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

Abstract

An image display processing device according to the present invention comprises at least one processor. The processor: receives the designation of a position on a display screen for a three-dimensional image that includes a plurality of objects; determines a target object that is to be the target of a display operation from among the plurality of objects on the basis of the designated position in accordance with a preset priority order, or presents at least one of a plurality of objects that overlap in the depth direction at the designated position and a plurality of objects that include the designated position within the area thereof as candidates for the target object; and receives input for a display operation with respect to the target object.

Description

Image display processing device, image display processing method and program

[0001] The disclosed technology relates to an image display processing device, an image display processing method, and a program.

[0002] The following techniques are known as techniques related to image display processing. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-000863 describes a medical image processing system that includes a display device that displays images, an input device that accepts input from an operator, a data storage unit that stores at least one data set that can create a three-dimensional image that represents the three-dimensional arrangement of a plurality of anatomical structures, and an image display control unit that controls the display of images on the display device in accordance with the input accepted by the input device.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2014-90807 describes a medical image diagnostic device that includes: a first designation unit that designates a position within a three-dimensional image that is a rendering result of volume data including a first region and a second region that covers at least a portion of the first region, in response to input from an input unit; a setting unit that variably sets the transparency of the second region in response to movement of the position designated by the first designation unit; and a first display control unit that renders the volume data based on the transparency set by the setting unit and controls the display of the three-dimensional image obtained by the rendering on a display unit.

[0004] In a system that handles three-dimensional images containing multiple three-dimensional objects, display operations are performed on a specific object selected from the multiple objects. "Display operations" include, for example, switching the display of the object to be operated on, setting the transparency, rotating, moving, and adding information (annotations, textures), etc.

[0005] In particular, in medical three-dimensional images such as CT (Computed Tomography) images, a plurality of objects corresponding to structures of interest such as blood vessels, organs, and tumors are arranged in a complex and intricate manner, making it cumbersome to select an object to be operated on (hereinafter referred to as a target object) from among the plurality of objects in such three-dimensional images.

[0006] For example, the selection and operation of a target object is performed, for example, according to the following procedure. The following description illustrates an example of setting the transparency of a specific object included in a three-dimensional image. The transparency is set using a UI (User Interface) in a list format that lists the identification names or identification colors of all objects included in the three-dimensional image. This UI is displayed in an area on the display screen separate from the display area of ​​the three-dimensional image. The user selects one of the multiple identification names or identification colors listed in the list that corresponds to the object for which the transparency is to be set. The user then sets the transparency of the selected object using a UI for operating a slider bar or entering a numerical value.

[0007] According to the above aspect, in order to select a target object from among a plurality of objects included in a three-dimensional image, the user needs to move their line of sight or the mouse from the target object to the UI, which interrupts the user's thinking. In addition, the user needs to recognize the correspondence between the plurality of objects included in the three-dimensional image and the identification names or identification colors displayed on the list before selecting and operating the target object, and incorrect recognition of the correspondence can lead to operational errors.

[0008] The disclosed technology has been developed in consideration of the above points, and aims to reduce the burden on the user when selecting a target object to be subjected to display-related operations from among multiple objects contained in a three-dimensional image.

[0009] The image processing device related to the disclosed technology is an image display processing device having at least one processor, which accepts a specification of a position on a display screen of a three-dimensional image including multiple objects, and based on the specified position, determines a target object from among the multiple objects that is the subject of display-related operations according to a predetermined priority, or presents at least one of multiple objects that are overlapping in the depth direction at the specified position and multiple objects that include the specified position within the area of ​​the object as candidate target objects, and accepts input for display-related operations regarding the target object.

[0010] The processor may present the candidate target objects as a list of identification names of multiple objects that are candidate target objects. The processor may display the list near the specified position. The processor may present the identification names listed in the list in an order corresponding to the arrangement order in the depth direction of the multiple objects that overlap in the depth direction.

