Facsimile and static presentation processing – Facsimile – Specific signal processing circuitry
Patent
1990-11-23
1993-04-06
Coles, Sr., Edward L.
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Facsimile
Specific signal processing circuitry
358400, 358 98, 358 88, 128 6, A61B 104, A61B 106, H04N 1300
Patent
active
052008380
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to three dimensional electronic imaging systems. This invention also relates generally to endoscopes, which are employed in medicine for imaging selective body regions and for facilitating the delivery of high-energy radiation for treatment purposes. More particularly, the present invention relates generally to endoscopes which employ fiber optic channels and which employ lasers or other high-energy radiation sources.
(2) Prior Art and Pertinent Technology
Stereoscopy is a function of the mental interpretation of two slightly different images viewed by the two eyes of an observer. The mental interpretation is based on the experience of the observer. Stereo imagery has been demonstrated on television systems. The stereo images are shown on the television display with one perspective displayed in even fields and the other perspective displayed in odd fields. Special glasses are employed so that one eye of the observer views the even fields and the other eye views the odd fields. The cognitive faculties of the observer processes the two dimensional images to provide a perceived three dimensional image.
Stereo image acquisition has been obtained by numerous techniques. One technique disclosed in an article by Yakimovsky and Cunningham entitled "A System for Extracting Three Dimensional Measurements from a Stereo Pair of TV Cameras", published in Computer Graphics and Image Processing 7, page 195-210, 1978, employs a stereo pair of TV cameras which are precisely laterally spaced so as to obtain a stereo perspective at a desired distance. In X-ray diagnostic radiology, the X-ray source may be displaced from one position to another position for two successive exposures. The radiation sensor is stationary. The two images are conventionally filmed. The film images can be viewed on a typical stereoscope. The images can also be read into a digital video system for viewing on a stereo video display such as described above. In conventional stereo imagery, the object is uniformly illuminated and the images are acquired entirely in a two dimensional format--typically by means of photographic film or a TV camera.
Lateral effect photodiodes are routinely employed as position sensors for applications in which a light source can be attached to the object of interest. The lateral effect diodes are capable of resolving the position of an incident light spot to thereby determine the position of the object. In automated manufacturing operations, electronic systems which employ lateral effect photodiodes are used to track robot arms and other objects that are involved in the manufacturing process.
In conventional stereo imaging, correlating and calculating the data obtained from two stereo images to extract the third dimension or elevation (depth) information, is a fairly complex task which ordinarily involves extensive post detection processing. Conventional stereo imaging techniques employ two images taken at slightly different angles from the object. A cross-correlation number then is applied to the two images for determining the lateral shift of each pixel in the image. The lateral shift corresponds to the displacement (third dimension) of the given pixel for the object. The processing procedure is limited by the ability to cross-correlate pixels from the two different images. Objects having low contrast and very little high frequency detail frequently result in a significant amount of ambiguous correlation. In addition, the processing is a computationally exhausting task--especially for large images.
For some applications, the size of the image sensing components is of paramount importance. Typically stereo imaging requires two photographic or video cameras. The video cameras may take the form of conventional video tubes or solid state CCD chips. Even though the CCD chips have a relatively small size, the CCD chips are not practical for use in acquiring stereo images in applications such as those requiring small diameter endoscopes.
The
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Nudelman Sol
Ouimette Donald R.
Coles Sr. Edward L.
Jackson Jill
The University Of Connecticut
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