Observation Image Generation Using Reduced Composite Regions

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing imaging devices face challenges in handling large data sizes and memory requirements when capturing images at high resolutions, leading to difficulties in processing and composition due to increased data volume.

Innovation Solution

A method involving image segmentation, reduction, and selective data handling to reduce memory requirements, including deleting non-observation region images, generating composite images in segments, and calculating enlarged regions of interest to minimize data size and processing time.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If images are captured at higher magnifications and higher resolutions, then image quality is improved, but data size increases requiring large-capacity memory

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimage resolutionVSAvoiddata size
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The imaging region is divided into multiple regions, and images are captured and processed in segments rather than as a single large image. This allows the system to handle high-resolution imaging while managing data size through incremental processing of smaller image portions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The observation region is extracted and identified from the reduced composite image, allowing the system to focus processing and memory resources only on the relevant portion of the image data, thereby reducing the effective data size that must be held in memory.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Measurement precision

If images are captured at higher magnifications and higher resolutions, then image quality is improved, but processing speed decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimage resolutionVSAvoidprocessing speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

A reduced composite image is generated beforehand from all captured images before identifying the observation region. This preliminary reduction allows faster subsequent processing of the observation region at full resolution, as the search and identification steps operate on smaller reduced images rather than full-resolution data.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The processing is segmented into distinct stages: capturing all images, generating reduced composite image, identifying observation region, and finally generating the observation image. This segmentation allows each stage to operate optimally on appropriately scaled data.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Area of stationary object

If a composite image of the entire imaging region is obtained, then complete coverage is achieved, but memory storage capacity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimaging region coverageVSAvoidmemory storage capacity
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The observation region is extracted from the reduced composite image, allowing the system to generate the final observation image using only the necessary portion of the captured data. This extraction approach maintains complete coverage capability while reducing memory requirements by not holding entire high-resolution composite images in memory simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses a two-dimensional approach with reduced resolution in intermediate processing steps, then reconstructs the full-resolution observation image only for the identified observation region. This dimensional transformation allows complete region coverage to be achieved without requiring full high-resolution data to be stored in memory at once.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP4418199B1Image generation method
Publication Date: 2026.04.08 SCREEN HOLDINGS CO LTD
  • EP4418199B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4418199B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4418199B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An image generation method generates a plurality of reduced partial images by reducing a plurality of partial images. The reduced partial images are then combined into a reduced composite image. Then, a reduced observation region corresponding to the observation region is detected from the reduced composite image. Then, an observation region that is not reduced is calculated in accordance with the reduced observation region. Thereafter, among the partial images, those that correspond to the observation region are combined into the observation image. This reduces the storage capacity of the memory as compared to the case where the observation region is detected from the composite image that is not reduced. The storage capacity of the memory is also reduced as compared to the case where the composite image of the entire imaging region is generated.