Image processing device, image processing method, and image processing program

Abstract

An image processing apparatus that acquires information corresponding to a spatial frequency in a captured image obtained by capturing an image of a color-developing member that develops a color in a density distribution corresponding to an amount of energy applied; and deriving, on the basis of the acquired information, the amount of energy applied to the chromophoric member for a portion in which the density in the captured image is less than the first threshold value.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, and an image processing program. Background Technology

[0002] Previously, a technique was known to measure the energy value using a color-emitting component that emits color based on the applied energy value. One example of such a color-emitting component is Prescale (registered trademark) (manufactured by FUJIFILMCorporation), which emits color based on applied pressure.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-232665 discloses a technique for converting concentration values ​​obtained by scanning a pressure measuring membrane that emits color during pressurization into pressure values ​​using a conversion table. Summary of the Invention

[0004] -The technical problem that the invention aims to solve-

[0005] When using a color-generating component that generates color based on the amount of energy applied, it is sometimes impossible to accurately derive the energy amount based on the concentration in the photographic image obtained by photographing the color-generating component, depending on the amount of energy applied.

[0006] The present invention was made in view of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide an image processing apparatus, an image processing method and an image processing program that can accurately derive the amount of energy applied to a color-producing component that produces color based on the amount of energy applied.

[0007] -Means used to solve technical problems-

[0008] The image processing apparatus of the first method includes at least one processor that performs the following processing: acquiring information corresponding to the spatial frequency in a photographic image obtained by capturing a color-producing component with a concentration distribution corresponding to the applied energy amount; and deriving the energy amount applied to the color-producing component based on the acquired information for portions of the photographic image with a concentration less than a first threshold.

[0009] Regarding the image processing apparatus of the second method, in the image processing apparatus of the first method, the processor performs the following processing: for the portion of the photographic image with a concentration of 2 or higher, the amount of energy applied to the color-producing component is derived based on the concentration, wherein the second threshold is a value of 1 or higher.

[0010] Regarding the image processing apparatus of the third method, in the image processing apparatus of the second method, the second threshold is a value greater than the first threshold, and for the portion of the photographic image whose concentration is greater than or equal to the first threshold and less than the second threshold, the energy applied to the color-producing component is derived by combining the first energy derived based on the acquired information and the second energy derived based on the concentration.

[0011] Regarding the image processing apparatus of the fourth method, in the image processing apparatus of the third method, for the portion of the photographic image whose concentration is above a first threshold and below a second threshold, the first energy quantity is weighted using a weighting coefficient that decreases as the concentration increases, and the second energy quantity is weighted using a weighting coefficient that increases as the concentration increases, thereby synthesizing the first energy quantity and the second energy quantity.

[0012] Regarding the image processing apparatus of the fifth method, in any of the image processing apparatuses of the first to fourth methods, the information corresponding to the spatial frequency in the photographic image is a component in the photographic image whose spatial frequency is a predetermined value or higher.

[0013] In the image processing method of the sixth method, the processor of the image processing device performs the following processing: acquiring information corresponding to the spatial frequency in the photographic image, which is obtained by capturing a color-producing component with a concentration distribution corresponding to the applied energy amount; and for the portion of the photographic image with a concentration less than a first threshold, deriving the energy amount applied to the color-producing component based on the acquired information.

[0014] The image processing program of the seventh method is used to cause the processor of the image processing device to perform the following processing: acquiring information corresponding to the spatial frequency in the photographic image, which is obtained by photographing a color-producing component with a concentration distribution corresponding to the applied energy amount; and deriving the energy amount applied to the color-producing component based on the acquired information for the portion of the photographic image with a concentration less than a first threshold.

[0015] -Invention Effects-

[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to accurately derive the amount of energy applied to the color-producing component that produces color based on the amount of energy applied. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of the general structure of a pressure measurement system.

[0018] Figure 2 This is an example diagram showing a component with colored hair.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a block diagram representing an example of the hardware structure of an image processing device.

