Imaging device and capsule endoscope

• US 10,334,155 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2016
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Hasebe, Hiroki
• Primary Examiner(s): Cattungal, Rowina J
• Application Number:
  US15/359,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20170078563A1
• Time in Patent Office: 944 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00006 of control signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00009 of image signals during a use of endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00016 using wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/045 Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2484 Arrangements in relation to a camera or imaging device processing or control of video signals generated by an endoscope H04N23/60, H04N23/70
• 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 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/651 for reducing power consumption by affecting camera operations, e.g. sleep mode, hibernation mode or power off of selective parts of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/667 Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/40 Extracting pixel data from image sensors by controlling scanning circuits, e.g. by modifying the number of pixels sampled or to be sampled
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/42 by switching between different modes of operation using different resolutions or aspect ratios, e.g. switching between interlaced and non-interlaced mode

Abstract

An imaging device includes an imaging unit, a first change amount calculating unit, and a second change amount calculating unit, and a control unit. The imaging unit continuously performs imaging to generate images of a plurality of frames of which the resolution is any one of a plurality of resolutions. The first change amount calculation unit calculates a first change amount that is an information change amount of the images of a plurality of frames. The second change amount calculation unit calculates a second change amount that is a temporal change amount of the first change amount. The control unit controls a resolution of the imaging unit on the basis of a result of comparing the second change amount with a threshold value and a result of discriminating a sign of the second change amount.

Claims

1. An imaging device, comprising:

an imaging unit that continuously performs imaging to generate images of a plurality of frames of which the resolution is any one of a plurality of resolutions by exposure at the same timing;

a first change amount calculation circuit that calculates a first change amount that is an information change amount of the images of a plurality of frames by calculating differences between images captured at different times;

a second change amount calculation circuit that calculates a second change amount that is a temporal change amount of the first change amount by calculating a change amount of first change amounts that are continuously calculated by the first change amount calculation circuit; and

a control circuit that controls a resolution of the imaging unit on the basis of a result of comparing the second change amount with a threshold value and a result of discriminating a sign of the second change amount,

wherein the imaging unit includes

a first substrate; and

a second substrate,

the first substrate includes

a plurality of pixels that generate first pixel signals based on incident light;

a plurality of first accumulation units that accumulate the first pixel signals output from the plurality of pixels; and

a first output unit that outputs the images of the plurality of frames composed of the first pixel signals accumulated in the plurality of first accumulation units;

the second substrate includes

a plurality of second accumulation units that accumulate second pixel signals obtained by adding the first pixel signals output from the plurality of pixels for every plurality of pixel signals; and

a second output unit that outputs the images of the plurality of frames composed of the second pixel signals accumulated in the plurality of second accumulation units,

the first substrate and the second substrate are electrically connected to each other,

when the second change amount is smaller than a threshold value, the control circuit causes the second output unit to output the image composed of the second pixel signals, and

when the second change amount is greater than or equal to the threshold value, the control circuit causes the first output unit to output the image composed of the first pixel signals.

2. A capsule endoscope comprising the imaging device according to claim 1.