IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS, INFORMATION STORAGE DEVICE, AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD

1 . An image processing device comprising:

an image acquisition section that acquires a captured image in time series, the captured image including an image of an object;

a distance information acquisition section that acquires distance information based on a distance from an imaging section to the object when the imaging section captured the captured image;

a motion detection section that detects motion information about a local motion of the object based on the captured image acquired in time series;

a classification section that performs a classification process that classifies a structure of the object based on the distance information; and

an enhancement processing section that performs an enhancement process on the captured image based on results of the classification process, and controls a target or an enhancement level of the enhancement process corresponding to the motion information about the local motion of the object,

the enhancement processing section excluding a pixel or an area within the captured image for which it has been determined that a motion amount of the object is larger than a threshold value from the target of the enhancement process based on a classification result based on the motion information, or decreasing the enhancement level of the enhancement process applied to the pixel or the area within the captured image as the motion amount of the object within the pixel or the area increases based on the motion information.

2 . The image processing device as defined in claim 1 , further comprising:

a motion determination section that determines whether or not the motion amount within the pixel or the area is larger than the threshold value based on the motion information,

the enhancement processing section excluding the pixel or the area for which it has been determined that the motion amount is larger than the threshold value from the target of the enhancement process.

3 . The image processing device as defined in claim 2 ,

the classification section determining whether or not the pixel or the area agrees with characteristics of a normal structure to classify the pixel or the area as a normal part or a non-normal part, and

the enhancement processing section excluding the pixel or the area for which it has been determined that the motion amount is larger than the threshold value from the target of the enhancement process based on a classification result that represents the normal part or the non-normal part.

4 . The image processing device as defined in claim 1 , further comprising:

a motion determination section that determines whether or not the motion amount of the object within the pixel or the area within the captured image is larger than the threshold value based on the motion information,

the classification section excluding the pixel or the area from a target of the classification process when the motion determination section has determined that the motion amount is larger than the threshold value.

5 . The image processing device as defined in claim 1 ,

the motion detection section converting the motion information detected based on the captured image into the motion information based on the object based on the distance information, and

the enhancement processing section controlling the target or the enhancement level of the enhancement process corresponding to the motion information based on the object.

6 . The image processing device as defined in claim 5 ,

the motion detection section including an imaging condition acquisition section that acquires an imaging condition employed when the captured image was captured, and

the motion detection section calculating the motion information based on the object based on the distance information and the imaging condition.

7 . The image processing device as defined in claim 6 ,

the imaging condition being a magnification of an optical system of the imaging section that corresponds to the distance information, and

the motion detection section calculating the motion information based on the object by multiplying the motion information detected based on the captured image by the magnification.

8 . An image processing device comprising:

an image acquisition section that acquires a captured image in time series, the captured image including an image of an object;

a distance information acquisition section that acquires distance information based on a distance from an imaging section to the object when the imaging section captured the captured image;

a motion detection section that detects motion information about a local motion of the object based on the captured image acquired in time series; and

a classification section that performs a classification process that classifies a structure of the object based on the distance information, and controls a target of the classification process corresponding to the motion information about the local motion of the object.

9 . The image processing device as defined in claim 8 , further comprising:

a motion determination section that determines whether or not a motion amount of the object within a pixel or an area within the captured image is larger than a threshold value based on the motion information,

the classification section excluding the pixel or the area for which it has been determined that the motion amount is larger than the threshold value from the target of the classification process.

10 . The image processing device as defined in claim 9 ,

the classification section determining whether or not the pixel or the area agrees with characteristics of a normal structure to classify the pixel or the area as a normal part or a non-normal part, excluding the pixel or the area for which it has been determined that the motion amount is larger than the threshold value from the target of the classification process that classifies the pixel or the area as the normal part or the non-normal part, and classifying the pixel or the area for which it has been determined that the motion amount is larger than the threshold value as an unknown state that represents that it is unknown whether the pixel or the area should be classified as the normal part or the non-normal part.

11 . The image processing device as defined in claim 8 , further comprising:

a motion determination section that determines whether or not a motion amount of the object within a pixel or an area within the captured image is larger than a threshold value based on the motion information,

the classification section correcting a result of the classification process with respect to the pixel or the area for which it has been determined that the motion amount is larger than the threshold value.

12 . The image processing device as defined in claim 11 ,

the classification section determining whether or not the pixel or the area agrees with characteristics of a normal structure to classify the pixel or the area as a normal part or a non-normal part, and correcting a classification result that represents the normal part or the non-normal part to an unknown state with respect to the pixel or the area for which it has been determined that the motion amount is larger than the threshold value, the unknown state representing that it is unknown whether the pixel or the area should be classified as the normal part or the non-normal part.

