METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR VISUALIZING MONOCHROMATIC IMAGES IN COLOR HUE

• US 20100128049A1
• Filed: 11/25/2008
• Published: 05/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Avinash, Gopal, Georgiev, Emil, Kemper, Erik
• Application Number:
  US12/277,967
• Publication Number:
  US 20100128049A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/589
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/461 Displaying means of special interest
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0666 for control of colour parameters, e.g. colour temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/145 the light originating from the display screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/08 Biomedical applications
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/02 characterised by the way in which colour is displayed details of colour display specific for CRTs G09G1/28; specific for flat matrix panels other than liquid crystal displays G09G3/2003; specific for liquid crystal displays G09G3/3607

Abstract

A method and system for visualizing monochromatic images in color hue is disclosed herewith. The method comprises: obtaining an optimal monochromatic color wavelength corresponding to an effective light level, the effective light level being identified with reference to an ambient light level and a monitor light level. The monochromatic color wavelength is converted to corresponding to a color hue and is incorporated to a gray scale map of an image to provide a colored view of the image.

Claims

1. A method of visualization of monochromatic images on a monitor comprising:

obtaining an optimal monochromatic color wavelength corresponding to an effective light level, the effective light level being identified with reference to an ambient light level and a monitor light level;

converting the monochromatic color wavelength to a color hue; and

incorporating the color hue to a gray scale map of an image to provide a colored view of the image.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ambient light level conveys the light level in a display room and the monitor light level conveys the light level of a monitor on which the image being displayed.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the image is a radiological image.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the color hue is selected from a known spectrum region of the visible light spectrum, the spectrum region being identified based on the effective light level.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the color hue is selected from a spectrum region in the range of 450 nm to 650 nm.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the colored view comprises:

a yellow green view at 555 nm in the event of a photopic vision.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the colored view comprises:

a green view at 507 nm in the event of a scotopic vision.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of incorporating the color hue comprises:

converting the gray scale map of the image to a color map using the color hue.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

customizing the monochromatic color wavelength to adjust the color map of the image.

10. A method of displaying radiological images including:

receiving an ambient light level and a monitor light level;

obtaining an effective light level based on the ambient light level and monitor color level;

deriving an optimal monochromatic color wavelength corresponding to the effective light level;

converting the monochromatic color wavelength to color values; and

applying the color values to a gray scale map of the radiological image.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the step of receiving the ambient light level and monitor color level comprises:

providing light sensors to sense the ambient light level and the monitor light level.

12. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the step of deriving a monochromatic color wavelength comprises:

selecting monochromic color wavelength corresponding to a region of visual spectrum.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the region of spectrum includes:

450-650 nm.

14. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the step of converting the monochromatic color wavelength to color values comprises:

converting monochromatic color wavelength to red, green, blue values.

15. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the step of applying color values to gray scale map comprises:

replacing white value in the gray scale map with the color values.

16. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the step of applying color values to gray scale map comprises:

providing a green color view at 507 nm corresponding to the gray scale map for scotopic vision.

17. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the step of applying color values to gray scale view comprises:

providing a yellow-green color view at 555 nm corresponding to the gray scale map for photopic vision.

19. A system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the derivation module is configured to receive the ambient light level from an ambient light sensor and the monitor light level from a monitor light sensor.

20. A system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the transformation module is a lookup table.

22. A system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the spectrum range is from 450 nm to 650 nm.

18. An image processing system configured to visualize monochromatic images in color hue, the system comprising:

a derivation module to derive an optimal monochromatic color wavelength with reference to an ambient light level and monitor light level;

a transformation module configured to convert the optimal monochromatic color wavelength to a color hue with reference to a spectrum range in the visual spectrum; and

a coloring module configured to change gray scale map of the image to a color map using the color hue;

wherein the derivation module, transformation module and coloring module are configured to operate together to visualize monochromatic images in color hue.

21. A display system for displaying monochromic images comprising:

a sensing assembly including;

an ambient light sensor and a monitor light senor;

a processor configured to;

derive an optimal monochromatic color wavelength with reference to an ambient light level and monitor light level;

convert the optimal monochromatic color wavelength to a color hue with reference to a spectrum range in the visual spectrum;

convert gray scale map of the monochromatic image to a color map using the color hue; and

a color monitor configured to display the monochromatic image with a color map.

23. A machine readable medium or media having recorded thereon instructions configured to instruct a system comprising:

sensing assembly, a monitor and a processor to visualize monochromatic images in color hue comprising;

a routine for obtaining an optimal monochromatic color wavelength corresponding to an effective light level, the effective light level being identified with reference to an ambient light level and a monitor light level;

a routine for converting the optimal monochromatic color wavelength to color hue; and

a routine for incorporating the color hue to a gray scale map of an image to provided a colored view of the image