JP2959722B2 - Image file system and image file method - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image file system and an image file method for recording a picked-up image, and more particularly to an image file system and a method for recording a still image in time series. The present invention relates to an image file system and an image file method capable of recording detailed image information by shortening an image recording time interval when a temporal change amount is large.

[Prior art] In recent years, by inserting an elongated insertion portion into a body cavity,
An endoscope (also referred to as a scope or a fiber scope) capable of observing organs in a body cavity or performing various treatments using a treatment tool inserted into a treatment tool channel as necessary.
Is widely used.

In addition, various electronic scopes using a solid-state imaging device such as a charge-coupled device (CCD) as an imaging unit have been used. This electronic scope has advantages such as higher resolution than fiber scope, easy recording and reproduction of images, and easy image processing such as enlargement of images and comparison of two screens.

Although the endoscope image visualized by the electronic scope is recorded in an image recording device, there is an increasing demand for recording and reproducing time-series images as well as still images.

The present applicant has proposed in Japanese Patent Application No. 63-277913 a technique for controlling recording on a plurality of still image file devices.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the above proposal, time series images and still images cannot be handled at the same time. For this reason, for example, when searching for a desired image from a recorded image file, there is a drawback that the search is troublesome.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and enables a still image to be easily handled in a time-series manner with a simple configuration, and more image information is provided when a temporal change amount of an image is large. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image file system and an image file method capable of recording an image.

[Means and Actions for Solving the Problems] An image file system according to the present invention includes an image input processing unit for processing image information captured by an imaging unit, and a first recording for designating a recording time interval of the image information. Recording interval input means capable of inputting interval information, image information recording means capable of recording the image information according to the first recording interval information input from the recording interval input means, and the image input processing means In the image change amount extraction means for extracting the change amount between the image information processed in time series, and when it is extracted that the change amount extracted by the image change amount extraction means is a predetermined value or more, the Image recording control means for causing the image information recording means to record the image information based on second recording interval information designating a recording time interval shorter than the first recording interval information; Or, based on the second recording interval information, a recording interval information storage unit for storing recording interval information of the image information recorded in the image information recording unit, and the recording interval stored in the recording interval information storage unit And an image information reproducing unit capable of reproducing the image information recorded in the image information recording unit based on the information.The image file method according to the present invention further comprises: An image input processing step of processing captured image information, a recording interval input step of inputting first recording interval information specifying a recording time interval of the image information, and A first image information recording step of recording the image information in the image information recording means according to the first recording interval information, and a time interval between the image information processed in the image input processing step. An image change amount extracting step of extracting the change amount of the image, and a recording time interval shorter than the first recording interval information when the change amount extracted in the image change amount extracting step is extracted as being equal to or more than a predetermined value. A second image information recording step of causing the image information recording means to record the image information based on second recording interval information designating the first and second recording interval information. A recording interval information storing step of storing recording interval information of the image information recorded in the image information recording unit in a recording interval information storage unit, based on the recording interval information stored in the recording interval information storage unit, An image information reproducing step of reproducing the image information recorded in the image information recording means.

Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

1 to 4 relate to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 1 is an overall schematic diagram of an image file system according to one embodiment, FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an internal configuration of an endoscope apparatus, FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an internal configuration of an image file controller, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a storage control memory unit.

In FIG. 1, an image file system 1 includes an endoscope device 2 as an image signal generating unit, an image file controller 3 as a control unit, and an image file device 4C as an image recording unit.

The endoscope device 2 is formed to be flexible and elongated, and has an insertion portion 7 inserted into the observation site 6, an operation portion 8 connected to the rear end of the insertion portion 7, and an operation portion 8. The electronic scope 10 has a universal cable 9 extending from the side of the electronic scope 10.

A connector 11 is provided at the rear end of the universal cable 9.
The connector 11 is connected to a light source device 12 that supplies illumination light to the electronic scope 10. A signal cable 13 extends from the side of the connector 11, and
A connector 14 provided at the rear end of the signal cable 13 is connected to an image input device 16. This image input device 16
Is configured to process an image signal obtained by the electronic scope 10 to generate a video signal such as a signal of three primary colors of RGB, and to display an endoscope image on the TV monitor 18A via the cable 17.

The RGB video signal generated by the image input device 16 is sent to the image file controller 3 via the cable 19.

The image file controller 3 is connected to an image file device 4C by a cable 21A.

