JPH04253272A - Method and device for hierarchically managing image data - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To accelerate speed for inputting/outputting image data in a system to keep medical images in an assembled type optical disk device. CONSTITUTION:A host computer 2 keeps the medical images as permanent data by an assembled type optical disk device 25. However, and input file 24 for image input and an output file 27 for image output are provided on a magnetic disk device as temporary memories. Images inputted from an image input terminal 3A-3M are stored in the input file. When the load of the system is small (at night or the like), the input images in the input file are inputted to an optical disk. Similarly, a reservation image is extracted from the optical disk to the output file based on a reservation information file 26. Image display terminals 1A-1N take out the reservation image from the output file.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a hierarchical management method and apparatus for image data, and in particular to a method and apparatus for hierarchically managing image data, and in particular, for calling and displaying a desired image from among a large amount of acquired image data on an image display terminal within a short period of time. The present invention relates to a hierarchical management method of image data and an apparatus therefor.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in order to display a large amount of image data, for example, images such as X-ray images of affected areas of a large number of patients, magnetic resonance images (MRI), etc., taken at a hospital, etc., on an image display terminal, the image Image data taken in from an input terminal is first stored in a large-capacity storage device, such as a collective optical disk device, in a host computer.

Next, the image display terminal that wishes to display the image sends a request to display the desired image to the host computer, and in response to this request, the host computer retrieves the data of the corresponding image from the aforementioned collective optical disk device. The image was extracted and sent to the requesting image display terminal, and the desired image was displayed on the image display terminal.

0004

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] In the conventional image data management method described above, the data of all photographed images is stored in a large-capacity storage device, for example, a collective optical disk device, sends a signal requesting this image data to the host computer each time it is needed, and the host computer searches for the storage location of the image data in the collective optical disk device, which is a large-capacity storage device, and moves it to the reading location of the image data. It accessed the data reading section, read out the image data, and sent it to the requesting image display terminal.

[0005] It takes a long time for the host computer to detect the location of image data stored in a large-capacity storage device such as a collective optical disk device and to start extracting the image data.

[0006] Therefore, there has been a drawback that it takes a long time from when a request to display image data is made from an image display terminal until the image is actually displayed.

[0007] As described above, since the time required for access from when an image display terminal makes an image display request to the host computer until the transmission of image data is started is long, images are not sent from multiple image display terminals. If multiple display requests are issued, there is a drawback that it takes a longer time from the request to display the image until the image is displayed.

An object of the present invention is to reduce the probability that image display will be required in a host computer in addition to a single large capacity storage device that stores a large amount of image data all at once, such as a collective optical disk device. As a storage file that temporarily stores image data that has just been input from a large image input terminal, it has a smaller storage capacity than the above-mentioned large-capacity storage device and shortens the access time to read the desired image data. In addition to using a storage device, an outgoing file that stores image data that is not stored in the incoming file out of the image data for which an outgoing reservation has been requested has a small storage capacity and shortens the access time, similar to the incoming file. A storage device is provided in the aforementioned host computer. By managing image data hierarchically so that when there is an image display request from an image display terminal, the corresponding image data is extracted from either the incoming file or the outgoing file and sent to the image display terminal, A hierarchical management method for image data that can probabilistically shorten the time required from requesting image display to displaying a desired image compared to image display using this type of image data management method. The goal is to provide that device.

[0009]

[Means for Solving the Problems] The image data hierarchical management method of the present invention assigns an identification number to the image data acquired by an image input terminal, and stores the image data in a host computer connected to the image input terminal. The image data stored in the storage device in the host computer is sent to the image display terminal based on an image display request from the image display terminal connected to the host computer. In the image data management method for displaying an image based on the image data on an image display terminal, each time the image data is input from the image input terminal, the image is stored in a first storage device provided in the host computer. The image data stored in the first storage device is stored sequentially, and the image data stored in the first storage device is stored at predetermined times in a storage capacity larger than the storage capacity of the first storage device provided in the host computer. The image data is stored all at once in a storage device, and when new image data that exceeds the storage capacity of the first storage device is input, the image data that has already been stored in the first storage device and is stored in the large-capacity storage device is overwriting and storing the newly input image data on the storage location of the first storage device for the image data that is also stored;
Every time an image retrieval reservation request is sent from the management terminal to the host computer, the identification number of the image data for which the reservation was requested is recorded in a reservation file in the host computer, and the The image data corresponding to the identification number recorded in the reservation file is not stored in the first storage device, and the storage capacity is smaller than the large-capacity storage device provided in the host computer. If the image data corresponding to the identification number is not stored in the second storage device, the image data corresponding to the identification number is collectively overwritten from the large-capacity storage device to the second storage device, and the image data corresponding to the identification number is stored in the second storage device. When an image display request is made and the requested image data is stored in the first and second storage devices, the corresponding image data is extracted from these first or second storage devices. If the image data is sent to the image display terminal that made the image display request and the image is displayed, and the image data for which the image display was requested is not stored in the first and second storage devices, The corresponding image data is extracted from the large-capacity storage device, sent to the image display terminal that made the image display request, and displayed, and the image data and the identification number are stored in a directory file provided in the host computer. A storage device in which the image data is stored and a storage location within the storage device are stored in association with the image data, and the image input terminal stores the image data by referring to the directory file. storage in the first storage device, storage in the mass storage device, storage of image data from the mass storage device in the second storage device, and transfer of image data from these storage devices to the image display terminal. It is characterized by performing extraction.

