Image processing apparatus and imaging apparatus

1. An image processing apparatus that stitches a plurality of partial image data to generate combined image data, the image processing apparatus comprising:

an image acquiring unit that sequentially acquires the plurality of partial image data;

a state managing unit that manages, as state information indicating a state of processing for each of the plurality of partial image data, state information including at least information indicating whether the acquisition of the partial image data by the image acquiring unit is completed;

a correction-amount acquiring unit that acquires, for each of stitching places of the partial image data, a correction amount for correcting deviation among the partial image data to be stitched; and

an image combining unit that corrects each of the plurality of partial image data on the basis of the correction amount for each of the stitching places acquired by the correction-amount acquiring unit, and generates combined image data obtained by stitching the partial image data after the correction,

wherein the correction-amount acquiring unit is controlled on the basis of the state information to start processing for acquiring the correction amount from the partial image data or the stitching place for which acquisition of data necessary for acquiring the correction amount is completed other than the partial image data or the stitching place for which the processing for acquiring the correction amount is already completed or being executed.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the correction-amount acquiring unit is configured from a plurality of correction-amount acquiring units that operate independently from one another, and

wherein processing for different partial image data or different stitching places is executed in parallel by the plurality of correction-amount acquiring units.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a global-correction-amount acquiring unit that determines, on the basis of correction amounts of a plurality of stitching places acquired by the correction-amount acquiring unit, a second correction amount used in correction processing actually performed for each of the plurality of partial image data in the image combining unit.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, when image data imaged at a different magnification is included in the plurality of partial image data acquired by the image acquiring unit, the image acquiring unit performs magnification conversion processing on the image data imaged at the different magnification in order to equalize resolutions of all the partial image data.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, when starting processing for stitching the plurality of partial image data, the state managing unit determines a correspondence relation of stitching among the plurality of partial image data on the basis of information concerning sizes and arrangement of the plurality of partial image data.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the image acquiring unit acquires a plurality of partial image data to be stitched, from an imaging apparatus that dividedly images an object to obtain a plurality of partial image data or an image server that stores the plurality of partial image data obtained by the imaging apparatus or both of the imaging apparatus and the image server.

7. An imaging system comprising:

an imaging apparatus that dividedly images an object to obtain a plurality of partial images; and

the image processing apparatus according to claim 1 that acquires the plurality of partial image data from the imaging apparatus and stitches the plurality of partial image data to generate combined image data.

8. An image processing apparatus that stitches a plurality of partial image data to generate combined image data, the image processing apparatus comprising:

an image acquiring unit that acquires the plurality of partial image data;

a state managing unit that manages state information indicating a state of processing for each of the plurality of partial image data;

a correction-amount acquiring unit that acquires, for each of stitching places of the partial image data, a correction amount for correcting deviation among the partial image data to be stitched; and

an image combining unit that corrects each of the plurality of partial image data on the basis of the correction amount for each of the stitching places acquired by the correction-amount acquiring unit, and generates combined image data obtained by stitching the partial image data after the correction,

wherein the correction-amount acquiring unit is configured from a plurality of correction-amount acquiring units that operate independently from one another,

wherein processing for different partial image data or different stitching places is executed in parallel by the plurality of correction-amount acquiring units,

wherein the state information includes information indicating whether the processing for acquiring the correction amount by the correction-amount acquiring unit is completed for each of the partial image data or each of the stitching places, and

wherein the plurality of correction-amount acquiring units are each controlled on the basis of the state information such that the processing for acquiring the correction amount is started from the partial image data or the stitching place for which acquisition of data necessary for acquiring the correction amount is completed and is not redundantly performed on the partial image data or the stitching places for which the processing for acquiring the correction amount is already completed.

9. An image processing apparatus that stitches a plurality of partial image data to generate combined image data, the image processing apparatus comprising:

an image acquiring unit that acquires the plurality of partial image data;

a state managing unit that manages state information indicating a state of processing for each of the plurality of partial image data;

a correction-amount acquiring unit that acquires, for each of stitching places of the partial image data, a correction amount for correcting deviation among the partial image data to be stitched; and

an image combining unit that corrects each of the plurality of partial image data on the basis of the correction amount for each of the stitching places acquired by the correction-amount acquiring unit, and generates combined image data obtained by stitching the partial image data after the correction,

wherein the correction-amount acquiring unit is configured from a plurality of correction-amount acquiring units that operate independently from one another,

wherein processing for different partial image data or different stitching places is executed in parallel by the plurality of correction-amount acquiring units,

wherein the state information includes information indicating whether the processing for acquiring the correction amount by the correction-amount acquiring unit is being executed, for each of the partial image data or each of the stitching places, and

wherein the plurality of correction-amount acquiring units are each controlled on the basis of the state information such that the processing for acquiring the correction amount is started from the partial image data or the stitching place for which acquisition of data necessary for acquiring the correction amount is completed and is not redundantly performed by other correction-amount acquiring unit on the partial image data or the stitching places for which the processing for acquiring the correction amount is being executed.

