JP2011224091A - Electronic endoscope and system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic endoscope and a system which quickly write firmware in a memory, and even if the writing is failed, make the operation of the electronic endoscope function.SOLUTION: A data file having a new firmware B is read from the outside, and a header area 510 is removed from the data file to create new compressed data Bc. Compressed data Ac stored in a compressed data second area is rewritten into the new compressed data Bc. In a step S23, the compressed data Bc is decompressed to create the firmware B, and the firmware B is stored in a first area 224. In a step S24, an endoscope MPU 221 decompresses the compressed data Bc stored in the second area 225 to create a new firmware Bd. The firmware Bd is stored in the first area 224.

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic endoscope and system having updatable firmware.

  The electronic endoscope system includes an electronic endoscope that is inserted into a subject's body and a video processor that is provided outside the subject's body and performs image processing. An MPU for controlling the operation of the electronic endoscope and a memory for recording the firmware of the MPU are provided inside the electronic endoscope.

  The user can rewrite the firmware stored in the memory via an external interface (Patent Documents 1 and 2). The firmware includes various information such as images and programs, and is rewritten to improve the performance of the electronic endoscope and add functions.

Japanese Patent No. 3515922 JP 2005-185691 A

  Each time the performance of an electronic endoscope is improved and functions are added, the size of firmware tends to increase. As the firmware becomes larger, the time for transmitting the firmware to the memory becomes longer. In addition, if various information is included in the firmware, it becomes difficult to find the boundaries of each information in the firmware, and the program can be read even when only a part of the image included in the firmware is damaged, for example. become unable. Since the MPU that cannot read the program stops operating, the electronic endoscope itself also stops functioning.

  The present invention has been made in view of these problems, and it is an object of the present invention to obtain an electronic endoscope and system in which firmware is quickly written into a memory and the operation of the electronic endoscope functions even if the writing fails. And

  An electronic endoscope according to a first invention of the present application includes a recording unit that records a program, and a control unit that writes the program in the recording unit and executes the program recorded in the recording unit. The control unit has a first area for recording a program to be executed and a second area for recording a compressed program, and the control unit decompresses the compressed program received from the outside and stores it in the first area. After detecting that the program written in the first area is written, the program written in the first area is compressed and written in the second area.

  The program has an identification code unique to the electronic endoscope, and the control unit can decompress and write the compressed program into the first area when the electronic endoscope and the identification code correspond to each other. preferable.

  An electronic endoscope system according to a second invention of the present application includes the electronic endoscope and a video processor connected to the electronic endoscope, and the video processor includes a processor control unit that controls the operation of the processor. The electronic endoscope transmits information to the processor control unit, and the processor control unit accumulates error information regarding the error when there is an error in the information received from the electronic endoscope, and the error information is set to a predetermined condition. When they match, a return command is transmitted to the control unit, and when the return command is received, the control unit decompresses the program written in the second area and writes it in the first area.

  According to the present invention, an electronic endoscope and system in which firmware is quickly written in a memory and the operation of the electronic endoscope functions even if the writing fails are obtained.

It is the schematic which showed the electronic endoscope system by 1st Embodiment. It is the figure which showed the structure of the firmware and the compression file typically. It is the figure which showed the program memorize | stored in each area | region of memory. It is a flowchart which shows a 1st update process. It is a flowchart which shows a return instruction | indication process. It is a flowchart which shows a return process. It is the figure which showed typically the structure of the firmware by 2nd Embodiment, and a compression file. It is a flowchart which shows a 2nd update process.

  Hereinafter, an electronic endoscope system 100 according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  The configuration of the electronic endoscope system 100 will be described with reference to FIG. The electronic endoscope system 100 mainly includes an electronic endoscope 200 that is inserted into the subject's body and a video processor 300 that is provided outside the subject's body and performs image processing.

  The electronic endoscope 200 mainly includes an insertion unit 210 that is inserted into the body of a subject and an operation unit 220 that is held by an operator. The operation unit 220 is connected to the electronic endoscope 200 by a connector (not shown).

  The insertion portion 210 is a flexible tubular body, and has a distal end portion 211 that approaches the subject and a proximal end portion 212 that is connected to the operation portion 220. The distal end portion 211 is provided with an imaging lens 213, an illumination lens 214, and a CCD 215 that is an imaging element.

  The imaging lens 213 forms a subject image on the CCD 215. The CCD 215 captures the formed subject image and outputs an analog image signal via the analog signal output line 216.

