User interface and method for presenting raw image data with a composite image

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided that present raw image data with a composite image. For example, a method includes displaying a composite image on a user interface, identifying a region of interest on the composite image, and displaying at least one source image on the user interface concurrently with the composite image, the at least one source image containing at least one pixel in the region of interest. As another example, a method includes projecting a composite image onto a representation of a three-dimensional (3D) surface displayed on a user interface to produce a 3D composite image, and changing an orientation of the 3D composite image in response to a user input prior to identifying a region of interest on the 3D composite image. An image display system includes a user interface configured to concurrently display a composite image and a plurality of source images.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This topic broadly relates to user interfaces, and more specifically, to user interfaces and methods for presenting raw image data in synthetic images. Background Technology

[0002] Image stitching can be used to create composite or stitched images of an object (such as an object being examined). Composite or stitched images include, for example, many separate images taken simultaneously or asynchronously from a location with different viewing orientations or from multiple viewpoints. Attached Figure Description

[0003] The complete and enabling disclosure of this disclosure, including its best mode, is set forth in the specification with reference to the accompanying drawings, for those skilled in the art, wherein:

[0004] Figure 1A A schematic diagram of the user interface of an image display system that simultaneously displays a composite image and multiple source images is provided.

[0005] Figure 1B Provided Figure 1A The diagram illustrates the differences between the synthesized image and the multiple source images.

[0006] Figure 2 Another schematic diagram provides a user interface for an image display system that displays composite images and multiple source images.

[0007] Figure 3A Another schematic diagram provides a user interface for an image display system that displays a composite image and multiple source images, wherein the composite image is projected onto a representation of a three-dimensional (3D) surface displayed on the user interface.

[0008] Figure 3B Provided Figure 3A A schematic diagram of the user interface, to be consistent with Figure 3A The different views or 3D images shown display the composite image.

[0009] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the image display system is provided.

[0010] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating an exemplary aspect of this disclosure is provided for a method of presenting raw image data or a source image on a user interface in conjunction with a synthetic image.

[0011] Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating another exemplary aspect of this disclosure is provided for a method of presenting original image data or a source image on a user interface with a synthetic image.

[0012] Figure 7A flowchart illustrating a method for presenting raw image data or a source image on a user interface with a synthetic image, according to yet another exemplary aspect of this disclosure, is provided. Detailed Implementation

[0013] Reference will now be made in detail to the present embodiments of this disclosure, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The detailed description uses numerals and letter reference numerals to denote features in the drawings. Similar or analogous reference numerals in the drawings and description have been used to denote similar or analogous portions of this disclosure.

[0014] As used herein, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third” are used interchangeably to distinguish one component from another and are not intended to indicate the location or importance of the individual components.

[0015] The terms "front" and "rear" refer to relative positions within a gas turbine engine or vehicle, and specifically to the normal operating posture of the gas turbine engine or vehicle. For example, in the case of a gas turbine engine, "front" refers to the position closer to the engine inlet, while "rear" refers to the position closer to the engine nozzle or exhaust port.

[0016] The terms "upstream" and "downstream" refer to the relative directions of fluid flow within a fluid path. For example, "upstream" refers to the direction from which the fluid flows, while "downstream" refers to the direction from which the fluid flows.

[0017] Unless otherwise stated herein, the terms “connection,” “fixed,” “attached to,” etc., refer to both direct connection, fixation, or attachment, and indirect connection, fixation, or attachment via one or more intermediate components or features.

[0018] Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms “a,” “one,” and “the” include plural references.

[0019] As used throughout this specification and claims, approximate language is applied to modify any quantitative expression that may allow for variation without altering its underlying function. Therefore, values ​​modified by one or more terms such as “about,” “approximately,” and “substantially” are not limited to specified exact values. In at least some cases, approximate language may correspond to the precision of the instrument used to measure the value, or the precision of the method or machine used to construct or manufacture the component and / or system. Approximate language may refer to a margin of + / - 1%, 2%, 4%, 10%, 15%, or 20% at the endpoints of a single value, a range of values, and / or a defined range of values.

[0020] Throughout this specification and claims, scope limitations are combined and interchanged, and unless the context or language otherwise indicates otherwise, such scopes are identified and include all subscopes contained herein. For example, all scopes disclosed herein include endpoints, and endpoints may be combined independently of each other.

[0021] As used in this article, a composite image (also known as a stitched image) is an image created from more than one initial image through processes such as warping, scaling, linear alignment, rotational alignment, illumination uniformity adjustment, and / or digital combination.

[0022] As used herein, a source image is the original or initial image used to form, create, or produce a composite image. Source images can be distorted, scaled, aligned (linearly or by rotation), have their illumination uniformity adjusted, and / or digitally combined to create composite images.

[0023] As used in this article, a pixel is a unit of programmable color in a digital image.

[0024] The risk of stitching images is that details may be lost during the processes of distortion, scaling, alignment (linear and rotation), illumination uniformity adjustment, and digital combination. This could be due to resolution loss during image resampling or misalignment of overlapping or adjacent images, which can lead to direct loss of detail due to pixel and crop misalignment. Therefore, the inventors of this disclosure have found that improved synthetic image rendering that reduces or eliminates lost details is desirable.

[0025] This topic typically provides a user interface and methods for presenting original image data or source images on the user interface in conjunction with a composite image. When a composite or stitched image is formed from two or more source images or initial images through one or more processes used to create the composite image (e.g., distortion, scaling, linear and rotational alignment, illumination uniformity adjustment, and digital combination adjustments), details in the source images may be lost in the composite image, or one or more differences may appear between the source and composite images. This topic discloses methods for recognizing—and in at least some cases, providing visual cues—the existence of visual differences between the composite image and the source image from which the composite image was produced. Furthermore, this topic discloses methods for presenting the source image along with or simultaneously with the composite image to facilitate the user's viewing of these visual differences. By recognizing the differences between the composite and source images and presenting both on the user interface, this topic improves the quality of users' inspection of items using composite images, as well as the speed and convenience of such inspection.

[0026] Referring now to the accompanying drawings, where the same numbers indicate the same elements throughout the drawings, Figure 1AA schematic diagram of an image display system 10 is provided. The image display system 10 includes a user interface 12 having a first segment 14 for displaying a composite image 20 and a second segment 16 for displaying at least one source image 22. As described herein, the composite image 20 is formed from two or more source images 22.

[0027] In various embodiments, the image display system 10 is configured to provide information to a human operator or user via a user interface 12. In some embodiments, the user interface 12 may include one or more screens. In other embodiments, the user interface 12 may include a projection field projected onto a surface (such as a wall, floor, etc.), the projection field including a first segment 14 and a second segment 16. In other embodiments, the user interface 12 may include a display of an augmented reality device, and a user may use augmented reality glasses to view the user interface 12.

[0028] Composite image 20 depicts article 100, such as components of a gas turbine engine (e.g., rotor blades, stator blades, rotor blade stages, stator blade stages, combustor bushings, etc.). Composite image 20, formed from multiple source images 22, may omit details, features, and / or defects of article 100 shown in the source images 22 used to create composite image 20. That is, when creating composite image 20 to show article 100 over a larger area than individual source images 22, one or more details, features, and / or defects present in article 100 may be blurred or omitted, making such details, features, and / or defects invisible in composite image 20. Image display system 10 helps identify areas of such difference or poor image correspondence between composite image 20 and the multiple source images 22, for example, to alert the user to one or more differences between composite image 20 and one or more source images 22.

