JP7089943B2 - Endoscope system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an endoscopic system that processes an endoscopic image from an imaging unit.

In recent years, endoscope systems have been used in various fields such as medical fields and industrial fields. In the medical field, the endoscopic system is used, for example, for observation of organs in a body cavity, therapeutic treatment using a treatment tool, surgery under endoscopic observation, and the like. As the endoscope system, an electronic endoscope configured to be able to capture an image captured in the patient's body cavity by an image pickup device is often adopted. The endoscope system has an image processing device that processes an image (imaging signal) obtained by imaging with an electronic endoscope, and the image processing device is an image of an observation image used for displaying the image pickup signal or the like. It can be converted into a signal and output or recorded on a monitor.

Many types of endoscopes can be connected to the image processing device. Further, as the image pickup element built in the endoscope, various types can be adopted. Therefore, the endoscope holds a scope ID including information such as the type of the endoscope and the type of the image pickup element. By acquiring the scope ID from the endoscope, the image processing device detects the type of the image pickup element mounted on the endoscope and performs the optimum drive according to the type of the image pickup element. .. For example, the image processing device performs various signal processing such as distortion correction and scratch correction, γ correction, white balance adjustment, and enhancement processing on the captured image, and then converts the captured image into a video signal that can be displayed on the monitor. It is designed to be converted and supplied to the monitor.

By the way, conventionally, some image processing devices have not only a function of outputting a video signal after image processing but also a function of generating and outputting a so-called RAW image without image processing. Since such a RAW image may obtain a high-quality image, it may be used, for example, in a performance inspection of an imager, an image processing performance inspection, or the like in a manufacturing process.

In Patent Document 1, in an image pickup device that generates a RAW image, the parameters of image processing to be applied to the RAW image data are determined, and the first incidental data showing the average value of the parameters at the end of the moving image data is used. Disclosed is a technique for generating a moving image with less discomfort at a joint when connecting moving image data by adding and generating a moving image file.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-10239

However, in Patent Document 1, there is a problem that the RAW image cannot be fully utilized because the parameters effective for developing the RAW image are not sufficiently given.

An object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope system capable of obtaining a RAW image to which parameters effective for development are effectively applied.

The endoscope system according to one aspect of the present invention is an imaging signal obtained by imaging a light source unit having a light source that emits illumination light to irradiate the subject and a return light from the subject based on the irradiation of the light source unit. The image processing device is provided with an image processing device capable of inputting and outputting an observation image based on the image pickup signal, and the image processing device obtains an image of return light from the subject based on the irradiation of the light source unit. The image pickup signal is input, and the RAW image generation unit that generates a RAW image from the image pickup signal and the parameters used for developing the RAW image are selected, and at least the setting values for the illumination light emitted by the light source unit are set. The parameter selection unit includes a parameter selection unit that selects a parameter based on the parameter, and a parameter addition processing unit that adds and outputs the parameter selected by the parameter selection unit to the RAW image. The parameter selection unit includes the illumination emitted by the light source unit. As the set value for light, the current value for driving the light source unit or the set value for the pulse width is used.

According to the present invention, there is an effect that a RAW image to which a parameter effective for development is effectively applied can be obtained.

The block diagram which shows the endoscope system which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. The block diagram which shows the endoscope system which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. The block diagram which shows the endoscope system which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. The block diagram which shows the endoscope system which concerns on 4th Embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(First Embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an endoscope system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, thin lines indicate the flow of signals such as video signals and RAW images (signals), and thick lines indicate the flow of signals such as other control signals and parameters.

In Patent Document 1, parameters are determined based on evaluation values acquired using an image signal acquired from an image sensor. That is, in Patent Document 1, although the parameter based on the acquired image signal is used, the parameter based on the environment from which such an image signal is obtained is not used, and the RAW image is developed. It cannot be said that valid parameters are sufficiently given to. Therefore, in the present embodiment, it is possible to effectively develop the RAW image by adding at least a parameter based on the set value regarding the illumination light for illuminating the subject to the RAW image as the parameter based on the environment. It is a thing. In addition, development refers to image processing of a RAW image for displaying an image based on the RAW image.

