Electronic endoscope apparatus outputting ternary drive signal

• US 5,113,254 A
• Filed: 01/31/1990
• Issued: 05/12/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/1989
• 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, Nakagawa, Takehiro, Uchikubo, Akinobu, Saito, Katsuyuki, Sasagawa, Katsuyoshi, Sasaki, Masahiko, Uehara, Masao, Kanno, Masahide
• Primary Examiner(s): Groody, James J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Michael H.
• Application Number:
  US07/473,260
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 358/98, 358/213.26, 358/213.27, 358/42, 128/4, 128/6
• US Class Current: 348/65
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• 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 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/136 using complementary colours
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/616 involving a correlated sampling function, e.g. correlated double sampling [CDS] or triple sampling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/621 for the control of blooming
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/70 SSIS architectures; Circuits associated therewith
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/71 Charge-coupled device [CCD] sensors; Charge-transfer registers specially adapted for CCD sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

An endoscope apparatus is disclosed in which the horizontal transfer of the charge of a solid imaging device such as a CCD and the resetting for the detection of the charge are conducted by a common drive signal. The signal transmitted from the solid imaging device is caused to contain a feed-through period by making the drive signal to be served by a multi-valued level horizontal transfer signal exceeding a trinary value. Therefore, reset noise or the like can be eliminated by processing the output signal by using a correlated double sampling circuit or the like so that a video signal exhibiting a good S/N ratio can be obtained.

Claims

1. An electron endoscope apparatus comprising:

an electron endoscope having an elongated portion to be inserted, an objective optical system disposed at the front portion of said portion to be inserted, a solid imaging device constituted by a photo-electrical conversion portion for photo-electrically converting an optical image formed by said objective optical system and a charge detection circuit for converting a signal charge which has been photo-electrically converted by said photo-electrical conversion portion into a voltage level so as to output said voltage level, and light irradiating means disposed at said front portion of said portion to be inserted and for irradiating illumination light for illuminating a subject;

a signal processing circuit having a binary signal generating circuit means for generating a sole binary signal, a multi-valued drive signal generating circuit means for generating a multi-valued drive signal exceeding a trinary value for commonly conducting both a horizontal transfer of said signal charge of said photo-electrical conversion portion and a resetting of said charge detection circuit with said binary signal and for causing said solid imaging device to output a signal containing a feed-through signal period, a signal extraction circuit for extracting a signal component by making a reference with a signal level in said feed-through signal period with said signal transmitted from said solid imaging device, and a video signal processing circuit for generating a standard video signal by processing a signal transmitted from said signal extraction circuit; and

display means for displaying said standard video signal transmitted from said signal processing circuit.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said solid imaging device is a charge coupled device.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said electron endoscope is an electron endoscope in which said solid imaging device is disposed on a focal plane of said object lens.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said electron endoscope is a TV camera equipped scope comprising an optical scope whose one end is disposed on a focal plane of said object lens and has an image guide for transmitting an optical image to another end and a TV camera fastened to an ocular portion of said optical scope and includes said solid imaging device.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said drive signal generating circuit has switch means for transmitting a second drive signal which causes a second solid imaging device which is a different sort from said solid imaging device to be driven.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a second electron endoscope including said electron endoscope and said second solid imaging device has means for generating a sort signal which corresponds to a sort of said solid imaging device or a sort of said second solid imaging device.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said signal processing circuit discriminates said sort signal and controls said switch means so as to cause said multi-valued drive signal which is suitable for said discriminated solid imaging device.

8. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said second-solid imaging device is arranged to be different from said solid imaging device in at least the number of pixels and the number of registers in said horizontal transfer register.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said electron endoscope has a color filter for separating color at a front surface of said photo-electrical conversion portion.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light irradiating means is constituted by a light guide for transmitting light supplied from an external light source device to an end thereof and for irradiating light from another end thereof disposed at a front portion of said portion to be inserted.

11. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light irradiating means irradiates white light.

12. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light irradiating means is plane-successive light irradiating means for irradiating light of different wavelength region in a time sequential manner.

13. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said drive signal generating circuit comprises a vertical transfer signal generating circuit for transmitting a vertical transfer signal for said vertical transfer to said solid imaging device and a horizontal transfer signal generating circuit for transmitting a multi-leveled horizontal transfer signal exceeding a trinary value to said solid imaging device.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said horizontal transfer signal generating circuit outputs a horizontal transfer signal of at least trinary valued levels:

a first level in which said charge of said photoelectrical conversion portion is not transferred to said charge detection circuit and said charge detection circuit is reset;

a second level in which said resetting of said charge detection circuit is released, said charge of said photo-electrical conversion portion is transferred to said charge detection circuit, and a signal corresponding to said charge is transmitted from said charge detection circuit; and

a third level between said first and second levels and in which said charge of said photo-electrical conversion portion is not transferred to said charge detection circuit, said resetting of said charge detection circuit is released, and a feed-through signal which does not correspond to said charge of said photo-electrical conversion portion is transmitted from said charge detection circuit.

15. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said horizontal transfer signal generating circuit outputs a horizontal transfer signal further having a fourth level between said first level and said third level.

16. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said horizontal transfer signal generating circuit comprises a second horizontal transfer signal generating circuit for transmitting a second multi-valued horizontal transfer signal in addition to said multi-valued horizontal transfer signal.

17. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said signal extraction circuit is a correlated double sampling circuit constituted by clamp means for clamping a signal in said feed-through signal period, and sampling means for sampling said signal in a signal period in which a signal corresponding to a charge transferred from said photo-electrical conversion portion via said charge detection circuit.

18. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said signal extraction circuit is a delay type noise eliminating circuit constituted by delay means for delaying said signal transmitted from said solid imaging device so as to cause said feed-through signal period of said delayed signal and a not-delayed signal and a signal period in which a signal corresponding to said charge transferred from said photo-electrical conversion portion via said charge detection circuit is transmitted to overlap each other in terms of time, difference signal generating means for obtaining a difference signal from said signal delayed by said delay means and said not-delayed signal, and sampling means for sampling said difference signal at the time at which said feed-through signal and said signal period overlaps in terms of time.

19. An apparatus according to claim 17 or 18, wherein said signal extraction circuit comprises a second correlated double sampling circuit or a second delay type noise eliminating circuit in addition to said correlated double sampling circuit or said delay type noise eliminating circuit.

20. An apparatus according to claim 17 or 18, wherein said signal extraction circuit comprises a trap circuit for eliminating a sampling clock for use is said correlated double sampling circuit or said delay type noise eliminating circuit.

21. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said video signal processing circuit conducts a signal processing in accordance with said solid imaging device ot which a color separating color filter is fastened.

22. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said multi-valued drive signal is commonly applied to said horizontal transfer terminal and said reset terminal of said electron endoscope whose horizontal transfer terminal and said reset terminal are separated from each other.

23. A solid imaging device signal processing apparatus for reading a signal and processing said read signal from a solid imaging device having a photo-electrical conversion means for conducting a photo-electrical conversion and a charge detection circuit for transmitting a signal charge stored in said photo-electrical conversion portion as a signal whose voltage level corresponds to a quantity of said signal charge,

said solid imaging device signal processing apparatus comprising:

a solid imaging device drive circuit having a binary signal generating circuit means for generating a sole binary signal, a vertical transfer signal generating circuit means for transmitting a vertical transfer signal for a vertical transfer to said photo-electrical conversion portion with said binary signal, and a horizontal transfer signal generating circuit means for commonly transmitting a multi-valued horizontal transfer signal exceeding a trinary value for causing said charge detection circuit and said photoelectrical conversion portion to transmit a signal containing a feed-through signal period;

a signal extraction circuit for extracting a signal component in a signal period, in which a signal component which corresponds to said signal charge is transmitted, with reference to a signal level of said feed-through signal period with respect to a signal transmitted from said solid imaging device by said multi-valued horizontal transfer signal; and

a video signal processing circuit for generating a standard video signal by processing said signal transmitted from said signal extraction circuit.

24. An apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said signal extraction circuit is a correlated double sampling circuit comprising clamp means for clamping a signal level of said feed-through signal period, and sampling means for sampling said signal level in said signal period.

