Image processing apparatus and imaging processing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9401040-B2
Application number	US-201414336269-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 21, 2014
Priority date	Sep 10, 2013
Publication date	Jul 26, 2016
Grant date	Jul 26, 2016

Abstract

Disclosed herein are an imaging processing apparatus for representing an object realistically, and an imaging processing method thereof. The image processing apparatus includes: a volume data generator configured to generate volume data of an object; a volume renderer configured to project the volume data to a first plane with respect to a user's viewpoint, and to acquire a projection image, wherein the volume renderer determines a value of each pixel of the projection image based on respective distances between first surface points and second surface points, the first surface points being points that are shown from the user's viewpoint from among points constituting a surface of the volume data, the second surface points being points that are shown from a position of virtual light from among the points constituting the surface of the volume data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:
a volume data generator configured to generate volume data which relates to an object;
a volume renderer configured to project the volume data to a first plane with respect to a viewpoint of a user, and to acquire a projection image,
wherein the volume renderer is further configured to determine a value of each pixel of the projection image based on respective distances between first surface points and second surface points, the first surface points being points that are shown from the viewpoint of the user from among points which constitute a surface of the volume data, and the second surface points being points that are shown from a position of virtual light from among the points which constitute the surface of the volume data.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the volume renderer comprises:
a first voxel detector configured to detect a plurality of first voxels through which a first ray which is irradiated toward a pixel of the first plane from the viewpoint of the user has propagated, from among voxels which constitute the volume data;
a color value determiner configured to determine respective color values of the first voxels based on a two-dimensional (2D) color map; and
an attenuator configured to apply an attenuation coefficient based on the respective distances between the first surface points and the second surface points to at least one color value of the color values of the first voxels.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the 2D color map is generated based on a color gamut of a sample image of the object,
lightness values of the color gamut of the sample image are mapped to vary along a horizontal axis of the 2D color map;
chroma values and hue values of the color gamut of the sample image are mapped to vary along a vertical axis of the 2D color map; and
the mapped lightness values, the mapped chroma values, and the mapped hue values are respectively converted into Red (R), Green (G), and Blue (B) values, and then stored.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the color value determiner is further configured to search for coordinate values which correspond to intensity values of the first voxels in the horizontal axis of the 2D color map, to search for coordinate values which correspond to depth values of the first voxels in the vertical axis of the 2D color map, and to determine R, G, and B values which correspond to the found coordinate values as respective color values of the first voxels.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the color values of the first voxels include Red (R), Green (G), and Blue (B) values, and the attenuator is further configured to apply different respective attenuation coefficients to each of the R, G, and B values.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the volume renderer further comprises an image producer configured to determine a value which is obtained by accumulating color values to which the attenuation coefficient has been applied from among the color values of the first voxels and color values to which the attenuation coefficient has not been applied from among the color values of the first voxels, as a color value of the pixel of the first plane.

7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the volume renderer comprises an image producer configured to determine a value which is obtained by accumulating opacity values of the first voxels, as an opacity value of the pixel of the first plane.

8. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a display device configured to display the projection image.

9. An image processing method comprising:
generating volume data which relates to an object; and
projecting the volume data to a first plane with respect to a viewpoint of a user, and acquiring a projection image,
wherein the acquiring the projection image comprises determining a value of each pixel of the projection image based on respective distances between first surface points and second surface points, the first surface points being points that are shown from the viewpoint of the user from among points which constitute a surface of the volume data, the second surface points being points that are shown from a position of virtual light from among the points which constitute the surface of the volume data.

10. The image processing method according to claim 9 , wherein the acquiring the projection image comprises:
detecting first voxels through which a first ray which is irradiated toward a pixel of the first plane from the viewpoint of the user has propagated, from among voxels which constitute the volume data;
determining respective color values of the first voxels based on a two-dimensional (2D) color map; and
applying an attenuation coefficient based on the respective distances between the first surface points and the second surface points to at least one color value of the color values of the first voxels.

11. The image processing method according to claim 10 , wherein
the 2D color map is generated based on a color gamut of a sample image of the object,
lightness values of the color gamut of the sample image are mapped to vary along a horizontal axis of the 2D color map;
chroma values and hue values of the color gamut of the sample image are mapped to vary along a vertical axis of the 2D color map; and
the mapped lightness values, the mapped chroma values, and the mapped hue values are respectively converted into Red (R), Green (G), and Blue (B) values, and then stored.

12. The image processing method according to claim 11 , wherein the determining the color values of the first voxels comprises:
searching for coordinate values which correspond to intensity values of the first voxels in the horizontal axis of the 2D color map;
searching for coordinate values which correspond to depth values of the first voxels in the vertical axis of the 2D color map; and
determining R, G, and B values which correspond to the found coordinate values as respective color values of the first voxels.

13. The image processing method according to claim 10 , wherein the color values of the first voxels include Red (R), Green (G), and Blue (B) values, and the applying the attenuation coefficient comprises applying different respective attenuation coefficients to each of the R, G, and B values.

14. The image processing method according to claim 10 , further comprising determining a value which is obtained by accumulating color values to which the attenuation coefficient has been applied from among the color values of the first voxels and color values to which the attenuation coefficient has not been applied from among the color values of the first voxels, as a color value of the pixel of the first plane.

15. The image processing method according to claim 9 , further comprising determining a value which is obtained by accumulating opacity values of the first voxels, as an opacity value of the pixel of the first plane.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Yun Tae

Classifications

• G10K11/346

  using phase variation · CPC title

• G01S7/5202

  for pulse systems · CPC title

• G01S15/8915

  using a transducer array · CPC title

• G01S7/52025

  for pulse systems (G01S7/52034 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B8/4405

  Device being mounted on a trolley · CPC title