Transparent member, calibration member, energy measurement device, energy measurement method, and energy measurement program

Abstract

This transparent member covers a color-developing member that develops a color with a density distribution corresponding to an amount of applied energy when the color-developing member is imaged. The transparent member has a transmittance of 85% or more and a variation in the spectral transmittance of visible light of -5% to +5%.

Description

Transparent member, calibration member, energy measuring apparatus, energy measuring method, and energy measuring program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a transparent member, a calibration member, an energy measuring apparatus, an energy measuring method, and an energy measuring program.

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a technique for measuring an energy amount using a color-developing member that develops color in accordance with energy such as applied pressure, heat, and ultraviolet rays. An example of such a color-developing member is Prescale (registered trademark) (manufactured by FUJIFILM Corporation), which can provide a color density corresponding to an applied pressure.

[0003] For example, International Publication No. 2021 / 235364 describes a technique for converting the density value of a pressure measurement sheet into a pressure value based on an image representing a color-developing member included in a photographed image obtained by arranging and photographing a pressure measurement sheet (e.g., Prescale) on a calibration sheet.

[0004] If the color-developing member placed for photographing warps, a part thereof may be hidden or affected by shadows. Therefore, in order to improve measurement accuracy, it is desired to suppress warping of the color-developing member.

[0005] Accordingly, it is conceivable to suppress warping by covering the color-developing member with another member. However, when light transmits through the member covering the color-developing member, the apparent color tone of the color-developing member may change in some cases. For this reason, there is a concern that the color tone of the image representing the color-developing member included in the photographed image may become inappropriate.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a transparent member, a calibration member, an energy measuring apparatus, an energy measuring method, and an energy measuring program, which can prevent warping while suppressing the influence on the apparent color tone of a color-developing member for energy measurement.

[0007] To achieve the above objective, the transparent member of the first aspect of this disclosure covers the color-emitting member when photographing the color-emitting member which develops color in a density distribution corresponding to the amount of applied energy, and has a transmittance of 85% or more and a variation in the spectral transmittance of visible light of -5% or more and +5% or less.

[0008] The transparent member of the second embodiment has a transmittance of 90% or more compared to the transparent member of the first embodiment.

[0009] The transparent member of the third embodiment is the transparent member of the first embodiment, wherein the material is an acrylic sheet.

[0010] The transparent member of the fourth embodiment is a transparent member of the first embodiment having a first region and a second region, and a calibration image for calibrating the image of the color-developing member in a captured image obtained by photographing the color-developing member with a photographing device is placed in the second region of the support, on which the color-developing member is placed and covers at least a part of the first region and the second region.

[0011] Furthermore, in order to achieve the above objective, the calibration member of the fifth aspect of this disclosure includes a support including a first region on which a color-developing member that develops color in a density distribution corresponding to the amount of applied energy is placed, and a second region on which a calibration image for calibrating the image of the color-developing member in a captured image obtained by photographing the color-developing member with a photographing device is arranged, and a transparent member that covers the color-developing member and has a transmittance of 85% or more and a variation in the spectral transmittance of visible light of -5% or more and +5% or less.

[0012] Furthermore, in order to achieve the above objective, the energy measuring device of the sixth aspect of this disclosure comprises at least one processor, which, when photographing a color-developing member that develops color in a density distribution corresponding to the amount of energy applied, acquires a color-developing member image representing the color-developing member photographed by the imaging device, where the color-developing member is covered by a transparent member having a transmittance of 85% or more and a variation in the spectral transmittance of visible light of -5% or more and +5% or less, and uses predetermined data relating the amount of energy applied to the color-developing member to the color-developing member image to derive the amount of energy applied to the color-developing member based on the color of the color-developing member image.

[0013] Furthermore, in order to achieve the above objective, the energy measurement method of the seventh aspect of this disclosure is a method for photographing a color-developing member that develops color in a density distribution corresponding to the amount of energy applied, wherein the color-developing member is covered with a transparent member having a transmittance of 85% or more and a variation in the spectral transmittance of visible light of -5% or more and +5% or less, and an image of the color-developing member is obtained by a photographing device, and a computer performs a process to derive the amount of energy applied to the color-developing member based on the color of the color-developing member image, using data that has been predetermined regarding the relationship between the amount of energy applied to the color-developing member and the color of the color-developing member image.

[0014] Furthermore, in order to achieve the above objective, the energy measurement program of the eighth aspect of this disclosure, when photographing a color-developing member that develops color in a density distribution corresponding to the amount of energy applied, acquires an image of the color-developing member that is covered by a transparent member having a transmittance of 85% or more and a variation in the spectral transmittance of visible light of -5% or more and +5% or less, and uses predetermined data relating the amount of energy applied to the color-developing member to the color of the color-developing member image, and causes a computer to perform a process to derive the amount of energy applied to the color-developing member based on the color of the color-developing member image.

[0015] According to this disclosure, it is possible to prevent warping of a color-emitting member used for measuring energy while suppressing the impact on its appearance.