The endoscope system shown in FIG. 1 is composed of an endoscope 10 and an image processing device 20. The endoscope 10 has an elongated insertion portion 11 that is inserted into a subject (not shown). A light guide 12 for guiding the light from the light source 33 is arranged in the insertion portion 11, and the illumination light from the light source 33 is applied to the subject via the light guide 12. The endoscope 10 is provided with an imager 13, and the light reflected from the subject is incident on the image pickup surface of the imager 13. The imager 13 is driven by a drive signal supplied from the control unit 21 described later, and photoelectrically converts the subject optical image incident on the image pickup surface to obtain an image pickup signal. This image pickup signal is supplied to the image processing device 20.

A plurality of types of endoscopes can be connected to the image processing device 20, and there are various types of imagers used in the endoscopes. Therefore, the endoscope 10 is provided with a ROM 14 that holds scope information (type information) including various information about the endoscope such as the type of endoscope and the type of imager. The ROM 14 is adapted to supply scope information to the control unit 21 of the image processing device 20.

The image processing device 20 is provided with a control unit 21. The control unit 21 may be configured by a processor using a CPU or the like and operate according to a program stored in a memory (not shown) to control each unit, or may be a part of a function in an electronic circuit of hardware. Or it may be the one that realizes all. The entire image processing device 20 may be configured by an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or the like.

The image pickup signal acquisition unit 22 of the image processing device 20 takes in the image pickup signal from the imager 13 and outputs it to the image signal processing unit 23 and the RAW image generation unit 24. The image signal processing unit 23 is controlled by the control unit 21 to perform various signal processing for displaying the image pickup signal captured by the image pickup signal acquisition unit 22 on the display device 41. The image signal processing unit 23 is configured to supply parameters necessary for processing from the control unit 21. The parameters required for signal processing of the image signal processing unit 23 are stored in the ROM 28. The ROM 28 stores a plurality of parameters corresponding to a plurality of types of endoscopes, and the control unit 21 reads out parameters necessary for signal processing from the ROM 28 based on the scope information and gives them to the image signal processing unit 23.

For example, the image signal processing unit 23 performs AGC (auto gain control) processing, processing of clamping OB (optical black) in an image pickup signal to determine a black level, correction processing for defective pixels of the imager 13, and aberration processing. Performs noise reduction processing, etc. Further, for example, the image signal processing unit 23 performs demosiking processing for generating an image signal for displaying the image pickup signal on the display device 41. For example, when the endoscope 10 is driven simultaneously, the image signal processing unit 23 performs color extraction processing, interpolation processing, and the like to obtain R, G, and B signals. Further, when the endoscope 10 is driven in a surface-sequential manner, the image signal processing unit 23 performs interpolation processing on the R, G, B signals input in the surface-sequential manner, and then performs simultaneous processing. R, G, B signals are output. Further, the image signal processing unit 23 adjusts the white balance of the R, G, and B signals. Further, for example, the image signal processing unit 23 performs gradation conversion processing, color enhancement processing, contour enhancement processing, and the like by using the parameters from the control unit 21. The image signal processing unit 23 outputs an image signal (R, G, B signal) of the observation image obtained after signal processing to the output control unit 27.

The output control unit 27 converts the input R, G, B signals into image signals for display and outputs them to the display device 41. In this way, the observation image of the subject captured by the endoscope 10 is displayed on the display screen of the display device 41.

On the other hand, the RAW image generation unit 24 is controlled by the control unit 21 to generate a RAW image (RAW image signal) based on the input imaging signal and output it to the parameter addition processing unit 25. The ROM 28 stores parameters used for generating RAW images, and the control unit 21 reads out the parameters necessary for generating RAW images from the ROM 28 and supplies them to the RAW image generation unit 24.

For example, the RAW image generation unit 24 may output the input image pickup signal as a RAW image as it is without performing any processing, and corrects aberrations and pixel defects in the input image pickup signal. To generate a RAW image, and when the endoscope 10 is a surface-sequential endoscope, R (red), G (green), B ( Blue) A RAW image may be generated by performing a simultaneous process of outputting images at the same time.

