Patent Application
20180070819
The present disclosure relates to a camera system and the like with which an image of an eyeball of an animal is captured.
A camera system that photographs an eyeball of an animal such as a cow has been proposed in the past (for example, Japanese Patent No. 5201628). In the camera system of Japanese Patent No. 5201628, light is illuminated onto a pupil of an animal, the intensity of reflected light that is reflected by that pupil is measured using a camera, and the intensity of that reflected light is converted into a vitamin A blood concentration of the animal. This vitamin A blood concentration is used as biological information of that animal.
However, in the aforementioned camera system of Japanese Patent No. 5201628, there is a problem in that it is not possible for the biological information of the animal to be acquired while appropriately identifying that individual animal.
A non-limiting and exemplary aspect of the present disclosure is able to acquire the biological information of an animal while appropriately identifying that individual animal.
In one general aspect, the techniques disclosed here feature a camera system that captures images of the eyeballs of an animal, provided with: a first illumination device that illuminates an eyeball of the animal; a fundus imaging camera that captures a fundus image of the eyeball illuminated by the first illumination device; a second illumination device that illuminates an eyeball of the animal at the same timing as the first illumination device; a pupil imaging camera that captures a pupil image of the eyeball illuminated by the second illumination device; and an output circuit that outputs the fundus image as identification information of the animal, and outputs the pupil image as biological information of the animal corresponding to the identification information.
It should be noted that general or specific aspects hereof may be realized by a device, a system, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, or a computer-readable recording medium, and may be realized by an arbitrary combination of a device, a system, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, and a recording medium. A computer-readable recording medium includes a nonvolatile recording medium such as a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM).
According to the present disclosure, the biological information of an animal can be acquired while that individual animal is appropriately identified. Additional benefits and advantages of the aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent from the present specification and drawings. The benefits and/or advantages may be individually provided by the various aspects and features disclosed in the present specification and drawings, and need not all be necessary in order to obtain one or more of the same.
Conventionally, vitamin A is maintained in a deficient state in the fattening period for cows in order for the meat quality of beef cattle to have a highly marbled state (marbled meat). However, severe illnesses such as blindness are caused when there is an excessive deficiency in vitamin A, and therefore measuring the vitamin A blood concentration of beef cattle is an important examination. In the past, this measurement has been carried out by collecting blood from cows; however, there have been problems in that the stress placed on the cows is regarded as an issue from the viewpoint of animal welfare and the examination time is long. Thus, technology has been developed in which an image of the pupil of an eyeball of a cow is captured in a non-contact manner, and the vitamin A blood concentration is determined from the pupil color by means of image processing. In an eyeball of a cow, there is a layer called the tapetum lucidum (hereinafter, the tapetum) extending across a region that is behind the retina and is approximately half the size of the retina. This tapetum has the role of increasing eye sensitivity by reflecting incident light in such a way that at night the incident light transmits through the retina twice. When an image of a pupil of a cow is captured using illumination and a camera, intense reflected light of the blue-green color of the tapetum is observed.
In Japanese Patent No. 5201628, an analysis is carried out based on the empirical fact that, in a cow having a vitamin A deficiency, the retina atrophies and the pupil color of the eye therefore becomes increasingly blue as the color of the blue tapetum is reflected. That is, reflected light having a wavelength of 400 nm to 600 nm reflected by the pupil is measured, and a regression analysis between that intensity and the vitamin blood concentration is carried out.
Furthermore, in Shuqing HAN, Naoshi KONDO, Yuichi OGAWA, Shoichi MANO, Yoshie TAKAO, Shinya TANIGAWA, Moriyuki FUKUSHIMA, Osamu WATANABE, Namiko KOHAMA, Hyeon Tae KIM, Tateshi FUJIURA, “Estimation of Serum Vitamin A Level by Color Change of Pupil in Japanese Black Cattle”, an analysis is carried out using the finding that the red component increases and the saturation decreases from among the color components of the pupil of an eyeball of a cow having a vitamin A deficiency. That is, the color of the pupil is observed using a color camera that has a light shielding tube and a white ring illumination device and that is capable of imaging practically in close contact with an eyeball of a cow, and a regression analysis between that red component and the vitamin A blood concentration is carried out.
Furthermore, in Tatsuya MORISAKO, Tateshi FUJIURA, Shinya TANIGAWA, Shuqing HAN, Naoshi KONDO, Yuichi OGAWA, Moriyuki FUKUSHIMA, Namiko KOHAMA, “Development of Individual Automatic Pupil Image Measurement Device for Beef Cattle”, The Japanese Society of Agricultural Machinery, June 2013, No. 114, p. 67, a non-contact imaging device is described as an imaging system that is installed in an actual cattle barn. Unnecessary stress is placed on a cow when a camera is brought into contact with an eyeball of the cow, and therefore, to avoid this, a device is described that automatically captures an image of the pupil of an eye of a cow in a non-contact manner at a timing at which the cow drinks water at night.
Furthermore, in Shuqing HAN, Naoshi KONDO, Tateshi FUJIURA, Yuichi OGAWA, Yoshie TAKAO, Shinya TANIGAWA, Moriyuki FUKUSHIMA, Osamu WATANABE, Namiko KOHAMA, “Machine Vision Based Prediction of Serum Vitamin A Level in Japanese Black Cattle by Pupillary Light Reflex Analysis”, a method is described in which the velocity of pupil constriction, due to a pupillary reflex in the case where light is radiated onto a pupil, and a start timing are observed by means of video image processing of the pupil, and a vitamin blood concentration is estimated therefrom.
In order for images of the pupils of both eyes of a cow to be captured in a non-contact manner, in the system disclosed in Tatsuya MORISAKO, Tateshi FUJIURA, Shinya TANIGAWA, Shuqing HAN, Naoshi KONDO, Yuichi OGAWA, Moriyuki FUKUSHIMA, Namiko KOHAMA, “Development of Individual Automatic Pupil Image Measurement Device for Beef Cattle”, The Japanese Society of Agricultural Machinery, June 2013, No. 114, p. 67, a color imaging device having a white ring illumination device is installed to the left and right of a water drinking station for the cow. On the basis of information from a distance sensor, white light is radiated and color imaging is carried out at a timing at which the cow is close to the optimum position. Here, it is necessary to identify the cow to which the automatically captured image corresponds from among a plurality of cows inside a cow pen, as in Tatsuya MORISAKO, Tateshi FUJIURA, Shinya TANIGAWA, Shuqing HAN, Naoshi KONDO, Yuichi OGAWA, Moriyuki FUKUSHIMA, Namiko KOHAMA, “Development of Individual Automatic Pupil Image Measurement Device for Beef Cattle”, The Japanese Society of Agricultural Machinery, June 2013, No. 114, p. 67. Presently, the individual identification (hereinafter, also referred to as individual authentication) of a cow is carried out by means of radio frequency identification (RFID) or photographing the number of an ear tag of the cow using an individual authentication camera installed at a position above the head of the cow. However, besides the drawbacks that RFID tags and ear tags are easily lost and can also be altered, pain is caused to the animal upon attachment.
A method in which a fundus image is acquired and the blood vessel pattern on the retina is used, as in Japanese Patent No. 4291514, is known as a method for individually identifying a cow in a non-contact manner in such a way that individual authentication accuracy is high and also pain is not caused to the cow. However, because the illumination and focus are different in devices that capture images of pupils and devices that capture images of the fundus, it has been difficult for images of a pupil and a fundus to captured at the same time using one device.
The present disclosure solves the aforementioned problems, and provides a camera system with which the biological information of an animal can be acquired while that individual animal is appropriately identified. Specifically, a camera system is provided with which a lesion examination for a vitamin A deficiency and the individual identification of a cow can be performed at the same time with images of a pupil and a fundus being captured at the same time in a non-contact manner.
A camera system according to an aspect of the present disclosure is a camera system that captures images of the eyeballs of an animal, provided with: a first illumination device that illuminates an eyeball of the animal; a fundus imaging camera that captures a fundus image of the eyeball illuminated by the first illumination device; a second illumination device that illuminates an eyeball of the animal at the same timing as the first illumination device; a pupil imaging camera that captures a pupil image of the eyeball illuminated by the second illumination device; and an output circuit that outputs the fundus image as identification information of the animal, and outputs the pupil image as biological information of the animal corresponding to the identification information.
Thus, by using two cameras, a fundus image constituting identification information of an animal and a pupil image constituting biological information of that animal can be acquired at the same time. As a result, the identification of the animal and the acquisition of biological information can be carried out quickly. Furthermore, in the camera system according to the aspect of the present disclosure, a second illumination device illuminates an eyeball of the animal at the same timing as the first illumination device. Consequently, a pupil image of the eyeball illuminated by the second illumination device can be appropriately captured even if pupil constriction is about to start or even if the animal is about to run away due to the eyeball being illuminated by the first illumination device in order to capture the fundus image, for example. Consequently, in the camera system according to the aspect of the present disclosure, the biological information of an animal can be acquired while that individual animal is appropriately identified.
Furthermore, the first illumination device may be an infrared illumination device or a white illumination device, and the second illumination device may be a white illumination device.
Thus, an infrared image or a color image in which a clear blood vessel pattern is depicted to a degree enabling the animal to be identified can be acquired as a fundus image, and a color image enabling the pupil color to be specified can be acquired as a pupil image. That is, the individual identification of the animal and the acquisition of biological information can be carried out appropriately.
Furthermore, an infrared illumination device and a line of sight detection unit that detects the line of sight of the animal may be additionally provided, the fundus imaging camera capturing a fundus image for detecting the line of sight of the eyeball illuminated by the infrared illumination device, the line of sight detection unit detecting the line of sight of the animal using the fundus image for detecting the line of sight, the first illumination device and the second illumination device illuminating the eyeballs, based on the detected line of sight of the animal, and the fundus imaging camera capturing the fundus image of the eyeball, and the pupil imaging camera capturing the pupil image of the eyeball. For example, the first illumination device and the second illumination device may illuminate the eyeballs when the detected line of sight of the animal is the same as the imaging optical axis of the fundus imaging camera.
