Image Generation Device Adaptive Focus Parameter Combination

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing image generation techniques struggle to combine region images with different focus states effectively, leading to difficulties in generating an omni-focus combination image when region images with varying focus states are mixed.

Innovation Solution

A parameter indicating the degree of application of each region image to a combination region image is determined for each corresponding region, allowing for the combination of region images based on these parameters, even when a region image with a cell focused over the entire image is not available.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If only region images with fully focused cells are combined to generate an omni-focus combination image, then the clarity of focused cells is improved, but the ability to generate a combination image fails when no fully focused region image is available or when region images with mixed focus states are present

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveclarity of focused cellsVSAvoidability to generate combination image with mixed focus states
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by determining a parameter indicating the degree of application for each region image based on the focus state of cells in that region image. This parameter allows the system to adaptively weight and combine region images with varying focus states, rather than requiring all cells to be fully focused. The combination image generation process uses these parameters to dynamically adjust the contribution of each region image, resolving the contradiction between maintaining clarity and handling mixed focus states.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Loss of information

If region images with different focus states are combined using traditional methods, then more information from multiple images can be utilized, but the selection and combination process becomes difficult when focus states vary across images

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation retention from multiple imagesVSAvoidcomplexity of image selection and combination process
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a parameter indicating the degree of application for each region image, which quantifies the focus state quality. This parameter simplifies the combination process by providing a clear metric for weighting each image's contribution. The determination unit automatically calculates these parameters based on focus detection, and the combination unit uses them to blend images appropriately, reducing the complexity of manual selection while preserving information from all images.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The parameter indicating the degree of application acts as an intermediary between the region images and the combination image generation process. It mediates the integration of images with different focus states by providing a quantitative measure that guides how much each image should contribute to the final combination, simplifying the overall process while maintaining information integrity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3823266B1Image generation device, image generation method, and image generation program
Publication Date: 2025.04.02 FUJIFILM CORP
  • EP3823266B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3823266B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3823266B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

There is provided an image generation device, an image generation method, and an image generation program capable of preferentially extracting a region in which a living cell is focused from a plurality of focus images and applying the region to a combination image. An image generation device includes: a detection unit 43 that performs processing of detecting a specific feature from a plurality of focus images which include an observation target and are in different focus states; a determination unit 44 that determines a parameter indicating a degree of application of a region image to a combination region image in a case where the combination region image is generated from the region image, for each set of the region images in a plurality of corresponding regions respectively corresponding to the plurality of focus images, based on the specific feature detected by the detection unit 43; and a generation unit 45 that generates the combination region image by combining the region images for each of the plurality of corresponding regions based on the parameter determined by the determination unit 44.