The image signal processing unit 23 detects the image pickup signal after the AGC processing and outputs the detection result to the control unit 21 in order to control the amount of illumination light. The control unit 21 generates a light source control signal for controlling lighting based on the scope information acquired from the ROM 14 of the endoscope 10 and the detection result of the image signal processing unit 23, and outputs the light source control signal to the lighting unit 30.

The lighting unit 30 includes a light source control unit 31, a light source driver 32, and a light source 33. The light source control unit 31 generates a set value for controlling the light source 33 based on the light source control signal from the control unit 21, and drives the light source driver 32. The light source driver 32 is controlled by the light source control unit 31 to drive the light source 33 to generate illumination light.

For example, when the light source 33 is composed of LEDs, the light source driver 32 is given information on the PWM current value for dimming control of the LED light source and the pulse width of the PWM control from the light source control unit 31. The LED is driven and controlled according to this information.

As described above, the illumination light from the light source 33 of the illumination unit 30 is guided to the insertion unit 11 via the light guide 12 and irradiates the subject. The optical image due to the return light from the subject is incident on the imager 13 and photoelectrically converted, and the image pickup signal is supplied to the image signal processing section 23 via the image pickup signal acquisition section 22 of the image processing apparatus 20 for AGC processing. The image signal processing unit 23 detects the image pickup signal after AGC processing and gives the detection result to the control unit 21, and the control unit 21 generates a light source control signal for controlling the light source 33 based on the detection result to control the light source. The unit 31 generates a set value related to the illumination light based on the light source control signal.

Therefore, the brightness of the image obtained by the image signal processing unit 23 changes depending on the AGC control, the illumination control of the light source 33, the characteristics of the imager 30, and the like. Therefore, even if a parameter based only on the image pickup signal is added to the RAW image as in Patent Document 1, it is not always possible to obtain a sufficiently effective image by the development process of the RAW image only with the parameter.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, parameters for obtaining a sufficiently effective image from the RAW image are added to the RAW image. The parameter addition processing unit 25 is supplied with parameters to be added to the RAW image from the parameter selection unit 26. The parameter selection unit 26 selects, among the parameters obtained from the control unit 21, the parameters necessary for obtaining a sufficiently effective image by the developing process of the RAW image.

For example, the parameter selection unit 26 selects parameters according to the state of the RAW image. For example, when the image pickup signal acquisition unit 22 performs scratch correction, it is not necessary to add the parameter used for the scratch correction. The parameter selection unit 26 selects parameters necessary for scratch correction, aberration correction, etc. that have not been performed when the RAW image is generated, and outputs the parameters to the parameter addition processing unit 25.

Further, during the development processing of the RAW image, parameters corresponding to the type of the imager 13 are also required, and the parameter selection unit 26 selects the parameters necessary for the development processing of the RAW image based on the scope information and performs the parameter addition processing. Output to unit 25. For example, image size information, information indicating whether it is a surface sequential type or a simultaneous type, and the like are selected by the parameter selection unit 26. Further, the parameter selection unit 26 also outputs information on the observation mode indicating whether the observation mode is the normal light observation mode or the special light observation mode such as narrow band observation or fluorescence observation to the parameter addition processing unit 25 as a parameter.

Further, in the present embodiment, the parameter selection unit 26 outputs the information of the set value of the light source 33, for example, the set value of the illumination light amount, to the parameter addition processing unit 25 as a parameter. The light source control unit 31 generates a set value of the light source 33 based on the light source control signal from the control unit 21, and outputs the generated set value to the control unit 21. The control unit 21 gives the setting value from the light source control unit 31 to the parameter selection unit 26. For example, when the light source 33 is composed of LEDs, the parameter selection unit 26 is given a current value and a pulse width set value for PWM control of the LED from the light source control unit 31 via the control unit 21. , This set value is output to the parameter addition processing unit 25 as a parameter.

