# US 9,438,768 B2 · Image processing apparatus, image reading apparatus, image processing method and information storage medium > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,438,768 B2 - Document ID: US9438768B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/637,694 - Filed: 2011-03-09 - Published: 2013-01-10 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2010-03-30 - Assignees: NEC Corporation - Applicants: Atsushi Marugame; Tomoharu Kiyuna - Inventors: Atsushi Marugame; Tomoharu Kiyuna - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9438768B2 ## CPC - H04N 1/4072: {dependent on the contents of the original} - H04N 1/60: Colour correction or control {(H04N1/54 takes precedence)} - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract The invention is directed to a reduction in the influence on a pathological diagnosis when an image reading apparatus is exchanged. In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, there is provided an image processing apparatus that processes a biological image generated by capturing an image of a biological specimen in an image reading apparatus, including: an acquisition unit that acquires identification information of the image reading apparatus; a determination unit that determines a type of biological tissue included in the biological image; and a correction unit that adds a correction process to the biological image in correspondence with the identification information of the image reading apparatus and the type of biological tissue. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image processing apparatus that processes a biological image generated by capturing an image of a biological specimen in an image reading apparatus, comprising: an acquisition unit configured to acquire identification information of the image reading apparatus; a determination unit configured to determine a type of biological tissue included in the biological image; and a correction unit configured to add a correction process to the biological image in correspondence with the identification information of the image reading apparatus and the type of biological tissue. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a storage unit configured to store correction information indicating the correction process for each pair of the identification information of the image reading apparatus and the type of biological tissue capable of being included in the biological image, wherein the correction unit is configured to add the correction process to the biological image on the basis of correction information read out from the storage unit, using the identification information of the image reading apparatus and the type of biological tissue. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: a determination unit configured to determine whether the identification information of the image reading apparatus and correction information corresponding thereto are stored in the storage unit; and a notice unit configured to give notice of an error message, when the determination unit determines that the identification information of the image reading apparatus and the correction information corresponding thereto are not stored. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the correction unit is configured to add the correction process to the entirety of the biological image. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the correction unit is configured to add the correction process to an image region of the biological tissue included in the biological image. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when two or more biological tissues are included in the biological image, the correction unit is configured to add a different correction process to the image region of each biological tissue. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) An image reading apparatus which is capable of being connected to the image processing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising: a transmission unit configured to transmit the biological image generated by capturing an image of the biological specimen and the identification information to the image processing apparatus. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) An image reading apparatus which is capable of being connected to the image processing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising: a storage unit configured to store correction information indicating the correction process for each type of biological tissue capable of being included in the biological image; and a transmission unit configured to transmit the biological image generated by capturing an image of the biological specimen and the correction information to the image processing apparatus. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the correction unit is configured to read out correction information of the image corresponding to a pair of the identification information of the image reading apparatus acquired by the acquisition unit and the type of biological tissue determined by the determination unit, from a database in which correction information of the image is registered for each pair of the identification information of the image reading apparatus and the type of biological tissue, and add the correction process to the biological image on the basis of correction information read out from the database. ### Claim 10 An image processing apparatus that processes a biological image generated by capturing an image of a biological specimen in an image reading apparatus, comprising: an acquisition unit configured to acquire identification information of the image reading apparatus; a generation unit configured to compare a standard image previously stored in a database with the biological image, derive a correction process to be added to the biological image in order to cause approximation to the standard image, and generate correction information indicating the correction process; and a registration unit configured to register the identification information of the image reading apparatus and the correction information in the database, in association with a type of biological tissue included in the biological image. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The image processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein when the image reading apparatus is not a standard image reading apparatus, the generation unit is configured to generate correction information by comparing the standard image acquired by capturing an image of a sampling biological specimen in the standard image reading apparatus with a biological image acquired by capturing an image of the sampling biological specimen in the image reading apparatus. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) An image reading apparatus which is capable of being connected to the image processing apparatus according to claim 11, comprising: a storage unit configured to store the biological image generated by capturing an image of the sampling biological specimen; and a transmission unit configured to transmit the biological image to the image processing apparatus. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The image processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the generation unit is configured to generate the correction information by comparing a histogram in which the standard image is represented in a predetermined color space with a histogram in which the biological image is represented in a predetermined color space. ### Claim 14 An image processing method that processes a biological image generated by capturing an image of a biological specimen in an image reading apparatus, comprising: acquiring identification information of the image reading apparatus; determining a type of biological tissue included in the biological image; and adding a correction process to the biological image in correspondence with the identification information of the image reading apparatus and the type of biological tissue. ### Claim 15 An image processing method that processes a biological image generated by capturing an image of a biological specimen in an image reading apparatus, comprising: acquiring identification information of the image reading apparatus; comparing a standard image previously stored in a database with the biological image, deriving a correction process to be added to the biological image in order to cause approximation to the standard image, and generating correction information indicating the correction process; and registering the identification information of the image reading apparatus and the correction information, in association with a type of biological tissue included in the biological image. ### Claim 16 A non-transitory information storage medium storing an image processing program that processes a biological image generating by capturing an image of a biological specimen in an image reading apparatus, the program causing a computer to execute: a step of acquiring identification information of the image reading apparatus; a step of determining a type of biological tissue included in the biological image; and a step of adding a correction process to the biological image in correspondence with the identification information of the image reading apparatus and the type of biological tissue. ### Claim 17 A non-transitory storage medium storing an image processing program that processes a biological image generated by capturing an image of a biological specimen in an image reading apparatus, the program causing a computer to execute: a step of acquiring identification information of the image reading apparatus; a step of comparing a standard image previously stored in a database with the biological image, deriving a correction process to be added to the biological image in order to cause approximation to the standard image, and generating correction information indicating the correction process; and a step of registering the identification information of the image reading apparatus and the correction information, in association with a type of biological tissue included in the biological image.