[0011] The processor may determine, as a target object or present as a candidate for the target object, an object selected from among a plurality of objects that overlap in the depth direction at the specified position and / or a plurality of objects that include the specified position within a region of the object in accordance with a predetermined priority. The processor may determine, as a target object, a priority for at least one of a plurality of objects that overlap in the depth direction at the specified position and / or a plurality of objects that include the specified position within a region of the object, based on a transparency set for each of the plurality of objects.

[0012] The processor may present all objects included in the three-dimensional image as candidates for the target object when there is no object displayed at the specified position. The processor may present all objects included in the three-dimensional image that are set to hidden as candidates for the target object when there is no object displayed at the specified position.

[0013] The operation related to the display of the target object may include at least one of switching between display and non-display, setting transparency, rotating, moving, and adding information to the target object. The processor may accept input by a mouse operation or a touch operation after the target object is determined as input for an operation related to the display of the target object. The processor may display a user interface for an operation related to the display of the determined target object near the target object.

[0014] The image display processing method according to the disclosed technology accepts a specification of a position on a display screen of a three-dimensional image including multiple objects, and based on the specified position, determines a target object from among the multiple objects that is the subject of a display-related operation according to a predetermined priority, or presents at least one of multiple objects that overlap in the depth direction at the specified position and multiple objects that include the specified position within the area of ​​the object as candidate target objects, and at least one processor provided in the image display processing device executes a process of accepting input for display-related operations regarding the target object.

[0015] The program relating to the disclosed technology is a program for causing at least one processor provided in an image display processing device to execute a process of accepting a specification of a position on a display screen of a three-dimensional image including multiple objects, determining a target object from among the multiple objects that is the subject of a display-related operation based on the specified position according to a predetermined priority, or presenting at least one of multiple objects that are overlapping in the depth direction at the specified position and multiple objects that include the specified position within the area of ​​the object as candidate target objects, and accepting input for display-related operations regarding the target object.

[0016] According to the disclosed technology, it is possible to reduce the burden on the user when selecting a target object to be operated on display from among a plurality of objects included in a three-dimensional image.

[0017] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an image management system according to an embodiment of the disclosed technology. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an image display processing device according to an embodiment of the disclosed technology. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an image display processing device according to an embodiment of the disclosed technology. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a display form of a three-dimensional image according to an embodiment of the disclosed technology. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a display form of a three-dimensional image according to an embodiment of the disclosed technology. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a display form of a three-dimensional image according to an embodiment of the disclosed technology. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a display form of a three-dimensional image according to an embodiment of the disclosed technology. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a display form of a three-dimensional image according to an embodiment of the disclosed technology. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of processing executed in an image display processing device according to an embodiment of the disclosed technology. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display form of a three-dimensional image according to an embodiment of the disclosed technology. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a display form of a three-dimensional image according to a comparative example.

[0018] Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the disclosed technology will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or equivalent components and parts are given the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an image management system 1 according to an embodiment of the disclosed technology. The image management system 1 includes a server 20 and an image display processing device 10. The image management system 1 may be, for example, a PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System), and the server 20 may be, for example, an image server that stores and manages medical images such as X-ray images, CT images, and MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) images. The image display processing device 10 is connected to the server 20 via a network 30 and is a viewer terminal that can read and display images stored in the server 20. The image display processing device 10 performs processing related to the display of a three-dimensional image including a plurality of three-dimensional objects.

[0020] 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the image display processing device 10. The image display processing device 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 102, a non-volatile memory 103, an input device 104 including a keyboard and a mouse, a display 105, and a network interface 106. These pieces of hardware are connected to a bus 108.

[0021] The display 105 may be a touch panel display. The network interface 106 is an interface for connecting the image display processing device 10 to the network 30.

[0022] The non-volatile memory 103 is a non-volatile storage medium such as a hard disk or flash memory. An image display processing program 110 is stored in the non-volatile memory 103. The RAM 102 is a work memory for the CPU 101 to execute processing. The CPU 101 loads the image display processing program 110 into the RAM 102 and executes processing in accordance with the image display processing program 110. The CPU 101 is an example of a "processor" in the disclosed technology.

