Endoscope system and video camera for endoscope

• US 6,589,162 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2001
• Issued: 07/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hoya Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pentax Corporation (Hoya Corporation)
• Inventors: Kikuchi, Naoki, Nakashima, Masaaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoang, Tu Ba
• Application Number:
  US09/785,163
• Publication Number:
  US 20010015754A1
• Time in Patent Office: 868 Days
• Field of Search: 600/101, 600/109, 600/127, 600/179, 600/407, 600/410, 600/423, 600/102, 600/118, 600/112, 600/130, 600/131, 600/167, 600/182, 600/424, 128/908, 128/920, 128/923, 128/903, 348/65, 348/69, 348/70, 348/318, 348/322, 606/130
• US Class Current: 600/109
• 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 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

An endoscope system with an endoscope, a TV monitor, and a peripheral device separate from the endoscope and the TV monitor is provided. The endoscope includes an objective optical system and an image pickup device that converts an image formed by the objective optical system into a video signal which can be indicated in the TV monitor. The endoscope also includes a signal generator that generates a control signal to be supplied to the peripheral device so as to control the peripheral device. Additionally, the endoscope includes a transmitter that transmits the video signal to the TV monitor while no control signal is generated by the signal generator. The transmitter also transmits, as a radio signal, both the video signal and the control signal to the TV monitor and the peripheral device upon the control signal being generated by the signal generator. The endoscope also includes a signal adder that adds the control signal to a blanking interval of the video signal to output the video signal added with the control signal to the transmitter.

Claims

1. An endoscope system including an endoscope, a TV monitor, and a peripheral device separate from the endoscope and the TV monitor, said endoscope comprising:

an objective optical system;

an image pickup device that converts an image formed by the objective optical system into a TV signal which can be indicated in said TV monitor;

a signal generator that generates a control signal to be supplied to said peripheral device so as to control the peripheral device;

a transmitter that transmits, as a radio signal, the TV signal to the TV monitor when no control signal is generated by said signal generator, and that transmits, as a radio signal, both the TV signal and the control signal to the TV monitor and to the peripheral device upon the control signal being generated by said signal generator; and

a signal adder that adds the control signal to a blanking interval of said TV signal to output the TV signal added with said control signal to the transmitter.

2. The endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein the TV signal and the control signal are transmitted as a radio signal on one channel.

3. The endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein said signal generator includes an operation member for controlling said peripheral device so that said signal generator generates said control signal in accordance with operation of the operation member.

4. The endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein said peripheral device comprises a video printer which prints the image picked-up by said image pickup device.

5. The endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein said peripheral device comprises an image recorder which records the image picked-up by said image pickup device.

6. The endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein said endoscope comprises a fiberscope endoscope having an eyepiece portion, and wherein said image pickup device is a video camera which is connectable to the eyepiece portion.

7. The endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein said endoscope comprises a rigid endoscope having an eyepiece portion, and wherein said image pickup device is a video camera which is connectable to the eyepiece portion.

8. The endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein said endoscope comprises an optical fiber through which the image formed by the objective optical system is transmitted, so that the image transmitted through the optical fiber can be picked up by the image pickup device.

9. The endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein said endoscope comprises an electronic endoscope.

10. An endoscope system including an endoscope, a TV monitor, and a peripheral device separate from the endoscope and the TV monitor, said endoscope comprising:

an objective optical system;

an image pickup device that produces a video signal, which can be indicated in said TV monitor, from an image formed by the objective optical system;

a signal generator which generates an information signal that indicates a setting state of said image pickup device in said TV monitor;

an image masking device that generates an image masking signal to mask the periphery of the image picked-up by the image pickup device

a signal adder that adds the information signal to the image masking signal and that adds the information signal and the image masking signal to the video signal to output the video signal added with said information signal to the transmitter; and

wherein the video signal added with the image masking signal which includes the information signal, is transmitted as a radio signal.

11. The endoscope system according to claim 10, wherein the endoscope further comprises a transmitter that transmits the video signal and the information signal so that both the image picked-up by said image pickup device and the setting state of the image pickup device can be indicated in the TV monitor.

12. The endoscope system according to claim 10, wherein said signal generator includes an operation member that changes the setting state of the image pickup device so that said signal generator generates said information signal in accordance with operation of the operation member.

13. The endoscope system according to claim 10, wherein said information signal comprises a character signal, so that the setting state of the image pickup device can be indicated by characters in the TV monitor.

14. The endoscope system according to claim 10, wherein the video signal is a TV signal, and wherein said signal adder adds the information signal to a displayed period of said TV signal.

15. A video camera for an endoscope which is provided with a TV monitor and a peripheral device separate from the endoscope and the TV monitor, said video camera comprising:

an image pickup device which converts an image formed by an endoscope into a TV signal which can be indicated in a TV monitor;

a signal generator that generates a control signal to be supplied to a peripheral device so as to control the peripheral device;

a transmitter that transmits, as a radio signal, the TV signal to the TV monitor when no control signal is generated by said signal generator, and that transmits, as a radio signal, both the TV signal and the control signal to the TV monitor and to the peripheral device upon the control signal being generated by said signal generator; and

a signal adder that adds said control signal to a blanking interval of said TV signal and that outputs the TV signal added with said control signal to said transmitter.

wherein said signal adder adds said control signal to the blanking interval of said TV signal so as not to overlap the TV signal.

16. The video camera for an endoscope according to claim 15, wherein said signal generator includes an operation member that controls said peripheral device so that said signal generator generates said control signal in accordance with operation of the operation member.

17. The video camera for an endoscope according to claim 15, wherein said peripheral device comprises a video printer which prints the image converted by the image pickup device.

18. The video camera for an endoscope according to claim 15, wherein said peripheral device comprises an image recorder which records the image converted by the image pickup device.

19. A video camera for an endoscope which is provided with a TV monitor and a peripheral device separate from the endoscope and the TV monitor, said video camera comprising:

an image pickup device which produces a video signal, which can be indicated in a TV monitor, from an image formed by an endoscope;

a signal generator which generates an information signal that indicates a setting state of said video camera;

an image masking device that generates an image masking signal to mask the periphery of the image picked-up by the image pickup device, and

a signal adder that adds the information signal to the image masking signal and that adds the image masking signal to the video signal to output the video signal and the information signal to a transmitter;

wherein the video signal added with the image masking signal which includes the information signal, is transmitted as a radio signal.

20. The video camera according to claim 19, wherein said video camera further comprises a transmitter that transmits the video signal and the information signal, which constitutes a radio signal, so that both the image picked-up by said image pickup device and the setting state of the image pickup device can be indicated in the TV monitor.

21. The video camera for an endoscope according to claim 19, wherein said signal generator includes an operation member that changes the setting state of said video camera so that said signal generator generates said information signal in accordance with operation of the operation member.

22. The video camera according to claim 19, wherein said information signal comprises a character signal, so that the setting state of the image pickup device can be indicated by characters in the TV monitor.

23. The endoscope system according to claim 19, wherein the video signal is a TV signal, and wherein said signal adder adds the information signal to a displayed period of said TV signal.