Apparatus and method for detecting erroneous mounting of slide tray

Abstract

One embodiment of the present disclosure is to provide a method of operating an apparatus for detecting erroneous mounting of a slide tray, the method comprising the operations of: acquiring a scan image of a first tray; identifying a first mark located in the first tray on the basis of the scan image of the first tray; determining whether the first mark is located within a predetermined normal location range; and outputting an erroneous mounting detection signal through an output device if the first mark is not located within the predetermined normal location range.

Description

Device and method for detecting slide tray misinstallation

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a device and method for detecting mis-mounting of a slide tray. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a device and method for identifying whether a slide tray is properly mounted using a mark present on the slide tray, thereby providing a user with information regarding whether the slide tray is properly mounted.

[0002] Pathology provides a foundation for clinical treatment by observing and analyzing morphological changes in a patient's cells, tissues, and tissue fluids to make diagnoses. Traditionally, pathologists performed cytology or tissue biopsies using a microscope to read and diagnose patient slides of cells or tissues. However, with the recent introduction of digital slide scanners, pathology diagnoses are now performed using digital images of scanned cell or tissue stained slides, in addition to microscopic pathology diagnoses.

[0003] Slides containing patient specimens are accommodated in a tray, the slide tray can be moved in front of a camera by a fork, the slide tray is scanned by a digital slide scanner, and as scanning is performed, information on the slides accommodated in the slide tray is acquired, so that a pathological diagnosis can be performed.

[0004] However, there may be instances where the slide tray is improperly installed, such as during the process of transporting the slide tray by a fork or the like, or during the process of inserting the slide tray. In such cases, the slides cannot be properly scanned, so a method for detecting incorrect installation of the slide tray is required.

[0005] One embodiment of the present disclosure is to provide a device and method for detecting mismounting of a slide tray.

[0006] One embodiment of the present disclosure may provide a device and method for detecting mismounting of a slide tray.

[0007] In one embodiment, a method of operating a slide tray mis-mounting detection device may include: acquiring a scan image of a first tray; identifying a first mark located on the first tray based on the scan image of the first tray; determining whether the first mark is located within a predetermined normal position range; and outputting a mis-mounting detection signal through an output device when the first mark is not located within the predetermined normal position range.

[0008] In one embodiment, the first mark may be used to indicate a reference direction for inserting the tray into a slide scanner.

[0009] In one embodiment, the operation of identifying the first mark located on the first tray may include the operation of obtaining coordinates for three or more corners of the first mark, and the operation of determining whether the first mark is located within a predetermined normal position range may include the operation of determining whether an area determined based on the coordinates for the three or more corners is included within the predetermined normal position range.

[0010] In one embodiment, the method includes, before the operation of acquiring a scan image of the first tray, an operation of determining the normal position range, wherein the operation of determining the normal position range may include: an operation of acquiring a normal image for each of a plurality of normally installed slide trays; an operation of identifying one or more marks located on the plurality of slide trays based on the normal images of the plurality of slide trays; an operation of determining a normal position range for one or more marks based on the one or more marks; and an operation of storing the determined normal position range.

[0011] In one embodiment, the operation of determining the normal position range may include: obtaining coordinates of three or more corners of the one or more marks for each of the plurality of normal images; and determining an area including coordinates of the three or more corners for all of the plurality of normal images as the normal position range.

[0012] In one embodiment, the operation of determining the normal position range may include: for each of the plurality of normal images, obtaining a first coordinate for a first corner of the at least one mark and a second coordinate for a second corner of the at least one mark; for each of the plurality of normal images, determining a vector from the first coordinate to the second coordinate; for each of the plurality of slide trays, comparing the vector from the first coordinate to the second coordinate with a reference vector to determine a rotation degree of the slide tray; and, based on the rotation degree for each of the plurality of slide trays, determining the normal position range.

[0013] In one embodiment, the operation of determining the degree of rotation of the slide tray may include an operation of determining at least one of a rotation direction and a rotation angle based on at least one of an x-axis coordinate and a y-axis coordinate of a vector from the first coordinate to the second coordinate.

[0014] In one embodiment, the method may further include: identifying a position of a second mark located on the first tray based on a scanned image of the first tray; and determining whether the second mark is located within a predetermined normal position range; and identifying whether the first tray is normally mounted based on the second mark.

[0015] In one embodiment, the output device may include at least one of a speaker and a display.

[0016] A slide tray mis-mounting detection device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a memory storing a normal position range based on one or more marks located on a normally mounted slide tray; and at least one processor executing the one or more instructions stored in the memory. In one embodiment, the at least one processor may acquire a scan image of a first tray, identify a first mark located on the first tray based on the scan image of the first tray, determine whether the first mark is located within the normal position range, and output a mis-mounting detection signal through an output device when the first mark is not located within the predetermined normal position range.

