Electronic endoscope

• US 6,545,703 B1
• Filed: 06/25/1999
• Issued: 04/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hoya Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pentax Corporation (Hoya Corporation)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Tadashi, Iketani, Kohei
• Primary Examiner(s): Kelley, Chris
• Assistant Examiner(s): WONG, ALLEN C
• Application Number:
  US09/344,524
• Time in Patent Office: 1,383 Days
• Field of Search: 348/61, 348/65, 348/69, 348/71, 348/625, 348/672, 600/180
• US Class Current: 348/69
• 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 23/663 for controlling interchangeable camera parts based on electronic image sensor signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/74 by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

In an electronic endoscope, a flexible scope has an image sensor provided at a distal end thereof. A video-signal processing unit, to which a proximal end of the flexible scope is connected, processes image signals read from the sensor. A light source is provided in the unit, and light, emitted from the light source, is guided through the scope and radiates from the distal end. An aperture-stop is associated with the source that regulates the radiation of light from the distal end. An aperture-stop is controlled in accordance with the luminance-signal-histogram, such that an image having a constant luminance level is reproduced in accordance with the processed image signals. When a localized halation occurs on the reproduced image, the aperture-stop is controlled such that the radiation of light from the distal end is forcibly decreased, thereby avoiding the occurrence of the localized halation.

Claims

1. An electronic endoscope comprising:

a flexible scope having an image sensor provided at a distal end of said scope;

a video-signal processing unit, to which a proximal end of said flexible scope is connected, that processes image-pixel signals successively read from said image sensor;

a light source provided in said video-signal processing unit such that light, emitted from said light source, is guided through said flexible scope and radiates from the distal end of said flexible scope;

a light-emission regulator associated with said light source that regulates the radiation of light from the distal end of said flexible scope;

a histogram generator that successively generates a luminance-signal-histogram in accordance with said processed image-pixel signals;

a first controller that controls said light-emission regulator in accordance with said luminance-signal-histogram, such that an image having a constant luminance level is reproduced in accordance with said processed image-pixel signals;

a determiner that determines whether a localized halation occurs on said reproduced image on the basis of said luminance-signal-histogram; and

a second controller that controls said light-emission regulator to forcibly decrease the radiation of light from the distal end of said flexible scope, thereby avoiding said localized halation occurrence.

2. An electronic endoscope as set forth in claim 1, wherein said generation of said luminance-signal-histogram by said histogram generator is based on a frame of image-pixel signals extracted from said processed image-pixel signals.

3. An electronic endoscope as set forth in claim 1, wherein said generation of said luminance-signal-histogram by said histogram generator is based on a field of image-pixel signals extracted from said processed image-pixel signals.

4. An electronic endoscope as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first controller includes a calculator that calculates an average luminance level-value in accordance with luminance signals representing luminance levels of said luminance-signal-histogram, and controls said light-emission regulator such that said average luminance level-value coincides with a given reference-luminance-level-value.

5. An electronic endoscope as set forth in claim 4, further comprising a manual adjuster that adjusts a magnitude of said reference-luminance-level-value.

6. An electronic endoscope as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a monitor that monitors whether a difference between said average luminance level-value and said reference-luminance-level value is more than a predetermined relatively-large threshold value over a given time period after said localized halation occurrence; and

a halation-avoidance-determiner that determines that said localized halation occurrence is avoided when it is confirmed by said monitor that said difference is more than said predetermined relatively-large threshold value over said given time period.

7. An electronic endoscope as set forth in claim 1, wherein said determiner includes a frequency calculator that calculates a specific frequency of luminance signals, included in a specific range of the luminance-signal-histogram bounded by a maximum luminance level and a given specific luminance level thereof, said determiner determining whether said localized halation occurs based on said specific frequency of luminance signals.

10. An electronic endoscope as set forth in claim 7, wherein said determiner further includes a comparator that compares said specific frequency of luminance signals with a given threshold value, said determiner determining that said localized halation occurs when it is confirmed by said comparator that said specific frequency of luminance signals exceeds said threshold value.

11. An electronic endoscope as set forth in claim 1, wherein said determiner includes an indicator that indicates said localized halation occurrence, the forcible decrease in the radiation of light from the distal end of said flexible scope being performed by said second controller when said localized halation occurrence is indicated by said indicator.

8. An electronic endoscope comprising:

a flexible scope having an image sensor provided at a distal end of said scope;

a video-signal processor, to which a proximal end of said flexible scope is connected, that processes image-pixel signals successively read from said image sensor;

a light source provided in said video-signal processor such that light, emitted from said light source, is guided through said flexible scope and radiates from the distal end of said flexible scope;

a light-emission regulator associated with said light source that regulates the radiation of light from the distal end of said flexible scope;

a histogram generator that successively generates a luminance-signal-histogram in accordance with said processed image-pixel signals;

a first controller that controls said light-emission regulator in accordance with said luminance-signal-histogram, such that an image having a constant luminance level is reproduced in accordance with said processed image-pixel signals;

a determiner that determines whether a localized halation occurs on said reproduced image, said determiner comprising a frequency calculator, which calculates a specific frequency of luminance signals included in a specific range of the luminance-signal-histogram, bounded by a maximum luminance level and a given specific luminance level, a ratio calculator, which calculates a ratio of said specific frequency of luminance signals to a total number of luminance signals included in said luminance-signal-histogram, and a comparator, which compares said ratio with a given threshold value, said determiner determining that the localized halation occurs when said ratio exceeds said threshold value; and

a second controller that controls said light-emission regulator to forcibly decrease the radiation of light from the distal end of said flexible scope, thereby avoiding said localized halation occurrence.

9. An electronic endoscope as set forth in claim 8, wherein said determiner further includes a numerical estimator that numerically estimates a magnitude of said ratio, and a halation-degree-determiner that determines a degree of said localized halation in accordance with the numerical estimation of said magnitude of said ratio, the forcible decrease in said radiation of light from the distal end of said flexible scope being performed by said second controller in accordance with the degree of said occurrence of said localized halation.

12. An electronic endoscope comprising:

an flexible scope for reaching inside a bodily cavity;

an optical system within said flexible scope that forms an image of a portion of the bodily cavity on an image sensor, the image sensor generating a detected image signal;

a regulated light source system associated with said flexible scope that illuminates the bodily cavity, said regulated light source system varying illumination to maintain a substantially constant average luminance of the detected image signal; and

a halation override system that monitors a luminance distribution histogram of the detected image signal and, when the luminance distribution histogram indicates the presence of a halation by a histogram shape having a high luminance anomaly, overrides the maintaining of the substantially constant average luminance of the detected image signal by forcing a reduction in illumination to reduce halation.