Image processing apparatus and method

Abstract

An image processing apparatus and method. The image processing method includes a data obtaining unit for obtaining volume data that contains a target image; a depth-data obtaining unit for obtaining depth data that indicates a depth to the surface of the target image from an image plane; an image processing unit for processing the volume data into a processed volume data based on the depth-data, and obtaining a rendered image based on the processed volume data; and a display unit for displaying the rendered image.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An ultrasound imaging device comprising:
 a processor configured to generate a first rendered image from a volume data obtained by scanning an object; and   a display configured to display the first rendered image,   wherein based on an edit request, the processor generates a second rendered image by rendering the volume data in a first region to a different depth from a depth of a surface in the first region in the first rendered image to reveal a hidden region of the object hidden by an obstacle,   the display displays the second rendered image, and   the hidden region comprises at least a part of a face region of a fetus.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a data obtaining device configured to obtain the volume data by scanning the object. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to indicate at least one surface of the object in the first rendered image based on an amount of reflection of signal included in the volume data. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising an input device configured to receive the edit request with respect to the first rendered image. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to generate the second rendered image by removing the obstacle from the first rendered image. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to represent voxels included in a non-target volume as a reference color in the first rendered image and the second rendered image. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising an input device configured to receive a recover request for recovering the second rendered image, 
       wherein the display is further configured to display a recovered rendered image in which a edited part while generating the second rendered image from the first rendered image is recovered from the second rendered image based on the recover request. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to obtain, based on the volume data, a depth data which indicates a depth to the surface of the object with respect to an image plane, and generate the first rendered image and the second rendered image based on the depth data. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configure to obtain the depth data based on an amount of reflection of signal included in the volume data. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to generate a second rendered image which represents the volume data on deeper depth than a represented depth in the first rendered image with respect to a first region to reveal a hidden region of the object by an obstacle, and represents the volume data on equal depth to the represented depth in the first rendered image with respect to the other region than the first region. 
     
     
         11 . An ultrasound imaging method comprising:
 generating a first rendered image from a volume data obtained by scanning an object;   displaying the first rendered image;   based on an edit request, generating a second rendered image by rendering the volume data in a first region to a different depth from a depth of a surface in the first region in the first rendered image to reveal a hidden region of the object hidden by an obstacle; and   displaying the second rendered image,   wherein the hidden region comprises at least a part of a face region of a fetus.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising obtaining the volume data by scanning the object. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising indicating at least one surface of the object in the first rendered image based on an amount of reflection of signal included in the volume data. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising receiving the edit request with respect to the first rendered image. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising generating the second rendered image by removing the obstacle from the first rendered image. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising representing voxels included in a non-target volume as a reference color in the first rendered image and the second rendered image. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising receiving a recover request for recovering the second rendered image, and displaying a recovered rendered image in which a edited part while generating the second rendered image from the first rendered image is recovered from the second rendered image based on the recover request. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising, obtaining, based on the volume data, a depth data which indicates a depth to the surface of the object with respect to an image plane, and generating the first rendered image and the second rendered image based on the depth data. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising obtaining the depth data based on an amount of reflection of signal included in the volume data. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising generating a second rendered image which represents the volume data on deeper depth than a represented depth in the first rendered image with respect to a first region to reveal a hidden region of the object by an obstacle, and represents the volume data on equal depth to the represented depth in the first rendered image with respect to the other region than the first region.