Thus, because the eyeballs are illuminated based on the line of sight of the animal, when the line of sight of that animal is directed toward the fundus imaging camera 104, namely when the pupil of the eyeball is directly facing the fundus imaging camera, that eyeball is illuminated by the first illumination device, and a fundus image of the illuminated eyeball can be captured. Consequently, a fundus image having a clearer blood vessel patter depicted therein can be acquired, and highly accurate identification information can be acquired. Furthermore, the second illumination device illuminates the eyeball of the animal at the same timing as the first illumination device, and the pupil imaging camera captures a pupil image of that illuminated eyeball. Consequently, it is possible to suppress the line of sight of the animal deviating greatly from the pupil imaging camera, namely the pupil of the eyeball not directly facing the pupil imaging camera, when the pupil image is captured. As a result, a clear pupil image can be acquired, and highly accurate biological information can be acquired.
Furthermore, the second illumination device may emit light within 0.3 sec from the point in time at which the first illumination device emitted light.
Thus, the biological information of an animal can be acquired while that individual animal is appropriately identified, with reduced effect from pupil constriction or the animal running away due to the eyeballs being illuminated.
Furthermore, a measurement unit that measures the pupil constriction velocity of the animal may be additionally provided, the second illumination device once again illuminating the eyeball of the animal, within 0.3 sec from the point in time of having emitted light at the same timing as the first illumination device, the pupil imaging camera capturing a plurality of pupil images in accordance with the illumination performed by the second illumination device, and the measurement unit measuring the pupil constriction velocity of the animal using the plurality of pupil images.
Thus, a highly accurate pupil constriction velocity of the animal can be measured, with reduced effect from pupil constriction or the animal running away due to the eyeballs being illuminated.
Furthermore, when an angle formed by the illumination optical axis of the first illumination device and the imaging optical axis of the fundus imaging camera is θ1, and an angle formed by the illumination optical axis of the second illumination device and the imaging optical axis of the pupil imaging camera is θ2, the condition θ1≦θ2 may be satisfied.
Thus, the fundus imaging camera is able to observe the retina from the pupil in a state in which the light that is output from the first illumination device has reached the retina behind the pupil. As a result, the blood vessel pattern on the retina illuminated by the first illumination device can be appropriately captured as a clear fundus image.
Furthermore, the fundus imaging camera may have a first objective lens, the pupil imaging camera may have a second objective lens, and, when the distance between the first objective lens and the position of the surface of an eyeball of the animal is L1, and the distance between the second objective lens and the position of the surface of an eyeball of the animal is L2, the condition L1<L2 may be satisfied.
The position of the fundus of an animal is located further to the rear than the pupil surface, and therefore, because L1<L2, images of the fundus and the pupil can be captured at approximately the same viewing angle.
Furthermore, an identification unit that identifies the individual animal using the fundus image may be additionally provided, and the animal may not be illuminated by the second illumination device when the identification unit is not able to identify the individual animal.
Thus, a pupil image being acquired as biological information can be prevented until it is not possible to identify the animal, and wasteful processing and the accumulation of information can be eliminated.
Furthermore, a determination unit that determines whether or not the fundus image includes a lesion may be additionally provided, and the animal may not be illuminated by the second illumination device when the fundus image includes a lesion.
It is thereby possible to prevent going to the trouble of capturing a pupil image in order to determine whether or not there is a lesion, also in the case where it can be determined from a fundus image that there is a lesion in an animal. It is thereby possible to eliminate wasteful processing and the accumulation of information.
Furthermore, cover glass that covers the fundus imaging camera, between the fundus imaging camera and the animal, and a cover glass cleaning device that cleans the cover glass when the number of times the identification unit has not been able to identify the individual animal is equal to or greater than a predetermined number of times may be additionally provided.
Thus, in the case where the identification of an individual animal fails a predetermined number of times or more, because the cover glass is cleaned, it is possible to suppress the failure of individual identification after the cover glass has been cleaned.
Furthermore, a feeding system according to an aspect of the present disclosure is a feeding system that feeds an animal using a fundus image and a pupil image of the animal captured by a camera system, the camera system being provided with: a first illumination device that illuminates an eyeball of the animal; a fundus imaging camera that captures the fundus image of the eyeball illuminated by the first illumination device; a second illumination device that illuminates an eyeball of the animal at the same timing as the first illumination device; a pupil imaging camera that captures the pupil image of the eyeball illuminated by the second illumination device; an output circuit that outputs the fundus image as identification information of the animal, and outputs the pupil image as biological information of the animal corresponding to the identification information; an estimation unit that estimates the concentration of vitamin A in blood of the animal using the pupil image; and an interface that outputs a signal for switching the composition of feed, corresponding to the concentration of the vitamin A estimated by the estimation unit.
Thus, the vitamin A blood concentration of an animal can be acquired while that individual animal is appropriately identified, and feed to be given to that animal can be made to have the optimum feed composition ratio corresponding to the vitamin A blood concentration of that animal. For example, a cow can be fed with the optimum feed composition ratio for improving the meat quality without a severe illness such as blindness occurring.
An imaging device according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes: a first camera that captures a first image of a first eye illuminated by infrared light radiated from an infrared light radiator, an animal having the first eye and a second eye that is different from the first eye; a second camera, the distance between an objective lens of the first camera and the first eye being less than the distance between an objective lens of the second camera and the second eye; a decider that decides which one of processes including a first process and a second process is to be executed, each of the processes, when executed, being executed after the first image is captured; and an outputter that outputs a plurality of images in the second process, in the first process, the first camera capturing an additional first image of the first eye illuminated by additional infrared light radiated from the infrared light radiator, in the second process, (i) the first camera capturing a second image of the first eye illuminated by first white light radiated from a first white light radiator, (ii) the second camera capturing a third image of the second eye illuminated by second white light radiated from a second white light radiator, and (iii) the second camera capturing a fourth image of the second eye illuminated by the second white light, the plurality of images including the second image, the third image, and the fourth image, and the time interval between the first image being captured and the additional first image being captured being greater than the time interval between the third image being captured and the fourth image being captured.
A decider that decides the one process, based on luminance data of a pixel of the first image, may be additionally included.
Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in a specific manner with reference to the drawings.
It should be noted that the embodiments described hereinafter all represent general or specific examples. The numerical values, the shapes, the materials, the constituent elements, the arrangement positions and modes of connection of the constituent elements, the steps, and the order of the steps and the like given in the following embodiments are examples and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Furthermore, from among the constituent elements in the following embodiments, constituent elements that are not mentioned in the independent claims indicating the most significant concepts are described as optional constituent elements. It should be noted that a cow means a domestic bovine animal, regardless of sex or age, in this disclosure.
The camera system 100A, for example, is installed adjacent to a water drinking station in a cow pen in which ordinarily four or five cows are reared in a cattle barn of a farmer. Furthermore, the camera system 100A captures images of both eyeballs while the cow 101 is drinking water from inside a water cup 102, or at a timing at which the water drinking has been completed, at night when there is mainly no external light.
The first illumination device 103 illuminates an eyeball of the animal. The second illumination device 105 illuminates an eyeball of the animal at the same timing as the first illumination device 103. The same timing in the present specification means that the illumination timing of the first illumination device 103 and the illumination timing of the second illumination device 105 are within 0.3 sec. That is, the second illumination device 105 emits light within 0.3 sec from the point in time at which the first illumination device 103 emitted light. It should be noted that the point in time at which the first illumination device 103 emitted light is the point in time at which the first illumination device 103 started to emit light.
An example of the first illumination device 103 and the second illumination device 105 is at least one of a white illumination device and an infrared illumination device. That is, the first illumination device 103 in the present embodiment is an infrared illumination device or a white illumination device, and the second illumination device 105 is a white illumination device. It should be noted that the white illumination device emits white light when turned on, and the infrared illumination device emits infrared light when turned on. The first illumination device 103 may be incorporated in the fundus imaging camera 104 as a single unit. Furthermore, the second illumination device 105 may be incorporated in the pupil imaging camera 106 as a single unit.
The first illumination device 103 may have an optical axis similar to that of the fundus imaging camera 104. Furthermore, the second illumination device 105 may have an optical axis similar to that of the pupil imaging camera 106.
The fundus imaging camera 104 captures a fundus image of the eyeball of the animal illuminated by the first illumination device 103. An example of the fundus imaging camera 104 is a color camera in the case where the first illumination device 103 is a white illumination device. An example of the fundus imaging camera 104 is an infrared camera in the case where the first illumination device 103 is an infrared illumination device. Furthermore, the fundus imaging camera 104 may have a function as a color camera and a function as an infrared camera, and these functions may be switched. The fundus imaging camera 104 functions as a color camera and functions as an infrared camera by switching filters that restrict the wavelength of light that is incident upon an image sensor, for example. The fundus imaging camera 104 functions as a color camera in the case where white light is radiated from the first illumination device 103, and functions as an infrared camera in the case where infrared light is radiated from the first illumination device 103.
The pupil imaging camera 106 captures a pupil image of the eyeball of the animal illuminated by the second illumination device 105. An example of the pupil imaging camera 106 is a color camera in the case where the second illumination device 105 is a white illumination device. It should be noted that, similar to the fundus imaging camera 104, the pupil imaging camera 106 may have a function as a color camera and a function as an infrared camera, and these functions may be switched. When the sensitivity band for the image sensor is set so as to include visible light to infrared light, for example, and the subject is illuminated in a darkroom state such as at night, the pupil imaging camera 106 functions as a color camera and functions as an infrared camera by switching filters that restrict the wavelength of illumination light. The pupil imaging camera 106 functions as a color camera in the case where white light is radiated from the second illumination device 105, and functions as an infrared camera in the case where infrared light is radiated from the second illumination device 105.
It is necessary for the fundus imaging camera 104 to observe the retina from the pupil in a state in which the light that is output from the first illumination device 103 has reached the retina behind the pupil. Consequently, an angle θ1 formed by the illumination optical axis of the first illumination device 103 and the imaging optical axis of the fundus imaging camera 104 may be small. The illumination optical axis of the first illumination device 103 and the imaging optical axis of the fundus imaging camera 104 may be more or less the same, for example, 0°≦θ1≦15°.
