JP4475750B2 - Electronic endoscope device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electronic endoscope apparatus configured to display an endoscope observation image captured by a solid-state imaging device provided in an endoscope on a television monitor.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In an electronic endoscope apparatus, generally, video signal data sent from an endoscope is written to a specific address of a video processor memory, and is read out at a timing synchronized with scanning of the television monitor and output to the television monitor. is doing.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In an electronic endoscope apparatus, it is usual to display an endoscope observation image in a full monitor screen so that more observation information can be displayed on a television monitor.
[0004]
Therefore, the characteristics of the solid-state image sensor incorporated in the endoscope are changed, the synchronization timing of the processing circuit incorporated in the video processor is changed, etc. If the synchronization signal for video display does not match, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, the display position of the endoscopic observation image 32 on the monitor screen 31 is shifted and a part of the phenomenon is hidden. Resulting in.
[0005]
In view of this, the present invention enables an endoscope observation image to be displayed on a television even when the characteristics of a solid-state imaging device incorporated in an endoscope are changed or the synchronization timing of a processing circuit incorporated in a video processor is changed. An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic endoscope apparatus that can be displayed at the most appropriate position on a monitor.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, an electronic endoscope apparatus according to the present invention includes a solid-state imaging device and a first video signal processing circuit that converts an imaging signal output from the solid-state imaging device into a video signal and outputs the video signal. The provided endoscope and the endoscope are detachably connected, and the second video that is output by converting the video signal output from the first video signal processing circuit into a signal for display on a television monitor In an electronic endoscope apparatus provided with a signal processing circuit and having a video processor, a synchronization signal for driving a solid-state imaging device and a synchronization signal for video processing in a video signal processing circuit are provided on the endoscope side. Separately, the synchronization timing of the synchronization signal for video processing is made variable by the input from the video processor side.
[0007]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of an electronic endoscope apparatus, and an endoscope observation image is picked up by a solid-state imaging device 3 arranged at the tip of an insertion portion 2 of an endoscope (electronic endoscope) 1. An imaging signal is output from the solid-state imaging device 3 and sent to the connector 10.
[0008]
A connector 10 of the endoscope 1 detachably connected to a video processor 20 in which a light source device is incorporated includes a first system control circuit 11 for controlling signals input to and output from the solid-state imaging device 3 and the like. Other electronic circuits and the incident end of the illumination light guide 4 are arranged, and electronic signals such as endoscope video signals and illumination light are exchanged with the video processor 20.
[0009]
A television monitor 30 for displaying an endoscopic observation image is connected to the video processor 20, and a second video signal processing circuit 22 arranged in the video processor 20 is a first video signal arranged in the connector 10. The color balance of the video signal sent from the video signal processing circuit 15 is changed and output to the television monitor 30.
[0010]
The second system control circuit 21 disposed in the video processor 20 receives signals manually input from the front panel 26, a keyboard (not shown), and the like, in addition to the second video signal processing circuit 22 described above. The lamp control unit 23 for controlling the operation of the light source lamp 24, the diaphragm 25 disposed on the emission optical path side of the light source lamp 24, and the like are controlled by signals output from the second system control circuit 21.
[0011]
The imaging signal of the endoscopic observation image output from the solid-state imaging device 3 to the electronic circuit in the connector 10 is converted into a video signal in the first video signal processing circuit 15 through the sample and hold circuit 14, and the video processor 20 The signal is output toward the second video signal processing circuit 22.
[0012]
Further, the timing control circuit 12 disposed in the connector 10 has a drive circuit (driver) 13 and a first video signal processing circuit 15 for driving the solid-state imaging device 3 under the control of the first system control circuit 11. The sync signal is separated and output.
[0013]
That is, the synchronization signal output from the timing control circuit 12 to the drive circuit 13 is fixed, whereas the synchronization timing of the synchronization signal output to the first video signal processing circuit 15 is determined by the video processor 20. It is made variable by a signal sent from the second system control circuit 21 to the first system control circuit 11 of the connector 10, and the variable setting is made by manual input from the front panel 26 (or keyboard). Can be done arbitrarily.
[0014]
FIG. 2 shows the internal configuration of the timing control circuit 12. A predetermined synchronization signal is generated in the TV synchronization signal generator 122 that receives the reference pulse from the oscillation circuit 121, and the synchronization signal is directed to the drive circuit 13. Is output.
[0015]
When the connector 10 is connected to the video processor 20, the first system control circuit 11 obtains position information for video display from the second system control circuit 21 of the video processor 20, and the position information is the comparison data. In the conversion circuit 123, the data is converted into comparison data and output to the comparison circuit 124.
[0016]
The comparison circuit 124 compares the address data (vertical and horizontal data) of the solid-state image sensor 3 sent from the TV synchronization signal generator 122 with the position data sent from the comparison data conversion circuit 123. Then, a reset signal is generated and output to the V · H counter 125 of the synchronization signal generating circuit for video signal processing. V and H mean vertical and horizontal.
[0017]
The V · H counter 125 is a counter for creating a counter value for video signal processing and outputting it to the program device 126, and is reset by a reset signal input from the comparison circuit 124.
[0018]
In the program device 126, a synchronization signal for video signal processing is generated based on the counter value input from the V · H counter 125 and is sent to the first video signal processing circuit 15. Note that the counter value is written in, for example, a PROM arranged in the program device 126, and then read continuously.
[0019]