[0017] In one embodiment, the first mark may be characterized as being used to indicate a reference direction for inserting the tray into a slide scanner.

[0018] In one embodiment, the at least one processor may obtain coordinates of three or more corners of the first mark, and determine whether an area determined based on the coordinates of the three or more corners is included within the predetermined normal position range.

[0019] In one embodiment, the at least one processor may acquire normal images of a plurality of normally installed slide trays, identify one or more marks located on each of the plurality of slide trays based on the normal images of the plurality of slide trays, determine a normal position range for the one or more marks based on the one or more marks, and store the determined normal position range in the memory.

[0020] In one embodiment, the at least one processor may obtain coordinates of three or more corners of the one or more marks for each of the plurality of normal images, and determine an area including coordinates of the three or more corners for all of the plurality of normal images as the normal position range.

[0021] In one embodiment, the at least one processor may obtain, for each of the plurality of slide trays, a first coordinate for a first edge of the at least one mark and a second coordinate for a second edge of the at least one mark, determine, for each of the plurality of slide trays, a vector from the first coordinate to the second coordinate, compare, for each of the plurality of slide trays, the vector from the first coordinate to the second coordinate with a reference vector to determine a rotation degree of the slide tray, and determine the normal position range based on the rotation degree for each of the plurality of slide trays.

[0022] In one embodiment, the at least one processor can determine at least one of a rotation direction and a rotation angle based on a y-axis coordinate of a vector from the first coordinate to the second coordinate.

[0023] In one embodiment, the at least one processor can identify a location of a second mark located on the first tray based on a pre-scan image of the first tray, and can identify whether the first tray is normally mounted based on the second mark.

[0024] In one embodiment, the output device may include at least one of a speaker and a display.

[0025] One embodiment of the present disclosure includes a program stored on a recording medium to cause a computer to execute a method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] One embodiment of the present disclosure includes a computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing a method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure on a computer.

[0027] One embodiment of the present disclosure includes a computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a database used in one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, mis-mounting of a slide tray can be detected using one or more marks present on the slide tray, and a notification can be provided to a user when detected.

[0029] FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrating a slide tray according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] FIG. 2 is a drawing illustrating a slide tray containing a slide according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a method for determining a normal position range according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] FIG. 4 is a drawing illustrating a method for identifying whether a slide tray is normally mounted according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a slide tray mis-mounting detection device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] To clarify the technical idea of ​​the present disclosure, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. In describing the present disclosure, if a detailed description of a related known function or component is determined to unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present disclosure, the detailed description will be omitted. Components having substantially the same functional configuration among the drawings are given the same reference numbers and symbols as possible even if they are shown in different drawings. For convenience of explanation, devices and methods are described together when necessary. Each operation of the present disclosure does not necessarily have to be performed in the described order and may be performed in parallel, selectively, or individually.

[0035] The terms used in the embodiments of this disclosure have been selected from widely used, current terms, taking into account the functions of the present disclosure. However, these terms may vary depending on the intentions of those skilled in the art, precedents, the emergence of new technologies, etc. Furthermore, in certain cases, the applicant may arbitrarily select terms, and in such cases, their meanings will be described in detail in the description of the relevant embodiments. Therefore, the terms used in this specification should not be defined simply as names of terms, but rather based on their meanings and the overall content of the present disclosure.

[0036] Throughout this disclosure, singular expressions may include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Terms such as "comprise" or "have" should be understood to indicate the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof. In other words, when it is said throughout this disclosure that a part "comprises" a certain component, unless specifically stated otherwise, this does not mean that other components may be included, but rather that other components may be excluded.

[0037] Expressions such as "at least one" modify the entire list of elements, not individual elements of the list. For example, "at least one of A, B, and C" and "at least one of A, B, or C" refer to only A, only B, only C, both A and B, both B and C, both A and C, all of A, B, and C, or any combination thereof.

[0038] In addition, terms such as “...unit”, “...module”, etc. described in the present disclosure mean a unit that processes at least one function or operation, which may be implemented as hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0039] Throughout this disclosure, when a part is said to be "connected" to another part, this includes not only cases where the parts are "directly connected," but also cases where the parts are "electrically connected" with other elements intervening. Furthermore, when a part is said to "include" a component, this does not exclude other components, but rather includes other components, unless otherwise specifically stated.

