Medicine Identification Using Dynamic Display Illumination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medicine identification systems require cumbersome adjustments of camera position and attitude, and do not effectively emphasize embossed or printed marks on medicines, making identification less efficient and prone to errors.
Innovation Solution
A medicine identification system using a camera-equipped mobile terminal that changes the illuminating direction on the display to capture multiple images of a medicine from different angles, standardizes the images based on indicators on a tray, extracts the medicine region, and applies an emphasis process to embossed or printed marks, enabling accurate identification without the need for additional lighting devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a camera-equipped mobile device is used to capture medicine images, then the identification process becomes more accessible and portable, but the camera position and attitude require cumbersome adjustments to achieve standardized imaging
Solution Approach 1:
A tray with a standardized background pattern serves as an intermediary between the mobile device and the medicine. The tray provides reference markers that enable automatic position and attitude correction, eliminating the need for manual camera adjustments while maintaining portability
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the illumination parameters by displaying different light-emitting regions on the mobile device screen to illuminate the medicine from multiple directions. This allows standardized imaging to be achieved through software-controlled lighting rather than precise physical camera positioning
2Device complexity
If conventional single-direction illumination is used, then the imaging process is simple, but embossed or printed marks on the medicine are not effectively emphasized
Solution Approach 1:
The illumination direction is made dynamic by sequentially activating different light-emitting regions on the display screen. This creates multiple illumination angles that cast shadows from embossed marks in different directions, allowing the image processing unit to synthesize enhanced images where the marks are clearly emphasized
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes brightness and luminance variations (analogous to color changes) by controlling which regions of the display emit light. Different illumination directions create varying shadow patterns and brightness contrasts that highlight the embossed or printed marks on the medicine surface
3Measurement precision
If multiple images are captured with different illuminating directions, then the emphasis process for marks is improved, but the imaging time and processing steps increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses periodic activation of different light-emitting regions on the display to capture multiple illumination angles. The image acquiring unit automatically sequences these captures and the image processing unit synthesizes them, reducing manual intervention time while maintaining high mark detection accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile device combines multiple functions: the display serves as both the user interface and the illumination source, while the camera captures images that are immediately processed by the integrated image processing unit. This merging of functions reduces the time required for separate imaging and processing steps
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach simplifies the identification process by standardizing images and emphasizing critical marks, reducing the need for precise camera positioning and dedicated lighting, thereby improving the accuracy and efficiency of medicine identification.
Implementation Method 1
a display control unit configured to, upon reception of an instruction input for medicine identification, change a light-emitting region on the display and change for a plurality of times an illuminating direction with respect to the medicine placed on the tray
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is a medicine identification system, a medicine identification method, and a program that enable favorable identification of a medicine by means of a simple device employing a camera-equipped mobile terminal. A smartphone (100) including a camera on the same face as a display changes a light-emitting region on the display, changes an illuminating direction with respect to a medicine (20) placed on a tray (10) having an indicator used for standardizing size and shape of the medicine, and images the medicine (20) with different illuminating directions by means of the camera. The medicine identification device standardizes the size and shape of the plurality of first images acquired by imaging based on the indicators (14A - 14D) captured in the first images, and extracts a medicine region image from each of the plurality of first images thus standardized. The medicine identification device then generates, based on the plurality of medicine region images thus extracted, a second image having undergone an emphasis process for emphasizing an embossed mark or a printed mark provided on the medicine (20), and identifies the medicine based on the second image thus generated.