[0029] like Figure 1AAs shown, the image display system 10 identifies, points out, and / or provides visual cues to the user regarding differences between the synthesized image 20 and the source image 22. For example, the image display system 10 identifies at least one region of interest 24; one or more differences between the synthesized image 20 and one or more source images 22 appear in the corresponding region of interest 24. In at least some embodiments, identifying one or more regions of interest 24 may include a signal given to the image display system 10 indicating that a given area of ​​the synthesized image 20 (e.g., which can be measured in pixels) may contain differences related to one or more source images 22. This signal may originate from a user's visual review of the synthesized image 20, followed by input from the user indicating to the image display system 10 that a region of interest 24 has been found. User input is described in more detail below. In other embodiments, the signal may originate from the image display system 10, for example, when executing a program or other instructions to compare or examine the synthesized image 20 and the source image 22.

[0030] In some embodiments, after identifying one or more regions of interest 24, the image display system 10 highlights the regions of interest 24 on the composite image 20. For example, as Figure 1A As shown, for example, if the differences between the synthesized image 20 and the source image 22 occur at different locations in the synthesized image 20, more than one region of interest 24 can be highlighted on the synthesized image 20. For a synthesized image 20 having multiple regions of interest 24 highlighted thereon, each region of interest 24 can be represented as a first region of interest 24a, a second region of interest 24b, etc. Furthermore, it should be understood that the first region of interest 24a may have one or more source images 22 common to the second region of interest 24b and / or one or more source images 22 different from the source images 22 used in the second region of interest 24b.

[0031] Highlighting regions of interest 24 draws the user's attention to potential fidelity losses within them. This highlighting can include outlining the regions of interest 24, shading them, or giving them a different color from the rest of the composite image 20. For example, each region of interest 24 can be shaded so that it has the same color as the composite image 20 but appears brighter. In other embodiments, each region of interest 24 can be shaded with a color different from the primary color of the composite image 20 to highlight it; for example, each region of interest 24 can have hues such as yellow, orange, red, green, or blue.

[0032] In at least some embodiments, the image display system 10 automatically highlights one or more regions of interest 24. For example, when displaying a composite image 20, the image display system 10 highlights the regions of interest 24 by outlining contours, adding shadows, etc., without requiring further input from the user of the image display system 10. As described in more detail below, the image display system 10 may utilize its computing device 38 ( Figure 4 The highlighting module 48, for example, executes instructions to highlight one or more regions of interest 24 on the composite image 20 after or as part of the identification of regions of interest 24. In other embodiments, the image display system 10 highlights one or more regions of interest 24 only when the user inputs or when another signal, input, etc., is received.

[0033] In other embodiments, the region of interest 24 is not highlighted on the composite image 20 displayed on the user interface 12. For example, as described above, the user can identify areas of poor image correspondence or regions of interest 24. That is, instead of the image display system 10 automatically identifying and highlighting one or more regions of interest 24 when the image display system 10 identifies areas of poor correspondence, the image display system 10 displays the composite image 20 and the user views the composite image 20 and determines whether the composite image 20 includes any regions of interest 24. The user can indicate or identify the region of interest 24 by directing the user's attention to the region of interest 24, and the source image 22 is displayed for the region of interest 24 as described herein. The image display system 10 can use one or more of the devices and / or techniques described herein to detect where the user's attention is directed. In some embodiments, one or more regions of interest 24 identified by the user may not be highlighted as outlined, shaded, etc., as described herein. However, in other embodiments, one or more regions of interest 24 identified by the user may be highlighted on the composite image 20 as described herein.

[0034] Image display system 10 allows a user to view the differences between the composite image 20 and the source image 22, for example, to determine whether there are defects or other noteworthy details in areas that are blurred or omitted in the composite image. Figure 1AIn the illustrated image display system 10, each source image 22 displayed in the second segment 16 of the user interface 12 contains at least one pixel in at least one region of interest 24 of the composite image 20 displayed in the first segment 14. While a single source image has been shown for each of the first region of interest 24a, the second region of interest 24b, the third region of interest 24c, and the fourth region of interest 24d, it should be understood that this is not necessarily the case. Multiple source images 22 may be provided for a single region of interest 24, and / or a single source image 22 may be provided for multiple regions of interest 24. For example, a single source image 22 may contain at least one pixel in the first region of interest 24a and at least one pixel in the second region of interest 24b. As another example, each of the first source image 22a, the second source image 22b, and the third source image 22c may contain at least one pixel within a single region of interest 24.

[0035] Regardless of the number of source images included, it should be understood that the source image 22 displayed in the second section 16 is the original, unaltered source image 22, meaning that no distortion, alignment, or other similar processes occurred when the source images 22 were combined to produce the composite image 20. Therefore, the image display system 10 facilitates the identification of visual differences between the composite image 20 and one or more source images 22—and in at least some cases, provides visual cues to indicate the existence of visual differences between the composite image 20 and one or more source images 22. By displaying the source images 22 together with the composite image 20, the image display system 10 helps to conveniently view visual differences.

[0036] As an example, see reference Figure 1A and 1B In the upper right portion of the composite image 20 shown, the first region of interest 24a is highlighted with a square outline. The first region of interest 24a is compared with the first source image 22a... Figure 1A and 1B By comparing the topmost source image 22 in the second segment 16 of the user interface 12 in the embodiment, it will be understood that the synthesized image 20 includes a step in the description of the features shown in the first region of interest 24a, and that this step does not exist in the first source image 22a. For ease of explanation, in Figure 1B In the first source image 22a, a square outline is included in the same region as the first region of interest 24a highlighted in the composite image 20. (See also: Special Reference) Figure 1B Comparing the square regions in the synthetic image 20 and the first source image 22a, the delineation features in the first source image 22a do not contain steps, but the delineation features in the synthetic image 20 do contain steps. It should be understood that in Figure 1BThe areas with poor correspondence are highlighted on the various source images 22 only for the purpose of explanation and ease of understanding, and are not required in the implementation of the image display system 10.

[0037] As another example, in Figure 1A and 1B In the embodiment, the second region of interest 24b, located just below the first region of interest 24a, is highlighted with a triangle or triangular outline. Comparing the second region of interest 24b with the first source image 22a and the second source image 22b (shown below the first source image 22a in the depicted embodiment within the second segment 16), a generally circular "smudge" or dark area is shown in the composite image 20 and the second source image 22b, but not in the first source image 22a. For ease of explanation, in Figure 1B In the composite image 20, a triangular outline is included in the same region as the second region of interest 24b highlighted on the composite image 22b in each of the first source image 22a and the second source image 22b. (See also: Special Reference) Figure 1B Comparing the triangular regions in the upper part of the composite image 20, the first source image 22a, and the second source image 22b, there are no blemishes or dark areas in the first source image 22a, but there are blemishes or dark areas in the composite image 20 and the second source image 22b.

[0038] As a further example, the third region of interest 24c is highlighted to the left of the composite image 20, below the horizontal midline of the composite image 20. The third region of interest 24c is... Figure 1A and 1B The image display system 10 in the image is highlighted with triangles or triangular outlines. Comparing the third region of interest 24c with the third source image 22c and the fourth source image 22d in the lower half of the second segment 16, the apertures appearing in the third source image 22c and the fourth source image 22d do not appear in the composite image 20. For ease of explanation, in Figure 1B In the composite image 20, small circular outlines are included in the same left-hand region as the third region of interest 24c highlighted on the composite image 20, on each of the third source images 22c and 22d. (See also: Special Reference) Figure 1B The third region of interest 24c, highlighted on the composite image 20, is compared with the small circular regions outlined on the left side of each of the third source images 22c and the fourth source image 22d. There are no holes in the composite image 20, but holes are present in both the third source image 22c and the fourth source image 22d.

