Abstract:
This invention provides an image processing apparatus capable of obtaining a satisfactory operation environment and a computer-readable medium recording thereon a program for allowing a computer to function in the same way as the image processing apparatus, based on the still image data and the live image data acquired. The image processing apparatus acquires still image data and live image data of an object, and simultaneously displays a still image and a live image of the object on a display screen of a display device provided inside or outside the apparatus. The image processing apparatus lays a first display space and a second display space having different sizes out on the display screen so that they don&#39;t overlap each other, and assigns the still image data and the live image data acquired to the first and second display spaces, respectively.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    This invention relates to an image processing apparatus that receives and processes live image data as data that represents live images, and still image data as data that represents still images. This invention relates also to a computer-readable medium storing a program for allowing a computer to function in the same way as the image processing apparatus.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0004]    Microscopes have been used in each of the medical, research and the industrial fields. Microscopes have been used mainly to observe specimens of living creatures in the medical and research fields, and mainly to inspect industrial products such as ICs in the industrial field.  
           [0005]    When handling amounts of data are enormous in any of these fields, a microscope system comprising a microscope, an electronic camera, a display and a computer has been utilized.  
           [0006]    An operator of the microscope system images the image generated by the microscope by an imaging cell of the electronic camera and applies the image into the computer so that the image thus received by the computer can be displayed on a display or can be printed out to a sheet.  
           [0007]    When the computer thus acquires the images, an operator can easily execute various operations such as enlargement and reduction of the images, storage of the images into a hard disk or an optical disk, transmission to remote places, and so forth.  
           [0008]    &lt;Display function of microscope system&gt; 
           [0009]    To begin with, the display function of biological microscope system used in the medical and research fields will be explained.  
           [0010]    [0010]FIG. 10 shows a display screen of a display of the biological microscope system.  
           [0011]    Two kinds of screens (windows), that is, a live image window  101   b  for displaying live images of a specimen and a still image window  101   a  for displaying still images, are arranged in alignment inside the display screen  101 .  
           [0012]    Both live image and still image represent the images of the specimen imaged by the microscope.  
           [0013]    However, the live image is the images that the electronic camera sends sequentially. To keep a transfer rate of data between the electronic camera and the computer at a high level, spatial resolution is low (or the image is coarse).  
           [0014]    The still image is the one that the electronic camera acquires at a certain point of time, and its spatial resolution is high (that is, the image is fine) so it is suitable for storage and observation.  
           [0015]    A main object of the biological microscope is to observe the specimen. Therefore, the still image having a large quantity of spatial information is particularly important.  
           [0016]    Therefore, the still image window  101   a  is shown occupying a greater area than the live image window  101   b  in the screen  101  as shown in FIG. 10.  
           [0017]    When observing the live image shown in the relatively small scale, the operator can confirm a rough image of the specimen.  
           [0018]    Confirming such a condition, the operator conducts various setting of the microscope and the electronic camera, and selects an exposure button  101   d  when finishing the setting operation.  
           [0019]    The electronic camera drives the imaging cells in accordance with the operator&#39;s operation and acquires the still image data.  
           [0020]    The computer acquires the still image data from the electronic camera and displays it afresh on the still image window  101   a.    
           [0021]    Incidentally, the still images that were received by the computer in the past are displayed in a smaller scale by thumbnail display than the live image (reference numeral  101   f  in FIG. 10).  
           [0022]    In other words, the operator watches the display screen  101  and can compare the still image taken afresh with the still image taken in the past.  
           [0023]    The operator can further store the necessary images among the still image data so received into a hard disk, or the like, inside the computer.  
           [0024]    Hereinafter, the term “imaging” means the operation, executed by the computer, of acquiring the still image data from the electronic camera in accordance with the instruction given by the operator.  
           [0025]    Next, the display function of the industrial microscope system used in the industrial field among the microscope systems will be explained.  
           [0026]    A main object of the industrial microscope system is to find out a defect of IC, etc. Therefore, the operator seldom observes carefully the still image and stores it.  
           [0027]    It is therefore necessary in the industrial microscope system to display the live image window  101   b  in a greater scale.  
           [0028]    As a matter of fact, some microscope systems among these biological and industrial microscope systems allow the operator to select either one of the live image window  101   b  and the still image window  101   a.    
           [0029]    Such microscope systems employ the function which displays only one of the windows selected by the operator in a greater scale and the function of displaying one of the windows selected by the operator in superposition with the other window (overlap function). (These functions will be called hereinafter the “selective-type display function”.) FIG. 11 shows overlap display of the still image window  111   a  and the live image window  111   b.    
