Server device, image transmission method, terminal device, image reception method, program, and image processing system

• US 9,792,407 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2016
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ootsuki, Tomoyuki, Aisaka, Kazuki
• Primary Examiner(s): BERARDESCA, PAUL M
• Application Number:
  US15/191,507
• Publication Number:
  US 20170027442A1
• Time in Patent Office: 481 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/0025 characterised by electronic signal processing, e.g. eye models
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/12 for looking at the eye fundus, e.g. ophthalmoscopes A61B3/13 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/58 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30041 Eye; Retina; Ophthalmic
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/73 Deblurring; Sharpening
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00413 using menus, i.e. presenting the user with a plurality of selectable options H04N1/00464 takes precedence
• 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 23/951 by using two or more images to influence resolution, frame rate or aspect ratio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/21 Circuitry for suppressing or minimising disturbance, e.g. moiré or halo

Abstract

In some embodiments, methods and apparatus are provided for transmitting, via at least one network, a request to another apparatus for still image data generated from moving image data, the request comprising at least one criterion, and receiving still image data generated from moving image data matching the at least one criterion in the request. In further embodiments, methods and apparatus are provided for receiving the request via at least one network, using the at least one criterion in the request to obtain still image data generated from moving image data, and responding to the request by transmitting the obtained still image data.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a first apparatus comprising at least one processor, the method comprising acts of:

receiving first user input specifying at least one image processing technique for use in generating still medical image data from moving medical image data;

receiving second user input specifying at least one criterion for still medical image data generated from moving medical image data;

transmitting, to a second apparatus via at least one network, information identifying the at least one image processing technique specified by the first user input; and

transmitting, to the second apparatus via the at least one network, a request to output still medical image data generated from moving medical image data, the still medical image data matching the at least one criterion specified by the second user input, the still medical image data being generated by applying the at least one image processing technique specified by the first user input.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one criterion includes at least one piece of information selected from a group consisting of:

information identifying a patient, a user identifier, a date of imaging, and a time of imaging.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the moving medical image data comprises moving image data of a patient.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the moving medical image comprises fundus moving image data of the patient.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one image processing technique comprises a technique selected from a group consisting of:

a noise reduction technique, a sharpness improvement technique, and a dynamic range improvement technique.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one image processing technique comprises layering a plurality of image frames from the moving medical image data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the information identifying the at least one image processing technique comprises information identifying a version of an image processing algorithm performed to generate the still medical image data matching the at least one criterion.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first apparatus is a terminal device in a medical institution.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the second apparatus comprises a server including storage storing the moving medical image data, and wherein the server is located remotely from the terminal device.

10. A first apparatus comprising:

at least one computer-readable storage medium storing executable instructions; and

at least one processor programmed by the executable instructions to;

receive first user input specifying at least one image processing technique for use in generating still medical image data from moving medical image data;

receive second user input specifying at least one criterion for still medical image data generated from moving medical image data;

transmit, to a second apparatus via at least one network, information identifying the at least one image processing technique specified by the first user input; and

transmit, to the second apparatus via the at least one network, a request to output still medical image data generated from moving medical image data, the still medical image data matching the at least one criterion specified by the second user input, the still medical image data being generated by applying the at least one image processing technique specified by the first user input.

11. The first apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one criterion includes at least one piece of information selected from a group consisting of:

information identifying a patient, a user identifier, a date of imaging, and a time of imaging.

12. The first apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one image processing technique comprises a technique selected from a group consisting of:

a noise reduction technique, a sharpness improvement technique, and a dynamic range improvement technique.

13. The first apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one image processing technique comprises layering a plurality of image frames from the moving medical image data.

14. The first apparatus of claim 10, wherein the information identifying the at least one image processing technique comprises information identifying a version of an image processing algorithm performed to generate the still medical image data matching the at least one criterion.

15. A system comprising a terminal device and a server, wherein the terminal device comprises:

at least one computer-readable storage medium storing executable instructions; and

at least one processor programmed by the executable instructions to;

receive first user input specifying at least one image processing technique for use in generating still medical image data from moving medical image data;

receive second user input specifying at least one criterion for still medical image data generated from moving medical image data;

transmit, to the server via at least one network, information identifying the at least one image processing technique specified by the first user input; and

transmit, to the server via the at least one network, a request to output still medical image data generated from moving medical image data, the still medical image data matching the at least one criterion specified by the second user input, the still medical image data being generated by applying the at least one image processing technique specified by the first user input.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the server is configured to:

generate a still image from the moving image data; and

output the still medical image data based on the still image.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the server is configured to:

use the at least one criteria specified by the second user input to identify the moving medical image data from which the still medical image data is generated.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the server is configured to:

transmit, via the at least one network, the still medical image data to the terminal device.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one criterion includes at least one piece of information selected from a group consisting of:

information identifying a patient, a user identifier, a date of imaging, and a time of imaging.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the information identifying the at least one image processing technique comprises information identifying a version of an image processing algorithm performed to generate the still medical image data matching the at least one criterion; and

the server is configured to apply the identified version of the image processing algorithm to generate the still medical image data matching the at least one criterion.

21. A method implemented by a first apparatus comprising at least one processor, the method comprising acts of:

receiving first user input specifying at least one image processing technique for use in generating still medical image data from moving medical image data;

receiving second user input specifying at least one criterion for still medical image data generated from moving medical image data;

transmitting, to a second apparatus via at least one network, a request to transmit to the first apparatus still medical image data generated from moving medical image data, the still medical image data matching the at least one criterion specified by the second user input; and

outputting the still medical image data that is generated by applying the at least one image processing technique specified by the first user input.

22. A first apparatus comprising:

at least one computer-readable storage medium storing executable instructions; and

at least one processor programmed by the executable instructions to;

receive first user input specifying at least one image processing technique for use in generating still medical image data from moving medical image data;

receive second user input specifying at least one criterion for still medical image data generated from moving medical image data;

transmit, to a second apparatus via at least one network, a request to transmit still medical image data generated from moving medical image data, the still medical image data matching the at least one criterion specified by the second user input; and

outputting the still medical image data that is generated by applying the at least one image processing technique specified by the first user input.