JPS6058410B2 - Thermal image data processing device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a thermal image data processing device that can arbitrarily set area boundaries on a screen.

For example, in a medical thermography apparatus, a thermal image of the middle part of the hand is captured and data is processed to perform a medical examination.

In this case, in order to automatically measure the temperature of each finger from an image of the hand captured by a thermal imaging device, area boundaries are defined corresponding to each finger part on the screen, and each area boundary line is For example, the image information corresponding to 10* fingers ■
A method is used in which the information is stored in separate memories.
Conventionally, the method of setting such area boundary lines was to divide the screen vertically and assign each finger to each division. Figure 1 shows the conventional area boundary line. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the range of movement of the fingers.

In the figure, 1 indicates a screen, and 2-, 2-2 are images of the left hand and right hand, respectively. 3-1, 3-2,...
...3-| are area boundary lines, and screen 1 is divided vertically into m areas (1), (2), . . .
・(1 (It is shown that it is divided into j.

Each finger in images 2-, 2-0 of the hand is placed in the area (1), (2), . . . A finger rest is provided that allows the position of the finger to be regulated, allowing the patient to place their hand accordingly.
A thermal imaging device is equipped with an area signal generation circuit that generates a signal corresponding to the area boundary line on the screen, and this area signal controls the memory to generate image information for each area. is stored in each memory.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a conventional area signal generation circuit. In the figure, (a) is a block diagram showing the configuration, in which 6A and 6B are horizontal (H) address signal input terminals, and 7 is a read-only memory (ROM). ROM
7 is read out by, for example, an 8-bit H address signal 0 to 255 inputted from terminals 6A and 6B, and produces an area signal consisting of, for example, 4-bit data. In the figure, (b) shows the contents of the ROM. In this way, in the area signal generation circuit shown in FIG. 2, the area signal is determined only by the horizontal position. However, due to individual differences, it is desirable for the subject to be able to move his/her fingers to some extent with respect to the finger rest, and for this reason, a range of movement is provided for each area.

In FIG. 1, 4 indicates a movable range, which corresponds to the width of each area. On the other hand, in order to improve the separation of the images of each finger,
If an image is to be taken with the fingers spread apart, each finger becomes radial, and therefore the range of movement for each area provided in the vertical direction is inevitably narrow. For this reason, long-term medical examinations may cause pain to the examinee, and improper placement of the fingers may lead to errors in measurements. The present invention aims to eliminate these drawbacks of the prior art, and its purpose is to provide a method that can expand the movable area for a subject. However, in order to achieve this purpose, the thermal image data processing device of the present invention displays the thermal image of the object so that each part corresponds to a designated area on the screen, and calculates the temperature of the object in each of the areas. In a thermal imaging device that measures each area, a means is provided to generate a boundary line signal that divides the screen into arbitrary plural areas according to the shape of the subject from the horizontal address and vertical address of the screen, and the boundary line signal is Therefore, the present invention is characterized in that information from the subject is processed separately for each region. Examples will be described below. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a screen area boundary line and a finger movable range in an embodiment of the thermal image data processing device of the present invention.

In the figure, 1 is a screen, and 2-1 and 2-2 are images of the left hand and right hand, respectively. 11-.

, 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-, are area boundary lines, which divide screen 1 into 10 areas (1), (2), .
・・・・・・It is divided into (1a), but each area (1), (2
. Further, in FIG. 3, numeral 12 indicates a movable range, and each area. It corresponds to the width of In this way, in the thermal image data processing device of the present invention, the area of each finger is set according to the natural spread angle of the fingers, so the range of movement of the fingers is widened, and therefore, it does not cause pain to the subject. This makes it possible to perform long-term medical examinations, and there are fewer errors in measurement. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a region signal generation circuit in an embodiment of the thermal image data processing apparatus of the present invention.

In the figure, 21A, 21B and 22A, 22B are H address signal input terminals and (2) address signal input terminals, respectively, which respectively output a horizontal (H) address signal X in response to horizontal and vertical scanning of the screen. -X255
Then, a vertical (V) address signal y-Y255 is input. Reference numeral 23 denotes an H address synchronization signal input terminal, into which a synchronization pulse in the H address signal is input.

Reference numeral 24 denotes a synchronous oscillator which receives the H address synchronous signal and generates a pulse whose period is divided by 1, for example.

25 is an area signal generation circuit which receives pulses from the synchronous oscillator 24 and generates areas (1), (2),..., (
4-bit area signals Yl, Y2, . . .
・Generates YlO.

Reference numeral 26 denotes a read-only memory (ROM) which is read using the area signal and the V address signal as an address, and outputs a boundary line signal which is 8-bit x data.

A comparator 27 compares the H address signal and the boundary line signal and outputs "゜1゛" when they match.