           [0030]    In FIG. 11, one of the windows (still image window  111   a ) selected by the operator is shown overlapped on the other window (live image window  111   b ).  
           [0031]    When the selective-type display function is employed, however, the operator cannot observe simultaneously two kinds of windows.  
           [0032]    The operator of the biological microscope system, in particular, must watch both live and still images during the imaging operation. Therefore, if this selective-type display function is employed, the operator must frequently change over these windows.  
           [0033]    Particularly when the same portion is continuously imaged, it is very difficult to distinguish the live image from the still image. Therefore, the operator cannot recognize (or confuses) in some cases whether the image displayed on the screen is the live image or the still image by merely watching one of the windows.  
           [0034]    In other words, the selective-type display function cannot improve the operation factor of the biological microscope system.  
           [0035]    As explained above, no microscope system has ever been available that provides a satisfactory operation environment to both biological and industrial microscope systems, though the microscope systems providing the satisfactory operation environment for only one of the biological and industrial applications have been known.  
           [0036]    &lt;Clipping function of microscope system&gt; 
           [0037]    Clipping is sometimes used during imaging in the microscope system.  
           [0038]    The term “clipping” used herein means that an image of only a necessary area is imaged among the images corresponding to the full angle of view of the electronic camera.  
           [0039]    In other words, the term “clipping” represents a process that limits the still image data to be taken into the computer from the electronic camera to the still image data corresponding to a part of the angle of view but not the still image data corresponding to the full angle of view.  
           [0040]    Therefore, this clipping is different from a process that increases magnification of the lens of the microscope or magnification of the electronic camera (or so-called “zooming”).  
           [0041]    Hereinafter, the still image data obtained by clipping will be referred to as “partial image data”.  
           [0042]    The reason why clipping is made in the microscope system is to minimize the data size of the still image data received from the electronic camera.  
           [0043]    If the data size of the still image data received from the electronic camera is large, the imaging time from the start instructed by the operator to the end is elongated. And, the still image data having a large data size is inconvenient for the operator to handle when it is stored or transmitted.  
           [0044]    Incidentally, magnification can be changed in the microscope system when the objective lens of the microscope is changed.  
           [0045]    Since the number of objective lenses prepared for the microscope is generally definite, however, a point the operator desires to observe cannot be often expanded to the full angle of view of the electronic camera depending on the size of the point. In this case, the angle of view of the electronic camera contains the unnecessary area (the area outside dotted lines in the screen shown in FIG. 10, for example).  
           [0046]    Clipping can exclude the image data corresponding to the unnecessary area.  
           [0047]    In the microscope system, clipping is done in the following steps. (Incidentally, clipping is generally conducted in computers, or the like.)  
           [0048]    First, the operator positions a rectangular clipping frame  101   e  at a desired position of the live image window  101   b  shown in FIG. 10 and thus designates the clipping area.  
           [0049]    The size of the clipping frame  101   e  (length and width) is determined as the operator moves the mouse.  
           [0050]    Therefore, it is difficult to unify the data size of each partial image data obtained by each clipping operation when the operator conducts clipping a plurality of times.  
           [0051]    The term “data size” used in this specification therefore means “a combination of the data size representing the transverse direction of the image and the data size representing the longitudinal direction of the image”.  
           [0052]    Unless the data size of each partial image data is unified, handling of the partial image data, that is, observation, comparison, inspection and diagnosis (in the case of medical treatment) of it, becomes difficult.  
           [0053]    For this reason, the function that makes handling of the image data easy and convenient has been desired for the microscope systems, particularly for the biological microscope system.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0054]    It is a first object of the present invention to provide an image processing apparatus capable of providing a comfortable operation environment, particularly to an operator working with both a biological microscope system and an industrial microscope system, and providing a computer-readable medium capable of imparting to a computer a function similar to the function of the image processing apparatus.  
           [0055]    It is a second object of the present invention to provide an image processing apparatus capable of making handling of image data comfortable, and a computer-readable medium capable of imparting to a computer a function similar to the function of the image processing apparatus.  
           [0056]    To accomplish the first object, an image processing apparatus according to the present invention includes image acquiring section, display controlling section and display-setting accepting section as will be explained below.  
