Capture Control for in vivo Camera

• US 20100220180A1
• Filed: 05/10/2010
• Published: 09/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CapsoVision, Inc.
• Original Assignee: CapsoVision, Inc.
• Inventors: Wang, Kang-Huai, Lee, Chung-Ta, Wilson, Gordon C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,940,973 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/74
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00016 using wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0002 provided with data storages
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00032 internally powered
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00036 Means for power saving, e.g. sleeping mode
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0684 using light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/03 Detecting, measuring or recording fluid pressure within the body other than blood pressure, e.g. cerebral pressure; Measuring pressure in body tissues or organs A61B5/205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/073 Intestinal transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14539 for measuring pH
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7232 involving compression of the physiological signal, e.g. to extend the signal recording period
• 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 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/74 by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/144 Movement detection for video coding H04N19/503; analysis of motion in general G06T7/20

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for capture control of video data from a capsule camera system having an on-board storage or wireless transmission. The capsule camera system moves through the GI tract under the action of peristalsis and records images of the intestinal walls. For some periods of time, the capsule camera system may move very slowly and there are little differences in the image data between different frames. These frames can be designated for discard to conserve storage space or conserve power. A capsule control processing unit is incorporated to evaluate motion metric based on image data associated with a current frame and a previous frame. A decision is made based on a profile of the motion metric to select an operation mode from a group comprising Capture Mode and Conservation Mode. The capsule camera system is then operated according to the selected operation mode.

Claims

1. A method for capsule camera control, the method comprising:

(a) providing a light source with a first light source control to illuminate lumen walls;

(b) receiving image data from an image sensor of the capsule camera;

(c) evaluating motion metric based on the image data associated with a current frame and a previous frame; and

(d) selecting an operation mode based on a profile of the motion metric.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the operation mode is selected from a group comprising Capture Mode and Conservation Mode.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said evaluating motion metric is based on a portion of the image data corresponding to a partial frame of the current frame and a partial frame of the previous frame.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the partial frame is caused by configuring the image sensor.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the partial frame is caused by processing the received image data using a processing module.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the operating mode is stored in storage selected from a group comprising a memory in the capsule camera and a memory outside the capsule camera.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the Capture Mode comprising:

(e) buffering the received image data in a buffer memory; and

(f) storing the buffered image data in an archival memory selected from a group consisting of memory inside the capsule camera and memory external to the capsule camera.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the Capture Mode further comprising:

(g) providing the light source with a second light source control to illuminate lumen walls;

(h) receiving second image data from the image sensor; and

(i) storing the second image data in an archival memory.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the Capture Mode further comprising:

(j) repeating (g) through (i) for N frames, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the buffered image data is in a compressed format.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the Conservation Mode comprising:

(k1) a processing step selected from a group comprising;

(i) providing the light source with a third light source control to substantially reduce light energy;

(ii) receiving third image data from the image sensor wherein the image sensor is configured to cause partial frame output; and

(iii) a combination of providing the light source with a third light source control to substantially reduce light energy, and receiving third image data from the image sensor wherein the image sensor is configured to cause partial frame output.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the Conservation Mode further comprising:

(k2) storing the image data received from the image sensor.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the Conservation Mode further comprising:

(l) repeating step (k1) for M frames, wherein M is an integer greater than or equal to 0.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the Conservation Mode further comprising:

(m) repeating steps (k1) and (k2) for M frames, wherein M is an integer greater than or equal to 0.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the motion metric is based on a method selected from a group consisting of motion estimation and motion detection.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the profile of the motion metric comprises motion matrices corresponding to a current frame and at least one prior frame.

17. The method of claim 8, wherein the first light source control and the second light source control include multiplicative luminous energy control.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the third light source control includes multiplicative luminous energy control.

19. A capsule camera apparatus, comprising:

an image sensor to provide image data;

an image buffer to receive the image data;

a processing module to cause a partial frame of the image data stored in the image buffer;

a motion evaluation module to measure motion metric based on the partial frame of the image data in the image buffer associated with a current frame and a previous frame;

an archival memory to store the image data according to an archival control;

a decision module to select an operation mode based on a profile of the motion metric; and

a controller to provide the archival control based on the selected operation mode.

20. The capsule camera apparatus of claim 19 further comprises a light source coupled to receive a light source control to adjust light intensity, wherein the light source control is provided by the controller based on the selected operation mode.

21. A capsule camera apparatus, comprising:

an image sensor coupled to receive a sensor control to adjust image size of image data from the image sensor;

an image buffer to receive the image data;

a motion evaluation module to measure motion metric based on the image data in the image buffer associated with a current frame and a previous frame;

an archival memory to store the image data based on an archival control;

a decision module to select an operation mode based on a profile of the motion metric; and

a controller to provide the archival control and the sensor control based on the selected operation mode.

22. The capsule camera apparatus of claim 21 further comprises a light source coupled to receive a light source control to adjust light intensity, wherein the light source control is provided by the controller based on the selected operation mode.