Image apparatus and method, and communication terminal device

• US 7,627,364 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2004
• Issued: 12/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sato, Hideo
• Primary Examiner(s): Winakur; Eric F
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOR, HELENE CATHERINE
• Application Number:
  US10/975,355
• Publication Number:
  US 20050154318A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,859 Days
• Field of Search: 600/476, 600/310, 600/473, 382115-116, 250/205, 250/214.AL, 356 39- 42, 340/5.83
• US Class Current: 600/473
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0013 Medical image data A61B1/00011, A61B6/56, A61B8/56 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0059 using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence A61B5/0093, A61B5/1455, A61B5/02416 and A61B5/0261 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1171 based on the shapes or appearances of their bodies or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6826 Finger
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6838 Clamps or clips
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/145 Sensors therefor

Abstract

To realize downsizing. This invention provides an imaging apparatus with an irradiation means for irradiating a body with irradiation light stronger than light in the air coming to the body, a solid imaging element for performing photoelectric conversion on a pattern light of unique tissues obtained through the body, and a sensitivity adjustment means for adjusting the imaging sensitivity of the solid imaging element to the unique tissues by limiting the amount of a signal which is stored per unit time through the photoelectric conversion in the solid imaging element.

Claims

1. An imaging apparatus, comprising:

irradiation means for irradiating a body with irradiation light;

a light detecting unit configured to detect an intensity of ambient light coming to the body;

a light source control unit configured to control the irradiation means to irradiate the body with the irradiation light, having an intensity stronger than the ambient light coming to the body, based on the detected intensity of the ambient light coming to the body;

a solid imaging element for performing photoelectric conversion on pattern light of unique tissues obtained through the body; and

sensitivity adjustment means for adjusting an imaging sensitivity of said solid imaging element to the unique tissues by limiting an amount of a signal stored per unit time through the photoelectric conversion in said solid imaging element.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said irradiation means irradiates the body with light of a wavelength which has a specificity for blood vessel tissues inside the body as the irradiation light.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said irradiation means irradiates the body with light including light of a wavelength which has a specificity for blood vessel tissues of both arterial blood and venous blood inside the body as the irradiation light.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said irradiation means is provided almost on a same plane as said solid imaging element to irradiate the body on said solid imaging element with the irradiation light.

5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, comprising:

mode switching means for operating said irradiation means and said sensitivity adjustment means in one of a mode to image the pattern light and a mode to image ambient light coming from a subject.

6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 5, comprising:

incident light selection means for selectively entering the pattern light into said solid imaging element, wherein

said mode switching means selects the pattern light by controlling said light selection means in the mode to image the pattern light.

7. The imaging apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

said incident light selection means is composed of a complementary color filter having a prescribed pixel arrangement, and a filter for letting the pattern light get through only regions corresponding to some pixels of the complementary color filter.

8. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the solid imaging element captures an image of the unique tissues of the body.

9. An imaging method, comprising:

detecting an intensity of ambient light coming to the body;

irradiating a body with irradiation light, having an intensity stronger than ambient light coming to the body, based on the detected intensity of the ambient light coming to the body;

performing photoelectric conversion on pattern light of unique tissues obtained through the body, with solid imaging element; and

adjusting an imaging sensitivity of said solid imaging element to the unique tissues by limiting an amount of a signal stored per unit time as a result of the photoelectric conversion in said solid imaging element.

10. The imaging method according to claim 9, wherein,

in the irradiating step, the body is irradiated with light of a wavelength which has a specificity for blood vessel tissues inside the body as the irradiation light.

11. The imaging method according to claim 9, wherein,

in the irradiating step, the body is irradiated with light including light of a wavelength which has a specificity for blood vessel tissues of both arterial blood and venous blood inside the body as the irradiation light.

12. The imaging method according to claim 9, wherein,

in the irradiating step, an opposite side of the light entering in said solid imaging element is irradiated with the irradiation light.

13. The imaging method according to claim 9, wherein

the irradiating step includes a mode switching step of switching to a mode to image the pattern light from a mode to image ambient light coming from a subject, wherein,

when switching to the mode to image the pattern light is performed in the mode switching step, the body is irradiated with the irradiation light having the intensity stronger than the ambient light coming to the body.

