Electronic-type endoscope system having capability of setting AGC variation region

• US 4,951,135 A
• Filed: 12/28/1988
• Issued: 08/21/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Hasegawa, Jun, Yamashita, Shinji, Uchikubo, Akinobu, Saito, Katsuyuki, Sasagawa, Katsuyoshi, Sasaki, Masahiko, Uehara, Masao, Kanno, Masahide
• Primary Examiner(s): Britton, Howard W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Tommy D.
• Application Number:
  US07/290,943
• Time in Patent Office: 601 Days
• Field of Search: 358/98, 358/93, 358/168, 128/6, 128/4, 128/5
• US Class Current: 348/69
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00059 provided with identification means for the endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• 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 23/76 by influencing the image signals

Abstract

An endoscope system has a signal processing circuit for converting an image signal output of a solid state imaging device into a standard image signal, a monitor for providing a display of the standard image signal, an automatic gain control circuit for outputting an image signal whose level is automatically adjusted in accordance with the level of the image signal; and a gain variation region setting circuit for outputting a control signal to set the gain variation region of the automatic gain control circuit. With this arrangement, it is possible to properly set the AGC variation region of the AGC of the signal processing apparatus in accordance with such factors as the number of pixels of the solid state imaging device which constitutes a part of an electronic endoscope connected.

Claims

1. An electronic-type endoscope system comprising:

(a) an electronic endoscope including

an elongated inserting section,

light emitting means for emitting illuminating light from one end of said inserting section, and

imaging means constituted by an objective optical system attached to said one end of said inserting section and a solid state imaging device for photoelectrically converting an optical image obtained by said objective optical system;

(b) signal processing means for converting an image signal output from said imaging means into a standard image signal;

(c) monitor means for providing a display of said standard image signal output from said signal processing means;

(d) automatic gain control means constituting said signal processing means and arranged to automatically output said standard image signal whose level is automatically adjusted to a proper level in accordance with a level of said image signal; and

(e) gain variation region setting means for setting a gain variation region of said automotive gain control means based upon a control signal representing characteristics of an apparatus to be connected.

2. An endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus to be connected is said electronic endoscope.

3. An endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein said electronic endoscope is an electronic scope in which said solid state imaging device is disposed in a focal plane of said objective optical system.

4. An endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein said electronic endoscope is a scope of a type to which a television camera is externally attached and which is constituted by an optical endoscope which has an image guide for transferring an optical image obtained by said objective optical system and a television camera which is detachably attached to an eyepiece portion of said optical endoscope for focusing said optical image transferred over said image guide on said solid state imaging device by means of a focusing optical system.

5. An endoscope system according to claim 3 or 4, wherein said solid state imaging device has an imaging surface at a front side of which a color filter for effecting color separation is disposed.

6. An endoscope system according to claim 3 or 4, wherein said solid state imaging device has an imaging surface at a front side of which no color filter for effecting color separation is disposed.

7. An endoscope system according to any one of claims 1, 3, or 4, wherein said light emitting means is a light guide which is arranged to receive light at an entrance end surface, transfer said light therethrough, and emit said light through an exit end surface.

8. An endoscope system according to claim 7 further comprising a light source apparatus for supplying light to the entrance end surface of said light guide.

9. An endoscope system according to claim 8, wherein said light source apparatus has light adjustment means for adjusting a quantity of light inCident upon the entrance end surface of said light guide in accordance with the level of said image signal output from said solid state imaging device.

10. An endoscope system according to claim 9, wherein said light adjustment means is constituted by an iris and an iris driving motor for changing an aperture of said iris.

11. An endoscope system according to any one of claims 1, 3, or 4, wherein said gain variation region control means outputs a control signal which serves to determine at least one of a maximum gain and a minimum gain of said automatic gain control means.

12. An endoscope system according to any one of claims 1, 3, or 4 further comprising comparing means for determining whether or not an average level of said image signal of said imaging means is lower than a minimum allowable level when a quantity of illuminating light emitted from said light emitting means is at a maximum.

13. An endoscope system according to claim 12, wherein said comparing means causes a warning means to operate when said comparing means has determined that said average level is lower than said minimum allowable level.

14. An electronic-type endoscope comprising:

a first electronic endoscope including a first objective optical system and a first light emitting means both of which are disposed at a front end portion of a first elongated inserting section as well as a first imaging means constituted by a first solid state imaging device for photoelectrically converting an optical image obtained by said first objective optical system;

a second electronic endoscope including a second objective optical system and a second light emitting means both of which are disposed at a front end portion of a second elongated inserting section as well as a second imaging means constituted by a second solid state imaging device for photoelectrically converting an optical image obtained by said second objective optical system;

signal processing means for converting image signals output form said first and second imaging means into standard image signals;

monitor means for providing a display of said standard image signals output from said signal processing means;

automatic gain control means constituting said signal processing means and arranged to automatically output image signals whose levels are automatically adjusted to proper levels in accordance with levels of said respective image signals; and

gain variation region setting means for outputting a plurality of control signals to set a gain variation region of said automatic gain control means to a plurality of gain regions.

15. An endoscope system according to claim 14, wherein numbers of pixels of said first and second electronic endoscopes differ from each other.

16. An endoscope system according to claim 14 or 15, wherein said gain variation region varying means is capable of selectively outputting a plurality of control signals which serve to define at least one of a maximum gain and a minimum gain of said automatic gain control means in correspondence with said first and second electronic endoscopes.

17. An endoscope system according to claim 16, wherein each of said first and second electronic endoscopes has a discriminating-signal generating means for generating a discriminating signal which serves to identify the imaging means of each of said first and second electronic endoscopes.

18. An endoscope system according to claim 17, wherein said signal processing means has a decoding means for decoding said discriminating signal.

19. An endoscope system according to claim 18, wherein said gain variation region setting means constitutes an automatic selecting means for automatically selecting a desired control signal from among said plurality of control signals in accordance with a decode signal output from said decoding means.

20. An endoscope system according to claim 14 or 15, wherein at least one of said first and second electronic endoscopes is an electronic endoscope in which a corresponding one of said first and second solid state imaging devices is disposed in a focal plane of a corresponding one of said first and second objective optical systems.

21. An endoscope system according to claim 14 or 15, wherein at least one of said first and second electronic endoscope is a scope of a type to which a television camera is externally attached and which is constituted by an optical endoscope which has an image guide for transferring an optical image obtained by the corresponding one of said first and second objective optical systems and a television camera which is detachably attached to an eyepiece portion of said optical endoscope for focusing said optical image transferred over said image guide on the corresponding one of said first and second solid state imaging devices by means of a focusing optical system.

22. An endoscope system according to claim 20, wherein at least one of said first and second solid state imaging devices has an imaging surface at a front side of which a color filter for effecting color separation is disposed.

23. An endoscope system according to claim 20, wherein at least one of said first and second solid state imaging devices has an imaging surface at a front side of which no color filter for effecting color separation is disposed.