[0016] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of the overall configuration in an energy measurement system of an embodiment. This is a diagram showing an example of a calibration member. This is a cross-sectional view showing a cross-section of an example of a calibration member in the area where a color-developing member is placed. This is a diagram showing the transmission spectrum of an acrylic plate. This is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a smartphone. This is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a smartphone. This is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen displayed on a display. This is a flowchart showing an example of a measurement process.

[0017] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. These embodiments are not intended to limit the technology of this disclosure.

[0018] First, an example of the overall configuration of the energy measurement system of this embodiment will be described. Figure 1 shows a configuration diagram representing an example of the overall configuration of the energy measurement system 1 of this embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the energy measurement system 1 of this embodiment comprises a server 4, a database 6, and a smartphone 10. The server 4 and the smartphone 10 are connected to each other via a wired or wireless network, enabling them to communicate with each other.

[0019] The energy measurement system 1 of this embodiment is a system for measuring energy using a color-emitting member 30 that, when energy such as pressure, heat, and ultraviolet light is applied, develops a color in a density distribution corresponding to the amount of energy applied. Specifically, the camera 11 of a smartphone 10 photographs the color-emitting member 30 to which energy has been applied, and the amount of energy applied to the color-emitting member 30 is derived from the captured image 8 obtained by the photograph. The camera 11 of the smartphone 10 of this embodiment is an example of the photographing device of this disclosure. Furthermore, the smartphone 10 of this disclosure is also an example of the energy measurement device of this disclosure.

[0020] As the color-developing member 30, for example, Prescale (registered trademark) (manufactured by Fujifilm Corporation), which develops color with a density distribution corresponding to the applied pressure, can be used. Prescale is a sheet-like support coated with a color-developing agent containing microcapsules with a colorless dye and a color developer. When pressure is applied to Prescale, the microcapsules are destroyed and the colorless dye is adsorbed onto the color developer, causing color development. Furthermore, since the color-developing agent contains multiple types of microcapsules with different sizes and strengths, the amount of microcapsules destroyed and the resulting color density vary depending on the applied pressure. Therefore, by observing the color density, the magnitude and pressure distribution of the pressure applied to Prescale can be measured.

[0021] For example, the color-developing member 30 may be a thermoscale (product name) (manufactured by Fujifilm Corporation) that develops color in a density distribution corresponding to the amount of heat applied, or a UV scale (product name) (manufactured by Fujifilm Corporation) that develops color in a density distribution corresponding to the amount of ultraviolet light applied.

[0022] In this embodiment, the server 4 is a general-purpose computer with a software program installed that provides the functionality of a database management system (DBMS). The server 4 acquires the captured image 8 and the amount of energy derived from the captured image 8 from the smartphone 10 and stores them in the database 6. The connection method between the server 4 and the database 6 is not particularly limited; for example, they may be connected by a data bus, or they may be connected via a network such as a NAS (Network Attached Storage) and a SAN (Storage Area Network).

[0023] In this embodiment, when the color-generating member 30 is photographed using the camera 11 of the smartphone 10, as shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2 (described in detail later), the user places the color-generating member 30 on the calibration member 20 and takes a photograph using the camera 11 of the smartphone 10. As a result, the smartphone 10 acquires a photographed image 8 that includes the calibration member 20 and the color-generating member 30. When the user takes a photograph in this manner, the photographed image 8 may be affected by the shooting environment, such as the lighting environment in which the photograph is taken, the characteristics of the camera 11, the shooting angle, and the shooting distance. The calibration member 20 is used to correct these effects on the photographed image 8.

[0024] The calibration member 20 of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to Figures 2 and 3. The calibration member 20 of this embodiment comprises a support 28 and a transparent member 40. The support 28 includes, for example, paper and resin, and is formed in the form of a sheet or plate. Figure 2 shows a state in which a color-developing member 30 is placed on the support 28, and the surface of the support 28 that is photographed with the color-developing member 30 placed on it (hereinafter referred to as the "photography surface 20S") is shown.

[0025] As shown in Figure 2, the imaging surface 20S includes a first region 20A on which the color-developing member 30 is placed, and a second region 20B on which a plurality of patches 25 are arranged. As an example, in this embodiment, the first region 20A is the central region of the imaging surface 20S and is surrounded by a frame 21. The second region 20B is the region surrounding the first region 20A on the imaging surface 20S. In other words, the second region 20B is the region outside the frame 21 on the imaging surface 20S. The patches 25 in this embodiment are an example of the calibration image of this disclosure.

[0026] In this embodiment, the smartphone 10 of the energy measurement system 1 corrects the distortion, tilt, and size of the captured image 8 using a frame 21 shown on the imaging surface 20S of the calibration member 20 (details will be described later). In particular, if the frame 21 (i.e., the first region 20A) is rectangular, the accuracy of correcting the distortion, tilt, and size of the captured image 8 can be improved, so it is preferable that the frame 21 is rectangular.

