Image processing apparatus and observation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11375167-B2
Application number	US-201916720011-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2019
Priority date	Jan 7, 2019
Publication date	Jun 28, 2022
Grant date	Jun 28, 2022

Abstract

An image processing apparatus includes a processor including hardware. The processor is configured to: execute a first white balance adjustment on a first signal corresponding to multiple wavelength bands; generate a luminance signal from a second signal including an area having saturation caused by the first white balance adjustment; extract a detail component based on the first signal; and apply the detail component to the luminance signal to generate a corrected luminance signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image processing apparatus comprising
a processor comprising hardware, the processor being configured to:
execute a first white balance adjustment on a first signal corresponding to multiple wavelength bands on a target;
generate a first luminance signal from a second signal including an area having saturation caused by the first white balance adjustment;
extract a detail component based on the first signal, wherein the detail component includes information regarding the target before the first white balance adjustment is executed;
generate a second luminance signal using the detail component and the first luminance signal, wherein the second luminance signal is a corrected luminance signal; and
apply the detail component only to the area having the saturation to the luminance signal to generate the corrected luminance signal.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to detect the area having the saturation based on a threshold process on the wavelength bands corresponding to the second signal.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to detect that an area corresponding to the wavelength bands is the area having the saturation when a difference between a highest pixel value and a second highest pixel value among pixel values corresponding to the respective wavelength bands is more than a predetermined threshold.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to detect at least one of a red wavelength band, a green wavelength band, and a blue wavelength band as a wavelength band in which the saturation has occurred.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the processor is configured to detect that the red wavelength band is the wavelength band in which the saturation has occurred.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to add the detail component to the luminance signal at a predetermined ratio to generate the corrected luminance signal.

7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the processor is configured to adjust a signal level of the corrected luminance signal so as to be decreased.

8. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to extract the detail component from the first signal by using a high-pass filter.

9. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to: execute second white balance adjustment on the first signal with a gain that is smaller than a gain applied by the first white balance adjustment; and extract the detail component based on a third signal including only an area having no saturation caused by the second white balance adjustment.

10. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to: generate a color-difference signal from the second signal; and generate an image based on the color-difference signal and the corrected luminance signal.

11. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to apply a same detail component to the first luminance signal.

Assignees

• Sony Olympus Medical Solutions Inc
• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Michihata Taihei
• Mitsui Satoshi

Classifications

• H04N9/646 Primary

  for image enhancement, e.g. vertical detail restoration, cross-colour elimination, contour correction, chrominance trapping filters · CPC title

• H04N23/88 Primary

  for colour balance, e.g. white-balance circuits or colour temperature control · CPC title

• A61B1/00057

  provided with means for testing or calibration · CPC title

• A61B1/00149

  using articulated arms · CPC title

• A61B1/00004

  characterised by electronic signal processing · CPC title