10. An image processing apparatus that stitches a plurality of partial image data to generate combined image data, the image processing apparatus comprising:

an image acquiring unit that acquires the plurality of partial image data;

a state managing unit that manages state information indicating a state of processing for each of the plurality of partial image data;

a correction-amount acquiring unit that acquires, for each of stitching places of the partial image data, a correction amount for correcting deviation among the partial image data to be stitched;

an image combining unit that corrects each of the plurality of partial image data on the basis of the correction amount for each of the stitching places acquired by the correction-amount acquiring unit, and generates combined image data obtained by stitching the partial image data after the correction; and

a global-correction-amount acquiring unit that determines, on the basis of correction amounts of a plurality of stitching places acquired by the correction-amount acquiring unit, a second correction amount used in correction processing actually performed for each of the plurality of partial image data in the image combining unit,

wherein the state information includes information indicating whether the processing for acquiring the correction amount by the correction-amount acquiring unit is completed for each of the partial image data or each of the stitching places, and

wherein after confirming, on the basis of the state information, whether the processing for acquiring the correction amounts of the plurality of partial image data or the plurality of stitching places is completed, the global-correction-amount acquiring unit starts processing for determining the second correction amount.

11. The imaging system according to claim 7 , wherein the imaging apparatus is a microscope apparatus.

12. A control method for an image processing apparatus that stitches a plurality of partial image data to generate combined image data, the control method comprising:

an image acquiring step for sequentially acquiring the plurality of partial image data;

a state managing step for managing, as state information indicating a state of processing for each of the plurality of partial image data, state information including at least information indicating whether the acquisition of the partial image data in the image acquiring step is completed;

a correction-amount acquiring step for acquiring, for each of stitching places of the partial image data, a correction amount for correcting deviation among the partial image data to be stitched; and

an image combining step for correcting each of the plurality of partial image data on the basis of the correction amount for each of the stitching places acquired in the correction-amount acquiring step, and generating combined image data obtained by stitching the partial image data after the correction,

wherein the correction-amount acquiring step is controlled on the basis of the state information to start processing for acquiring the correction amount from the partial image data or the stitching place for which acquisition of data necessary for acquiring the correction amount is completed other than the partial image data or the stitching place for which the processing for acquiring the correction amount is already completed or being executed.

13. A control method for an image processing apparatus that stitches a plurality of partial image data to generate combined image data, the control method comprising:

an image acquiring step for acquiring the plurality of partial image data;

a state managing step for managing state information indicating a state of processing for each of the plurality of partial image data;

a correction-amount acquiring step for acquiring, for each of stitching places of the partial image data, a correction amount for correcting deviation among the partial image data to be stitched; and

an image combining step for correcting each of the plurality of partial image data on the basis of the correction amount for each of the stitching places acquired in the correction-amount acquiring step, and generating combined image data obtained by stitching the partial image data after the correction,

wherein processing for different partial image data or different stitching places is executed in parallel by a plurality of correction-amount acquiring units that operate independently from one another in the correction-amount acquiring step,

wherein the state information includes information indicating whether the processing for acquiring the correction amount in the correction-amount acquiring step is completed for each of the partial image data or each of the stitching places, and

wherein the plurality of correction-amount acquiring units are each controlled on the basis of the state information such that the processing for acquiring the correction amount is started from the partial image data or the stitching place for which acquisition of data necessary for acquiring the correction amount is completed and is not redundantly performed on the partial image data or the stitching places for which the processing for acquiring the correction amount is already completed.

14. A control method for an image processing apparatus that stitches a plurality of partial image data to generate combined image data, the control method comprising:

an image acquiring step for acquiring the plurality of partial image data;

a state managing step for managing state information indicating a state of processing for each of the plurality of partial image data;

a correction-amount acquiring step for acquiring, for each of stitching places of the partial image data, a correction amount for correcting deviation among the partial image data to be stitched; and

an image combining step for correcting each of the plurality of partial image data on the basis of the correction amount for each of the stitching places acquired in the correction-amount acquiring step, and generating combined image data obtained by stitching the partial image data after the correction,

wherein processing for different partial image data or different stitching places is executed in parallel by a plurality of correction-amount acquiring units that operate independently from one another in the correction-amount acquiring step,

wherein the state information includes information indicating whether the processing for acquiring the correction amount in the correction-amount acquiring step is being executed, for each of the partial image data or each of the stitching places, and

wherein the plurality of correction-amount acquiring units are each controlled on the basis of the state information such that the processing for acquiring the correction amount is started from the partial image data or the stitching place for which acquisition of data necessary for acquiring the correction amount is completed and is not redundantly performed by other correction-amount acquiring unit on the partial image data or the stitching places for which the processing for acquiring the correction amount is being executed.

15. A control method for an image processing apparatus that stitches a plurality of partial image data to generate combined image data, the control method comprising:

an image acquiring step for acquiring the plurality of partial image data;

a state managing step for managing state information indicating a state of processing for each of the plurality of partial image data;

a correction-amount acquiring step for acquiring, for each of stitching places of the partial image data, a correction amount for correcting deviation among the partial image data to be stitched;

an image combining step for correcting each of the plurality of partial image data on the basis of the correction amount for each of the stitching places acquired in the correction-amount acquiring step, and generating combined image data obtained by stitching the partial image data after the correction; and

a global-correction-amount acquiring step for determining, on the basis of correction amounts of a plurality of stitching places acquired in the correction-amount acquiring step, a second correction amount used in correction processing actually performed for each of the plurality of partial image data in the image combining step,

wherein the state information includes information indicating whether the processing for acquiring the correction amount in the correction-amount acquiring step is completed for each of the partial image data or each of the stitching places, and

wherein after confirming, on the basis of the state information, whether the processing for acquiring the correction amounts of the plurality of partial image data or the plurality of stitching places is completed, the global-correction-amount acquiring is controlled to start processing for determining the second correction amount.