           [0057]    The image acquiring section acquires still image data and live image data of an object. The display controlling section simultaneously displays a still image and a live image of the object on a display screen of a display provided outside or inside the apparatus. The display-setting accepting section accepts input by an operator on how the still image and the live image are to be displayed on the display screen. The display controlling section lays out a first display space and a second display space having different sizes on the display screen so that they don&#39;t overlap with each other, and assigns the still image data and the live image data acquired to the first display space and the second display space according to how the image data were assigned by the input through the display-setting accepting section.  
           [0058]    To accomplish the first object described above, the computer-readable medium according to the present invention records a program for causing a computer to execute the following image acquiring procedure, display controlling procedure and display setting procedure.  
           [0059]    The image acquiring procedure acquires still image data and live image data of an object. The display controlling procedure simultaneously displays a still image and a live image of the object on a display screen of a display device based on the still image data and the live image data that are acquired. The display-setting accepting procedure accepts input by an operator on how the still image and the live image are to be assigned on the display screen. The display controlling procedure lays out a first display space and a second display space having different sizes on the display screen so that they don&#39;t overlap with each other, and assigns the still image data and the live image data, that are acquired, to the first and second display spaces, respectively, according to how the image data were assigned by the input in the accepting procedure.  
           [0060]    To accomplish the second object described above, the image processing apparatus according to the present invention includes the following live image acquiring section, display controlling section, area-designation accepting section and still image acquiring section.  
           [0061]    The live image acquiring section acquires live image data of an object. The display controlling section displays a live image of the object on the display screen of a display device provided outside or inside the apparatus, based on the acquired live image data. The area-designation accepting section accepts designation on which area of the live image displayed on the display screen the operator desires to have designated. The still image acquiring section acquires only still image data of an area on the object which corresponds to the designated area. The still image acquiring section keeps the size of the area always constant unless instructed by the operator.  
           [0062]    To accomplish the second object described above, the computer-readable medium according to the present invention records a program for causing a computer to execute a live image acquiring procedure, a display controlling procedure, a area-designation accepting procedure and a still image acquiring procedure.  
           [0063]    The live image acquiring procedure acquires live image data of an object. The display controlling procedure displays the live image of the object on a display screen of a display device based on the live image data acquired. The area-designation accepting procedure accepts designation on which area in the live image displayed on the display screen the operator desires to designate. The still image acquiring procedure acquires only still image data of an area on the object which corresponds the designated area. The still image acquiring procedure makes the computer keep the size of the area constant unless otherwise instructed by the operator.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0064]    The nature, principle, and utility of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like arts are designated by identical reference numbers, in which:  
         [0065]    [0065]FIG. 1 shows a microscope system according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0066]    [0066]FIG. 2 shows a construction of a computer  13 ;  
         [0067]    [0067]FIG. 3 is an operation flowchart of an observation processing;  
         [0068]    [0068]FIG. 4 is an operation flowchart of an image display processing in the observation processing;  
         [0069]    [0069]FIG. 5 shows a display screen  141  displayed on a display device  14 ;  
         [0070]    [0070]FIG. 6 shows a method of changing a clipping position and a method of designating afresh a clipping position;  
         [0071]    [0071]FIG. 7 shows an image-setting display  142 ;  
         [0072]    [0072]FIG. 8 shows a display screen  141  of the display device  14 ;  
         [0073]    [0073]FIG. 9 shows the display screen  141  of the display device  14 ;  
         [0074]    [0074]FIG. 10 explains a display screen of a display device of a biological microscope system; and  
         [0075]    [0075]FIG. 11 explains a selective-type display function. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0076]    A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to FIGS.  1  to  9 .  
         [0077]    &lt;Construction&gt; 
         [0078]    [0078]FIG. 1 shows a microscope system according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0079]    As shown in FIG. 1, the microscope system  10  includes a microscope  11  for generating a magnified image of a specimen, an electronic camera  12  for acquiring image data of the magnified image, a computer  13  connected to the electronic camera  12 , a display device  14  such as a display connected to the computer  13  and an input device  15  such as a keyboard and a mouse connected to the computer  13 .  
         [0080]    [0080]FIG. 2 shows the construction of the computer  13 .  
         [0081]    As shown in FIG. 2, the computer  13  includes therein a CPU  131 , a main memory  132 , an ROM  133 , a hard disk  135 , a memory  136 , a storage device (disk drive)  137 , a display controller  138 , an interface circuit  139  for the input device, an external interface circuit  140 , and so forth.  