[0023] 3 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the image display processing device 10. The image display processing device 10 has an image acquisition unit 11, an image display unit 12, a position designation acceptance unit 13, a candidate presentation unit 14, a target object determination unit 15, and an object operation unit 16. When the CPU 101 executes the image display processing program 110, the image display processing device 10 functions as the image acquisition unit 11, the image display unit 12, the position designation acceptance unit 13, the candidate presentation unit 14, the target object determination unit 15, and the object operation unit 16.

[0024] The image acquisition unit 11 acquires a three-dimensional image to be processed by the image display processing device 10, based on an instruction from a user given via the input device 104. The image acquisition unit 11 may acquire the three-dimensional image to be processed by downloading it from the server 20. Furthermore, if the image to be processed is stored in the non-volatile memory 103, the image to be processed may be read out from the non-volatile memory 103 and acquired.

[0025] The image display unit 12 displays the three-dimensional image acquired by the image acquisition unit 11 on the display 105. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a three-dimensional image 40 displayed on the display 105. FIG. 4 illustrates a three-dimensional image 40 of the liver and its surroundings generated based on a CT image. The three-dimensional image 40 includes a plurality of three-dimensionally displayed objects 41 corresponding to the liver, tumor, resection area, artery, vein, portal vein, inferior vena cava, and bile duct, respectively. In the three-dimensional image 40, the plurality of objects 41 are associated in advance with information indicating which anatomical type each corresponds to. This association can be achieved, for example, by using a known segmentation technique. The image display unit 12 may display the plurality of objects 41 in different colors.

[0026] In the image display processing device 10, it is possible to perform display-related operations on multiple objects 41 individually. "Display-related operations" include, for example, switching between display and non-display, setting transparency, rotating, moving, and adding information (annotations, textures) to the target object. The user can specify an object (hereinafter referred to as a target object) that is the target of a display-related operation. The target object can be specified, for example, by pointing to the display position of the target object on the screen on which the three-dimensional image 40 is displayed using a mouse pointer (mouse cursor). Furthermore, if the display 105 is a touch panel display, the target object may be specified by a touch operation. The position specification receiving unit 13 receives a specification of a position on the display screen of the three-dimensional image 40 by a user operation.

[0027] The target object determination unit 15 determines a corresponding object based on the position specification accepted by the position specification accepting unit 13. When only one object exists at the specified position, the target object determination unit 15 determines the one object existing at the specified position as the target object. For example, when position P1 shown in FIG. 5 is specified, the target object determination unit 15 determines an object corresponding to "liver" as the target object based on the specification of position P1.

[0028] 6 illustrates an example of a three-dimensional image 40 in which an object corresponding to the "liver" is hidden. When a position P2 shown in FIG. 6 is specified, the target object determination unit 15 determines an object corresponding to the "vein" as the target object based on the specification of the position P2.

[0029] On the other hand, if multiple objects are present at the specified position overlapping in the depth direction, the target object determination unit 15 determines the target object after the candidate presentation unit 14, described below, presents candidate target objects and the user selects and specifies the target object.

[0030] When multiple objects are overlapping in the depth direction at the position specified by the position specification receiving unit 13, the candidate presentation unit 14 presents the multiple objects that are overlapping in the depth direction at the specified position as candidates for the target object.

[0031] For example, if a "tumor" and a "vein" overlap at a specified position P3 shown in FIG. 7 , the candidate presentation unit 14 sets each of the objects corresponding to the "tumor" and the "vein" as a candidate target object based on the designation of the position P3. The candidate presentation unit 14 presents the candidate target objects in the form of a list 50A listing the identification names ("tumor" and "vein") of the objects corresponding to the "tumor" and the "vein" that are designated as candidate target objects. The list 50A is displayed near the designated position P3.