[0020] Figure 4 This is an example of a graph showing the relationship between applied pressure and the density of a photographic image.

[0021] Figure 5 This is a graph representing an example of weighted coefficient data.

[0022] Figure 6 This is a block diagram representing an example of the functional structure of an image processing device.

[0023] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a pressure measurement process. Detailed Implementation

[0024] Hereinafter, examples of embodiments for carrying out the technology of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this embodiment, an example of applying pressure as energy to an object will be described. Examples of objects to which pressure is applied include plate-shaped metal and semiconductor wafers.

[0025] First, refer to Figure 1 The structure of the pressure measuring system 1 according to this embodiment will be described. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the pressure measurement system 1 includes an image processing device 10. Examples of the image processing device 10 include portable computers such as smartphones or tablets. Alternatively, the image processing device 10 can also be a stationary computer.

[0026] like Figure 2 As shown, the pressure measuring system 1 uses a color-emitting component 90 that emits color at a concentration distribution corresponding to the amount of energy applied when energy (pressure in this embodiment) is applied to measure the energy amount. Figure 2 In the example, the area covered by the diagonal line represents the part with color. Specifically, the image processing device 10 uses the camera 40 (reference 40). Figure 3 The color-emitting component 90 is photographed in a color-emitting state by applying energy, and the amount of energy applied to the color-emitting component 90 is derived from the image obtained by the photograph (hereinafter referred to as "photographic image").

[0027] As the color-developing component 90, for example, Prescale (registered trademark) (manufactured by FUJIFILM Corporation) can be used to obtain a color concentration corresponding to the applied pressure. Prescale is a substance containing a color-developing agent and a color developer, which are coated on a sheet-like support. When pressure is applied to Prescale, the microcapsules are broken, and the colorless dye is adsorbed onto the color developer and develops color. Furthermore, the color-developing agent contains various microcapsules of different sizes and strengths, so the color concentration varies depending on the amount of microcapsules broken by the applied pressure. Therefore, by observing the color concentration, the magnitude and pressure distribution of the pressure applied to Prescale can be determined.

[0028] Next, refer to Figure 3 The hardware structure of the image processing apparatus 10 according to this embodiment will be described. For example... Figure 3As shown, the image processing apparatus 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 20, a memory 21 serving as a temporary storage area, and a non-volatile storage unit 22. Furthermore, the image processing apparatus 10 includes a display 23 such as a liquid crystal display, an input device 24 such as a touch panel, a network I / F (Interface) 25 connected to a network, and a camera 40. The CPU 20, memory 21, storage unit 22, display 23, input device 24, network I / F 25, and camera 40 are connected to a bus 27. The CPU 20 is an example of a processor according to the technology of this invention.

[0029] The storage unit 22 is implemented using HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), or flash memory, etc. The storage unit 22, which serves as the storage medium, stores the image processing program 30. After the CPU 20 reads the image processing program 30 from the storage unit 22, it expands it onto the memory 21 and executes the expanded image processing program 30.

[0030] Furthermore, the storage unit 22 stores first characteristic data 32, second characteristic data 34, and weight coefficient data 36. Details regarding the first characteristic data 32, second characteristic data 34, and weight coefficient data 36 will be described later.

[0031] Camera 40 is equipped with an image sensor such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor. Camera 40 captures images of the color-emitting component 90 and outputs the captured image to CPU 20. Alternatively, a scanner can be used instead of camera 40. That is, the image capture described here also includes scanning-based image reading.

[0032] Next, refer to Figure 4 The relationship between the pressure applied to the color-generating member 90 according to this embodiment and the concentration of the color-generating portion in the photographic image obtained by photographing the color-generating member 90 that generates color based on pressure will be explained. Figure 4 The vertical axis represents pressure, and the horizontal axis represents concentration. For example... Figure 4As shown, there is a relationship between concentration and pressure. In the portion where the concentration is less than d0, the pressure increases more sharply relative to the rate of increase in concentration compared to the portion where the concentration is greater than d1. Therefore, when converting the concentration of the photographic image into a pressure value, the error in the pressure value corresponding to the concentration error is larger in the portion where the concentration is less than d0 than in the portion where the concentration is greater than d1. In this case, it is impossible to accurately derive the pressure applied to the color-developing component 90.

