Image processing and reproducing apparatus

Claim 2

An image processing and reproducing apparatus, comprising: i) a single image signal output means for outputting an image signal representing an image; ii) a plurality of image displaying means, each of which reproduces a visible image from the received image signal and displays the visible image; and iii) a transmission means for transmitting the image signal, which has been outputted from the image signal output means, to the plurality of the image displaying means, wherein the image signal output means is provided with a first image processing section for carrying out principal image processing on an original image signal Sorg representing an original image, and each of the plurality of the image displaying means is provided with a second image processing section for carrying out necessary image processing, which is other than said principal image processing, on a first image signal S 1 , which has been obtained from said principal image processing to obtain a second image signal Sp.

Claim 3

An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said principal image processing, which is carried out by said first image processing section, is frequency emphasis processing and/or dynamic range compression processing.

Claim 4

An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said other necessary image processing, which is carried out by said second image processing section is gradation processing.

Claim 5

An image processing and reproducing apparatus comprising: i) a single image signal output means for outputting an image signal representing an image; ii) a plurality of image displaying means, each of which reproduces a visible image from the received image signal and displays the visible image; and iii) a transmission means for transmitting the image signal, which has been outputted from the image signal output means, to the plurality of the image displaying means, wherein the image signal output means is provided with a first image processing section for carrying out principal image processing on an original image signal Sorg representing an original image, and each of the plurality of the image displaying means is provided with a second image processing section for carrying out necessary image processing, which is other than said principal image processing, on a first image signal Sorg+R, which has been obtained from said principal image processing to obtain a second image signal Sp, wherein the image signal output means outputs the first image signal Sorg+R, which has been obtained from said principal image processing and said original image signal, and each of the plurality of the image displaying means carries out the image processing by using said original image signal.

Claim 6

An image processing and reproducing apparatus comprising: i) a single image signal output means for outputting an image signal representing an image; ii) a plurality of image displaying means, each of which reproduces a visible image from the received image signal and displays the visible image; and iii) a transmission means for transmitting the image signal, which has been outputted from the image signal output means, to the plurality of the image displaying means, wherein the image signal output means is provided with a first image processing section for carrying out principal image processing on an original image signal Sorg representing an original image, and each of the plurality of the image displaying means is provided with a second image processing section for carrying out necessary image processing, which is other than said principal image processing, on a first image signal Sorg+R, which has been obtained from said principal image processing to obtain a second image signal Sp, wherein the image signal output means outputs the first image signal Sorg+R, which has been obtained from said principal image processing and said original image signal, and each of the plurality of the image displaying means carries out the image processing by using said original image signal.

Claim 7

An apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said principle image processing, which is carried out by said first image processing section, is a portion of frequency emphasis processing and/or dynamic range compression processing, and said other necessary image processing, which is carried out by said second image processing section, is the remainder of said frequency emphasis processing and/or said dynamic range compression processing.

Claim 8

An apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said portion of frequency emphasis processing and/or dynamic range compression processing is the processing for forming at least one intermediate processed image signal, which is selected from the group consisting of an unsharp mask image signal Sus, a signal representing Sorg-Sus used in the frequency emphasis processing, where Sorg represents said original image signal, a signal representing β· (Sorg-Sus) used in the frequency emphasis processing, where β represents the emphasis coefficient, and a signal representing a function D(Sus) in accordance with the unsharp mask image signal Sus, the function being used in the dynamic range compression processing.

Claim 9

An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein at least one image displaying means, which is among the plurality of the image displaying means, is provided with an instruction means for instructing the image signal output means to alter image processing conditions, under which said principal image processing is carried out, and the image signal output means carries out said principal image processing under the instructed image processing conditions.

Claim 10

An apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein at least one image displaying means, which is among the plurality of the image displaying means, is further provided with an image processing section for carrying out said principal image processing on said original image signal.

Claim 11

An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the apparatus further comprises a filing means for storing the image signal received from the image signal output means, and the image signal is transmitted from said filing means to each of the plurality of the image displaying means.

Claim 12

An apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein at least one image displaying means, which is among the plurality of the image displaying means, is provided with an instruction means for instructing the image signal output means to alter image processing conditions, under which said principal image processing is carried out, and the image signal output means carries out said principal image processing under the instructed image processing condition.

Claim 13

An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the apparatus further comprises a filing means for storing the image signal received from the image signal output means, and the image signal is transmitted from said filing means to each of the plurality of the image displaying means.

Claim 14

An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the image processing is carried out by morphology processing for extracting only a specific image portion from a medical image.