Further, in the present embodiment, the parameter selection unit 26 selects the parameters used for the image processing performed by the image signal processing unit 23 at the same time as the RAW image is generated, and outputs the parameters to the parameter addition processing unit 25. For example, the parameter selection unit 26 outputs information such as enhancement processing in the image signal processing unit 23 to the parameter addition processing unit 25 as parameters. By using these parameters when developing a RAW image, it is possible to acquire an image similar to the endoscope image displayed in real time based on the output of the image signal processing unit 23 from the RAW image.

Although parameters such as set values related to the amount of illumination light change dynamically, the parameter selection unit 26 may output the changed parameters to the parameter addition processing unit 25 each time the parameters change. All the selected parameters may be output to the parameter addition processing unit 25 for each frame of the RAW image.

In the present embodiment, the parameter selection unit 26 selects only necessary parameters due to the limitation of the transmission capacity, but if the transmission capacity has a sufficient margin, all the parameters that can be added are used as parameters. It may be output to the additional processing unit 25. On the contrary, the parameter selection unit 26 further selects the parameter to be added to the RAW image so that the data amount is within the permitted data amount, depending on the amount of data allowed for the transmission of the RAW image, and the parameter. It may be output to the additional processing unit 25.

The parameter addition processing unit 25 is adapted to add the parameters supplied from the parameter selection unit 26 to the RAW image as metadata of the RAW image and output the parameters to the output control unit 27. The output control unit 27 outputs the image signal from the image signal processing unit 23 to the display device 41, and outputs the RAW image to which the parameter from the parameter addition processing unit 25 is added to the RAW recording device 42. The display device 41 displays an image based on the input image signal on the display screen. The RAW recording device 42 records the input RAW image on a recording medium. The RAW recording device 42 can also reproduce and output the recorded RAW image.

Next, the operation of the embodiment configured in this way will be described.

The endoscope 10 and the image processing device 20 are connected, and the power of the endoscope 10 and the image processing device 20 is turned on. The control unit 21 reads the scope information from the ROM 14 and outputs the light source control signal to the illumination unit 30. As a result, the illumination light from the light source 33 of the illumination unit 30 is irradiated to the subject via the light guide 12. The imager 13 is driven by the control unit 21 to take an image of the subject. The image pickup signal from the imager 13 is taken in by the image pickup signal acquisition unit 22 of the image processing device 20 and supplied to the image signal processing unit 23 and the RAW image generation unit 24.

The image signal processing unit 23 performs signal processing using the parameters from the control unit 21 on the image pickup signal, and outputs the image signal to the output control unit 27. At the same time as the signal processing of the image signal processing unit 23, the RAW image generation unit 24 is controlled by the control unit 21 to generate a RAW image from the image pickup signal from the image pickup signal acquisition unit 22. The RAW image generation unit 24 outputs the generated RAW image to the parameter addition processing unit 25.

The parameter selection unit 26 selects various parameters effective for developing the RAW image and outputs them to the parameter addition processing unit 25. That is, the parameter selection unit 26 selects a parameter related to a set value of illumination light, which is at least a parameter based on a dynamically changing environment. Further, the parameter selection unit 26 selects parameters according to the state of the RAW image such as the presence / absence of scratch correction. Further, the parameter selection unit 26 selects parameters according to the type of the imager 13 such as the image size. Further, the parameter selection unit 26 selects a parameter that specifies the observation mode. Further, the parameter selection unit 26 selects parameters used for image processing in the image signal processing unit 23 such as information for enhancement processing.

The parameter selection unit 26 outputs the selected parameter to the parameter addition processing unit 25 for each frame, for example. The parameter selection unit 26 may further limit the selected parameter to a specific parameter and output it to the parameter addition processing unit 25 in consideration of the limitation of the transmission capacity for the RAW image, or the changed parameter. Only may be output to the parameter addition processing unit 25.

