WIRELESS ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM, ENDOSCOPE, DISPLAY DEVICE, IMAGE TRANSMISSION METHOD, IMAGE DISPLAY METHOD, AND PROGRAM

• US 20170034484A1
• Filed: 10/11/2016
• Published: 02/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Yanagidate, Masaharu
• Granted Patent: US 10,250,853 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/000095 for image enhancement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00016 using wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0002 provided with data storages
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2484 Arrangements in relation to a camera or imaging device processing or control of video signals generated by an endoscope H04N23/60, H04N23/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/59 involving spatial sub-sampling or interpolation, e.g. alteration of picture size or resolution
• 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 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/951 by using two or more images to influence resolution, frame rate or aspect ratio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/4448 for frame-grabbing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/46 for receiving on more than one standard at will deflecting circuits of multi-standard receivers H04N3/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

A wireless endoscope system includes: a data storage unit that stores imaging data as storage data at a time at which a still image display signal is switched from a first state indicating an execution of a moving image display to a second state indicating an execution of a still image display; an image quality control unit that controls image quality of a plurality of pieces of still image data such that an image quality of a piece of still image data generated later a becomes higher; a data-selecting unit that selects the moving image data or the plurality of pieces of still image data on the basis of the still image display signal; and a transmission unit that transmits the moving image data or the plurality of pieces of still image data selected by the data-selecting unit in a wireless manner.

Claims

1. A wireless endoscope system, comprising:

an imaging unit that captures an image and generates imaging data;

a freeze-instructing unit that generates a still image display signal relevant to an execution of a still image display;

a data storage unit that stores the imaging data as storage data at a time at which the still image display signal is switched from a first state indicating an execution of a moving image display to a second state indicating the execution of the still image display;

a moving image-compressing unit that performs a moving image-compressing process on the imaging data and generates moving image data;

a still image-compressing unit that performs a still image-compressing process on the storage data and generates a plurality of pieces of still image data;

an image quality control unit that controls image quality of the plurality of pieces of still image data such that image quality of a piece of still image data generated later among the plurality of pieces of still image data becomes higher;

a data-selecting unit that selects the moving image data when the still image display signal is in the first state, and sequentially selects the plurality of pieces of still image data in an order in which the plurality of pieces of still image data are generated when the still image display signal is in the second state;

a transmission unit that transmits the moving image data or the plurality of pieces of still image data selected by the data-selecting unit in a wireless manner;

a reception unit that receives the moving image data or the plurality of pieces of still image data transmitted from the transmission unit in a wireless manner;

an image-decompressing unit that performs a decompressing process on the moving image data or the plurality of pieces of still image data received by the reception unit and generates display data, the image-decompressing unit generating a plurality of pieces of the display data in an order in which the plurality of pieces of still image data are generated in the decompressing process on the plurality of pieces of still image data;

an image display unit that performs a display process based on the display data;

a target image-designating unit that designates the display data as target image data when the image quality of the piece of still image data is equal to or higher than a predetermined image quality; and

an image storage unit that stores the display data designated as the target image data.

2. The wireless endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein the target image-designating unit that designates the display data as target image data when image quality of a piece of still image data corresponding to the display data generated by the image-decompressing unit at a time immediately before the still image display signal is switched from the second state to the first state is equal to or higher than a predetermined image quality.

3. The wireless endoscope system according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit that controls a generation of the plurality of pieces of still image data on the basis of execution information indicating whether generation of each of the plurality of pieces of still image data should be executed.

4. The wireless endoscope system according to claim 1, further comprising a high image quality-requesting unit that generates a high definition request signal relevant to a request for a piece of still image data with a predetermined highest image quality,

wherein the image quality control unit sets the image quality of the piece of still image data to the highest image quality when the still image display signal is in the second state and the high definition request signal is in a third state indicating a request for still image data with the highest image quality before a final piece of still image data among the plurality of pieces of still image data is generated, and

the image quality control unit gradually changes the image quality of the plurality of pieces of still image data such that the image quality of the piece of still image data generated later becomes higher and image quality of a piece of still image data generated finally becomes the highest image quality when the still image display signal is in the second state and the high definition request signal is in a fourth state other than the third state before the final piece of still image data among the plurality of pieces of still image data is generated.