[0033] Furthermore, the color-developing component 90 according to this embodiment has the characteristic that, in the portion where the concentration is less than d0, the lower the applied pressure, the higher the graininess in the photographic image. Graininess refers to the roughness of the image. The image processing apparatus 10 according to this embodiment has the function of deriving the pressure value applied to the color-developing component 90 using the first characteristic data 32, the second characteristic data 34, and the weighting coefficient data 36.

[0034] The first characteristic data 32 is data that predetermines the relationship between the amount of energy applied to the color-developing component 90 and the graininess of the photographic image obtained by photographing the color-developing component 90. The energy amount is, for example, a physical quantity corresponding to the energy that can be measured using the color-developing component 90, such as a pressure value that can be appropriately applied.

[0035] The second characteristic data 34 is data that predetermines the relationship between the amount of energy applied to the color-developing component 90 and the concentration of the color-developing component 90 in a photographic image obtained by photographing the color-developing component 90. The energy amount can be, for example, a physical quantity corresponding to the energy that can be measured using the color-developing component 90, such as a pressure value.

[0036] Weight coefficient data 36 is data that defines the weight coefficients used for weighting the first characteristic data 32 and the second characteristic data 34. Figure 5 The image shows an example of weighted coefficient data 36. Figure 5 The vertical axis represents the weighting coefficient, and the horizontal axis represents the concentration. Furthermore, Figure 5 The dashed line represents the weighting coefficient for the first characteristic data 32 (hereinafter referred to as the "first weighting coefficient"), and the solid line represents the weighting coefficient for the second characteristic data 34 (hereinafter referred to as the "second weighting coefficient").

[0037] The first weighting coefficient is 1.0 when the concentration is less than d0, and 0 when the concentration is greater than d1. When the concentration is greater than d0 but less than d1, the higher the concentration, the smaller the first weighting coefficient. The second weighting coefficient is 0 when the concentration is less than d0, and 1 when the concentration is greater than d1. When the concentration is greater than d0 but less than d1, the higher the concentration, the larger the second weighting coefficient. That is, only the first characteristic data 32 is used when the concentration is less than d0, and only the second characteristic data 34 is used when the concentration is greater than d1.

[0038] Next, refer to Figure 6 The functional structure of the image processing apparatus 10 according to this embodiment will be described. For example... Figure 6 As shown, the image processing apparatus 10 includes a camera control unit 50, an acquisition unit 52, and an export unit 54. The image processing program 30 is executed by the CPU 20, which functions as the camera control unit 50, the acquisition unit 52, and the export unit 54.

[0039] The user inputs instructions to photograph the color-generating component 90 via the input device 24. If the user inputs photographing instructions, the photography control unit 50 controls the camera 40 to capture an image of the color-generating component 90.

[0040] The acquisition unit 52 acquires photographic images obtained by photographing the color-generating component 90 under the control of the photography control unit 50.

[0041] The extraction unit 54 extracts information (hereinafter referred to as "spatial frequency information") corresponding to the spatial frequencies in the photographic image acquired by the acquisition unit 52. Specifically, the extraction unit 54 extracts the spatial frequency information by applying a filter to the photographic image that allows components with spatial frequencies of a predetermined value or higher to pass through. That is, the spatial frequency information involved in this embodiment refers to components in the photographic image with spatial frequencies of a predetermined value or higher. In this case, the lower limit value of the extracted spatial frequency is predetermined through experiments or the like. The spatial frequency information thus obtained represents the graininess of the image.

[0042] For example, the detection target of the granular structure in the photographic image according to this embodiment is set as a particle with a diameter of 0.1 mm or more and less than 0.5 mm. In this case, the extraction unit 54 obtains spatial frequency information by applying a filter to the photographic image that can extract components with spatial frequencies higher than 0.5 [cycle / mm].