13 . The image processing device as defined in claim 8 ,

the motion detection section converting the motion information detected based on the captured image into the motion information based on the object based on the distance information, and

the classification section controlling the target of the classification process corresponding to the motion information based on the object.

14 . The image processing device as defined in claim 8 , further comprising:

an enhancement processing section that performs the enhancement process on the captured image based on results of the classification process.

15 . The image processing device as defined in claim 1 , further comprising:

a known characteristic information acquisition section that acquires known characteristic information, the known characteristic information being information that represents known characteristics relating to a structure of the object,

the classification section including:

a surface shape calculation section that calculates surface shape information about the object based on the distance information and the known characteristic information; and

a classification processing section that generates a classification reference based on the surface shape information, and performs the classification process that utilizes the generated classification reference.

16 . The image processing device as defined in claim 15 ,

the known characteristic information acquisition section acquiring a reference pattern that corresponds to the structure of the object in a given state as the known characteristic information, and

the classification processing section generating a corrected pattern as the classification reference, and performing the classification process using the generated classification reference, the corrected pattern being acquired by performing a deformation process based on the surface shape information on the reference pattern.

17 . The image processing device as defined in claim 8 , further comprising:

a known characteristic information acquisition section that acquires known characteristic information, the known characteristic information being information that represents known characteristics relating to a structure of the object,

the classification section including:

a surface shape calculation section that calculates surface shape information about the object based on the distance information and the known characteristic information; and

a classification processing section that generates a classification reference based on the surface shape information, and performs the classification process that utilizes the generated classification reference.

18 . The image processing device as defined in claim 17 ,

the known characteristic information acquisition section acquiring a reference pattern that corresponds to the structure of the object in a given state as the known characteristic information, and

the classification processing section generating a corrected pattern as the classification reference, and performing the classification process using the generated classification reference, the corrected pattern being acquired by performing a deformation process based on the surface shape information on the reference pattern.

19 . An endoscope apparatus comprising the image processing device as defined in claim 1 .

20 . An endoscope apparatus comprising the image processing device as defined in claim 8 .

21 . A non-transitory information storage device storing a program that causes a computer to perform steps of:

acquiring a captured image in time series, the captured image including an image of an object;

acquiring distance information based on a distance from an imaging section to the object when the imaging section captured the captured image;

detecting motion information about a local motion of the object based on the captured image acquired in time series;

performing a classification process that classifies a structure of the object based on the distance information;

performing an enhancement process on the captured image based on results of the classification process, and controlling a target or an enhancement level of the enhancement process corresponding to the motion information about the local motion of the object;

excluding a pixel or an area within the captured image for which it has been determined that a motion amount of the object is larger than a threshold value from the target of the enhancement process based on a classification result based on the motion information when controlling the target of the enhancement process; and

decreasing the enhancement level of the enhancement process applied to the pixel or the area within the captured image as the motion amount of the object within the pixel or the area increases based on the motion information when controlling the enhancement level.

22 . A non-transitory information storage device storing a program that causes a computer to perform steps of:

acquiring a captured image in time series, the captured image including an image of an object;

acquiring distance information based on a distance from an imaging section to the object when the imaging section captured the captured image;

detecting motion information about a local motion of the object based on the captured image acquired in time series; and

performing a classification process that classifies a structure of the object based on the distance information, and controlling a target of the classification process corresponding to the motion information about the local motion of the object.

23 . An image processing method comprising:

acquiring a captured image in time series, the captured image including an image of an object;

acquiring distance information based on a distance from an imaging section to the object when the imaging section captured the captured image;

detecting motion information about a local motion of the object based on the captured image acquired in time series;

performing a classification process that classifies a structure of the object based on the distance information;

performing an enhancement process on the captured image based on results of the classification process, and controlling a target or an enhancement level of the enhancement process corresponding to the motion information about the local motion of the object;

excluding a pixel or an area within the captured image for which it has been determined that a motion amount of the object is larger than a threshold value from the target of the enhancement process based on a classification result based on the motion information when controlling the target of the enhancement process; and

decreasing the enhancement level of the enhancement process applied to the pixel or the area within the captured image as the motion amount of the object within the pixel or the area increases based on the motion information when controlling the enhancement level.

24 . An image processing method comprising:

acquiring a captured image in time series, the captured image including an image of an object;

acquiring distance information based on a distance from an imaging section to the object when the imaging section captured the captured image;

detecting motion information about a local motion of the object based on the captured image acquired in time series; and

performing a classification process that classifies a structure of the object based on the distance information, and controlling a target of the classification process corresponding to the motion information about the local motion of the object.