Electronic endoscope apparatus

• US 20050231591A1
• Filed: 04/14/2005
• Published: 10/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujinon Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujinon Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Abe, Kazunori
• Granted Patent: US 7,773,110 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/65
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0485 Centering horizontally or vertically
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/005 Adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/006 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04
• 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 25/00 Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0125 one of the standards being a high definition standard

Abstract

An electronic endoscope apparatus comprises: a processor unit; and an electronic endoscope having a solid-state pickup element, the electronic endoscopes being capable of connecting to the processor unit, so as to generate digital picture signals, wherein the processor unit comprises a differential signal outputting portion that generates digital picture signals corresponding to a pixel number of the solid-state pickup element and corresponding to a display standard for an external computer, parallel-serially converts the digital picture signals, and outputs the converted signals as differential signals, and wherein the electronic endoscope apparatus further comprises a high-definition television system converter that detects the pixel number of the digital picture signals based on the differential signals, converts the digital picture signals to high-definition television signals based on the detected number of pixels and outputs the high-definition television signals, the high-definition television system converter being detachably connected to the differential signal outputting portion.

Claims

1. An electronic endoscope apparatus comprising:

a processor unit; and

an electronic endoscope selected from various types of electronic endoscopes having different pixel numbers of a solid-state pickup element which pick up an object, each of the various types of electronic endoscopes being capable of interchangeably connecting to the processor unit, so as to generate digital picture signals,

wherein the processor unit comprises a differential signal outputting portion that generates digital picture signals corresponding to a pixel number of the solid-state pickup element of the selected one of the various types of electronic endoscopes and corresponding to a display standard for an external computer, parallel-serially converts the digital picture signals, and outputs the converted signals as differential signals, and

wherein the electronic endoscope apparatus further comprises a high-definition television system converter that detects the pixel number of the digital picture signals based on the differential signals inputted from the differential signal outputting portion, converts the digital picture signals to high-definition television signals based on the detected pixel number and outputs the high-definition television signals, the high-definition television system converter being detachably connected to the differential signal outputting portion.

2. The electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the high-definition television system converter comprises an electronic enlarging circuit that electronically enlarges a picture image, so as to generate high-definition television signals of an optionally enlarged picture image.

3. The electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the differential signal outputting portion and high-definition television system converter are connected with a differential circuit comprising one of a pulse transformer and a capacitor to maintain a predetermined proof pressure.

4. The electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, which records the digital picture signals in an external recording unit, the apparatus further comprising:

a record controlling signal transmission structure that parallel-serially converts record/control signals of the digital picture signals for the external recording unit, then serially transmit the record/control signals from the differential signal outputting portion to the high-definition television system converter, and output the record/control signals from a control terminal disposed in the high-definition television system converter.

5. The electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein, in the differential signal outputting portion, the record controlling signal transmission structure parallel-serially convert the record/control signals based on control of a microcomputer, encodes the record/control signals along with control signals pertaining to the digital picture signals, outputs the serial record/control signals as differential signals, and

wherein, in the high-definition television system converter, the record controlling signal transmission structure decodes the record/control signals and serial-parallelly converts record/control signals.