[0027] Furthermore, the imaging surface 20S includes a plurality of patches 25 extending along each side of the rectangular frame 21. As shown in Figure 2, as an example, in the second region 20B of this embodiment, a pair of first patch groups 22A and 22B are arranged opposite each other across the first region 20A. At least one of the first patch groups 22A and 22B includes a plurality of patches 25 of different colors. For example, at least one of the first patch groups 22A and 22B may include a plurality of patches 25 with the same hue but different densities. In other words, the colors of the plurality of patches 25 included in at least one of the first patch groups 22A and 22B may each be different.

[0028] The color and number of patches 25 included in the first patch group 22A may be the same as or different from the color and number of patches 25 included in the first patch group 22B. For example, in the calibration member 20 of this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the color and number of patches 25 included in the first patch group 22A are the same as those included in the first patch group 22B, but the arrangement of patches 25 of each color is different. Also, as shown in Figure 2, in the calibration member 20 of this embodiment, the first patch groups 22A and 22B have multiple patches 25 arranged in the X and Y directions, respectively. It is preferable that the number of patches 25 arranged in the X direction (16 in the example in Figure 2) is greater than the number of patches 25 arranged in the Y direction (2 in the example in Figure 2).

[0029] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, as an example, in the second region 20B of this embodiment, a pair of second patch groups 24A and 24B are arranged opposite each other across the first region 20A. At least one of the second patch groups 24A and 24B contains a plurality of patches 25 of different colors. For example, at least one of the second patch groups 24A and 24B may contain a plurality of patches 25 of the same hue but different densities. In other words, the colors of the plurality of patches 25 included in at least one of the second patch groups 24A and 24B may each be different.

[0030] The color and number of patches 25 included in the second patch group 24A may be the same as or different from the color and number of patches 25 included in the second patch group 24B. For example, in the calibration member 20 of this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the color and number of patches 25 included in the second patch group 24A and the color and number of patches 25 included in the second patch group 24B are the same, but the arrangement of patches 25 of each color is different. In addition, in the calibration member 20 of this embodiment shown in Figure 2, the second patch groups 24A and 24B have multiple patches 25 arranged in the X direction and Y direction, respectively. It is preferable that the number of patches 25 arranged in the Y direction (24 in the example in Figure 2) is greater than the number of patches 25 arranged in the X direction (2 in the example in Figure 2).

[0031] The number of patches 25 in each of the first patch groups 22A and 22B may be the same as or different from the number of patches 25 in each of the second patch groups 24A and 24B. In Figure 2, the number of patches 25 in each of the first patch groups 22A and 22B is 32, and the number of patches 25 in each of the second patch groups 24A and 24B is 48.

[0032] The color of at least one patch 25 included in at least one of the first patch groups 22A and 22B may be the same as the color of at least one patch 25 included in at least one of the second patch groups 24A and 24B. In other words, a patch 25 of the same color as a patch 25 included in at least one of the first patch groups 22A and 22B may be included in at least one of the second patch groups 24A and 24B. By including patches 25 of the same color in at least one of the first patch groups 22A and 22B and at least one of the second patch groups 24A and 24B, the accuracy of calibration of the image 8 captured by the smartphone 10 can be improved (details will be described later).

[0033] The multiple patches 25 included in each of the first patch groups 22A and 22B, and the second patch groups 24A and 24B, may each have the same size, shape, and angle. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the multiple patches 25 included in each of the first patch groups 22A and 22B, and the second patch groups 24A and 24B, each have a rectangular shape with the same size and angle.

[0034] Furthermore, it is preferable that the imaging surface 20S includes a blank area located between the first patch group and the second patch group, which are included in at least one combination of the first patch group and the second patch group that are adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction of the first region 20A. Specifically, the "combinations of the first patch group and the second patch group that are adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction of the first region 20A" refer to four combinations: the combination of the first patch group 22A and the second patch group 24A, the combination of the first patch group 22A and the second patch group 24B, the combination of the first patch group 22B and the second patch group 24A, and the combination of the first patch group 22B and the second patch group 24B. In Figure 2, the imaging surface 20S includes four blank areas 26 located between each of the first patch group and the second patch group that are adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction of the first region 20A (i.e., all four of the above combinations).

[0035] Furthermore, it is preferable that the shooting surface 20S includes a figure 27 placed in a blank area 26 located between the first patch group and the second patch group. This figure 27 indicates the range that should be included in the field of view when the user photographs the calibration member 20 and the color-developing member 30. Therefore, in order to make it easy to understand the range that should be included in the field of view, it is preferable that the shooting surface 20S includes four figures 27 placed in each of the four blank areas 26, as shown in Figure 2. In the example shown in Figure 2, the four figures 27 placed in each of the four blank areas 26 are similar in shape to each other. If the camera 11 takes a photograph of the image 8 at a shooting position where the four figures 27 placed in each of these blank areas 26 are included in the field of view, the first patch groups 22A and 22B, the second patch groups 24A and 24B, and the color-developing member 30 placed on the first area 20A can be photographed so that they are all included in the field of view.