         [0082]    The CPU  131  is connected to the main memory  132  and the ROM  133 . The CPU  131  is further connected to the hard disk  135 , the memory  136 , the storage device  137 , the display controller  138 , the interface circuit  139  for the input device and the external interface circuit  140  through a bus  134 .  
         [0083]    A microscope  11 , an electronic camera  12 , an input device  15  and a display device  14  are connected to the computer  13  having the construction described above in the following way. The microscope  11  and the electronic camera  12  are connected to the computer  13  through the external interface circuit  140 .  
         [0084]    The input device  15  is connected to the computer  13  through the interface circuit  139  for the input device.  
         [0085]    The display device  14  is connected to the computer  13  through the display controller  138 .  
         [0086]    Incidentally, the display controller  138  includes a frame memory  1381  and sends the image data corresponding to one frame to the display device  14  in accordance with the instruction from the CPU  131 . When the image data is thus sent, the display device  14  displays the image on its display screen  141 .  
         [0087]    An operating system (OS) having a GUI (Graphic User Interface) is mounted to the computer  13  explained above. This OS gives appropriate commands to the display controller  138  so as to display necessary images (characters, buttons, cursors, windows, list boxes, etc) for the operator to input various instructions and various inputs.  
         [0088]    A medium  137   a  such as a removable disk is prepared for the microscope system  10  according to this embodiment. The medium  137   a  stores a program for causing the CPU  131  to execute an observation processing (FIGS. 3 and 4) that will be explained below (so-called “driver software”). The storage device  137  reads this medium  137   a.    
         [0089]    [0089]FIGS. 3 and 4 are operation flowchart of the observation processing.  
         [0090]    In the observation processing, the CPU  131  starts a display processing (Step  51  in FIG. 3) and then executes an imaging process (Step S 2  in FIG. 3) or a setting processing (Step S 3  in FIG. 3).  
         [0091]    Here, the imaging processing is the processing in which the CPU  131  acquires the still image data of the specimen from the electronic camera  12  in accordance with the instruction of the operator. The setting processing is the processing in which the CPU  131  the operator conduct various setting.  
         [0092]    The detailed content of the display processing (FIG. 4) started at the step S 1  in FIG. 3 will be explained later. Hereinafter, the screen will be explained briefly and then the imaging processing and the setting processing executed by the CPU  131  will be explained serially.  
         [0093]    [0093]FIG. 5 explains the display screen  141  disposed on the display device  14 .  
         [0094]    As shown in FIG. 5, a relatively large left window  141   a  is arranged inside the display screen  141  on its left side. A relatively small right window  141   b  is disposed on the right side of, and adjacent to, the left window  141   a .  
         [0095]    A setting display  141   c  is disposed below the right window  141   b . An exposure button  141   d  for receiving an imaging instruction from the operator is disposed below the setting display  141   c.    
         [0096]    In FIG. 5, the left window  141  a displays the live image of the specimen while the right window  141   b  displays the still image of the specimen. In this embodiment, however, the operator sets in advance in which of the left and right windows  141   a ,  141   b  (hereinafter called the “relative position”) the live image and the still image are to be displayed (refer to the explanation of setting process as to this setting).  
         [0097]    A clipping frame  141   e  representing a clipping range is displayed on the live image. In this embodiment, the operator sets in advance the type (size and shape) of this clipping frame  141   e , too, (refer to the explanation of the setting processing as to this setting).  
         [0098]    Here, the live image is the one that is serially transferred from the electronic camera  12 . This live image is a coarse image having low spatial resolution.  
         [0099]    On the other hand, the still image is the image that is taken from the electronic camera  12  at the time of imaging. This still image is a fine image having high spatial resolution. (Incidentally, the still image is suitable for storage and observation.)  
         [0100]    The live image is the image that corresponds to the full angle of vision of the electronic camera  12 .  
         [0101]    The still image is the one that corresponds to the area encompassed by the clipping frame  141   e  at the time of imaging, that is to be later described, among the images corresponding to the full angle of vision of the electronic camera  12 .  
         [0102]    When the operator selects the exposure button  141   d  on the display screen  141  by operating the input device  15 , imaging is executed. When imaging is completed, a novel still image is disposed on the right window  141   b .  
         [0103]    &lt;Imaging process&gt; 
         [0104]    Recognizing that the exposure button  141   d  is selected from the signal outputted by the input device  15  (the operation quantity given to the input device  15 : step S 21  YES in FIG. 3), the CPU  131  inside the computer  13  gives an instruction to the electronic camera  12  and acquires the still image data (step S 22  in FIG. 3).  
