Electronic endoscope system

• US 6,421,078 B1
• Filed: 02/11/2000
• Issued: 07/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fuji Photo Optical Co. Ltd (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Optical Co. Ltd (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yajima, Kaneo, Akai, Nobuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Vu
• Application Number:
  US09/502,465
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: 348/65, 348/68, 348/69, 348/70, 348/71, 348/76, 348/223, 348/224, 348/227, 600/109, 600/160
• US Class Current: 348/65
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/045 Control thereof
• 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 23/88 for colour balance, e.g. white-balance circuits or colour temperature control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

An electronic endoscope system comprises an electronic endoscope unit equipped with a solid state image pickup element for providing electric signals of an object and a processing unit for processing the electric signals to video signals. During performing black balance adjustment, the processing unit interrupts only vertical transfer signals included in drive signals, vertical and horizontal drive signals, for driving the solid state image pickup element so as to cause the solid state image pickup element to provide electric signals at the same level as electric signals that the solid state image pickup element provides while it is in isolated from ambient light.

Claims

1. An electronic endoscope system comprising an electronic endoscope unit equipped with a photoelectric conversion element as an image pickup element for photo-electrically converting light from an object to electric signals and a signal processing unit for processing said electric signals to video signals, said processing unit comprising:

drive signal generating means for generating vertical and horizontal transfer signals as drive signals with which said photoelectric conversion element is driven;

color balance adjusting means for adjusting at least black balance of said photoelectric conversion element;

transfer signal interruption means for interrupting said vertical transfer signals from said photoelectric conversion element and admitting said horizontal transfer signals to the solid state image pickup element while said balance adjusting means is actuated.

2. An electronic endoscope system as defined in claim 1, wherein said color balance adjusting means comprises a black balance controlling circuit.

3. An electronic endoscope system as defined in claim 1, wherein said color balance adjusting means comprises a black balance controlling circuit and a white balance controlling circuit.