The color of the surface of the cornea of the eyeball included in the pupil image and the constriction of the pupil (pupil constriction) due to a pupillary (light) reflex are equivalent to the biological information of the animal. Consequently, it is sufficient as long as the pupil imaging camera 106 is able to capture an image of the surface of the eyeball. Therefore, the second illumination device 105 does not have to be able to illuminate to the rear of the eyeball, and therefore an angle θ2 formed by the illumination optical axis of the second illumination device 105 and the imaging optical axis of the pupil imaging camera 106 does not have to be as small. Consequently, in the present embodiment, it is necessary for the condition θ1≦θ2 to be satisfied.
Furthermore, the fundus imaging camera 104 has a first objective lens 301a and the pupil imaging camera 106 has a second objective lens 301b. Here, in the case where the first objective lens 301a of the fundus imaging camera 104 and the second objective lens 301b of the pupil imaging camera 106 are implemented as the same optical system, the positional relationship between the fundus imaging camera 104 and the pupil imaging camera 106 satisfies the following condition. That is, when the distance between the first objective lens 301a of the fundus imaging camera 104 and the surface of an eyeball is L1, and the distance between the second objective lens 301b of the pupil imaging camera 106 and the surface of an eyeball is L2, the condition L1<L2 is satisfied.
This is because the position of the fundus of the animal is located away from the surface of the pupil by approximately 5 cm to 10 cm. In order for images of the fundus and the pupil to be captured at approximately the same viewing angle, it is necessary for the fundus imaging camera 104 to be positioned closer to animal than the pupil imaging camera 106. Furthermore, due to a lens effect caused by the lens of the eye, the fundus image is present extending to an almost infinitely distant position. The cause lies in that, when observed, the fundus image is viewed through the pupil as a window and therefore the observation range becomes extremely narrow. In order to view the fundus image with a wide range, the apparent diameter of the pupil that constitutes a window should be as large as possible. Therefore, it is necessary for the fundus imaging camera 104 to be positioned closer to animal than the pupil imaging camera 106.
The output circuit 181 outputs the fundus image as identification information of the animal, and outputs the pupil image as biological information of the animal corresponding to the identification information. The output circuit 181 in the present embodiment outputs the fundus image and the pupil image to the mobile terminal 107, but, for example, may output that fundus image and pupil image to a display, a control circuit, or the like. It should be noted that the mobile terminal 107 is a tablet terminal, a smartphone, a personal computer, or the like of a user such as a fattening farmer.
The user is able to acquire the biological information of the animal while appropriately identifying that individual animal, by using the fundus image and the pupil image that have been output to the mobile terminal 107.
First, the first illumination device 103 illuminates an eyeball of the animal.
The fundus imaging camera 104 captures a fundus image of the eyeball illuminated by the first illumination device 103.
The second illumination device 105 illuminates an eyeball of that animal at the same timing as the first illumination device 103.
The pupil imaging camera 106 captures a pupil image of the eyeball illuminated by the second illumination device 105.
The output circuit 181 outputs that fundus image as identification information of the animal, and outputs that pupil image as biological information of the animal corresponding to that identification information.
The camera system 100A in the present embodiment is a camera system that captures images of the eyeballs of the animal, and is provided with the first illumination device 103, the fundus imaging camera 104, the second illumination device 105, the pupil imaging camera 106, and the output circuit 181. The first illumination device 103 illuminates an eyeball of the animal. The fundus imaging camera 104 captures a fundus image of the eyeball illuminated by the first illumination device 103. The second illumination device 105 illuminates an eyeball of the animal at the same timing as the first illumination device 103. The pupil imaging camera 106 captures a pupil image of the eyeball illuminated by the second illumination device 105. The output circuit 181 outputs the fundus image as identification information of the animal, and outputs the pupil image as biological information of the animal corresponding to that identification information.
Thus, by using two cameras, a fundus image constituting identification information of the animal and a pupil image constituting biological information of that animal can be acquired at the same time. As a result, the identification of the animal and the acquisition of biological information can be carried out quickly. Furthermore, in the camera system 100A, the second illumination device 105 illuminates an eyeball of the animal at the same timing as the first illumination device 103. Consequently, the pupil image of the eyeball illuminated by the second illumination device 105 can be appropriately captured even if pupil constriction is about to start or even if the animal is about to run away due to the eyeball being illuminated by the first illumination device 103 in order to capture the fundus image, for example. Consequently, in the camera system 100A in the present embodiment, the biological information of the animal can be acquired while that individual animal is appropriately identified.
Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the first illumination device 103 is an infrared illumination device or a white illumination device, and the second illumination device 105 is a white illumination device.
Thus, an infrared image or a color image in which a clear blood vessel pattern is depicted to a degree enabling the animal to be identified can be acquired as the fundus image, and a color image enabling the pupil color to be specified can be acquired as the pupil image. That is, the individual identification of the animal and the acquisition of biological information can be carried out appropriately.
Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the second illumination device 105 emits light within 0.3 sec from the point in time at which the first illumination device 103 emitted light.
Thus, the biological information of the animal can be acquired while that individual animal is appropriately identified, with reduced effect from pupil constriction or the animal running away due to the eyeballs being illuminated.
Furthermore, in the present embodiment, when the angle formed by the illumination optical axis of the first illumination device 103 and the imaging optical axis of the fundus imaging camera 104 is θ1, and the angle formed by the illumination optical axis of the second illumination device 105 and the imaging optical axis of the pupil imaging camera 106 is θ2, the condition θ1≦θ2 is satisfied.
Thus, the fundus imaging camera 104 is able to observe the retina from the pupil in a state in which the light that is output from the first illumination device 103 has reached the retina behind the pupil. As a result, the blood vessel pattern on the retina illuminated by the first illumination device 103 can be appropriately captured as a clear fundus image.
Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the fundus imaging camera 104 has the first objective lens 301a, and the pupil imaging camera 106 has the second objective lens 301b. Also, when the distance between the first objective lens 301a and the position of the surface of an eyeball of the animal is L1, and the distance between the second objective lens 301b and the position of the surface of an eyeball of the animal is L2, the condition L1<L2 is satisfied.
The position of the fundus of the animal is located further to the rear than the pupil surface, and therefore, because L1<L2, images of the fundus and the pupil can be captured at approximately the same viewing angle.
It should be noted that, in order to satisfy L1<L2, “the distance between the water cup 102 and the objective lens of the fundus imaging camera 104”<“the distance between the water cup 102 and the objective lens of the pupil imaging camera 106” may be implemented, as depicted in
The cover glass 109 includes first cover glass 109a for the fundus imaging camera 104, and second cover glass 109b for the pupil imaging camera 106. The first cover glass 109a covers the fundus imaging camera 104, between the fundus imaging camera 104 and the cow 101. Similarly, the second cover glass 109b covers the pupil imaging camera 106, between the pupil imaging camera 106 and the cow 101. The first cover glass 109a and the second cover glass 109b may be a single sheet of cover glass.
The cover glass cleaning device 110 includes a first cover glass cleaning device 110a and a second cover glass cleaning device 110b. The first cover glass cleaning device 110a has a wiper, for example, and cleans the first cover glass 109a. Similarly, the second cover glass cleaning device 110b has a wiper, for example, and cleans the second cover glass 109b. The first cover glass cleaning device 110a and the second cover glass cleaning device 110b may be a single cleaning device.
The individual authentication camera 111 is a preliminary means for carrying out individual authentication of the cow 101, and photographs the number of the ear tag of the cow.
The antenna 112, similar to the individual authentication camera 111, is a preliminary means for carrying out individual authentication of the cow 101, and is an antenna for reading a signal from an RFID tag attached to the cow 101.
The control unit 183 controls the overall operation of the camera system 100B.
As depicted in
The control unit 183 causes the analysis unit 182 to carry out and record an analysis that accompanies the image processing of the acquired images. Information indicating the result of that analysis is, as appropriate, notified to the mobile terminal 107 such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal, and is displayed on the display of that mobile terminal 107.
In this way, in the camera system 100B, the health condition of the cow 101 is recorded with the acquisition of the pupil image, which is conventionally carried out with an imaging device being pressed up against an eyeball of the cow 101 by a livestock raiser or a veterinarian, being realized completely automatically at night in a non-contact manner without the cow 101 being touched at all. The individual identification of the cow 101 may also be carried out at the same time by means of a technology such as image sensing or an RFID tag, and may be recorded together with the pupil image.
An example of the first illumination device 103 is provided with a white illumination device made up of a plurality of white LEDs 302, an infrared illumination device made up of a plurality of infrared LEDs 303, and a light source control unit 305a.
As depicted in
Each white LED 302 and each infrared LED 303 may be provided with a first linear polarizing plate 304a. The first linear polarizing plate 304a is arranged on the front surface of each white LED 302 and each infrared LED 303. The fundus imaging camera 104 may be provided with a second linear polarizing plate 304b. The second linear polarizing plate 304b is arranged on the front surface of the fundus imaging camera 104 (specifically, the first objective lens 301a).
The first linear polarizing plate 304a has a polarization axis of 0° (horizontal). The second linear polarizing plate 304b has a polarization axis of 90° (vertical). Mirror surface reflection of the illumination from the cornea or the like of an eyeball can thereby be eliminated.
An example of the second illumination device 105 is provided with a white illumination device made up of a plurality of the white LEDs 302, an infrared illumination device made up of a plurality of the infrared LEDs 303, and a light source control unit 305b.
As depicted in
In the second illumination device 105 also, similar to the first illumination device 103, each white LED 302 and each infrared LED 303 may be provided with the first linear polarizing plate 304a. The first linear polarizing plate 304a is arranged on the front surface of each white LED 302 and each infrared LED 303. The pupil imaging camera 106, similar to the fundus imaging camera 104, may be provided with the second linear polarizing plate 304b. The second linear polarizing plate 304b is arranged on the front surface of the pupil imaging camera 106 (specifically, the second objective lens 301b).
Furthermore, the second illumination device 105 is made up of two types of concentric circular ring illumination devices arranged in such a way as to surround the second objective lens 301b of the pupil imaging camera 106. A ring illumination device having a small radius is a white illumination device, and the plurality of white LEDs 302 are arranged in this white illumination device. Each of the plurality of white LEDs 302 belongs to a channel W1 or W2. A ring illumination device having a large radius is an infrared illumination device, and the plurality of infrared LEDs 303 are arranged in this infrared illumination device. The light source control unit 305b is able to turn the plurality of white LEDs 302 on and off for each channel, and is also able to turn the plurality of infrared LEDs 303 on and off, according to a signal from the control unit 183.
