JPH0454568A - Image processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To attain the transfer of information within an image processor during the transfer of the diagnostic image information of large capacity by switching a common bus to an image-only bus through an interface part and connecting this image-only bus to an external device. CONSTITUTION:An image-only bus 2 is connected to an interface part 8 together with a common bus 1 and a bus 10 connected to an external device 9. The part 8 includes a switch part 80 to connect the bus 10 led from the device 9 to the bus 1 and to selectively switch the bus 10 for connection to the bus 2. This selective switch is decided by the part 8 itself or by the instruction of a control part 3. Therefore both buses 1 and 2 are switched to each other through the part 8 and selectively connected to the device 9. Thus the due processing is carried out via the bus 1 even in a transfer mode of the image information.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an image processing device that improves the utilization efficiency of a bus such as a system bus.

[Conventional technology]

In the medical field, there are many cases where large amounts of images are handled. X1iCT equipment, MRI equipment! , DSA devices, nuclear medicine devices, ultrasonic tomography devices, and the like each handle a large amount of digitally converted images. Moreover, in addition to handling information on individual devices, there is also a trend toward handling information on a plurality of devices together and contributing to advanced medical diagnosis.

Therefore, image processing devices have been proposed. The image processing device collects images from each of the above devices and displays them on a CRT, and also changes the image window level and window when displaying image information on the CRT, gradation processing, edge enhancement processing, and black and white inversion processing. Performs image processing to make images easier to see. Furthermore, in order to speed up image transfer and increase storage capacity, image compression, reproduction processing, etc. are also performed.

A conventional image processing device is shown in FIG. 3. This image processing device includes a common bus (system bus) 1, an image dedicated bus 2, a control section 3, an image processing section 4, and an image information RAM (memory).
5, display memory 6, CRT 7, interface section 8
, an external device 9.

The control unit 3 has a function of controlling the entire image processing apparatus.

The image processing section 4 has various image processing functions as described above. The image information RAM 5 stores a large amount of various types of image information before, during, and after processing. For example, it consists of a magnetic disk, etc. The display memory 6 stores image information and various types of barrier information such as ID for display on the CRT 7.

The external device 9 is a variety of medical diagnostic devices such as an XICT device, an MHI device, a DSA device, a nuclear medicine device, an ultrasonic tomography device, and an X-ray film reader.

The interface unit 8 is a connection unit that connects the external device 9 and the common bus 1, and image information, barrier information thereto, and control information are transferred via the interface unit 8. Here, the control information includes various signals associated with transfer, such as a transfer command and its response signal. The barrier information includes ID information of the subject who is the subject of the image information.

Now, in order to display the image information as an image, the medical diagnostic image information is again transferred to the display memory 6 via the system bus 1, converted into a video signal, and then displayed on the CRT 7. However, when displaying medical diagnostic image information on the CRT 7 using the route shown in Part 3, since the medical diagnostic image information has a large capacity, it occupies system bus 1 while the information is being transferred. , the system bus 1 has a problem in that there is a delay in transferring other information. In order to solve this problem, an image information dedicated bus 2 is provided separately from the system bus 1, which exclusively transfers only large-capacity medical diagnostic image information.

An image processing section 4 and an image information RAM 5 are connected to this image information dedicated bus 2. For example, RAM5 for image information
When performing image processing on medical diagnostic image information stored in the image processing device, the medical diagnostic image information is transferred via the system bus 1 in an image processing apparatus that does not have the image information dedicated bus 2. In this case, the control unit 3 becomes unable to send or receive any signals.

By providing the image information dedicated bus 2, medical diagnostic image information to be subjected to image processing is transferred via the image information dedicated bus 2. Therefore, even while image processing is being performed on medical diagnostic image information, signals can be sent and received from the control unit 3, making it possible to perform parallel processing operations and to perform processing at high speed.