0010

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an image data hierarchy management device to which the method of the present invention is applied, and FIGS.
, 4 and 5 are flowcharts illustrating the operation of the image data hierarchy management device of FIG.

The image data hierarchy management device shown in FIG. 1 acquires images taken of affected areas of patients at hospitals, etc., such as X-ray images and magnetic resonance images, as image data using various image input terminals. This embodiment will be described below, taking as an example a case where these acquired images are stored in a host computer and displayed on an image display terminal.

First, prior to photographing an image, directory information for managing each image is input from the management terminal 4 (step 101). Directory information is
For example, as shown in the explanatory diagram of FIG. 6, the reception number, patient name, patient number, medical department name, and normal image display terminals 1A, 1B...1N, etc., which will be used as identification numbers for image data from now on, are provided one-on-one. The information includes the name of the corresponding requesting department, the name of the doctor in charge, the type of image, the area to be imaged, and the date of imaging. This directory information may be determined in advance so that a desired image can be easily selected from among the target images when an image is to be displayed.

[0014] These directory information are transferred to the host computer 2 (step 102), processed by the program in the processing unit 22 via the input/output unit 21, and updated and added to the contents already in the directory file 23. (Step 103).

In this directory file, for each reception number, the patient name, other directory information, which storage device (incoming file 24, outgoing file 27, or collective optical disk device 25) this image data is stored in, and these are also included. Storage addresses indicating storage locations where individual image data are stored in the storage device are stored in association with each other.

[0016] The above-mentioned reception number is also designated, for example, on a slip when photographing a patient's affected area.

The image input terminals 3A, 3B, . . . 3M, etc. are used to photograph the affected area of a patient and obtain it as image data, and each image input terminal 3A, 3B, etc. takes a specific type of image. Contains equipment to do so.

These image input terminals 3A, 3B,...3M
When acquiring image data by, for example, the above-mentioned reception number is input as an identification number for identifying this image data.

For example, when acquiring image data with the image input terminal 3A, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. (step 301). Subsequently, the photographed image is acquired as image data (step 302) and transferred to the host computer 2 together with the identification number (step 303). This image data is processed by the processing unit 22 via the input/output unit 21 in the host computer 2, and is assigned a storage location in the storage file, which is a storage device. This storage location is stored in the directory file 23 in association with the identification number of the image data. That is, the directory file is updated (step 304). The above image data is stored in the assigned storage location of the storage file (step 305).

In the storage file 24, storage locations are filled in a predetermined order in the order in which image data is input, and when the storage locations are full, new image data is stored in the storage location where the first image data was stored. The storage location is managed by the processing unit 22 and the directory file 23 so that the input image data is overwritten.

The storage capacity of the above-mentioned storage file 24 is as follows:
As will be described later, the amount of image data input to the storage file 24 is determined in consideration of the time when the image data is collectively read from the storage file 24 and stored in the collective optical disk device 25.

In this way, the image input terminals 3A, 3B,...
Image data acquired by 3M etc. is temporarily stored in storage file 2.
4 is stored.

The processing unit 22 performs a time waiting process (step 306
), and when a predetermined time when this image management system is not busy is reached, the processing unit 22 refers to the directory file 23 and determines whether or not the information stored in the storage file 24 is still stored in the collective optical disk device 25. transfer all the image data that is not available to the collective optical disk device 25,
Store (step 307). Further, the processing unit 22 manages the storage location in the collective optical disc device 25 by referring to a directory file, and the storage location of the image data stored in the collective optical disc device 25 is specified in the contents of the directory file 23 as the contents of the directory. is added to and updated (step 308).

In the explanation so far, the collective optical disk device 25 is used as a large capacity storage device, but it is clear that other types of large capacity storage devices may be used.

[0025] For example, when it is desired to display already acquired image data on one of the image display terminals 1A, 1B, . . . 1N the next day,
Enter the image delivery reservation from the management terminal 4 (step 40).
1) Reservation information file 26 in host computer 2
The content of is updated (step 403). That is, a limiting condition for specifying the image data desired to be displayed in the reservation information file, such as a patient number, is created in the reservation information file.

[0026] When updating the contents of the above-mentioned reservation information file, the program possessed by the processing section 22 is set in advance so that all the contents of the reservation information file created on the previous day are deleted.

The contents of the reservation information file 26 are updated by the processing section 22.The processing section 22 performs a waiting process until a preset time when the image management system is not busy.
Step 404) When a predetermined time is reached, a directory of image data according to the reservation information of the reservation information file 26 is listed up, and the target image data is stored in the output file 27.
The contents of the directory file 23 are checked to see if the corresponding image data is stored in the storage file 23. If the corresponding image data is stored in the shipping file 27, the process ends; if it is not stored, the image data is stored in the storage file 24. It is checked whether the corresponding image is stored (steps 405 and 406). If the corresponding image data is stored in the incoming file, the process ends; if not, the corresponding image data is extracted from the collective optical disk device 25 and stored in the outgoing file 27 (step 407
).

It should be noted that if there is a plurality of image data listed according to the reservation information in the reservation information file 26, the operations of steps 405 to 408 described above are repeated.
It is controlled and executed by the processing unit 22.

[0029] The process of storing image data in the delivery file 27 performed by the host computer 2 on the above-mentioned reservation information file 26 may be performed, for example, once a day at midnight.

When image data is stored in the outgoing file 27 from the collective optical disk device 25, the processing unit 22 determines in which storage location in the outgoing file 27 the above-mentioned image data is stored in the contents of the directory file 23. Information is added. That is, the contents of the directory file 23 are updated (step 408).

The outgoing file 27 described above is a storage device having almost the same performance as the incoming file 24, that is, the host computer 2, which accesses the outgoing file for desired image data based on an external image display request. It is sufficient to use a storage device that requires a short amount of time for extraction.

The storage location of the image data in the delivery file 27 is managed by the processing section 22. For example, when processing the shipping file 27 based on the contents of the reservation information file 26 once a day, the image data is stored from the predetermined first storage location each time the image management system operates. are sequentially stored, and if the storage location becomes full, the storage of subsequent image data listed from the reservation information file is controlled to be stopped from being stored in the delivery file 27. At this time, if there is previously stored image data in the corresponding storage location of the delivery file 27, this storage location is overwritten with the current image data. That is, previously stored image data is erased.

[0033] If you want to display an arbitrary image from among the images of image data that has already been acquired on an arbitrary image display terminal among the image display terminals 1A, 1B, . . . 1N, the above procedure for displaying the image An image display request is input from the image display terminal (step 501).

When an image display request signal is sent to the host computer 2 in response to this image display request input (step 502), the processing section 22 outputs directory information from the directory file 23 to the image display terminal that made the image display request. Then, when a desired image is selected based on the directory information displayed on the image display terminal (step 503), this selection signal is sent to the host computer 2, and the processing section 22 stores the corresponding image data. Whether it is stored in the file 24 is checked by referring to the directory file 23 (step 504). If the corresponding image data is stored in the storage file 24, the corresponding image data is extracted from the storage file 24 (step 505). If the image data is not stored, the processing unit 22 refers to the directory file 23 to check whether this image data is stored in the shipping file 27 (step 506). If stored, the image data is extracted from this output file 27 (step 507). If this image data is not stored in the delivery file 27, the processing section 22 extracts the above-mentioned image data from the collective optical disk device 25 (step 508).

The image data extracted from any of the above storage locations is transferred to the image display terminal that sent the display request (
Step 509), and the requested data is displayed on this image display terminal (Step 510).

[0036] In the explanation so far, a method for hierarchical management of image data is explained when various images taken of the affected area of a patient at a hospital etc. are obtained as image data and these image data are displayed on an image display terminal. However, a hierarchical management method for non-medical image data that captures various images, stores the captured image data in a host computer, and displays these image data on an image display terminal as needed. It is clear that the method of the invention can be applied.

[0037]

As explained above, according to the present invention, new image data acquired by an image input terminal is stored in a storage file, and most images for which an image delivery reservation has been made can be stored before image display. Data can be stored in the issue file. The time required for the host computer to access the location where the desired image data of these incoming files and outgoing files are stored and extract the desired image data is the time required to extract the desired image from the collective optical disk device. The access time required can be less than the required access time. Further, most of the image data for which an image display request is made from the image display terminal is stored in advance in either the above-mentioned storage file or output file.