[0032] 7 , the candidate presentation unit 14 determines each of the objects corresponding to the "vein," "portal vein," and "inferior vena cava" as a candidate target object based on the designation of the position P4. The candidate presentation unit 14 presents the candidate target objects in the form of a list 50B listing the identification names ("vein," "portal vein," and "inferior vena cava") of the objects corresponding to the "vein," "portal vein," and "inferior vena cava" that are designated as candidate target objects. The list 50B is displayed near the designated position P4.

[0033] The candidate presentation unit 14 may present the identification names of the objects listed in the list in an order corresponding to the arrangement order in the depth direction of the multiple objects that overlap in the depth direction. For example, the candidate presentation unit 14 may present a list in which the identification names of the objects are arranged from top to bottom in order from the object closest to the front to the object closest to the back.

[0034] Furthermore, the candidate presentation unit 14 presents, as candidates for the target object, a plurality of objects whose area includes the position related to the specification accepted by the position specification accepting unit 13. That is, when the specified position is included in the area of ​​the first object and also in the area of ​​the second object, the first and second objects are each presented as candidates for the target object.

[0035] For example, each of the objects corresponding to the "liver" and "resection area" that include the specified position P5 shown in Fig. 8 is set as a candidate for the target object. The candidate presentation unit 14 presents the candidate for the target object in the form of a list 50C that lists the identification names ("liver" and "resection area") of the objects corresponding to the "liver" and "resection area" that are set as the candidate for the target object. The list 50C is displayed near the specified position P5.

[0036] The user can select an object to be the target object from among multiple objects presented as candidate target objects. The object selection can be performed using the input device 104. For example, an object may be selected by performing a predetermined mouse operation with the mouse pointer positioned on the list. More specifically, multiple objects listed in the list may be toggle-selected by right-clicking with the mouse pointer positioned on the list, followed by long-clicking, operating the mouse wheel, or operating a shortcut key. The target object determination unit 15 determines the target object based on the selection specification of the object to be the target object.

[0037] The object operation unit 16 accepts input for an operation related to the display of the target object determined by the target object determination unit 15. After determining the target object, the user can instruct an operation related to the display of the target object, for example, by operating the mouse or touching the screen. The object operation unit 16 accepts input by operating the mouse or touching the screen after the target object has been determined as input for an operation related to the display of the target object. For example, when a drag operation is performed with the mouse after the target object has been determined, the object operation unit 16 may change the transparency of the target object in accordance with the amount of operation, and reflect this in the display of the three-dimensional image 40.

[0038] The object operating unit 16 may display an operation UI for performing operations related to the display of the determined target object near the target object. Fig. 9 shows an example in which an operation UI 60 for setting the transparency of an object 41 corresponding to a "resection area" that has been set as the target object is displayed near the object 41 corresponding to the "resection area." The user can set the transparency of the object 41 corresponding to the "resection area" by operating the operation UI 60. The object operating unit 16 sets the transparency of the object 41 corresponding to the "resection area" to a value specified by operating the operation UI 60, and reflects the value in the display of the three-dimensional image 40.

[0039] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing carried out by the CPU 101 executing the image display processing program 110.

[0040] In step S1, the image acquisition unit 11 acquires a three-dimensional image to be processed by the image display processing device 10, based on an instruction from the user given via the input device 104. In step S2, the image display unit 12 displays the three-dimensional image acquired in step S1 on the display 105. In step S3, the position specification receiving unit 13 receives a specification of a position on the display screen of the three-dimensional image by a user operation.

[0041] In step S4, the CPU 101 determines whether or not multiple objects overlap in the depth direction at the position specified in step S3. If it is determined that multiple objects overlap in the depth direction at the specified position, the process proceeds to step S5, and if it is determined that multiple objects do not overlap in the depth direction at the specified position, the process proceeds to step S7.

[0042] In step S5, the candidate presentation unit 14 determines, as candidates for the target object, a plurality of objects that overlap in the depth direction at the specified position. The candidate presentation unit 14 also determines, as candidates for the target object, a plurality of objects that include the specified position within the area of ​​the object. The candidate presentation unit 14 displays, near the specified position, a list listing the identification names of the plurality of objects that have been determined to be candidates for the target object.

