Antenna Unit and Receiving Apparatus Using the Same

• US 20090012360A1
• Filed: 09/07/2005
• Published: 01/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Matsui, Akira, Kimoto, Seiichiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,962,098 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/118
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00016 using wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00036 Means for power saving, e.g. sleeping mode
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00055 for alerting the user
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/042 characterised by a proximal camera, e.g. a CCD camera
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/07 Endoradiosondes

Abstract

To provide a receiving apparatus capable of dealing with various uses with a simple configuration. The receiving apparatus includes an antenna unit and a receiving apparatus main body. The antenna unit includes a receiving antenna that receives a radio signal including image data transmitted by a capsule endoscope inserted in a subject, and the receiving apparatus main body is detachably attached to the antenna unit. The antenna unit functions such that it demodulates the radio signal received via the receiving antenna into a baseband signal. The receiving apparatus main body acquires the image data based on at least the baseband signal.

Claims

1. A receiving apparatus, comprising:

an antenna unit including a receiving antenna that receives a radio signal including in-vivo information transmitted by a transmitting device inserted in a subject, the antenna unit demodulating the radio signal received via the receiving antenna into a baseband signal; and

a receiving apparatus main body attachable to and detachable from the antenna unit, the receiving apparatus main body acquiring the in-vivo information at least based on the baseband signal.

2. The receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the antenna unit includes

a demodulator that demodulates the radio signal into the baseband signal, and

a demodulation controller that controls a demodulating process of the demodulator.

3. The receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the antenna unit and the receiving antenna are connected so that one unit is formed.

4. The receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the antenna unit includes

a binarizing unit that binarizes the baseband signal, and

a binarization controller that controls such that a binarization signal binarized by the binarizing unit is output to the receiving apparatus main body.

5. The receiving apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

as the receiving antenna, there are provided a plurality of antennas, and

the antenna unit includes

a switching unit that selects and switches one receiving antenna out of the plurality of receiving antennas, and

a signal strength detector that detects a signal strength of the radio signal received by the plurality of receiving antennas.

6. The receiving apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the antenna unit includes a switching controller that performs a switching control of the switching unit based on the signal strength detected by the signal strength detector.

7. The receiving apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the demodulation controller controls such that an operation of at least the demodulator is stopped for a predetermined time when the signal strength detected by the signal strength detector does not satisfy a predetermined condition.

8. The receiving apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the antenna unit includes an AD converter that applies an AD conversion to a signal that corresponds to the signal strength output by the signal strength detector.

9. An antenna unit electrically connected in a detachable manner to a receiving apparatus main body that accumulates image data imaged by a capsule endoscope inserted in an interior of a subject, comprising:

at least one receiving antenna that performs a radio communication with the capsule endoscope, the antenna unit transmitting the image data received via any one of the at least one receiving antenna to the receiving apparatus main body; and

a storage unit that can store usage history information on a usage history of the receiving antenna in an updatable manner.

10. The antenna unit according to claim 9, wherein the usage history information includes at least one of:

times-of-use information indicating the number of times of using the receiving antenna;

usage time information indicating a usage time of the receiving antenna;

open-circuit occurrence information indicating occurrence of an open-circuit of the receiving antenna; and

detection performing history information indicating a performing history of an open-circuit detection process on the receiving antenna.

11. The antenna unit according to claim 9, wherein the storage unit is a nonvolatile memory.

12. A receiving apparatus, comprising:

an antenna unit according to any one of claims 9 to 11; and

a receiving apparatus main body that is electrically connected to the antenna unit in a detachable manner, receives via the antenna unit image data imaged by a capsule endoscope inserted in an interior of a subject, and accumulates the received image data.

13. The receiving apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the receiving apparatus main body includes a controller that controls the storage unit such that the storage unit stores the usage history information.

14. The receiving apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the controller performs drive control of the receiving apparatus main body that receives the image data, and updates the times-of-use information in the storage unit at every start of the drive control of the receiving apparatus main body.

15. The receiving apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the controller performs drive control of the receiving apparatus main body that receives the image data, and updates the usage time information in the storage unit at every time a predetermined unit time passes from a start of the drive control of the receiving apparatus main body.

16. The receiving apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the controller reads the usage history information in the storage unit before a start of drive control of the receiving apparatus main body, and determines whether to start the drive control of the receiving apparatus main body based on a content of the read usage history information.

17. The receiving apparatus according to claim 13, wherein based on each of receiving results of one or more receiving antennas retained by the antenna unit, the controller performs an open-circuit detection process of detecting whether at least one of the one or more receiving antennas is open-circuit.

18. The receiving apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the controller controls the storage unit such that the storage unit stores information indicating a state of the open-circuit as the open-circuit occurrence information when the controller determines that at least one of the one or more receiving antennas is open-circuit.

19. The receiving apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the controller detects the number of times of using the receiving antenna at the time that the open-circuit detection process is performed based on the times-of-use information in the storage unit, and controls the storage unit such that the storage unit stores information indicating the detected number of times of use as the detection performing history information.

20. The receiving apparatus according to claim 13, comprising a displayer that displays warning information on the antenna unit, wherein the controller controls the displayer based on a content of the read usage history information such that the displayer displays the warning information.

21. The receiving apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the warning information is one of:

information for warning that at least one of the one or more receiving antennas retained by the antenna unit is open-circuit;

information for warning that it is necessary to perform an open-circuit detection process on the antenna unit; and

information for warning that it is necessary to replace the antenna unit.