[0036] In this embodiment, the transparent member 40 covers at least the color-developing member 30. In other words, the color-developing member 30 is placed between the support 28 and the transparent member 40. Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the calibration member 20 in the portion on which the color-developing member 30 is placed.

[0037] As an example, in the support 28 of this embodiment, the frame 21 and patch 25 described above are formed on the upper surface 28A. Note that each of the frame 21 and patch 25 may be provided on the terminal device 28B of the support 28. Alternatively, the frame 21 may be provided on the upper surface 28A and the patch 25 on the terminal device 28B, or the frame 21 may be provided on the terminal device 28B and the patch 25 on the upper surface 28A, and so on, with each of the frame 21 and patch 25 being provided on different surfaces.

[0038] Furthermore, the glossiness of the upper surface 28A of the support 28 is relatively high, and the color-developing member 30 is placed on the upper surface 28A. It is preferable that the surface on which the color-developing member 30 is placed is free of dirt, and is also preferable to be whiter than the color-developing member 30 that is developing color. For this reason, in this embodiment, the surface irregularities of the upper surface 28A of the support 28 on which the color-developing member 30 is placed are suppressed, and the glossiness is made relatively high to make it relatively smooth. As a result, in the support 28 of this embodiment, dirt is prevented from adhering to the upper surface 28A, and even if it does get dirty, it is easy to wipe off. In this way, in this embodiment, the condition of the surface on which the color-developing member 30 is placed can be kept in good condition.

[0039] On the other hand, the transparent member 40 is provided on the color-developing member 30 in a manner that covers the color-developing member 30. As an example, as shown in Figure 2, in this embodiment, the size (area) of the transparent member 40 is larger than that of the color-developing member 30 and smaller than that of the support 28. That is, the transparent member 40 covers the entire color-developing member 30 and also covers a part of the support 28. For example, the color-developing member 30 may be warped. Generally, the color-developing member 30 is cut out in the required size (area) from a large roll-shaped state according to the measurement. Therefore, the cut-out color-developing member 30 may be warped. Also, if the color-developing member 30 is simply placed on the support 28, it may move. In this embodiment, by covering the color-developing member 30 with the transparent member 40, even if the color-developing member 30 is warped, it can be flattened, and movement of the color-developing member 30 from its placed state can be suppressed. Note that the size (area) of the transparent member 40 is not limited to the size shown in this embodiment (see Figure 1). The transparent member 40 may cover the entire color-developing member 30 and at least a portion of the first region 20A and the second region 20B. For example, considering the accuracy of pressure measurement, it is preferable that the transparent member 40 covers both the color-developing member 30 and the patch 25. Also, for example, the size (area) of the transparent member 40 may be the same as that of the support 28.

[0040] When photographing the color-generating member 30, the color-generating member 30 is photographed while passing through the transparent member 40. Therefore, the transparent member 40 is required to have a transmittance of 85% or more. Preferably, the transmittance of the transparent member 40 is 90% or more. In this embodiment, a Topcon spectroradiometer SR-UL2 was used to measure the transmittance.

[0041] In addition, when the color balance is lost after the light reflected by the color-forming member 30 transmits through the transparent member 40, the color tone of an image representing the color-forming member 30 (hereinafter referred to as "color-forming member image") included in the captured image 8 obtained by photographing also becomes different from the original color. Therefore, the accuracy decreases when converting to a pressure value. For this reason, it is preferable that there is no variation in spectral transmittance in the imaging light used for photographing, for example, in the visible light wavelength range in the present embodiment, and it is preferable that the variation in spectral transmittance is at least -5% or more and +5% or less.

[0042] As a material of the transparent member 40 that satisfies the above conditions, an acrylic plate may be mentioned. FIG. 4 shows the transmission spectrum of the acrylic plate. As shown in FIG. 4, the transmittance of the acrylic plate is 90% or more. In addition, within the visible light range, particularly in the range of 400 nm to 770 nm, the variation in spectral transmittance of the acrylic plate is -5% or more and +5% or less. Note that the visible range is defined as 380 nm to 780 nm. However, the upper limit and lower limit are not limited to the above numerical values; as described in JIS Z8120, "it can be considered that the short wavelength limit of the wavelength range is 360 nm to 400 nm, and the long wavelength limit is 760 nm to 830 nm." Therefore, it can be understood that an acrylic plate is preferable as the material for the transparent member 40.

[0043] In addition to acrylic plates, other materials that can be used include, for example, polycarbonate.

[0044] In the energy measurement system 1 of the present embodiment, when photographing the color-forming member 30 as described above, the color-forming member 30 is placed on the first region 20A of the support 28 of the calibration member 20, and photographing is performed by the camera 11 in a state where the color-forming member 30 is covered with the transparent member 40. Thereby, a captured image 8 including the color-forming member image is obtained.