[0043] In step S6, the target object determination unit 15 accepts a selection designation of an object to be set as the target object from among the plurality of objects presented as candidate target objects.

[0044] If it is determined in step S4 that multiple objects do not overlap in the depth direction, the target object determination unit 15 determines one object that exists at the specified position as the target object in step S7. On the other hand, if a selection specification of an object is accepted in step S6, the target object determination unit 15 determines in step S7 the object related to the selection specification from among the multiple objects presented as candidate target objects in step S5 as the target object.

[0045] In step S8, the object operating unit 16 accepts input for operations related to display of the object determined as the target object in step S7. Based on the accepted input, the object operating unit 16 performs operations related to the display of the target object (switching between display and non-display, setting transparency, rotation, movement, and addition of information).

[0046] The following describes a modified example of the image display processing device 10. A priority order may be set for each of the multiple objects included in the three-dimensional image with regard to the selection of the target object and the presentation of candidates. In this case, the target object determination unit 15 may determine, as the target object, an object to be selected from the multiple objects that are overlapping in the depth direction at the specified position and / or the multiple objects that include the specified position within the area of ​​the object, according to a preset priority order.

[0047] For example, if the "vein," "portal vein," and "inferior vena cava" overlap at the specified position P4 shown in Figure 7, and the highest priority is set for the object corresponding to the "portal vein" among these parts, the target object determination unit 15 may determine the object corresponding to the "portal vein" as the target object based on the specification of position P4.

[0048] Furthermore, for example, when a relatively high priority is set for the object corresponding to the "resection area" among the objects corresponding to the "liver" and the "resection area" that include the specified position P5 shown in Figure 8 within their areas, the target object determination unit 15 may determine the object corresponding to the "resection area" as the target object based on the specification of position P5.

[0049] In addition, the candidate presentation unit 14 may present, as a candidate for the target object, an object selected from among a plurality of objects that are overlapping in the depth direction at the specified position and / or a plurality of objects that include the specified position within the area of ​​the object, according to a predetermined priority order.

[0050] For example, if the "vein," "portal vein," and "inferior vena cava" overlap at the specified position P4 shown in Figure 7, and among these parts, the objects corresponding to the "vein" and "portal vein" have a relatively high priority and the object corresponding to the "inferior vena cava" has a relatively low priority, the candidate presentation unit 14 may present the objects corresponding to the "vein" and "portal vein" as candidates for the target object based on the specification of position P4.

[0051] The priority may be arbitrarily set by the user based on anatomical importance, etc. Furthermore, the priority may be determined based on the transparency set for each of multiple objects that overlap in the depth direction at a specified position and / or multiple objects that include the specified position within the area of ​​the object. A transparency may be set for each of multiple objects included in a three-dimensional image. The transparency is the degree of transparency of the display color of the object. The higher the transparency, the higher the transparency of the object and the greater the visibility of objects behind it. The image display processing device 10 may assign a higher priority to an object with a lower transparency set for that object. For example, if a "vein," a "portal vein," and an "inferior vena cava" overlap at a specified position P4 shown in FIG. 7 , and the object corresponding to the "portal vein" has the lowest transparency, the target object determination unit 15 may determine the object corresponding to the "portal vein" as the target object based on the designation of position P4.

[0052] Furthermore, when no object is displayed at a specified position, the candidate presentation unit 14 may present all objects included in the three-dimensional image as candidate target objects. Note that "when no object is displayed at a specified position" includes both cases where no object is present at the specified position and cases where an object present at the specified position is set to hidden. For example, as shown in FIG. 11 , the candidate presentation unit 14 may present candidate target objects in the form of a list 50D listing the identification names of all objects included in the three-dimensional image 40, including "liver," "resection area," "tumor," "vein," "artery," "portal vein," "inferior vena cava," and "bile duct," based on the designation of a position P6 where no object is displayed. The list 50D is displayed near the specified position P6.