  A light guide fiber 218 is provided from the operation unit 220 to the insertion unit 210. The light guide fiber 218 carries the illumination light generated by the video processor 300 to the illumination lens 214, and the illumination lens 214 irradiates the subject with the illumination light.

  The operation unit 220 includes an analog signal processing unit 223, an endoscope MPU 221 that forms a control unit, and a memory 222 that forms a recording unit.

  The analog signal processing unit 223 receives an analog image signal from the CCD 215 via the analog signal output line 216. Then, the analog image signal is subjected to image processing to generate an image signal, and then the image signal is transmitted to the video processor 300 via the image signal line 219.

  The endoscope MPU 221 transmits a CCD control signal to the CCD 215 via the CCD control signal line 217 to control the operation of the CCD 215. Firmware executed by the endoscope MPU 221 is stored in the memory 222. When the electronic endoscope 200 is turned on, the endoscope MPU 221 reads the firmware from the memory 222 and executes it.

  The operation unit 220 includes a plurality of switches (not shown). The user operates these switches to control the operation of the electronic endoscope and the video processor 300. When the user operates these switches, an operation signal indicating that the switches have been operated is transmitted to the endoscope MPU 221. The endoscope MPU 221 controls the operation of the electronic endoscope 200 according to the operation signal. When a switch corresponding to an operation performed by the video processor 300 is operated, the endoscope MPU 221 transmits an operation signal to the video processor MPU 301. The video processor MPU 301 controls the operation of the electronic endoscope 200 according to the operation signal.

  The video processor 300 mainly includes a video processor MPU 301 that forms a processor control unit, an external interface 302, a front panel 303, an image signal processing unit 304, and a light source 305.

  The video processor MPU 301 controls the operation of the video processor 300. The endoscope MPU 221 and the video processor 300 each have a UART and are connected to each other via a control signal line 312. The external interface 302 is, for example, RS-232C or USB, and connects a video processor 300 to a computer provided outside the electronic endoscope system 100.

  The front panel 303 is exposed on the outer surface of the video processor 300 and displays the operation status of the endoscope system. The image signal processing unit 304 performs image processing on the image signal received from the electronic endoscope 200 and outputs the image signal to the monitor 400. The light source 305 is controlled by the video processor 300 and supplies illumination light to the light guide fiber 218.

  A computer provided outside transmits a data file including firmware of the electronic endoscope 200 to the video processor MPU 301 via the external interface 302. The video processor MPU 301 transmits the data file to the endoscope MPU 221 via the control signal line 312.

  The endoscope MPU 221 executes a first update process described later when the power of the electronic endoscope 200 is turned on, and rewrites the firmware recorded in the memory 222. In addition, when the firmware recorded in the memory 222 is damaged, a restoration process for writing normal firmware into the memory 222 is executed.

  Next, the outline of the structure of the memory 222, the first update process, and the return process will be described with reference to FIG.

  The memory 222 has a first area 224 and a second area 225. The first area 224 stores firmware executed by the endoscope MPU 221. The second area 225 stores the compressed firmware.

  Steps S21 to S23 represent an outline of the first update process. In step S 21, the firmware A currently being executed is stored in the first area 224, and compressed data Ac obtained by compressing the firmware A is stored in the second area 225.

  Step S22 represents a state where the compressed data stored in the second area 225 has been rewritten. A data file having the new firmware B is read from the outside, and the header area 510 is removed from the data file, whereby new compressed data Bc is created. Then, the compressed data Ac stored in the second area is rewritten with new compressed data Bc.

  In step S 23, the compressed data Bc is decompressed to create firmware B, and this firmware B is stored in the first area 224.

  Thus, the first update process is completed.

  Step S24 represents an outline of the return process. The return process is executed by the endoscope MPU 221 when the endoscope MPU 221 receives a return command from the video processor MPU 301.

  When the firmware B stored in the first area 224 is damaged for some reason, errors occur in various signals transmitted from the electronic endoscope 200 to the video processor 300. The video processor MPU 301 detects these errors, and sends a return command to the endoscope MPU 221 when the number of errors reaches a predetermined number. The process of detecting an error and sending a return instruction is called a return instruction process.

  Receiving the return command, the endoscope MPU 221 decompresses the compressed data Bc stored in the second area 225 and creates a new firmware Bd. Then, the firmware Bd is stored in the first area 224. Then, the firmware Bd newly stored in the first area 224 is executed. Thus, the return process is completed.