Furthermore, medical diagnostic image information from various external devices 9 for medical diagnosis such as an X-ray CT device, MRI device, DSA device, nuclear medicine device, and X-ray film reader is transmitted via the interface section 8 and the system bus 1. RAM for image information
It is stored in 5.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] In the above-mentioned conventional technology, most of the input/output information to and from various external devices 9 for medical diagnosis, such as an X-ray CT device, an MHI device, a DSA device, the medical device, and an X-ray film reader, is , is image information for medical diagnosis. For example, pixel size 256
To transfer one CT image of 256.65536 pixels, it is necessary to transfer control information, image ID information, etc. in addition to the image information.

If we assume that the amount of information other than medical diagnostic image information, such as control information and image ID information, is the amount of information such as 600 pixels of image information, then more than 99% of the input/output information is medical diagnostic image information. become.

However, the interface section 8 was only connected to the system bus 1. Therefore, when inputting and outputting medical diagnostic image information between an external device and the interface section 8, information other than the medical diagnostic image information described above cannot be sent or received on the system bus 1, and processing takes time. There was a problem in that it took a long time to output the captured image to the CRT 7.

An object of the present invention is to provide medical diagnostic image information from an external device 9 as well as the transmission and reception of medical diagnostic image information within the image processing apparatus.
The present invention provides an image processing device that is capable of transmitting and receiving information on a system bus l within the image processing device.

[Means to accomplish the task]

The present invention provides a common bus, a control section, an image storage section, an image processing section, an image display section, an interface section connected in parallel to the common bus, an external device connected to the interface section, and the above image processing section. In an image processing device comprising an image dedicated bus commonly connected to a section and an image storage section,
The image dedicated bus is connected to the interface section, and the interface section switches between the common bus and the image dedicated bus to selectively connect to an external device (claim 1).

Furthermore, in the present invention, when the interface unit selects to connect the external device to the common bus, information other than image information is transferred between the external device and the internal bus, and the connection between the external device and the image-dedicated bus is established. When selected, image information is transferred between the external device and the image dedicated bus (claim 2).

[Effect]

According to the present invention, the interface section switches between the common bus and the direct image dedicated bus to selectively connect to an external device. Thereby, even while image information is being transferred, processing via the common bus can be executed in parallel (Claim 1.2).

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of an image processing apparatus according to the present invention. The feature of this embodiment is that the interface section 8 includes a common bus 1,
In addition to the bus IO with the external device 9, the image dedicated bus 2 is also connected. The portion surrounded by the dotted line will be referred to as an image processing main body section 100. A specific example of the interface section 8 is shown in FIG. The interface section 8 is
It has a switching unit 80, and performs selection switching between connecting the bus 10 from the external bag W9 to the common bus 1 and connecting it to the image-only bus 2. This selection switching may be determined by the interface unit 8 itself or may be based on an instruction from the control unit 3.

First, consider a case where the external bag W9 is a medical diagnostic device such as an X-ray CT device or an MRI device. At this time, medical diagnostic image information is generated by the external device 9 and input to the image processing main unit 100. An example of the procedure for sending and receiving information is shown in Part 4.
This will be explained according to the diagram. In FIG. 4, the content of execution is shown on the side closest to the person, and the direction of the arrow indicates the actual flow of information between the image processing main unit 100 and the external bag W9. First, the connection between the image processing main unit 100 and the external device 9 and its confirmation operation are performed. The control unit 3 creates connection request information and transfers the created connection request information to the external device 9 via the system bus 1 and the interface unit 8. External device 9
sends connection response information to the image processing main unit 100 indicating whether or not it is possible to connect to the image processing main unit 100 . The image processing main unit 100 includes an interface unit 8 and a system bus 1.
The connection response information from the external device 9 is read into the control section 3 via the control section 3, and it is determined whether the connection with the external device 9 is completed.

When the completion of the connection is confirmed, the control section 3 creates information requesting output of image information, and transfers the created information to the external device 9 via the system bus 1 and the interface section 8.

The external device 9 determines whether image information and ID information attached to the image information such as the patient name, patient's date of birth, examination port, department, etc. can be sent, and creates response information in response to the image information output request. The created response information is sent to the image processing main unit 1.
Send to 00. The image processing main unit 100 is connected to an external device 9
Image information output request response information is read into the control unit 3 via the interface unit 8 and the system bus 1. The control unit 3 determines whether image information can be output from the external device 9.