The parameter addition processing unit 25 adds the parameters supplied from the parameter selection unit 26 to the RAW image as metadata of the RAW image and outputs the parameters to the output control unit 27. The output control unit 27 outputs the image signal from the image signal processing unit 23 to the display device 41. As a result, the endoscope image (observation image) obtained by the endoscope 10 is displayed on the display screen of the display device 41. Further, the output control unit 27 outputs the RAW image to which the parameter from the parameter addition processing unit 25 is added to the RAW recording device 42. The RAW recording device 42 records the input RAW image on a recording medium.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the endoscope image acquired by the endoscope can be displayed and observed, a RAW image of the endoscope image is generated, and a parameter is added to the generated RAW image. Can be output and recorded. In this case, in the present embodiment, at least a parameter related to a set value of the illumination light, which is a parameter based on a dynamically changing environment, can be given as a parameter. As a result, it is possible to grasp what kind of illumination the generated RAW image is based on the image pickup signal obtained by imaging the subject, and it can be utilized when developing the RAW image. .. Further, the RAW image is given parameters according to the state of the RAW image, parameters according to the type of endoscope, parameters for designating the observation mode, parameters used for image processing in the image signal processing unit, and the like. It can be used when developing RAW images.

(Second embodiment)
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an endoscope system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 2, the white arrow indicates the flow of signals such as video signals and RAW images (signals), the satin arrow indicates the flow of parameters, and the diagonal hatching arrow indicates the flow of RAW images to which parameters are assigned. Is shown. In FIG. 2, the same components as those in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted. The image processing device 20a of FIG. 2 is different from the image processing device 20 of FIG. 1 in that an external input control unit 45 is provided, and the image signal processing unit 23 is the output of the image pickup signal acquisition unit 22 or the external input control unit 45. It is possible to take in the output of and perform signal processing.

The ROM 28 of the image processing device 20a stores a plurality of parameters corresponding to a plurality of endoscopes, but not all endoscopes are supported, and may be used depending on the type of endoscope. There are also image processing devices that cannot be used. This embodiment assumes this case, and the endoscope 10a shows an example corresponding to the image processing device 50. As the illumination light supplied to the light guide 12 of the endoscope 10a, the illumination light generated by the light source 33 of the illumination unit 30 of the image processing device 20a is used.

The configurations of the control unit 51, the image pickup signal acquisition unit 52, the image signal processing unit 53, the RAW image generation unit 54, the parameter addition processing unit 55, the parameter selection unit 56, the output control unit 57, and the ROM 58 of the image processing device 50 are controlled, respectively. It is the same as the unit 21, the image pickup signal acquisition unit 22, the image signal processing unit 23, the RAW image generation unit 24, the parameter addition processing unit 25, the parameter selection unit 26, the output control unit 27, and the ROM 28. The image signal processing unit 53 outputs the detection result to the control unit 51 for lighting control. The control unit 51 generates a light source control signal based on the detection result. In the present embodiment, the control unit 51 outputs the light source control signal to the output control unit 57.

The output control unit 57 is connected to the external input control unit 45 of the image processing device 20a via a predetermined transmission line such as a cable or a wireless transmission line (not shown). The output control unit 57 inputs the RAW image to which the parameter from the parameter addition processing unit 55 is added or the image from the image signal processing unit 53 and the light source control signal from the control unit 51 into the external input control unit 45 of the image processing device 20a. It is possible to output to.

The external input control unit 45 outputs the input image to the image signal processing unit 23, and outputs the light source control signal to the control unit 21.

Next, the operation of the embodiment configured in this way will be described.

The endoscope 10a and the image processing device 50 are connected so that the image pickup signal from the imager 13 can be supplied to the image pickup signal acquisition unit 52, and the endoscope 10a and the image processing device 20a are connected to the lighting unit. The illumination light from the light source 33 of 30 can be supplied to the light guide 12. In the following description, it is assumed that the image signal processing unit 23 of the image processing device 20a has higher image processing performance than the image signal processing unit 53 of the image processing device 50, and a high-quality endoscopic image (observation image). In order to obtain the image signal processing unit 23, the image signal processing unit 23 is used. In this case, the image processing device 50 generates a RAW image as an image with little deterioration and transmits it to the image processing device 20a.