[0045] Next, the smartphone 10 of this embodiment will be described in detail. First, an example of the hardware configuration of the smartphone 10 will be described with reference to Figure 5. As shown in Figure 5, the smartphone 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 80, a non-volatile storage unit 82, and a memory 81 as a temporary storage area. The smartphone 10 also includes a display 84 such as a liquid crystal display, an input unit 88, a network interface 86, and a camera 11. The CPU 80, storage unit 82, memory 81, display 84, input unit 88, network interface 86, and camera 11 are connected to each other via a bus 89 such as a system bus and a control bus, enabling the exchange of various types of information.

[0046] The storage unit 82 is implemented by a storage medium such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), and flash memory. The storage unit 82 stores the measurement program 83. The CPU 80 reads the measurement program 83 from the storage unit 82, expands it into memory 81, and executes the expanded measurement program 83. The CPU 80 is an example of the processor of this disclosure, and the measurement program 83 is an example of the energy measurement program of this disclosure.

[0047] The input unit 88 is for receiving user input and can be, for example, a touch panel, buttons, a keyboard, or a mouse. As an example, the camera 11 in this embodiment employs a touch panel display that integrates the display 84 and the input unit 88. The network interface 86 communicates via wired or wireless connection with the server 4 and other external devices (not shown). The camera 11 has multiple sensors with different spectral sensitivities, and under the control of the CPU 80, the sensors capture images of subjects and output the image signal of the captured image 8.

[0048] Next, an example of the functional configuration of the smartphone 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 6, the smartphone 10 includes an acquisition unit 90, a correction unit 92, a derivation unit 94, and a control unit 96. When the CPU 80 executes a measurement program 83, the CPU 80 functions as each functional unit of the acquisition unit 90, the correction unit 92, the derivation unit 94, and the control unit 96.

[0049] The acquisition unit 90 acquires a captured image 8 captured by the camera 11, the captured image 8 including an image representing the calibration member 20 (hereinafter referred to as a "calibration member image") and a color-developing member image of the color-developing member 30.

[0050] The correction unit 92 extracts an image representing the frame 21 (hereinafter referred to as a "frame image") from the captured image 8, and corrects at least one of distortion, inclination, and size of the captured image 8 based on the shape of the extracted frame image. As a method for extracting a frame image, a known method using edge extraction processing or the like for an image can be appropriately applied. Specifically, when the frame 21 is rectangular, the frame image is also rectangular, and the correction unit 92 performs projective transformation, affine transformation, or the like so that the four corners of the frame image extracted from the captured image 8 each become 90 degrees, thereby correcting the distortion, inclination, and size of the captured image 8.

[0051] Furthermore, the correction unit 92 performs calibration on the captured image 8 acquired by the acquisition unit 90 using an image representing the patch 25 included in the captured image 8 (hereinafter referred to as a "patch image"). Specifically, the correction unit 92 calibrates the color (for example, at least one of hue and density) of the color-developing member image included in the captured image 8 based on the colors of the patch images of the patches 25 respectively included in the first patch groups 22A and 22B and the second patch groups 24A and 24B included in the captured image 8. As a calibration method, a known method can be appropriately applied. For example, a reference color for each patch 25 included in the calibration member 20 is stored in advance in the storage unit 82, and the correction unit 92 adjusts the color of the captured image 8 to match the color of each of the plurality of patch images included in the captured image 8 with the respective reference color.

[0052] Furthermore, as described above, each of the first patch groups 22A and 22B, and the second patch groups 24A and 24B, may each contain a patch 25 of the same color. In this case, due to the influence of the shooting environment, such as the lighting environment in which the shooting takes place, the characteristics of the camera 11, the shooting angle, and the shooting distance, patches 25 that are originally formed with the same color may appear as different colors on the captured image 8. For example, the correction unit 92 may adjust the color of the captured image 8 so that the average color of the patch images corresponding to the patches 25 formed with the same color matches the reference color. Alternatively, the correction unit 92 may adjust the color of the captured image 8 so that the patch image color that is closest to the reference color among the patches 25 formed with the same color matches the reference color.

[0053] The correction unit 92 may perform calibration using some of the patch images of the multiple patches 25 included in each of the first patch groups 22A and 22B and the second patch groups 24A and 24B.

[0054] For example, the correction unit 92 may vary the patch 25 used for calibration according to the type of color-developing member 30. For example, Prescale, as an example of a color-developing member 30, is manufactured in multiple varieties with different measurable pressure ranges, such as for low pressure, medium pressure, and high pressure. Also, as mentioned above, in addition to Prescale, Thermoscale and UVscale can also be used as the color-developing member 30.

[0055] Therefore, the correction unit 92 may perform calibration using a predetermined selection of patch images of patches 25 from among the patch images of multiple patches 25 included in the first patch groups 22A and 22B and the second patch groups 24A and 24B, according to the type of color-developing member 30 corresponding to the color-developing member image. The correspondence between the type of color-developing member 30 and the patch 25 used for calibration may be stored in the storage unit 82 in advance, for example. The type of color-developing member 30 that has been photographed may be input by the user via the input unit 88, or an identification code indicating the type of color-developing member 30 may be attached to the color-developing member 30, and the correction unit 92 may identify it by reading the identification code from the photographed image 8.