Reference numeral 28 is a latch circuit. When the comparator 27 receives the match signal "゜゜1'', it latches the region signal and produces a region signal output.

FIG. 5 shows the setting of area boundary lines and the corresponding contents of the ROM.

In the figure, a indicates the setting of the area boundary line on the screen, and area boundary line 11-o is the address (YO, xO), (
Yl, xO), (Y2, xO), (Y3, xO), ・
By each point determined by..., the area boundary line 11-
1 is address (YOxi) 9 (Yl9Xi) 9 (Y29
By each point determined by Xi) 9 (Y39
)9(Yl9Xj+1)9(Y29XJ+1),(Y3
, XJ+. ), ... is determined by each point. Other area boundaries 11
-3 to 11-9 are similarly determined by the combination of the v address and the H address. The area between area boundary line 11-o and area boundary line 11-1 is area (1), and the area between area boundary line 1-1 and area boundary line 11-2 is area (2). ), and the range of the other areas (3) to (10) is defined by the adjacent area boundary lines. In FIG.
-o, X data (XO, xO, xO, xO, .
Addresses Y2 and Y correspond to area boundary line 11-1.

-Y255 uses x data (Xi, xi, Xi, Xi
+1, . . . ) are stored, and addresses Y3 and Y are stored corresponding to the area boundary line 11-2. -Y255 indicates that x data (Xj9Xj+19Xj+19Xj+2?1) is stored. Other area boundary line 11-3
Similarly, addresses Y4 to 1010 and Y for ~11-9. -Y255 stores x data, respectively. FIG. 6 is a time chart illustrating the operation of the area signal generation circuit shown in FIG. 4.

In the figure, a indicates an H address signal, b a boundary line signal, c a comparator output signal, d a region signal, and e a region signal output. The H address signal is X as described above.

-X255 is repeated one after another. In FIG. 6a, only the H address Xn and the following Xn+1 are shown. The synchronous oscillator 24 receives the H synchronous signal and generates a pulse that divides its period into 10, and the area signal generation circuit 25 receives this pulse and generates area signals Y1 to YlO.
In FIG. 6d, it is shown that area signals Y1 to YlO are generated corresponding to H addresses Xn and Xn+1, respectively. ROM26 receives address signal Y. -Y25
5 and area signals Y1 to YlO to generate a boundary line signal consisting of X data. In FIG. 6b, the ROM 26 stores x data (XO9) corresponding to addresses Y1 to YlO, yO.
Xi? Xj9″.9xn9″.

It is shown that 0 is output, and X data (XO,

Comparator 27 detects a match between the H address and the boundary line signal. In FIG. 6c, H address Xn and boundary line signal
. It is shown that the output "1" is generated from the comparator 27 when the values match.This causes the latch circuit 28 to latch the area signal at that time.In FIG. The output shows that the area signal Y5 is latched and the area signal output Y5 is generated.Area signal output Y
5 is held until the next time a match is detected in the comparator 27 and a new area signal is latched and output. As explained above, according to the thermal image data processing device of the present invention, each area for each part of the object can be arbitrarily set according to the shape of the object, and therefore the range of motion for the object can be expanded. It is possible.

Therefore, it is easier to place each part of the subject in its designated position, which causes less discomfort to the subject, and reduces the risk of errors in measurement due to inappropriate placement of the subject. It is extremely effective.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the conventional setting of area boundary lines and the movable range of the finger, FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a conventional area signal generation circuit, and FIGS. 3, 4, and 5 are An explanatory diagram showing the screen area boundary line and the finger movable range, a block diagram showing the configuration of the area signal generation circuit, and setting of the area boundary line and correspondence thereto, respectively, in an embodiment of the thermal image data processing device of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a time chart illustrating the operation of the area signal generation circuit shown in FIG. 4. 1: Screen) 2-192-2: Video ~ 3-193-2,・
・,3-9: Area boundary line, 4: Movable range, 6A, 6B
: H address signal input terminal, 7: Read-only memory (R
OM), 11-0, 11-1, 1-2,..., 11-9
: area boundary line, 12: movable range, 21A, 21B: H
Address signal input terminal, 22A, 22B: ■ Address signal input terminal, 23: H address synchronization signal input terminal, 24
: synchronous oscillator, 25: area signal generation circuit, 26: read-only memory (ROM), 27: comparator, 28: latch circuit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a thermal imaging device that displays a thermal image of a subject so that each part corresponds to a designated area on the screen and measures the temperature of the subject for each part, A means for generating a boundary line signal for dividing the screen into a plurality of arbitrary areas according to the shape of the subject is provided, and information from the subject is divided and processed for each of the areas using the boundary line signal. A thermal image data processing device characterized by: