JP3501359B2 - All-focus imaging method and stereoscopic display method - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention belongs to the technical field of imaging devices such as optical microscopes, electron microscopes, optical telescopes, and electronic cameras. The present invention particularly belongs to the technical field of in-focus imaging technology that provides an image focused on an observation target and the technical field of stereoscopic display technology that displays the stereoscopic shape of the observation target.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional technique, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-230 is known.
Japanese Patent No. 252 discloses roughly the following two imaging techniques.

The first imaging technique displays an image in real time while reciprocating the focal position (distance from the lens to the focal plane) with respect to the observation object at high speed, and only the portion with a sharp contour with focus has a retina. It is used to be visually recognized as an afterimage. This technology can make use of the physiological afterimage phenomenon so that the observer can visually recognize an image that is in focus over the entire observation target in real time, so when the observation target is moving, for example. Is also a suitable imaging technique.

However, in this technique, a blurred image that is out of focus is also formed on the retina, and the time during which the image is out of focus is longer than the time when the image is in focus. There was the inconvenience of receiving a slightly blurry visual sense. That is, according to this technique, a perfect in-focus image in which all parts of the observation target are in focus cannot be obtained, and there is a disadvantage that the image is slightly blurred and the eyes are easily tired. Further, there is also a disadvantage that the focused image is only visible, and the focused image cannot be photographed or printed.

The second image pickup technique is an application of the above-mentioned first image pickup technique to display images picked up by two image pickup devices with a parallax toward an observation target, to the left and right eyes, respectively, and the observation target is binocular. To see. According to this technique, it is possible to visually recognize a stereoscopic image in real time.

However, this technique also has the same disadvantages as the first imaging technique described above, and cannot provide a perfectly focused image. In addition, since it is not possible to generate a three-dimensional numerical model of the observation target by any of the imaging technologies, an end view showing the cross-sectional shape is presented or a bird's-eye view image from multiple directions is continuously synthesized and displayed. It is not possible.

[0007]

To solve these problems, a focused image in which each part of the observation object is focused is generated in near real time, and a three-dimensional numerical model showing the three-dimensional shape of the observation object is generated. The present applicant filed Japanese Patent Application No. 11-300467 as a prior application. This prior application describes a technique for selecting a focused pixel for an observation target from a plurality of image signals at different focal positions and generating a focused image and a stereo numerical model in near real time.

However, in the first embodiment of this prior application,
As shown in FIG. 1, the in-focus image is updated only every one movement cycle in which the focus position moves. That is, C
The focused image is not updated every time the image pickup means such as a CD element takes an image, but the focused image is updated and displayed after waiting for one movement cycle in which the focus position moves. It has become. Therefore, in the displayed in-focus image, the pixel having the latest focus is not updated every time the imaging unit captures an image, and the update of the in-focus image requires a waiting time for one cycle of the focus position. However, there was still room for improvement in terms of real-time performance.

Further, in the second embodiment of the prior application, the in-focus pixel is determined in real time every time the image is picked up by the image pickup means, and these in-focus pixels in the in-focus image are sequentially updated so that a new image is obtained in real time. It is described that a different focused image is generated. This is considered to be such that, at least at the embodiment level, as shown in FIG. 2, only the portion of the newly focused in-focus pixel in the in-focus image is updated. Therefore, when there is a pixel that is in focus only once in the past, there is a disadvantage that the pixel remains forever without being updated. By the way, since the all-focus imaging technique capable of sequentially updating the in-focus image is claimed in claim 13 of the prior application, it is excluded from the scope of the claims of the present application.

Therefore, the first object of the present invention is to provide an omnifocal imaging method capable of providing in real time a fresh omnifocal image which does not include in-focus pixels past one cycle of the focal position. And A second object of the present invention is to provide a stereoscopic display method capable of sequentially generating a stereoscopic numerical model showing a stereoscopic shape of an observation target and displaying the stereoscopic shape of the observation target in real time. In the present invention, it is sufficient that either the first problem or the second problem is solved.

[0011]

In order to solve the above problems, the inventors have invented the following means.

(First Means) The first means of the present invention is the all-focus imaging method according to claim 1. That is, in the omnifocal imaging method of this means, each time imaging is performed by the imaging means,
The image input step, the image extraction step, and the image output step are sequentially performed.