Therefore, compared to the conventional image data management method of this kind, the image data hierarchical management method of the present invention reduces the probability of the time required from the image display terminal issuing an image display request until the image is displayed. It has the effect of being able to shorten the time.

Furthermore, since the time occupied by the above-mentioned image display terminal for exchanging information with the host computer is shorter than when using the conventional image data management method, it is possible to reduce the time required for the image display by a plurality of image display terminals. Since the chances of times overlapping each other are probabilistically small, the time required for an image display terminal to issue an image display request and display a desired image can be made shorter than in conventional image data management methods of this type.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of this embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of this embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of this embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of this embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of directory information.

[Explanation of symbols]

2 Host computer 4 Management terminal 21 Input/output section 22 Processing section 23 Directory file 24 In stock file 25 Collective optical disk device 26 Reservation information file 27 Output file 1A~1N Image display terminal 3A-3M Image input terminal

Claims (2)

[Claims] Claim 1: Image data acquired by an image input terminal is attached with an identification number and stored in a storage device in a host computer connected to the image input terminal. An image in which image data stored in a storage device in the host computer is sent to the image display terminal based on an image display request from the image display terminal, and an image based on the image data is displayed on the image display terminal. In terms of data management methods,
Each time the image data is input from the image input terminal, the image data is sequentially stored in a first storage device provided in the host computer, and the image data stored in the first storage device is stored in a storage device having a larger storage capacity than the first storage device provided in the host computer at each predetermined time;
When the image data exceeding the storage capacity of the first storage device is newly input, the image data that is already stored in the first storage device and also stored in the large-capacity storage device is The newly inputted image data is overwritten and stored in the storage location of the first storage device, and each time an image delivery reservation request is sent from the management terminal to the host computer, the reservation in the host computer is The identification number of the image data requested for reservation is recorded in a file, and the image data corresponding to the identification number stored in the reservation file is stored in the first storage device at each predetermined time. If the data is not stored in a second storage device having a smaller storage capacity than the large-capacity storage provided in the host computer, the second storage device has a smaller storage capacity than the large-capacity storage provided in the host computer. Image data corresponding to the identification number is collectively overwritten and stored in a storage device, and when an image display request is made from the image display terminal, the image data corresponding to the identification number is stored in the first and second storage devices. When the image data stored in the first or second storage device is stored, the corresponding image data is extracted from the first or second storage device, the image data is sent to the image display terminal that made the image display request, and the image is displayed. If the image data for which the image display request was made is not stored in the first and second storage devices, the corresponding image data is extracted from the large capacity storage device and sent to the image display terminal that made the image display request. Displays the transmitted image, associates the image data with the identification number using a directory file provided in the host computer, and displays the storage device in which the image data is stored and the storage location within the storage device. The image data is stored in association with the data, and the image data is stored in the first storage device from the image input terminal, stored in the mass storage device, and transferred to the second storage device by referring to the directory file. 1. A hierarchical management method for image data, comprising storing image data from said large-capacity storage device and extracting image data from said storage device to said image display terminal. 2. An apparatus for implementing the image data hierarchical management method according to claim 1, comprising: an image input terminal that acquires the image data and sends the image data together with an identification number for the image data; from the storage capacity of the first storage device that inputs and temporarily stores the image data and the first storage device that sequentially stores the image data stored in the first storage device at a predetermined time under the control of a control signal. A large-capacity storage device, a reservation information file for storing reservation information requested for an image retrieval reservation when an image retrieval reservation request is made, and image data specified by the reservation information stored in the reservation information file. The large-capacity storage that stores the image data that is stored in the large-capacity storage device at a predetermined time when the image data is not stored in the first storage device and is not stored in the first storage device itself. a second storage device with a smaller storage capacity than the device; the first and second storage devices in which the image data is associated with the identification number and image data corresponding to the identification number is stored; Referring to a directory file stored in association with a storage location in a storage device and the directory file, processing of storing the first and second image data and the mass storage device and data from these storage devices is performed. the host computer including a processing unit that controls extraction of image data; one or more of the image display terminals that are connected to the host computer and display the image data when an image display request is made for the image data; Connected to the host computer, assigning the identification number corresponding to the image data, inputting predetermined information for distinguishing the image data from other image data into the directory file, and inputting the image retrieval reservation request. 1. A hierarchical management device for image data, comprising: a management terminal for managing image data.