[0040] The expression “configured to” as used throughout this disclosure can be used interchangeably with, for example, “suitable for,” “having the capacity to,” “designed to,” “adapted to,” “made to,” or “capable of.” The term “configured to” does not necessarily mean something that is “specifically designed to” in terms of hardware. Instead, in some contexts, the expression “a system configured to” can mean that the system, together with other devices or components, is “capable of.” For example, the phrase “a processor configured (or set) to perform A, B, and C” may mean a dedicated processor (e.g., an embedded processor) for performing those operations, or a generic-purpose processor (e.g., a CPU or application processor) that can perform those operations by executing one or more software programs stored in memory.

[0041] Terms including ordinal numbers, such as "first," "second," etc., may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by the terms. The terms are used solely to distinguish one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, a first component could be referred to as a "second component," and similarly, a second component could also be referred to as a "first component." The term "and / or" encompasses any combination of multiple related items or any one of multiple related items.

[0042] Throughout this disclosure, a slide is a thin, flat piece of glass used to hold a specimen, and may include a slide glass, a glass slide, a specimen slide, a microscope slide, a slide glass with a specimen placed on it and then covered with a cover glass, etc. Of course, the present invention is not limited to the above examples.

[0043] Throughout this disclosure, a slide tray is a case for transporting or storing slides, and may also be referred to as a tray, glass plate, slide plate, slide holder, glass holder, slide case, glass case, slide folder, glass folder, etc.

[0044] FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrating a slide tray according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0045] Referring to FIG. 1, the slide tray (100) may include a flat member (110). In addition, a plurality of slide receiving portions formed as grooves capable of receiving slides may be formed on one surface of the flat member (110). For example, the plurality of slide receiving portions may include a first slide receiving portion (122), a second slide receiving portion (124), a third slide receiving portion (126), a fourth slide receiving portion (132), a fifth slide receiving portion (134), a sixth slide receiving portion (136), etc. In one embodiment, the plurality of slide receiving portions may be in the form of grooves formed from the flat member (110) that are thicker than the slides.

[0046] In one embodiment, a plurality of slide receiving portions may be formed at predetermined intervals on a flat member (110). For example, taking the slide tray (100) of FIG. 1 as an example, the flat member (110) of the slide tray (100) has a rectangular shape, and eight slide receiving portions including a first slide receiving portion (122), a second slide receiving portion (124), and a third slide receiving portion (126) are formed at predetermined intervals in a first row of the flat member (110), and eight slide receiving portions including a fourth slide receiving portion (132), a fifth slide receiving portion (134), and a sixth slide receiving portion (136) may be formed at predetermined intervals in a second row different from the first row. In addition, the slide receiving portions formed in the first row and the slide receiving portions formed in the second row may be formed at predetermined intervals. However, this is only an example, and the number of slide receiving portions included in the slide tray (100), the shape of the flat member (110), the shape in which the plurality of slide receiving portions are formed at predetermined intervals, etc. are not limited to this and various modifications are possible.

[0047] In one embodiment, each of the plurality of slide receiving portions may be formed with at least a portion of a hollow portion. For example, the first slide receiving portion (122) may be formed with a first hollow portion (140) and a second hollow portion (150). Alternatively, only the first hollow portion (140) may be formed in the first slide receiving portion (122). However, this is merely an example, and each of the plurality of slide receiving portions may include at least one of a hollow portion corresponding to the first hollow portion (140) and a hollow portion corresponding to the second hollow portion (150), or may further include hollow portions other than the first hollow portion (140) and the second hollow portion (150). According to one embodiment, the first hollow portion (140) is a hollow portion for lifting a slide received from the slide receiving portion, and a user of the slide tray (100) can conveniently lift a slide placed on the slide tray (100) by using the first hollow portion (140). Accordingly, the first hollow portion (140) may correspond to a hole of a size that is convenient for a person's finger to grip the slide. In one embodiment, the first hollow portion (140) may include an outer curved portion. For example, the first hollow portion (140) may have a shape composed of a circle, a semicircle, a portion of a cylinder, and a straight line.

[0048] In one embodiment, an adsorbent film (not shown) may be attached to at least a portion of each of the plurality of slide holders so that the slides can be detachably attached to the slide holders. The adsorbent film may serve to fix the relative positions of the slides and the slide holders when the slides are accommodated in the slide holders. When the slides are accommodated in the slide holders, a bonding force between the slides and the slide holders may be generated by the adsorbent film. For example, the bonding force between the slides and the slide holders may include an electrostatic force as an intermolecular bonding force.

[0049] In one embodiment, the film having adsorption properties may include an electrostatic film, a porous adsorption film, a film utilizing van der Waals forces, a covalent bonding film, an adhesive film, and the like. For example, when a porous adsorption film is used, the slide may be accommodated in the slide holder by vacuum adsorption through a porous material between the slide and the slide holder. In addition, an adhesive tape may be used as an example of the adhesive film.

