System, apparatus, and method for image processing and medical image diagnosis apparatus
View Patent ↗In an image processing system, a selecting unit selects a group of reference parallax images to be used as a reference, from among a plurality of groups of parallax images generated from image data taken chronologically; an image quality changing unit changes an image quality of at least one selected from between the selected group of reference parallax images and a group of parallax images contained in the groups of parallax images; and a display control unit causes images to be displayed that are formed by combining the group of parallax images contained in the groups of parallax images with the image-quality-changed group of reference parallax images, or by combining the selected group of reference parallax images with the image-quality-changed group of parallax images, or by combining together the image-quality-changed group of reference parallax images and the image-quality-changed group of parallax images contained in the groups of parallax images.
1. An image processing system comprising:
a selecting circuit configured to select a reference group of parallax images of a target object to be used as a reference, from among a plurality of groups of parallax images generated from volume data of the target object taken chronologically, wherein each of the groups of parallax images is a plurality of parallax images captured from a plurality of viewpoints of the volume data of the target object;
an image characteristic changing circuit configured to change an image characteristic of at least one of the reference group of parallax images selected by the selecting circuit and other groups of parallax images of the plurality of groups of parallax images; and
a display control circuit configured to cause superimposed images to be displayed that are formed by combining the other groups of parallax images with the reference group of parallax images, wherein the image characteristic of the reference group of parallax images, the other groups of parallax images, or both the reference group of parallax images and the other groups of parallax images is changed by the image characteristic changing circuit.
2. The image processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the selecting circuit is configured to select, as the reference group of parallax images, a group of parallax images having a highest ratio calculated as a ratio of an area in which a display target object is rendered to an entire area of each image, from among the plurality of groups of parallax images.
3. The image processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the selecting circuit is configured to select, as the reference group of parallax images, images obtained by extracting two or more groups of parallax images from the plurality of groups of parallax images and synthesizing together the two or more extracted groups of parallax images.
4. The image processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the image characteristic changing circuit is configured to change at least one characteristic selected from opacity, contrast, and lightness of the reference group of parallax images or the other groups of parallax images.
5. The image processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the display control circuit is configured to cause the reference group of parallax images and the other groups of parallax images to be output alternately to a plurality of pixels provided in a display circuit having a stereoscopic function.
6. The image processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the superimposed images are obtained by superimposing the other groups onto the reference group of parallax images.
7. The image processing system according to claim 6 , wherein the display control circuit is configured to cause the reference group of parallax images, the superimposed images, and the other groups of parallax images to be displayed at mutually-different angles with respect to a display surface of a display having a stereoscopic function.
8. The image processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the display control circuit is configured to cause superimposed images to be displayed that include the reference group of parallax images displayed continuously with the other groups of parallax images displayed sequentially along a time sequence.
9. The image processing system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the reference group of parallax images and the other groups of parallax images provides a same view of the target object at a different time.
10. An image processing apparatus comprising:
a selecting circuit configured to select a reference group of parallax images of a target object to be used as a reference, from among a plurality of groups of parallax images generated from volume data of the target object taken chronologically, wherein each of the groups of parallax images is a plurality of parallax images captured from a plurality of viewpoints of the volume data of the target object;
an image characteristic changing circuit configured to change an image characteristic of at least one of the reference group of parallax images selected by the selecting circuit and other groups of parallax images of the plurality of groups of parallax images; and
a display control circuit configured to cause superimposed images to be displayed that are formed by combining the other groups of parallax images with the reference group of parallax images, wherein image quality of the reference group of parallax images, the other groups of parallax images, or both the reference group of parallax images and the other groups of parallax images is changed by the image characteristic changing circuit.
11. An image processing method comprising:
selecting a reference group of parallax images to be used as a reference, from among a plurality of groups of parallax images generated from volume data of the target object taken chronologically, wherein each of the groups of parallax images is a plurality of parallax images captured from a plurality of viewpoints of the volume data of the target object at a particular time-point;
changing an image characteristic of at least one of the reference group of parallax images and other groups of parallax images of the plurality of groups of parallax images; and
causing superimposed images to be displayed that are formed by combining the other groups of parallax images with the reference group of parallax images, wherein the image characteristic of the reference group of parallax images, the other groups of parallax images, or both the reference group of parallax images and the other groups of parallax images is changed.
12. A medical image diagnosis apparatus comprising:
a selecting circuit configured to select a reference group of parallax images of a target object to be used as a reference, from among a plurality of groups of parallax images generated from volume data of the target object taken chronologically, wherein each of the groups of parallax images is a plurality of parallax images captured from a plurality of viewpoints of the volume data of the target object;
an image characteristic changing circuit configured to change an image characteristic of at least one of the reference group of parallax images selected by the selecting circuit and other groups of parallax images of the plurality of groups of parallax images; and
a display control circuit configured to cause superimposed images to be displayed that are formed by combining the other groups of parallax images with the reference group, wherein the image characteristic of the reference group of parallax images, the other groups of parallax images, or both the reference group of parallax images and the other groups of parallax images is changed by the image characteristic changing circuit.