The control unit 21 of the image processing device 20a outputs a light source control signal to the illumination unit 30, and emits the illumination light from the light source 33 to the light guide 12. This illumination light is applied to the subject from the light guide 12 of the endoscope 10a. The imager 13 is driven by the control unit 51 of the image processing device 50 to take an image of the subject. The image pickup signal from the imager 13 is taken in by the image pickup signal acquisition unit 52 of the image processing device 50 and supplied to the image signal processing unit 53 and the RAW image generation unit 54.

The RAW image generation unit 54 generates a RAW image based on the image pickup signal. The control unit 51 reads parameters from the ROM 58 based on the scope information and outputs the parameters to the parameter selection unit 56. The parameter selection unit 56 selects a parameter to be added to the RAW image and outputs it to the parameter addition processing unit 55, as in the first embodiment. The illumination light is supplied to the endoscope 10a by the image processing device 20a, and parameters related to the set value of the light source cannot be obtained from the control unit 51. The parameter addition processing unit 55 adds the parameters selected by the parameter selection unit 56 to the RAW image as metadata and outputs the metadata to the output control unit 57. The output control unit 57 outputs the RAW image to which the metadata is added and the light source control signal from the control unit 51 to the external input control unit 45 of the image processing device 20a via a cable.

The external input control unit 45 gives the input light source control signal to the control unit 21, and outputs the RAW image to which the parameter is added to the image signal processing unit 23. The control unit 21 gives the light source control signal input from the external input control unit 45 to the illumination unit 30. The light source control unit 31 generates a set value for controlling light emission generated based on the light source control signal. As a result, the light source 33 of the illumination unit 30 emits light with a light emission amount based on the light source control signal to emit the illumination light. Further, the light source control unit 31 also outputs a set value (light source set value) for controlling light emission to the control unit 21. The control unit 21 outputs the light source set value to the image signal processing unit 23 as a parameter used for signal processing of the image signal processing unit 23.

A parameter stored in the ROM 58, that is, a parameter corresponding to the endoscope 10a is added to the RAW image input to the image signal processing unit 23. The image signal processing unit 23 signals the RAW image using this parameter and the parameter related to the set value of the light source supplied from the control unit 21 to obtain an captured image.

As described above, the image signal processing unit 23 has higher image processing performance than the image signal processing unit 53, and the ROM 28 may store parameters that enable high-quality image processing. The control unit 21 reads such a parameter from the ROM 28 and outputs it to the image signal processing unit 23. The image signal processing unit 23 can obtain a higher image quality image by performing signal processing using the parameters from the control unit 21. The captured image from the image signal processing unit 23 is supplied to the output control unit 27 and given to the display device 41. In this way, the captured image obtained by the endoscope 10a is displayed on the display screen of the display device 41 with higher image quality than when only the image processing device 50 is used.

As described above, in the present embodiment, even when the endoscope is supported only by an image processing device having relatively low performance, the RAW image is output from this image processing device, so that the performance is relatively high. In the same image processing apparatus as that of the first embodiment, the RAW image can be developed to obtain an observed image. In this case, in an image processing device having relatively low performance, parameters necessary for developing a RAW image are added, and by using the added parameters, the RAW image can be reliably developed. Further, in an image processing apparatus having relatively high performance, signal processing using a parameter related to a set value of a light source and a parameter related to image processing is possible, and a higher quality observed image can be obtained.

(Third embodiment)
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an endoscope system according to a third embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 3, the white arrow indicates the flow of signals such as video signals and RAW images (signals), the satin arrow indicates the flow of parameters, and the diagonal hatched arrow indicates the flow of RAW images to which parameters are assigned. Is shown. In FIG. 3, the same components as those in FIGS. 1 and 2 are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted. This embodiment shows an example of assigning a parameter to a RAW image in the image processing apparatus 20a of FIG.

The second aspect of the present embodiment is that the external input control unit 45 outputs a RAW image including parameters to the image signal processing unit 23 and the parameter addition processing unit 25, and the parameter addition processing unit 25 newly assigns parameters. Different from the embodiment. The signal processing in the image signal processing unit 23 is the same as that of the second embodiment.