[0050] In one embodiment, by using an adhesive film to enhance the holding force between the slide tray and the slide, lifting the slide may not require any energy other than an appropriate external force. Consequently, the cost of manufacturing the slide tray may be reduced, as other equipment such as springs, electrical wiring, and air piping may be eliminated.

[0051] In one embodiment, the adsorbent film may include a polymer-based base material and a coating layer composed of a resin material. In one embodiment, the use of the resin-based coating layer allows for the repeated use of the slide tray. Furthermore, if the adsorbent film's adsorption capacity deteriorates after repeated use, the adsorbent film may be replaced with a new one.

[0052] In one embodiment, the first hollow portion (140) may be a hollow portion for lifting a slide accommodated in the first slide receiving portion (122) from the first slide receiving portion (122). When the slide is accommodated on one side of the first slide receiving portion (122), a portion of the first hollow portion (140) may be covered by the slide in a direction perpendicular to one side of the flat member (110), and another portion may be exposed in a direction perpendicular to one side of the flat member (110). In addition, when the slide is accommodated on one side of the first slide receiving portion (122), the entire area of ​​the second hollow portion (150) may be covered by the slide.

[0053] In one embodiment, various marks may be positioned on the flat member (110). For example, the marks may include marks indicating identification information of the slide tray (100), marks (170, 180) indicating reference direction information for inserting the slide tray into the slide scanner, marks (160) indicating identification information of the slide receiving portion, etc. For example, the mark indicating identification information of the slide tray (100) may be configured to indicate a serial number of the slide tray (100), and the mark indicating identification information of the slide receiving portion may be configured to indicate an identification number indicating the order of the slide receiving portion. In one embodiment, the slide scanner may be a device that scans slides received in the slide tray (100) into high-resolution digital images. The slide scanner may also be referred to as a digital slice scanner, and may automatically scan a plurality of slides to generate digital slide images.

[0054] According to one embodiment, the slide tray (100) may include a mark indicating identification information of the slide tray, a mark (170, 180) indicating reference direction information for insertion into a slide scanner, and the like, thereby providing information that can facilitate analysis of slides accommodated in the slide tray.

[0055] Furthermore, the markings located on the slide tray may serve as indicators for identifying whether the slide tray is properly positioned on a slide scanner or fork, etc. This will be described in more detail later with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

[0056] FIG. 2 is a drawing illustrating a slide tray containing a slide according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0057] Referring to FIG. 2, a slide tray (200) is illustrated in which slides (240, 250, 260) are accommodated in a plurality of slide receiving portions. The slide tray (200) may correspond to the slide tray (100) described above with reference to FIG. 1. In one embodiment, the slides (240, 250, 260) may be accommodated in corresponding slide receiving portions, respectively. In order to properly accommodate the slides (240, 250, 260), the width (length in the x-axis) and the height (length in the z-axis) of the grooves of the slide receiving portions may correspond to the width (length in the x-axis) and the thickness (length in the z-axis) of the slides. However, at least a portion of the length in the y-axis of the grooves corresponding to the slide receiving portions may be formed to be longer than the vertical length (length in the y-axis) of the slides. Accordingly, a user of the slide tray (200) can easily lift a slide (240, 250, 260) from the slide receiving portion by using the gap (210, 220, 230) between the slide receiving portion and the slide. For example, the user can lift a slide (240, 250, 260) by inserting a part of a finger into the gap (210, 220, 230) between the slide receiving portion and the slide.

[0058] In one embodiment, the slide (240) may include specimen information (270) generated using at least one of numbers, letters, a QR code (Quick Response code), and a barcode. Additionally, the specimen information may correspond to at least one of the subject's name, gender, age, medical history, and information about the specimen.

[0059] In one embodiment, the specimen information (270) may be used when the slide tray (200) is transported to and scanned by the slide scanner. For example, the slide scanner may simultaneously scan the specimen contained in the slide (240) and the specimen information (270) contained in the slide (240), thereby identifying which subject the specimen is from and mapping and storing the scanned specimen with the specimen information (270). Furthermore, when the specimen information (270) includes the subject's medical history, the slide scanner may map the specimen information (270), including the subject's medical history, with the scanned specimen, thereby helping a pathologist perform a more accurate pathological diagnosis.

[0060] In one embodiment, the slide tray (200) may include one or more marks. For example, the slide tray (200) may include a first mark (280) and a second mark (290) used to indicate a reference direction for inserting the slide tray into a slide scanner. The first mark (280) and the second mark (290) may be formed in an arrow shape as shown in FIG. 2, or may be formed in a triangle shape. However, the shapes of the first mark (280) and the second mark (290) are not limited thereto, and it goes without saying that they may be formed in various shapes to indicate a reference direction.