  Next, the data file in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  The data file is created in advance by a computer provided outside the electronic endoscope system 100. A data file including the firmware 540 of the electronic endoscope 200 includes a header area 510 and a compressed data area 520. The header area 510 is provided at the beginning of the data file, and includes a device identification area 511 for recording the target apparatus identifier and a version recording area 512 for recording firmware version information. The target device identifier indicates the identifier of the electronic endoscope 200 to which the firmware corresponds. The identifier of the electronic endoscope 200 is a value unique to one type of electronic endoscope 200. The target device identifier and version information are composed of alphanumeric characters. In the illustrated example, the target device identifier is “1”, and the version information is “4”. The target device identifier and the version information constitute identification information.

  The compressed data area 520 is provided next to the header area 510 in the data file, and records compressed data 530 obtained by compressing the firmware 540. The compression is performed by, for example, a run length encoding method.

  Next, the first update process will be described with reference to FIG. The first update process is executed when the power of the electronic endoscope 200 is turned on. Before the electronic endoscope 200 is powered off last time, a data file including firmware is stored in the memory 222.

  First, in step S41, the endoscope MPU 221 starts an update program used for rewriting firmware. The update program is recorded in the firmware.

  Next, in step S <b> 42, the endoscope MPU 221 reads a data file from the memory 222. In step S43, the identification information is read from the header area 510.

  In step S44, it is determined whether the identifier of the electronic endoscope 200 matches the target device identifier and whether the version information is newer than the firmware currently stored in the first area. If it matches the target device identifier and the version information is new, the process proceeds to step S46. Otherwise, the process proceeds to step S45.

  In step S45, the update program is terminated, and the process proceeds to step S48.

  In step S46, new compressed data Bc is created by removing the header area 510 from the data file. Then, the compressed data Ac stored in the second area 225 is rewritten with new compressed data Bc (see step S22 in FIG. 2).

  In step S47, the compressed data Bc is decompressed to create firmware B, and this firmware B is stored in the first area 224 (see step S23 in FIG. 2).

  In the next step S48, the electronic endoscope 200 is reset, that is, restarted. Then, general processing of the electronic endoscope 200, that is, normal observation operation is performed.

  Thus, the first update process is completed.

  Next, the return instruction process will be described with reference to FIG. The return instruction process is started when the electronic endoscope 200 is connected to the video processor 300.

  When the video processor MPU 301 receives an operation signal indicating that the switch has been operated, in step S51, it is detected whether an error is included in the received operation signal. The operation signal is transmitted when the user operates the switch to change the white balance or to enlarge or reduce the image.

  When the video processor MPU 301 receives the image signal sent from the analog signal processing unit 223, in step S52, it is detected whether the color information included in the image signal includes an error. The color information is a color characteristic of each electronic endoscope, such as a gain value, and is a value unique to the electronic endoscope.

  In step S53, the number of errors detected in steps S51 and S52 is integrated.

  In the next step S54, it is determined whether or not the number of errors accumulated in step S53 exceeds a predetermined number. If the predetermined number is exceeded, it is determined that the firmware of the electronic endoscope 200 is damaged, and the process proceeds to step S55. If the predetermined number is not exceeded, it is determined that the firmware of the electronic endoscope 200 is normal, and the process proceeds to step S56.

  In step S55, the video processor MPU301 transmits a return instruction to the endoscope MPU221. Then, the process proceeds to step S56.

  In step S56, general processing of the video processor 300 is performed, and the processing ends.

  Next, the return process will be described with reference to FIGS. The return process is executed when the endoscope MPU 221 receives a return command.

  When the endoscope MPU 221 receives the return command, the compressed data Bc stored in the second area 225 is read in step S61 (see step S24 in FIG. 2).

  In the next step S62, the compressed data Bc is decompressed to create firmware Bd, and the firmware Bd is written in the first area 224.

  In step S63, it is confirmed whether the firmware Bd operates normally. If it does not operate normally, it is determined that the firmware Bd is damaged, and the process returns to step S61. Then, the compressed data Bc is decompressed again, and the firmware Bd is written in the first area 224 again. If it operates normally, it is determined that the firmware Bd is not damaged, and the process proceeds to step S64.

  In step S64, general processing of the electronic endoscope 200 is performed, and the processing ends.

