Image pickup system with white spot correction

• US 10,206,554 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2016
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Mizuno, Kyosuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Leubecker, John P
• Application Number:
  US15/378,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20170086649A1
• Time in Patent Office: 797 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/000094 extracting biological structures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0002 provided with data storages
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00045 Display arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00193 adapted for stereoscopic vision
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/04 combined with photographic or television appliances
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/044 for absorption imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/045 Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/24 Instruments or systems for viewing the inside of hollow bodies, e.g. fibrescopes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2415 Stereoscopic endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2484 Arrangements in relation to a camera or imaging device processing or control of video signals generated by an endoscope H04N23/60, H04N23/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/20 Image signal generators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/555 for picking-up images in sites, inaccessible due to their dimensions or hazardous conditions, e.g. endoscopes or borescopes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/68 applied to defects

Abstract

An image pickup system including an optical system configured to generate a first optical image and a second optical image having disparity, of an object, includes a storage unit configured to store in advance image formation position information and disparity information of the first optical image and the second optical image, and an image processing unit configured to generate a first image signal and a second image signal for display by respectively cutting out a first region corresponding to the first optical image and a second region corresponding to the second optical image, and the image processing unit includes a luminance value comparing unit configured to compare luminance values of respective pixels in the first image signal and the second image signal, and a detecting unit configured to detect a pixel defect based on the comparison result of the luminance value comparing unit.

Claims

1. An image pickup system comprising:

an image pickup sensor configured to pick up an optical image of an object;

an optical system configured to;

generate a first optical image of the object and a second optical image having optical characteristic disparity from the first optical image; and

form the first optical image and the second optical image at predetermined positions on the image pickup sensor;

a memory configured to store in advance image formation position information of the first optical image and the second optical image on an image pickup surface of the image pickup sensor and information indicating an amount of optical characteristic disparity of the first optical image and the second optical image;

a processor comprising hardware configured to;

perform photoelectric conversion on the first optical image and the second optical image formed on the image pickup sensor to respectively output the first optical image and the second optical image as a first image pickup signal and a second image pickup signal; and

generate a first image signal and a second image signal for display by respectively cutting out a first region corresponding to the first optical image and a second region corresponding to the second optical image on the image pickup surface based on the image formation position information,

set a pair of pixel positions indicating corresponding regions of the first image signal and the second image signal based on the information indicating the amount of optical characteristic disparity;

compare luminance values of respective pixels in the first image signal and the second image signal based on the setting of the pair of pixel positions; and

detect a pixel defect based on a comparison result of the luminance values.

2. The image pickup system according to claim 1,

wherein the processor is further configured to:

detect a luminance excess pixel having a greater luminance value in the pair of pixels for which a difference of luminance values is equal to or greater than a predetermined value as the pixel defect based on the comparison result of the luminance value comparing unit, and

correct the detected luminance excess pixel so that the difference of the luminance values become equal to or less than the predetermined value; and

synthesize the first image signal and the second image signal subjected to the correction and output a synthesized signal.

3. The image pickup system according to claim 2, comprising:

an endoscope including the image pickup sensor, the optical system, the processor, and the memory.