[0061] In one embodiment, the first mark (280) and the second mark (290) may not only serve as guides to indicate the insertion direction of the slide tray, but may also serve as marks to identify whether the slide tray is normally mounted. This will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 . Of course, in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the first mark (280) and the second mark (290) are described as examples, but the embodiments of FIGS. 3 and 4 may be applied not only to the first mark (280) and the second mark (290), but also to other marks present on the slide tray.

[0062] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a method for determining a normal position range according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0063] Referring to FIG. 3, the slide tray mis-mounting detection device can determine a normal position range based on one or more marks (310, 350) located on a normally mounted slide tray. In one embodiment, the slide tray mis-mounting detection device can acquire a plurality of normal images of the slide tray being normally mounted. In one embodiment, the normal images may refer to images that are selected and acquired in advance as images of the slide tray being normally mounted, as reference images for determining whether the slide tray is mis-mounted. For example, the slide tray mis-mounting detection device can determine a normal position range using 20 normal images of the slide tray being normally mounted.

[0064] In one embodiment, the slide tray mis-mounting detection device can identify one or more marks (310, 350) located on the slide tray corresponding to each of the acquired plurality of normal images, and can obtain coordinates of one or more corners of the identified one or more marks (310, 350). In addition, the slide tray mis-mounting detection device can determine a normal position range for one or more marks (310, 350) based on the coordinates of the one or more corners.

[0065] In one embodiment, the slide tray mis-installation detection device can obtain the corner coordinates of a plurality of normal images and determine the normal position range such that the normal position range includes all of the corner coordinates. For example, the normal position range can be designated as a square-shaped range, a triangular-shaped range, a circular-shaped range, a range of shapes corresponding to a mark, etc.

[0066] In one embodiment, a more specific description will be given by way of example when a slide tray mis-mounting detection device identifies a first mark (310), which is a left arrow mark, and a second mark (350), which is a right arrow mark, from a digital image of a slide tray. The slide tray mis-mounting detection device can obtain coordinates of one or more corners of the first mark (310) and the second mark (350). For example, for the first mark (310), coordinates for the first corner (320), coordinates for the second corner (330), and coordinates for the third corner (340) can be obtained, and for the second mark (350), coordinates for the fourth corner (360), coordinates for the fifth corner (370), and coordinates for the sixth corner (380) can be obtained.

[0067] In one embodiment, the slide tray mis-seating detection device can determine a normal position range based on one or more acquired coordinates.

[0068] In one embodiment, the slide tray misplacement detection device can determine the normal position range for the slide tray based on whether the corner coordinates acquired from the normal image fall within the normal position range. For example, the slide tray misplacement detection device can determine the normal position range for the first mark (310) as an area including the coordinates of each corner acquired from the normal image, i.e., the coordinates for the first corner (320), the coordinates for the second corner (330), and the coordinates for the third corner (340). Similarly, the normal position range for the second mark (350) can be determined to include the coordinates of each corner acquired from the normal image, i.e., the coordinates for the fourth corner (360), the coordinates for the fifth corner (370), and the coordinates for the sixth corner (380). Furthermore, the slide tray misplacement detection device can determine the normal position range so as to include the corner coordinates of all normal images by identifying not only the normal image but also the corner coordinates of other normal images.

[0069] In another embodiment, based on the coordinates for the second edge (330) and the coordinates for the third edge (340), a vector from the second edge (330) to the third edge (340) can be determined, and then a normal position range for the slide tray can be determined based on this. For example, in FIG. 3, the unit vector along the x-axis is referred to as the reference vector v s When (1, 0) is set, if the coordinate of the second edge (330) is (3, -5) and the coordinate of the third edge (340) is (6, -5.5), the left arrow vector v from the second edge (330) to the third edge (340) L can be determined as (3, -0.5). Accordingly, the slide tray mis-installation detection device is the left arrow vector v LBased on the y coordinate of -0.5, we can identify that the slide tray is rotated by 0.5 in the clockwise direction. If the left arrow vector v L If the y-coordinate of the slide tray is positive, the slide tray misplacement detection device can identify that the slide tray is rotated counterclockwise. That is, the slide tray misplacement detection device can determine the degree of rotation of the slide tray by comparing the reference vector and the left arrow vector. The degree of rotation may include the direction of rotation, the angle of rotation, etc. However, this is just an example, and the method of identifying the degree of rotation is not limited thereto. The slide tray misplacement detection device can identify the degree of rotation of the normal images by repeating the above for a plurality of normal images. In addition, the slide tray misplacement detection device can determine the normal position range so as to include all degrees of rotation of the plurality of normal images. Likewise, of course, a vector from the first corner to the second corner, a vector from the third corner to the first corner, etc. may be used. That is, the slide tray misplacement detection device can obtain a vector from one corner to another corner using two or more corner coordinates among the plurality of corner coordinates, and determine the direction of rotation and the angle of rotation based on the vector. Accordingly, a normal position range can be determined for each marker, encompassing both the rotation direction and rotation angle of the normal images. Of course, most preferably, the normal images will be in a state of no rotation at all or with minimal rotation.