Furthermore, in the present embodiment also, similar to embodiment 1, an angle θ1 formed by the illumination optical axis of the first illumination device 103 and the imaging optical axis of the fundus imaging camera 104 may be small. The illumination optical axis of the first illumination device 103 and the imaging optical axis of the fundus imaging camera 104 may be more or less the same. Furthermore, it is not necessary for an angle θ2 formed by the illumination optical axis of the second illumination device 105 and the imaging optical axis of the pupil imaging camera 106 to be as small. Consequently, in the present embodiment also, similar to embodiment 1, it becomes necessary for the condition θ1≦θ2 to be satisfied.
Furthermore, in the present embodiment also, similar to embodiment 1, the positional relationship of the fundus imaging camera 104 and the pupil imaging camera 106 satisfies the condition L1<L2.
In the present embodiment, the first illumination device 103 is provided with a white illumination device and an infrared illumination device; however, the first illumination device 103 may not be provided with a white illumination device. In this case, the camera system 100B is additionally provided with an infrared illumination device.
The line of sight detection unit 184 detects the line of sight of the cow 101. The fundus imaging camera 104 captures a fundus image for detecting the line of sight of an eyeball illuminated by the infrared illumination device. The line of sight detection unit 184 detects the line of sight of the cow 101 using that fundus image for detecting the line of sight. The first illumination device 103 and the second illumination device 105 illuminate the eyeballs on the basis of the detected line of sight of the cow 101. The fundus imaging camera 104 captures a fundus image of those eyeballs, and the pupil imaging camera 106 captures a pupil image of those eyeballs. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the first illumination device 103 and the second illumination device 105 illuminate the eyeballs when the detected line of sight of the cow 101 is the same as the imaging optical axis of the fundus imaging camera 104.
The plurality of infrared LEDs 303 (infrared illumination device) in the first illumination device 103 emit light in accordance with an instruction from the control unit 183, and illuminate an eyeball of the cow 101 with infrared light. At such time, the fundus imaging camera 104 continuously captures fundus images of the eyeball of the cow 101 illuminated by the infrared light. Each of the fundus images continuously captured at such time is an aforementioned fundus image for detecting the line of sight, and is an infrared image. Hereinafter, these fundus images are also referred to as infrared fundus images. The line of sight detection unit 184 continuously detects the line of sight of the eyeball of the cow 101 without being sensed by the cow 101, on the basis of these continuously captured fundus images (infrared fundus images). The line of sight detection unit 184 then detects a timing at which the fundus is directly facing the fundus imaging camera 104, in other words, a timing at which the line of sight of the eyeball is directed toward the fundus imaging camera 104. Immediately after this detected timing, the plurality of white LEDs 302 (white illumination device) in the first illumination device 103 illuminate the eyeball of the cow 101 with white light by emitting light in accordance with an instruction from the control unit 183. In addition, at such time, the fundus imaging camera 104 acquires a fundus image of the eyeball illuminated by the white light. The fundus image at such time is a color image, and, hereinafter, the fundus image at such time is also referred to as a color fundus image.
The fundus imaging camera 104 captures an image of the retina at the rear the eyeball, not the pupil. Consequently, the line of sight detection unit 184 is not able to detect the line of sight from the infrared fundus images in the usual sense. However, a satisfactory fundus image is not obtained unless a state in which the pupil is directly facing the fundus imaging camera 104 is detected and captured. Thus, in the present embodiment, the eyeball is tracked while infrared light is continuously radiated, and the acquisition of infrared fundus images and image processing are continuously carried out. Waiting is then performed until a timing at which an infrared fundus image is evenly bright with there being no dark regions and the retina blood vessel pattern can be clearly seen. At this timing, a state has been entered in which the pupil is directly facing the fundus imaging camera 104, in other words, a state in which the line of sight is directed toward the fundus imaging camera 104. That is, the line of sight detection unit 184 detects the line of sight of the cow 101 in accordance with the clarity of the infrared fundus images.
As depicted in
A histogram of the luminance of each pixel in a clear infrared fundus image has two peaks as depicted in
As depicted in
However, as depicted in
The line of sight of the eyeball is directed in numerous directions in time slots T1 to T6, and the line of sight has deviated from the pupil imaging camera 106 at the timings of time slots T1 to T4 and T6. The pupil of the eyeball is directly facing the pupil imaging camera 106 at the timing of time slot T5.
However, the capturing of a pupil image by the pupil imaging camera 106 in a state in which infrared light is off and white light is on is carried out at the timing of time slot T6 not T5, that is, at the same timing as the capturing of the fundus image (specifically, the color fundus image). This is due to the following reasons. Firstly, in the eyeball from which the fundus image is acquired, pupil constriction occurs due to the illumination of white light; however, the nervous system that governs pupil constriction sometimes also affects the pupil constriction of the other eyeball, and sometimes both eyeballs start pupil constriction at the same time. Secondly, it is necessary for imaging to be carried out with respect to the cow 101 before that cow 101 is startled by the illumination of white light onto the other eyeball and runs away from the water drinking station. In addition, the pupil image does not require as precise matching of the line of sight as the fundus image, and it is possible for the pupil color to be determined and the pupil constriction velocity to be determined even with a slightly slanted line of sight.
In this way, in the present embodiment, the first illumination device 103 and the second illumination device 105 illuminate the eyeballs with white light when the detected line of sight of the cow 101 is the same as the imaging optical axis of the fundus imaging camera 104. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, although the fundus image and the pupil image are captured at the same timing, the fundus image is preferentially captured. That is, a fundus image for carrying out individual authentication of the cow 101 with a first eyeball is first preferentially acquired, and thereafter a pupil image of the second eyeball is acquired. Furthermore, the same timing may be that the difference between the timing at which the fundus image is captured and the timing at which the pupil image is captured is 0 sec or greater and approximately 0.3 sec or less. This is because the time delay from the illumination of white light to the start of pupil constriction is of this extent in the case of the cow 101.
The analysis unit 182 acquires the fundus image and the pupil image that are output from the output circuit 181, analyzes those images, and thereby estimates specified biological information such as the vitamin A blood concentration.
When acquiring the fundus image and the pupil image from the output circuit 181, the analysis unit 182 may acquire the fundus image and the pupil image having imaging times and camera information attached thereto, from the output circuit 181. An imaging time is the time at which imaging was performed by the fundus imaging camera 104, or the time at which imaging was performed by the pupil imaging camera 106. Furthermore, camera information is information for identifying the fundus imaging camera 104 or the pupil imaging camera 106.
This kind of analysis unit 182 is provided with an individual cow DB 901, a recording unit 902, an identification unit 903, an estimation unit 904, and a notification unit 905.
The individual cow DB 901 retains identification data in which the blood vessel patterns on the retinas of the eyeballs of each cow and the individual numbers of each cow (also referred to as the individual cow No.) are indicated in association with each other.
The identification unit 903 acquires a fundus image and identifies the individual cow 101 using that fundus image. It should be noted that identifying an individual animal such as the cow 101 is referred to as individual authentication or individual identification. Specifically, the identification unit 903 extracts the blood vessel pattern on the retina of an eyeball of the cow 101 from that fundus image. The identification unit 903 refers to the identification data retained in the individual cow DB 901, and thereby retrieves the individual number of the cow 101 associated with that extracted blood vessel pattern. When that individual number is found by retrieval, the identification unit 903 includes that individual number in estimate information 902b and stores such in the recording unit 902.
The recording unit 902 is a recording medium for retaining image information 902a and the estimate information 902b. The fundus image and the pupil image that are output from the output circuit 181 are indicated in association with each other in the image information 902a. It should be noted that the fundus image and the pupil image associated with each other in the image information 902a are images that have been obtained based on the same cow 101. The fundus image and the pupil image being images that have been obtained based on the same cow 101 is confirmed by means of the imaging times and camera information added to those images. That is, the imaging times added to those images indicate the same timings. In addition, the camera information added to those images indicates the fundus imaging camera 104 and the pupil imaging camera 106 which form a pair with each other.
The estimation unit 904 estimates the concentration of vitamin A in the blood of the cow 101 using the pupil image. That is, the estimation unit 904 acquires the pupil image that is output from the output circuit 181, and estimates, as biological information, the vitamin A blood concentration of the cow 101 on the basis of that pupil image. This kind of estimation unit 904 is provided with an extraction unit 904a, a measurement unit 904b, and an estimate processing unit 904c.
The extraction unit 904a carries out color image processing on the pupil image. For example, the extraction unit 904a analyzes the ratio of RGB components of the pupil image, which is a color image. The extraction unit 904a thereby extracts color information indicating a pupil color from the pupil image.
The measurement unit 904b measures the pupil constriction velocity of the cow 101. Specifically, the second illumination device 105 once again illuminates an eyeball of the cow 101 within 0.3 sec from the point in time of having emitted light at the same timing as the first illumination device 103. The pupil imaging camera 106 captures a plurality of pupil images in accordance with the illumination performed by the second illumination device 105. For example, the pupil imaging camera 106 captures a plurality of pupil images by capturing images of the process in which the pupil constricts, at a frame rate of approximately 1/30 sec. The measurement unit 904b measures the pupil constriction velocity of the cow 101 using the plurality of pupil images. For example, the measurement unit 904b measures the pupil constriction velocity by dividing the amount of change in the area of the pupil from the start of pupil constriction to the end thereof, by the time from the start of that pupil constriction to the end thereof.
As depicted in
As in
In this case, the time Δ depends on the period of time from the time at which pupil constriction of the cow 101 starts to the time at which the cow 101 is startled by the emission of white light onto the eyeball on the one side and runs away. Considering that the light stimulation reaction time is from 0.18 to 0.2 sec for a human, it is desirable that the aforementioned time Δ also be equal to or less than 0.3 sec, and Δ=0 is permissible. In the case where Δ=0, each white LED 302 of the first illumination device 103 emits light at the same time as each white LED 302 of the second illumination device 105.