[0039] As another example, the fourth region of interest 24d is highlighted to the right of the composite image 20, below its horizontal midline. The fourth region of interest 24d is highlighted with a circular or circular outline. Comparing the fourth region of interest 24d with the third source image 22c and the fourth source image 22d, a roughly circular "blemish" is shown in the third source image 22c, which is not present in the composite image 20 or the fourth source image 22d. For ease of explanation, in Figure 1B In the composite image 20, circular outlines are included in the same region as the fourth region of interest 24d highlighted on the third source image 22c and the fourth source image 22d. (See also: Special Reference) Figure 1B The fourth region of interest 24d highlighted on the composite image 20 is compared with the circular regions outlined on the right side of each of the third source image 22c and the fourth source image 22d. There are blemishes or dark areas in the third source image 22c that do not appear in the composite image 20 or the fourth source image 22d.

[0040] Although the synthetic image 20 is Figure 1A and 1B The composite image 20 is fully displayed on the user interface 12, but in some embodiments, the entire composite image 20 may not be displayed within the first segment 14. Instead, a portion of the composite image 20 may be displayed in the first segment 14 of the user interface 12, and the user can scroll or otherwise manipulate the displayed composite image 20 to view portions of the composite image 20 that are not visible on the user interface 12. Similarly, all source images 22 may not be displayed on the user interface 12. It is envisioned that source images 22 corresponding to the displayed portion of the composite image 20 may be displayed simultaneously for easy viewing, while other source images 22 are not visible on the user interface 12. Furthermore, all source images 22 corresponding to a portion of the composite image 20 may not appear on the user interface 12 simultaneously, but the user can scroll or otherwise manipulate the source images 22 displayed on the user interface 12 to browse some or all of the source images 22, where all source images 22 are available for viewing, although the user may choose not to view all source images 22.

[0041] As described herein, a user of the image display system 10 can use the composite image 20 to inspect the item 100, where viewing such a composite image may be faster, cheaper, etc., than inspecting the item 100 itself (e.g., the user can inspect it from a remote location, or examine the internal features of the item 100 without disassembling it, etc.). By highlighting areas of difference or poor image correspondence between the composite image 20 and the source image 22, or otherwise allowing the user to identify differences between the composite image 20 and the source image 22, the image display system 10 helps the user view the aforementioned differences between each of the regions of interest 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d and the source images 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d, to determine, for example, whether defects or other significant anomalies omitted from the composite image 20 are shown in the source image 22. The highlighting of the regions of interest 24 and the display of the source image 22 can speed up the user's viewing while also helping the user to conduct a thorough inspection of the item 100.

[0042] In some embodiments, only the source image 22 having at least one pixel in the selected region of interest 24 for creating the composite image 20 is displayed in the second section 16 of the user interface 12. In other embodiments, all original images of the article 100 having at least one pixel in the selected region of interest 24 (regardless of whether the corresponding original image is the source image 22 for creating the composite image 20) are displayed in the second section 16. The original image including the source image 22 can be used as data 50 ( Figure 4 The data is stored in the database 52 and / or data warehouse 60 of the image display system 10.

[0043] It should be understood that the second section 16 is not limited to Figure 1A and 1B The location of the second segment 16 in the user interface 12 is shown. For example, the second segment 16, in which the source image 22 is displayed, can be located within any part of the user interface 12 and can be selectively presented within the user interface 12. For example, in some embodiments, the source image 22 can be displayed only when the user selects the region of interest 24, such that the second segment 16 is presented only when the region of interest 24 is selected. Furthermore, the source image 22 can be displayed in front of, beside, around, or below the composite image 20, such that the second segment 16 is selectively or continuously located in front of, beside, around, or below the composite image 20.

[0044] As described, when the user's attention is directed to a specific portion of the region of interest 24 or the composite image 20, the source image 22 of any portion of the region of interest 24 or the composite image 20 can be displayed. For example, the image display system 10 responds to a signal from a device connected to the computing device 38 ( Figure 4 ) and / or the user input device 30 of the user interface 12 Figure 4The input of a source image 22 displays one or more pixels containing a portion of the region of interest 24 or a composite image 20. (See reference) Figure 4 As an example, the user input device 30 may be, for example, an optical input device 30a controlled by the user by tracking the user's eyes. The image display system 10 may use a commercially available optical input device 30a communicatively coupled to the image display system 10, such as an assistive reality device, an optical gaze tracking device, a head movement tracking device, an augmented reality device, etc. In at least some embodiments, the image display system 10 receives input from the optical input device 30a indicating that the user's eye is guided to the region of interest 24 or another specific portion of the composite image 20, and then displays a plurality of source images 22 for creating the composite image 20 at the region of interest 24 or another specific portion of the composite image 20.

[0045] As another example, the user input device 30 is a tactile input device 30b, that is, the image display system 10 displays multiple source images 22 containing pixels in the region of interest 24 or a portion of the composite image 20 in response to input from the user-controlled tactile input device 30b. For example, the tactile input device 30b may be a touchscreen display, a computer mouse, a keyboard, a joystick, a button, a knob, a switch, and / or combinations thereof. Similar to the optical input device 30a, the image display system 10 receives input from the tactile input device 30b—such as finger taps on the user interface 12 (where the user interface 12 is a touch-sensitive user interface), clicks on the computer mouse, button presses, etc.—instructing the user's attention to be directed to the region of interest 24, or another specific portion of the composite image 20. The image display system 10 then displays multiple source images 22 used to create the composite image 20 at the region of interest 24 or another specific portion of the composite image 20 indicated by the user via the tactile input device 30b.

[0046] As another example, the user input device 30 is a gesture input device 30c, that is, the image display system 10 displays multiple source images 22 containing pixels in the region of interest 24 or a portion of the composite image 20 in response to input from the user-controlled gesture input device 30c. For example, the gesture input device 30c utilizes gesture recognition via a camera or imaging system, motion recognition systems using accelerometers, gyroscopes, etc., installed in or on the user's gloves. Similar to the optical input device 30a and the haptic input device 30b, the image display system 10 receives input from the gesture input device 30c—such as the user's finger or hand movements—instructing the user's attention to be directed to the region of interest 24 or another specific portion of the composite image 20. The image display system 10 then displays multiple source images 22 used to create the composite image 20 in the region of interest 24 or another specific portion of the composite image 20 indicated by the user via the gesture input device 30c.

[0047] In some embodiments, the image display system 10 may utilize one or more user input devices 30. For example, the image display system 10 may utilize two of the user input devices 30 described herein (e.g., both optical input device 30a and tactile input device 30b), or all of optical input device 30a, tactile input device 30b, and gesture input device 30c. Furthermore, the image display system 10 may utilize one or more other types of user input devices 30, such as verbal input devices, either alone or in combination with one or more of the optical input device 30a, tactile input device 30b, and gesture input device 30c described herein.