As shown in FIG. 3, first, in the image input step, the image formed by the varifocal means for periodically moving the focus position is taken into the image memory as an image signal from the image pickup means. Next, in the image extraction step, the in-focus pixels that are in focus with the observation target are determined and extracted from the plurality of image signals corresponding to the past one cycle of the focus position. Then, in the image output step, these extracted in-focus pixels are combined with each other to generate one omnifocal image, and this omnifocal image is supplied to the display.

That is, according to the present means, each time the image is picked up by the image pickup means without waiting for the movement of the focal position for one cycle, the focused image within the past one cycle including the latest focused pixel is obtained. The constructed omnifocal image is displayed on the display. In addition, as described above, the in-focus image forming the all-in-focus image is limited to the one within the past one cycle of the focus position, and therefore, the in-focus pixel that has been focused in the past beyond one cycle. Is not displayed. Therefore, the omnifocal image is composed of only the freshly focused pixels within one cycle in the past, and is displayed for each imaging, so that the omnifocal image is provided with almost high real-time property which is almost perfect.

Therefore, according to the omnifocal imaging method of the present means, the omnifocal image which does not include in-focus pixels past one cycle of the focus position and is composed of only fresh in-focus images within one cycle is obtained. There is an effect that it can be provided in real time.

(Second Means) The second means of the present invention is the stereoscopic display method according to claim 2. That is, in the three-dimensional display method of the present means, the image input step, the three-dimensional numerical model updating step, and the image output step are sequentially performed each time the image capturing means performs image capturing.

First, in the image input step, the image formed by the variable focus means for periodically moving the focus position is taken into the image memory one by one as an image signal from the image pickup means. At that time, focus position information indicating the focus position is attached to each of these image signals.

Next, in the solid numerical model updating step,
From the plurality of image signals corresponding to the past one cycle of the focus position, the in-focus pixels that are in focus with the observation target are determined and extracted. Then, the respective in-plane positions of these extracted in-focus pixels in this image,
With the three-dimensional position information consisting of these focal position information attached to each, the portion corresponding to the focused pixel of the three-dimensional numerical model stored in the memory is updated. As a result, the three-dimensional numerical model is partially updated by these focused pixels within the past one cycle of this focus position, and a new three-dimensional numerical model is generated.

Then, in the image output step, the new three-dimensional numerical model is read from the memory and supplied to the image generating means, and the image generated by the image generating means is supplied to the display.

In the present means, each time the imaging means captures an image and captures an image, the three-dimensional numerical model is updated based on the three-dimensional position information attached to the latest focused image.
In addition, since the three-dimensional numerical model is configured based on the focused pixels within one cycle, the inconvenience that past position information is included over one cycle is prevented. Therefore, the display shows the shape based on the three-dimensional numerical model of the observation target in the latest state that is very close to real time, and the observer can easily recognize the change in the three-dimensional shape of the observation target in real time. it can.

Therefore, according to the three-dimensional display method of the present means, it is possible to successively generate a three-dimensional numerical model showing the three-dimensional shape of the observation target and display the three-dimensional shape of the observation target in real time.

[0022]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the omnifocal imaging method and the stereoscopic display method of the present invention will be described clearly and sufficiently in the following embodiments so that those skilled in the art can understand the invention.

[Embodiment 1] (All-focus imaging apparatus of Embodiment 1) An all-focus imaging method as Embodiment 1 of the present invention is carried out using an all-focus imaging apparatus described below.

First, as shown in FIG. 4, the omnifocal image pickup apparatus used in this embodiment has a varifocal lens section 1 as varifocal means, a CCD element 2 as image pickup means, and a CCD.
The drive circuit 3, a liquid crystal monitor 4 as a display, a control circuit 5, a variable focus lens drive circuit 6, an image memory 7 and an image processing circuit 8 are included as main components.

Variable focus lens unit 1 as variable focus means
Is composed of a liquid ring lens 11, a laminated piezoelectric bimorph actuator 12 and a fixed lens 13 disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-230252 as an optical element capable of periodically changing the focal position at high speed. . The varifocal lens unit 1 is driven by the varifocal lens drive circuit 6 and can change the focal position at a high speed of several hundred Hz. A CCD element 2 as an image pickup means is arranged at the subsequent stage of the variable focus lens section 1. CCD element 3
Is driven by the CCD drive circuit 4, and it is possible to capture images at a high speed of 30 images per second or higher and sequentially convert each image into an image signal which is an electric signal.

