Analysis apparatus, stratum age estimation apparatus, analysis method, stratum age estimation method, and program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11448634-B2
Application number	US-201816611263-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 10, 2018
Priority date	May 10, 2017
Publication date	Sep 20, 2022
Grant date	Sep 20, 2022

Abstract

An analysis apparatus (100) includes an image acquisition unit (110) and an analysis unit (120). The image acquisition unit (110) acquires image data of a microfossil in a sample collected from a stratum. The analysis unit (120) analyzes the image data acquired by the image acquisition unit (110) using a machine learning result to analyze a taxon or kind of the microfossil in the image data.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An analysis apparatus comprising:
at least one memory configured to store instructions; and
at least one processor configured to execute the instructions to perform operations comprising:
acquiring image data of a microfossil in a sample collected from a stratum and identification information for identifying a type of microfossil to be analyzed;
determining, based on the type of microfossil identified by the identification information, preprocessing to be performed on the image data;
performing the preprocessing on the image data to generate processed image data; and
inputting the preprocessed image data to a machine learning result to output information on a taxon or kind of the microfossil in the image data.

2. The analysis apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the operations further comprise generating, as an analysis result, information indicating the taxon or kind of the microfossil in the image data and a certainty factor for the taxon or kind.

3. The analysis apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the operations further comprise processing one piece of original image data to cut out a plurality of pieces of the image data from the one piece of original image data.

4. The analysis apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the operations further comprise generating an analysis result for each taxon or kind of the microfossil using a plurality of machine learning results prepared for each taxon or kind of the microfossil.

5. The analysis apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the operations further comprise executing processing of adjusting at least one of brightness and an edge of the image data as the preprocessing.

6. The analysis apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the operations further comprise estimating and outputting an age of the stratum from which the sample is collected, using an analysis result of the processed image data.

7. The analysis apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein the operations further comprise estimating and outputting the age of the stratum from which the sample is collected, using a standard distribution of the microfossil for each age.

8. The analysis apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein the operations further comprise:
computing a distribution of the microfossil in the sample using an analysis result for each taxon or kind of the microfossil; and
estimating and outputting the age of the stratum from which the sample is collected on the basis of the distribution of the microfossil in the sample and the standard distribution of the microfossil for each age.

9. The analysis apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein the operations further comprise processing the analysis result using a machine learning result to estimate and output the age of the stratum from which the sample is collected.

10. An analysis method executed by a computer, the method comprising:
acquiring image data of a microfossil in a sample collected from a stratum and identification information for identifying a type of microfossil to be analyzed;
determining, based on the type of microfossil identified by the identification information, preprocessing to be performed on the image data;
performing the preprocessing on the image data to generate processed image data; and
inputting the processed image data to a machine learning result to output information on a taxon or kind of a microfossil in the image data.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a method, the method comprising:
acquiring image data of a microfossil in a sample collected from a stratum and identification information for identifying a type of microfossil to be analyzed;
determining, based on the type of microfossil identified by the identification information, preprocessing to be performed on the image data;
performing the preprocessing on the image data to generate processed image data; and
inputting the processed image data to a machine learning result to output information on a taxon or kind of a microfossil in the image data.

Assignees

• Nec Corp
• Japan Agency Marine Earth Sci
• Univ Nat Corp Kochi Univ
• Aist

Inventors

• Taira Yousuke
• Kuwamori Naoki
• Hoshino Tatsuhiko
• ONODERA Jonaotaro
• Yamaguchi Tatsuhiko
• TOMIOKA Kyoko
• ITAKI Takuya

Classifications

• G06V20/698 Primary

  Matching; Classification · CPC title

• G01N33/24 Primary

  Earth materials (G01N33/42 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01N21/84

  Systems specially adapted for particular applications · CPC title

• C12Q1/04

  Determining presence or kind of microorganism; Use of selective media for testing antibiotics or bacteriocides; Compositions containing a chemical indicator therefor {(C12Q1/6897 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• G01V8/02

  Prospecting · CPC title