Image processing method and apparatus, recording medium, and imaging apparatus
AssigneeGE Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC
InventorTetsuo Ogino
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
For the purpose of providing an image processing method for efficiently performing filtering, a local region containing a pixel of interest is defined in a plurality of modes in an original image (502); sequentially for the region in the plurality of modes, the variance of pixel values is obtained and a decision is made whether the value of the variance falls within a predetermined range (504, 506, 508 512, 514); and an image is produced using as a new pixel value for the pixel of interest an average value of pixel values of the region for which the value of the variance first falls within the range (508, 510, 524).
Claims17
An image processing method comprising the steps of:
- defining in a plurality of modes a local region containing a pixel of interest in an original image;
- sequentially for said region in the plurality of modes, obtaining the variance of pixel values and deciding whether the value of said variance falls within a predetermined range;
- and
- producing an image using as a new pixel value for said pixel of interest an average value of pixel values of the region for which the value of said variance first falls within said range.
An image processing apparatus comprising:
- a region defining device for defining in a plurality of modes a local region containing a pixel of interest in an original image;
- a variance calculating/deciding device for, sequentially for said region in the plurality of modes, obtaining the variance of pixel values and deciding whether the value of said variance falls within a predetermined range;
- and
- an image producing device for producing an image using as a new pixel value for said pixel of interest an average value of pixel values of the region for which the value of said variance first falls within said range.
A recording medium which records in a computer-readable manner a program for a computer to perform the functions of:
- defining in a plurality of modes a local region containing a pixel of interest in an original image;
- sequentially for said region in the plurality of modes, obtaining the variance of pixel values and deciding whether the value of said variance falls within a predetermined range;
- and
- producing an image using as a new pixel value for said pixel of interest an average value of pixel values of the region for which the value of said variance first falls within said range.
An imaging apparatus comprising:
- a signal collecting device for collecting a signal from an object;
- an original image producing device for producing an original image based on said collected signal;
- a region defining device for defining in a plurality of modes a local region containing a pixel of interest in said original image;
- a variance calculating/deciding device for, sequentially for said region in the plurality of modes, obtaining the variance of pixel values and deciding whether the value of said variance falls within a predetermined range;
- and
- an image producing device for producing an image using as a new pixel value for said pixel of interest an average value of pixel values of the region for which the value of said variance first falls within said range.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.