JPS62229193A - Image display controller - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to an image display control device for controlling the display of, for example, an ultrasound image of a subject and blood flow information on the same screen. It is something.

(Prior art) Ultrasonic blood flow imaging equipment is a device that visualizes blood flow information of a subject based on reflected waves from the subject of ultrasonic waves transmitted toward the subject (living body) and provides diagnosis. There is.

This device obtains blood flow information about the subject by utilizing the fact that ultrasonic echoes (reverse components) from the subject are subject to frequency shift due to blood flow, and uses this information to determine the direction of the blood flow.

After converting into a predetermined color corresponding to the change in average velocity, the image is displayed superimposed on the ultrasonic B-mode image or M-mode image (black and white image) of the subject.

In such devices, a CRT for color display is used as a display device (monitor), and an RGB system is adopted. In the RGB system, if the input voltages to the RGB color monitor are VR, Vc, and Ve, the brightness Y within the dynamic range that maintains the white balance of the monitor is Y=0. It is expressed as aVR 10.59Vc+〇, 11Ve. Here, when VR=VC=VB, white color is obtained.

By the way, in conventional blood flow information display, there is a problem that the blood flow information (color image) superimposed on the ultrasound image (black and white image) of the subject is difficult to read compared to the black and white image. There is. This is considered to be based on the following reasons.

Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram of the orthogonal coordinate system of VR, VG, and VB.
The figure is an explanatory diagram of display colors.

As shown in FIG. 4, if each input maximum voltage of the RGB color monitor is Vmax, points with chromaticity and brightness that can be displayed on the RGB color monitor exist on the surface and inside of a cube of -i77Vmax.

The planes indicated by 1.2 and 3.4 in the figure have coordinates (Vmax.

The white luminance of Vmax, Vmax> is set to 1, and the origin O
It shows equibrightness planes every 0.2 steps when (0, 0, 0) is O. The gradation of the black-and-white image (ultrasonic B-mode image or M-mode image) moves on the diagonal line 5 connecting this origin O and the point of maximum brightness.

On the other hand, the maximum luminance of highly saturated colors in the diagonally shaded area (to which blue, red, etc. belong) in Figure 5 is lower than that of white, and therefore the colors belonging to this area are used as a color image (blood flow image). If it is used for gradation, the color image will become difficult to reproduce due to the brightness imbalance with the black and white image.

The above is a case of displaying blood flow information in an ultrasonic blood flow imaging apparatus, but such problems apply to all display systems that display a color image superimposed on a black and white image.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) As mentioned above, when displaying a color image superimposed on a monochrome image, in the conventional display system, the problem is that the color image is difficult to display compared to the monochrome image. is occurring.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide an image display control capable of displaying a color image in an easy-to-see manner when a monochrome image and a color image are displayed on the same screen. The goal is to provide equipment.

U Configuration of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) As shown in FIG.
, the maximum luminance of black and white is W, the coefficient β is O × β < 1, and the gradation conversion process of the monochrome display data is performed so that the maximum gradation of the black and white image becomes β■. It is.

(Function) FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the equiluminance plane and W, C, and β■ for the hatched plane in FIG. 2. By performing gradation conversion processing on the monochrome display data so that the maximum gradation of the black and white image becomes β■, the luminance dynamic range of C and the luminance dynamic range of β■ almost match,
Since the brightness of the color image and the monochrome image can be balanced, the color image can be displayed in an easy-to-see manner.

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

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an image display control device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and here, a case where the device is applied to an ultrasonic blood flow imaging device is shown. This image display control device 1
0 includes a color conversion means 12° switching means 13.8/W (black/white) gain attenuator 151 a composition processing means 162 and a selection means 17. Color conversion means 1
2 takes in the blood flow data (first data for color display) output from the DSC (digital scan converter) 11, converts it into color RGB, and outputs it. For example, the data for color conversion (RGB ) is stored in advance as a function (ROM (read only memory)). The results of this processing are output to the switching means 13 and the composition processing means 16 arranged at the subsequent stage.