The control unit 21 reads the parameters included in the RAW image from the image signal processing unit 23 and gives them to the parameter selection unit 26. Further, the control unit 21 takes in the parameters based on the set values of the light source generated by the light source control unit 31 and gives them to the parameter selection unit 26, and further reads the parameters used for signal processing in the image signal processing unit 23 from the ROM 28. Is given to the parameter selection unit 26.

The parameter selection unit 26 selects a parameter based on the set value of the light source and outputs the parameter to the parameter addition processing unit 25. Further, the parameter selection unit 26 selects and adds a parameter read from the ROM 28 in addition to the parameter included in the RAW image transferred from the image processing device 50, or in place of a part or all of this parameter. Output to the processing unit 25. The parameter addition processing unit 25 adds the parameters selected by the parameter selection unit 26 as metadata to the RAW image captured from the external input control unit 45. The RAW image to which the metadata from the parameter addition processing unit 25 is added is supplied to the output control unit 27.

The output control unit 27 gives the image signal from the image signal processing unit 23 to the display device 41, and gives the RAW image including the metadata from the parameter addition processing unit 25 to the RAW recording device 42. In this way, the display device 41 displays the image with high image quality, and the RAW recording device 42 records the RAW image to which the parameters effective for development are added.

As described above, in the present embodiment, as in the second embodiment, it is possible to obtain a high-quality observation image even when the endoscope is supported only by an image processing device having relatively low performance. can. Further, in the present embodiment, there is an effect that the RAW image can be recorded by adding parameters effective for development.

(Fourth Embodiment)
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an endoscope system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 4, white arrows indicate the flow of signals such as video signals and RAW images (signals), satin arrows indicate the flow of parameters, and diagonal hatching arrows indicate the flow of RAW images to which parameters are assigned. Is shown. In FIG. 4, the same components as those in FIGS. 1 to 3 are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

The image processing device 20b of FIG. 4 is different from the image processing device 20a of FIG. 2 in that an input / output control unit 46 is provided in place of the external input control unit 45. Further, the image processing device 60 has the same configuration as the image processing device 50. That is, the configurations of the control unit 61, the image pickup signal acquisition unit 62, the image signal processing unit 63, the RAW image generation unit 64, the parameter addition processing unit 65, the parameter selection unit 66, and the ROM 68 of the image processing device 60 are the control unit 51, respectively. This is the same as the image pickup signal acquisition unit 52, the image signal processing unit 53, the RAW image generation unit 54, the parameter addition processing unit 55, the parameter selection unit 56, and the ROM 58. The image processing device 60 is different from the image processing device 50 in that the input / output control unit 67 is provided in place of the output control unit 57.

The input / output control unit 67 of the image processing device 60 and the input / output control unit 46 of the image processing device 20b can communicate with each other. The input / output control unit 67 outputs the light source control signal generated by the control unit 61 to the external input control unit 45, and the external input control unit 45 outputs the parameters generated by the control unit 21 to the input / output control unit 67. The input / output control unit 67 gives parameters from the external input control unit 45 to the control unit 51, and the input / output control unit 46 gives the light source control signal from the input / output control unit 67 to the control unit 21.

The image processing device 60 is assumed to be a device corresponding to the endoscope 10b. Further, the image processing device 20b may be a device corresponding to the endoscope 10b, or may not be a device. The illumination light from the light source 33 of the image processing device 20b is supplied to the light guide 12 of the endoscope 10b.

Next, the operation of the embodiment configured in this way will be described.

The endoscope 10b and the image processing device 60 are connected so that the image pickup signal from the imager 13 can be supplied to the image pickup signal acquisition unit 62, and the endoscope 10b and the image processing device 20b are connected to the lighting unit. The illumination light from the light source 33 of 30 can be supplied to the light guide 12. In the following description, the image signal processing unit 63 of the image processing device 60 has higher image processing performance than the image signal processing unit 23 of the image processing device 20b, and obtains a high-quality endoscopic image (observation image). Therefore, it is assumed that the image signal processing unit 60 is used. That is, in the image processing device 60, an observation image is generated from the image pickup signal, and a RAW image with parameters is generated.

