IMAGING APPARATUS

• US 20130300849A1
• Filed: 04/30/2013
• Published: 11/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corporation (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: ONO, Wataru
• Granted Patent: US 8,866,893 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/68
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00006 of control signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00009 of image signals during a use of endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/043 for fluorescence imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/045 Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/051 Details of CCD assembly
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0638 providing two or more wavelengths
• 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 23/76 by influencing the image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/531 by controlling rolling shutters in CMOS SSIS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

Imaging apparatus performs controlling to read pixel information from pixels belonging to target area by each frame. One frame period is period from when an exposure period for exposing pixels on a horizontal line that is to be read first from among horizontal lines belonging to the target area of a sensor is started and until when reading of the pixel information generated by each of the pixels on the horizontal line is completed. The imaging apparatus sequentially emits, by each illumination period of a length corresponding to at least two frame periods, illumination lights in synchronization with start of the exposure period. The imaging apparatus performs a predetermined controlling by performing controlling to exclude, from predetermined processing target, image data corresponding to the pixel information read during first frame period of the illumination period, while by acquiring image data corresponding to the pixel information read during other frame period.

Claims

1. An imaging apparatus comprising:

a light source unit that is capable of emitting a plurality of types of illumination lights;

a sensor in which a plurality of pixels that each generates, upon receipt of light, an electrical signal through photoelectric conversion are arranged on a two-dimensional plane, wherein

the sensor is capable of reading, as pixel information, electrical signals generated by pixels arbitrary designated as a read target area from among the pixels, and is capable of sequentially reading a plurality of horizontal lines on a line-by-line basis;

a control unit that performs controlling to read the pixel information from the pixels belonging to the read target area by each frame, wherein

one frame period is a period from when an exposure period for exposing the pixels on a horizontal line that is to be read first from among the horizontal lines belonging to the read target area of the sensor is started and until when reading of the pixel information generated by each of the pixels on the horizontal line is completed; and

a light source controller that controls the light source unit to sequentially emit, by each illumination period of a length corresponding to at least two frame periods, the illumination lights in synchronization with start of the exposure period of the horizontal line that is to be read first from the sensor, wherein

the control unit performs the predetermined controlling by performing controlling to exclude, from a predetermined processing target, image data corresponding to the pixel information read by the sensor during a first frame period of the illumination period among the pixel information read by the sensor in each frame, while on the other hand by acquiring image data corresponding to the pixel information read by the sensor during other frame period of the illumination period among the pixel information read by the sensor in each frame.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit performs controlling not to acquire image data corresponding to the pixel information read by the sensor during the first frame period of the illumination period.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an interpolated image generator that generates interpolated image data for interpolation between two pieces of image data acquired at consecutive times among image data acquired by the control unit, by using pixel information which is based on light received by the sensor during a period including a timing at which the illumination lights are switched.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the length of the illumination period determined in accordance with each of the types of the illumination lights corresponds to two frame periods, and

the interpolated image generator generates the interpolated image data by using image data acquired during a last frame period of the illumination period and by using pixel information on two screens read by the sensor during frame periods before and after a period in which the image data is acquired.

5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lengths of the illumination periods determined based on the respective types of the illumination lights are the same.

6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the illumination light includes red light, green light, and blue light, and

the light source controller causes the light source unit to sequentially emit the red light, the green light, and the blue light.

7. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the light source unit emits, as the illumination light, white light and light with spectral characteristics different from the white light, and

the light source controller causes the light source unit to intermittently emit the white light while sequentially emitting special light in a specific wavelength band.