         [0105]    In this step S 22 , however, the CPU  131  looks up positional information and typal information stored in the main memory  132  and gives the instruction corresponding to this information to the electronic camera  12 .  
         [0106]    Here, the positional information represents the position at which the clipping frame  141   e  is arranged on the live image. In other words, the positional information represents the area that is to be clipped in the live image.  
         [0107]    On the other hand, the typal information represents the type of the clipping frame  141   e . In otherwords, the typal information represents the data size of the still image data in the area that is to be clipped.  
         [0108]    Incidentally, the imaging cells (mounted into the electronic camera  12 ) are driven inside the electronic camera  12  that receives the instruction described above, and acquire the still image data corresponding to the full angle of vision of the electronic camera  12 .  
         [0109]    The CPU  131  selects the still image data (partial image data) corresponding to the area encompassed by the clipping frame  141   e  among the still image data so acquired, and takes only the selected still image data into the computer  13 . (In this instance, the CPU  131  may take similar still image data into the computer  13  by driving only the imaging cells corresponding to the area encompassed by the clipping frame  141  e among the imaging cells inside the electronic camera  12 .)  
         [0110]    Here, a still-picture storage region  1362  (see FIG. 2) is assigned to the memory  136  inside the computer  13 .  
         [0111]    The CPU  131  overwrites the still image data so acquired to the still-picture storage region  1362 . This operation leads to the end of imaging.  
         [0112]    As a result, the still image of the right window  141   b  is updated. In other words, the still image displayed on the right window  141   b  is the still image (novel still image) acquired by the latest imaging operation (see the right window  141   b  in FIG. 5).  
         [0113]    The still images obtained by previous imaging are displayed by thumbnail display (reference numeral  141   i  in FIG. 5).  
         [0114]    Therefore, the operator can compare the novel still image with the still images obtained by previous imaging.  
         [0115]    This thumbnail display may of course be omitted when comparison is not necessary.  
         [0116]    To change the clipping position, the operator needs only to move the display position of the clipping frame  141   e . This movement enables the operator to input the request for changing the clipping position and the new clipping position to the computer  13 . (The operator moves the display position of the clipping frame  141   e  by operating the input device  15 .)  
         [0117]    The CPU  131  recognizes the operator&#39;s request (step S 21  NO, step S 23  YES in FIG. 3) through the signal outputted by the input device  15  (the operation quantity given to the input device  15 ). The CPU  131  updates the content of the positional information stored in the main memory  132  in accordance with the operation quantity given to the input device  15 . As a result of this updating, the positional information represents the novel position designated by the operator (step S 24  in FIG. 3).  
         [0118]    Subsequent imaging (step S 21  YES, step S 22  in FIG. 3) is based on the positional information that is updated in this way. Therefore, the still image data obtained by this imaging operation corresponds to the novel position (refer to the right window  141   b  in FIG. 6).  
         [0119]    When imaging is completed, the CPU  131  initializes the positional information (step S 25  in FIG. 3). Therefore, even when the clipping frame  141   e  has moved in steps S 23  and S 24 , it is automatically returned to a predetermined position (such as the center of the live image) whenever imaging is completed.  
         [0120]    However, the typal information is not initialized automatically in this embodiment. Therefore, the type of the clipping frame  141   e  remains always the same how many times imaging may be executed unless the operator intentionally changes it to other types as will be described later.  
         [0121]    &lt;Setting processing&gt; 
         [0122]    The operator first operates the input device  15  while watching the setting display  141 C arranged on the display screen  141  (see FIGS. 1, 5 and  6 ), and can display an image-setting display  142  on the display screen  141  shown in FIG. 7( a ), for example.  
         [0123]    The image-setting display  142  is the screen that allows the operator to set the imaging condition. It is the screen that allows the operator to set the clipping type in this embodiment.  
         [0124]    To let the operator set the clipping type, a list box  142   a  displaying a plurality of kinds of clipping types in the list form, for example, is arranged on the image-setting display  142 .  
         [0125]    Each clipping type in the image-setting display  142  is expressed, for example, by data size (by data size of the still image data obtained by clipping, for example).  
         [0126]    When the data size corresponds to 3,840 pixels (in transverse direction) and 3,072 pixels (in longitudinal direction), for example, the clipping type is expressed as “3,840×3,072”.  