 The endoscope device 2 will be described with reference to FIG.

A light source device is provided at the tip of the insertion portion 7 of the electronic scope 10.
An emission end face of a light guide 22 formed by a fiber bundle for emitting the illumination light supplied from 12 to the observation site 6 is provided. The light guide 22 is inserted through the insertion section 7, the operation section 8, and the universal cable 9, and when the connector 11 is connected to the light source device 12, illumination light is supplied to the incident end face.

An objective lens 23 is further provided at the distal end of the insertion section 7, and an imaging surface of a CCD 24 as a solid-state imaging device is located at an image forming position of the objective lens 23. A signal line 26 (shown as a single line) for transmitting a driving clock for driving the CCD 24 and transmitting an electric signal obtained by photoelectrically converting a subject image formed on an imaging surface to the CCD 24.
Is connected. The signal line 26 is connected to the insertion section 7 and the operation section 8
And the universal cable 9 to the connector 11,
Further, the connector 14 is connected via the signal cable 13 from the connector 11.
Has been extended.

The light source device 12 is provided with a light source lamp 31,
On an optical path connecting the light source lamp 31 and the incident end face of the light guide 22, a collimator lens 32 for turning the illumination light of the light source lamp 31 into parallel light, a rotation filter 33, and the illumination light are condensed and incident on the light guide 22. A condenser lens 34 for irradiating the end face is provided.

The rotary filter 33 has a disk shape and is provided with color transmission filters 34R, 34G, and 34B that transmit, for example, red (R), green (G), and blue (B) light in the circumferential direction. Illumination light converted into parallel light by the collimator lens 31 is incident on 34R, 34G, and 34B. The rotary filter 33 is driven to rotate by a motor 35, and emits the red, green, and blue light in time series in the light guide 22.
To be supplied.

By connecting the connector 14 to the image input device 16, the CCD 24 is electrically connected to an image processing unit 36 provided in the image input device 16 via a signal line 26. The image processing unit 36 drives the CCD 24 by applying a driving clock, and converts an electric signal transmitted from the CCD 24 into RG
They are converted to B video signals and output. In addition, it controls the white balance of the image signal levels R, G, and B signals. Further, a control unit 37 described later
The patient data, error messages, etc. sent from RG
It is designed to be superimposed on the B video signal. The output of the image processing unit 36 is sent to the image memory 38. The image memory 38 allows the input RGB video signal to pass as it is in accordance with the control signal from the control unit 37 or temporarily stores the RGB video signal and repeatedly outputs it as a still image. The output of the image memory 38 is branched, and one is output to the TV monitor 18A, so that the image of the observation site 6 is displayed on the screen. The other is sent to the image file controller 3.

The control unit 37 includes a data input unit 39 such as a keyboard.
And the communication interface 40. A user's operation from the data input unit 39 inputs patient data such as a patient name and a patient's date of birth to be superimposed on the RGB video signal and control signals such as image recording (release). The signal is sent to the processing unit 36 and superimposed on the RGB video signal. The control signal is sent to the image memory 38 and the communication interface 40 as described above. The communication interface 40 is, for example, an interface unit for serial transmission according to the RS-232C standard, and is a control unit 37.
Input and output of data and control signals with the outside under the control of The communication interface 40 inputs and outputs data and control signals to and from the image file controller 3.

The RGB signal, data and control signal are transmitted through the cable 19
Is sent to the image file controller 3.

The image file controller 3 will be described with reference to FIG.

The RGB video signal from the image input device 16 is output to the image file device 4C via the recording control memory unit 202 in the image file controller 3. The RGB video signal from the image file device 4C passes through the image file controller 3 as it is and is output to the image input device 16.

Data and control signals are input and output to and from a first serial port (communication interface) 42 of the RS-232C standard.

On the other hand, the first serial port 42 is
CPU 44, memory unit 45, and hard disk control unit 46
Data and control signals can be input and output between the first serial port 47 and the second serial port 47. CPU 44 is an image input device 1
The patient data input from 6 is stored in the hard disk 50 via the hard disk control unit 46. Further, the CPU 44 sends a recording start / stop signal and a release signal to the second serial port 47 according to the control signal input to the first serial port 42.

The information sent to the second serial port 47 is stored in the memory unit 45, and is stored together with the patient data in the hard disk 50 when a control signal for completing one test is input to the first serial port 42.