[0048] The image display system 10 can also use input from the user input device 30 to move from the source image 22 to the source image 22, i.e., scrolling through the source image 22 in the second segment 16 of the user interface 12. Furthermore, for example, when the user's attention moves from a first region of interest 24a to a second region of interest 24b, the image display system 10 can use input from the user input device 30 to transition from displaying multiple first source images 22a to displaying multiple second source images 22b. Additionally, in some embodiments, the image display system 10 can be configured to simultaneously display multiple first source images 22a and multiple second source images 22b, for example, based on user input, when the source image 22 is one of both multiple first source images 22a and multiple second source images 22b.

[0049] refer to Figure 2 This provides another example of a user interface 12 that displays a composite image 20 of item 100 and multiple source images 22 for creating the composite image 20. Figure 2In this embodiment, in addition to highlighting each region of interest 24 by shading it, the source images 22 that contribute to the composite image 20 (which have been distorted and aligned for stitching to create the composite image 20) are outlined on the composite image 20 to indicate the coverage of the respective source images 22. One or more boundaries 28 of the distorted, transformed, etc., source images 22 may be automatically indicated or outlined on the composite image 20, or may be indicated or outlined solely based on, for example, input from the user or other signals. For example, when a user selects a region of interest 24, for example, using user input device 30, the source image 22 corresponding to that region of the composite image 20 is indicated or outlined on the composite image 20. The source images 22 displayed in the second section 16 have edges or boundaries corresponding to or matching the edges or boundaries 28 of the corresponding source images 22 outlined on the composite image 20, for example, to make it easier for the user to identify the corresponding source image 22. Therefore, different colors, line types, etc., can be used to indicate edges or boundaries 28 to help distinguish one source image 22 from another source image 22.

[0050] like Figure 2 As further shown, the image display system 10 can simultaneously display a plurality of first source images 22a corresponding to a first region of interest 24a and a plurality of second source images 22b corresponding to a second region of interest 24b. When a user selects or directs their attention to a region of interest 24, for example via the user input device 30, the plurality of source images 22 corresponding to the selected region of interest 24 can be magnified compared to the remaining source images 22 displayed in the second segment 16 of the user interface 12. For example, when the user selects or directs their attention to the first region of interest 24a, the plurality of first source images 22a can be magnified relative to the plurality of second source images 22b within the second segment 16.

[0051] like Figure 2 As shown, source image 22 is displayed in its initial, unchanged state in the second segment 16 of user interface 12. Thus, source image 22 may not be oriented to correspond to the orientation of composite image 20. For example, the first source image 22a may be rotated approximately 90° in composite image 20 relative to its initial, unchanged state as shown in the second segment 16 of user interface 12. For some images, displaying source image 22 in the same orientation as the source image 22 used in composite image 20 may be more useful to the user, for example, to provide the user with visual cues regarding the relationship and / or spatial orientation of the respective source image 22 relative to composite image 20. Therefore, in some embodiments, source images 22 may be displayed on user interface 12 in an orientation corresponding to their orientation in composite image 20.

[0052] Turn now Figure 3A and3B In some embodiments, the composite image 20 is projected onto a representation of a three-dimensional (3D) surface 26 displayed on the user interface 12. For example, the item 100 depicted by the composite image 20 may be a 3D item, and the image display system 10 may generate a 3D surface 26 onto which the composite image 20 is mapped to provide a 3D composite image of the item 100 as a 3D representation on the user interface 12. Thus, the composite image 20 may appear to be “drawn” on the 3D surface 26. The 3D surface 26 may be a 3D primitive (such as a torus, sphere, etc.) onto which a composite image 20 of an item 100 of a similar shape may be mapped or projected to more realistically represent the item 100 on the user interface 12.

[0053] Source image 22 and region of interest 24 can be compared with about Figure 1A , 1B The 3D surface 26 is displayed on the user interface 12 along with the 3D composite image in the same manner as described in section 2. Furthermore, the orientation of the 3D surface 26 or the 3D composite image can be changed in response to user input. For example, using the user input device 30, the orientation of the 3D surface 26 can be manipulated to change the view or perspective of the composite image 20. Thus, the user can move the 3D surface on the user interface 12 to display the composite image 20 in a desired advantageous position. Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 3A A 3D surface 26 in a first orientation is shown, and a composite image 20 and a source image 22 corresponding to the display view of the composite image 20 are shown in one view. Figure 3B A 3D surface 26 in a second orientation is shown, in relation to... Figure 3A Different views of the composite image 20 are displayed, and a source image 22 corresponding to the display view of the composite image 20 is further displayed on the user interface 12 along with the composite image 20. It should be understood that, as described herein, the source image 22 displayed on the user interface 12 along with the composite image 20 may correspond to a region of interest 24 within the view of the composite image 20 displayed on the user interface 12.

[0054] refer to Figure 4 As described herein, the image display system 10 may include a user interface 12, which may be configured to allow a user to operate the image display system 10, for example, in conjunction with one or more user devices 30 described herein. Various elements of the image display system 10 may be communicatively connected to each other via wired or wireless communication lines 34 as part of a communication network 36.

[0055] Furthermore, the image display system 10 may include one or more computing devices 38, which may be located locally or remotely relative to the user interface 12. For example, the one or more computing devices 38 may be located at a physical facility and / or a cloud-based facility. The one or more computing devices 38 may include one or more processors 40 and one or more memory devices 42. The one or more processors 40 may include any suitable processing device, such as a microprocessor, microcontroller, integrated circuit, logic device, and / or other suitable processing device. The one or more memory devices 42 may include one or more computer-readable media, including but not limited to non-transitory computer-readable media, RAM, ROM, hard disk drives, flash drives, and / or other memory devices.

[0056] One or more memory devices 42 may store information accessible by one or more processors 40, including computer-executable instructions 44 executable by one or more processors 40. Instructions 44 may include any set of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors 40, cause one or more processors 40 to perform operations. In some embodiments, instructions 44 may be configured to cause one or more processors 40 to perform operations for which the image display system 10 and / or one or more computing devices 38 are configured, as shown below, for example, with reference to... Figures 5 to 7 One or more of the methods described. Exemplary operation of the image display system 10 and / or one or more computing devices 38 may include displaying a composite image 20, highlighting one or more regions of interest 24, and displaying multiple source images 22.

[0057] The image display system 10 may include one or more synthetic imaging modules 46 and one or more highlighting modules 48. The image display system 10 may utilize the synthetic imaging modules 46 to generate a composite image 20 from two or more source images 22. Additionally or alternatively, the image display system 10 may utilize the synthetic imaging modules 46 to map the composite image 20 to, as shown in the relevant section... Figure 3A and 3B On the 3D surface 26. One or more synthetic imaging modules 46 may be implemented in hardware and / or software (including any non-transitory computer program product and / or cloud-based solutions). Furthermore, the synthetic imaging module 46 may include proprietary algorithms for stitching together two or more source images 22 to produce a synthetic image 20.

[0058] Image display system 10 may utilize highlighting module 48 to automatically or otherwise highlight one or more regions of interest 24 on the composite image 20. One or more highlighting modules 48 may be implemented in hardware and / or software (including any non-transitory computer program product and / or cloud-based solutions). Furthermore, highlighting module 48 may include proprietary algorithms for outlining, shading, or otherwise highlighting one or more regions of interest 24 to represent one or more differences (or poorer image correspondences) between the composite image 20 and one or more source images 22. Although in Figure 4 While depicted as separate from one or more processors 40, it should be understood that in at least some embodiments, one or more synthetic imaging modules 46 and / or one or more highlighting modules 48 may be part of one or more processors 40.

