Image analysis – Image transformation or preprocessing – Changing the image coordinates
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-28
2004-11-02
Mehta, Bhavesh M. (Department: 2625)
Image analysis
Image transformation or preprocessing
Changing the image coordinates
C382S128000, C382S254000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06813393
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an image storing method for storing image signals in a storage device. This invention also relates to an image output system for reproducing images in a medical network system, or the like, in which the image storing method is employed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various image forming apparatuses (modalities) for diagnosis, in which X-rays, or the like, are utilized, have heretofore been used in the medical field. As such modalities, computed radiography (CR) apparatuses, computed tomography (CT) scanners, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatuses, and the like, have been used in practice. An image having been formed by each modality is displayed on a cathode ray tube (CRT) display device or is reproduced on film by a laser printer (LP), or the like. The reproduced image is utilized for making a diagnosis, e.g. for investigating the presence or absence of a diseased part or an injury or for ascertaining the characteristics of the diseased part or the injury.
The CR apparatuses are radiation image recording and read-out apparatuses. With the radiation image recording and read-out apparatuses, a radiation image of an object, such as a human body, is recorded on a sheet provided with a layer of a stimulable phosphor (hereinafter referred to as a stimulable phosphor sheet). The stimulable phosphor sheet, on which the radiation image has been stored, is then exposed to stimulating rays, such as a laser beam, which cause it to emit light in proportion to the amount of energy stored thereon during its exposure to the radiation. The light emitted by the stimulable phosphor sheet, upon stimulation thereof, is photoelectrically detected and converted into an electric image signal. Recently, the CR apparatuses are widely used in practice.
With the rapid advances made in communication technology and computer technology in recent years, medical network systems (hereinbelow referred to simply as the “networks”) utilizing computers have been built in hospitals. The aforesaid modalities, which were used in the past as stand-alone apparatuses, constitute part of the network as image information input apparatuses. Also, CRT display devices and LP's constitute part of the network as image output devices. Typical examples of the image output devices, which are to be connected to the network, include various kinds of soft copy terminals having image output quality according to the purposes for which the images are used, such as diagnosis terminals provided with CRT display devices having resolution of 2,000 TV lines, low-cost diagnosis terminals provided with CRT display devices having resolution of 1,000 TV lines, reference terminals having output quality lower than the output quality of the low-cost diagnosis terminals, and retrieval terminals for the above-enumerated terminals. Besides the soft copy terminals, hard copy devices, such as LP's, are often connected to the network.
Ordinarily, besides the image input apparatuses and the image output devices described above, the network is also provided with a storage device for storing pieces of image information, which are received from the image input apparatuses, in the form of the original image signals or signals, which have been compressed in a predetermined format, on optical disks, or the like. In accordance with the purposes for which the images are used, various kinds of the image output devices read the image signals from the storage device, carry out predetermined image processing on the image signals, and reproduce visible images from the processed image signals.
As described above, with the conventional displaying technique, pieces of image information are stored in the form of the original image signals (or the compressed image signals). Also, in every case where an image is to be displayed on one of the terminals, the corresponding original image signal (or the corresponding compressed image signal) is read from the storage device, predetermined image processing is carried out on the image signal by each terminal, and a visible image is reproduced from the processed image signal and displayed on the terminal. However, with the conventional displaying technique, for example, in both the cases wherein a medium resolution image for diagnosis is to be displayed on a low-cost diagnosis terminal provided with a CRT display device having resolution of 1,000 TV lines, and the cases wherein a retrieval image is to be displayed on a retrieval terminal, when the image signal is read from the storage device into the low-cost diagnosis terminal and the retrieval terminal, the same length of time as that required for the diagnosis terminal provided with a CRT display device having resolution of 2,000 TV lines to read the image signal for the displaying of a high resolution image is required at the low-cost diagnosis terminal and the retrieval terminal. Also, it is necessary for the low-cost diagnosis terminal to carry out predetermined image processing for the low-cost diagnosis terminal on the received image signal, and it is necessary for the retrieval terminal to carry out predetermined image processing for the reference terminal on the received image signal. However, long time is required to carry out the image processing. Therefore, at both the low-cost diagnosis terminal and the retrieval terminal, considerable time is required for a visible image to be displayed ultimately. In particular, as for the image output devices, such as the retrieval terminals, on which it is sufficient for a visible image having comparatively bad image quality to be displayed, the problems have heretofore been occurred in that unnecessarily long time is taken before the visible image is displayed.
Further, recently, image output systems, in which an internet Web browser using, for example, Internet Imaging Protocol (IIP) known in the field of personal computer networks, or the like, have heretofore been constructed. With the image output systems, image signals are stored in a Web server, an image signal is read from the Web server into an image display device, which is located at a remote site, and a visible image is reproduced from the received image signal and displayed on the image display device. In such cases, only one kind of image signals for high resolution images are stored in the Web server. Therefore, the problems occur in that, in cases where a high resolution image need not be displayed and it is sufficient for an image having comparatively bad image quality to be displayed, long time is required for the image to be displayed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The primary object of the present invention is to provide an image storing method for storing image signals in a storage device such that, for example, in a network comprising a plurality of image output devices having different levels of image displaying quality according to purposes for which the displayed images are used, the image signals having been read from the storage device may be quickly transferred or outputted (displayed) according to purposes for which the displayed images are used.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an image output system, in which the image storing method is employed.
The present invention provides an image storing method for storing image signals, which represent images, in a storage device, wherein a plurality of image signals, which represent a single image and have been subjected to different processes with respect to at least both of resolution altering processing and image processing, are stored in the storage device.
As the storage device, one of storage devices for storing image signals on various kinds of storage media, such as optical disks, or one of various servers, such as Web servers known in the field of personal computer networks, may be employed.
The term “resolution altering processing” as used herein means the signal processing for lowering or enhancing the resolution. For example, the resolution altering processing may be the signal pro
Chawan Sheela
Fuji Photo Film Co. , Ltd.
Mehta Bhavesh M.
LandOfFree
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