The B/W gain attenuator 15 takes in the echo data (second data for black and white display) output from the DSC'14, converts this data into RGB with the same weight as RGB, and performs gradation conversion processing. This gradation conversion process is
The maximum brightness of displayed color is C, the maximum brightness of black and white is W,
When the coefficient β is O × β <1, the highest gradation of the black and white image is β
This is a process of lowering the gray scale of the black-and-white display data so that it becomes -〇-. In this sense, this B/W is d3
The gain attenuator 15 is referred to as gradation conversion means. The output of this B/W gain attenuator 15 is taken into the switching means 13 and the synthesis processing means 16. The composition processing means 16 includes the color conversion means 1
2 and the output of the B/W gain attenuator 15 are combined and output. The selection means 17 selects the DS
The output states of C11 and C14 are compared, and the switching means 13 operates according to the comparison result, and the output of the output 2 synthesis processing means 16 of the color conversion means 12 and the output of the B/W gain attenuator 15 are changed. One of them is selected and transmitted to a D/A (digital-to-analog) conversion means 18 arranged at a subsequent stage. The output (analog signal) of this D/A conversion means 18 is applied to the cathodes KR, KG, and Ke of the RGB color monitor 21 via a cathode drive amplifier 19 arranged at a subsequent stage. In addition, 20 is the cathode drive amplifier 1.
This contrast adjustment means adjusts the contrast of the entire screen of the RGB color monitor 21 by adjusting the gain of 9.

In the embodiment apparatus having the above configuration, the blood flow data of the subject (not shown) is input into DSCl 1, and the echo data (B-mode image data or M-mode image data) is input into DSCl 1.
It is inserted into C1/I. These data are each read out at the timing of the display system, the blood flow data is subjected to color RGB conversion by the color conversion means] 2, and the echo data is subjected to RGB conversion and two-gradation conversion by the B/W gain attenuator 15. These conversion outputs are directly or after being synthesized by the synthesis processing means 16, the D/A conversion means 1
8 converts it into an analog signal, and sends it to the cathode K of the RGB color monitor 21 via the cathode drive amplifier 19.
Applied to R, Kc, and Ke. On this RG8 color monitor 21, blood flow information of the subject is normally displayed as a color image superimposed on a B-mode or M-mode black-and-white binary image of the subject.

Note that as a result of the gradation conversion process by the B/W attenuator 15, the dynamic range of the RGB signal output from the D/A conversion means 18 becomes narrower than that of the original data;
By adjusting the contrast adjustment means 20 accordingly, the dynamic range of brightness on the RGB color monitor 21 can be restored to its original value.

In this way, in the device of this embodiment, the number β of display colors is set to O
When <β<1, a B/W gain attenuator 15 is provided which performs gradation conversion processing of monochrome display data so that the highest gradation of the monochrome image becomes β■, and reduces the brightness of the monochrome image. Therefore, the brightness is balanced with the color image on the display screen of the RGB color monitor 21, and the blood flow information is displayed clearly.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made.

In particular, in the above embodiment, the case where it is applied to an ultrasonic blood flow imaging device has been described, but the image display control device according to the present invention can be applied to various devices that need to display a color image superimposed on a black and white image. I can do it.

[Effects of the Invention] As detailed above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an image display control device that can display a color image in an easy-to-see manner when a monochrome image and a color image are displayed on the same screen. I can do it.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a case where an image display control device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied to an ultrasonic blood flow imaging device, and Figs. 2 and 3 show maximum brightness of a color image and maximum brightness of a monochrome image. Figure 4 is a diagram explaining the principle of balancing VR, VC,
An explanatory diagram of the VB orthogonal coordinate system, and FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of display colors. 10... Image display control device, 12... Color conversion means, 17... B/W gain attenuator (gradation conversion means)
, 21...RGB color monitor. Agent Patent Attorney Nori Chika Ken Shu
Ogo Qufu 17z l/7
X (LX

Claims (1)

[Claims] Image display control that takes in first data for color display and second data for monochrome display, and controls the display of images based on the first and second data on the same screen. In the device, when the maximum brightness of display color is ■, the maximum brightness of black and white is ■, and the coefficient β is 0<β<1, the second data is set so that the highest gradation of the black and white image is β■. 1. An image display control device comprising a gradation conversion means for performing gradation conversion processing.