IMAGING DEVICE, ENDOSCOPE DEVICE

• US 20130050456A1
• Filed: 02/28/2012
• Published: 02/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Sakurai, Tetsuo, Qi, Bin
• Granted Patent: US 8,913,115 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/68
• 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 23/6811 based on the image signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/74 by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/53 Control of the integration time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

An imaging device includes: an imaging module configured to have a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements corresponding to a frame composed of a plurality of lines, with start of an accumulation period of electric charge by the plural photoelectric conversion elements being different depending on each of the lines, and reading the accumulated electric charge to repeatedly output the read electric charge as an image signal; a light source configured to irradiate an imaging range of the imaging module; and a controller configured to control an irradiation time of the light source according to a motion of an image captured by the imaging module.

Claims

1. An imaging device, comprising:

an imaging module configured to have a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements corresponding to a frame composed of a plurality of lines, with start of an accumulation period of electric charge by the plural photoelectric conversion elements being different depending on each of the lines, and reading the accumulated electric charge to repeatedly output the read electric charge as an image signal;

a light source configured to irradiate an imaging range of the imaging module; and

a controller configure to control an irradiation time of the light source according to a motion of an image captured by the imaging module.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a detecting module configured to detect a motion vector of the image; and

a comparing module configured to compare the motion vector detected by the detecting module with a threshold value,

wherein the controller controls the irradiation time of the light source according to a comparison result by the comparing module.

3. The device of claim 2,

wherein the controller sets the irradiation time of the light source long when the value of the motion vector detected by the detecting module is smaller than the threshold value, and sets the irradiation time of the light source short when the value of the motion vector detected by the detecting module is equal to or larger than the threshold value.

4. The device of claim 3,

wherein the controller decreases luminance of the light source when setting the irradiation time long, and increases the luminance of the light source when setting the irradiation time short.

5. The device of claim 1,

wherein the controller controls the light source so as to cause the light source to irradiate the imaging range within a span during which the accumulation periods of the plural photoelectric conversion elements overlap with one another.

6. The device of claim 5,

wherein the controller controls the light source so as to cause a start and an end of the irradiation to fall within a span, in one frame, during which the accumulation periods overlap with one another.

7. The device of claim 5,

wherein the controller controls the light source so as to cause the start of the irradiation to fall within a span during which the accumulation periods overlap with one another in a first frame out of a plurality of adjacent frames and so as to cause the end of the irradiation to fall within a span during which the accumulation periods overlap with one another in a final frame out of the plural adjacent frames.

8. The device of claim 7, further comprising:

a memory configured to store the image signals output from the imaging module; and

a switch configured to change a connection destination between the imaging module and the memory.

9. The device of claim 1,

wherein the imaging module is a CMOS image sensor.

10. The device of claim 1,

wherein the light source is a LED or a lamp.

11. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a liquid crystal element or a rotary shutter configured to shield light from the light source,

wherein the controller controls the irradiation time of the light source by controlling the liquid crystal element or the rotary shutter.

12. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

an accepting module configured to accept a change of at least one of the irradiation time and luminance of the light source,

wherein the controller changes at least one of the irradiation time and the luminance of the light source according to an acceptance result of the accepting module.

13. An endoscope device, comprising:

a scope inserted into an inspection target;

an imaging module provided at a tip of the scope, the imaging module configured to have a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements corresponding to an image composed of a plurality of lines, with start of an accumulation period of electric charge by the plural photoelectric conversion elements being different depending on each of the lines, and reading the accumulated electric charge to repeatedly output the read electric charge as an image signal;

a light source configured to irradiate an imaging range of the imaging module;

a controller configured to control an irradiation time of the light source according to a motion of an image captured by the imaging module; and

a monitor configured to display an image signal output from the imaging module as an image.