Video endoscope system for use with different sizes of solid state devices
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A video endoscope system comprising:
- an electronic scope comprisingan elongated insertable part,an illuminating light output means outputting an illuminating light out of the tip side of said insertable part,an imaging means formed of a solid state imaging device and having a function of imaging an object illuminated by said illuminating light output means,a signal transmitting cable connected with said solid state imaging device, anda signal connector fitted to the end part of said signal transmitting cable;
a driving signal generating means applying a driving signal to said solid state imaging device by connecting said signal connector;
a signal processing circuit means processing a signal read out of said solid state imaging device by the application of said driving signal;
a displaying means displaying the video image of the object by a video signal output out of said signal processing circuit means;
an information signal generating means provided in said electronic scope and generating an information signal relating to the number of pixels of said solid state imaging device;
a controlling signal generating means decoding said information signal and outputting a controlling signal corresponding to said information signal; and
a signal processing characteristic varying means forming said signal processing circuit means and varying the signal processing characteristic to correspond to the number of pixels by the application of said controlling signal.
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Abstract
An endoscope contains or is externally fitted with a color imaging device using a solid state imaging device and a signal processing device processing a signal for the endoscope. The color imaging device and solid state imaging device are provided so that the number of pixels and the kind of spectral characteristic of the color imaging device of the endoscope to be connected may be discriminated to process the signal even for the endoscopes having number of pixels and the spectral characteristic.
69 Citations
40 Claims
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1. A video endoscope system comprising:
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an electronic scope comprising an elongated insertable part, an illuminating light output means outputting an illuminating light out of the tip side of said insertable part, an imaging means formed of a solid state imaging device and having a function of imaging an object illuminated by said illuminating light output means, a signal transmitting cable connected with said solid state imaging device, and a signal connector fitted to the end part of said signal transmitting cable; a driving signal generating means applying a driving signal to said solid state imaging device by connecting said signal connector; a signal processing circuit means processing a signal read out of said solid state imaging device by the application of said driving signal; a displaying means displaying the video image of the object by a video signal output out of said signal processing circuit means; an information signal generating means provided in said electronic scope and generating an information signal relating to the number of pixels of said solid state imaging device; a controlling signal generating means decoding said information signal and outputting a controlling signal corresponding to said information signal; and a signal processing characteristic varying means forming said signal processing circuit means and varying the signal processing characteristic to correspond to the number of pixels by the application of said controlling signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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5. A video endoscope system comprising:
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an electronic scope comprising an elongated insertable part, an illuminating light output means outputting an illuminating light out of the tip side of said insertable part, an imaging means formed of a solid state imaging device and having a function of imaging an object illuminated by said illuminating light output means, a signal transmitting cable connected with said solid state imaging device and a signal connector fitted to the end part of said signal transmitting cable; a driving signal generating means applying a driving signal to said solid state imaging device by connecting said signal connector; a signal processing circuit means processing a signal read out of said solid state imaging device by the application of said driving signal; a displaying means displaying the video image of the object by a video signal output out of said signal processing circuit means; an information signal generating means provided in said electronic scope and generating an information signal relating to the general spectral characteristics of said electronic scope; a controlling signal generating means sensing said information signal and generating a controlling signal for the adjustment of white balance; and a white balance adjusting means forming said signal processing circuit and capable of varying the white balance adjusting amount by the application of said controlling signal.
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6. A video endoscope system comprising:
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an electronic scope comprising an elongated insertable part, an illuminating light output means outputting an illuminating light out of the tip side of said insertable part, an imaging means formed of a solid state imaging device and having a function of imaging an object illuminated by said illuminating light output means, a signal transmitting cable connected with said solid state imaging device and a signal connector fitted to the end part of said signal transmitting cable; a driving signal generating means applying a driving signal to said solid state imaging device by connecting said signal connector; a signal processing circuit means processing a signal read out of said solid state imaging device by the application of said driving signal; a displaying means displaying the video image of the object by a video signal output out of said signal processing circuit; a pixel-number automatically detecting circuit provided within said signal processing circuit means and detecting the number of pixels of said solid state imaging device from a signal read out of said solid state imaging device by the application of said driving signal; and a processing means corresponding to a controlling signal output by said automatic pixel-number detecting circuit. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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7. A video endoscope system comprising:
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an electronic scope comprising an elongated insertable part, an illuminating light output means outputting an illuminating light out of the tip side of said insertable part, an imaging means formed of a solid state imaging device and having a function of imaging an object illuminated by said illuminating light output means, a signal transmitting cable connected with said solid state imaging device and a signal connector fitted to the end part of said signal transmitting cable; a driving signal generating means applying a driving signal to said solid state imaging device by connecting said signal connector; a signal processing circuit means processing a signal read out of said solid state imaging device by the application of said driving signal; a displaying means displaying the video image of the object by a video signal output out of said signal processing circuit means; an information signal generating means provided in said electronic scope and generating an information signal relating to the number of pixels of said solid state imaging device built in said electronic scope; a controlling signal generating means decoding said information signal and generating a controlling signal corresponding to the number of pixels; and a processing means corresponding to the number of pixels by the application of said controlling signal.