[0056] In this way, the correction unit 92 corrects the distortion, tilt, size, and color of the captured image 8, thereby correcting the influence of the shooting environment, such as the lighting environment, characteristics of the camera 11, shooting angle, and shooting distance, which may occur when the user takes a picture.

[0057] The derivation unit 94 derives the amount of energy applied to the color-developing member 30 based on the color of the color-developing member image after calibration by the correction unit 92. Specifically, the relationship between the amount of energy applied to the color-developing member 30 and the color of the color-developing member 30 may be predetermined and stored in the storage unit 82, and the derivation unit 94 may use this data to convert the color of the color-developing member image included in the captured image 8 into an energy amount. The data determining the relationship between the amount of energy applied to the color-developing member 30 and the color of the color-developing member 30 may be prepared in advance for each type of color-developing member 30 and stored in the storage unit 82.

[0058] Furthermore, the derivation unit 94 may derive various indicators related to the amount of energy applied to the color-developing member 30. These indicators include, for example, the energy distribution obtained by deriving the amount of energy for each pixel of the color-developed image corresponding to the color-developed region of the color-developing member 30 (hereinafter referred to as the "color-developed region"), as well as representative values ​​such as the maximum, minimum, average, and median values ​​of the energy amount in the color-developed region. Other indicators include, for example, the area of ​​the color-developed region, the percentage of the area within the color-developed region where the energy amount falls within a predetermined range, the uniformity of the energy amount in the color-developed region, and the load of the color-developed region (product of the area of ​​the color-developed region and the average value of the energy amount). Another indicator is, for example, the degree of agreement or deviation from the standard when a standard is predetermined for the degree of color development (i.e., energy amount and energy distribution) of the color-developing member 30.

[0059] The control unit 96 controls the display 84 to display the captured image 8, which has been corrected for distortion, tilt, size, and color by the correction unit 92, and various indicators related to the amount of energy derived by the derivation unit 94. Figure 7 shows an example of screen D displayed on the display 84 by the control unit 96. Screen D displays the color-generating member image 31 in the captured image 8 and various indicators related to the amount of energy derived from the color-generating member image 31.

[0060] As shown in screen D, the control unit 96 may extract the color-developing member image 31 from the captured image 8 and control it to display it on the display 84. Note that in screen D shown in Figure 7, "pressure area" refers to the area of ​​the color-developing region. "Average pressure" refers to the average value of the energy amount of the color-developing region. "Load" refers to the product of the pressure area and the average pressure. "Uniformity of pressure value" refers to the uniformity of the pressure value of the color-developing region.

[0061] Furthermore, the control unit 96 may accept input of supplementary information related to the captured image 8. On screen D, as an example of supplementary information related to the captured image 8, the type of color-developing member 30, pressure type, room temperature, and humidity are displayed, and a pull-down menu P for accepting input of these is displayed. The "pressure type" may include instantaneous pressure, which indicates the magnitude of the pressure instantaneously applied to the Prescale, and sustained pressure, which indicates the time integral of the magnitude of the pressure continuously applied to the Prescale. Other examples of supplementary information include identification information of the calibration member 20, the color-developing member 30, the user who applied energy to the color-developing member 30, and the user who took a photograph of the color-developing member 30, the user's evaluation result regarding the amount of energy, and various inspection conditions.

[0062] Furthermore, the control unit 96 transmits at least one of the following to the server 4 via the network interface 86: the captured image 8 before correction by the correction unit 92, the captured image 8 after correction, the color-developing member image 31, and the color-developing member image 31 after correction. The control unit 96 also transmits various indicators related to the amount of energy derived by the derivation unit 94, and the received supplementary information to the server 4. The server 4 stores the information received from the smartphone 10 (control unit 96) in the database 6, associating it with the captured image 8.

[0063] Next, the operation of the smartphone 10 according to this embodiment will be explained with reference to Figure 8. In the smartphone 10, the CPU 80 executes the measurement program 83, thereby executing the measurement process shown in Figure 8. The measurement process is executed, for example, when the user gives an instruction to start execution via the input unit 88.

[0064] In step S100, the acquisition unit 90 acquires a captured image 8, which is captured by the camera 11 and includes a calibration member image of the calibration member 20 and a color member image 31 of the color member 30. In the next step S102, the correction unit 92 extracts a frame image of the frame 21 from the captured image 8 acquired in step S100, and corrects at least one of the distortion, tilt, and size of the captured image 8 based on the shape of the extracted frame image. In the next step S104, the correction unit 92 uses the patch image included in the captured image 8 corrected in step S102 to perform color calibration on the captured image 8 (particularly the color member image 31 included in the captured image 8).

[0065] In the next step S106, the derivation unit 94 derives the amount of energy applied to the color-developing member 30 based on the color of the color-developing member image 31 calibrated in step S104. In the next step S108, the control unit 96 controls the display 84 to display the color-developing member image 31 calibrated in step S104 and the amount of energy derived in step S106. As a result of this control, the screen D shown in Figure 7 is displayed on the display 84. When the processing in step S108 is completed, the information processing shown in Figure 8 is completed.