Further, when a search command from the image input device 16 is input to the first serial port 42, the CPU 44
, And sends a search control signal to the second serial port 47. With this control signal, the image file controller 3 selects the RGB video signal from the image file device 4C and outputs it to the TV monitor 18B.

The second serial port 47 inputs and outputs control signals related to the image file device 4C, such as a start / stop signal and a release signal.

Next, the configuration of the recording control memory unit 202 will be described below with reference to FIG.

The R video signal from the image input device 16 is input to an A / D unit (analog / digital conversion unit) 203. The signal digitized by the A / D unit 203 is input to the R memory unit 204. The data is input to the digital data D / A unit 205 held by the R memory unit 204. The R video signal analogized by the D / A unit 205 is sent to the image file device 4C.

The G video signal from the image input device 16 is input to the A / D unit 206. The signal digitized by the A / D unit 206 is G
The data is input to the memory unit 207. The digital data held by the G memory unit 207 is input to the D / A unit 208. D / A
The G video signal analogized by the unit 208 is sent to the image file device 4C.

The B video signal from the image input device 16 is input to the A / D unit 209. The signal digitized by the A / D unit 209 is B
The data is input to the memory unit 211 and the B reference memory unit 212. The digital data held by the B memory unit 211 is stored in the D / A unit 21.
3 is input to the comparator 214. The video signal analogized by the D / A unit 213 is sent to the image file device 4C. The digital data held by the B reference memory unit 212 is input to the comparator 214. The comparator 214 compares the result of comparing the input two sets of image data with a memory control unit.
Output to 215.

The synchronization signal from the image input device 16 is input to the memory control unit 215. The memory control unit 215 outputs a clock signal to each of the A / D units 203, 206, and 209. Also, the memory units 204, 207,
The write and read control signals are output to 211 and 212, respectively. Further, the memory control unit 215 outputs a clock signal to each of the D / A units 205, 208, and 213.

The memory control unit 215 transmits the synchronization signal to the image file device 4C.
Output to

When the RGB video signal input from the image input device 16 conforms to a preset condition, the recording control memory unit 202 is used to change the recording condition and record the image in the image file device 4C.

 Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described below.

When recording a time-series image, the user uses an image input device 16.
The data of the condition of the comparator 214 and the data of the recording interval corresponding to the condition of the comparator 214 are input from the data input unit 39 of FIG. The data is stored in a control unit.
37, the data is stored in the memory unit 45 by the CPU 44 via the communication interface 40 and the first serial port 42.

Next, the user inputs a recording start signal from the data input unit 39 of the image input device 16. The start signal is transmitted to the control unit 37, the communication interface 40, the first serial port.
When detected by the CPU 44 via the CPU 42, the CPU 44 sends a freeze signal to the memory controller 215 at the initial recording interval stored in the memory 45 via the bus line 43,
A release signal is sent to the image file device 4C via the serial port 47.

The memory control unit 215 freezes the images of the R memory unit 204, the G memory unit 207, and the B memory unit 211 in synchronization with the synchronization signal by the freeze signal.

At this time, only the blue component of the first image is stored in the B reference memory unit 21.
Store it in 2.

The comparator 214 sends the data of the difference between the average values of the image data of the B reference memory unit 212 and the average value of the image data of the B memory unit 211 that is rewritten one after another to the CPU 44 via the memory control unit 215.

The CPU 44 compares the difference data with the setting data stored in the memory unit 45, and when the difference data becomes large, the second recording interval stored in the memory unit 45 (from the initial recording interval). A freeze signal is sent to the memory control unit 215 at short intervals) and a release signal is sent to the image file device 4C via the second serial port 47.

When the difference data becomes smaller, the process returns to the initial recording interval.

The state of the recording interval is temporarily stored in the memory unit 45, and is recorded on the hard disk 50 via the hard disk control unit 46 by a recording stop signal from the data input unit 39 of the image input device 16.

 FIG. 5 shows the processing at the time of this recording.

When recording, the user sets the reference level condition data of the comparator 214 and the initial recording interval (for example, 10 seconds per second).
Setting data of a recording interval for recording a sheet, etc., and a second recording interval (for example, 20
Input the setting data of (recording interval for recording on sheets etc.).

The setting data is stored in the temporary memory unit 45. Next, when a start signal is input, the R, G, B memory units 204, 2
The freeze of the 07, 211 and B reference memory units 212 and the release of the image file device 4C are performed. Next, at an initial time interval, the next image is frozen and released. The difference between the B image component of this image and the B reference memory unit 212 is calculated. If the difference is within the set value, the freeze and release of the next image are repeated at an initial time interval.