  According to this embodiment, the transmission time can be shortened by transmitting the compressed firmware to the endoscope system. Further, by storing the compressed firmware in the second area 225, even if the firmware stored in the first area 224 is damaged, the compressed data stored in the second area 225 is decompressed. By using the new firmware, the electronic endoscope 200 is not disabled. Furthermore, by adding identification information to the header area 510 of the data file, only the corresponding firmware can be written in the first area 224. Then, by making the compressed firmware and identification information into one data file, it becomes difficult for a third party to analyze the firmware.

  Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. The same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted. The endoscope system according to the second embodiment executes a second update process in which a part thereof is different instead of the first update process.

  Steps S71 to S73 represent an outline of the second update process. In step S 71, the currently executed firmware A is stored in the first area 224, and compressed data Ac obtained by compressing the firmware stored in the first area 224 is stored in the second area 225. Has been.

  Step S72 represents a state where the firmware stored in the first area 224 has been rewritten. First, the firmware A stored in the first area 224 is compressed to create compressed data Acc, and the compressed data Acc is stored in the second area 225. Then, the firmware A stored in the first area 224 is rewritten with the new firmware B, and the new firmware B is stored in the first area 224.

  In step S73, after confirming whether the firmware B operates normally, the firmware B is compressed to create compressed data Bc, and the compressed data Bc is stored in the second area 225.

  Thus, the second update process is completed.

  Next, the second update process will be described with reference to FIGS. Steps S41 to S45, step S48, and step S49 are the same as those in the first update process, and thus description thereof is omitted.

  In step S44, when the identifier of the electronic endoscope 200 matches the target device identifier and the version information is newer than the firmware currently stored in the first area 224, step S86 is executed. In step S86, the firmware A stored in the first area 224 is compressed to create compressed data Acc, and this compressed data Acc is stored in the second area 225 (see step S72 in FIG. 7).

  In the next step S87, the firmware A stored in the first area 224 is rewritten with the new firmware B. As a result, the new firmware B is stored in the first area 224. Then, after confirming whether the firmware B operates normally, the firmware B is compressed to create compressed data Bc, and the compressed data Bc is stored in the second area 225 (see step S73 in FIG. 7). Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S48.

  According to the present embodiment, the compressed data is stored in the second area 225 after confirming that the newly written firmware operates normally. Therefore, the electronic endoscope 200 may not operate by rewriting the firmware. Can be reduced as compared with the first embodiment.

  In any embodiment, the target device identifier and the version information may not be composed of alphanumeric characters. The target device identifier may not be a number but the name of the electronic endoscope 200 corresponding to the firmware.

  Further, the electronic endoscope 200 and the computer may be connected by directly connecting the control signal line 312 to a computer provided outside, and the data file may be directly transmitted from the computer to the electronic endoscope 200.

  Note that the imaging element is not limited to the CCD 215.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Electronic endoscope system 200 Electronic endoscope 210 Insertion part 211 Distal end part 212 Proximal end part 213 Imaging lens 214 Illumination lens 215 CCD
216 Analog signal output line 217 CCD control signal line 218 Light guide fiber 219 Image signal line 220 Operation unit 221 Endoscope MPU
222 Memory 223 Analog signal processing unit 224 First area 225 Second area 300 Video processor 301 Video processor MPU
302 External Interface 303 Front Panel 304 Image Signal Processing Unit 305 Light Source 312 Control Signal Line 400 Monitor 510 Header Area 511 Device Identification Area 512 Version Recording Area 520 Compressed Data Area

Claims (3)

A recording unit for recording the program;
A control unit that writes a program in the recording unit and executes the program recorded in the recording unit,
The recording unit has a first area for recording a program executed by the control unit, and a second area for recording a compressed program,
The control unit decompresses the compressed program received from the outside, writes the compressed program in the first area, detects that the program written in the first area operates, and then stores the program in the first area. An electronic endoscope that compresses a written program and writes the compressed program in the second area. The program has an identification code unique to an electronic endoscope,
2. The electronic endoscope according to claim 1, wherein when the electronic endoscope corresponds to an identification code, the control unit decompresses the compressed program and writes the decompressed program in the first area. An electronic endoscope according to claim 1,
A video processor connected to the electronic endoscope,
The video processor has a processor control unit that controls the operation of the processor,
The electronic endoscope transmits information to the processor control unit,
The processor control unit accumulates error information regarding an error when there is an error in the information received from the electronic endoscope, and sends a return command to the control unit when the error information matches a predetermined condition.
When the control unit receives the return instruction, the control unit decompresses the program written in the second area and writes the program in the first area.

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