As depicted in (a) of
Furthermore, as depicted in (b) of
The estimate processing unit 904c of the estimation unit 904 acquires color information extracted by the extraction unit 904a and a pupil constriction velocity measured by the estimate processing unit 904c, as biological information. The estimate processing unit 904c then estimates the vitamin A blood concentration of the cow 101 by applying the aforementioned acquired biological information to a function indicating the relationship between pre-obtained biological information and the average vitamin A blood concentration of a cow. The estimate processing unit 904c writes the vitamin A blood concentration estimated in this way and the imaging time of the pupil image used for that estimation in the estimate information 902b of the recording unit 902.
The notification unit 905 transmits the image information 902a or the estimate information 902b stored in the recording unit 902 to the mobile terminal 107 in a wireless or wired manner. It should be noted that the mobile terminal 107 is a tablet terminal, a smartphone, a personal computer, or the like of a user such as the fattening farmer.
The notification unit 905 transmits the image information 902a that is read from the recording unit 902, to the mobile terminal 107 of the fattening farmer wirelessly or via a network. The image information 902a is thereby displayed on the display of that mobile terminal 107. As depicted in
The notification unit 905 transmits the estimate information 902b that is read from the recording unit 902, to the mobile terminal 107 of the fattening farmer wirelessly or via a network. If there are a plurality of items of the estimate information 902b for the same cow 101, the notification unit 905 may transmit the plurality of items of the estimate information 902b.
The estimate information 902b is thereby displayed on the display of that mobile terminal 107. As depicted in
The camera system 100B in the present embodiment executes the processing of steps S11 to S14 depicted in
After the processing of steps S11 to S14 has been executed, the second illumination device 105 (specifically, each white LED 302) once again illuminates the eyeball of the cow 101 within 0.3 sec from the point in time of having emitted light in step S13. The point in time of having emitted light in step S13 is the point in time at which the second illumination device 105 emitted light at the same timing as the first illumination device 103 (specifically, each white LED 302).
The pupil imaging camera 106 captures a pupil image of the eyeball in accordance with the illumination performed by the second illumination device 105. That is, in steps S14 and S22, the pupil imaging camera 106 captures at least two pupil images.
The output circuit 181 outputs that fundus image to the analysis unit 182 as identification information of the animal, and outputs the plurality of pupil images to the analysis unit 182 as biological information of the animal corresponding to that identification information.
The estimation unit 904 of the analysis unit 182, using the plurality of pupil images, measures the pupil constriction velocity of the cow 101, and extracts the pupil color.
The estimation unit 904, in addition, estimates the vitamin A blood concentration of the cow 101 from the pupil constriction velocity and the pupil color.
The camera system 100B in the present embodiment has a configuration similar to that of the camera system 100A of embodiment 1, and therefore demonstrates an effect similar to that of embodiment 1.
Furthermore, the camera system 100B of the present embodiment is additionally provided with an infrared illumination device and the line of sight detection unit 184 that detects the line of sight of the animal. In the case where the first illumination device 103 is configured of a white illumination device (the plurality of white LEDs 302), the aforementioned infrared illumination device is constituted by the plurality of infrared LEDs 303 arranged along the periphery of the fundus imaging camera 104. The fundus imaging camera 104 captures a fundus image for detecting the line of sight of an eyeball illuminated by the infrared illumination device. The line of sight detection unit 184 detects the line of sight of the animal using that fundus image for detecting the line of sight. The first illumination device 103 and the second illumination device 105 illuminate the eyeballs on the basis of that detected line of sight of the animal. The fundus imaging camera 104 captures a fundus image of those eyeballs, and the pupil imaging camera 106 captures a pupil image of those eyeballs.
Specifically, in the present embodiment, the first illumination device 103 and the second illumination device 105 illuminate the eyeballs when the detected line of sight of the animal is the same as the imaging optical axis of the fundus imaging camera 104.
Thus, when the line of sight of that animal is directed toward the fundus imaging camera 104, namely when the pupil of the eyeball is directly facing the fundus imaging camera 104, that eyeball is illuminated by the first illumination device 103, and a fundus image of the illuminated eyeball can be captured. Consequently, a fundus image having a clearer blood vessel pattern depicted therein can be acquired, and highly accurate identification information can be acquired. Furthermore, the second illumination device 105 illuminates the eyeball of the animal at the same timing as the first illumination device 103, and the pupil imaging camera 106 captures a pupil image of that illuminated eyeball. Consequently, it is possible to suppress the line of sight of the animal deviating greatly from the pupil imaging camera 106, namely the pupil of the eyeball not directly facing the pupil imaging camera 106, when the pupil image is captured. As a result, a clear pupil image can be acquired, and highly accurate biological information can be acquired.
Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the measurement unit 904b that measures the pupil constriction velocity of the animal is additionally provided. The second illumination device 105 once again illuminates the eyeball of the animal within 0.3 sec from the point in time of having emitted light at the same timing as the first illumination device 103, and the pupil imaging camera 106 captures a plurality of pupil images in accordance with the illumination performed by the second illumination device 105. The measurement unit 904b measures the pupil constriction velocity of the animal using the plurality of pupil images.
Thus, a highly accurate pupil constriction velocity of the animal can be measured, with reduced effect from pupil constriction or the animal running away due to the eyeballs being illuminated.
In the present embodiment, the individual authentication of the cow 101 is carried out by the photographing of an ear tag by the supplementary individual authentication camera 111 in
That is, while each infrared LED 303 continuously radiates infrared light onto the eyeball, the pupil imaging camera 106 continuously captures images of the eyeball illuminated by that infrared light, thereby acquiring a plurality of infrared pupil images. The line of sight detection unit 184 tracks the line of sight by continuously carrying out image processing with respect to the plurality of infrared pupil images. The line of sight detection unit 184 then detects the imaging timing at which the pupil is directly facing the pupil imaging camera 106, on the basis of that tracked line of sight. The control unit 183 waits for the imaging timing at which the pupil is directly facing the pupil imaging camera 106. In the example depicted in
It should be noted that the fundus imaging camera 104 may capture a fundus image with each white LED 302 of the first illumination device 103 emitting light at the same time as or at a time difference of approximately 0.3 sec from this timing (in other words, time slot T6).
The camera system in the present embodiment carries out individual authentication and the determination of a lesion in real time. This camera system is provided with the constituent elements included in the camera system 100B of embodiment 2 except for the analysis unit 182 and the control unit 183.
The camera system in the present embodiment is provided with an analysis unit 182a and a control unit 183a instead of the analysis unit 182 and the control unit 183 in embodiment 2.
The analysis unit 182a carries out individual authentication and the determination of a lesion in real time, and is provided with the individual cow DB 901, an identification unit 903a, a determination unit 906, a recording unit 907, and a notification unit 908.
The identification unit 903a, similar to the identification unit 903 of embodiment 2, acquires a fundus image and identifies the individual cow 101 using that fundus image. Reference is made to the identification data in the individual cow DB 901 in this individual identification. The identification unit 903a outputs an individual number indicating the result of that individual identification, to the control unit 183a. Here, the identification unit 903a in the present embodiment identifies the individual cow 101 in real time immediately after a fundus image has been captured by the fundus imaging camera 104. The operations of the illumination performed by the second illumination device 105 and the capturing of the pupil image to be carried out immediately thereafter can be altered as appropriate in accordance with the result of that individual identification. Here, being identified in real time may be that the time from capturing the fundus image to identification is within a time of approximately 0.3 sec.
In addition, the identification unit 903a in the present embodiment determines whether or not individual identification has been successful, each time individual identification is carried out, and in the case where individual identification has failed N times (N being an integer that is equal to or greater than 2), the control unit 183a is notified that identification is not possible.
The determination unit 906 acquires a captured fundus image or a pupil image, and determines in real time whether or not the fundus image or the pupil image includes a lesion. That is, the determination unit 906 diagnoses whether the cow 101 has an illness such as a vitamin A deficiency. For example, similar to embodiment 2, the determination unit 906 determines whether or not the pupil image includes a lesion, according to the pupil color or the pupil constriction velocity. Furthermore, generally, symptoms such as a swelling of the optic nerve head occur in the fundus of a cow having a vitamin A deficiency. Thus, the determination unit 906 determines whether or not there is a lesion on the retina in the fundus image, during individual identification, in other words, in real time. The determination unit 906 outputs the result of that determination to the recording unit 907, the notification unit 908, and the control unit 183a. It should be noted that the determination unit 906 may output information regarding the cow 101 for which a lesion has been determined.
The recording unit 907 records the determination result that is output from the determination unit 906. It should be noted that, in the case where information regarding the cow 101 for which a lesion has been determined is output from the determination unit 906, that information may be recorded in the recording unit 907.
The notification unit 908 acquires the determination result that is output from the determination unit 906, and transmits that determination result to the mobile terminal 107 in a wireless or wired manner. That is, at the same time as a lesion being discovered, the notification unit 908 notifies that discovery of the lesion to the mobile terminal 107 such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal of the fattening farmer.
The control unit 183a acquires notification of the individual number or notification that identification is not possible that is output from the identification unit 903a of the analysis unit 182a, and the determination result that is output from the determination unit 906, and controls the constituent elements of the camera system on the basis of that acquired information.
The control unit 183a causes the first illumination device 103 to turn on. Specifically, the control unit 183a causes each white LED 302 of the first illumination device 103 to turn on. That is, the first illumination device 103 illuminates an eyeball of the cow 101 with white light.
The fundus imaging camera 104 captures a fundus image of the eyeball illuminated by the first illumination device 103.
The identification unit 903a attempts individual identification of the cow 101 using the captured fundus image. At such time, the identification unit 903a attempts individual identification in real time.
The identification unit 903a determines whether or not individual identification has been successful as a result of that attempt.
If it is determined in step S44 that individual identification has not been successful, in other words, has failed (no in step S44), the identification unit 903a additionally determines whether or not the number of attempts at individual identification is less than N times. It should be noted that it is determined that individual identification has failed when the blood vessel pattern of the fundus image does not match the blood vessel pattern on the retina of any of the cows registered in the individual cow DB 901. Furthermore, the initial value for the number of attempts is 1.