On the other hand, the image memory 7 is a high-speed, large-capacity semiconductor RAM, which can store a plurality of large-capacity image signals taken by the CCD element 3, and the image signal from the CCD element 3 can be stored. It is possible to write and read at a higher speed than the transfer speed. The image processing circuit 8
From the plurality of images stored in the image memory 7, in-focus determination is performed to extract in-focus pixels (in-focus pixels), and an all-in-focus image composed of in-focus images within one cycle in the past is extracted. It is a digital processing circuit that performs image processing to be generated. The image processing circuit 8 is an electronic circuit capable of performing such image processing within a time when one image signal from the CCD element 3 is transferred. An MPU made of VLSI capable of performing the above is adopted.

The liquid crystal monitor 4 is a display for displaying the omnifocal image generated by the image processing circuit 8. As a display, in addition to the LCD monitor 4, CR
It is also possible to employ display means capable of updating the screen in real time, such as a T or plasma display.

Further, the control circuit 5 is a digital arithmetic circuit for controlling the variable focus lens drive circuit 6, the CCD drive circuit 3, the image memory 7, the image processing circuit 8 and the liquid crystal monitor 4 by appropriately synchronizing them.

Next, the operation of the high speed all-focus imaging device used in this embodiment will be described. For simplification of explanation, as shown in FIG. 5, a subject including three planes having different heights, that is, an upper surface, an intermediate surface, and a lower surface, is an observation target. Then, this high-speed all-focus imaging device observes the observation target from above and changes the focus position in, for example, six stages by one cycle (one cycle of the focus position) of the imaging operation as shown in FIG. Suppose. Of course, the method of changing the focal position is not limited to six steps, but can be freely set to a desired step.

In the first cycle, the variable focus lens 1
Moves the focus position in six steps from the focus position a to the focus position f. In the meantime, similarly, as shown in FIG. 6, the CCD element 2 captures an image in accordance with the timing at which the focal position of the varifocal lens unit 1 stops stepwise. Then, as shown in FIG. 7, the six image signals Fa
~ Ff is fetched and stored in the image memory 7. The image signals stored in the image memory 7 include the image signal Fb focused on the upper surface, the image signal Fc focused on the intermediate surface, and the image signal Fd focused on the lower surface. .

Then, as shown in FIG. 7, the image processing circuit 8 selects from among the six image signals stored in the image memory 7 the data of the focused pixel under the condition that the brightness value is maximum, for example. Is extracted as a focused pixel. Next, the image processing circuit 8 synthesizes these in-focus pixels to generate an omnifocal image Fg in which all visible parts are in focus. The generated omnifocal image Fg is output as an image by the control device 5 and displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 4.

After the next cycle, as shown in FIG. 8, the oldest image signal of the six image signals stored in the image memory 7 is picked up by the CCD element 2. It is replaced with the latest image signal. That is, in the periodical change of the focus position, every time the image signal acquired at the same focus position is updated, the focus is changed from the six images stored in the image memory 7 by the image processing circuit 8. Image processing is performed to extract matching pixels (focused pixels). Then, since the omnifocal image Fgi (i = 1, 2, ...) Displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 4 is updated,
An omnifocal image is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 4 almost completely in real time. However, to update the omnifocal image, CC
There is a delay corresponding to the delay in transferring one image signal from the D element 2, that is, a delay corresponding to 1/30 second in the case of a video rate of 30 images per second.

If a CMOS imager is used as the image pickup means instead of the CCD element 2, an image signal for one image can be transferred faster than the CCD element, so that it is possible to obtain an omnifocal image at a higher speed. . Further, when the writing / reading speed of the image signal to / from the image memory 7 and the calculation speed of the image processing constrain the real-time property of obtaining the omnifocal image, one image signal from the image pickup device is divided, It is also possible to speed up by parallel processing.

As the method of extracting the in-focus pixel, in this embodiment, the in-focus pixel having the maximum brightness value among the pixels at the same position of the plurality of image signals stored in the image memory is in-focus. It is described in the processing that is regarded as a pixel. However, it is possible to use various focus determination methods, such as not only the pixel at the same position but also the pixel in which the amount of change in the brightness value of the area of a plurality of pixels around the pixel is the maximum, as the focus pixel.

(All-Focus Imaging Method of First Embodiment) The all-focus imaging method according to the first embodiment of the present invention uses C as an imaging means.
Each time an image is taken by the CD element 2, the image input step, the image extraction step, and the image output step are sequentially performed.

