Electronic endoscope system

• US 6,080,104 A
• Filed: 05/13/1996
• Issued: 06/27/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Iketani, Kohei, Ozawa, Ryo
• Primary Examiner(s): LEUBECKER, JOHN P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hatton, Ira
• Application Number:
  US08/645,269
• Time in Patent Office: 1,506 Days
• Field of Search: 600/178, 600/180, 600/109, 600/160, 348/68, 348/69, 348/65, 348/70, 348/71, 348/921, 348/453, 358/520
• US Class Current: 600/180
• 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 23/71 Circuitry for evaluating the brightness variation

Abstract

In an electronic endoscope system for detecting an image of an object using a CCD, a brightness signal is generated based on the output of the CCD, and a histogram processing is applied to the brightness signal. An aperture size for regulating the amount of light emitted to an object to be viewed is controlled in accordance with the calculation based on the histogram data.

Claims

1. An electronic endoscope system for detecting an image of an object using an imaging device, comprising:

a light source that emits light to illuminate said object;

an image capturing element that receives an optical image of said object illuminated by said light source and outputs color image signals of said object;

an analog-to-digital converter that converts said color image signals into color image digital signals;

a plurality of memories that store said color image digital signals, corresponding to said color image signals, outputted by said analog-to-digital converter;

a video processing circuit that generates a video signal based on said color image digital signals stored in said plurality of memories;

a brightness data generating circuit that generates brightness data based on said color image digital signals stored in said plurality of memories;

a histogram circuit that applies histogram processing to said brightness data, generated by said brightness data generating circuit, to output histogram data; and

a controller that controls an amount of light emitted by said light source in accordance with a result of said histogram processing by said histogram circuit.

2. The electronic endoscope system of claim 1, wherein said controller averages values of said histogram data output by said histogram circuit to obtain an averaged value, said controller controlling said amount of light emitted by said light source in accordance with said averaged value.

3. The electronic endoscope system of claim 2, wherein said controller decreases said amount of light emitted by said light source when said averaged value is greater than a first reference value.

4. The electronic endoscope system of claim 3, wherein said controller increases said amount of light emitted by said light source when said averaged value is less than a second reference value, said second reference value being smaller than said first reference value.

5. The electronic endoscope system of claim 2, wherein said controller controls said amount of light emitted by said light source so that said averaged value is within a predetermined value range.

6. The electronic endoscope system of claim 1, wherein said histogram circuit applies said histogram processing to a part of said brightness data generated by said brightness data generating circuit.

7. The electronic endoscope system of claim 6, wherein said controller averages values of said histogram data output by said histogram circuit to obtain an averaged value, said controller controlling said amount of light emitted by said light source in accordance with said averaged value.

8. The electronic endoscope system of claim 7, wherein said controller decreases said amount of light emitted by said light source when said averaged value is greater than a first reference value.

9. The electronic endoscope system of claim 8, wherein said controller increases said amount of light emitted by said light source when said averaged value is less than a second reference value, said second reference value is smaller than said first reference value.

10. The electronic endoscope system of claim 7, wherein said controller controls said amount of light emitted by said light source so that said averaged value is within a predetermined value range.

11. The electronic endoscope system of claim 6, wherein said video processing circuit is interfaced with a display device that receives said video signal to display an image of said object, said electronic endoscope system further comprising an enlargement processing circuit that enlarges said image displayed on said display device, a part of said image being displayed on said display device when an enlargement processing is applied by said enlargement processing circuit, said histogram circuit applying said histogram processing to only a part of said brightness data corresponding to said part of said image displayed on said display device.

12. The electronic endoscope system according to claim 6, further comprising a data limiting device that limits an amount of data transmitted from said brightness data generating circuit to said histogram circuit, such that a portion of said brightness data is processed by said histogram circuit.

13. The electronic endoscope system of claim 1, wherein said brightness data generating circuit further generates color difference data, said electronic endoscope system further comprising a brightness look up table that outputs processed brightness data based on said brightness data output by said brightness data generating circuit and output data of said histogram circuit, a color restoration circuit generating restored color image data in accordance with said color difference data generated by said brightness data generating circuit and said processed brightness data output from said brightness look up table, said color restored color image data being transmitted to said video processing circuit.

21. The electronic endoscope system of claim 1, wherein said light source emits light to sequentially illuminate said object with a plurality of color lights.

14. An electronic endoscope system for detecting an image of an object using an imaging device, comprising:

means for emitting light to illuminate said object;

means for capturing an optical image of said object illuminated by said emitting means, said capturing means outputting color image signals of said object;

means for converting said color image signals into color image digital signals;

means for storing said color image digital signals, corresponding to said color image signals, outputted by said converting means;

means for producing a video signal based on said color image digital signals stored in said storing means;

means for generating brightness data based on said color image digital signals stored in said storing means;

means for histogram processing said brightness data, generated by said brightness generating means, to output histogram data; and

means for controlling an amount of light emitted by said emitting means in accordance with a result of said histogram processing by said histogram processing means.

15. The electronic endoscope system of claim 14, wherein said controlling means averages values of said histogram data output by said histogram processing means to obtain an averaged value, said controlling means controlling said emitting means in accordance with said averaged value.

16. The electronic endoscope system of claim 15, wherein said controlling means decreases an amount of light emitted by said emitting means when said averaged value is greater than a first reference value.

17. The electronic endoscope system of claim 16, wherein said controlling means increases said amount of light emitted by said emitting means when said averaged value is less than a second reference value, said second reference value being smaller than said first reference value.

18. The electronic endoscope system of claim 15, wherein said controlling means increases an amount of light emitted by said emitting means when said averaged value is less than a predetermined reference value.

22. The electronic endoscope of claim 14, wherein said emitting means emits light to sequentially illuminate said object with a plurality of color lights.

19. An electronic endoscope system for detecting an image of an object using an imaging device, comprising:

a light source that emits light to illuminate said object;

an image capturing device that receives an optical image of said object illuminated by said light source and outputs color image signals of said object;

a converter that converts said color image signals into color image digital signals;

a memory that stores said color image digital signals, corresponding to said color image signals, outputted by said converter;

a processor that generates a video signal, corresponding to an image, that is outputted to a display unit, said video signal being based on said color image digital signals stored in said memory;

a brightness data generating circuit that generates brightness data based on said color image digital signals stored in said memory;

a histogram circuit that applies histogram processing to said brightness data, generated by said brightness data generating circuit, to output histogram data;

a controller that controls an amount of light emitted by said light source in accordance with a result of said histogram processing by said histogram circuit; and

an enlargement processing device that enlarges said image outputted to said display unit, a part of said image being displayed on said display unit when an enlargement processing is applied by said enlargement processing device, said histogram circuit applying said histogram processing to only a part of said brightness data corresponding to said part of said image displayed on said display unit.

20. The electronic endoscope system of claim 19, wherein said controller averages values of said histogram data output by said histogram circuit to obtain an averaged value, said controller controlling said amount of light emitted by said light source in accordance with said averaged value.