IP Library Granted Patent US 12682505
Granted Patent B2
US 12682505 · App. 17/930,093 · Granted Jul 14, 2026

Signal processing method, signal processing device, and imaging system

Inventors: Motoki Yako (Osaka, JP); Atsushi Ishikawa (Osaka, JP); Kazuya Hisada (Nara, JP)
Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
G06T11/00G01J3/2823G06T7/90H04N23/84G01J2003/2826G06T2200/24G06T2207/10024G06T2207/20212
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12682505
App. No.
17/930,093
Granted
Jul 14, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A signal processing method according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes obtaining compressed image data including two-dimensional image information that is obtained by compressing hyperspectral information corresponding to wavelength bands included in a target wavelength range, obtaining setting data including information designating one or more sub-wavelength ranges that are parts of the target wavelength range, and generating, based on the compressed image data, two-dimensional images corresponding to wavelength bands included in the one or more sub-wavelength ranges.

Claims (83)

1 . A signal processing method executed by a computer, comprising:

obtaining compressed image data including two-dimensional image information that is obtained by compressing hyperspectral information corresponding to wavelength bands included in a target wavelength range;

obtaining setting data including information designating one or more sub-wavelength ranges that are parts of the target wavelength range; and

generating, based on the compressed image data and the setting data, two-dimensional images corresponding to wavelength bands included in the one or more sub-wavelength ranges, wherein

the setting data is obtained before the two-dimensional images are generated,

the method further comprising generating, based on the compressed image data, one or more combined images corresponding to a not-designated wavelength range in the target wavelength range other than the one or more sub-wavelength ranges, and

a wavelength resolution of the two-dimensional images is higher than a wavelength resolution of the one or more combined images.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein:

the wavelength bands included in the target wavelength range are four or more wavelength bands included in the target wavelength range,

the two-dimensional image information is data items of pixels included in the compressed image data, and

information items corresponding to four or more wavelength bands are superimposed in each of the data items of the pixels.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein:

the setting data includes information designating one or more wavelength resolutions corresponding to the one or more sub-wavelength ranges, and

the two-dimensional images are generated with the one or more wavelength resolutions.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein:

the one or more sub-wavelength ranges include a first sub-wavelength range and a second sub-wavelength range, and

the two-dimensional images include two-dimensional images corresponding to the first sub-wavelength range and two-dimensional images corresponding to the second sub-wavelength range.

5 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein:

the one or more sub-wavelength ranges include a first sub-wavelength range and a second sub-wavelength range,

the one or more wavelength resolutions includes a wavelength resolution corresponding to the first sub-wavelength range and a wavelength resolution corresponding to the second sub-wavelength range, the wavelength resolution corresponding to the first sub-wavelength range and the wavelength resolution corresponding to the second sub-wavelength range being determined independently, and

the two-dimensional images include two-dimensional images corresponding to the first sub-wavelength range and generated with the wavelength resolution corresponding to the first sub-wavelength range, and two-dimensional images corresponding to the second sub-wavelength range and generated with the wavelength resolution corresponding to the second sub-wavelength range.

6 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein:

the first sub-wavelength range and the second sub-wavelength range are away from each other.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

displaying, on a display connected to the computer, a graphical user interface on which a user inputs the setting data.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

displaying the two-dimensional images on a display connected to the computer.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein:

the compressed image data is generated by taking an image with an image sensor and a filter array including optical filters different in spectral transmittance,

the method further comprises obtaining mask data reflecting a spatial distribution of the spectral transmittance of the filter array, and

the two-dimensional images are generated based on the compressed image data and the mask data.