First, in the image input step, as shown in FIG. 4 again, the image of the observation object is formed on the CCD element 2 by the varifocal lens unit 1 as the varifocal means for periodically moving the focal position. To be This image is taken into the image memory 7 one by one as an image signal from the CCD element 2 as an image pickup means.

Next, in the image extracting step, the image processing circuit 8 selects from the plurality of image signals corresponding to the past one cycle of the focus position stored in the image memory 7 the in-focus point at which the observation target is in focus. Pixels are determined and extracted. In the focus determination, a method of determining a pixel of an image signal in which the brightness value of a specific pixel has a maximum value or a minimum value as a focus pixel is adopted.

Then, in the image output step, FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, the in-focus pixels extracted by the image processing circuit 8 are combined with each other to generate one omnifocal image, and this omnifocal image is supplied to the liquid crystal monitor 4 as a display via the control device 5. Will be displayed.

That is, according to the omnifocal imaging method of the present embodiment, the CC position can be controlled without waiting for the movement of the focal position for one cycle.
Every time an image is captured by the D element 2, an omnifocal image composed of in-focus images in the past one cycle including the latest in-focus pixel is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 4. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 8, since the in-focus images forming the all-in-focus image are limited to those within the past one cycle of the focus position, the focus may have been beyond the one cycle in the past. Focused pixels are not displayed. Therefore, the omnifocal image is composed of only the freshly focused pixels within one cycle in the past, and is displayed for each imaging, so that the omnifocal image is provided with almost high real-time property which is almost perfect.

Therefore, according to the omnifocal image pickup method of the present embodiment, the omnifocal image which does not include the in-focus pixels past one cycle of the focus position and is composed of only fresh in-focus images within one cycle. Can be provided in real time every time the CCD device 2 captures an image.

(Modification 1 of Embodiment 1) As a modification 1 of this embodiment, instead of the varifocal lens section 1, as shown in FIG. 9, a varifocal mirror 10 is used as an omnifocal means. The omnifocal imaging method of the present embodiment may be implemented using an imaging device.

The varifocal mirror 10 is an optical element capable of changing the focal position at a speed as high as that of the varifocal lens unit 1 or higher, and its detailed structure has already been disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 157903/1993. There is. That is, the variable focus mirror 10 is the diaphragm-shaped concave mirror 1
01 and the electrode 102 facing this. In the varifocal mirror 10, the varifocal mirror drive circuit 16
A potential difference is applied between the concave mirror 101 and the electrode 102. Since the concave mirror 101 is deformed by the electrostatic force, the varifocal mirror 10 can change the focal position appropriately and at high speed.

According to this modification as well, the omnifocal imaging method similar to that of the first embodiment can be carried out only with the difference in the device configuration of the portion corresponding to the variable focus means. Therefore, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained. To be

(Modification 2 of Embodiment 1) As a modification 2 of this embodiment, it is possible to implement an all-focus imaging method in which the changing pattern of the focal position of the variable focus lens unit 1 (see FIG. 1) is changed. .

For example, the focal position of the varifocal lens 1 is described in the first embodiment as being changed stepwise from the closest point to the farthest point in accordance with the image pickup timing.
Conversely, as shown in FIG. 10, the farthest point side may be changed to the closest point side. Also according to this modification, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 11, if the image pickup time of the image pickup device such as the CCD device 2 is sufficiently short, the focal position may be continuously changed. According to this modification, since the image can be picked up at a higher speed without being too much focused on the focus setting speed of the variable focus means such as the variable focus lens unit 1, even the processing speed of the image processing circuit 8 is sufficiently improved. If this is done, even higher real-time performance can be obtained.

Of course, the change timing of the sawtooth wave-like focus position may be changed from the closest point to the farthest point, and this modification also provides high real-time performance.

(Modification 3 of Embodiment 1) As a modification 3 of this embodiment, the image processing circuit 8 of this embodiment has focused on the luminance value of the pixel to make the in-focus determination. If the processing capability of the processing circuit 8 permits, another focusing point determination method may be adopted. Since various kinds of focusing determination methods are described in detail in the above-mentioned prior application, refer to the prior application. According to this modification, the same effects as those of the first embodiment described above can be obtained, and the characteristics peculiar to various focusing determination methods can be obtained.

[Embodiment 2] (All-focus imaging apparatus according to Embodiment 2) An all-focus imaging method according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention is carried out using an all-focus imaging apparatus described below.