If it is determined in step S45 that the number of attempts is less than N times (yes in step S45), the identification unit 903a adds 1 to the number of attempts.
If it is determined in step S45 that the number of attempts is equal to or greater than N times (no in step S45), the identification unit 903a notifies the control unit 183a that identification is not possible. As a result, the control unit 183a causes the cover glass cleaning device 110 to clean the first cover glass 109a for the fundus imaging camera 104. That is, at such time, because an individual could not be confirmed, the control unit 183a stops the illumination performed by the second illumination device 105 and the imaging performed by the pupil imaging camera 106. The control unit 183a then determines that the first cover glass 109a for the fundus imaging camera 104 is dirty, and causes the cover glass cleaning device 110 to carry out the cleaning of the first cover glass 109a.
If it is determined in step S44 that individual identification has been successful (yes in step S44), the identification unit 903a outputs the individual number to the control unit 183a. As a result, the control unit 183a causes the second illumination device 105 to turn on. Specifically, the control unit 183a causes each white LED 302 of the second illumination device 105 to turn on. That is, the second illumination device 105 illuminates the eyeball of the cow 101 with white light.
The pupil imaging camera 106 captures a pupil image of the eyeball illuminated by the second illumination device 105.
The control unit 183a causes the first illumination device 103 to turn on. Specifically, the control unit 183a causes each white LED 302 of the first illumination device 103 to turn on. That is, the first illumination device 103 illuminates an eyeball of the cow 101 with white light.
The fundus imaging camera 104 captures a fundus image of the eyeball illuminated by the first illumination device 103.
The determination unit 906 acquires a captured fundus image, and determines whether or not the fundus image includes a lesion.
If it is determined in step S53 that a lesion is included (yes in step S53), the determination unit 906 records the lesion in the recording unit 907 as the result of that determination. In addition, the notification unit 908 notifies the discovery of the lesion to the mobile terminal 107.
That is, when a fundus image is acquired, the determination unit 906 carries out a lesion diagnosis for a vitamin A deficiency or the like from the fundus image in real time. In the case where a lesion is discovered on the retina in the fundus image when individual identification using the fundus image is carried out, the determination unit 906 determines that the cow 101 corresponding to that fundus image is a cow that has a lesion, and records that lesion in the recording unit 907. The notification unit 908 notifies that lesion to the fattening farmer.
The control unit 183a adds 1 to the number of times imaging has been carried out by the pupil imaging camera 106. The initial value for the number of times imaging has been carried out is 0.
The control unit 183a causes each white LED 302 of the second illumination device 105 to turn on. That is, the second illumination device 105 illuminates the eyeball of the cow 101 with white light.
The pupil imaging camera 106 captures a pupil image of the eyeball illuminated by the second illumination device 105.
The control unit 183a determines whether or not the number of times imaging has been carried out is less than M times (M being an integer that is equal to or greater than 2). Here, if it is determined in step S59 that the number of times imaging has been carried out is less than M times (yes in step S59), the control unit 183a repeatedly executes the processing of step S56. However, if it is determined in step S59 that the number of times imaging has been carried out is equal to or greater than M times (no in step S59), the camera system ends processing.
That is, in the case where there is a lesion in the fundus image, the turning on of the second illumination device 105 and the capturing of a fundus image are repeated up to M times in order for observation to be carried out a greater number of times than normal.
If it is determined in step S53 that the fundus image does not include a lesion (no in step S53), the control unit 183a causes each white LED 302 of the second illumination device 105 to turn on. That is, the second illumination device 105 illuminates the eyeball of the cow 101 with white light.
The pupil imaging camera 106 captures a pupil image of the eyeball illuminated by the second illumination device 105.
The determination unit 906 acquires the captured pupil image, and determines whether or not the pupil image includes a lesion. Here, if it is determined that a lesion is not included (no in step S62), the camera system ends processing.
If it is determined in step S62 that a lesion is included (yes in step S62), the determination unit 906 records the lesion in the recording unit 907 as the result of that determination. In addition, the notification unit 908 notifies the discovery of the lesion to the mobile terminal 107.
In this way, a lesion is recorded in the recording unit 907 and notified to the fattening farmer in the case where a lesion is not found in the fundus image but it is then determined in real time that there is a lesion from observation of the pupil image. Furthermore, the light emission pattern of the plurality of white LEDs 302 may be changed or the number of times imaging is carried out may be increased in such a way that it is possible for a detailed observation to be carried out at the next imaging timing.
Furthermore, in the flowchart depicted in
The camera system in the present embodiment has a configuration similar to that of the camera system 100A of embodiment 1, and therefore demonstrates an effect similar to that of embodiment 1.
Furthermore, in the present embodiment, as mentioned above, whether or not illumination is to be carried out by the second illumination device 105 and whether or not cleaning is to be carried out by the cover glass cleaning device 110 is controlled. A summary of this kind of control and the effect thereof are described hereinafter using
The identification unit 903a attempts to identify the individual cow 101 using the fundus image in accordance with the control carried out by the control unit 183a. That is, the identification unit 903a attempts individual identification of the cow 101.
The control unit 183a determines whether or not the identification unit 903a has been able to identify the individual cow 101. Here, if the identification unit 903a has not been able to identify the individual cow 101 (no in step S72), the control unit 183a does not illuminate the cow 101 by means of the second illumination device 105.
However, in step S72, if it is determined that the identification unit 903a has been able to identify the individual cow 101 (yes in step S72), the control unit 183a illuminates the cow 101 by means of the second illumination device 105. That is, the control unit 183a causes each white LED 302 of the second illumination device 105 to turn on.
The pupil imaging camera 106 captures a pupil image of the eyeball illuminated by the second illumination device 105, in accordance with the control carried out by the control unit 183a.
Thus, in the present embodiment, a pupil image being acquired as biological information can be prevented until it is not possible to identify the animal, and wasteful processing and the accumulation of information can be eliminated.
The determination unit 906 determines whether or not the fundus image includes a lesion. Here, if it is determined that a lesion is included (yes in step S81), the control unit 183a does not illuminate the cow 101 by means of the second illumination device 105.
However, if it is determined in step S81 that a lesion is not included (no in step S82), the control unit 183a illuminates the cow 101 by means of the second illumination device 105. That is, the control unit 183a causes each white LED 302 of the second illumination device 105 to turn on.
The pupil imaging camera 106 captures a pupil image of the eyeball illuminated by the second illumination device 105, in accordance with the control carried out by the control unit 183a.
Thus, in the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent going to the trouble of capturing a pupil image in order to determine whether or not there is a lesion, also in the case where it can be determined from a fundus image that there is a lesion in an animal. It is thereby possible to eliminate wasteful processing and the accumulation of information.
The control unit 183a determines whether or not the number of times it has not been possible to identify the individual cow 101 is equal to or greater than a predetermined number of times (for example, N times), on the basis of the results of the individual identification of the cow 101 repeatedly attempted by the identification unit 903a.
If the number of times it has not been possible to identify the individual cow 101 is not equal to or greater than the predetermined number of times (no in step S91), the control unit 183a illuminates the cow 101 by means of the second illumination device 105. That is, the control unit 183a causes each white LED 302 of the second illumination device 105 to turn on.
The pupil imaging camera 106 captures a pupil image of the eyeball illuminated by the second illumination device 105, in accordance with the control carried out by the control unit 183a.
If the number of times it has not been possible to identify the individual cow 101 is equal to or greater than the predetermined number of times (yes in step S91), the control unit 183a causes the cover glass cleaning device 110 to clean the first cover glass 109a for the fundus imaging camera 104. This first cover glass 109a is glass that covers the fundus imaging camera 104, between the fundus imaging camera 104 and the cow 101.
Thus, in the present embodiment, in the case where the identification of the individual animal fails a predetermined number of times or more, because the first cover glass 109a is cleaned, it is possible to suppress the failure of the individual identification after the first cover glass 109a has been cleaned.
The camera system in the present embodiment has a configuration in which a fundus imaging camera and a pupil imaging camera are installed with respect to each of the two eyeballs of the cow (what is known as a single lens multi-camera configuration).
A camera system 100C in the present embodiment is provided with a fundus imaging camera 104R and a pupil imaging camera 106R that capture images of the right eye of the cow 101, and a fundus imaging camera 104L and a pupil imaging camera 106L that capture images of the left eye of the cow 101.
The fundus imaging camera 104R and the fundus imaging camera 104L have the same configuration as the fundus imaging camera 104 in the aforementioned embodiments. The pupil imaging camera 106R and the pupil imaging camera 106L have the same configuration as the pupil imaging camera 106 in the aforementioned embodiments. Furthermore, similar to the aforementioned embodiments, the first illumination device 103 is arranged in the fundus imaging camera 104R and the fundus imaging camera 104L. Likewise, similar to the aforementioned embodiments, the second illumination device 105 is arranged in the pupil imaging camera 106R and the pupil imaging camera 106L.
It should be noted that, similar to the camera system of any of embodiments 1 to 4, the camera system in the present embodiment may not be provided with the output circuit 181, the analysis control unit 180, the individual authentication camera 111, or the antenna 112 for RFID.
According to this configuration, for example, individual identification using the left eye can be carried out even in the case where it is established in real time that individual identification has failed due to any kind of cause with the fundus imaging camera 104R for the right eye. That is, immediately after that failure has been established, individual identification can be carried out by means of the imaging performed by the fundus imaging camera 104L for the left eye, and the capturing of a pupil image performed by the pupil imaging camera 106R for the right eye can be carried out immediately thereafter. Similarly, even in the case where individual identification using the fundus image captured by the fundus imaging camera 104R for the right eye has failed when a lesion has been discovered in that fundus image, individual identification can be carried out by means of the imaging performed by the fundus imaging camera 104 for the left eye. In this way, it becomes possible for the roles of the cameras to be exchanged in a short period of time.
The system in the present embodiment is a feeding system that feeds an animal using a fundus image and a pupil image of that animal captured by a camera system.
This feeding system 200A is provided with the camera system 100D, a mobile terminal 107a, and a feed mixing device 211. It should be noted that constituent elements that are the same as any of those of embodiments 1 to 5 from among the constituent elements included in the feeding system 200A in the present embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted.
