Woobum, Kang
• Primary Examiner(s): TANG, KAREN C
• Application Number:
  US12/115,003
• Publication Number:
  US 20080297596A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,401 Days
• Field of Search: 348/68, 348/69, 348/70, 348/131, 348/132, 348/235
• US Class Current: 348/68
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10056 Microscopic image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20208 High dynamic range [HDR] image processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/50 using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/70 Circuitry for compensating brightness variation in the scene
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/73 by influencing the exposure time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/741 by increasing the dynamic range of the image compared to the dynamic range of the electronic image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/91 Television signal processing therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 for more than one processing mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8047 using transform coding

Abstract

A high tone image is saved in a versatile image file format to enhance usability. There are provided an imaging unit that images an original image having a predetermined dynamic range, which is a ratio between minimum luminance and maximum luminance; a synthesized image generating part that generates a synthesized image data that is higher in tone than a tone width of the original image by synthesizing a plurality of original images imaged under different imaging conditions at the same observation position; a display unit that displays the images imaged by the imaging unit; a tone conversion part that converts the synthesized image data generated by the synthesized image generating part to low tone image data having a tone width capable of being displayed on the display unit; and a tone data saving part that generates a high tone data-attached display file including a high tone image region for saving the synthesized image data serving as a basis as an image file for saving the low tone image data.

Claims

1. A magnification observation apparatus capable of displaying an image obtained by imaging a sample to be imaged according to a set imaging condition, the magnification observation apparatus comprising:

an imaging condition setting part that sets at least an exposure time as the imaging condition when imaging an original image in an imaging unit;

the imaging unit that images the original image having a predetermined dynamic range, which is a ratio between minimum luminance and maximum luminance, according to the imaging condition set in the imaging condition setting part with respect to an observation position of the sample;

a synthesized image generating part that generates synthesized image data that is higher in tone than a tone width of the original image by synthesizing a plurality of original images imaged under different imaging conditions at the same observation position;

a display unit that displays the images imaged by the imaging unit;

a tone conversion part that converts the synthesized image data generated in the synthesized image generating part to low tone image data having a tone width capable of being displayed on the display unit; and

a tone data saving part that saves the low tone image data in a data region of a versatile image file, provides a high tone image region in the versatile image file to save the synthesized image data serving as a basis and saves a high tone data-attached display file including the synthesized image data in the high tone image region as metadata; and

an image editing part that edits the synthesized image data by reading the metadata saved in the tone data saving part.

2. The magnification observation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a drawing parameter holding region in which a drawing parameter in performing tone-conversion from the synthesized image to the low tone image is recorded is provided in the high tone data-attached display file generated by the tone data saving part.

3. The magnification observation apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the tone data saving part is configured to change the drawing parameter read out from the drawing parameter holding region with respect to the already-saved low tone image and update the low tone image already saved with the synthesized image to a new low tone image when performing tone conversion from the synthesized image to the new low tone image.

4. The magnification observation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tone data saving part saves the synthesized image data added to the low tone image file with a data size of the synthesized image data compressed.

5. The magnification observation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tone data saving part saves the synthesized image data added to the low tone image file with the synthesized image data separated into a texture component and a sketch component.

6. The magnification observation apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the tone data saving part adds the sketch component extracted from the synthesized image data to the low tone image file with at least a data size compressed to save the file.

7. The magnification observation apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the tone data saving part resets, as the drawing parameter, at least one of a gain with respect to the texture component and a data size compression rate with respect to the sketch component.

8. The magnification observation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a high tone data-attached display file format generated by the tone data saving part is a versatile image file format.

9. The magnification observation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the high tone data-attached display file has a header region and the data region and a flag indicating existence of the high tone data being inserted to the header region.

11. The magnification observation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a corresponding pixel link part that specifies a point on the low tone image displayed on the display unit and reads out and displays a pixel value at a position on the synthesized image corresponding to the point.

10. A magnification observation apparatus capable of tone-converting a high tone image having a tone width greater than or equal to a tone capable of being displayed on a display unit to a low tone image, and of displaying the image, the magnification observation apparatus comprising:

the display unit that displays the low tone image;

a tone conversion part that tone-converts the high tone image to low tone image data having a tone width capable of being displayed on the display unit; and

a tone data saving part that saves the low tone image data in a data region of a versatile image file, provides a high tone image region in the versatile image file to save the synthesized image data serving as a basis and saves a high tone data-attached display file including the synthesized image data in the high tone image region as metadata; and

an image editing part that edits the synthesized image data by reading the metadata saved in the tone data saving part.

12. The magnification observation apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the high tone data-attached display file has a header region and the data region and a flag indicating existence of the high tone data being inserted to the header region.

13. A method for creating a high tone image file for saving high tone image data having a tone width greater than or equal to a tone capable of being displayed on a display unit, the method comprising the steps of:

setting at least an exposure time as an imaging condition when imaging an original image in an imaging unit;

imaging a plurality of original images having a predetermined dynamic range, which is a ratio between minimum luminance and maximum luminance, under different exposure conditions at the same observation position according to the set imaging condition with respect to an observation position of a sample;

generating a synthesized image that is higher in tone than the image capable of being displayed on the display unit by synthesizing the plurality of original images;

tone-converting the generated synthesized image to low tone image data having a tone width capable of being displayed on the display unit; and

generating a tone data saving part that saves the low tone image data in a data region of a versatile image file, provides a high tone image region in the versatile image file to save the synthesized image data serving as a basis and saves a high tone data-attached display file including the synthesized image data in the high tone image region as metadata; and

image editing the synthesized image data by reading the metadata saved in the tone data saving part.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the high tone data-attached display file has a header region and the data region and a flag indicating existence of the high tone data being inserted to the header region.

15. A method for creating a high tone image file for saving high tone image data having a tone width greater than or equal to a tone capable of being displayed on a display unit, the method comprising the steps of:

setting at least an exposure time as an imaging condition when imaging an original image in an imaging unit;

imaging a plurality of original images having a predetermined dynamic range, which is a ratio between minimum luminance and maximum luminance, under different exposure conditions at the same observation position according to the set imaging condition with respect to an observation position of a sample;

generating a synthesized image that is higher in tone than the image capable of being displayed on the display unit by synthesizing the plurality of original images;

tone-converting the generated synthesized image to low tone image data having a tone width capable of being displayed on the display unit according to a predetermined drawing parameter; and

generating a tone data saving part that saves the low tone image data in a data region of a versatile image file, provides a high tone image region in the versatile image file to save the synthesized image data serving as a basis and saves a high tone data-attached display file including the synthesized image data in the high tone image region as metadata; and

image editing the synthesized image data by reading the metadata saved in the tone data saving part.

16. The method for creating a high tone image file according to claim 15, wherein, with respect to the already generated high tone data-attached display file, the drawing parameter read out from the high tone data-attached display file is changed, tone conversion is performed from the synthesized image to a new low tone image, and update to a high tone data-attached display file in which the already saved low tone image is replaced with the new low tone image is performed.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the high tone data-attached display file has a header region and the data region and a flag indicating existence of the high tone data being inserted to the header region.