Endoscopy device supporting multiple input devices

• US 7,855,727 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2004
• Issued: 12/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gyrus ACMI, Inc. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Gyrus ACMI, Inc. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Blumzvig, Arie, Adler, Doron, Finkman, Shai
• Primary Examiner(s): Banks Harold; Marsha D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anyikire; Chikaodili E
• Application Number:
  US10/942,210
• Publication Number:
  US 20060055793A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,288 Days
• Field of Search: 348/64, 348/65, 348/72, 348/211.99, 348/211.14
• US Class Current: 348/65
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/045 Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0676 at distal tip of an endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0684 using light emitting diodes [LED]
• 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

Abstract

The present invention provides a remote-head imaging system with a camera control unit capable of supporting multiple input devices. The camera control unit detects an input device to which it is connected and changes the camera control unit'"'"'s internal functionality accordingly. Such changes includes altering clock timing, changing video output parameters, and changing image processing software. In addition, a user is able to select different sets of software program instructions and hardware configuration information based on the head that is attached. The remote-head imaging system utilizes field-programmable circuitry, such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), in order to facilitate the change in configuration.

Claims

1. A camera control unit for controlling operation of a sensor head and for processing raw camera data received from the sensor head, the camera control unit comprising:

an electrically-connected assembly comprising;

an electrical interface detachably connectable to a sensor head, the sensor head comprising an image sensor disposed in a housing;

a reconfigurable controller for timing and control of the sensor head over the electrical interface, wherein the electrical interface receives the raw camera data from the image sensor, wherein the reconfigurable controller comprises;

a sensor clock generator for generating a sensor clock signal used by the sensor;

a data formatter for converting the received camera data into a standard format; and

a sensor timing block for supplying an input pixel clock and image size control signals to the data formatter, said image size control signals are associated with the raw camera data received from the sensor head;

a system controller capable of;

detecting a connection of a sensor head,

recognizing identification information about the sensor head on the connection,

comparing the identification information with stored sensor-head information for a plurality of sensor-head types, and

matching the identification information with a matching, stored sensor-head information;

wherein the system controller being able to use the matching, stored sensor-head information to reconfigure the reconfigurable controller for timing and control of the image sensor;

wherein the assembly is disposed outside and apart from the housing of the sensor head; and

wherein pixel preprocessing operations include bad pixel correct, black bias, and intensity correct; and

wherein the sensing timing block supplies a pixel counter and a line counter to the bad pixel correct block based on the dimensions of the sensor to identify potentially faulty pixels generated by the sensor and to correct them through the use of median substitution.

2. The camera control unit of claim 1

wherein the identification information includes any of camera type, camera version, camera serial number, or camera image size type.

3. The camera control unit of claim 1, wherein the reconfigurable controller is a field-programmable gate array.

4. The camera control unit of claim 1, wherein the standard format is a 10 bit parallel format.

5. The camera control unit of claim 1, wherein the image size control signals include start/end pixel and start/end line pixel control signals.

6. The camera control unit of claim 5

wherein the system controller reconfigures the start/end pixel and start/end line pixel control signals to effect a digital zoom.

7. The camera control unit of claim 1

wherein the sensor clock generator is a controllable divider.

8. The camera control unit of claim 1, further comprising:

pixel preprocessing circuitry contained in the reconfigurable controller, wherein the pixel preprocessing circuitry performs preprocessing operations on the received camera data.

9. The camera control unit of claim 8

wherein the pixel preprocessing circuitry is reconfigured by the system controller based on the identification information to perform different preprocessing operations.

10. The camera control unit of claim 1, further comprising

a digital signal processor for performing an image processing operation on the received camera data;

and

wherein the system controller loads the image processing operation into the digital signal processor based on the identification information.

11. The camera control unit of claim 10, wherein the system controller matches the identification information to a lookup table entry associated with configuration information and program instructions stored in a memory.

12. The camera control unit of claim 11, wherein the system controller reconfigures the reconfigurable controller with the associated configuration information, and wherein the system controller loads the image processing operation performed by the digital signal processor by loading the associated program instructions in the digital signal processor.

13. The camera control unit of claim 1, further comprising an endoscope, the sensor head being disposed on or in the endoscope.