Video endoscope apparatus employing device shutter
First Claim
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1. A video endoscope apparatus comprising:
- (a) an electronic scope including;
an elongated inserting section;
light emitting means for emitting illuminating light through the leading end of said inserting section;
an objective optical system disposed at said leading end of said inserting section for focusing an optical image; and
imaging means including a solid state imaging device for effecting photoelectric conversion of said optical image focused by said objective optical system; and
(b) charge-storage-time shortening means for shortening the storage time required for signals obtained by said photoelectric conversion of said solid state imaging device to be stored in the form of signal charges.
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Abstract
An endoscope apparatus has a storage-time switching circuit for shortening the charge storage time of a solid state imaging device provided with a photoelectric conversion function, and the quantity of illuminating light to be projected an object is increased in association with the operation of this switching circuit. In this transient process of increasing the quantity of illuminating light, the level of video signals obtained by imaging is compared with a proper reference level. If the level of the video signals reaches the reference level, the video signals are stored in a storage circuit. Accordingly, it is possible to obtain a frozen picture which is scarcely blurred.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A video endoscope apparatus comprising:
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(a) an electronic scope including; an elongated inserting section; light emitting means for emitting illuminating light through the leading end of said inserting section; an objective optical system disposed at said leading end of said inserting section for focusing an optical image; and imaging means including a solid state imaging device for effecting photoelectric conversion of said optical image focused by said objective optical system; and (b) charge-storage-time shortening means for shortening the storage time required for signals obtained by said photoelectric conversion of said solid state imaging device to be stored in the form of signal charges. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 11, 24, 31)
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2. A video endoscope apparatus comprising:
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(a) an electronic scope including; an elongated inserting section; light emitting means for emitting illuminating light through the leading end of said inserting section; an objective optical system disposed at said leading end of said inserting section for focusing an optical image of an object; and a solid state imaging device having a photoelectric conversion function and disposed in the focal plane of said objective optical system; (b) a drive circuit for supplying said solid state imaging device with a drive signal for reading a signal therefrom; (c) storage-time varying means for varying the storage time of said solid state imaging device in response to the drive signal supplied from said drive circuit; (d) a video-signal processing circuit for generating a predetermined video signal by processing the signal read from said solid state imaging device by the application of said drive signal; (e) memory means for storing therein signals output from said solid state imaging device; (f) level comparing means for determining whether or not the level of said signals read from said solid state imaging device has coincided with a predetermined level; (g) means for generating a write control signal to provide control so as to write said video signal into said memory means in response to a coincidence signal output from said level comparing means; (h) illuminating-light-quantity varying means arranged to forcibly increase the quantity of illuminating light to be emitted from said light emitting means toward said object; and (i) trigger means for activating said storage-time varying means. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 32)
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3. A video endoscope apparatus having an externally attached television camera, comprising:
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(a) an optical endoscope including; an elongated inserting section; light emitting means for emitting illuminating light through the leading end of said inserting section; an objective optical system disposed at said leading end of said inserting section for focusing an optical image of an object; an image guide for transferring the optical image focused by said objective optical system; and an eyepiece section provided with an eyepiece window which allows observation of said optical image transferred through said image guide; (b) a television camera detachably mounted to said eyepiece section and including a solid state imaging device having an focusing optical system and a photoelectric conversion device; (c) a drive circuit for supplying said solid state imaging device with a drive signal for reading a signal therefrom; (d) storage-time varying means for varying the storage time of said solid state imaging device in response to the drive signal supplied from said drive circuit; (e) a video-signal processing circuit for generating a predetermined video signal by processing the signal read from said solid state imaging device by the application of said drive signal; (f) memory means for storing therein signals output from said solid state imaging device; (g) level comparing means for determining whether or not the level of said signals read from said solid state imaging device has coincided with a predetermined level; (h) means for generating a write control signal to provide control so as to write said video signal into said memory means in response to a coincidence signal output from said level comparing means; (i) illumination-quantity varying means arranged to forcibly increase the quantity of illuminating light to be emitted from said light emitting means toward an object; and (j) trigger means for activating said storage-time varying means.
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4. A video endoscope apparatus comprising:
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(a) an electronic scope including; an elongated inserting section; light emitting means for emitting illuminating light through the leading end of said inserting section; an objective optical system disposed at said leading end of said inserting section for focusing an optical image of an object; and a solid state imaging device having a photoelectric conversion function and disposed in the focal plane of said objective optical system; (b) storage-time switching means for switching the duration of storage time to a short time period, said storage time being the period required for signals obtained by said photoelectric conversion of said solid state imaging device to be stored in the form of signal charges; (c) illumination-light-quantity increasing means for increasing the quantity of illuminating light to be emitted from said light emitting means toward said object in response to a switching of said switching means; (d) level detecting means for detecting the level of the photoelectrically converted output of said solid state imaging device after said solid state imaging device has effected a imaging operation using said illumination-light-quantity increasing means; and (e) storage means for storing video signals supplied from from said solid state imaging device when said level of said photoelectrically converted output detected by said level detecting means is within an allowable level. - View Dependent Claims (8, 30)
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5. A video endoscope apparatus comprising:
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(a) an electronic scope including; an elongated inserting section; light emitting means for emitting illuminating light through the leading end of said inserting section; an objective optical system disposed at said leading end of said inserting section for focusing an optical image; and imaging means including a solid state imaging device for effecting photoelectric conversion of said optical image supplied from said objective optical system; (b) charge-storage-time shortening means for shortening the storage time required for signals obtained by said photoelectric conversion of said solid state imaging device to be stored in the form of signal charges; (c) picture storing means capable of storing the signals which have been photoelectrically converted in said solid state imaging device under said illuminating light emitted by said light emitting means; and (e) freeze switch means disposed at an operating section of said electronic scope for storing still pictures, each for one field or frame, in said picture storing means.
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Specification