FIG. 3 is a control processing flow for generating a synchronizing signal for video signal processing performed in the first system control circuit 11 and the timing control circuit 12 of the connector 10, and S indicates a step.
[0020]
First, when it is recognized that the connector 10 is connected to the video processor 20 (S1), correction value information of the display position of the endoscopic observation image 32 on the monitor screen 31 is sent from the second video signal processing circuit 22 to the first video signal processing circuit 22. The data is transferred to the system control circuit 11 and stored in the memory on the connector 10 side (S2).
[0021]
Then, the correction value information is sent to the comparison data conversion circuit 123 to convert the clock position in the horizontal direction. The data here may be either numerical data for determining the number of lines from which the position is displayed in the vertical direction or data on the number of lines to be changed with respect to the reference line. If present, either numerical data of the number of pixels starting to be displayed from the horizontal synchronization signal HD or data of the number of pixels changed with respect to the reference horizontal position may be used (S3).
[0022]
After converting the vertical synchronization and horizontal synchronization correction data into 10 bits (S4), the comparison circuit 124 counts the raw vertical synchronization signal and horizontal synchronization signal output from the TV synchronization signal generator 122. Then, it is compared with the converted data, and if the values match, a pulse is sent to the synchronization signal generating circuits 125 and 126 (S5).
[0023]
The synchronization signal generation circuits 125 and 126 generate a horizontal synchronization signal and a vertical synchronization signal for video signal processing based on the coincidence pulse, and send the signals to the first video signal processing circuit 15 (S6). The video signal processing circuit 15 performs video signal processing using a synchronization signal different from that of the solid-state imaging device 3 (S7).
[0024]
If the correction value information of the display position is not sent from the video processor 20 to the connector 10, the same sync signal sent to the drive circuit 13 of the solid-state image sensor 3 can be sent to the first video signal processing circuit 15. Good.
[0025]
In this way, in response to an arbitrary manual input from the front panel 26 of the video processor 20, for example, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the synchronization timing of the vertical synchronization signal and the horizontal synchronization signal is controlled.
[0026]
As a result, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, when the video signal processing is performed with the synchronization signal of the solid-state imaging device 3, the video signal is shifted from the display range as shown in the middle stage (after the addition of the synchronization signal). Even in such a case, the video signal and the display range are matched as shown in the lowermost stage, and the endoscope observation image 32 is located at the position desired by the observer at the center of the monitor screen 31 as shown in FIG. Can be displayed.
[0027]
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, the synchronization signal for video signal processing may be varied on the phase advance side, but conversely may be varied on the phase delay side. Alternatively, both of them may be variable.
[0028]
In the above embodiment, the variable setting of the synchronization timing of the synchronization signal output to the first video signal processing circuit 15 is performed manually from the front panel 26 (or keyboard). The second system control circuit 21 of the video processor 20 is preliminarily provided with display position correction data for each type of endoscope, and is input as position information for video display to the connector 10 as necessary. Good.
[0029]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, the synchronization signal for driving the solid-state imaging device and the synchronization signal for video processing in the video signal processing circuit are separated on the endoscope side, and the synchronization timing of the synchronization signal for video processing is separated. Is made variable by the input from the video processor, the characteristics of the solid-state image sensor built in the endoscope is changed, the synchronization timing of the processing circuit built in the video processor is changed, etc. In addition, the observer can display the endoscopic observation image at the most appropriate position on the television monitor and perform the endoscopic examination without any trouble.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of an electronic endoscope apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a timing control circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the content of control processing of a synchronization signal for video signal processing according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a timing chart illustrating a control state of a video signal processing vertical synchronization signal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a timing chart illustrating a control state of a horizontal synchronization signal for video signal processing according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a timing chart illustrating the state of video signal processing according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a schematic view illustrating the state of a monitor screen according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a schematic view illustrating the state of a conventional monitor screen.
[Explanation of symbols]
10 connector 11 first system control circuit 12 timing control circuit 15 first video signal processing circuit 20 video processor 21 second system control circuit 26 front panel 30 TV monitor 122 TV synchronization signal generator 123 comparison data conversion circuit 124 Comparison circuit 125 V / H counter (synchronization signal generation circuit)
126 Program device (synchronization signal generation circuit)

Claims (1)

An endoscope provided with a solid-state imaging device and a first video signal processing circuit that converts an imaging signal output from the solid-state imaging device into a video signal and outputs the video signal, and the endoscope are detachably connected. And a video processor provided with a second video signal processing circuit for converting the video signal output from the first video signal processing circuit into a signal for display on a television monitor and outputting the signal. a mirror device,
The synchronization signal for driving the solid-state imaging device and the synchronization signal for video processing in the first video signal processing circuit are separated on the endoscope side, and the video in the first video signal processing circuit in what the synchronization timing of the synchronization signal for processing the variable by input from the video processor side,
Display position correction data for each of various endoscopes for correcting the display position of the video imaged by the solid-state imaging device and displayed on the television monitor is provided on the video processor side, and the display position correction data Is input from the video processor side to the endoscope side as position information for video display .

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