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9. An endoscope system comprising:
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an optical endoscope comprising an elongated insertable part, a light guide means inserted through said insertable part and transmitting an illuminating light, an observing optical system comprising an objective inserted through said insertable part and forming the image of an object illuminated by the light emitted from the emitting end surface of said light guide, an image guide having its entrance end surface arranged in the focal plane of said objective and transmitting the image of the object to the exit end surface and an eyepiece arranged as opposed to the exit end surface of said image guide and contained in the eyepiece part and a light source connector formed on the entrance end surface of said light guide means; an illuminating light generating means connected with said light source connector and feeding an illuminating light; a television camera fitted to said eyepiece part of said optical endoscope and forming an imaging means of a solid state imaging device; a signal transmitting cable connected with the solid state imaging device within said television camera; a signal connector fitted to the end part of said signal transmitting cable; a signal processing circuit means connectable with said signal connector, applying a driving signal to said solid state imaging device and processing the output signal of the solid state imaging device; a displaying means displaying the video image of the object by the video signal output out of said signal processing circuit means; an information signal generating means generating an information signal relating to the general spectral characteristic of said optical endoscope and/or television camera; a white balance controlling signal generating means sensing said information signal and producing a controlling signal for the white balance adjustment; and a white balance adjusting circuit means forming said signal processing circuit means and capable of varying the white balance adjusting amount by the application of said controlling signal.
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10. An endoscope system comprising:
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an optical endoscope comprising an elongated insertable part, a light guide means inserted through said insertable part and transmitting an illuminating light, an observing optical system comprising an objective inserted through said insertable part and forming the image of an object illuminated by the light emitted from the emitting end surface of said light guide, an image guide having its entrance end surface arranged in the focal plane of said objective and transmitting the image of the object to the exit end surface and an eyepiece arranged as opposed to the exit end surface of said image guide and contained in the eyepiece part and a light source connector formed on the entrance end surface of said light guide means; an illuminating light generating means connected with said light source connector and feeding an illuminating light; a television camera fitted to said eyepiece part of said optical endoscope and forming an imaging means of a solid state imaging device; a signal transmitting cable connected with the solid state imaging device within said television camera; a signal connector fitted to the end part of said signal transmitting cable; a driving signal generating means connectable with said signal connector and applying a driving signal to the solid state imaging device; a signal processing circuit means processing the signal read out of said solid state imaging device by the application of said driving signal; a displaying means displaying the video image of the object by the video signal output out of said signal processing circuit means; an information signal generating means built in said television camera and generating an information signal relating to the number of pixels of said solid state imaging device; a controlling signal generating means decoding said information relating to the number of pixels and producing a different controlling signal in response to the number of pixels; and a signal processing characteristic varying means varying the signal processing characteristic of said signal processing circuit means by the application of said controlling signal. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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11. An endoscope system comprising:
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an optical endoscope comprising an elongated insertable part, a light guide means inserted through said insertable part and transmitting an illuminating light, an observing optical system comprising an objective inserted through said insertable part and forming the image of an object illuminated by the light emitted from the emitting end surface of said light guide, an image guide having its entrance end surface arranged in the focal plane of said objective and transmitting the image of the object to the exit end surface and an eyepiece arranged as opposed to the exit end surface of said image guide and contained in the eyepiece part and a light source connector formed on the entrance end surface of said light guide means; an illuminating light generating means connected with said light source connector and feeding an illuminating light; a television camera fitted to said eyepiece part of said optical endoscope and forming an imaging means of a solid state imaging device; a signal transmitting cable connected with the solid state imaging device within said television camera; a signal connector fitted to the end part of said signal transmitting cable; a driving signal generating means connectable with said signal connector and applying a driving signal to the solid state imaging device; a signal processing circuit means processing the signal read out of said solid state imaging device by the application of said driving signal; a displaying means displaying the video image of the object by the video signal output out of said signal processing circuit means; a automatic pixel-number detecting circuit provided within said signal processing circuit means and detecting the number of pixels of said solid state imaging device from the signal read out of said solid state imaging device by the application of said driving signal. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 35)
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40. A video endoscope system comprising:
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a plurality of electronic scopes forming imaging means of solid state imaging devices different in the number of picture elements; a signal cable connected to said solid state imaging device of said electronic scope; a connector fitted to the end part of said signal cable; a signal processing circuit means connected to a connector receiver connectable with said connector and processing the signal to output a video signal; a monitor means displaying the video signal output from said signal processing means; and a driving circuit applying the same driving signal even in case the number of pixels of said solid state imaging device is different.
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Specification