If it is possible to output image information using the external bag W9, the control unit 3 creates ID information transmission request information and sends it to the system bus 1.
The data is then transferred to the external device 9 via the interface section 8. The external device 9 creates ID information for medical diagnostic image information to be output to the image processing device, and sends it to the image processing main unit 100.

The control unit 3 reads the ID information transferred from the external device 9 via the interface unit 8 and the system bus 1, reads the amount of medical diagnostic image information included in the ID information, and stores it in the image information RAM 5. It secures an area for the image information and receives information from the image information dedicated bus 2, and also sends a medical diagnostic image information sending request to the external device 9 via the system bus 1 and the interface unit 8.

Then, a command is issued to the interface unit 8 to input the medical diagnostic image information from the external device 9 to the image information 5 via the image information dedicated bus 2.

The external device 9 receives the medical diagnostic image information sending request and sends the medical diagnostic image information to the image processing main unit 100 using the DMA method.

Medical diagnostic image information is sent from the external device 9 via the interface unit 8 and the image information dedicated bus 2 using the DMA method and enters the image information RAM 5 .

Here, when the amount of medical diagnostic image information is large, it may be divided into several blocks and transferred. For example, when transferring a 320 x 320 = 102,400 pixel OCT image, if the amount of one transfer is 2,048 pixels,
The transfer operation is repeated by dividing the medical diagnostic image information into 50 times.

When the transfer of the medical diagnostic image information is completed, the external device 9 outputs a message indicating that the transmission of the medical diagnostic image information has ended to the image processing main unit 100. The control unit 3 receives and receives information on the completion of sending out medical diagnostic image information via the interface unit 8 and the system bus 1. When the transfer of the medical diagnostic image information from the external device 9 is completed, the control unit 3 creates disconnection request information from the external device 9 and sends the information to the external device 9 via the system bus 1 and the interface unit 8. Send.

The external device 9 receives the disconnection request from the image processing main unit 100, creates disconnection response information, and sends the information to the image processing main unit 100. The control unit 3 reads the disconnection response information sent from the external device 9 via the interface unit 8 and the system bus 1. This completes a series of operations for transferring medical diagnostic image information from the external device 9 to the image processing main unit 100.

In the above embodiment, the case where the medical diagnostic image information of one patient is transferred from the external device 9 to the image processing main unit 100 has been described, but when the medical diagnostic image information of multiple patients is transferred, the 4. Before performing the disconnection operation, I
By repeating the operations of transmitting and receiving D information and transmitting and receiving medical diagnostic image information, medical diagnostic image information of a plurality of patients can be transferred from the external device 9 to the image processing main unit 100.

Next, a case will be considered in which the external device 9 is a laser printer, an optical disk device, or the like, and receives medical diagnostic image information from the image processing main unit 100.

In this embodiment, the procedure for transmitting and receiving information when the external device 9 is a laser printer will be explained with reference to FIG. Similar to FIG. 4, FIG. 5 shows the execution contents on the leftmost side, and the direction of the arrow indicates the actual flow of information between the image processing main unit 100 and the laser printer.

First, the connection between the image processing main unit 100 and the external device 9 and its confirmation operation are performed. The control unit 3 creates connection request information and sends the created connection request information to the laser printer via the system bus 1 and the interface unit 8.

The laser printer sends connection response information to the image processing main unit 100 indicating whether or not it can be connected to the image processing main unit 100 . The control unit 3 reads connection response information from the laser printer via the interface unit 8 and the system bus 1, and determines whether the connection with the laser printer is completed.

When the connection is confirmed, the control unit 3 adjusts the vertical and vertical direction of the image to be transferred.
Information on various photographing condition settings, such as the number of horizontal pixels and the format of how many frames to photograph on one film, is sent to the laser printer via the system bus 1 and the interface section 8. The laser printer includes an image processing main unit 10
Based on the various photographing conditions sent from 0, it is determined whether photographing is possible or not, and the result is sent to the image processing main unit 100 as various photographing condition setting confirmation information. The image processing main unit 100 reads information for confirming various photographing condition settings from the laser printer into the control unit 3 via the interface unit 8 and the system bus 1.