14. The imaging method according to claim 13, wherein,

in the mode switching step, an incident light selection means is controlled so as to selectively enter the pattern light into said solid imaging element in the mode to image the pattern light.

15. The imaging method according to claim 9, wherein, in the step of performing photoelectric conversion, the solid imaging element captures an image of the unique tissues of the body.

16. The communication terminal device according to claim 9, wherein the solid imaging element captures an image of the unique tissues of the body.

17. A communication terminal device having a communication function, comprising:

irradiation means for irradiating a body with irradiation light;

a light detecting unit configured to detect an intensity of ambient light coming to the body;

a light source control unit configured to control the irradiation means to irradiate the body with the irradiation light, having an intensity stronger than the ambient light coming to the body, based on the detected intensity of the ambient light coming to the body;

a solid imaging element for performing photoelectric conversion on pattern light of unique tissues obtained through the body;

sensitivity adjustment means for adjusting an imaging sensitivity of said solid imaging element to the unique tissues by limiting an amount of a signal stored per unit time through the photoelectric conversion in said solid imaging element; and

information registration means for registering a pattern signal, obtained as an imaging result of said solid imaging element, as a determination index for determining whether transmission of information is allowed.

18. The communication terminal device according to claim 17, wherein

said information registration means compares a pattern of a pattern signal obtained as a result of imaging of said solid imaging element with a pattern of the registered pattern signal, to determine according to a comparison result whether the transmission of the information is allowed.

19. The communication terminal device according to claim 17, wherein

said irradiation means irradiates the body with light of a wavelength which has a specificity for blood vessel tissues inside the body as the irradiation light.

20. The communication terminal device according to claim 17, wherein

said irradiation means irradiates the body with light including light of a wavelength which has a specificity for blood vessel tissues of both arterial blood and venous blood inside the body as the irradiation light.

21. The communication terminal device according to claim 17, wherein

said irradiation means is provided almost on a same plane as said solid imaging element and irradiates the body on said solid imaging element with the irradiation light.

22. The communication terminal device according to claim 17, comprising:

mode switching means for operating said irradiation means and said sensitivity adjustment means in one of a mode to image the pattern light and a mode to image ambient light coming from a subject.

23. The communication terminal device according to claim 22, comprising:

incident light selection means for selectively entering the pattern light into said solid imaging element, wherein

said mode switching means selects the pattern light by controlling said light selection means in the mode to image the pattern light.

24. The communication terminal device according to claim 23, wherein

said incident light selection means comprises a complementary color filter having a prescribed pixel arrangement, and a filter for letting the pattern light get through only regions corresponding to some pixels of the complementary color filter.

25. An imaging apparatus, comprising:

an irradiation unit configured to irradiate a body with irradiation light;

a light detecting unit configured to detect an intensity of ambient light coming to the body;

a light source control unit configured to control the irradiation unit to irradiate the body with the irradiation light, having an intensity stronger than the ambient light coming to the body, based on the detected intensity of the ambient light coming to the body;

a solid imaging element configured to perform photoelectric conversion on pattern light of unique tissues obtained through the body; and

a sensitivity adjustment unit configured to adjust an imaging sensitivity of said solid imaging element to the unique tissues by limiting an amount of a signal stored per unit time through the photoelectric conversion in said solid imaging element.

26. A communication terminal device having a communication function, comprising:

an irradiation unit configured to irradiate a body with irradiation light;

a light detecting unit configured to detect an intensity of ambient light coming to the body;

a light source control unit configured to control the irradiation unit to irradiate the body with the irradiation light, having an intensity stronger than the ambient light coming to the body, based on the detected intensity of the ambient light coming to the body;

a solid imaging element configured to perform photoelectric conversion on pattern light of unique tissues obtained through the body;

a sensitivity adjustment unit configured to adjust an imaging sensitivity of said solid imaging element to the unique tissues by limiting an amount of a signal stored per unit time through the photoelectric conversion in said solid imaging element; and

an information registration unit configured to register a pattern signal, obtained as an imaging result of said solid imaging element, as a determination index for determining whether transmission of information is allowed.