[0059] Memory device 42 may store data 50 accessible by one or more processors 40. Data 50 may include current or real-time data, past data, or a combination thereof. Data 50 may be stored in database 52. As an example, data 50 may include data associated with or generated by the image display system 10, user interface 12, one or more computing devices 38, one or more synthetic imaging modules 46, and / or one or more highlighting modules 48. Data 50 may also include other datasets, parameters, outputs, and information associated with the image display system 10. Data 50, including database 52 and / or other datasets, parameters, outputs, and information, may be used by one or more synthetic imaging modules 46 and / or one or more highlighting modules 48 to perform the operations for which they are constructed.

[0060] One or more computing devices 38 may also include a communication interface 54 that can be used to communicate with a communication network 36. The communication interface 54 may include any suitable components for interfacing with one or more networks, including, for example, a transmitter, receiver, port, controller, antenna, and / or other suitable components. The communication interface 54 may allow one or more computing devices 38 to communicate with, for example, a user interface 12. The communication network 36 may include, for example, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a SATCOM network, a VHF network, an HF network, a Wi-Fi network, a WiMAX network, a gatelink network, and / or any other suitable communication network 36 for transmitting and / or receiving data messages. The communication lines 34 of the communication network 36 may include a data bus or a combination of wired and / or wireless communication links.

[0061] In some embodiments, the image display system 10 includes a management system 56 configured to provide enterprise-level control over one or more components of the image display system 10. The management system 56 may include a server 58 and / or a data warehouse 60. As an example, at least a portion of the data 50 may be stored in the data warehouse 60, and the server 58 may be configured to transfer the data 50 from the data warehouse 60 to one or more computing devices 38, and / or receive the data 50 from one or more computing devices 38 and store the received data 50 in the data warehouse 60 for further purposes. The server 58 and / or the data warehouse 60 may be implemented as part of the image display system 10.

[0062] Now for reference Figure 5 It also provides methods for presenting the original or source image with the synthesized image. For example... Figure 5 As shown in the flowchart, method 500 includes (502) in the user interface 12 (e.g., regarding...). Figure 1A-4 The composite image 20 is displayed on the user interface 12 of the image display system 10 described herein. As described herein, the composite image 20 may be displayed within a first segment 14 of the user interface 12.

[0063] like Figure 5 As further shown, method 500 includes (504) identifying one or more regions of interest 24 on the synthetic image 20. As described herein, a region of interest 24 is a region or portion of the synthetic image 20 that differs from or has a poor correspondence with one or more source images 22 used to create the synthetic image 20. For example, one or more features shown in one or more source images 22 may be partially or completely omitted in the synthetic image 20. As another example, one or more features shown in one or more source images 22 may be incorrectly represented in the synthetic image 20. For example, when inspecting article 100 using the synthetic image 20, regions of difference or poor correspondence in the synthetic image 20 may mask defects in the component or incorrectly suggest the presence of one or more defects, making it possible to identify regions of interest 24 (where there is a difference or poor correspondence between the source images 22 and the synthetic image 20) to examine such regions of interest 24 in order to determine whether a defect or other anomaly exists. As described herein, one or more regions of interest 24 may be identified by user input (e.g., by eye tracking, selection, or tactile manipulation and / or gestures) when the user manually views the synthetic image 20, or one or more regions of interest 24 may be identified by image analysis of the image display system 10, which may be initiated automatically by the image display system 10 or may be initiated upon user input.

[0064] In at least some embodiments, when identifying one or more regions of interest 24, method 500 includes (506) automatically highlighting the regions of interest 24. That is, when the composite image 20 is displayed on the user interface 12, the regions of interest 24 are automatically highlighted by one or more computing devices 38, for example, using one or more highlighting modules 48 as described herein. In other embodiments, the regions of interest 24 are highlighted only when a signal or input to do so is received (e.g., after a manual inspection of the composite image 20), and the image display system 10 receives input from the user to highlight the regions of interest 24 on the composite image 20. Furthermore, in some embodiments, highlighting the regions of interest 24 includes highlighting a first region of interest 24a and a second region of interest 24b on the composite image 20. Of course, any number of regions of interest 24 corresponding to differences or poor image correspondences between the composite image 20 and one or more source images 22 can be highlighted on the composite image 20. For example, highlighting regions of interest 24 may include highlighting a first region of interest 24a, a second region of interest 24b, etc., until the image display system 10 detects the number of regions of interest 24 in which the composite image 20 and the underlying source image 22 differ.

[0065] As previously mentioned, highlighting the region of interest 24 can be implemented in several different ways, whether automatically or otherwise. For example, in some embodiments, highlighting the region of interest 24 includes outlining the region of interest 24, for example, for a composite image 20 having multiple regions of interest 24, having edges that can vary from one region of interest 24 to another in terms of shape, size, color, line type, etc. As an example, when the composite image 20 is displayed on the user interface 12, the image display system 10 can automatically highlight the region of interest 24 by automatically outlining the region of interest 24. In other embodiments, highlighting the region of interest 24 includes, for example, adding shadows to the region of interest 24 with different colors, hues, saturations, patterns, etc., for a composite image 20 having multiple regions of interest 24, where the colors, hues, saturations, patterns, etc., can vary from one region of interest 24 to another. For example, when the composite image 20 is displayed on the user interface 12, the image display system 10 can automatically highlight the region of interest 24 by automatically adding shadows.

[0066] In other embodiments, (506) omits highlighting the region of interest 24 and the region of interest 24 is not highlighted on the composite image 20, making (506) in method 500 optional. Instead of highlighting the region of interest 24, when identifying the region of interest 24, the image display system 10 identifies the area where the user is directing his or her attention to the composite image 20. For example, the image display system 10 may identify a pixel of the composite image 20 as the focus of the user's attention, and may identify the region of interest 24 as a region within a certain number of pixels of an identified pixel. For example, the region of interest 24 may be a region within 50, 100, etc., pixels of an identified pixel; for example, an identified pixel may be the center pixel of a 50x50 pixel area, a 100x100 pixel area, etc. In some embodiments, at (504) of method 500, the image display system 10 may identify that the user is directing their attention to multiple regions of interest 24, and therefore may identify more than one region of interest 24 (such as a first region of interest 24a, a second region of interest 24b, etc.) without highlighting multiple regions of interest 24.

[0067] For a synthetic image 20 comprising more than one region of interest 24, method 500 may also optionally include (508) detecting user input to signal to the user that their attention is being directed to which of the plurality of regions of interest 24. As described herein, in embodiments of the image display system 10 that detect optical input, an optical input device 30a may be used to detect optical input (e.g., by tracking the user's eyes using an optical input device 30a). In embodiments of the image display system 10 that detect tactile input, a tactile input device 30b may be used to detect tactile input (e.g., a touchscreen display, computer mouse, keyboard, joystick, button, knob, switch, and / or combinations thereof). In embodiments of the image display system 10 that detects gesture input, a gesture input device 30c may be used to detect gesture input (e.g., a camera or imaging system, a motion recognition system using an accelerometer, gyroscope, etc., disposed in or on a glove worn by the user).