After confirming that various imaging conditions have been set on the laser printer, the control unit 3 issues a medical diagnostic image information output request via the system bus 1 and the interface unit 8.
Send to laser printer.

After the laser printer is in a state where it can receive medical diagnostic image information, it sends information confirming the output request of medical diagnostic image information to the image processing main unit 100.

The image processing main unit 100 reads information confirming the output request of medical diagnostic image information from the laser printer to the control unit 3 via the interface unit 8 and the system bus 1. The control unit 3 issues a command to the image information RAM 5 to prepare for sending medical diagnostic image information to be output to the laser printer to the image information dedicated bus 2, and also causes the interface unit 8 to connect the image information dedicated bus 2 to the image information dedicated bus 2. A command is issued to send medical diagnostic image information to the laser printer via the laser printer. As a result, the medical diagnostic image information stored in the image information RAM 5 is output to the laser printer via the image dedicated bus 2 and the interface unit 8.

When the amount of one piece of medical diagnostic image information is large, it may be divided into several blocks and transferred, similar to when the medical diagnostic image information was transferred from the external device 9 to the image processing main unit 100.

The interface section 8 counts the amount of transferred medical diagnostic image information, and when the set amount of information has been transferred, it notifies the control section 3 that the specified amount of information has been transferred. The control section 3 notifies the laser printer via the system hub 1 and the interface section 8 of the completion of sending out the medical diagnostic image information. The laser printer confirms that the transmission of medical diagnostic image information has ended, and outputs confirmation to the image processing main unit 100 as medical diagnostic image information transmission completion confirmation information.

The control unit 3 reads information confirming the completion of transmission of medical diagnostic image information from the laser printer via the interface unit 8 and the system bus 1, and sends information regarding the start of imaging to the laser printer via the system bus 1 and the interface unit 8. do. The laser printer hard copies the received medical diagnostic image information onto film. After completing the hard copy, the laser printer transfers information on the completion of imaging to the image processing main unit 100.

The control section 3 receives information on the completion of photographing via the interface section 8 and the system bus l. Then, the control unit 3 creates information for a disconnection request from the laser printer, and sends the information to the laser printer via the system bus 1 and the interface unit 8.

The laser printer receives a disconnection request from the image processing main unit 100, creates disconnection response information, and sends the information to the image processing main unit 100. The control section 3 reads the disconnection response information sent from the laser printer via the interface section 8 and the system bus 1. This completes the series of operations up to hard copying the medical diagnostic image information.

In the above embodiment, only the hard copy of one image was described, but in order to hard copy multiple images onto one film, the format must be formatted so that multiple images can be hard copied onto one film by setting various shooting conditions. Make the settings,
When medical diagnostic image information is small, the same number of image information as the above format setting is sent. Furthermore, in order to make hard copies onto multiple films, the image processing main unit 100 only needs to send out information on the start of shooting for the number of copies desired to be made as hard copies.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, the image processing main unit transmits and receives a large amount of medical diagnostic image information to and from an external device via a dedicated image bus, which saves processing time on the system bus. It is possible to execute other processes in parallel. Therefore, the processing capacity of the entire image processing device can be improved.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is an embodiment of the image processing device of the present invention, Fig. 2 is an embodiment of the interface section of the invention, Fig. 3 is a conventional example, and Fig. 4 is a time sequence diagram of the embodiment of the present invention. , FIG. 5 is a time sequence diagram of another embodiment of the present invention. 100... Image processing main unit, 1... System bus (
2... Image dedicated bus, 8... Interface unit, 9... External device, 80... Switching unit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A common bus, a control unit, an image storage unit, an image processing unit, an image display unit, an interface unit, and an external device connected to the interface unit, which are connected in parallel to the common bus. , an image processing device comprising an image dedicated bus commonly connected to the image processing unit and the image storage unit, the image dedicated bus is connected to the interface unit, and the interface unit connects the common bus and the image dedicated bus. An image processing device that selectively connects to an external device by switching the . 2. In the above interface section, when connection to the external device with the common bus is selected, information other than image information is transferred between the external device and the common bus, and when connection between the external device and the image-dedicated bus is selected. 2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein image information is transferred between the external device and the image dedicated bus.