[0070] In one embodiment, the slide tray mis-seating detection device may use only the first mark, or both the first mark and the second mark, or another mark to identify the degree of rotation of the slide tray and determine the normal position range based on the degree of rotation. For example, the left arrow vector v LAlso, the right arrow vector v from the 5th corner (370) to the 6th corner (380) R Based on this, the rotation degree of the slide tray can be determined, and the normal position range for the second mark as well as the normal position range for the first mark can be determined. Accordingly, the slide tray mismounting detection device can determine that the slide is normally mounted if even one mark is included in the normal position range, or can determine that the slide is normally mounted only if all marks are included in the normal position range.

[0071] In one embodiment, the slide tray mis-mounting detection device may repeat the above process for normal images of a plurality of slide trays to identify at least one of the coordinates and the degrees of rotation in the case of normal mounting, and determine the normal position range based on at least one of the coordinates and the degrees of rotation in the case of normal mounting. That is, the slide tray mis-mounting detection device may determine the normal position range so as to include all coordinates in the case of normal mounting, or may determine the normal position range so as to include all degrees of rotation. For example, the slide tray mis-mounting detection device may determine the first normal position range (410) of FIG. 4 as the normal position range of the left arrow head portion so as to include all coordinates of the arrow heads of the normal images, and may determine the second normal position range (430) as the normal position range of the right arrow head portion.

[0072] In one embodiment, the slide tray mis-seating detection device can store the determined normal position range in memory or a database.

[0073] FIG. 4 is a drawing illustrating a method for identifying whether a slide tray is normally mounted according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0074] Referring to FIG. 4, the slide tray mis-mounting detection device can acquire a scan image of the first tray and identify one or more marks located on the first tray based on the scan image of the first tray. For example, the slide tray mis-mounting detection device can identify a left arrow mark and a right arrow mark located on the first tray. The slide tray mis-mounting detection device can determine whether one or more marks are located within a normal position range based on the identified one or more marks. For example, if the area where the left arrow head exists is identified as the first area (420), the slide tray mis-mounting detection device can determine whether the first area (420) is within the first normal position range (410). In addition, if the area where the right arrow head exists is identified as the second area (440), the slide tray mis-mounting detection device can determine whether the second area (440) is within the second normal position range (430).

[0075] For example, the slide tray mis-mounting detection device can obtain the corner coordinates of the left arrow head and identify whether the coordinates of all three corners are within the first normal position range (410). In addition, the slide tray mis-mounting detection device can obtain the corner coordinates of the right arrow head and identify whether the coordinates of all three corners are within the second normal position range (430).

[0076] As another example, the slide tray mis-mounting detection device can determine at least one vector connecting two corners based on the corner coordinates of the left arrow head portion, determine a degree of rotation (e.g., a direction of rotation and an angle of rotation) based on the vector, and identify whether the degree of rotation is within a first normal position range (410). Similarly, the slide tray mis-mounting detection device can determine at least one vector connecting two corners based on the corner coordinates of the right arrow head portion, determine a degree of rotation (e.g., a direction of rotation and an angle of rotation) based on the vector, and identify whether the degree of rotation is within a second normal position range (430).

[0077] In one embodiment, the slide tray mis-mounting detection device may determine that the slide tray is normally mounted if either the first mark or the second mark is within the normal position range, or may determine that the slide tray is normally mounted if both are within the normal position range. Furthermore, the slide tray mis-mounting detection device may determine that the slide tray is normally mounted only if all of the identified marks are within the normal position range, or may determine that the slide tray is normally mounted only if a predetermined standard or more of the identified marks are within the normal position range.

[0078] In one embodiment, the slide tray mis-seating detection device may determine that the slide tray is mis-seating if either the first mark or the second mark is not within the normal position range, or may determine that the slide tray is mis-seating only if both are not within the normal position range. Furthermore, the slide tray mis-seating detection device may determine that the slide tray is mis-seating only if all of the identified marks are outside the normal position range, or may determine that the slide tray is mis-seating only if a predetermined threshold or more of the identified marks are outside the normal position range.

[0079] In one embodiment, the slide tray mis-mounting detection device may output a mis-mounting detection signal through an output device when it determines that the slide tray is mis-mounted. For example, the output device may include a display, a speaker, a light-emitting element, etc. In one embodiment, the slide tray mis-mounting detection device may further output, in addition to the mis-mounting notification signal, information regarding the degree of mis-mounting or auxiliary information for normal mounting, etc. When it determines that the slide tray is mis-mounted, information regarding the rotation or movement direction or rotation angle of the first tray may be output, or information regarding the direction and angle by which the first tray should be rotated or moved in order to be normally mounted may be output.

