Method for producing a two-dimensional whole image

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11216943-B2
Application number	US-201816621846-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 20, 2018
Priority date	Jun 20, 2017
Publication date	Jan 4, 2022
Grant date	Jan 4, 2022

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing a two-dimensional whole image of a recording region captured by means of a plurality of individual images, each having its own viewing direction and its own distance, wherein a spatial orientation of a main image plane of each individual image relative to a main image plane of the respective further individual image is determined on the basis of an overlap of the respectively captured subregions, and at least a plurality of the individual images are combined in accordance with the spatial orientations to form the whole image. The whole image area is the surface of a torus.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for producing a two-dimensional whole image of a recording region captured by means of a plurality of individual images,
wherein each individual image captures a subregion of the recording region from its own viewing direction and its own distance to the subregion,
wherein each individual image includes a plurality of pixels having at least one color value or at least one gray value,
wherein the respective subregion captured in each individual image overlaps at least one subregion in at least one respective further individual image,
wherein a spatial orientation of a main image plane of each individual image relative to a main image plane of the respective further individual image is determined on the basis of the overlap of the respectively captured subregions and
wherein at least a plurality of the individual images are combined with one another in accordance with the respective determined spatial orientations to form the two-dimensional whole image,
wherein the method comprises the steps of:
determining the spatial orientation of the main image plane of each individual image relative to the main image plane of the further individual image by optimizing a quality value, wherein for a first relative spatial orientation to at least one first pixel in the main image plane of the individual image, a pixel corresponding to the orientation is determined in the main image plane of the further individual image,
computing a comparison value for the respective color values or gray values of the pixel of the individual image and the corresponding pixel of the further image, by computing a difference of the respective color values or gray values of the pixel of the individual image and the corresponding pixel of the further image
creating a quality value, responsive to the computing, from the comparison value, wherein the quality value is at least approximated to a specified target value by changing the relative spatial orientation of the main image plane of the individual image to the main image plane of the further individual image, wherein at least one pair of pixels having a pixel of the individual image and a corresponding pixel of the further individual image is determined by projecting the individual image and the further individual image, or an intermediate image having the further individual image, onto a previously determined whole image area, wherein the projection is carried out on the basis of the relative spatial orientation and a relative spatial orientation of the individual image or the further individual image to the whole image area,
wherein the whole image area is the surface of a torus, and
wherein the individual images are captured by means of a 2D intraoral camera or a 3D intraoral camera.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the respective individual images are a color image of a camera or a grayscale image of a camera or a three-dimensional image having a texture.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the whole image is formed incrementally by adding the individual image to an intermediate image which at least includes the further individual image, wherein, prior to the addition, the individual image is projected into an image plane of the intermediate image, or, prior to the addition, the intermediate image is projected into the main image plane of the individual image.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the whole image is formed incrementally by adding the individual image to an intermediate image which at least includes the further individual image, wherein a whole image area is defined and all of the individual images are projected onto the whole image area prior to the addition.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
for each individual image, a fixed point in the space is determined,
a path which at least includes most of the fixed points is calculated in the space,
individual images belonging to fixed points on the path are selected and
the whole image is calculated from the selected individual images.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the fixed point for an individual image corresponds to a position of a camera when capturing the individual image or to a pixel of the individual image in the main image plane depicted on a sensor center of a recording camera or an image center of the individual image in the main image plane.

7. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the path is determined on the basis of the distances between two respective fixed points and on the basis of a direction vector between the individual images belonging to the fixed points.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein an image center in the main image plane of the individual image is determined for each individual image to be used to form the whole image, the image centers of the individual images are converged by means of a parameterized curve and, prior to merging to form the whole image, each individual image is trimmed along a first and a second cutting edge, wherein the first and the second cutting edge respectively extends inside the main image plane and perpendicular to the curve.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the image center corresponds to a pixel of the individual image in the main image plane depicted on a sensor center of a recording camera or a geometric centroid of the individual image in the main image plane.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the first cutting edge and the second cutting edge are respectively at a distance to the image center of the individual image, wherein the distance is between 40% and 60% of a distance of the image center to the previous or the next image center on the curve.

11. The method according to claim 8 , wherein, prior to trimming the individual images, at least one image center is moved along the curve or parallel to the curve within the image plane to a new position.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each first subregion captured in one of the individual images overlaps at least one further subregion captured in one of the further individual images by at least 30% of the first subregion.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a subregion of each individual image adjoining the cutting edge is crossfaded with a subregion of an adjoining individual image.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the subregions are linearly crossfaded in a direction perpendicular to the cutting edge.

Assignees

• Sirona Dental Systems Gmbh
• Dentsply Sirona Inc

Inventors

• Adamson Anders
• Erbacher Markus
• Hauth Steffen
• Voss Björn

Classifications

• G16H30/40

  for processing medical images, e.g. editing · CPC title

• G16H30/20

  for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS · CPC title

• G06T5/50

  using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction · CPC title

• G06T11/60

  Creating or editing images; Combining images with text · CPC title

• G06T2210/41

  Medical · CPC title