[0068] like Figure 5Further shown, method 500 includes (510) simultaneously displaying at least one source image 22 on user interface 12 along with the synthesized image 20. In one example, each source image 22 displayed simultaneously with the synthesized image 20 contains at least one pixel in a region of interest 24. In some embodiments, image display system 10 displays only the source images 22 containing pixels in the region of interest 24 of the synthesized image 20 to which the user directs their attention. For example, as described herein, image display system 10 may include user input device 30 to receive, for example, optical input, tactile input, and / or gesture input from the user to indicate where the user's attention is directed. When the user directs their attention to a specific region of interest 24 detected, for example, by user input device 30 as described with respect to (508), image display system 10 displays the source image 22 containing pixels in the region of interest 24 from database 52 and / or data warehouse 60. For example, the image display system 10 can detect user input via the user input device 30, which signals the image display system 10 to display a plurality of first source images 22a, each first source image 22a having at least one pixel in a plurality of regions of interest 24a. Another user input via the user input device 30 signals the image display system 10 to display a plurality of second source images 22b, each second source image 22b having at least one pixel in a plurality of regions of interest 24b. The image display system 10 may be able to display all source images 22 containing pixels in the corresponding regions of interest 24 in a second segment 16 of the user interface 12, or the user may have to scroll through the source images 22 because not all source images 22 can be displayed simultaneously in the second segment 16.

[0069] In other embodiments, the image display system 10 simultaneously displays multiple source images 22 and a composite image 20, wherein not all source images 22 contain at least one pixel in the region of interest 24 to which the user directs their attention. For example, as with respect to Figure 1 and Figure 2As described, the image display system 10 can display a plurality of first source images 22a and a plurality of second source images 22b, which correspond respectively to a source image having at least one pixel in a first region of interest 24a and a source image having at least one pixel in a second region of interest 24b. When the user's attention is directed to a specific region of interest, the image display system 10 can magnify the corresponding plurality of source images 22. For example, in order to display more source images 22 within a second segment 16 of the user interface 12, the image display system 10 can display relatively small thumbnail source images 22, and when the user directs their attention to the corresponding source image 22, the image display system 10 magnifies the corresponding source image 22. Additionally or alternatively, the image display system 10 can reduce the saturation of the plurality of source images 22 that do not correspond to the region of interest 24 to which the user's attention is directed, or "gray out" them.

[0070] Such as about Figure 2 As described herein, in at least some embodiments, method 500 further includes (512) indicating on the composite image 20 one or more boundaries 28 of one or more of the plurality of source images 22 used to create the composite image 22. The boundaries 28 of the one or more source images 22 may be outlined on the composite image, for example, using various line types or styles (e.g., dashed lines, solid lines, dotted lines, etc.), line colors, etc. Furthermore, the source images 22 displayed in the second segment 16 of the user interface 12 may be correspondingly outlined with the same line type / style, line color, etc., to make it easier for the user to visually connect the source images 22 in the distorted, transformed, rotated, etc., composite image 20 with the unchanged source images 22 displayed in the second segment 16. As described herein, the boundaries 28 may be indicated automatically when the composite image 20 is displayed or may be indicated only when a signal or input (e.g., input from the user) is received.

[0071] As described in (508), method 500 may include detecting user input, such as optical input, haptic input, gesture input, etc. In some embodiments, user input may signal to image display system 10 to display the boundaries 28 of one or more of a plurality of source images 22. That is, user input may indicate a region of interest 24 to which the user's attention is directed, and user input may signal to image display system 10 to indicate the boundaries 28 of source images 22 that contribute to that region of interest 24. As described herein, user input may be detected by user input device 30 (e.g., optical input device 30a, haptic input device 30b, gesture input device 30c, etc.).

[0072] Turn Figure 6 This illustrates another method for presenting original image data or source images in conjunction with synthetic images. For example... Figure 6As shown in the flowchart, the described method 600 includes (602) displaying a synthetic image 20 on a user interface 12, (604) identifying one or more regions of interest 24 on the synthetic image 20, optionally (606) highlighting one or more regions of interest 24 on the synthetic image 20, optionally (608) detecting optical or tactile input indicating which of the multiple regions of interest 24 the user is directing their attention to, (608) displaying multiple first source images 22a on the user interface together with (or simultaneously with) the synthetic image 20, and (610) indicating the boundaries 28 of one or more first source images 22a on the synthetic image 20. It should be understood that (602) to (612) correspond to (502)-(512) of method 500, wherein the region of interest 24 is a first region of interest 24a and at least one source image 22 is at least one first source image 22a, such that the description of each of (502) to (512) applies to (602) to (612) respectively, and need not be repeated here.

[0073] and Figure 6 Consistent, method 600 further includes (614) transitioning to displaying at least one second source image 22b on user interface 12, each second source image 22b displayed on user interface 12 containing at least one pixel in a second region of interest 24b. As described herein, image display system 10 can detect via user input device 30 that a user is moving their attention from a first region of interest 24a or a plurality of first source images 22a to a second region of interest 24b. For example, as described above, a user can move their eye from one region of interest 24 to another region of interest 24, a user can select an icon (e.g., an arrow or a button) on user interface 12, and / or a user can gesture toward different regions of interest 24 or different groups of source images 22, each of which can generate a signal detectable by image display system 10 indicating that the user is moving their attention from one item to another. When the image display system 10 detects a shift in the user's attention, the image display system 10 transitions from displaying a plurality of first source images 22a in the second segment 16 of the user interface 12 to displaying a plurality of second source images 22b in the second segment 16, wherein the plurality of second source images 22b are source images 22 containing at least one pixel in the second region of interest 24b of the composite image 20.

[0074] Furthermore, method 600 includes (616) indicating one or more boundaries 28 of one or more second source images 22b on the composite image 20. As previously described, the boundaries 28 of the source images 22 can be outlined or otherwise indicated for regions of interest 24 to which the user's attention is directed, for example, to allow the user to visualize how the corresponding source images 22 can be used and modified in the composite image 20. Thus, when the displayed source images 22 transition from a plurality of first source images 22a to a plurality of second source images 22b, the boundaries 28 indicated on the composite image 20 transition from the boundaries of one or more first source images 22a to the boundaries of one or more second source images 22b. For example, the boundaries 28 of the second source images 22b can be indicated automatically, substantially simultaneously with the transition to displaying the plurality of second source images 22b, or when the image display system 10 receives an input or other signal prompting the display of the boundaries 28.

[0075] Such as about Figure 3A and 3B As described, in some embodiments, displaying the composite image 20 on the user interface 12 includes projecting the composite image 20 onto a representation of a three-dimensional (3D) surface 26 displayed on the user interface 12. Figure 7 Another method is described for presenting original image data or source images with synthetic images, wherein the synthetic image 20 is mapped onto a 3D surface 26. Figure 7 The method 700 shown includes (702) projecting or mapping the composite image 20 onto a representation of a 3D surface 26 displayed on a user interface 12. As described herein, the resulting 3D composite image is displayed in a first segment 14 of the user interface 12.

[0076] Method 700 further includes (704) changing the orientation of the representation of the 3D surface 26 in response to user input. For example, the composite image 20 is projected or mapped thereon such that the 3D surface 26 of the composite image can be rotated or otherwise manipulated, thereby changing the portion of the 3D composite image visible to the user. User input may be, for example, optical input via optical input device 30a, tactile input via tactile input device 30b, and / or gesture input via gesture input device 30c, as described more fully elsewhere herein. Furthermore, it should be understood that, for example, after (706) identifying one or more regions of interest 24, after (712) displaying at least one first source image 22a on the user interface 12, and / or after (716) displaying at least one second source image 22b on the user interface 12, the orientation of the 3D composite image may be changed at other points in method 700. For example, a user can look for additional regions of interest 24 after viewing a source image 22 that corresponds to a region of interest 24 in a portion of a 3D composite image, and the image display system 10 can change the orientation of the 3D composite image in response to input from the user that directs the user's attention to different parts of the 3D composite image.