On the other hand, when a difference larger than the set value is detected by the comparator 214, freeze and release are performed at the second recording interval.

When the value becomes smaller than the set value again, recording is performed again at the initial time interval.

When the stop signal is input, the data temporarily stored in the memory unit 45 is stored in the hard disk 50.

At the time of time-series image reproduction after recording, the data of the recording interval recorded on the hard disk 50 is used for the second serial port.
A control signal is sent to the image file device 4C via 47.

Thus, the recorded images are sequentially displayed on the TV monitor 18B. In this case, it is possible to continuously display the recording data at time intervals, and it is also possible to perform frame feed.

The recording interval is set to 1 second every 10 seconds from the beginning of recording and 0.5 second every 10 seconds.
The recording interval may be set by setting the steps, or further, by setting the steps to three steps.

Alternatively, the data to be compared may be set as two or more values, and recorded at two or more recording intervals or the like according to these conditions.

According to this embodiment, still images can be recorded in time series and recorded at different recording intervals, so that a single image file device 4C can record and search for still images and time-series images. It is possible.

Also, since a notable image can be recorded under different recording conditions (time intervals), the notable portion can be examined in detail by the recorded image.

In the above embodiment, the comparison is performed with the B image, but the comparison may be performed with the R or G image or the like. Further, the comparison may be performed with a plurality of images obtained by combining these.

Note that, for example, the endoscope device 2 is not limited to the electronic scope 10, but may be configured by attaching a TV camera to an eyepiece of a fiber scope.

When only the search is performed, the endoscope device 2 can be used only with the image input device 16 without using the electronic scope 10 or the like.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, a still image can be handled in a time-series manner, and an image change amount extraction unit is provided. By shortening the recording time interval, more detailed image data can be recorded.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 is an overall configuration diagram of an image file system according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the endoscope apparatus of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is an image file controller of FIG. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the recording control memory unit shown in FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a processing process in the recording mode of the embodiment shown in FIG. . 1 image file system 2 endoscope device 3 image file controller 4C image file device 10 electronic scope 16 image input device 18A, 18B TV monitor 39 data input unit , 44 CPU 45 Memory section 50 Hard disk 202 Recording control memory section 204 R memory section 207 G memory section 211 B memory section 212 B reference memory section 214 … Comparator, 215 …… Memory controller

Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Tetsuo Nonami 2-43-2 Hatagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Inside Olympus Optical Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-63-211884 (JP, A) JP-A-63 −59282 (JP, A) Hikaru Hei 2-86284 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) A61B 1/04 G02B 23/24 G06F 15/40, 15/62 H04N 5/78 H04N 5/91

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] An image input processing means for processing image information picked up by an image pickup means; a recording interval input means capable of inputting first recording interval information for specifying a recording time interval of the image information; An image information recording unit capable of recording the image information according to the first recording interval information input from the interval input unit; and a change amount between the image information processed in time series by the image input processing unit. An image change amount extracting unit that extracts the following. When extracting that the amount of change extracted by the image change amount extracting unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, a recording time interval shorter than the first recording interval information is designated. Image recording control means for causing the image information recording means to record the image information based on the second recording interval information; and the image information recording means based on the first recording interval information or the second recording interval information. A recording interval information storage unit that stores recording interval information of the image information recorded in the storage unit; and the image information recorded in the image information recording unit based on the recording interval information stored in the recording interval information storage unit. An image file playback system comprising: an image information playback unit capable of playing back an image file. 2. An image input processing step of processing image information picked up by an image pickup means; a recording interval input step of inputting first recording interval information designating a recording time interval of the image information; A first image information recording step of recording the image information in an image information recording unit in accordance with the first recording interval information input in the input step; An image change amount extraction step of extracting a change amount between image information; and when the change amount extracted in the image change amount extraction step is extracted to be equal to or more than a predetermined value, the image change amount is shorter than the first recording interval information. A second image information recording step of causing the image information recording means to record the image information based on second recording interval information designating a recording time interval; and the first recording interval information or the second recording interval Information A recording interval information storing step of storing the recording interval information of the image information recorded in the image information recording unit in a recording interval information storage unit, based on the recording interval information stored in the recording interval information storage unit An image information reproducing method for reproducing the image information recorded in the image information recording means.