10 . A signal processing method executed by a computer, comprising:

obtaining compressed image data including two-dimensional image information that is obtained by compressing hyperspectral information corresponding to wavelength bands included in a target wavelength range;

obtaining setting data including information designating one or more sub-wavelength ranges that are parts of the target wavelength range; and

generating, based on the compressed image data and the setting data, two-dimensional images corresponding to wavelength bands included in the one or more sub-wavelength ranges, wherein

the setting data is obtained before the two-dimensional images are generated,

the compressed image data is generated by taking an image with an image sensor and a filter array including optical filters different in spectral transmittance,

the method further comprises obtaining mask data reflecting a spatial distribution of the spectral transmittance of the filter array,

the two-dimensional images are generated based on the compressed image data and the mask data,

the mask data includes mask information,

the mask information represents a spatial distribution of transmittance of the filter array corresponding to each of unit bands included in the target wavelength range, and

the method further comprises:

generating combined mask information by combining parts of the mask information, the parts corresponding to unit bands included in a not-designated wavelength range in the target wavelength range other than the one or more sub- wavelength ranges; and

generating a combined image corresponding to the not-designated wavelength range based on both the compressed image data and the combined mask information.

11 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein:

the mask data includes background images and mask images,

the background images are obtained by capturing backgrounds with the image sensor without interposition of the filter array, the background images corresponding one-to-one to the backgrounds,

the mask images are obtained by capturing backgrounds with the image sensor through the filter array, the mask images corresponding one-to-one to the backgrounds, and

the combined mask information is generated based on the mask images and the background images.

12 . The method according to claim 10 , further comprising:

displaying the combined image on a display connected to the computer.

13 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein:

the mask data includes mask information,

the mask information represents a spatial distribution of transmittance of the filter array corresponding to each of unit bands included in the target wavelength range,

the setting data includes information designating large sub-wavelength ranges each being part of the target wavelength range and small sub-wavelength ranges included in one of the large sub-wavelength ranges,

the method further comprises:

generating, for each of the large sub-wavelength ranges, first combined mask information by combining parts of the mask information, the parts corresponding to unit bands included in each of the large sub-wavelength ranges; and

generating a first combined image for each of the large sub-wavelength ranges based on both the compressed image data and the first combined mask information, and the two-dimensional images correspond to the small sub-wavelength ranges and are based on the first combined images.

14 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein:

the target wavelength range includes a visible wavelength range, and

the method further comprises:

generating, based on the compressed image data and the combined mask information, an image corresponding to a red wavelength range, an image corresponding to a green wavelength range, and an image corresponding to a blue wavelength range; and

displaying, on a display connected to the computer, an RGB image based on the image corresponding to the red wavelength range, the image corresponding to the green wavelength range, and the image corresponding to the blue wavelength range.

15 . A signal processing device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing a computer program executed by the processor,

the computer program causing the processor to execute:

obtaining compressed image data including two-dimensional image information that is obtained by compressing hyperspectral information in a target wavelength range;

obtaining setting data to designate one or more sub-wavelength ranges that are parts of the target wavelength range; and

generating, based on the compressed image data and the setting data, two- dimensional images corresponding to wavelength bands included in the one or more sub- wavelength ranges, wherein

the setting data is obtained before the two-dimensional images are generated,

the computer program causing the processor to further execute generating, based on the compressed image data, one or more combined images corresponding to a not-designated wavelength range in the target wavelength range other than the one or more sub-wavelength ranges, and

a wavelength resolution of the two-dimensional images is higher than a wavelength resolution of the one or more combined images.

16 . An imaging system comprising:

the signal processing device according to claim 15 , and

an imaging device generating the compressed image data.

17 . A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program causing a computer to execute:

obtaining compressed image data including two-dimensional image information that is obtained by compressing hyperspectral information corresponding to wavelength bands included in a target wavelength range;

obtaining setting data to designate one or more sub-wavelength ranges that are parts of the target wavelength range; and

generating, based on the compressed image data and the setting data, two-dimensional images corresponding to wavelength bands included in the one or more sub-wavelength ranges, wherein

the setting data is obtained before the two-dimensional images are generated,

the program causing the computer to further execute generating, based on the compressed image data, one or more combined images corresponding to a not-designated wavelength range in the target wavelength range other than the one or more sub-wavelength ranges, and

a wavelength resolution of the two-dimensional images is higher than a wavelength resolution of the one or more combined images.