[0043] For example, when the resolution of the photographic image is 300 dpi (dots per inch), the export unit 54 can use a 3×3 pixel Laplacian filter. Alternatively, the export unit 54 can use a spatial filter, such as one that reduces high-frequency components, to distinguish between noise contained in the photographic image and the granular structure of the object being detected. For example, the export unit 54 can calculate the difference between the result obtained by applying a 7×7 pixel averaging filter to a 300 dpi photographic image and the result obtained by applying a 3×3 pixel averaging filter, thus achieving both noise reduction and granular structure extraction.

[0044] Furthermore, for example, the extraction unit 54 can also apply an edge detection filter such as a Prewitt filter to the photographic image. In this case, the extraction unit 54 can extract the granular structure by calculating the sum of the absolute values ​​of the outputs of the horizontal and vertical Prewitt filters in the photographic image. The Prewitt filter can be, for example, 5×5 pixels or more and 9×9 pixels or less in size.

[0045] For the portion of the photographic image with a concentration less than a first threshold, the derivation unit 54 derives the pressure value applied to the color-emitting component 90 based on the acquired spatial frequency information. The first threshold is, for example, the concentration d0 mentioned above. Specifically, for pixels in the photographic image with a concentration less than the first threshold, the derivation unit 54 uses the first characteristic data 32 to convert the spatial frequency information into a pressure value, thereby deriving the pressure value.

[0046] Furthermore, for portions of the photographic image with a concentration of 2 or higher than the second threshold, the extraction unit 54 extracts the pressure value applied to the color-generating component 90 based on the concentration, where the second threshold is greater than the first threshold. The second threshold is, for example, the concentration d1 described above. Specifically, for pixels in the photographic image with a concentration of 2 or higher than the second threshold, the extraction unit 54 uses the second characteristic data 34 to convert the concentration into a pressure value, thereby extracting the pressure value. Additionally, the second threshold may be equal to the first threshold.

[0047] Furthermore, for the portion of the photographic image where the concentration is above a first threshold but below a second threshold, the extraction unit 54 extracts the pressure value applied to the color-developing component 90 by combining a first pressure value extracted based on spatial frequency information and a second pressure value extracted based on concentration. Specifically, the extraction unit 54 uses first characteristic data 32 to convert spatial frequency information into a pressure value, thereby extracting the first pressure value. The extraction unit 54 also uses second characteristic data 34 to convert concentration into a pressure value, thereby extracting the second pressure value. Moreover, the extraction unit 54 uses weighting coefficient data 36 to weight the first pressure value using a first weighting coefficient that decreases as concentration increases, and to weight the second pressure value using a second weighting coefficient that increases as concentration increases. Thus, the extraction unit 54 combines the first and second pressure values.

[0048] Next, refer to Figure 7 The operation of the image processing apparatus 10 according to this embodiment will be explained. The image processing program 30 is executed by the CPU 20. Figure 7 The pressure measurement process is shown. Figure 7 The pressure measurement process shown is performed, for example, when the user inputs a photography instruction via input device 24.

[0049] exist Figure 7 In step S10, the photography control unit 50 controls the camera 40 to capture an image of the color-generating component 90. In step S12, the acquisition unit 52 acquires the photographic image obtained by capturing the color-generating component 90 through the control in step S10.

[0050] In step S14, as described above, the extraction unit 54 acquires spatial frequency information from the photographic image obtained in step S12. In step S16, as described above, for portions of the photographic image with a concentration less than a first threshold, the extraction unit 54 extracts the pressure value applied to the color-developing component 90 based on the spatial frequency information. Furthermore, as described above, for portions of the photographic image with a concentration greater than or equal to a second threshold, the extraction unit 54 extracts the pressure value applied to the color-developing component 90 based on the concentration. Furthermore, as described above, for portions of the photographic image with a concentration greater than or equal to the first threshold and less than the second threshold, the extraction unit 54 extracts the pressure value applied to the color-developing component 90 by combining the first pressure value extracted based on the spatial frequency information and the second pressure value extracted based on the concentration. If the processing in step S16 is completed, the pressure measurement process ends.