5. An endoscope, comprising:

an imaging unit that captures an image and generates imaging data;

a freeze-instructing unit that generates a still image display signal relevant to an execution of a still image display;

a data storage unit that stores the imaging data as storage data at a time at which the still image display signal is switched from a first state indicating an execution of a moving image display to a second state indicating an execution of the still image display;

a moving image-compressing unit that performs a moving image-compressing process on the imaging data and generates moving image data;

a still image-compressing unit that performs a still image-compressing process on the storage data and generates a plurality of pieces of still image data;

an image quality control unit that controls image quality of the plurality of pieces of still image data such that image quality of a piece of still image data generated later among the plurality of pieces of still image data becomes higher;

a data-selecting unit that selects the moving image data when the still image display signal is in the first state and sequentially selects the plurality of pieces of still image data in an order in which the plurality of pieces of still image data are generated when the still image display signal is in the second state; and

a transmission unit that transmits the moving image data or the plurality of pieces of still image data selected by the data-selecting unit in a wireless manner.

6. A display device, comprising:

a reception unit that receives moving image data or a plurality of pieces of still image data transmitted from an endoscope in a wireless manner;

an image-decompressing unit that performs a decompressing process on the moving image data or the plurality of pieces of still image data received by the reception unit and generates display data, the image-decompressing unit generating a plurality of pieces of the display data in an order in which the plurality of pieces of still image data are generated in the decompressing process on the plurality of pieces of still image data; and

an image display unit that performs a display process based on the display data,

wherein the endoscope includes;

an imaging unit that captures an image and generates imaging data,

a freeze-instructing unit that generates a still image display signal relevant to an execution of a still image display,

a data storage unit that stores the imaging data as storage data at a time at which the still image display signal is switched from a first state indicating an execution of a moving image display to a second state indicating an execution of the still image display,

a moving image-compressing unit that performs a moving image-compressing process on the imaging data and generates the moving image data,

a still image-compressing unit that performs a still image-compressing process on the storage data and generates the plurality of pieces of still image data,

an image quality control unit that controls image quality of the plurality of pieces of still image data such that image quality of a piece of still image data generated later among the plurality of pieces of still image data becomes higher,

a data-selecting unit that selects the moving image data when the still image display signal is in the first state and sequentially selects the plurality of pieces of still image data in the order in which the plurality of pieces of still image data are generated when the still image display signal is in the second state, and

a transmission unit that transmits the moving image data or the plurality of pieces of still image data selected by the data-selecting unit in a wireless manner.

7. An image transmission method, comprising:

a step of generating a still image display signal relevant to an execution of a still image display by a freeze-instructing unit;

a step of storing imaging data which is generated by an imaging unit capturing an image as storage data at a time at which the still image display signal is switched from a first state indicating an execution of a moving image display to a second state indicating an execution of the still image display;

a step of performing a moving image-compressing process on the imaging data to generate moving image data by a moving image-compressing unit;

a step of performing a still image-compressing process on the storage data by a still image-compressing unit to generate a plurality of pieces of still image data such that image quality of a piece of still image data generated later among the plurality of pieces of still image data becomes higher;

a step of transmitting the moving image data in a wireless manner by a transmission unit when the still image display signal is in the first state; and

a step of transmitting the plurality of pieces of still image data in a wireless manner in an order in which the plurality of pieces of still image data are generated by the transmission unit when the still image display signal is in the second state.

