JPH01269169A - Picture retrieving device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To promptly obtain a desired picture by displaying the reduced picture of the picture corresponding to a picture information item where a cursor is set near picture control information. CONSTITUTION:A cursor setting means 6 which can set the cursor at a desired picture information item position in the picture control information displayed on a display means 11 and a display control means 15 to display the reduced picture of the picture corresponding to the picture information item where the cursor is set near the picture control information are possessed. Consequently, since the reduced picture of the picture corresponding to the picture information item where the cursor is set is displayed near the picture control information, by watching the reduced picture, an operator can discriminated whether or not the picture is the one desired by him. In such discrimination, when the picture is judged not to be the one desirable to him, he can move the cursor and set the cursor at the other picture information item position. Thus, the desired picture can be promptly obtained.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to an image search device used to search for a desired image from data for a plurality of images.

(Conventional technology) Conventionally, medical image searches have been performed as follows.

First, as shown in FIG. 6, image management information (also called a directory) 1 is displayed on the CRT display 2. This image management information includes, for example, the date of occurrence of the image (date of image transfer), patient name, and the like.

In order to specify a desired image, the operator inputs an item of unique information of the image (referred to as an "image information item") using the keyboard. In FIG. 6, item "3" is selected. Then, the corresponding image is displayed on the CRT display 2 instead of the image management information 1 that had been displayed until then.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) However, it is difficult to identify a desired image just by looking at the image management information, and whether the image identified by inputting the above-mentioned unique information matches the image requested by the operator? This will not be known until the image is actually displayed on the CRT display 2.

The displayed image is the image a! requested by the operator! If not, the operator returns the display screen of the CRT display 2 to the image management information display by operating the keyboard again, and specifies the image by inputting the above-mentioned unique information.

If the content of the image management information is insufficient, or if there is an error in the image management information due to incorrect input of the information, the operator must perform the above trial and error image search operations until the desired image is found. Must be repeated many times. For this reason, in the conventional apparatus, it took a long time to obtain the image requested by the operator. In addition, the operator was forced to perform the above-mentioned complicated search operations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention aims to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks, and its purpose is to provide an image retrieval device that can quickly obtain a desired image by improving the operability of image retrieval. There is a particular thing.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides an image storage means for storing data of a valve with multiple images, and an image corresponding to the image in this image storage means. A cursor capable of setting a cursor at a desired image information item position in image management information displayed on the display means in an image search device comprising a display means for displaying management information and capable of searching for a desired image. (Function) According to the above configuration, it has a setting means and a display control means for displaying a reduced image of the image corresponding to the image information item to which the cursor is set in the vicinity of the image management information. A reduced image of the image corresponding to the image information item for which the cursor is set is displayed near the image management information, so the operator can check whether it is the image he/she requests by looking at this reduced image. can be determined. If the user determines in J3 that the image is not the image requested by the user, the user may move the cursor and set the cursor to another image information item position.

As a result, a reduced image of the image corresponding to the cursor setting item is displayed. In this way, by moving the cursor, reduced images of the corresponding image are switched and displayed one after another at positions near the image management information, so by looking at the reduced images, it is possible to accurately search for and override the requested image. Furthermore, displaying this reduced image does not affect the display of image management information in any way. In other words, even when a reduced image is displayed, the image management information is still displayed. Therefore, unlike in the past, there is no need to repeat the complicated operations of returning the display screen to the image management information display and re-identifying the image when the displayed image is not the requested image, and the operability of image search is greatly improved. do.

(Example) Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically explained with reference to Examples.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the invention.

5 is a keyboard, and 6 is a mouse as a cursor setting means. This mouse 6 is provided with a switch 7. 8 is a CPU (central processing unit), which functionally functions as input processing means 12. Storage means 13, disk management means 14
2 display control means 15° and image processing means 16. 9a
9b is an index image disk, and 9b is a directory information disk.

9C is an image data disk, 11 is C as a display means.
It is an RT display.

The image data disk 9C stores data on a valve with multiple images. This image data disk 9C is an example of image storage means in the present invention. The index image disk 9a stores the same image as the image in the image data disk 9C in a reduced form. The directory information disk 9b also includes an image data disk 9.
Image management information for image search in C is stored. This image management information consists of a group of image information items corresponding to the images in the image data disk 9C. Thus, the index image disk 9a, directory information disk 9b, and image data disk 9C are under the control of the disk management means 14. The input processing means 12 executes recognition processing of information input by the keyboard 5 and mouse 6,
This processing result is displayed in the disk management means 141 display control means 1
5 and image processing means 16. Under the control of the disk management means 14, the disks 9a, 9b
, 9c is temporarily stored in the storage means 13 and displayed on the CRT display 11 under the control of the display control means 15. Further, the image finally selected by the search in the apparatus of this embodiment is transferred to the image processing means 16 via the disk management means 14, and is subjected to appropriate image processing in the image processing means 16.

For example, this image processing may include enlargement processing of a region of interest.

Next, the operation of the apparatus of this embodiment will be explained based on the flowchart shown in FIG.

When a command to display image management information is input to the apparatus of this embodiment by operating the keyboard 5, this command is recognized by the input processing means 12, and the directory information is displayed under the control of the disk management means 14. The image management information in the disk 9b is transferred to the storage means 13. The image management information in the storage means 13 is then displayed on the CRT display 11 under the control of the display control means 15. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, this image management information is displayed not over the entire display screen of the CRT display 11, but with a predetermined space at the bottom. This space becomes a display area for a reduced image 918, which will be described in detail later. Further, a cursor 19 is displayed on the CRT display 11 under the control of the display control means 15. This cursor 19 can be moved to any position on the image management information by operating the mouse 6.

