Endoscope system in which operation switch sets designed to function and be handled same way are included in endoscope and image processing apparatus respectively

• US 6,120,435 A
• Filed: 05/28/1998
• Issued: 09/19/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Eino, Teruo
• Primary Examiner(s): Leubecker, John P.
• Application Number:
  US09/085,821
• Time in Patent Office: 845 Days
• Field of Search: 600/109, 600/118, 600/152, 600/167, 348/65, 348/74, 348/76
• US Class Current: 600/118
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0004 for electronic operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00042 for mechanical operation
• 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 23/632 for displaying or modifying preview images prior to image capturing, e.g. variety of image resolutions or capturing parameters

Abstract

Operation button sets that are actuated with the same operation switches are included in an endoscope in which an imaging device is incorporated and in an image processing apparatus for processing an image taken by the imaging device. The operation buttons are connected to a CPU in the image processing apparatus. Using whichever one of the operation button sets a user chooses to operate the endoscope system, the user can execute functions such as displaying a still image or enlarging and displaying an image by following the same handling procedure for each operation button set. Thus, the user is relieved from learning a plurality of handling procedures.

Claims

1. An endoscope system, comprising:

an endoscope including an elongated insertion unit, an emitting means for emitting illumination light through the distal part of said insertion unit, an objective lens assembly located in said distal part for forming an image of an object illuminated by the illumination light, and an imaging device for photoelectrically converting the image;

an image processing apparatus for processing an image signal output from said imaging device and producing a standard video signal from said image signal;

a monitor for displaying the standard video signal;

a first operating member connected to said endoscope and having a first operation switch set;

a second operating member connected to said image processing apparatus and having a second operation switch set, wherein said first and second operation switch sets have the same structure;

a control means, connected to said first and second operating members, for controlling at least one function provided by said endoscope system in response to operation of either of the first and second operating members, said control means controlling said at least one function in the same manner regardless of which one of said first and second operating members is operated;

a function display means for displaying on said monitor function marks associated with functions provided by said endoscope system; and

a cursor mark used to select any of the function marks on said monitor.

2. An endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein said control means includes a central processing unit.

3. An endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one function provided by said endoscope system includes an image processing function installed in said image processing apparatus.

4. An endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one function provided by said endoscope system is installed in said image processing apparatus and includes a display function of displaying an image on said monitor.

5. An endoscope system according to claim 4, wherein said display function includes at least one of a still image display function of displaying a still image, a luminance change function of changing the brightness level of an image displayed on said monitor, a color change function of changing the color tone of an image displayed on said monitor, and a zoom function for enlarging an image displayed on said monitor.

6. An endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one function provided by said endoscope system includes a function installed in said endoscope.

7. An endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein said first and second operating members each include

a plurality of movement key-switches used to instruct movements in a plurality of directions;

and

a decision key-switch used to instruct a decision.

8. An endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein said first and second operating members each include

a plurality of movement key-switches used to instruct movements in a plurality of directions;

and

an execution key-switch used to instruct execution, wherein said movement key-switches are used to move said cursor mark to any of said function marks, and said execution key-switch instructs said control means to execute the function associated with the function mark designated by said cursor mark.

9. An endoscope system according to claim 1, further comprising an image collection and recording apparatus capable of recording and reproducing image data produced by said image processing apparatus.

10. An endoscope system according to claim 9, wherein said image collection and recording apparatus includes a third operating member having a third operation switch set whose structure is the same as that of the first and second operation switch sets of said first and second operating members, respectively.

11. An endoscope system according to claim 9, further comprising an RS232C connector used for communication between said image processing apparatus and said image collection and recording apparatus, wherein said RS232C connector provides connection for image signal data transmission between said image processing apparatus and said image collection and recording apparatus and for additional signal lines used to transmit other signals.

12. An endoscope system according to claim 1, further comprising a voice collection and recording apparatus for recording and reproducing voice information.

13. An endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein said first operating member included in said endoscope has an encoder for encoding a signal passed by said first operation switch set.

14. An endoscope system according to claim 1,

wherein said endoscope further includes a hand-held unit at a proximal end of said insertion unit, wherein said first operating member is located at a position on said hand-held unit at which said first operating member can be handled easily with said hand-held unit being held by a user'"'"'s left hand, and said system further comprises a third operating member having a third operation switch set having a structure which is the same as that of the first operation switch set of said first operating member, wherein said third operating member is located at a position on said hand-held unit at which said third operating member can be handled easily with said hand-held unit being held by a user'"'"'s right hand.

15. An endoscope system, comprising:

an endoscope having an imaging device for imaging an object;

an image processing apparatus for processing an image produced by said imaging device;

a display device for displaying the processed image;

a first operating member and a second operating member, said first and second operating members being designed to function in the same way and are located on said endoscope and on said image processing apparatus, respectively, to execute image processing functions installed in said image processing apparatus;

a controller, electrically coupled to said first and second operating members, for controlling an image processing function selected by handling either of said first or second operating members;

a function display means for displaying on said display means a plurality of function marks associated with the image processing functions; and

a cursor mark used to select any one of the plurality of function marks on said monitor.

16. An endoscope system, comprising:

an endoscope having an imaging device for imaging an object;

an image processing apparatus for processing an image produced by said imaging device;

a display device for displaying the processed image;

a first operating member and a second operating member, wherein said first and second operating members are both capable of selecting and executing each one of a plurality of functions associated with said endoscope system, including at least one image processing function; and

a controller, electrically coupled to said first and second operating members, for controlling a function selected with either of said first or second operating members, wherein the display device is adapted to also display a representation for each of said plurality of functions and a selection indicator to indicate the function being selected.

17. An endoscope system according to claim 16, wherein at least one of said first and second operating members comprises

a plurality of direction buttons to move said selection indicator to each function representation on said display device;

and

a selection entry button to execute a selected function by sending the selection to said controller.

18. An endoscope system according to claim 17, wherein one of said plurality of functions is an operating mode of said first and second operating members such that each direction button and said entry selection button is directly associated with one of said plurality of functions, whereby when one of said buttons is pressed, the function associated with that button is directly selected to the controller.

19. An endoscope system according to claim 17, further comprising an encoder such that the number of connections required between said controller and said at least one operating member is fewer than the number of buttons in said at least one operating member.

20. An endoscope system according to claim 16, wherein at least one of said first and second operating members comprises a computer mouse for moving said selection indicator to a desired function, said computer mouse including a selection entry button to execute a selected function by sending the selection to said controller.

21. An endoscope system according to claim 16, wherein one of said first and second operating members is disposed on said display device as a touch sensitive panel, such that a function associated with a displayed function representation is selected when touched by a user.

22. An endoscope system according to claim 16, further comprising an image collection and recording apparatus for recording or reproducing image data to or from a data storage unit, said image collection and recording apparatus being electrically connected to said image processing apparatus and said display device.

23. An endoscope system according to claim 22, wherein said image collection and recording apparatus is capable of retrieving and displaying image data for a plurality of recorded images on said display device.

24. An endoscope system according to claim 22, wherein said image collection and recording apparatus is capable of recording only a portion of a displayed image indicated by a selection window on said display device, and wherein a location of the selection window is controlled by either of said first or second operation members.

25. An endoscope system according to claim 22, further comprising a voice collection and recording mechanism for recording or reproducing a voice signal.

26. An endoscope system according to claim 16, wherein said plurality of functions associated with said endoscope system includes at least one of the following features:

zoom/unzoom, brightness increase/brightness decrease, color tone enhancement/color tone lightening, image freeze/unfreeze, image storage, image retrieval, image deletion, image magnification, voice storage, and voice retrieval.