Image processing device, image processing method, image processing program, and recording medium storing said program for producing noise-eliminated image

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9501846-B2
Application number	US-201414761973-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 20, 2014
Priority date	Jan 21, 2013
Publication date	Nov 22, 2016
Grant date	Nov 22, 2016

Abstract

An average image producing means 52 produces an average image from all or some of a plurality of images captured at the same location. A noise extracting means 53 extracts a noise pixel on the basis of the result of a comparison between the pixel values of the pixels in the captured images and the pixel values of the pixels at the same position in the average image. An interpolating means 54 interpolates the pixel value of the noise pixel included in the captured images using the pixel values of other pixels to produce a noise-eliminated image.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An image processing device comprising:
average image producing means for producing an average image from all or some of a plurality of images captured at the same location;
noise extracting means for extracting a noise pixel on the basis of the result of a comparison between pixel values of pixels in the captured images and pixel values of pixels at the same position in the average image; and
interpolating means for interpolating the pixel value of the noise pixel included in the captured images using the pixel values of other pixels to produce a noise-eliminated image.

2. An image processing device according to claim 1 , further comprising aligning means for aligning the captured images on the basis of a reference image selected or generated from a plurality of the captured images,
wherein the average image producing means produces the average image from the aligned captured images;
the noise extracting means extracts the noise pixel on the basis of the result of a comparison between the pixel values of the pixels in the aligned captured images and the pixel values of the pixels at the same position in the average image that is produced from the aligned captured images; and
the interpolating means interpolates the pixel value of the extracted noise pixel using the pixel values of pixels adjacent to the extracted noise pixel to produce a noise-eliminated image.

3. An image processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the noise extracting means calculates a difference between the pixel values of the pixels in the captured images and the pixel values of the corresponding pixels in the average image and extracts as a noise pixel a pixel for which the absolute value of the difference is greater than a threshold.

4. An image processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the average image producing means produces a different individual average image for each of the captured images, and the noise extracting means extracts the noise pixel on the basis of the result of a comparison between the pixel values of the pixels in the captured images and the pixel values of the corresponding pixels in the individual average image.

5. An image processing device according to claim 4 , wherein the average image producing means produces the individual average image from captured images in which the difference in photographing time in the captured image is less than a threshold.

6. An image processing device according to claim 4 , wherein the average image producing means produces the individual average image from a captured image and a prescribed number of other captured images closely back and forth in photographing time in the captured image.

7. An image processing device according to claim 1 , comprising a control unit that causes the noise-eliminated images to be displayed as video.

8. An image processing method comprising:
producing an average image from all or some of a plurality of images captured at the same location;
extracting a noise pixel on the basis of the result of a comparison between pixel values of pixels in the captured images and pixel values of pixels at the same position in the average image; and
interpolating the pixel value of the noise pixel included in the captured images using the pixel values of other pixels to produce a noise-eliminated image.

9. An image processing program stored on a non-transitory medium executed by a computer comprising:
an average image producing process for producing an average image from all or some of a plurality of images captured at the same location;
a noise extracting process for extracting a noise pixel on the basis of the result of a comparison between pixel values of pixels in the captured images and pixel values of pixels at the same position in the average image; and
an interpolating process for interpolating the pixel value of the noise pixel included in the captured images using the pixel values of other pixels to produce a noise-eliminated image.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium in which the image processing program of claim 9 is stored.

Assignees

• Kowa Co

Inventors

• Nakagawa Toshiaki

Classifications

• G06T12/30 Primary

  Image post-processing, e.g. metal artefact correction · CPC title

• G06T2207/20216

  Image averaging · CPC title

• A61B3/12 Primary

  for looking at the eye fundus, e.g. ophthalmoscopes (A61B3/13 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06T5/50

  using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction · CPC title

• G06T2207/30041

  Eye; Retina; Ophthalmic · CPC title