[0080] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a slide tray mis-mounting detection device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0081] Referring to FIG. 5, the slide tray mis-mounting detection device (500) may include a transceiver (510), an output device (520), a memory (530), and a processor (540). However, not all of the components illustrated in FIG. 5 are essential components of the slide tray mis-mounting detection device (500). The slide tray mis-mounting detection device (500) may be implemented with more components than the components illustrated in FIG. 5, or may be implemented with fewer components than the components illustrated in FIG. 5. In addition, the transceiver (510), the output device (520), the memory (530), and the processor (540) may be implemented in the form of a single chip.

[0082] In one embodiment, the transceiver (510) can communicate with a slide tray slot, user terminal, or other electronic device connected wired or wirelessly to the slide tray mis-installation detection device (500).

[0083] In one embodiment, the output device (520) may include a display, a light-emitting element, a speaker, etc. The display may include a panel, a holographic device, a projector, etc. For example, when the slide tray mis-mounting detection device (500) detects mis-mounting of the slide tray, it may output information indicating that the slide tray is mis-mounted on the display or output a signal indicating that the slide tray is mis-mounted through the speaker.

[0084] The memory (530) may be installed and stored with various types of data, such as programs and files, such as applications. The processor (540) may access and use data stored in the memory (530), or store new data in the memory (530). In one embodiment, the memory (530) may include a database. For example, the memory or database may store the normal position ranges for one or more markers located on a normally mounted slide tray.

[0085] The processor (540) controls the overall operation of the slide tray mis-mounting detection device (500) and may include at least one processor, such as a CPU or a GPU. The processor (540) may control other components included in the slide tray mis-mounting detection device (500) to perform operations for operating the slide tray mis-mounting detection device (500). For example, the processor (540) may execute a program stored in the memory (530), read a stored file, or store a new file. In one embodiment, the processor (540) may execute the program stored in the memory (530) to obtain a scan image of the first tray, identify a first mark located on the first tray based on the scan image of the first tray, determine whether the first mark is located within a predetermined normal position range, and output a mis-mounting detection signal through an output device when the first mark is not located within the predetermined normal position range.

[0086] In one embodiment, the first mark may be a mark, such as (310) or (350) of FIG. 3, used to indicate a reference direction for inserting the tray into the slide scanner.

[0087] In one embodiment, the processor (540) may obtain coordinates for three or more corners of the first mark, and determine whether an area determined based on the coordinates for the three or more corners is included within the predetermined normal position range.

[0088] In one embodiment, the processor (540) may acquire a plurality of normal images in which the slide tray is normally mounted, identify one or more marks located on the slide tray corresponding to each of the plurality of normal images based on the plurality of normal images, determine a normal position range for the one or more marks based on the one or more marks, and store the determined normal position range in a memory or a database.

[0089] In one embodiment, the processor (540) may obtain coordinates of three or more corners of the one or more marks for each of the plurality of normal images, and determine an area including coordinates of the three or more corners for all of the plurality of normal images as the normal position range. For example, in the example of FIG. 3, the first coordinate (320), the second coordinate (330), and the third coordinate (340) may be obtained for all of the plurality of normal images, and an area including all of the first coordinates (320), the second coordinate (330), and the third coordinate (340) of the plurality of normal images may be determined as the normal position range for the first mark (310).

[0090] In one embodiment, the processor (540) may obtain, for each of the plurality of normal images, a first coordinate for a first corner of the one or more marks and a second coordinate for a second corner of the one or more marks, determine, for each of the plurality of normal images, a vector from the first coordinate to the second coordinate, compare, for each of the plurality of slide trays, the vector from the first coordinate to the second coordinate with a reference vector to determine a rotation degree of the slide tray, and determine the normal position range based on the rotation degree for each of the plurality of slide trays.

[0091] In one embodiment, the processor (540) can determine at least one of a rotation direction and a rotation angle based on at least one of an x-axis coordinate and a y-axis coordinate of a vector from the first coordinate to the second coordinate.

[0092] In one embodiment, the processor (540) can identify the location of a second mark located on the first tray based on a scan image of the first tray, and can identify whether the first tray is normally mounted based on the location of the first mark and the location of the second mark.

[0093] An embodiment of the present disclosure may also be implemented in the form of a recording medium containing computer-executable instructions, such as program modules, executed by a computer. Computer-readable media may be any available media that can be accessed by a computer, and includes both volatile and nonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media. Furthermore, computer-readable media may include both computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media includes both volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storing information, such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. Communication media typically contains computer-readable instructions, data structures, or program modules, and includes any information delivery media.

