Focus Stacking Range Design via Boundary Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face inconvenience when designating a combining range for images to achieve a deep depth of field, as existing systems require manual specification of multiple focus points, making it cumbersome to select the desired in-focus range.
Innovation Solution
An image processing apparatus with a display unit and operation unit that allows users to easily designate a focus stacking range by selecting starting and end points on a range designation screen, with the controller highlighting the relevant image areas for focus stacking, thereby simplifying the process of combining images with a deep depth of field.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If users manually specify multiple focus points to designate a combining range, then the depth of field can be controlled precisely, but the operation becomes cumbersome and user convenience deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the combining range designation into two simple components: a starting point and an end point. Instead of requiring users to specify multiple individual focus points, the system divides the range into a start position and an end position, automatically determining all intermediate focus points. This segmentation reduces the number of user inputs from multiple discrete points to just two boundary points, maintaining precision while improving ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-service by automatically calculating and determining all intermediate focus points between the user-specified starting and ending points. Rather than requiring the user to manually specify every focus point, the system autonomously generates the complete set of focus points needed for the combining range, reducing user burden while ensuring accurate depth of field control.
2Manufacturing precision
If users designate multiple focus points individually, then the combining range can be precisely defined, but the number of operations and time required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by automatically determining all intermediate focus points before the actual image combining process begins. Once the user specifies the starting and ending points, the system pre-calculates the complete sequence of focus points that will be used, eliminating the need for users to perform repeated individual point designations and reducing the overall time required for the operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple individual focus point designations into a single unified operation. Instead of treating each focus point as a separate user input task, the system combines them into one continuous range defined by two boundary points, automatically generating all intermediate points. This merging approach reduces the total number of operations and time required while maintaining the precision needed for accurate combining range definition.
3Loss of information
If the system highlights image areas in the range designation screen, then user recognition of the in-focus range improves, but the display complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies color changes or visual highlighting to image areas in the range designation screen to indicate which regions will be included in the combining range. By changing the visual appearance (such as color, brightness, or outline) of the affected areas, the system enhances user recognition of the in-focus range without requiring complex additional display elements, balancing information clarity with display simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
An image processing apparatus includes an image processor, a display unit, an operation unit, and a controller. The image processor combines data of a plurality of images to generate data of a still image deeper in depth of field, the plurality of the images that are generated by shooting an object image while changing a focus position. The display unit displays a range designation screen displaying an image together with a plurality of image areas. The operation unit receives a designation, performed by the user, of an image area in the range designation screen. When a first and a second image area in the range designation screen are designated by the user, the controller sets a combining range having a focus position located between the first and the second image area. The display unit performs a first display-highlighting on the image areas included in the combining range set.