[0051] As explained above, according to this embodiment, the amount of energy applied to the color-generating component 90 can be accurately derived.

[0052] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the camera 40 can capture images of the color-producing component 90 and the color patch image while a black patch image is disposed outside the color-producing component 90. In this case, the photography control unit 50 can determine the focus state based on the contrast value of the patch image portion in the photographic image captured by the camera 40. For example, if the blur level of the photographic image is within a correctable range, the photography control unit 50 can correct the blur level of the photographic image. And, for example, if the blur level of the photographic image is outside a correctable range, the photography control unit 50 can display a message urging a retake on the display 23, thereby informing the user of the request to retake the image.

[0053] Furthermore, while the above embodiments describe the application of pressure as the energy applied to the object, the disclosed technology is not limited to this method. For example, heat or ultraviolet light can also be used as the energy applied to the object. When heat is used as the energy applied to the object, THERMOSCALE (trade name) (manufactured by FUJIFILM Corporation) can be used as the color-emitting component 90, as it emits color based on heat. And when ultraviolet light is used as the energy applied to the object, UVSCALE (product name) (manufactured by FUJIFILM Corporation) can be used as the color-emitting component 90, as it emits color based on the amount of ultraviolet light.

[0054] Furthermore, in the above embodiments, for example, as the hardware structure of the processing unit that performs various processes like the various functional units of the image processing apparatus 10, various processors as shown below can be used. As described above, among the various processors, in addition to general-purpose processors that execute software (programs) to perform various processing functions, namely CPUs, processors that can change their circuit structure after manufacturing, such as FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays), i.e., Programmable Logic Devices (PLDs), and processors that have circuit structures specifically designed for performing specific processes, such as ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), i.e., dedicated circuits.

[0055] A processing unit can be composed of one of these various processors, or it can be composed of a combination of two or more processors of the same or different types (e.g., a combination of multiple FPGAs or a combination of a CPU and an FPGA). Furthermore, multiple processing units can also be composed of a single processor.

[0056] As examples of a single processor comprising multiple processing units, firstly, there are forms such as client and server computers, where a single processor is composed of one or more CPUs and software, functioning as multiple processing units. Secondly, there are forms such as System-on-Chip (SoC), where a single IC (Integrated Circuit) chip implements the overall system functionality, including multiple processing units. Thus, various processing units are constructed using one or more of these processors as the hardware structure.

[0057] Furthermore, as the hardware structure of these various processors, more specifically, a circuit composed of circuit elements such as semiconductor elements can be used.

[0058] Furthermore, while the above embodiment describes the method of pre-storing (installing) the image processing program 30 in the storage unit 22, it is not a limitation. The image processing program 30 may also be provided on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disc Read Only Memory), or USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory. Additionally, the image processing program 30 may be configured to be downloaded from an external device via a network.