[0053] Furthermore, if there is no object displayed at a specified position, the candidate presentation unit 14 may present all objects included in the three-dimensional image that are set to be hidden as candidate target objects. For example, if objects corresponding to "liver" and "resection area" are set to be hidden, the candidate presentation unit 14 may present candidate target objects in the form of a list 50E that lists the identification names of all objects set to be hidden, such as "liver" and "resection area," based on the designation of a position P7 where no displayed object exists, as shown in FIG. 12 . The list 50E is displayed near the specified position P7.

[0054] As described above, the image display processing device 10 according to an embodiment of the disclosed technology accepts a specification of a position on a display screen of a three-dimensional image including multiple objects, and based on the specified position, determines a target object from among the multiple objects that is the target of a display-related operation according to a predetermined priority, or presents at least one of multiple objects that overlap in the depth direction at the specified position and multiple objects that include the specified position within the area of ​​the object as candidates for the target object, and accepts input for display-related operations regarding the target object.

[0055] An example of a procedure for selecting and operating a target object in a system according to a comparative example will now be described with reference to FIG. 13 . The following description illustrates an example in which transparency is set for a specific object included in a three-dimensional image. The transparency is set using a UI 51 in a list format that lists the identification names or identification colors of all objects included in the three-dimensional image 40. This UI 51 is displayed in an area of ​​the display screen separate from the display area for the three-dimensional image 40. The user selects one of the identification names listed in the UI 51 that corresponds to the object for which transparency is to be set. The user then sets the transparency for the selected object using a UI 52 for operating a slider bar or entering a numerical value.

[0056] According to the above comparative example, in order to select a target object from among the plurality of objects included in the three-dimensional image 40, the user must move their line of sight or the mouse from the target object to the UI 51, which interrupts the user's thinking. In addition, the user must recognize the correspondence between the plurality of objects included in the three-dimensional image 40 and the identification names displayed on the list on the UI 51 before selecting and operating the target object, and incorrect recognition of the correspondence can lead to operational errors.

[0057] On the other hand, according to the image display processing device 10 of the embodiment of the disclosed technology, the target object is automatically determined or candidate target objects are presented, thereby minimizing the user's eye movement and mouse movement required for selecting the target object and reducing the burden on the user when selecting the target object. This prevents the user's thoughts from being interrupted, thereby improving workability. Furthermore, according to the image display processing device 10, when selecting and operating the target object, the user does not need to recognize the correspondence between multiple objects included in the three-dimensional image and their identification names and identification colors, or this burden can be minimized, thereby reducing the occurrence of operational errors due to incorrect recognition of the correspondence.

[0058] Furthermore, according to the image display processing device 10, at least one of a plurality of objects that overlap in the depth direction at the specified position and a plurality of objects that include the specified position within the area of ​​the object is presented as a candidate target object, making it possible to limit the candidate target objects while including appropriate objects in the candidate target objects.

[0059] Furthermore, according to the image display processing device 10, candidate target objects are presented as a list listing the identification names of multiple objects that are candidate target objects. The list is displayed near a specified position. The identification names listed in the list are presented in an order corresponding to the depthwise arrangement order of multiple objects that overlap in the depth direction. This makes it easy to understand the candidate target objects and select a target object from the candidates.

[0060] Furthermore, according to the image display processing device 10 of this embodiment, input by mouse operation or touch operation after a target object is determined is accepted as input for operations related to the display of the target object. Alternatively, a user interface for operations related to the display of the determined target object is displayed near the target object. This makes it possible to perform operations related to the display of the corresponding object without moving the eye or the mouse.

[0061] 13 , it is necessary to secure a display area dedicated to the UIs 51 and 52, which narrows the display area for the 3D image 40. On the other hand, with the image display processing device 10 according to the present embodiment, the UI for selecting and operating the target object is displayed as a pop-up at a specified position, eliminating the need to secure a display area dedicated to the UI. This allows the display area for the 3D image 40 to be larger than in the system according to the comparative example, thereby improving visibility and operability.