[0077] Similar to methods 500 and 600 described above, method 700 further includes (706) identifying one or more regions of interest 24 on the 3D composite image, optionally (708) highlighting one or more regions of interest 24 on the 3D composite image, optionally (710) detecting optical or tactile input indicating which of the plurality of regions of interest 24 the user is directing their attention to, (712) displaying at least one first source image 22a on the user interface together with (or simultaneously with) the 3D composite image, and (714) indicating one or more boundaries 28 of the one or more first source images 22a on the 3D composite image. As described with respect to method 600, in at least some embodiments, method 700 further includes (716) transitioning from displaying at least one first source image 22a to displaying at least one second source image 22b simultaneously with the 3D composite image, and (718) indicating one or more boundaries 28 of the one or more second source images 22b on the 3D composite image. It should be understood that (706) to (718) correspond to similar parts of methods 500 and 600, such that descriptions of, for example (504) to (512) and (604) to (616) apply to (706) to (718), and need not be repeated here.

[0078] It should be understood that one or more of the methods 500, 600, and 700 described above can be computer-implemented methods (e.g., using...). Figure 4Image display system 10). In this way, one or more (or all) of the above steps of methods 500, 600, and 700 can be performed using one or more computing devices (e.g., Figure 4 The computational device 38) performs the operation. Furthermore, in response to one or more of the steps described in methods 500, 600, and 700, the user can make a repair or maintenance decision regarding the component or component group depicted in the composite image. For example, the user can determine the degree of damage to the component or component group depicted in the composite image and optionally initiate an action in response. For example, the user can schedule repair or maintenance operations for the component or component group depicted in the composite image.

[0079] Therefore, as described herein, this subject provides methods and systems for displaying source images together with composite images. Image stitching can be used to create composite or stitched images of objects or items (e.g., objects or items being examined). Composite or stitched images comprise two or more separate images taken simultaneously or asynchronously from a location with different viewing orientations or from multiple viewpoints. The risk of composite or stitched images is that details may be lost during processing involving distortion, scaling, alignment (linear and rotation), illumination uniformity adjustments, and / or digital combination. As described herein, the inventors have addressed the problem of omitted or blurred features or defects in composite or stitched images due to loss of detail by conveniently presenting stitched and unstitched data. For example, one or more areas with poor image correspondence or potential fidelity loss between the source and composite images can be highlighted on the composite image to give the user a visual cue of the differences between the source and composite images. The source image in one or more areas is displayed together with the composite image on the user interface. The user can then view the source image to determine if there are features or defects in the object or item that are not present in the composite image, where viewing the source image allows for a more thorough examination of the object or item compared to viewing the composite image alone. Therefore, the subject matter described herein facilitates the use of synthetic or stitched images for purposes such as inspecting systems, components, or parts, where users can perform inspections quickly and conveniently with relatively high confidence, either on-site or remotely. Such digital visual inspections, rather than actual visual inspections (which may require disassembling components, etc.), have revealed all salient features, defects, etc. Other advantages of the subject matter described herein will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

[0080] Further aspects of this disclosure are provided by the subject matter of the following clauses:

[0081] 1. A method comprising: displaying a composite image on a user interface; identifying a region of interest (ROI) on the composite image; and simultaneously displaying at least one source image on the user interface along with the composite image, the at least one source image containing at least one pixel in the ROI.

[0082] 2. The method according to any of the foregoing clauses further includes highlighting the region of interest on the user interface by outlining the region of interest.

[0083] 3. The method according to any of the foregoing clauses further includes highlighting the region of interest on the user interface by adding a shadow to the region of interest.

[0084] 4. The method according to any of the foregoing clauses further includes automatically highlighting the region of interest on the user interface when the synthesized image is displayed on the user interface.

[0085] 5. The method according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein displaying the at least one source image on the user interface includes displaying a plurality of source images on the user interface, each of the plurality of source images containing at least one pixel in the region of interest.

[0086] 6. The method according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the synthesized image includes a plurality of regions of interest, and further includes detecting input from a user input device before displaying the at least one source image, wherein the input relates to a first region of interest among the plurality of regions of interest, and wherein displaying the at least one source image on the user interface simultaneously with the synthesized image includes displaying at least one first source image on the user interface simultaneously with the synthesized image, the at least one first source image having at least one pixel in the first region of interest.

[0087] 7. The method according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the user input device is at least one of an optical input device, a tactile input device, and a gesture input device.

[0088] 8. The method according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein displaying the composite image on the user interface comprises projecting the composite image onto a representation of a three-dimensional surface displayed on the user interface.

[0089] 9. The method according to any of the preceding clauses further includes highlighting a first region of interest on the composite image and highlighting a second region of interest on the composite image.

[0090] 10. The method according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein displaying the at least one source image simultaneously with the composite image on the user interface includes initially displaying at least one first source image simultaneously with the composite image on the user interface, the at least one first source image containing at least one pixel in the first region of interest, and further includes transitioning to displaying at least one second source image simultaneously with the composite image on the user interface, the at least one second source image containing at least one pixel in the second region of interest.

[0091] 11. The method according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein displaying the at least one source image simultaneously with the composite image on the user interface includes displaying at least one first source image and at least one second source image simultaneously with the composite image on the user interface, the at least one first source image containing at least one pixel in the first region of interest, and the at least one second source image containing at least one pixel in the second region of interest.

[0092] 12. The method according to any of the preceding clauses further includes indicating at least one boundary of the at least one source image on the synthesized image.

[0093] 13. The method according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the synthesized image includes a plurality of regions of interest, and further includes detecting input from a user input device before indicating the at least one boundary of the at least one source image on the synthesized image, wherein the input signal displays at least one boundary associated with a source image having at least one pixel in a first region of interest.

[0094] 14. The method according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the user input device is at least one of an optical input device, a tactile input device, and a gesture input device.

[0095] 15. The method according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the composite image is an image of a gas turbine engine component.

[0096] 16. The method according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the gas turbine engine component is at least one of rotor blades, stator blades, rotor blade stages, stator blade stages, and combustor bushings.

[0097] 17. The method according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein displaying the composite image includes displaying a portion of the composite image on the user interface such that the remainder of the composite image is not visible on the user interface.

[0098] 18. The method according to any of the foregoing clauses further includes highlighting the region of interest upon receiving user input.

[0099] 19. The method according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the at least one source image is a plurality of source images, and further comprising, when a user directs the user's attention to a corresponding source image among the plurality of source images, zooming in on the corresponding source image on the user interface.

[0100] 20. A method comprising: projecting a composite image onto a representation of a three-dimensional (3D) surface displayed on a user interface to generate a 3D composite image; changing the orientation of the 3D composite image in response to a first user input; identifying a region of interest on the composite image; and simultaneously displaying at least one source image on the user interface along with the composite image, the at least one source image containing at least one pixel in the region of interest.

[0101] 21. The method according to any of the preceding clauses, further comprising automatically highlighting a plurality of regions of interest when the 3D composite image is displayed on the user interface, wherein displaying at least one source image on the user interface simultaneously with the composite image includes displaying at least one first source image on the user interface simultaneously with the composite image, the at least one first source image containing at least one pixel in a first region of interest, and further comprising indicating one or more boundaries of the at least one first source image on the 3D composite image.