[0066] As described above, the transparent member 40 of the above form covers the color-producing member 30 when photographing the color-producing member 30 which produces color in a density distribution corresponding to the amount of energy applied, and has a transmittance of 85% or more and a variation in the spectral transmittance of visible light of -5% or more and +5% or less.

[0067] Since the transmittance is 85% or more and the variation in the spectral transmittance of visible light is between -5% and +5%, it is possible to suppress the disruption of the color balance when light is reflected by the color-generating member 30 and transmitted through the transparent member 40. As a result, the color of the color-generating member image obtained with the transparent member 40 placed on the color-generating member 30 can be the same as that of the color-generating member image taken without the transparent member 40 placed on it.

[0068] Therefore, with the transparent member 40 of the above form, it is possible to prevent warping while suppressing the influence on the appearance of the color-emitting member 30 for measuring energy.

[0069] Furthermore, while the above describes an example of the imaging device of this disclosure in which a camera 11 provided on a smartphone 10 is applied, the imaging device is not limited to the camera 11 provided on a smartphone 10. For example, a digital camera or the like, provided separately from the smartphone 10, may be used as the imaging device. Alternatively, for example, a USB camera connected to a personal computer via a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable may be used as the imaging device. Furthermore, while the above describes an example of the energy measuring device of this disclosure in which a smartphone 10 is applied, the energy measuring device is not limited to a smartphone 10. For example, a tablet terminal, a wearable terminal, and a personal computer may be used as the energy measuring device. Furthermore, while the above describes an integrated configuration of the imaging device and the energy measuring device as a smartphone 10, the imaging device and the energy measuring device may be separate.

[0070] It goes without saying that the configuration and operation of the energy measurement system 1, calibration member 20, support 28, and smartphone 10, etc., described in the above embodiment are examples and can be modified as needed without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It also goes without saying that the above embodiments may be combined as appropriate.

[0071] Furthermore, in this embodiment, each process is executed on any computer. Alternatively, any computer may execute these processes using a processor as hardware, a program as software, or a combination thereof. In that case, the processor is configured to work in cooperation with the program to execute the various processes in this embodiment, and can function as a unit or means in this embodiment. The execution order of the processes by the processor is not limited to the order described and may be changed as appropriate. Any computer may be a general-purpose computer, a computer designed for a specific purpose, a workstation, or any other system capable of executing each process.

[0072] A processor may consist of one or more hardware components, and the type of hardware is not limited. For example, a processor may consist of programmable logic devices such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), MPU (Micro Processing Unit), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), dedicated circuits for performing specific processing such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a GPU (Graphic Processing Unit), or an NPU (Neural Processing Unit). Furthermore, the type of hardware may be a combination of different types of hardware. When multiple hardware components are configured to execute one or more processes of a processor, these components may reside in physically separate devices or in the same device. Furthermore, in any embodiment, the order of the processes performed by the processor is not limited to the order described above and may be changed as appropriate. The hardware components are composed of electrical circuits (circuits) and the like, which are combinations of circuit elements such as semiconductor elements.

[0073] Furthermore, the program may be firmware or software such as microcode. Alternatively, the program may be, for example, a set of program modules, each function of which may be implemented by a processor configured to perform its respective function. The program may be program code or multiple code segments stored on one or more non-temporary computer-readable media (e.g., storage media or other storage). The program may be divided and stored on multiple non-temporary computer-readable media located on physically separate devices. Program code or code segments may represent any combination of procedures, functions, subprograms, routines, subroutines, modules, software packages, classes, or instructions, data structures, or program statements. Program code or code segments may be connected to other code segments or hardware circuits by sending and receiving information, data, arguments, parameters, or memory contents.

[0074] Furthermore, although the above embodiment describes a configuration in which the measurement program 83 is pre-stored (installed) in the storage unit 82, the invention is not limited to this configuration. The measurement program 83 may be provided in the form of a recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disc Read Only Memory), or USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory. Alternatively, the measurement program 83 may be provided in the form of a download from an external device via a network.

[0075] Furthermore, the technology disclosed herein extends to all program products. Program products include all forms of products for providing programs. For example, program products include programs provided via networks such as the Internet, and non-temporary computer-readable recording media such as CD-ROMs, DVDs, and USB memory sticks on which programs are stored.

[0076] The following additional information is disclosed regarding the above-described embodiments.

[0077] (Note 1) A transparent member that covers a color-developing member, which develops color in a density distribution corresponding to the amount of energy applied, when photographing the color-developing member, having a transmittance of 85% or more and a variation in the spectral transmittance of visible light of -5% or more and +5% or less.

[0078] (Note 2) The transparent member described in Note 1, wherein the transmittance is 90% or more.

[0079] (Note 3) The transparent component described in Note 1 or Note 2, wherein the material is an acrylic sheet.