[0062] While the above description exemplifies the application of the disclosed technology to medical 3D images, the disclosed technology is not limited to this example. The disclosed technology can also be applied to 3D images handled by CAD (Computer Aided Design), which is used in various fields such as games, industrial products, and architecture. Furthermore, while the above description exemplifies the case where the image display processing device 10 performs each process in the flowchart shown in FIG. 10 , some or all of these processes may be performed by the server 20.

[0063] The hardware that executes the processing in each functional unit of the image display processing device 10 can be various processors listed below. The processor may be a CPU that executes software (programs) to function as various processing units. The processor may also be a programmable logic device (PLD) that can change the circuit configuration, such as an FPGA. The processor may also have a circuit configuration that is specifically designed to execute specific processing, such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0064] Each functional unit of the image display processing device 10 may be configured with one of the various processors described above, or may be configured with a combination of two or more processors of the same or different types (for example, a combination of multiple FPGAs or a combination of a CPU and an FPGA). Also, multiple functional units may be configured with a single processor.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the image display processing program 110 is pre-stored (installed) in the non-volatile memory 103, but the present invention is not limited to this. The image display processing program 110 may be provided in a form recorded on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), a DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disc Read Only Memory), or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory. The image display processing program 110 may also be downloaded from an external device via a network.

[0066] The following supplementary notes are further disclosed regarding the above embodiments: (Supplementary Note 1) An image display processing device including at least one processor, wherein the processor accepts specification of a position on a display screen of a three-dimensional image including a plurality of objects, determines a target object from among the plurality of objects to be the target of a display operation based on the specified position in accordance with a predetermined priority, or presents at least one of a plurality of objects that are overlapping in the depth direction at the specified position and a plurality of objects that include the specified position within the area of ​​the object as candidates for the target object, and accepts input for a display operation regarding the target object.

[0067] (Supplementary Note 2) The image display processing device according to Supplementary Note 1, wherein the processor presents the candidate target objects by a list listing identification names of a plurality of objects that are the candidate target objects.

[0068] (Supplementary Note 3) The image display processing device according to Supplementary Note 2, wherein the processor displays the list in the vicinity of a specified position.

[0069] (Supplementary Note 4) The image display processing device according to Supplementary Note 2 or Supplementary Note 3, wherein the processor presents the identification names listed in the list in an order corresponding to the arrangement order in the depth direction of a plurality of objects that overlap in the depth direction.

[0070] (Supplementary Note 5) The image display processing device described in any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 4, wherein the processor determines an object selected from a plurality of objects that are overlapping in the depth direction at a specified position and a plurality of objects that include the specified position within the area of ​​the object according to a predetermined priority as the target object or presents it as a candidate for the target object.

[0071] (Supplementary Note 6) The image display processing device according to Supplementary Note 5, wherein the processor determines the priority for at least one of a plurality of objects that overlap in the depth direction at the specified position and a plurality of objects that include the specified position within the area of ​​the object, based on the transparency set for each of the plurality of objects.

[0072] (Supplementary Note 7) The image display processing device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 6, wherein the processor presents all objects included in the three-dimensional image as candidates for the target object when there is no object displayed at the specified position.

[0073] (Supplementary Note 8) The image display processing device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 7, wherein, when there is no object displayed at the specified position, the processor presents all objects included in the three-dimensional image that are set to be hidden as candidates for the target object.

[0074] (Supplementary Note 9) The image display processing device according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 8, wherein the operation relating to the display of the target object includes at least one of switching between display and non-display, setting transparency, rotating, moving, and adding information to the target object.

[0075] (Supplementary Note 10) The image display processing device according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 9, wherein the processor accepts input by a mouse operation or a touch operation after the target object is determined as input for an operation related to the display of the target object.

[0076] (Supplementary Note 11) The image display processing device according to Supplementary Note 1, wherein the processor displays a user interface for operations related to display of the determined target object near the target object.

