Far-infrared radiation image processing apparatus, far-infrared radiation imaging apparatus, far-infrared radiation image processing method, and far-infrared radiation image processing program

1. A far-infrared radiation image processing apparatus configured to process an image taken by detecting far-infrared rays radiated from an object, said far-infrared radiation image processing apparatus comprising:

an image signal reception section configured to receive an image signal indicative of a far-infrared radiation image taken by a far-infrared radiation camera;

area designation reception means configured to receive area designation information input to designate a specific area of said far-infrared radiation image; and

a resolution conversion section configured to convert the resolution for the amount of the far-infrared rays applicable to said specific area designated by said area designation information in said far-infrared radiation image, thereby creating resolution-converted image information,

wherein for respective pixels of the far-infrared radiation image, said image signal includes a corresponding binary bit sequence of a common predetermined length representing the amount of the far-infrared rays detected at that pixel, and

said resolution conversion section converts, to a desired resolution, the resolution for the amount of the far-infrared rays applicable to the specific area by extracting, for respective pixels within the specific area, a continuous bit string within the corresponding binary bit sequence for that pixel such that a position of the continuous bit string within the binary bit sequence represents the desired resolution, the continuous bit string having a length smaller than the predetermined length, the continuous bit string being associated with a lower range of temperatures in response to a particular bit of the corresponding binary bit sequence being a first value and being associated with a higher range of temperatures in response to the particular bit being a second value.

2. The far-infrared radiation image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising

resolution reception section configured to receive resolution information input to indicate the desired resolution for use by said resolution conversion section for conversion; wherein said resolution conversion section creates said resolution-converted image information in which the resolution for the amount of said far-infrared rays applicable to said specific area designated by said area designation information is converted to the desired resolution indicated by said resolution information.

3. The far-infrared radiation image processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said resolution reception section is capable of storing said resolution information having been input and received.

4. The far-infrared radiation image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said area designation reception means is capable of storing said area designation information having been input and received.

5. The far-infrared radiation image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said resolution conversion section creates said resolution-converted image information by reducing the resolution for the amount of the far-infrared rays applicable to the areas other than said specific area.

6. A far-infrared radiation imaging apparatus configured to take an image by detecting far-infrared rays radiated from an object, said far-infrared radiation imaging apparatus comprising:

far-infrared radiation imaging means configured to take a far-infrared radiation image so as to output an image signal indicative of said far-infrared radiation image;

an image signal reception section configured to receive said image signal output by said far-infrared radiation imaging means;

area designation reception means configured to receive area designation information input to designate a specific area of said far-infrared radiation image; and

a resolution conversion section configured to convert the resolution for the amount of the far-infrared rays applicable to said specific area designated by said area designation information in said far-infrared radiation image, thereby creating resolution-converted image information,

wherein for respective pixels of the far-infrared radiation image, said image signal includes a corresponding binary bit sequence of a common predetermined length representing the amount of the far-infrared rays detected at that pixel, and

said resolution conversion section converts, to a desired resolution, the resolution for the amount of the far-infrared rays applicable to the specific area by extracting, for respective pixels within the specific area, a continuous bit string within the corresponding binary bit sequence for that pixel such that a position of the continuous bit string within the binary bit sequence represents the desired resolution, the continuous bit string having a length smaller than the predetermined length, the continuous bit string being associated with a lower range of temperatures in response to a particular bit of the corresponding binary bit sequence being a first value and being associated with a higher range of temperatures in response to the particular bit being a second value.

7. The far-infrared radiation image processing apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising

resolution reception means for receiving resolution information input to indicate the desired resolution for use by said resolution conversion means for conversion; wherein said resolution conversion means creates said resolution-converted image information in which the resolution for the amount of said far-infrared rays applicable to said specific area designated by said area designation information is converted to the desired resolution indicated by said resolution information.

8. The far-infrared radiation image processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein said resolution reception means stores said resolution information having been input and received.

9. The far-infrared radiation image processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein said area designation reception means stores said area designation information having been input and received.

10. The far-infrared radiation image processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein said resolution conversion means creates said resolution-converted image information by reducing the resolution for the amount of the far-infrared rays applicable to the areas other than said specific area.

11. A far-infrared radiation image processing method of processing an image taken by detecting far-infrared rays radiated from an object, said far-infrared radiation image processing method comprising:

receiving an image signal indicative of a far-infrared radiation image taken by a far-infrared radiation camera;

receiving area designation information input to designate a specific area of said far-infrared radiation image; and

converting the resolution for the amount of the far-infrared rays applicable to said specific area designated by said area designation information in said far-infrared radiation image, so as to create resolution-converted image information,

wherein for respective pixels of the far-infrared radiation image, said image signal includes a corresponding binary bit sequence of a common predetermined length representing the amount of the far-infrared rays detected at that pixel, and

said converting step converts, to a desired resolution, the resolution for the amount of the far-infrared rays applicable to the specific area by extracting, for respective pixels within the specific area, a continuous bit string within the corresponding binary bit sequence for that pixel such that a position of the continuous bit string within the binary bit sequence represents the desired resolution, the continuous bit string having a length smaller than the predetermined length, the continuous bit string being associated with a lower range of temperatures in response to a particular bit of the corresponding binary bit sequence being a first value and being associated with a higher range of temperatures in response to the particular bit being a second value.

12. The far-infrared radiation image processing method according to claim 11 , further comprising

receiving resolution information input to indicate the desired resolution for use by said resolution conversion means for conversion; wherein said resolution conversion step creates said resolution-converted image information in which the resolution for the amount of said far-infrared rays applicable to said specific area designated by said area designation information is converted to the desired resolution indicated by said resolution information.

13. The far-infrared radiation image processing method according to claim 12 , wherein said resolution reception step includes storing said resolution information having been input and received.

14. The far-infrared radiation image processing method according to claim 11 , wherein said area designation reception step includes storing said area designation information having been input and received.

15. The far-infrared radiation image processing method according to claim 11 , wherein said resolution conversion step creates said resolution-converted image information by reducing the resolution for the amount of the far-infrared rays applicable to the areas other than said specific area.

16. A processor encoded with a far-infrared radiation image processing program having instructions for carrying out a far-infrared radiation image processing method of processing an image taken by detecting far-infrared rays radiated from an object, said far-infrared radiation image processing method comprising:

receiving an image signal indicative of a far-infrared radiation image taken by a far-infrared radiation camera;

receiving area designation information input to designate a specific area of said far-infrared radiation image; and

converting the resolution for the amount of the far-infrared rays applicable to said specific area designated by said area designation information in said far-infrared radiation image, so as to create resolution-converted image information,

wherein for respective pixels of the far-infrared radiation image, said image signal includes a corresponding binary bit sequence of a common predetermined length representing the amount of the far-infrared rays detected at that pixel, and

said converting step converts, to a desired resolution, the resolution for the amount of the far-infrared rays applicable to the specific area by extracting, for respective pixels within the specific area, a continuous bit string within the corresponding binary bit sequence for that pixel such that a position of the continuous bit string within the binary bit sequence represents the desired resolution, the continuous bit string having a length smaller than the predetermined length, the continuous bit string being associated with a lower range of temperatures in response to a particular bit of the corresponding binary bit sequence being a first value and being associated with a higher range of temperatures in response to the particular bit being a second value.