Image diagnosis assistance apparatus, control method, and program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017256101-A1
Application number	US-201515506860-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 31, 2015
Priority date	Sep 5, 2014
Publication date	Sep 7, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

An image diagnosis assistance apparatus is configured to display a plurality of cross-sectional images on a display unit by sequentially switching the plurality of cross-sectional images; obtain user sight-line information including position information on a display screen of the display unit; and obtain a switching speed for switching the plurality of cross-sectional images. The image diagnosis assistance apparatus is configured to determine an observed area with respect to the plurality of cross-sectional images displayed on the display unit based on the obtained sight-line information and switching speed.

First claim

1 . An image diagnosis assistance apparatus comprising:
a display control unit configured to display a plurality of cross-sectional images on a display unit by sequentially switching the plurality of cross-sectional images; a first obtaining unit configured to obtain sight-line information regarding a sight line of a user, the sight-line information including position information on a display screen of the display unit; a second obtaining unit configured to obtain a switching speed for switching the plurality of cross-sectional images; and a determination unit configured to determine an observed area with respect to the plurality of cross-sectional images displayed by the display control unit based on the sight-line information obtained by the first obtaining unit and the switching speed obtained by the second obtaining unit.

2 . An image diagnosis assistance apparatus comprising:
a display control unit configured to display a cross-sectional image on a display unit; a first obtaining unit configured to obtain sight-line information regarding a sight line of a user, the sight-line information including position information on a display screen of the display unit; a second obtaining unit configured to obtain a moving speed of the sight line of the user; and a determination unit configured to determine an observed area with respect to the cross-sectional image displayed by the display control unit based on the sight-line information obtained by the first obtaining unit and the moving speed obtained by the second obtaining unit.

3 . The image diagnosis assistance apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the determination unit changes a size of an observable area that has been observed from one sight-line position of the user based on the moving speed.

4 . The image diagnosis assistance apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the determination unit reduces the size of the observable area as the moving speed increases.

5 . The image diagnosis assistance apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the determination unit fixes the size of the observable area to a first size if the moving speed is less than or equal to a first threshold value, and determines that the observable area is not present if the moving speed is greater than or equal to a second threshold value that is greater than the first threshold value.

6 . The image diagnosis assistance apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a third obtaining unit configured to obtain a moving speed of the sight line of the user,
wherein the determination unit changes a size of an observable area that is observed from one sight-line position of the user based on the switching speed and the moving speed.

7 . The image diagnosis assistance apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the determination unit changes the observable area based on the moving speed if the switching speed is less than or equal to a first threshold value, and changes the observable area based on the switching speed if the moving speed is less than or equal to a second threshold value.

8 . The image diagnosis assistance apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the determination unit changes the size of the observable area based on the moving speed if the switching speed is less than or equal to a first threshold value, determines that the observable area is not present if the switching speed is greater than or equal to a third threshold value that is greater than the first threshold value, and changes the size of the observable area based on the switching speed if the moving speed is less than or equal to a second threshold value.

9 . The image diagnosis assistance apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cross-sectional images constitute three-dimensional medical image data.

10 . The image diagnosis assistance apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the determination unit determines an observed area in the three-dimensional medical image data based on the determined observed area.

11 . A control method for controlling an image diagnosis assistance apparatus, the method comprising:
displaying a plurality of cross-sectional images on a display unit by sequentially switching the plurality of cross-sectional images; obtaining sight-line information regarding a sight line of a user, the sight-line information including position information on a display screen of the display unit; obtaining a switching speed for switching the plurality of cross-sectional images; and determining an observed area with respect to the displayed plurality of cross-sectional images based on the obtained sight-line information and the obtained switching speed.

12 . A control method for controlling an image diagnosis assistance apparatus, the method comprising:
displaying a cross-sectional image on a display unit; obtaining sight-line information regarding a sight line of a user, the sight-line information including position information on a display screen of the display unit; obtaining a moving speed of the sight line of the user; and determining an observed area with respect to the displayed cross-sectional image displayed in the display control step based on the obtained sight-line information obtained in the first obtaining step and the obtained moving speed.

13 . (canceled)

14 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a control method for controlling an image diagnosis assistance apparatus, the method comprising:
displaying a plurality of cross-sectional images on a display unit by sequentially switching the plurality of cross-sectional images; obtaining sight-line information regarding a sight line of a user, the sight-line information including position information on a display screen of the display unit; obtaining a switching speed for switching the plurality of cross-sectional images; and determining an observed area with respect to the displayed plurality of cross-sectional images based on the obtained sight-line information and the obtained switching speed.

15 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a control method for controlling an image diagnosis assistance apparatus, the method comprising:
displaying a cross-sectional image on a display unit; obtaining sight-line information regarding a sight line of a user, the sight-line information including position information on a display screen of the display unit; obtaining a moving speed of the sight line of the user; and determining an observed area with respect to the displayed cross-sectional image based on the obtained sight-line information and the obtained moving speed.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Emoto Yutaka
• Isoda Hiroyoshi
• Iizuka Yoshio

Classifications

• A61B5/055

  involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging · CPC title

• A61B5/0033 Primary

  Features or image-related aspects of imaging apparatus, e.g. for MRI, optical tomography or impedance tomography apparatus; Arrangements of imaging apparatus in a room · CPC title

• G06T19/20 Primary

  Editing of three-dimensional [3D] images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts · CPC title

• G06T2219/2016

  Rotation, translation, scaling · CPC title

• G06F3/013

  Eye tracking input arrangements (G06F3/015 takes precedence) · CPC title