All pixels read type electronic endoscope system
First Claim
1. An all pixels read type electronic endoscope system comprising:
- an image pickup device;
an image pickup device driver circuit for performing a control so that, with respect to the image signals stored for each pixel by one exposure in the image pickup device, the image signals of either odd or even lines are read out first and then the image signals of the remaining lines are read out; and
a light intercepting unit for intercepting the illumination light so as to prevent pixel signals from being stored in said image pickup device during a predetermined time period in which image signals are read out in the image pickup device driver circuit,whereby an image is formed by said image pickup device driver circuit based on the image signals obtained in the image pickup device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
This all pixels read type electronic endoscope system is to read out all the pixels obtained by one exposure in an image pickup device, thereby to improve the picture quality. In this system, a CCD and a CCD driver circuit are provided, and with respect to the video signals obtained by one exposure within a 1/60 sec period, the signals of odd lines are read out in the next period and then the signals of even lines are read out in the period subsequent to the next period, and the signal data of odd line is stored in a first memory, while the signal data of even lines is stored in a second memory. The reading of the even line data is enabled by a light interception by a light chopper. And, in a mixing circuit, the pixel data of odd and even lines are mixed together, and an image for one frame is formed based on the pixel mix signal. With this, the image signals of odd and even lines which are obtained in the same exposure can be read out without increasing the clock frequency, and a high-quality image can be obtained particularly in a freeze-frame picture. Further, if a delay memory is used, high quality can be achieved also for a motion picture, and in addition, the reading of image signals can also be performed at a double speed.
61 Citations
9 Claims
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1. An all pixels read type electronic endoscope system comprising:
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an image pickup device; an image pickup device driver circuit for performing a control so that, with respect to the image signals stored for each pixel by one exposure in the image pickup device, the image signals of either odd or even lines are read out first and then the image signals of the remaining lines are read out; and a light intercepting unit for intercepting the illumination light so as to prevent pixel signals from being stored in said image pickup device during a predetermined time period in which image signals are read out in the image pickup device driver circuit, whereby an image is formed by said image pickup device driver circuit based on the image signals obtained in the image pickup device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8)
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7. An all pixels read type electronic endoscope system comprising:
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an image pickup device in which a plurality of color filters are arranged on a pixel basis; an image pickup device driver circuit for performing a control so that, with respect to the image signals stored for each pixel by one exposure in the image pickup device, the image signals of either odd or even lines are read out first and then the image signals of the remaining lines are read out; a light intercepting unit for intercepting the illumination light so as to prevent pixel signals from being stored in said image pickup device during a predetermined time period in which image signals are read out in the image pickup device driver circuit; image memories for storing said image signals of odd lines and said image signals of even lines which are obtained from said image pickup device, and a mixing circuit for mixing said image signals of odd and even lines which are read out from the memories, thereby to form a simultaneous image signal, whereby a field image is formed based on the pixel mix signals outputted from the mixing circuit.
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9. An electronic endoscope system in which a light source unit includes:
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a light intercepting unit for intercepting the illumination light with a predetermined timing so as to prevent pixel signals from being stored in an image pickup device; and a switching unit for switching the enabling/disabling of the light intercepting unit, whereby an electronic endoscope employing the all pixels read method with respect to the image signals stored for each pixel by one exposure in said image pickup device, the image signals of either odd or even lines are read out first and then the image signals of the remaining lines are read out, and an electronic endoscope of the conventional reading method are both made connectible to a processor unit and the light source unit.
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Specification