All-pixels reading type electronic endoscope apparatus

• US 6,219,091 B1
• Filed: 01/13/2000
• Issued: 04/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujinon Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Optical Co. Ltd (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamanaka, Kazuhiro, Higuchi, Mitsuru
• Primary Examiner(s): Kelley, Chris
• Assistant Examiner(s): An, Shawn S.
• Application Number:
  US09/482,269
• Time in Patent Office: 460 Days
• Field of Search: 348/65, 348/68, 348/69, 348/70, 348/220, 348/257
• US Class Current: 348/65
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/045 Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2484 Arrangements in relation to a camera or imaging device processing or control of video signals generated by an endoscope H04N23/60, H04N23/70
• 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 25/136 using complementary colours

Abstract

An all-pixels reading type electronic endoscope apparatus enables the function of controlling the quantity of light which becomes impossible of follow-up when a still picture having a good picture quality is displayed to be quickly restored by reading all the pixels. The data on all the pixels obtained by a CCD at one exposure are read while using a light chopper, and the data on the odd lines are stored in a first memory and the data on the even lines are stored in a second memory. These memories are inhibited from being written into at the point of time when they store the picture data obtained at the same exposure, and the field signals formed from the video signals are stored in third and fourth memories. When a still picture is displayed, the third and fourth memories are inhibited from being written into, while the first and second memories are released from the write-inhibit state. It is thus possible to quickly restore the light quantity control function by inputting the current luminance signal to an iris controller before the display of the still picture is stopped. In addition, if the shutter speed is raised when the stop of the light source is not in a full-open state, and the shutter speed is lowered when the stop is in a full-open state, it is possible to obtain a picture having a higher quality.

Claims

1. An all-pixels reading type electronic endoscope apparatus comprising:

an all-pixels reading means for reading video signals on either of the odd lines and the even lines first and then reading the video signals on the other lines which are stored for each pixel by an image sensor at one exposure while cutting off incident light for a predetermined period;

all-pixels memories for storing said video signal on said odd lines and said video signal on said even lines obtained by said image sensor;

a mixer for mixing said video signal on said odd lines and said video signals on said even lines which are read out of said all-pixels memories and forming pixel mixture signals;

a light quantity controller for controlling the quantity of light output from a light source by driving a stop on the basis of a luminance signal of said pixel mixture signals output from said mixer;

an electronic shutter controller for controlling the storage time of said video signals in said image sensor as a shutter speed; and

a main control circuit for controlling said shutter speed to a higher value when said stop of said light quantity controller is judged not to be in a full-open state, while controlling said shutter speed to a lower value when said stop is judged to be in a full-open state, and inhibiting said all-pixels memories from being written into at the point of time when said video signals on said odd lines and said even lines at the same exposure are stored therein so as to display a picture on the basis of the picture data at the same exposure.