Electronic endoscope with image edge enhancement

• US 4,766,489 A
• Filed: 07/30/1987
• Issued: 08/23/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Kato, Tadashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Britton, Howard W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor R.
• Application Number:
  US07/080,364
• Time in Patent Office: 390 Days
• Field of Search: 358/98, 358/29, 358/42, 358/37, 128/6
• US Class Current: 348/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/68 for controlling the amplitude of colour signals, e.g. automatic chroma control circuits H04N9/71, H04N9/73 take precedence; camera processing pipelines for controlling the colour saturation of colour signals H04N23/86
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 600/921 Manipulating image characteristics

Abstract

An electronic endoscope comprises an endoscope provided with an imaging device. A signal treating circuit produces color signals from output signals of the imaging device. Image enhancers respectively enhance the edges of the images of the color signals produced by the signal treating circuit. An image enhanced amount setting circuit respectively set the image enhanced amounts by the image enhancers independently of the respective color signals.

Claims

1. An electronic endoscope comprising:

an endoscope provided with an imaging means;

a signal treating means for producing color signals from output signals of said imaging means;

an image enhancing means for enhancing edges of the images of the color signals produced by said signal treating means; and

an image enhanced amount setting means for setting the image enhanced amount by said image enhancing means independently of the respective color signals.

2. An electronic endoscope according to claim 1 wherein said signal treating means is to produce red, green and blue color signals from the output signals of said imaging means.

3. An electronic endoscope according to claim 2 wherein said image enhancing means comprises three edge image enhancers which independently enhance edges of the images of the color signals produced by said signal treating means, said image enhanced amount setting means comprises three image enhanced amount setting circuits which independently set the respective image enhanced amounts by said respective image enhancers.

4. An electronic endoscope according to claim 1 wherein said signal treating means is provided with frame memories respectively storing red, green and blue color signals input in a time series in response to a red, green and blue color field sequential illuminating light, said image enhancing means comprises three edge image enhancers respectively independently enhancing edges of the images of red, green and blue color signals simultaneously read out of said respective frame memories, said image enhanced amount setting means comprises three image enhanced amount setting circuit which independently set the respective image enhanced amounts by said respective image enhancers.

5. An electronic endoscope according to claim 1 wherein said image enhancing means comprises image enhancers respectively enhancing edges of the images of red, green, and blue color signals input in a time series in response to a red, green and blue color field sequential illuminating light, said image enhanced amount setting means comprises image enhanced amount setting circuits which respectively synchronously switch the image enhanced amounts by said image enhancers with the switching of said color signals.

6. An electronic endoscope according to claim 1 wherein said imaging means is a solid state imaging device provided in a tip part of an insertable part of the endoscope.

7. An electronic endoscope according to claim 1 wherein said image enhancing means is to enhance edges of the images in a direction horizontal with a picture surface.

8. An electronic endoscope according to claim 1 wherein said image enhancing means is to enhance edges of the images in a direction vertical to a picture surface.