[0080] (Note 4) A transparent member according to any one of Notes 1 to 3, having a first region and a second region, wherein a calibration image for calibrating the image of the color-developing member in a captured image obtained by photographing the color-developing member with a photographing device is placed in the second region, the color-developing member is placed in the first region of the support, and covers at least a part of the first region and the second region.

[0081] (Note 5) A calibration member comprising: a support including a first region on which a color-developing member that develops color in a density distribution corresponding to the amount of applied energy is placed, and a second region on which a calibration image for calibrating the image of the color-developing member in a captured image obtained by photographing the color-developing member with a photographing device is arranged; and a transparent member that covers the color-developing member and has a transmittance of 85% or more and a variation in the spectral transmittance of visible light of -5% or more and +5% or less.

[0082] (Note 6) An energy measuring device comprising at least one processor, wherein when photographing a color-developing member that develops color in a density distribution corresponding to the amount of energy applied, the processor acquires a color-developing member image representing the color-developing member, which is covered by a transparent member having a transmittance of 85% or more and a variation in the spectral transmittance of visible light of -5% or more and +5% or less, and the relationship between the amount of energy applied to the color-developing member and the color of the color-developing member image is predetermined, and the energy amount applied to the color-developing member is derived based on the color of the color-developing member image using data.

[0083] (Note 7) An energy measurement method in which, when photographing a color-developing member that develops color in a density distribution corresponding to the amount of energy applied, a color-developing member is covered by a transparent member having a transmittance of 85% or more and a variation in the spectral transmittance of visible light of -5% or more and +5% or less, and an image of the color-developing member is obtained by a photographing device, and a computer performs a process to derive the amount of energy applied to the color-developing member based on the color of the color-developing member image, using data that has been predetermined regarding the relationship between the amount of energy applied to the color-developing member and the color of the color-developing member image.

[0084] (Note 8) An energy measurement program for causing a computer to perform a process to derive the amount of energy applied to a color-developing member when photographing a color-developing member that develops color in a density distribution corresponding to the amount of energy applied, by obtaining an image of the color-developing member that is covered by a transparent member having a transmittance of 85% or more and a variation in the spectral transmittance of visible light of -5% or more and +5% or less, when the color-developing member is covered by the color-developing member, and using data that has been predetermined regarding the relationship between the amount of energy applied to the color-developing member and the color of the color-developing member image, based on the color of the color-developing member image.

[0085] The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2025-052516, filed on 26 March 2025, is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Furthermore, 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 as being incorporated by reference.

Claims

1. A transparent material that covers a color-producing material, which develops color in a density distribution corresponding to the amount of energy applied, when photographing the color-producing material, having a transmittance of 85% or more and a variation in the spectral transmittance of visible light of -5% or more and +5% or less.

2. The transparent member according to claim 1, wherein the transmittance is 90% or more.

3. The transparent member according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the material is an acrylic sheet.

4. The transparent member according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the transparent member is placed on the first region of a support having a first region and a second region, and a calibration image for calibrating the image of the color-developing member in a captured image obtained by photographing the color-developing member with a photographing device is placed in the second region, and covers at least a portion of the first region and the second region.

5. A calibration member comprising: a support including a first region on which a color-developing member that develops color in a density distribution corresponding to the amount of applied energy is placed, and a second region on which a calibration image for calibrating the image of the color-developing member in a captured image obtained by photographing the color-developing member with a photographing device is arranged; and a transparent member that covers the color-developing member and has a transmittance of 85% or more and a variation in the spectral transmittance of visible light of -5% or more and +5% or less.

6. An energy measuring device comprising at least one processor, wherein, when photographing a color-producing member that produces color in a density distribution corresponding to the amount of energy applied, the processor acquires a color-producing member image representing the color-producing member, which is covered by a transparent member having a transmittance of 85% or more and a variation in the spectral transmittance of visible light of -5% or more and +5% or less, and the relationship between the amount of energy applied to the color-producing member and the color of the color-producing member image is predetermined, and the energy amount applied to the color-producing member is derived based on the color of the color-producing member image.

7. An energy measurement method in which, when photographing a color-developing member that develops color in a density distribution corresponding to the amount of energy applied, a color-developing member is covered by a transparent member having a transmittance of 85% or more and a variation in the spectral transmittance of visible light of -5% or more and +5% or less, and an image of the color-developing member is obtained by a photographing device, and a computer performs a process to derive the amount of energy applied to the color-developing member based on the color of the color-developing member image, using data that has been predetermined regarding the relationship between the amount of energy applied to the color-developing member and the color of the color-developing member image.

8. An energy measurement program for causing a computer to perform a process to derive the amount of energy applied to a color-emitting member when photographing a color-emitting member that produces color in a density distribution corresponding to the amount of energy applied, by obtaining an image of the color-emitting member represented by a photographing device, where the color-emitting member is covered by a transparent member having a transmittance of 85% or more and a variation in the spectral transmittance of visible light of -5% or more and +5% or less, and using data that has been predetermined regarding the relationship between the amount of energy applied to the color-emitting member and the color of the color-emitting member image.

Images