Endoscope apparatus, method of operating endoscope apparatus, and recording medium

• US 10,447,939 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2018
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Evident Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Eiichi, Konomura, Yutaka, Yokota, Masayoshi, Ogawa, Kiyotomi
• Primary Examiner(s): Pontius, James M
• Application Number:
  US15/949,149
• Publication Number:
  US 20180227476A1
• Time in Patent Office: 553 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00006 of control signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/000095 for image enhancement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00045 Display arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00055 for alerting the user
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00194 adapted for three-dimensional imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/045 Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/051 Details of CCD assembly
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0676 at distal tip of an endoscope
• 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 13/00 Stereoscopic video systems; Multi-view video systems; Details thereof
• 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 23/667 Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6811 based on the image signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/72 Combination of two or more compensation controls
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/73 by influencing the exposure time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/74 by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/76 by influencing the image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/531 by controlling rolling shutters in CMOS SSIS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/778 : comprising amplifiers shared between a plurality of pixels, i.e. at least one part of the amplifier must be on the sensor array itself
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 : for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

An endoscope apparatus includes an imaging element, a video signal generating circuit, an illuminator, and one or more controllers. An imaging area in which a plurality of pixels are disposed includes a scanning area. In a case in which a first operation mode is set, the one or more controllers control the imaging element such that at least parts of the exposure periods of the pixels disposed in at least a part of the scanning area overlap each other. In a case in which a second operation mode is set, the one or more controllers control the illuminator such that the light source is turned on in a period in which at least parts of the exposure periods of the pixels disposed in at least a part of the scanning area overlap each other.

Claims

1. An endoscope apparatus comprising:

an imaging element configured to generate imaging signals by imaging a subject and include a plurality of pixels disposed in a matrix pattern, an imaging area in which the plurality of pixels are disposed including a scanning area, the imaging signals being read from at least a part of the pixels of each row in the scanning area;

a video signal generating circuit configured to generate video signals from the imaging signals;

an illuminator comprising a light source configured to generate illumination light emitted to the subject; and

one or more processors comprising hardware, wherein the one or more processors are configured to;

control the imaging element and the illuminator in accordance with a set operation mode among a plurality of operation modes, the plurality of operation modes comprising a first operation mode and a second operation mode;

control the illuminator such that the light source is continuously controlled to be turned on in exposure periods of all of the pixels disposed in the scanning area, in a case in which the first operation mode is set;

control the imaging element such that at least parts of the exposure periods of the pixels disposed in at least a part of the scanning area overlap each other, in a case in which the second operation mode is set; and

control the illuminator such that the light source is turned on in a period in which at least parts of the exposure periods of the pixels disposed in at least a part of the scanning area overlap each other, in a case in which the second operation mode is set.

2. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the one or more processors are configured to control at least one of a scanning rate, a scanning area, a scanning start timing, an exposure time, and a gain in accordance with the set operation mode.

3. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the one or more processors are configured to control at least one of a turning-on timing, a turning-on time, and a light quantity of the light source in accordance with the set operation mode.

4. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the illuminator comprises a plurality of the independent light sources, and

wherein the one or more processors are configured to select the light source that will generate the illumination light in accordance with the set operation mode.

5. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute a measurement process on the basis of the video signal, and

wherein the plurality of operation modes comprise an operation mode in which at least the measurement process is executed.

6. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the second operation mode is the operation mode in which at least the measurement process is executed.

7. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein a method of driving the imaging element is a rolling shutter,

wherein the video signal generating circuit is configured to generate the video signals by amplifying the imaging signals with a predetermined gain,

wherein the scanning area includes a first area and a second area,

wherein the first area is an area in which a length of a period, in which the illumination light is emitted to the subject in the exposure period, is a first time,

wherein the second area is an area in which a length of a period, in which the illumination light is emitted to the subject in the exposure period, is a second time that is shorter than the first time,

wherein a second gain has a value calculated by dividing the first time by the second time and multiplying a quotient thereof by a first gain,

wherein the second gain is a gain when the imaging signals read from the pixels disposed in the second area are amplified by the video signal generating circuit, and

wherein the first gain is a gain when the imaging signals read from the pixels disposed in the first area are amplified by the video signal generating circuit.

8. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein a method of driving the imaging element is a rolling shutter,

wherein the imaging element further comprises a signal processing circuit configured to amplify the imaging signals output from the plurality of pixels with a predetermined gain,

wherein the scanning area comprises a first area and a second area,

wherein the first area is an area in which a length of a period, in which the illumination light is emitted to the subject in the exposure period, is a first time,

wherein the second area is an area in which a length of a period, in which the illumination light is emitted to the subject in the exposure period, is a second time that is shorter than the first time,

wherein a second gain has a value calculated by dividing the first time by the second time and multiplying a quotient thereof by a first gain,

wherein the second gain is a gain when the imaging signals read from the pixels disposed in the second area are amplified by the signal processing circuit, and

wherein the first gain is a gain when the imaging signals read from the pixels disposed in the first area are amplified by the signal processing circuit.

9. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the one or more processors are configured to control the illuminator such that the light source is turned on in a period in which at least parts of the exposure periods of all of the pixels disposed in the scanning area overlap each other, and such that periods in which the illumination light is emitted to the subject in all of the pixels disposed in the scanning area in the exposure periods are the same.

10. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the one or more processors are configured to control the illuminator such that the light source is intermittently turned on plural times, and such that at least parts of the exposure periods of the pixels disposed in at least a part of the scanning area overlap each other in each period of the plural times of turning-on.

11. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein the one or more processors are configured to control the illuminator such that light quantities of the illumination light in the plural times of turning-on are the same.

12. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein in a case in which an emission time is completely included in the exposure periods of first pixels of the scanning area and only a part of the emission time is included in the exposure periods of second pixels of the scanning area, the one or more processors are configured to control the illuminator such that a first time and a second time are the same,

wherein the second pixels are different from the first pixels,

wherein the emission time is a length of a period in which the illumination light is emitted to the subject in accordance with intermittent turning-on of the light source once,

wherein the first time is a length of a period in which the illumination light is emitted to the subject in accordance with intermittent turning-on of the light source once in the exposure periods of the first pixels, and

wherein the second time is a sum of a plurality of lengths of periods in which the illumination light is emitted to the subject in accordance with plural times of intermittent turning-on of the light source in the exposure periods of the second pixels.

13. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising:

a motion detector configured to detect moving of the subject on the basis of the imaging signals read from the second pixels or the video signal generated from the imaging signals read from the second pixels; and

a warning generator configured to generate a warning in a case in which the amount of the moving of the subject is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount.

14. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the one or more processors are configured to set the scanning area to include the pixel at which a measurement point is set in a case in which the operation mode in which at least the measurement process is executed is set.

15. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the one or more processors are configured to set a plurality of scanning areas,

wherein the imaging element is configured to generate the imaging signals of the pixels included in each of the plurality of the scanning areas, and

wherein the video signal generating circuit is configured to generate the video signal by composing the imaging signals of the pixels included in each of the plurality of the scanning areas.

16. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 15,

wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute a measurement process on the basis of the video signal,

wherein the plurality of operation modes comprise an operation mode in which at least the measurement process is executed, and

wherein the one or more processors are configured to set each of the plurality of the scanning areas to include the pixel at which each of the plurality of measurement points is set, in a case in which the operation mode in which at least the measurement process is executed is set and a plurality of measurement points are set.

17. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute a measurement process on the basis of the video signal,

wherein the illuminator comprises a plurality of the light sources each comprising a measurement light source configured to project a pattern onto the subject,

wherein the plurality of operation modes comprise an operation mode in which at least the measurement process is executed, and

wherein the one or more processors are configured to turn on the measurement light source, in a case in which the operation mode in which at least the measurement process is executed is set.

18. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the one or more processors are configured to control a first scanning rate to be larger than a second scanning rate, in a case where the operation mode in which at least the measurement process is executed is set,

wherein the first scanning rate is a scanning rate for reading the imaging signals used for the measurement process from the pixels, and

wherein the second scanning rate is a scanning rate for reading the imaging signals used only for a process other than the measurement process from the pixels.

19. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display configured to display an image of the subject,

wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute a measurement process on the basis of the video signal,

wherein the plurality of operation modes comprise an operation mode in which at least image display and the measurement process are executed,

wherein the one or more processors are configured to control the imaging element to alternately output a first imaging signal and a second imaging signal, in a case where the operation mode in which at least the image display and the measurement process are executed is set,

wherein the first imaging signal is for one image used for the image display,

wherein the second imaging signal is for one or more images used for the measurement process,

wherein the display is configured to display the one image on the basis of the video signal generated from the first imaging signal, and

wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the measurement process on the basis of the video signal generated from the second imaging signal and corresponding to the one or more images.

20. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 19,

wherein the one or more processors are configured to control the imaging element to output the first imaging signal in a first display period and output the second imaging signal in a second display period following the first display period,

wherein the first display period and the second display period are based on a display period of the display, and

wherein the display displays the one image on the basis of the video signal generated from the first imaging signal in the first display period and the second display period.

21. A method of operating an endoscope apparatus, the method comprising:

a first step;

a second step; and

a third step,

wherein the endoscope apparatus includes;

an imaging element configured to generate imaging signals by imaging a subject and include a plurality of pixels disposed in a matrix pattern, an imaging area in which the plurality of pixels are disposed including a scanning area, the imaging signals being read from at least a part of the pixels of each row in the scanning area;

a video signal generating circuit configured to generate video signals from the imaging signals;

an illuminator comprising a light source configured to generate illumination light emitted to the subject; and

one or more processors comprising hardware, and

wherein the method comprises;

controlling, by the one or more processors, the imaging element and the illuminator in accordance with a set operation mode among a plurality of operation modes, the plurality of operation modes comprising a first operation mode and a second operation mode;

controlling, by the one or more processors, the illuminator such that the light source is continuously controlled to be turned on in exposure periods of all of the pixels disposed in the scanning area in the first step, in a case in which the first operation mode is set;

controlling, by the one or more processors, the imaging element such that at least parts of the exposure periods of the pixels disposed in at least a part of the scanning area overlap each other in the second step, in a case in which the second operation mode is set; and

controlling, by the one or more processors, the illuminator such that the light source is turned on in a period in which at least parts of the exposure periods of the pixels disposed in at least a part of the scanning area overlap each other in the third step, in a case in which the second operation mode is set.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having a program for operating an endoscope apparatus to execute a first step, a second step, and a third step recorded thereon,

the endoscope apparatus comprising:

an imaging element configured to generate imaging signals by imaging a subject and include a plurality of pixels disposed in a matrix pattern, an imaging area in which the plurality of pixels are disposed including a scanning area, the imaging signals being read from at least a part of the pixels of each row in the scanning area;

a video signal generating circuit configured to generate video signals from the imaging signals;

an illuminator comprising a light source configured to generate illumination light emitted to the subject; and

the one or more processors,

wherein the program causes the one or more processors to;

control the imaging element and the illuminator in accordance with a set operation mode among a plurality of operation modes, the plurality of operation modes comprising a first operation mode and a second operation mode;

control the illuminator such that the light source is continuously controlled to be turned on in exposure periods of all of the pixels disposed in the scanning area in the first step, in a case in which the first operation mode is set;

control the imaging element such that at least parts of the exposure periods of the pixels disposed in at least a part of the scanning area overlap each other in the second step, in a case in which the second operation mode is set; and

control the illuminator such that the light source is turned on in a period in which at least parts of the exposure periods of the pixels disposed in at least a part of the scanning area overlap each other in the third step, in a case in which the second operation mode is set.