Image processing device, image processing method, microscope system, and computer-readable recording medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016124209-A1
Application number	US-201614993578-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 12, 2016
Priority date	Jul 25, 2013
Publication date	May 5, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An image processing device includes: an image acquiring unit configured to acquire a plurality of images of different imaging fields of view on the same subject; an image selector configured to select, from the plurality of images acquired, in which a common region of a predetermined size is set at a common position in the individual images, a plurality of image pairs that are combinations of images in which a subject image in the common region in one image corresponds to a subject image in a region other than the common region in another image; a correction gain calculating unit configured to calculate a correction gain for performing shading correction; and an image correcting unit configured to correct shading produced in a correction-target image, using the correction gain calculated by the correction gain calculating unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An image processing device comprising:
an image acquiring unit configured to acquire a plurality of images of different imaging fields of view on the same subject; an image selector configured to select, from the plurality of images acquired, in which a common region of predetermined size is set at a common position in the individual images, a plurality of image pairs that are combinations of images in which a subject image in the common region in one image corresponds to a subject image in a region other than the common region in another image; a correction gain calculating unit configured to calculate a correction gain for performing shading correction, based on a pixel value of a pixel contained in the common region and a pixel value of a pixel contained in a region corresponding to the common region, for each combination of the one image and the another image; and an image correcting unit configured to correct shading produced in a correction-target image, using the correction gain calculated by the correction gain calculating unit.

2 . The image processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the common region is a central region when each image included in the plurality of images is divided by the same odd number not less than three in each of a first direction and a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

3 . The image processing device according to claim wherein the number of divisions in each of the first and second directions is set based on a region in each of the images where a brightness attenuation rate relative to the center of the image is less than or equal to a predetermined value.

4 . The image processing device according to claim 2 , wherein
when the number of divisions in each of the first and second directions is N, the image acquiring unit acquires at least (3N−1)/2 images, and the image selector selects at least (N 2 −1)/2 image pairs.

5 . The image processing device according to claim 2 , wherein
when the number of divisions in each of the first and second directions is N, the length of the imaging field of view in the first direction is L A , and the length of the imaging field of view in the second direction is L B , the image acquiring unit acquires a plurality of images acquired by performing imaging {(N−1)/2+1} times while moving the imaging field of view by the length of L A /N at a time in the first direction, performing imaging (N−1)/2 times while moving the imaging field of view by the length of L B /N at a time in the second direction from one end of an imaged region, and further performing imaging (N−1)/2 times while moving the imaging field of view by the length of L A /N at a time in the first direction from another end of an imaged region.

6 . The image processing device according to claim 2 , wherein
when the number of divisions in each of the first and second directions is N, the length of a side of the imaging field of view in the first direction is L A , and the length of a side of the imaging field of view in the second direction is L B , the image acquiring unit acquires a plurality of images acquired by performing imaging N times while moving the imaging field of view by a length of L A /N at a time in the first direction, and with an imaging position at the (N+1)/2nd time in the first direction as a starting point, performing imaging (N−1)/2 times while moving the imaging field of view by the length of L B /N at a time in the second direction.

7 . The image processing device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a storage unit configured to sequentially store the correction gain calculated by the correction gain calculating unit; and a composite correction gain calculating unit configured to calculate a composite correction gain using a plurality of correction gains calculated on the same region in the image.

8 . An image processing method comprising:
an image acquisition step of acquiring a plurality of images of different imaging fields of view on the same subject; an image selection step of selecting, from the plurality of images acquired, in which a common region of a predetermined size is set at a common position in the individual images, a plurality of image pairs that are combinations of images in which a subject image in the common region in one image corresponds to a subject image in a region other than the common region in another image; a correction gain calculation step of calculating a correction gain for performing shading correction, based on a pixel value of a pixel contained in the common region and a pixel value of a pixel contained in a region corresponding to the common region, for each combination of the one image and the another image; and an image correction step of correcting shading produced in a correction-target image, using the correction gain calculated in the correction gain calculation step.

9 . A microscope system comprising:
the image processing device according to claim 1 ; an illuminating unit configured to illuminate the subject; an imaging unit configured to image the subject; and an optical system configured to guide transmitted light or reflected light from the subject to the imaging unit.

10 . A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium recording an image processing program for causing a computer to execute:
an image acquisition step of acquiring a plurality of images of different imaging fields of view on the same subject; an image selection step of selecting, from the plurality of images acquired, in which a common region of a predetermined size is set at a common position in the individual images, a plurality of image pairs that are combinations of images in which a subject image in the common region in one image corresponds to a subject image in a region other than the common region in another image; a correction gain calculation step of calculating a correction gain for performing shading correction, based on a pixel value of a pixel contained in the common region and a pixel value of a pixel contained in a region corresponding to the common region, for each combination of the one image and the another image; and an image correction step of correcting shading produced in a correction-target image, using the correction gain calculated in the correction gain calculation step.

Assignees

• Olympus Corp

Inventors

• Arai Toshihiko

Classifications

• H04N23/69

  Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming · CPC title

• H04N25/61

  the noise originating only from the lens unit, e.g. flare, shading, vignetting or "cos4" · CPC title

• H04N23/76

  by influencing the image signals · CPC title

• H04N23/60

  Control of cameras or camera modules · CPC title

• H04N7/183

  for receiving images from a single remote source · CPC title