[0059] The entire contents of Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-144648, filed on September 6, 2023, are incorporated herein by reference. Furthermore, all documents, patent applications, and technical standards described in this specification are incorporated herein by reference to the same extent that each document, patent application, and technical standard is specifically and individually described and incorporated herein by reference. Claims (as amended under Article 19 of the Treaty) 1. An image processing apparatus comprising at least one processor, said processor performing the following processing: Acquire information corresponding to the spatial frequencies in a photographic image obtained by capturing a color-developing component exhibiting a color distribution corresponding to the applied energy amount; and For the portion of the photographic image where the concentration is less than a first threshold, the amount of energy applied to the color-producing component is derived based on the acquired information. 2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The processor performs the following processing: For the portion of the photographic image where the concentration is above a second threshold, the amount of energy applied to the color-producing component is derived based on the concentration, where the second threshold is a value above the first threshold. 3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, The second threshold is a value greater than the first threshold. For the portion of the photographic image where the concentration is above the first threshold and below the second threshold, the energy applied to the color-producing component is derived by combining a first energy quantity derived based on the acquired information and a second energy quantity derived based on the concentration. 4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, For the portion of the photographic image where the concentration is above the first threshold and below the second threshold, the first energy quantity is weighted using a weighting coefficient that decreases as the concentration increases, and the second energy quantity is weighted using a weighting coefficient that increases as the concentration increases, thereby synthesizing the first energy quantity and the second energy quantity. 5. The image processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The information corresponding to the spatial frequency in the photographic image is the component in the photographic image whose spatial frequency is above a certain limit. 6. An image processing method, wherein the processor of the image processing apparatus performs the following processing: Acquire information corresponding to the spatial frequencies in a photographic image obtained by capturing a color-developing component exhibiting a color distribution corresponding to the applied energy amount; and For the portion of the photographic image where the concentration is less than a first threshold, the amount of energy applied to the color-producing component is derived based on the acquired information. 7. An image processing program for causing a processor in an image processing apparatus to perform the following processing: Acquire information corresponding to the spatial frequencies in a photographic image obtained by capturing a color-developing component exhibiting a color distribution corresponding to the applied energy amount; and For the portion of the photographic image where the concentration is less than a first threshold, the amount of energy applied to the color-producing component is derived based on the acquired information. 8. (Additionally) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The information corresponding to the spatial frequency indicates the graininess in the photographic image. The processor performs the following processing: For the portion of the photographic image where the concentration is less than the first threshold, the acquired information is converted into the energy amount using characteristic data that determines the relationship between the energy amount and the graininess of the photographic image, thereby deriving the energy amount applied to the color-producing component. 9. (Additionally) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The processor performs the following processing: For the portion of the photographic image with a concentration less than the first threshold, the acquired information is converted into the energy amount, thereby deriving the energy amount applied to the color-producing component. 10. (Additionally) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, For portions of the photographic image with a concentration less than a first threshold, the concentration is not used, and the amount of energy applied to the color-producing component is derived based on the acquired information.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus including at least one processor that executes processes of: acquiring information corresponding to a spatial frequency in a photographed image that is obtained by photographing a color-developed member developed in a concentration distribution corresponding to an amount of energy applied; and deriving, for a portion in the photographed image in which the concentration is less than a first threshold value, the amount of energy applied to the color-developed member based on the acquired information.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor executes processes of: deriving, for a portion in the photographed image in which the concentration is equal to or more than a second threshold value that is a value more than the first threshold value, the amount of energy applied to the color-developed member based on the concentration.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second threshold value is a value more than the first threshold value, and the processor derives, for a portion in the photographed image in which the concentration is more than the first threshold value and less than the second threshold value, the amount of energy applied to the color-developed member by synthesizing a first amount of energy derived based on the acquired information and a second amount of energy derived based on the concentration.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the processor synthesizes the first amount of energy and the second amount of energy by weighting the first amount of energy with a weight coefficient that decreases as the concentration increases and weighting the second amount of energy with a weight coefficient that increases as the concentration increases, for the portion in the photographed image in which the concentration is more than the first threshold value and less than the second threshold value.

5. The image processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the information corresponding to the spatial frequency in the photographed image is a component in which the spatial frequency in the photographed image is a prescribed value or more.

6. An image processing method in which a processor included in an image processing apparatus executes processes of: acquiring information corresponding to a spatial frequency in a photographed image that is obtained by photographing a color-developed member developed in a concentration distribution corresponding to an amount of energy applied; and deriving, for a portion in the photographed image in which the concentration is less than a first threshold value, the amount of energy applied to the color-developed member based on the acquired information.

7. An image processing program for causing a processor included in an image processing apparatus to execute processes of: acquiring information corresponding to a spatial frequency in a photographed image that is obtained by photographing a color-developed member developed in a concentration distribution corresponding to an amount of energy applied; and deriving, for a portion in the photographed image in which the concentration is less than a first threshold value, the amount of energy applied to the color-developed member based on the acquired information. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

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