[0077] (Supplementary Note 12) An image display processing method in which at least one processor included in an image display processing device executes the following processes: accepts specification of a position on a display screen of a three-dimensional image including multiple objects; determines a target object from among the multiple objects that is the target of a display operation based on the specified position according to a predetermined priority; or presents at least one of multiple objects that are overlapping in the depth direction at the specified position and multiple objects that include the specified position within the area of ​​the object as candidates for the target object; and accepts input for a display operation regarding the target object.

[0078] (Supplementary Note 13) A program for causing at least one processor provided in an image display processing device to execute the following processes: accept a specification of a position on a display screen of a three-dimensional image including multiple objects; determine a target object from among the multiple objects that is the subject of a display-related operation based on the specified position in accordance with a predetermined priority; or present at least one of multiple objects that are overlapping in the depth direction at the specified position and multiple objects that include the specified position within the area of ​​the object as candidates for the target object; and accept input for a display-related operation regarding the target object.

[0079] The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-166321, filed on September 27, 2023, is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In addition, all documents, patent applications, and technical standards described herein are incorporated herein by reference to the same extent as if each individual document, patent application, and technical standard were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

Claims

1. An image display processing device having at least one processor, which accepts a specification of a position on a display screen of a three-dimensional image including a plurality of objects, and determines a target object among the plurality of objects that is the subject of a display operation based on the specified position in accordance with a predetermined priority order, or presents at least one of a plurality of objects that overlap in the depth direction at the specified position and a plurality of objects that include the specified position within the area of ​​the object as candidates for the target object, and accepts input for display operations regarding the target object.

2. The image display processing device according to claim 1, wherein the processor presents the candidate target objects in the form of a list enumerating identification names of a plurality of objects that are determined to be the candidate target objects.

3. The image display processing device according to claim 2, wherein the processor displays the list in the vicinity of a specified position.

4. The image display processing device according to claim 2, wherein the processor presents the identification names listed in the list in an order according to the arrangement order in the depth direction of a plurality of objects that overlap in the depth direction.

5. The image display processing device according to claim 1, wherein the processor determines as the target object an object selected from among a plurality of objects that overlap in the depth direction at the specified position and / or a plurality of objects that include the specified position within the area of ​​the object according to a preset priority order, or presents as a candidate for the target object.

6. The image display processing device according to claim 5, wherein the processor determines the priority for at least one of a plurality of objects that overlap in the depth direction at the specified position and a plurality of objects that include the specified position within the area of ​​the object, based on the transparency set for each of the plurality of objects.

7. The image display processing device according to claim 1, wherein the processor presents all objects included in the three-dimensional image as candidates for the target object when there is no object displayed at the specified position.

8. The image display processing device according to claim 1, wherein the processor, when there is no object displayed at the specified position, presents all objects included in the three-dimensional image that are set to hidden as candidates for the target object.

9. The image display processing device according to claim 1, wherein the operation relating to the display of the target object includes at least one of switching between display and non-display, setting transparency, rotating, moving, and adding information to the target object.

10. The image display processing device according to claim 1, wherein the processor accepts input by mouse operation or touch operation after the target object is determined as input for an operation related to the display of the target object.

11. The image display processing device according to claim 1, wherein the processor displays a user interface for operations related to the display of the determined target object in the vicinity of the target object.

12. An image display processing method in which at least one processor of an image display processing device executes the following processes: accepts specification of a position on a display screen of a three-dimensional image including multiple objects; determines a target object among the multiple objects that is the subject of a display operation based on the specified position according to a preset priority order; or presents at least one of multiple objects that overlap in the depth direction at the specified position and multiple objects that include the specified position within the area of ​​the object as candidates for the target object; and accepts input for display operations regarding the target object.

13. A program for causing at least one processor of an image display processing device to execute the following process: accepting a specification of a position on a display screen of a three-dimensional image including multiple objects; determining, based on the specified position, a target object among the multiple objects that is the subject of a display operation according to a preset priority order; or presenting, as candidates for the target object, at least one of multiple objects that overlap in the depth direction at the specified position and multiple objects that include the specified position within the area of ​​the object; and accepting input for display operations regarding the target object.

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