Microscope Image Processing Noise Control via Motion Evaluation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image-processing devices for microscopes face challenges in accurately controlling noise reduction, especially when observing low-luminance subjects, as they rely solely on motion vectors, which can lead to incorrect recursion amounts and poor image visibility due to increased noise and low vector accuracy.
Innovation Solution
An image-processing device that incorporates a pattern-matching portion to calculate motion vectors and evaluation values, and a controlling portion that adjusts recursion amounts based on both motion vectors and evaluation values, distinguishing between regions in a coordinate plane to optimize noise reduction, thereby enhancing image visibility across varying gain levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If recursion amount is increased to reduce noise in low-luminance images, then noise reduction effect is improved, but motion vector accuracy deteriorates leading to incorrect noise reduction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter used for controlling recursion amount from only motion vector to a combination of motion vector and evaluation value. The evaluation value serves as an additional parameter that indicates the reliability of the motion vector, allowing the system to adjust recursion amount based on both motion information and its confidence level.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a feedback mechanism where the evaluation value (indicating motion vector accuracy) feeds back into the recursion amount control. When the evaluation value is low (indicating poor motion vector accuracy), the system reduces the recursion amount to prevent erroneous noise reduction, thus creating a closed-loop control system.
2Illumination intensity
If gain is increased to improve brightness of low-luminance images, then image visibility is improved, but noise increases reducing image quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic control of the recursion amount based on real-time evaluation of motion vector accuracy and gain levels. Rather than using a fixed recursion amount, the system dynamically adjusts the parameter according to the current image conditions, allowing optimal noise reduction at each gain level.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different recursion amounts to different regions or conditions based on local image characteristics. By evaluating motion vector accuracy locally and adjusting recursion amount accordingly, the system achieves appropriate noise reduction in high-gain regions while maintaining image quality.
3Device complexity
If recursion amount is controlled based only on motion vector, then device complexity is reduced, but image processing accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the controlling portion multi-functional by having it process both motion vector information and evaluation value information. This single controlling portion performs multiple functions: evaluating motion accuracy, determining reliability, and deciding recursion amount, thereby improving accuracy without proportionally increasing device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An image-processing device is provided with: a pattern-matching portion that performs pattern matching between a first image and a second image acquired before the first image and that outputs a motion vector between the images and an evaluation value that indicates the accuracy of the motion vector; a recursive noise-reduction portion that outputs a noise reduction image, which is the first image to which noise reduction has been applied, and that performs noise reduction in which an image based on the first image and an image based on the noise reduction image formed in the past are mixed in accordance with a predetermined recursion amount; and a controlling portion that controls a recursion amount in the recursive noise-reduction portion on the basis of the motion vector and the evaluation value output by the pattern-matching portion and a gain that is applied to the first image to adjust a brightness thereof.