In the input processing means 12, it is determined whether or not an image information item exists under the cursor 19 (Sl), and if it is determined in this determination that it exists (in FIG. 2, the image information item exists under the cursor 19). ``1988101101 F1^
(YUMI ARAK AJ), the input processing means 12 again determines whether the switch 7 of the mouse 6 has been pressed (S4).

If it is determined in this determination that "1 has not been pressed", the input processing means 12 recognizes the content of the image information item existing under the cursor 19 (S5). This recognition result is then transmitted to the disk management means 14.

Then, under the control of the disk management means 14, the index image (reduced image) corresponding to the image information item in the index image disk 9a is transferred to the storage means 13, and is displayed on the CRT display 11 under the control of the display control means 15. (S6). This index image is
As shown by 18 in FIG. 2, the image management information is displayed near the image management information, for example, at the lower right. Furthermore, the index image 18
In order to make the operator clearly aware that the image corresponds to the image information item to which the cursor 19 is set,
It is preferable to invert the black and white of only the image information item under the cursor 19 or change the color.

The operator looks at this index image 18 and determines whether this is the image he/she requests. In this determination, if it is determined that the image is the requested image, the switch 7 of the mouse 6 is pressed.

Then, in the determination in step S4 in the input processing means 12, it is determined that "the switch has been pressed", and the image corresponding to the image information item in the image data disk 9C is displayed as an image under the control of the disk management means 14. Processing means 16
The image is then transferred to the image processing means 16 where the image is processed.

What kind of process this process is depends on the selection of the process content via the keyboard 5. This processed image is then transferred to the storage means 13, and under the control of the display control means 15, the
displayed on the RT display 11.

If the operator determines that the image is not the requested image in the above index image 18, the operator moves the cursor 19 by operating the mouse 6,
The cursor 19 is set at another image information item position.

When it is overturned, the input processing means 12 performs the step S1 again.
．． Determination of S/l, etc. is performed. That is, in determining the operator based on the displayed index image 18, each time the cursor moves, step 31. S4゜S5,36
The determination and execution are repeated.

Furthermore, if there is no item corresponding to the requested image in the image management information currently displayed on the CRT display 11, the cursor 19 is moved to the top or bottom of the display screen by operating the mouse 6. do. cursor 19
If you move to the top of the display screen, the current CR
It means that the operator is requesting the same information corresponding to the previous page of the image management information displayed on the T-display 11, and on the contrary, the operator has moved the cursor 19 to the bottom of the display screen. In this case, it means that the operator is requesting the same information corresponding to the next page of the image management information currently displayed on the CRT display 11.

Therefore, the input processing means 12 determines from the position information of the cursor 19 whether the operator is requesting image management information corresponding to the previous page or the next page (S2). In this determination, if it is determined that ``J is not requesting,'' the process returns to step S1, and if it is determined that ``request is being made,'' this fact is notified to the disk management means 14. Then, under the control of the disk management means 14, the relevant information in the index image disk 9b is transferred to the storage means 13, and this is displayed on the CRT display 11 under the control of the display control means 15 (S3). A series of search processes will be performed based on the image management information.

As described above, in the apparatus of this embodiment, the index images (reduced images) corresponding to the image information item [1 are switched and displayed one after another according to the movement of the cursor 19, so that the operator can It is possible to easily determine whether or not the displayed image is the image requested by the user.Furthermore, if the displayed image is not the requested image, the display screen can be returned to the image management information display means as in the past. Since there is no need to repeat complicated operations such as re-specifying the image, the operability of image retrieval is greatly improved, and the desired image can be quickly retrieved.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments.

For example, as shown in FIG. 3, a first memory 20 that can store image management information for a plurality of pages and a second memory 21 that can store a corresponding index image (g! group) are arranged. In both cases, IC memory is applied), and the first . Direct the memory contents of the second memory 20 and 21 respectively! The information in the helicopter information disk 9b and index image disk 9a is used to rewrite the information.

The image management information display and the index image display are respectively performed in the first page. This is done using the contents of the second memory 20, 21. In this way, the disk 9a.

9b each time, switching display of the previous page or next page of image management information and switching display of index images can be performed at high speed.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of index image groups 22 may be displayed on the CRT display 11 using the stored contents of the second memory 21. In this case, it is preferable to clearly distinguish it from other index images by changing the brightness or color of the index image 22a corresponding to the image information item to which the cursor 19 is set.

Further, in the above embodiment, a mouse is used as the curve setting means, but other pointing devices such as an i-rack ball may be used, or cursor movement keys on the keyboard 5 may be used.

[Effects of the Invention] As described in detail above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an image search device that can quickly obtain a desired image by improving the operability of image search.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 is a block diagram showing an example of an image retrieval device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a CRT display display in the embodiment device of FIG. 1;
5 and 5 are explanatory diagrams of other embodiments of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the embodiment device of FIG. 1, and FIG. 6 is an explanation of a display example in a conventional image search device. It is a diagram. 6... Mouse (cursor setting means), 9C... Image data disk (image storage means), 11... CRT display (display means), 15... Display control means, 1
8...Reduced image, 19...Cursor. Figure 2 Figure 3

Claims (1)

[Claims] An image retrieval device capable of searching for a desired image, comprising an image storage means for storing data for a plurality of images, and a display means for displaying image management information corresponding to the images in the image storage means; cursor setting means capable of setting a cursor at a desired image information item position in the image management information displayed on the display means; and a cursor setting means capable of setting a cursor at a desired image information item position in the image management information displayed on the display means; An image retrieval device characterized by having a display control means for displaying images nearby.