The mobile terminal 107a is an interface that outputs a signal for switching the composition of the feed, corresponding to the concentration of vitamin A estimated by the camera system 100D. It should be noted that the concentration of vitamin A estimated by the camera system 100D is the concentration of vitamin A estimated by the estimation unit 904 (see
The feed mixing device 211, upon receiving the aforementioned signal from the mobile terminal 107a, switches the composition of feed that enters a feed trough 212 to the optimum feed composition ratio indicated by that signal.
The camera system 100D, similar to embodiment 2, is provided with the first illumination device 103, the fundus imaging camera 104, the second illumination device 105, and the pupil imaging camera 106, and is additionally provided with an analysis control unit 180b. It should be noted that
The first illumination device 103 illuminates an eyeball of the cow 101. The fundus imaging camera 104 captures a fundus image of the eyeball illuminated by the first illumination device 103. The second illumination device 105 illuminates an eyeball of the animal at the same timing as the first illumination device 103. The pupil imaging camera 106 captures a pupil image of the eyeball illuminated by the second illumination device 105.
The analysis control unit 180b, similar to embodiment 2, is provided with the output circuit 181, the control unit 183, and the line of sight detection unit 184, and is additionally provided with an analysis unit 182b.
The output circuit 181 outputs the fundus image as identification information of the cow 101, and outputs the pupil image as biological information of the cow 101 corresponding to that identification information. Specifically, the output circuit 181 outputs the identification information and the biological information to the analysis unit 182b.
The analysis unit 182b estimates the concentration of vitamin A in the blood of the cow 101 using the pupil image, and calculates the optimum feed composition ratio for the cow 101 using that estimated vitamin A concentration. The analysis unit 182b then notifies information indicating that optimum feed composition ratio to the mobile terminal 107a.
The analysis unit 182b, similar to embodiments 2 and 4, is provided with the individual cow DB 901, the identification unit 903, the estimation unit 904, the recording unit 907, and the notification unit 908, and is additionally provided with a feed calculating unit 909. It should be noted that the analysis unit 182b may be provided with the identification unit 903a instead of the identification unit 903. The estimation unit 904, similar to embodiment 2, estimates the concentration of vitamin A in the blood of the cow 101 using the pupil image.
The feed calculating unit 909 calculates the optimum feed composition ratio for the cow 101 using the vitamin A concentration estimated by the estimation unit 904. Furthermore, the feed calculating unit 909 calculates a feed composition ratio with which the vitamin A in the blood is maintained while preventing the blindness or illness of the cow 101, from the current vitamin A blood concentration estimated by the estimation unit 904, past vitamin A blood concentrations, and clinical history records. In addition, the feed calculating unit 909 outputs that information indicating the feed composition ratio to the notification unit 908. For example, the feed calculating unit 909 retains a function or table that indicates the correlation between the concentration of vitamin A in the blood and the ratio of feed A with respect to the total feed, and derives the ratio of feed A corresponding to the current estimated concentration of vitamin A in the blood from that function or table. The optimum feed composition ratio is thereby calculated. Furthermore, the feed calculating unit 909 may calculate the difference between a concentration of vitamin A in the blood estimated in the past and the current concentration of vitamin A in the blood, and may apply a coefficient corresponding to that difference to that derived feed A ratio. It is thereby possible to also handle sudden changes in the concentration of vitamin A in the blood. Furthermore, when the feed calculating unit 909 refers to lesion records, specifies the ratio of feed A to be given to the cow 101 when a lesion has appeared, and derives the ratio of feed A from the aforementioned function or table, the feed calculating unit 909 may carry out the derivation avoiding feed A ratios from when a lesion has appeared.
The notification unit 908 in the present embodiment notifies the feed composition ratio calculated by the feed calculating unit 909 to the mobile terminal 107a.
Thus, the information (specifically, the information indicating the feed composition ratio) notified from the notification unit 908 is displayed on the display of the mobile terminal 107a such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal of the fattening farmer who is the user, as depicted in
Furthermore, the mobile terminal 107a may receive the individual cow No. by means of a user operation performed by the user and transmit such to the notification unit 908. In this case, the notification unit 908 notifies the mobile terminal 107a of the most up-to-date feed composition ratio calculated by the feed calculating unit 909 for the cow 101 identified by means of that individual cow No. The mobile terminal 107a then displays an image depicting that individual cow No. and the feed composition ratio, on a display as depicted in
The feeding system 200A in the present embodiment feeds an animal using a fundus image and a pupil image of the animal captured by the camera system 100D. The camera system 100D is provided with the first illumination device 103, the fundus imaging camera 104, the second illumination device 105, the pupil imaging camera 106, the output circuit 181, the estimation unit 904, and the mobile terminal 107a. The first illumination device 103 illuminates an eyeball of the animal. The fundus imaging camera 104 captures a fundus image of the eyeball illuminated by the first illumination device 103. The second illumination device 105 illuminates an eyeball of the animal at the same timing as the first illumination device 103. The pupil imaging camera 106 captures a pupil image of the eyeball illuminated by the second illumination device 105. The output circuit 181 outputs the fundus image as identification information of the animal, and outputs the pupil image as biological information of the animal corresponding to that identification information. The estimation unit 904 estimates the concentration of vitamin A in the blood of the animal using that pupil image. The mobile terminal 107a is an interface that outputs a signal for switching the composition of the feed, corresponding to the concentration of vitamin A estimated by the estimation unit 904.
This kind of feeding system 200A or camera system 100D in the present embodiment has a configuration similar to that of the camera system 100A of embodiment 1, and therefore demonstrates an effect similar to that of embodiment 1.
Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the vitamin A blood concentration of an animal can be acquired while that individual animal is appropriately identified, and feed to be given to that animal can be made to have the optimum feed composition ratio corresponding to the vitamin A blood concentration of that animal. For example, the cow 101 can be fed with the optimum feed composition ratio for improving the meat quality without a severe illness such as blindness occurring.
In embodiment 7, the main purpose is mainly to capture a pupil image of a cow with a high degree of quality. Ordinarily, in the non-contact acquisition of a pupil, the eyeball of a cow is not always positioned in the center of a screen and is often captured deviating randomly to the left and right of the screen. In addition, the line of sight of an eyeball does not face the front of the imaging optical axis but deviates diagonally upward or diagonally downward, and therefore the pupil is captured close to an ellipse rather than a true circle. This is due not to an error of a sensor that decides the imaging timing but to it being not possible in reality for the direction of the line of sight of an eyeball at the imaging timing to be fixed. In an imaging method such as this, the position and angle at which light that is incident on the pupil is radiated onto the retina is not fixed, and the angle of outgoing light from the pupil changes in numerous ways with respect to the line of sight of the camera, and therefore, in the case where the color of the reflected light from the tapetum layer of the retina is reflected as the pupil color, that pupil color generally changes in numerous ways. In this way, the line of sight of an eyeball of a cow cannot be fixed, and therefore the color of the tapetum layer cannot be measured as the pupil color with a high degree of accuracy from outside, and consequently there is a problem in that there is a decline in the accuracy of estimating the vitamin A concentration.
Even in the case where imaging can be performed with the line of sight of the eyeball matching the illumination and imaging optical axes, the pupil color is not one complete color, and a color irregularity occurs with reflected light of a blue-green color from the tapetum region and dark red reflected light from the non-tapetum region being present according to the region. It is therefore difficult to observe the color of the tapetum region.
The present embodiment solves the aforementioned problems, and a purpose thereof is to provide an animal eye imaging device that can acquire a reflected color from the tapetum with a sufficiently high degree of accuracy even in the non-contact observation of the pupil color.
In order to implement a state in which the line of sight is fixed to the front when seen from a camera, the eye of the cow may be continuously observed with invisible infrared illumination being emitted toward the cow, and color imaging may be carried out with white illumination being radiated in a stroboscopic manner at a timing at which the line of sight is matching. However, when carried out using one imaging device for each eye as in the prior art, there are very few imaging chances. Thus, a plurality (nine, for example) of viewpoint cameras, which have white light sources attached thereto in a substantially coaxial state, and infrared light sources are installed for an eyeball to be observed in the same manner from a plurality of viewpoints by means of infrared illumination, and white light is radiated from the white light source corresponding to the viewpoint camera that matches the line of sight for color imaging to be carried out. A pupil image in which the line of sight matches as much as possible can thereby be acquired without causing unnecessary stress such as forcibly guiding the line of sight of an eyeball of the cow.
Next, regarding the problem that there is a color irregularity, in other words, the regions of tapetum-region reflected color (yellow to green to blue) and a non-tapetum region (red eye), within a pupil even when the line of sight and optical axis match, there is a problem in that separation with a color filter is not possible because the tapetum color spectrum is wide (a wide range of 400 to 700 nm). Thus, the fact that the reflected light from the tapetum region is similar to mirror surface reflection is used, polarized illumination is radiated to generate a “parallel” and “orthogonal” difference polarized image S, and a non-polarized (tapetum) region is eliminated, in other words, values are set to 0 (to black) on an image for the tapetum region to be extracted.
Meanwhile, although a plurality of infrared light sources 1050 are installed inside the imaging dome, they do not have a substantially coaxial relationship with the imaging devices, and with infrared illumination, the reflected light from the pupil is captured in monochrome as black whereas the surrounding iris and the skin of the cow are captured as white with a high degree of luminance, and therefore there is a feature in that it becomes extremely easy to detect the pupil with contrast. Using this it is possible to determine by means of image processing whether the line of sight of an eyeball is directly facing or deviating from the imaging optical axis.
The white light source-equipped color cameras 1040 are divided in two into a group 2010 for the left eye and a group 2020 for the right eye of the cow, and the cameras of the respective groups capture images of the corresponding left or right eyeball.