8. An image display method, comprising:

a step of receiving moving image data or a plurality of pieces of still image data transmitted from an endoscope in a wireless manner by a reception unit;

a step of performing a decompressing process on the moving image data or the plurality of pieces of still image data received by the reception unit to generate display data, and generating a plurality of pieces of display data in an order in which the plurality of pieces of still image data are generated in the decompressing process on the plurality of pieces of still image data by an image-decompressing unit; and

a step of performing a display process based on the display data by an image display,

wherein the endoscope includes

an imaging unit that captures an image and generates imaging data,

a freeze-instructing unit that generates a still image display signal relevant to an execution of a still image display,

a data storage unit that stores the imaging data as storage data at a time at which the still image display signal is switched from a first state indicating an execution of a moving image display to a second state indicating an execution of the still image display,

a moving image-compressing unit that performs a moving image-compressing process on the imaging data and generates the moving image data,

a still image-compressing unit that performs a still image-compressing process on the storage data and generates the plurality of pieces of still image data,

an image quality control unit that controls image quality of the plurality of pieces of still image data such that image quality of a piece of still image data generated later among the plurality of pieces of still image data becomes higher,

a data-selecting unit that selects the moving image data when the still image display signal is in the first state and sequentially selects the plurality of pieces of still image data in the order in which the plurality of pieces of still image data are generated when the still image display signal is in the second state, and

a transmission unit that transmits the moving image data or the plurality of pieces of still image data selected by the data-selecting unit in a wireless manner.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable computer medium storing a program causing a computer to perform:

a step of detecting a still image display signal relevant to an execution of a still image display which is generated by a freeze-instructing unit;

a step of causing a data storage unit to store imaging data which is generated by an imaging unit capturing an image as storage data at a time at which the still image display signal is switched from a first state indicating an execution of a moving image display to a second state indicating an execution of the still image display;

a step of causing a moving image-compressing unit to perform a process of performing a moving image-compressing process on the imaging data and generating moving image data;

a step of causing a still image-compressing unit to perform a process of performing a still image-compressing process on the storage data and generating a plurality of pieces of still image data such that image quality of a piece of still image data generated later among the plurality of pieces of still image data becomes higher;

a step of causing a transmission unit to transmit the moving image data in a wireless manner when the still image display signal is in the first state; and

a step of causing the transmission unit to transmit the plurality of pieces of still image data in a wireless manner in an order in which the plurality of pieces of still image data are generated when the still image display signal is in the second state.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable computer medium storing a program causing a computer to perform:

a step of causing a reception unit to receive moving image data or a plurality of pieces of still image data transmitted from an endoscope in a wireless manner;

a step of causing an image-decompressing unit to perform a decompressing process on the moving image data or the plurality of pieces of still image data received by the reception unit to generate display data, and causing the image-decompressing unit to generate a plurality of pieces of display data in an order in which the plurality of pieces of still image data are generated in the decompressing process on the plurality of pieces of still image data; and

a step of causing an image display unit to perform a display process based on the display data,

wherein the endoscope includes

an imaging unit that captures an image and generates imaging data,

a freeze-instructing unit that generates a still image display signal relevant to an execution of a still image display,

a data storage unit that stores the imaging data as storage data at a time at which the still image display signal is switched from a first state indicating an execution of a moving image display to a second state indicating an execution of the still image display,

a moving image-compressing unit that performs a moving image-compressing process on the imaging data and generates the moving image data,

a still image-compressing unit that performs a still image-compressing process on the storage data and generates the plurality of pieces of still image data,

an image quality control unit that controls image quality of the plurality of pieces of still image data such that image quality of a piece of still image data generated later among the plurality of pieces of still image data becomes higher,

a data-selecting unit that selects the moving image data when the still image display signal is in the first state and sequentially selects the plurality of pieces of still image data in the order in which the plurality of pieces of still image data are generated when the still image display signal is in the second state, and

a transmission unit that transmits the moving image data or the plurality of pieces of still image data selected by the data-selecting unit in a wireless manner.