         [0127]    The clipping types that are prepared are a plurality of kinds of clipping types that have step-wise different data sizes, for example.  
         [0128]    Assuming that the data size of the still image data corresponding to the full angle of view of the electronic camera  12  are 3,840 pixels (in transverse direction) and 3,072 pixels (in longitudinal direction), there are prepared a plurality of kinds of clipping types including the greatest clipping type “3,840×3,072”, followed by “3,600×2,880”, “3,200×2,560”, “2,560×2,048”, and so forth, as shown in FIG. 7( b ), for example.  
         [0129]    The operator selects the list box  142   a  and calls (displays) a plurality of kinds of clipping types on the display screen  141  (FIG. 7( b )). While watching these clipping types, the operator then moves the selection cursor to the display position of a desired clipping type among them. The operator thus selects only one clipping type (“2,250×1,800” in FIG. 7( c ), for example).  
         [0130]    The operator further selects an OK button  142   b  disposed on the image-setting display  142  and can thus set the desired clipping type to the computer  13 .  
         [0131]    The operator selects these button and list box by operating the input device  15 .  
         [0132]    The CPU  131  recognizes from the signal outputted by the input device  15  (the operation quantity given to the input device  15 ) that the OK button  142   b  is selected (step S 31  YES in FIG. 3). Acquiring this recognition, the CPU  131  looks up the clipping type selected by the operator and updates the typal information inside the main memory  132  in accordance with the clipping type. As a result of this updating, the typal information represents the clipping type selected by the operator (step S 32  in FIG. 3).  
         [0133]    In consequence, the clipping frame  141   e  displayed on the live image is updated to the type the operator desires, as shown in FIG. 8, for example.  
         [0134]    As shown also in FIG. 8, the operator can call (display) the display-setting display  143  on the setting display  141   c.    
         [0135]    The CPU  131  uses the display-setting display  143  to set the relative position between the live image and the still image for the operator.  
         [0136]    The display-setting display  143  represents the relative position between the live image and the still image in the following way, for example.  
         [0137]    The relative position that displays the live image on the left window  141   a  and the still image on the right window  141   b  is expressed as “live image left”. The relative position that displays the live image on the right window  141   b  and the still image on the left window  141   a , on the contrary, is expressed as “live image right”.  
         [0138]    The operator selects a desired relative position (e.g. “live image left”) and then selects the save button  143   a  disposed on the display-setting display  143 . The operator can set in this way the desired relative position to the computer  13 .  
         [0139]    Recognizing from the signal outputted from the input device  15  (the operation quantity applied to the input device  15 ) that the save button  143   a  is selected, the CPU  131  regards that a request for changing the relative position is generated (step S 33  YES in FIG. 3).  
         [0140]    The CPU  131  then looks up the relative position (e.g. “live image left”) selected at the point at which the request is generated.  
         [0141]    Here, the main memory  132  of the computer  13  stores the relative-positional information that represents the relative position set at present.  
         [0142]    The CPU  131  updates the content of the relative-positional information in accordance with the relative position it looks up (step S 34  in FIG. 3).  
         [0143]    Incidentally, FIG. 8 shows the state where “live image left” is set and FIG. 9 shows the state where “live image right” is set. In either case, the display position of the clipping frame  141   e  exists on the live image.  
         [0144]    Generally speaking, the request for changing the relative position between the live image and the still image hardly occurs in the microscope system  10  unless its application changes.  
         [0145]    Therefore, the relative-positional information described above is preferably kept stored consecutively irrespective of ON/OFF of the power supply of the computer  13 .  
         [0146]    In this embodiment, the CPU  131  preferably stores the relative-positional information not only in the main memory  132  but also in the hard disk  135 .  
         [0147]    In this case, the CPU  131  must copy the content of the relative-positional information stored in the hard disk  135  to the content of the relative-positional information inside the main memory  132  before the start of the observation processing (in FIG. 3) at the latest after the power supply is turned on.  
         [0148]    According to this construction, the relative position between the live image and the still image can be kept always constant how many times imaging may be conducted or even when the power supply is turned OFF, unless the operator intentionally changes it.  
         [0149]    &lt;Display processing&gt; 
         [0150]    While the imaging process (step S 2  in FIG. 3) and the setting process (step S 3  in FIG. 3) explained above are executed, the display processing started in the step S 1  in FIG. 3 (FIG. 4) is executed.  