25. An apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said signal extraction circuit is a delay type noise eliminating circuit constituted by delay means for delaying said signal transmitted from said solid imaging device so as to cause said feed-through signal period of said delayed signal and a not-delayed signal and a signal period to overlap each other in terms of time, difference signal generating means for obtaining a difference signal from said signal delayed by said delay means and said not-delayed signal, and sampling means for sampling said difference signal at the time at which said feed-through signal and said signal period overlaps in terms of time.

26. An apparatus according to claim 24 or 25, wherein said signal extraction means comprises a second correlated double sampling circuit or a second delay type noise eliminating circuit in addition to said correlated double sampling circuit or said delay type noise eliminating circuit.

27. An apparatus according to claim 24 or 25, wherein said signal extraction circuit comprises a trap circuit for eliminating a sampling clock for use in said correlated double sampling circuit or said delay type noise eliminating circuit.

28. An apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said video signal processing circuit conducts a signal processing in accordance with said solid imaging device to which a color separating color filter is fastened.

29. An apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said video signal processing circuit conducts a signal processing in accordance with said solid imaging device to which no color separating color filter is fastened.

30. An apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said horizontal transfer signal generating circuit means outputs a horizontal transfer signal of at least trinary valued levels:

a first level in which said charge of said photoelectrical conversion portion is not transferred to said charge detection circuit and said charge detection circuit is reset;

a second level in which said resetting of said charge detection circuit is released, said charge of said photo-electrical conversion portion is transferred to said charge detection circuit, and a signal corresponding to said charge is transmitted from said charge detection circuit; and

a third level between said first and second levels and in which said charge of said photo-electrical conversion portion is not transferred to said charge detection circuit, said resetting of said charge detection circuit is released, and a feed-through signal which does not correspond to said charge of said photo-electrical conversion portion is transmitted from said charge detection circuit.

31. An apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said drive circuit comprises a second horizontal transfer signal generating circuit for transmitting a second multi-leveled horizontal transfer signal in addition to said multi-valued horizontal transfer signal.

32. A solid imaging device drive circuit for reading a signal from a solid imaging device having a photo-electrical conversion means for conducting a photo-electrical conversion and a charge detection circuit for transmitting a signal charge stored in said photo-electrical conversion portion as a signal whose voltage level corresponds to a quantity of said signal charge,

said solid imaging device signal processing apparatus comprising:

a binary signal generating circuit for generating a sole binary signal;

a vertical transfer signal generating circuit means for transmitting a vertical transfer signal for a vertical transfer to said photo-electrical conversion portion with said binary signal; and

a horizontal transfer signal generating circuit means for commonly transmitting a multi-valued horizontal transfer signal exceeding a trinary value for causing said charge detection circuit and said photo-electrical conversion portion to transmit a signal containing a feed-through signal period.

33. A circuit according to claim 32, wherein said horizontal transfer signal generating circuit means outputs a horizontal transfer signal of at least trinary valued levels:

a first level in which said charge of said photo-electrical conversion portion is not transferred to said charge detection circuit and said charge detection circuit is reset;

a second level in which said resetting of said charge detection circuit is released, said charge of said photo-electrical conversion portion is transferred to said charge detection circuit, and a signal corresponding to said charge is transmitted from said charge detection circuit; and

a third level between said first and second levels and in which said charge of said photo-electrical conversion portion is not transferred to said charge detection circuit, said resetting of said charge detection circuit is released, and a feed-through signal which does not correspond to said charge of said photo-electrical conversion portion is transmitted from said charge detection circuit.

34. A circuit according to claim 32 further comprising a circuit for generating a blooming restriction signal for restricting blooming.

35. A circuit according to claim 33, wherein a horizontal transfer signal further having a fourth level between said first level and said third level is transmitted.

36. A circuit according to claim 32, wherein said horizontal transfer signal generating circuit means comprises a second horizontal transfer signal generating circuit for transmitting a second multi-valued horizontal transfer signal in addition to said multi-leveled horizontal transfer signal.

37. A circuit according to claim 36, wherein said second multi-valued horizontal transfer signal is in the same phase as that of said multi-valued horizontal transfer signal or in the opposite phase with respect to the same.