First, as shown in FIG. 12, the omnifocal image pickup device used in this embodiment is similar to the first embodiment in that the varifocal lens unit 1, CCD element 2, CCD drive circuit 3,
It has a liquid crystal monitor 4, a control circuit 5, a variable focus lens drive circuit 6, an image memory 7 and an image processing circuit 8. The omnifocal imaging apparatus of this embodiment is different from that of the first embodiment in that it further includes a three-dimensional shape generation circuit 9 that generates and updates a three-dimensional numerical model.

That is, the omnifocal imaging apparatus used in this embodiment is capable of obtaining a three-dimensional numerical model of an observation target in real time by adding the three-dimensional shape generation circuit 9. Of course, an omnifocal image can be displayed in real time as in the first embodiment by a single switch operation.

Also in this omnifocal imaging device, as shown in FIG. 13, the image memory 7 (see FIG. 12) has an image F in which the upper surface, the intermediate surface, and the lower surface of the observation target are in focus.
A large number of image data including b, Fc and Fd and output voltage data of the variable focus lens drive circuit 6 when each image is obtained are stored. This image data and each image
Output voltage data of the variable focus lens drive circuit when
The constituted data is the number of solids according to claim 2 of the present invention.
It is a value model. That is, the three-dimensional numerical model is the observation
It is a three-dimensional map of the in-focus pixel of the object, image data
Of each image captured in the image memory
In-plane position information of pixel (expressed in vertical and horizontal coordinates)
And the output of the variable focus lens drive circuit when each image was obtained
Focal length data corresponding to image data that is voltage data
Composed of (expressed in coordinates in the height direction)
The three pixels of each image stored in the image memory.
Dimensional position information (represented by vertical, horizontal and height coordinates)
is there. Then, similarly to the in-focus point determination method of the above-described first embodiment, the in-focus point pixel is determined and extracted, and the output voltage value of the variable-focus lens drive circuit 9 of that pixel is used as the focus position information to generate the three-dimensional shape. By converting the focal length data of the varifocal lens by the device 9, it is possible to obtain a three-dimensional map of the in-focus pixels, that is, a three-dimensional shape profile that is a three-dimensional numerical model of the observation object. Furthermore, this three-dimensional shape profile h can be displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 4 as a three-dimensional display image by a desired display method.

In the three-dimensional shape generation process as described above, the image signal for the oldest one of the image signals in the image memory 7 is output from the CCD element 2 as in the first embodiment. It is performed every time the updated latest image signal is updated. That is, in the periodic change of the focus position,
Each time the image signal acquired at the same focus position after one cycle is updated, the in-focus pixel is extracted from the image signals of a plurality of images stored in the image memory 7 by the image processing circuit 8. . Then, the variable focus lens drive circuit 9 applied to the variable focus lens unit 1 at the time of imaging the in-focus pixel
The output voltage value of 1 is converted into focus position information by the three-dimensional shape generation device 9 and attached to the in-focus pixel. Since the three-dimensional shape profile generated from the three-dimensional numerical model is updated in this way, the three-dimensional shape profile is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 4 almost in real time, as in the all-focus image.

(All-Focus Imaging Method of Second Embodiment) An all-focus imaging method according to the first embodiment of the present invention uses C as an imaging means.
It comprises an image input step, a three-dimensional numerical model updating step, and an image output step that are sequentially performed each time an image is taken by the CD element 2.

First, in the image input step, the image of the observation target at a predetermined focus position is formed on the CCD element 2 by the varifocal lens unit 1 as the varifocal means for periodically moving the focus position. This image is taken into the image memory 7 one by one as an image signal from the CCD element 2 as the image pickup means. At that time, each image signal is provided with focus position information indicating the focus position based on the output voltage of the variable focus lens drive circuit 6.

Next, in the step of updating the three-dimensional numerical model, the past one cycle stored in the image memory is reached.
From the three-dimensional position information , the in-focus pixels that are in focus with the observation target are determined and extracted. Then, the in-plane position information (represented by the vertical and horizontal coordinates) of each of these extracted in-focus pixels in this image, and the focal position information associated with each in-plane position ( height-direction coordinate).
With three-dimensional position information consisting in that) and expressed in standard,
The part corresponding to the focused pixel of the three-dimensional numerical model stored in the memory is updated. As a result, the three-dimensional numerical model is partially updated by these focused pixels within the past one cycle of this focus position, and a new three-dimensional numerical model is generated.