         [0151]    To execute this display processing, a still-picture storage region  1362  for temporarily storing the still image data received from the electronic camera  12  and a live picture storage region  1361  for temporarily storing the live image data received from the electronic camera  12  are assigned to the memory  136  inside the computer  13  (see FIG. 2).  
         [0152]    The region corresponding to the left window  141   a , the region corresponding to the right window  141   b  and the region corresponding to the setting display  141   c  of the display device  14  are assigned to the frame memory  1381  of the display controller  138 .  
         [0153]    The regions of the frame memory  1381  corresponding to the left window  141   a  and to the right window  141   b  will be hereinafter called “left window region” ( 1381   a ) and the “right window region” ( 1381   b ), respectively.  
         [0154]    Next, the display processing shown in FIG. 4 will be explained. In the explanation that follows, the explanation of the processing for displaying the setting display  141   c , the image-setting display  142  and display-setting display  143  and the processing for the thumbnail display will be omitted because they are known in the art.  
         [0155]    The display processing the CPU  131  executes in this embodiment corresponds to the relative-positional information, the positional information and the typal information (each of which is stored in the main memory  132 ).  
         [0156]    The CPU  131  looks up first the relative-positional information. Recognizing that the content of the relative-positional information represents the “live image left” (S 11  YES), the CPU  131  applies the live image data stored in the live picture storage region  1361  of the memory  136  to the left window region  1381   a of the frame memory  1381  and the still image data stored in the still-picture storage region  1362  of the memory  136  to the right window region  13816  (step S 12  in FIG. 4).  
         [0157]    In this instance, an enlargement or reduction processing is executed for the live image data in match with the display size of the left window  141   a.    
         [0158]    Similarly, an enlargement or reduction processing is executed for the still image data in match with the display size of the right window  141   b.    
         [0159]    These processing bring the live image into conformity with the display size of the left window  141   a  and the still image, with the display size of the right window  141   b.    
         [0160]    When the CPU  131  looks up the relative-positional information and recognizes that the relative-positional information represents the “live image right” (S 11  NO), the CPU  131  applies the live image data stored in the live picture storage region  1362  of the memory  136  to the right window region  1381   b  of the frame memory  1381  and the still image data stored in the still-picture storage region  1362  of the memory  136  to the left window region  1381   a  of the frame memory  1381  (step S 13  in FIG. 4).  
         [0161]    In this instance, an enlargement or reduction processing is executed for the live image data in match with the display size of the right window  141   b.    
         [0162]    Similarly, an enlargement or reduction processing is executed for the still image data in match with the display size of the left window  141   a.    
         [0163]    These processing bring the live image into conformity with the display size of the right window  141   b  and the still image, with the display size of the left window  141   a.    
         [0164]    In FIG. 2, dotted lines represent conceptually the exchange of the image data to have the exchange of the image data more easily understood. The exchange of the image data is made through the bus  134 , in practice.  
         [0165]    When the relative-positional information represents the “live image left” (step S 11  YES in FIG. 4), the CPU  131  generates image data for displaying the clipping frame (hereinafter called “frame data”) and sends it with the live image data to the left window region  1381   a  of the frame memory  1381  (step S 14  in FIG. 4).  
         [0166]    This frame data is generated in accordance with the content of the typal information and positional information.  
         [0167]    In consequence, the clipping frame  141   e  of the type represented by the typal information is displayed at the position represented by the positional information on the live image of the left window  141   a.    
         [0168]    Incidentally, when the clipping type represented by the typal information is the type (e.g. 3,840×3,072) corresponding to the full angle of view of the electronic camera  12 , the clipping frame  141   e  corresponds to the outer frame of the left window  141   a . Therefore, generation and sending of the frame data may be omitted.  
         [0169]    When the content of the relative-positional information represents the “live image right” (step S 11  NO in FIG. 4), on the other hand, the CPU  131  generates the frame data and sends it with the live image data to the right window region  1381   b  of the frame memory  1381  (step S 15  in FIG. 4).  
         [0170]    This frame data is generated in accordance with the content of the typal information and positional information described above.  
         [0171]    As a result, the clipping frame  141   e  of the type represented by the typal information is displayed at the position represented by the positional information on the live image of the right window  141   b.    
         [0172]    When the clipping type represented by the typal information is the type (e.g. 3,840×3,072) corresponding to the full angle of view of the electronic camera  12 , the clipping frame  141   e  coincides with the outer frame of the right window  141   b . Therefore, generation and sending of the frame data may be omitted.  