[0102] 22. The method according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein identifying the region of interest includes identifying the region of interest based on second user input from a user input device.

[0103] 23. The method according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the first user input is detected by at least one of an optical input device, a tactile input device, and a gesture input device.

[0104] 24. An image display system comprising a user interface including a first segment configured to display a composite image and a second segment configured to display a plurality of source images, each of the plurality of source images containing at least one pixel in a region of interest identified on the composite image displayed in the first segment, wherein the user interface is configured to simultaneously display the composite image and the plurality of source images.

[0105] 25. The image display system according to any of the preceding clauses further includes a user input device.

[0106] 26. The image display system according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the user input device includes at least one of an optical input device, a tactile input device, and a gesture input device.

[0107] This written description uses examples to disclose the subject matter, including best practices, and also enables any person skilled in the art to practice this disclosure, including making and using any device or system and methods of making any combination. The patentable scope of this disclosure is defined by the claims, but may include other examples that would occur to a person skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to fall within the scope of the claims if they include structural elements that are not indistinguishable from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements that are not substantially different from the literal language of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for presenting original image data in conjunction with a synthesized image, characterized in that, include: Select the region of interest on the gas turbine engine component; Receive multiple source images, wherein one or more of the multiple source images visually represent the region of interest; A composite image is generated by stitching together the plurality of source images of the gas turbine engine component. The composite image contains the region of interest, and the region of interest in the composite image has lost detail information compared with the same region of interest presented in one or more of the plurality of source images. Display the composite image on the user interface; When the synthesized image is displayed on the user interface, the region of interest is automatically highlighted on the user interface. One or more source images are displayed simultaneously with the synthesized image on the user interface to visually present the region of interest; Compare the one or more source images with the synthesized image; Based on the comparison, when the one or more source images are displayed on the user interface, the region of interest is automatically highlighted in a portion of the displayed source image, wherein there is a visual difference between the region of interest presented in the synthesized image and the region of interest presented in the one or more source images; The region of interest is analyzed to determine whether damage exists on the gas turbine engine components based on the visual differences; and Based on the analysis, when damage is found on the gas turbine engine components, maintenance operations are arranged and initiated.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Further includes: The region of interest is highlighted on the user interface by outlining its contours.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Further includes: The region of interest is highlighted on the user interface by adding a shadow.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, in, Displaying the one or more source images on the user interface includes displaying a plurality of source images on the user interface, each of the plurality of source images containing at least one pixel in the region of interest.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, in, The synthesized image includes multiple regions of interest, and further includes: Input from the user input device is detected before displaying the one or more source images. The input is related to a first region of interest among the plurality of regions of interest, and The simultaneous display of the one or more source images on the user interface along with the composite image includes simultaneously displaying at least one first source image on the user interface along with the composite image, wherein the at least one first source image has at least one pixel in the first region of interest.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, in, The user input device is at least one of an optical input device, a tactile input device, and a gesture input device.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, in, Displaying the composite image on the user interface includes projecting the composite image onto a representation of a three-dimensional surface displayed on the user interface.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Further includes: A first region of interest is highlighted on the composite image, and a second region of interest is highlighted on the composite image.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, in, Displaying the one or more source images simultaneously with the composite image on the user interface includes initially displaying at least one first source image simultaneously with the composite image on the user interface, the at least one first source image containing at least one pixel in the first region of interest, and further includes: The process transitions to displaying at least one second source image on the user interface simultaneously with the synthesized image, the at least one second source image containing at least one pixel in the second region of interest.

10. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, in, Displaying the one or more source images simultaneously with the composite image on the user interface includes displaying at least one first source image and at least one second source image simultaneously on the user interface with the composite image, wherein the at least one first source image contains at least one pixel in the first region of interest, and the at least one second source image contains at least one pixel in the second region of interest.

11. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Further includes: At least one boundary of the one or more source images is indicated on the composite image.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, in, The synthesized image includes multiple regions of interest, and further includes: Input from the user input device is detected before indicating the at least one boundary of the one or more source images on the synthesized image. In response to the input from the user input device, at least one boundary associated with the source image having at least one pixel in the first region of interest is displayed.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, in, The user input device is at least one of an optical input device, a tactile input device, and a gesture input device.

14. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, This further includes identifying and displaying at least two regions of interest on the one or more source images and the synthesized image.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, in, The at least two regions of interest are highlighted by outlines, and the outlines of the at least two regions of interest are different from each other.

16. A method for presenting original image data with a synthesized image, characterized in that, include: Select the region of interest on the gas turbine engine component; Receive multiple source images, wherein one or more of the multiple source images visually represent the region of interest; A composite image is generated by stitching together the plurality of source images of the gas turbine engine component. The composite image contains the region of interest, and the region of interest in the composite image has lost detail information compared with the same region of interest presented in one or more of the plurality of source images. The composite image is projected onto a representation of a three-dimensional (3D) surface displayed on the user interface to produce a 3D composite image; The orientation of the 3D synthesized image is changed in response to a first user input; When the 3D synthesized image is displayed on the user interface, multiple regions of interest are automatically highlighted; One or more source images are displayed simultaneously on the user interface and the composite image to visually present the region of interest, wherein displaying one or more source images simultaneously on the user interface and the composite image includes displaying at least one first source image simultaneously on the user interface and the composite image, the at least one first source image containing at least one pixel in the first region of interest; Compare the one or more source images with the synthesized image; Mark one or more boundaries of the at least one first source image on the 3D synthesized image; Based on the comparison, when the one or more source images are displayed on the user interface, the region of interest is automatically highlighted in a portion of the displayed source image, wherein there is a visual difference between the region of interest presented in the synthesized image and the region of interest presented in the one or more source images; The region of interest is analyzed to determine whether damage exists on the gas turbine engine components based on the visual differences; and Based on the analysis, when damage is found on the gas turbine engine components, maintenance operations are arranged and initiated.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that, in, Identifying the region of interest includes identifying the region of interest based on second user input from a user input device.

18. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that, in, The first user input is detected by at least one of an optical input device, a tactile input device, and a gesture input device.

19. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that, Identify and display at least two regions of interest on the one or more source images and the synthesized image.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage device, comprising instructions, characterized in that, When executed, the instruction causes one or more processors to perform the following operations: Select the region of interest on the gas turbine engine component; Receive multiple source images, wherein one or more of the multiple source images visually represent the region of interest; A composite image is generated by stitching together the plurality of source images of the gas turbine engine component. The composite image contains the region of interest, and the region of interest in the composite image has lost detail information compared with the same region of interest presented in one or more of the plurality of source images. Display the composite image on the user interface; When the synthesized image is displayed on the user interface, the region of interest is automatically highlighted on the user interface. One or more source images are displayed simultaneously with the synthesized image on the user interface to visually present the region of interest; Compare the one or more source images with the synthesized image; Based on the comparison, when the one or more source images are displayed on the user interface, the region of interest is automatically highlighted in a portion of the displayed source image, wherein there is a visual difference between the region of interest presented in the synthesized image and the region of interest presented in the one or more source images; The region of interest is analyzed to determine whether damage exists on the gas turbine engine components based on the visual differences; and Based on the analysis, when damage is found on the gas turbine engine components, maintenance operations are arranged and initiated.

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