These observe corresponding eyeballs or the cow from different viewpoints. In the period during which the cow is inside the imaging dome, ordinarily a plurality of infrared light sources are lit and the white light source-equipped color cameras 1040 function as infrared monochrome cameras and are continuously tracking the line of sight of an eyeball of the cow. At time T1 for example, the infrared light sources are on and cameras A, B, and C have acquired images of the line of sight of the eyeball. At such time, at camera B, it is determined that the line of sight is directly facing, and therefore, at the next instant, time T2, the infrared light sources turn off, the white light source of camera B simultaneously turns on, and a color image of the pupil is captured by camera B. Once again, from the next instant, the infrared light sources turn on and tracking of the line of sight of the eyeball is restarted. Then, at time T3, it is determined that the line of sight is directly facing at camera A, and therefore, at the next instant, time T4, the infrared light sources turn off, the white light source of camera A simultaneously turns on, and a color image of the pupil is captured by camera A.
Next, mutual control of the right eye group and left eye group will be described. In the present embodiment, it is necessary for pupil images of both eyes of one individual cow to be captured by means of coaxial illumination. Therefore, from among the cameras belonging to the group 2010 for the left eye or the group 2020 for the right eye of the cow, one camera ordinarily emits light. However, the white light source momentarily emits light brightly in order to capture images of the respective eyes, and therefore it is also feasible for the cow to be initially startled by the light emitted from either the left or right side and in the next instant to run away from the imaging dome, and in this case, the chance to capture an image of the other eye is lost. In order to avoid this, it is desirable that the left and right groups capture images with the white light sources emitting light at the same time.
Hereinabove, the line of sight of an eyeball and the optical axes for illumination and imaging match. However, a color irregularity is nevertheless present within the captured pupil. This is because reflected color from the tapetum region of the retina is a green to blue color but becomes what is known as “red eye” in the non-tapetum region due to blood vessels being captured, and these two types of reflected light are mixed. In the case of a retina image, the tapetum region and the non-tapetum region are clearly distinct as regions, but in the case of a pupil image, the reflected light from both regions is in a defocused state and an image is produced in which the regions are separated in an indistinct manner.
Thus, in the present embodiment, polarization characteristics are used to separate the tapetum colors.
In (b), a non-polarized reflection image is brightly captured with polarized light that returns from the pseudo non-tapetum region in the left half having become disarranged, and mirror surface reflection light from the pseudo tapetum region in the right half maintains those polarization characteristics and as is therefore blocked. These are added and averaged ((a)+(b)) to obtain (c) an averaged polarized image. This (c) is an image that is close to the capturing of an ordinary color image, in which an image from the pseudo tapetum in the right half and an image from the pseudo non-tapetum region in the left half are both brightly captured, and therefore equates to being captured as a pupil image in which the tapetum region and the non-tapetum region are uneven.
Next, the difference ((a)−(b)) between the (a) parallel polarized image and the (b) orthogonal polarized image is acquired to obtain (d) a difference polarized image. In the difference polarized image, reflected light from the tapetum region is extracted. Thus, using this image, for example, a (e) tapetum extracted image from the orthogonal polarized image is obtained when (d) and the (b) orthogonal polarized image are multiplied, and a (f) tapetum extracted image from the averaged polarized image is obtained when (d) and the (c) averaged polarized image are multiplied. Therein, a color specific to the blue-green tapetum region in the right half is extracted, the left half become a black background and the remainder of the reflection of the ring illumination, and therefore, when image averaging is carried out, the reflected color of the tapetum region is obtained as the main component.
In the present embodiment, color separation for the RGB wavelength band is executed by means of color filters 1202 arranged on an opening of an objective lens 1204. In the camera 4020 depicted, color separation and polarization imaging are carried out using a microlens array-type of color image sensor 1205 in which a microlens array 1207 and a monochrome polarization image sensor 1203 are formed as a single unit.
Return light that has diverged from one point 1206 on the subject transmits though each of the two regions (color filters) 1202 on the objective lens 1204, and reaches the imaging surface of the monochrome polarization image sensor 1203 via the microlens array 1207.
In this case, light rays that pass through the two regions 1202 on the objective lens 1204 reach different pixels. Therefore, an image formed on the monochrome polarization image sensor 1203 is in its entirety an image of the subject; however, in detail, color images from the two different regions 1202 are encoded. By carrying out digital image processing for selecting and integrating pixels, color images can be generated with the images transmitted through the two regions 1202 being separated.
The arrangement method for the color filter regions 1202 may be different from that in
In the present embodiment also, polarized images produced by light polarized in the polarization transmission axis directions of 0° and 90° in each wavelength band of R, G, and B can be obtained at the same time, and therefore polarized image processing that is similar to that of embodiment 7 becomes possible.
In the present embodiment, as depicted in
In the present embodiment, the separation of light in the polarization transmission axis directions of 0° and 90° is executed by means of polarizing mosaic filters 1502a arranged on an opening of an objective lens 1504.
In the camera 4020 depicted, color separation and polarization imaging are carried out using a microlens array-type of color image sensor 1503 in which a microlens array 1507 and a single-plate color imaging element 1502 having wavelength band pixels for R, G, and B are formed as a single unit. Return light that has diverged from one point 1506 on the subject transmits though each of two regions 1502a on the objective lens 1504, and reaches the single-plate color imaging element 1502 (1503), in which a color mosaic is arranged, via the microlens array 1507. Pixels are reached having different configurations from having passed through the two regions (polarizing mosaic filters) 1502a on the objective lens 1504. Therefore, an image formed on the single-plate color imaging element 1502 (1503) is in its entirety an image of the subject but in detail becomes an image formed from images of different polarization regions of 0° and 90°. Each region corresponds to color mosaic 2×2 pixels on the color imaging element.
The objective lens 1504 is installed at the stage subsequent to the polarizing filter regions 1502a. The arrangement order of the wire grid layer 1601 and the objective lens 1504 and whether or not there is a gap between the wire grid layer 1601 and the objective lens 1504 are design matters. The polarizing plate, if realizing a polarizing operation over a wide band within the visible light range, is not restricted to a wire grid layer, and a polymer polarizing plate or the like can also be used. A wire grid layer can be formed from a variety of metal materials such as aluminum (Al). The wire grid layer 1601 is not restricted to having a single-layer structure, and may have a multilayer structure. In such cases, a light absorption layer may be arranged on the outermost surface layer to suppress reflection. Gaps in stacked wire grids may be filled with another material to enhance mechanical strength. A coating may be applied in order to protect the surface of the wire grid from chemical reactions.
A benefit of the present embodiment is that, because it is possible to install polarizing plates in the lens opening, the sizes of the individual polarizing mosaic elements can be made to be larger than when arranged on an imaging element. For example, in a polarizing mosaic type of imaging element used in the other aforementioned embodiments, the length of the metal wire that forms polarizing mosaic units is equal to the pixel size of the imaging element and is typically 1 to 3 μm. With such a minute size, the length of wire grid and the number of repetitions are limited even if the pitches between the individual metal wires of the wire grid are minute. As a result, the extinction ratio performance as a polarizing plate drops to approximately 10:1. In the present embodiment, a comparatively large wire grid polarizing plate in which the size of the lens opening is approximately 0.5 mm=500 μm can be used, and a high extinction ratio of approximately 100:1 can be realized, which is extremely advantageous in terms of performance.
In the present embodiment, the separation of light in the polarization transmission axis directions of 0° and 90° is executed by means of polarizing mosaic filters 1803 arranged on each opening of a plurality of objective lenses 1804a. This multi-lens color camera has a color imaging element 1802 that has three wavelength band pixels for R, G, and B on an imaging surface. The configuration of this color imaging element is that of an ordinary single-plate color image sensor and is therefore omitted; however, an RGB color filter may have the spectral characteristics depicted in
Return light that has diverged from one point 1806 on the subject transmits though the polarizing filter regions (polarizing mosaic filters) 1803 on the 2×2 total of four multi-objective lenses 1804a and reaches the color imaging element 1802 in which a color mosaic is arranged. The images of each region on the objective lens become different images juxtaposed on the imaging surface.
According to the present embodiment, a polarizing plate is installed in the lens opening, and therefore the sizes of the individual polarizing mosaic elements can be made to be larger than when installed on an imaging element.
Hereinabove, a camera system, a feeding system, and an imaging method according to one or more aspects have been described on the basis of the aforementioned embodiments; however, the present disclosure is not limited to the aforementioned embodiments. Modes in which various modifications conceived by a person skilled in the art have been implemented in the present embodiments, and modes constructed by combining the constituent elements in different embodiments may also be included within the scope of the present disclosure provided they do not depart from the purpose of the present disclosure.
It should be noted that, in the aforementioned embodiments, the constituent elements may be configured by using dedicated hardware, or may be realized by executing a software program suitable for the constituent elements. The constituent elements may be realized by a program execution unit such as a CPU or a processor reading out and executing a software program recorded in a recording medium such as a hard disk or a semiconductor memory. Here, software that realizes the camera system or the feeding system of the aforementioned embodiments is a computer program that causes a computer to execute each step indicated in the flowcharts of any of
Furthermore, in the present disclosure, all or some of the units and devices, or all or some of the functional blocks of the block diagrams depicted in
In addition, it is possible for all or some of the functions or operations of the units, devices, or some of the devices to be executed by software processing. In this case, software is recorded in a non-transitory recording medium such as one or more ROMs, optical discs, or hard disk drives, and in the case where the software is executed by a processing device (processor), the software causes specific functions within the software to be executed by the processing device (processor) and peripheral devices. The system or the device may be provided with one or more non-transitory recording mediums on which the software is recorded, the processing device (processor), and required hardware devices such as an interface.
The present disclosure can be applied to a camera system that is set up in a cattle barn, for example, and captures images of an eyeball of a cow or the like. In this camera system, individual authentication and a lesion diagnosis can both be carried out, and a lesion diagnosis or a vitamin A blood concentration can be estimated, in a non-contact manner, in other words, without causing unnecessary stress to an animal such as a cow. Furthermore, the camera system has the effect of it being possible to acquire a reflected color from the retina tapetum region in a stable manner and with good accuracy. Furthermore, it thereby becomes possible to accurately estimate the vitamin A blood concentration of beef cattle. Furthermore, the present disclosure is effective not only for cows but also for pet animals such as dogs or cats that have a tapetum layer, and can be used also as an ophthalmologic diagnosis device in a veterinary clinic.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-217964 | Nov 2015 | JP | national |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/JP2016/004094 | Sep 2016 | US |
| Child | 15820481 | US |
