Electronic endoscope apparatus which superimposes signals on power supply

• US 7,400,341 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2007
• Issued: 07/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujinon Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujinon Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Abe, Kazunori
• Primary Examiner(s): Philippe; Gims
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rekstad; Erick
• Application Number:
  US11/723,095
• Publication Number:
  US 20070159526A1
• Time in Patent Office: 487 Days
• Field of Search: 348/65, 340/538, 340/310.11, 455/402, 725/79, 396/17, 600/160
• US Class Current: 348/65
• 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 23/65 Control of camera operation in relation to power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices

Abstract

An electronic endoscope apparatus has a single coaxial cable installed between a scope A and a processor unit B. Waveform superimposing circuits superimpose a video signal on power transmitted through the coaxial cable and sequentially superimpose scope-side reference pulses and processor-side reference pulses alternately on horizontal scanning blanking periods in one field of the video signal. At the same time, the scope A and processor unit B generate reference signals and various timing signals synchronized with the reference pulses of the counterpart and perform video processing based on them. This enables accurate sampling even when scopes with different pixel counts are used. Also, a scope information signal and electronic shutter control signal may be superimposed on a predetermined blanking period in the video signal. Alternatively, an electromagnetic coupler may be installed instead of the coaxial cable and the video signal and reference pulses may be superimposed on AC power supplied electromagnetically.

Claims

1. An electronic endoscope apparatus comprising:

an electronic endoscope equipped with an image pickup device;

a main unit which is connected with the electronic endoscope and includes a processor unit;

a common power/signal line which connects the electronic endoscope with the main unit;

a power supply circuit which is installed in the main unit and supplies power to the electronic endoscope via the common power/signal line;

a scope-side waveform superimposing circuit which superimposes a video signal obtained by the image pickup device on power transmitted through the common power/signal line and superimposes an information signal about the electronic endoscope on a predetermined blanking period in the video signal;

a processor-side separating circuit which separates the video signal and the information signal about the electronic endoscope superimposed on the common power/signal line; and

a signal processing circuit which performs various types of processing on the video signal based on the information signal about the electronic endoscope obtained from the processor-side separating circuit.

2. The electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, comprising:

an electronic shutter circuit which controls charge accumulation time in the image pickup device as electronic shutter speed;

a processor-side waveform superimposing circuit which superimposes an electronic shutter control signal on a predetermined blanking period in the video signal supplied through the common power/signal line; and

a scope-side separating circuit which separates the electronic shutter control signal superimposed on the common power/signal line.

3. The electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the scope-side waveform superimposing circuit superimposes scope-side reference pulses on a blanking period of the first horizontal line in the first field or first frame of the video signal and superimposes the information signal about the electronic endoscope on predetermined blanking periods of the second and later horizontal lines in the first field or first frame while the processor-side waveform superimposing circuit superimposes the electronic shutter control signal on a predetermined blanking period in the second or later field or frame of the video signal.

4. The electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, comprising:

an electromagnetic coupler which is installed instead of the common power/signal line and connects the electronic endoscope and the main unit electromagnetically; and

a power supply circuit which is installed in the main unit and supplies AC power to the electronic endoscope via the electromagnetic coupler,

wherein the video signal, scope-side reference pulses, and processor-side reference pulses are superimposed on the AC power.