[0094] The above description of the present disclosure is provided for illustrative purposes only, and those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present disclosure can be readily modified into other specific forms without altering the technical spirit or essential characteristics of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood as illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. For example, components described as being single may be implemented in a distributed manner, and similarly, components described as being distributed may be implemented in a combined manner.

[0095] The scope of the present disclosure is indicated by the claims described below rather than the detailed description above, and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalent concepts should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. As an operating method of a slide tray mis-installation detection device, An action to acquire a scan image of the first tray; An operation of identifying a first mark located on the first tray based on a scan image of the first tray; An operation for determining whether the first marker is located within a predetermined normal position range; and A method comprising an action of outputting a mis-mounting detection signal through an output device when the first mark is not located within a predetermined normal position range.

2. In the first paragraph, the first mark is, A method characterized in that it is used to indicate a reference direction for inserting the above tray into a slide scanner.

3. In paragraph 1, The operation of identifying the first mark located on the first tray is: Including an operation of obtaining coordinates for three or more corners of the first mark, The operation of determining whether the above first marker is located within a predetermined normal position range is: A method comprising an operation of determining whether an area determined based on coordinates of the three or more corners is included within the predetermined normal position range.

4. In the first paragraph, the method includes an operation of determining the normal position range before the operation of acquiring the scan image of the first tray, The operation of determining the above normal position range is: An operation to acquire a normal image for each of a plurality of normally installed slide trays; An operation of identifying one or more marks located on the plurality of slide trays based on normal images of the plurality of slide trays; An operation of determining a normal position range for one or more marks based on the one or more marks; A method comprising an operation of storing the determined normal position range.

5. In the fourth paragraph, the operation of determining the normal position range is: For each of the plurality of normal images, an operation of obtaining coordinates for three or more corners of the one or more marks; and A method comprising an operation of determining an area including coordinates for three or more corners for all of the plurality of normal images as the normal position range.

6. In the fourth paragraph, the operation of determining the normal position range is: For each of the plurality of normal images, an operation of obtaining a first coordinate for a first corner of the at least one mark and a second coordinate for a second corner of the at least one mark; For each of the plurality of normal images, an operation of determining a vector from the first coordinate to the second coordinate; For each of the plurality of slide trays, an operation of determining the degree of rotation of the slide tray by comparing the vector from the first coordinate to the second coordinate with a reference vector; and A method comprising an operation of determining the normal position range based on the degree of rotation for each of the plurality of slide trays.

7. In the 6th paragraph, the operation of determining the degree of rotation of the slide tray is: A method comprising an operation of determining at least one of a rotation direction and a rotation angle based on at least one of an x-axis coordinate and a y-axis coordinate of a vector from the first coordinate to the second coordinate.

8. In the first paragraph, the method, An operation of identifying a location of a second mark located on the first tray based on a scan image of the first tray; An operation for determining whether the second marker is located within a predetermined normal position range; and A method further comprising an operation of identifying whether the first tray is normally mounted based on the second mark.

9. In the first paragraph, the output device, A method comprising at least one of a speaker and a display.

10. In the slide tray mis-installation detection device, A memory storing a normal position range based on one or more marks located on a normally mounted slide tray; and At least one processor for executing one or more instructions stored in the memory, At least one processor, Obtain a scan image of the first tray, Based on the scan image of the first tray, a first mark located on the first tray is identified, Determine whether the above first marker is located within the above normal position range, A slide tray mis-mounting detection device that outputs a mis-mounting detection signal through an output device when the above first mark is not located within a predetermined normal position range.

11. In paragraph 10, the first mark is, A slide tray mis-installation detection device characterized in that it is used to indicate a reference direction for inserting the tray into a slide scanner.

12. In the 10th paragraph, the at least one processor, Obtain coordinates for three or more corners of the above first mark, A slide tray mis-mounting detection device that determines whether an area determined based on coordinates of the three or more corners is included within the predetermined normal position range.

13. In the 10th paragraph, the at least one processor, Obtain normal images of multiple normally installed slide trays, Based on the normal images of the plurality of slide trays, identifying one or more marks located on each of the plurality of slide trays, Based on the one or more markers, determine a normal position range for the one or more markers, A slide tray mis-mounting detection device that stores the determined normal position range in the memory.

14. In the 13th paragraph, the at least one processor, For each of the above plurality of normal images, obtain coordinates for three or more corners of the one or more marks, A slide tray mis-mounting detection device that determines an area including coordinates of three or more corners for all of the above plurality of normal images as the normal position range.

15. A program stored on a computer-readable recording medium that causes a computer to execute any one of the methods of paragraphs 1 to 9.

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