         [0173]    Since this embodiment displays simultaneously the live image and the still image as explained above, the operator can simultaneously watch these two kinds of images (refer to FIGS.  5  to  9 ).  
         [0174]    In addition, the operator can always display desired one of the live image and the still image in a greater scale.  
         [0175]    According to this embodiment, the operator can further set a desired relative position while watching the display-setting display shown in FIGS. 8 and 9.  
         [0176]    Therefore, this microscope system  10  can provide a satisfactory operation environment to the operator in both biological application and the industrial application.  
         [0177]    Even when clipping is conducted a plurality of times on this embodiment, each still image data (or each partial image data) obtained by each clipping is always unified to the same data size unless the operation gives the instruction of its change.  
         [0178]    When the operator desires to change the data size in this embodiment, the operator needs only to give the change instruction to the computer  13  while watching the image-setting display  142 .  
         [0179]    In this embodiment, the operator can set in advance the data size (common to each partial image data) of the still image data (partial image data) obtained by a plurality of clipping operations to a desired data size.  
         [0180]    The operator selects a type from among various clipping types shown in the list box  142   a  shown in FIG. 7( b ) and then selects the OK button  142   b . This operation sets the data size to be unified to the computer  13 .  
         [0181]    Therefore, the operator can easily handle a plurality of still image data (partial image data) obtained by a plurality of clipping operations.  
         [0182]    As explained above, this embodiment provides a satisfactory operation environment to the operator and makes it easy to handle the image data. Therefore, the operator can enjoy the satisfactory observation environment.  
         [0183]    It is preferred in this embodiment that when the CPU  131  displays the image-setting display  142 , it looks up the typal information, recognizes the clipping type set at that point, and displays the clipping type on the image-setting display  142  (refer to the list box  142   a  in FIG. 7( a )).  
         [0184]    It is preferred also in this embodiment that when the CPU  131  displays the display-setting display  143 , it looks up the relative-positional information, recognizes the relative position set at that point, and displays the relative position on the display-setting display  143  (refer to FIGS. 8 and 9).  
         [0185]    In this embodiment, the CPU  131  may omit initialization of the positional information (step S 25  in FIG. 3). When initialization is omitted, the clipping position is kept fixed unless the operation generates the change request.  
         [0186]    Incidentally, FIG. 7( b ) shows the maximum clipping type that can be set by the operator as “3,840×3,072”. However, this clipping type is not particular restrictive.  
         [0187]    When the data size of the still image data (that is determined by the combination of setting of the computer  13  with setting of the electronic camera  12 ) is 1,280 pixels (in transverse direction)×1,024 pixels (in longitudinal direction), for example, the maximum clipping type is “1,280×1,024”. (In otherwords, the maximum clipping type may be the one that represents the data size of the still image data corresponding to the full angle of view of the electronic camera  12 .) In this embodiment, the clipping type is expressed by the numerical values (“3,840×3,072”, “3,600×2,880”, “3,200×2,560”, “2,560×2,048”, “2,250×1,800”, and so forth) representing the data size, but this is not particularly restrictive.  
         [0188]    When an aspect ratio of each clipping type is common, for example, the maximum clipping type is expressed by an area ratio (e.g. “100%”, “90%”, “70%”, “40%, “30%”, etc) with 100% as the reference.  
         [0189]    In this embodiment, the relatively large display and the relatively small display are arranged on the left and right sides on the display screen  141 , respectively, but these displays may be replaced, too.  
         [0190]    The embodiment described above uses the GUI as the user interface, but can use any user interface such as a switch so long as the same information as the information described above can be exchanged with the computer  13 .  
         [0191]    In the embodiment described above, the medium  137   a  stores the program for executing the observation processing shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, but this is not restrictive. For example, saving section (ROM  133 ) other than the medium  137   a  may be used, too, for storing the program so long as the computer  13  can execute a similar observation processing.  
         [0192]    In the embodiment described above, the computer  13  (that is, general-purpose image processing apparatus) executes the observation processing shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, but this observation processing may be executed by a dedicated image processing unit (an apparatus including at least a memory, a CPU and a user interface and capable of being connected to a display device) provided to the microscope system, too.  
         [0193]    The embodiment described above represents the application of the present invention to the microscope system. However, the invention is not limited to the above embodiments and various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The present invention can also be applied to systems and apparatuses other than the microscope system, such as a system comprising a film scanner and a computer and an electronic camera equipped with a display device. Also, any improvement may be made in part or all of the components.