Then, in the image output step, the new three-dimensional numerical model is read from this memory and supplied to the image generating means, and the image generated by this image generating means is supplied to the liquid crystal monitor 4 as a display. It That is, each time the CCD device 2 captures an image, for example, the latest three-dimensional shape profile of the observation target is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 4 in real time.

As described above, in the omnifocal imaging method of the present embodiment, every time the CCD device 2 captures an image and captures an image, the three-dimensional numerical model is updated based on the three-dimensional position information attached to the latest focused image. To be done. In addition, since the three-dimensional numerical model is configured based on the focused pixels within one cycle, the inconvenience that past position information is included over one cycle is prevented. Therefore, the shape based on the three-dimensional numerical model of the observation target is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 4 in the latest state that is very close to real time. As a result, the observer can recognize the change in the three-dimensional shape of the observation target substantially in real time.

Therefore, according to the three-dimensional display method of the present embodiment, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment described above, a three-dimensional numerical model showing the three-dimensional shape of the observation target is sequentially generated and the three-dimensional shape of the observation target is determined. The effect is that it can be displayed in real time. That is, even in the display of the three-dimensional shape of the observation target, there is an effect that the same real-time property as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

(Various Modified Modes of Second Embodiment) Various modified modes corresponding to the modified modes of the first embodiment can be implemented also in the stereoscopic display method of the present embodiment.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a timing chart showing the operation of the first embodiment of the prior application.

FIG. 2 is a timing chart showing the operation of the second embodiment of the prior application.

FIG. 3 is a timing chart showing the operation of the omnifocal imaging method of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of an omnifocal imaging device used in the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an example of an observation target according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a timing chart showing image pickup timing in the first embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an operation of the omnifocal imaging method according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a timing chart showing an operation of the omnifocal imaging method according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an omnifocal imaging device according to a first modification of the first embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a timing chart showing changes in the focal position according to the second modification of the first embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a timing chart showing changes in the focal position according to the second modification of the first embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of an omnifocal imaging device used in the second embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an operation of the stereoscopic display method as the second embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1: Variable focus lens section (as variable focus means) 11: Liquid-sealed lens 12: Laminated piezoelectric bimorph actuator 13: Fixed lens 2: CCD element (as image pickup means) 3: CCD drive circuit 4: Liquid crystal monitor (as display) 5 : Control circuit 6: Variable focus lens drive circuit 7: Image memory (also used as memory in the second embodiment) 8: Image processing circuit 9: Three-dimensional shape generation device 10: Variable focus mirror 101: Concave mirror 102: Electrode 16: Variable Focus mirror drive circuit

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI G06T 3/00 400 H04N 5/225 Z H04N 5/225 5/232 A 5/232 13/00 13/00 G02B 7/11 N (56) References JP-A-11-177873 (JP, A) JP-A-5-333271 (JP, A) JP-A-9-26312 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷⁾ , DB name) H04N 13/02 G02B 7/28 G02B 21/36 G06T 1/00 315 G06T 1/00 430 G06T 3/00 400 H04N 5/225 H04N 5/232 H04N 13/00

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. An image input step of fetching an image formed by a variable focus means for periodically moving a focus position as an image signal from an image pickup means into an image memory, and each time the image input step is performed. , An image extraction step of determining and extracting in-focus pixels that are in focus with the observation target from a plurality of image signals of the past one cycle of the focus position, and extracted each time this image extraction step is performed. By combining these focused pixels, one omnifocal image is generated,
An image output step of supplying the omnifocal image to a display, and the omnifocal imaging method. 2. An image input step in which an image formed by variable focus means for periodically moving the focus position is fetched from the image pickup means as an image signal into an image memory, and focus position information indicating the focus position is added. Each time this image input step is performed, the in-focus pixels that are in focus on the observation target are respectively determined and extracted from the plurality of image signals for the past one cycle of this focus position, and then these in-focus pixels are extracted. With the three-dimensional position information consisting of each in-plane position of the focus pixel in this image and these focus position information incidental to each, the portion corresponding to the in-focus pixel of the three-dimensional numerical model stored in the memory is determined. A step of updating the solid numerical model for generating a new solid numerical model from these focused pixels within the past one cycle of this focus position; Each time a three-dimensional numerical model updating step is performed, and supplied to the image generating means reads out the new three-dimensional numerical models from the memory, and the image output step of supplying the image generated by the image generation means on a display,
A stereoscopic display method comprising: