Image processing apparatus for performing turn or mirror inversion on an input video signal and outputting different images simultaneously

• US 6,636,254 B1
• Filed: 11/20/1996
• Issued: 10/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Takemura, Takashi, Kaneko, Mamoru, Uchikubo, Akinobu, Hirai, Tsutomu, Imagawa, Kyou, Tatsumi, Yasukazu, Inomata, Kenya, Tsunakawa, Makoto, Harano, Kenji, Taguchi, Akihiro, Kami, Kuniaki, Onishi, Junichi
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, RICHARD J
• Application Number:
  US08/754,203
• Time in Patent Office: 2,526 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.718, 348/65, 348/66, 348/72, 348/77, 348/73, 348/74, 348/126, 348/564, 348/583, 348/589, 345/126, 600/117, 600/118, 600/167
• US Class Current: 348/65
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0005 combining images e.g. side-by-side, superimposed or tiled
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/60 Rotation of whole images or parts thereof

Abstract

Using an endoscope system, a surgeon A holds an endoscope with a TV camera (hereinafter, an endoscope) and a therapeutic appliance such as forceps and carries out a surgical procedure while viewing a first monitor. A surgeon B holds a therapeutic appliance such as forceps and carries out the surgical procedure while viewing a second monitor. A video signal sent from the TV camera of the endoscope is fed to and processed by an image processing apparatus, and displayed on each of the first and second monitors. The image processing apparatus transfers the video signal sent from the endoscope to each of an image inverting circuit and a selector switch. The image inverting circuit inverts an image (laterally (to produce a mirror image), vertically, or vertically and laterally (180°)), and supplies a processed video signal to the selector switch. The selector switch selects a video signal to be supplied to each of the first and second monitors, which are display units, in response to a control signal sent from a selector. The contents of processing to be performed by the image inverting circuit and the video signal to be selected by the selector are designated using setting switches on an operation panel.

Claims

1. An image processing system, comprising:

an image means for imaging a subject to produce raw images;

an image input means for inputting said raw images produced by said image means;

an image processing means for processing said raw images fed to said image input means to produce at least one kind of transformed image consisting of a turned image or a mirror image;

a synthetic image producing means for synthesizing at least two images among said raw images and a plurality of transformed images which are different from one another and which are produced by said image processing means so as to produce a first synthetic image while producing a second synthetic image which is different from said first synthetic image;

an image output means having a first image output unit for outputting said first synthetic image and a second image output unit for outputting said second synthetic image;

a first display means for displaying images supplied from said first image output unit; and

a second display means separate from said first display means for displaying images supplied from said second image output unit.

2. An image processing system according to claim 1,

wherein each of the first and second synthetic images produced by the synthetic image producing means includes at least a first image area and a second image area, and

wherein the synthetic image producing means produces a plurality of the synthetic images by allocating first and second different images from among both the transformed image and the raw images to the first image area and the second image area, respectively.

3. An image processing system according to claim 2, wherein the first image area is a main image area in a picture-in-picture image, and the second image area is a sub-image area in the picture-in-picture image.

4. An image processing system according to claim 2, wherein the image processing means includes an image data transforming means for transforming image data of the first image area by enlarging, reducing, or moving the first different image to be allocated to the first image area.

5. An image processing system according to claim 4, wherein the image data transforming means transforms image data of the first image area by enlarging, reducing, or moving the first different image to be allocated to the first image area according to a display position of the second different image to be allocated to the second image area in the first different image to be allocated to the first image area.

6. An image processing system according to claim 2, further comprising a second image display position setting means for setting a display position of the second different image to be allocated to the second image area in the first different image to be allocated to the first image area.

7. An image processing system according to claim 6, wherein the second image display position setting means sets the display position of the second different image to be allocated to the second image area in the first different image to be allocated to the first image area according to the first different image to be allocated to the first image area.

8. An image processing apparatus, comprising:

a first image input means for inputting raw images;

a second image input means for inputting raw images different from the raw images fed to the first image input means;

an image processing means for processing at least one raw image among the raw images from the first and second image input means to produce at least one kind of transformed image;

a synthetic image producing means for synthesizing at least two images from among the raw images and at least one transformed images produced by the image processing means so as to produce at least a first synthetic image and a second synthetic image;

a first image output unit for outputting the first synthetic image produced by the synthetic image producing means to a first monitor; and

a second image output unit for outputting the second synthetic image signal produced by the synthetic image producing means to a second monitor separate from the first monitor.

9. An image processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein each of the first and second synthetic images produced by the synthetic image producing means includes at least a first image area and a second image area, and

wherein the synthetic image producing means produces a plurality of synthetic images by allocating different images from among both the transformed image and the raw images to the first and second image areas.

10. An image processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the first image area is a main image area in a picture-in-picture image, and the second image area is a sub-image area in a picture-in-picture image.

11. An image processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the image processing means includes a main image transforming means for transforming a main image by enlarging, reducing, or moving one of the different images to be allocated to the main image area.

12. An image processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the main image transforming means transforms the main image by enlarging, reducing, or moving the one of the different images to be allocated to the main image area according to a display position of another of the different images to be allocated to the sub-image area in the one of different images to be allocated to the main image area.

13. An image processing apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a sub-image display position setting means for setting a display position of another of the different images to be allocated to the sub-image area in one of the different images to be allocated to the main image area.

14. An image processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the sub-image display position setting means sets a display position of the another of the different images to be allocated to the sub-image area in the one of the different images to be allocated to the main image area according to one of the different images to be allocated to the main image area.

15. An image processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the image processing means produces at least one turned image or mirror image as the transformed image.

16. An image processing apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a turn value setting means for setting a quality of turn for the at least one turned image to be produced by the image processing means.

17. An image processing apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a character data generating means for generating at least state character data indicating a state of the first and second synthetic images supplied from the first and second image output unit, and a character superposing means for superposing state character data generated by the character data generating means on the first and second synthetic images supplied from the first and second image output unit.

18. An image processing apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising a character superposition time setting means for setting a time interval during which the state character data is superposed by the character superposing means.

19. An image processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the transformed image includes at least one of a turned image and a mirror image produced by the processing means so as to produce the first synthetic image while producing the second synthetic image which is different from the first synthetic image.

20. An image processing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the turned image is made by turning a raw image 180°

.

21. An image processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the raw images are still and animated images.

22. An image processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the raw images are endoscopic images.

23. An endoscope image processing system, comprising:

a first image input means for inputting raw images from an endoscope which is inserted into a lumen to image a subject to produce raw images;

a second image input means for inputting raw images different from said raw images fed to said first image input means;

an image processing means for processing at least one raw image among the raw images from said first and second image input means to produce at least one kind of transformed image consisting of a turned image or a mirror image;

a synthetic image producing means from synthesizing at least two images among said raw images and transformed images produced by said image processing means;

an image output means for outputting images synthesized by said synthetic image producing means;

a first display means for displaying one of said images synthesized by said synthetic image producing means and outputted from said image output means; and

a second display means for displaying another one of said images synthesized by said synthetic image producing means and outputted from said image output means, said second display means being separate from said first display means.