Image processing device and operation method therefor

An image processing device comprising:

• an image signal input unit which inputs a color image signal;
• a color information acquisition unit which acquires a plurality of kinds of color information from the color image signal;
• a color difference enhancement unit which performs expansion processing for expanding the difference between a first range and a specific range different from the first range in a feature space formed by the plurality of kinds of color information to generate a color difference-enhanced image, in which the color difference between a normal part and an abnormal part is enhanced;
• a frequency enhancement unit which generates a frequency component-enhanced image, in which a frequency component corresponding to the abnormal part is enhanced, based on the color difference-enhanced image;
• a composition ratio setting unit which sets a composition ratio indicating the ratio for composing the frequency component-enhanced image with the color difference-enhanced image based on the plurality of kinds of color information;
• and
• a composition unit which composes the frequency component-enhanced image with the color difference-enhanced image at the composition ratio set by the composition ratio setting unit to generate a color difference and structure-enhanced image, in which the color difference is enhanced and the structure of the abnormal part is enhanced.

An operation method for an image processing device comprising:

• a step in which an image signal input unit inputs image signals of three colors;
• a step in which a base image creation unit creates a base image based on the image signals of three colors;
• a step in which a signal ratio calculation unit which calculates a first signal ratio between the image signals of two colors among the image signals of the three colors and a second signal ratio between the image signals of two colors different from the colors for the first signal ratio;
• a step in which a frequency enhancement unit generates a frequency component-enhanced image, in which a frequency component corresponding to an abnormal part different from a normal part is enhanced, based on the base image;
• a step in which a composition ratio setting unit sets a composition ratio indicating the ratio for composing the frequency component-enhanced image with the base image based on the first signal ratio and the second signal ratio;
• and
• a step in which a composition unit composes the frequency component-enhanced image with the base image at the composition ratio set by the composition ratio setting unit to generate a structure-enhanced image, in which the structure of the abnormal part is enhanced.

An operation method for an image processing device comprising:

• a step in which an image signal input unit inputs a color image signal;
• a step in which a color information acquisition unit acquires a plurality of kinds of color information from the color image signal;
• a step in which a color difference enhancement unit performs expansion processing for expanding the difference between a first range and a specific range different from the first range in a feature space formed by the plurality of kinds of color information to generate a color difference-enhanced image, in which the color difference between a normal part and an abnormal part is enhanced;
• a step in which a frequency enhancement unit generates a frequency component-enhanced image, in which a frequency component corresponding to the abnormal part is enhanced, based on the color difference-enhanced image;
• a step in which a composition ratio setting unit sets a composition ratio indicating the ratio for composing the frequency component-enhanced image with the color difference-enhanced image based on the plurality of kinds of color information;
• and
• a step in which a composition unit composes the frequency component-enhanced image with the color difference-enhanced image at the composition ratio set by the composition ratio setting unit to generate a color difference and structure-enhanced image, in which the color difference is enhanced and the structure of the abnormal part is enhanced.