The control unit 21 of the image processing device 20b outputs a light source control signal to the illumination unit 30, and emits the illumination light from the light source 33 to the light guide 12. This illumination light is applied to the subject from the light guide 12 of the endoscope 10a. The imager 13 is driven by the control unit 61 of the image processing device 60 to take an image of the subject. The image pickup signal from the imager 13 is taken in by the image pickup signal acquisition unit 62 of the image processing device 60 and supplied to the image signal processing unit 63 and the RAW image generation unit 64. The RAW image generation unit 64 generates a RAW image and outputs it to the parameter addition processing unit 65.

The image signal processing unit 63 detects the captured image after the AGC processing and outputs the detection result to the control unit 61. The control unit 61 generates a light source control signal based on the detection result and outputs the light source control signal to the input / output control unit 67. The input / output control unit 67 transmits a light source control signal to the input / output control unit 46 of the image processing device 20b. The input / output control unit 46 supplies the received light source control signal to the control unit 21.

The control unit 21 gives a light source control signal from the input / output control unit 46 to the illumination unit 30. The light source control unit 31 generates a set value for controlling light emission generated based on the light source control signal. As a result, the light source 33 of the illumination unit 30 emits light with a light emission amount based on the light source control signal to emit the illumination light. Further, the light source control unit 31 outputs a light source set value for controlling light emission to the control unit 21. The control unit 21 supplies the set value of the light source to the control unit 61 of the image processing device 60 via the input / output control unit 46 and the input / output control unit 67. In this case, the control unit 21 also supplies the parameters read from the ROM 28 to the control unit 61 as needed.

The control unit 61 reads the scope information from the ROM 14, selects parameters from the ROM 68 based on the scope information, and outputs the parameters captured via the input / output control unit 67 to the image signal processing unit 63 and the parameter selection unit 66. do. The image signal processing unit 63 performs various signal processing on the image pickup signal based on the input parameters to obtain an observation image. This observation image is supplied to the display device 41 via the input / output control unit 67. In this way, the endoscope image is displayed on the display device 41.

The image signal processing unit 63 has higher image processing performance than the image signal processing unit 23, and the ROM 68 stores parameters that enable high-quality image processing. Further, the parameters related to the set value of the light source are also supplied from the image processing device 20b, and the image signal processing unit 23 performs signal processing using the parameters from the control unit 61 to obtain a higher image quality image. Obtainable.

The parameter selection unit 66 selects a parameter effective for developing a RAW image from the parameters given by the control unit 61 and outputs the parameter to the parameter addition processing unit 65. The selection method of the parameter selection unit 66 is the same as that of the first embodiment. The input / output control unit 67 is given the parameters selected by the parameter selection unit 66, and adds these parameters to the RAW image as metadata. The RAW image to which the metadata from the parameter addition processing unit 65 is added is supplied to the RAW recording device 42 via the input / output control unit 67. In this way, the RAW recording device 42 records the RAW image to which the metadata is added.

As described above, in the present embodiment, when an image processing device having relatively high performance is connected to the endoscope, the observation image is obtained from the image pickup signal in this image processing device. In this case, the image processing device that supplies the illumination light to the endoscope supplies parameters related to the set value of the light source to the image processing device having relatively high performance, and a high-quality observation image is obtained from the image pickup signal. In addition to being able to obtain it, various parameters including parameters related to the setting value of the light source effective for developing the RAW image can be added to the RAW image and recorded.

The present invention is not limited to each of the above embodiments as it is, and at the implementation stage, the components can be modified and embodied within a range that does not deviate from the gist thereof. In addition, various inventions can be formed by an appropriate combination of the plurality of components disclosed in each of the above embodiments. For example, some components of all the components shown in the embodiment may be deleted. Furthermore, components over different embodiments may be combined as appropriate.

10, 10a, 10b ... Endoscope, 11 ... Insertion unit, 12 ... Light guide, 13 ... Imager, 14 ... ROM, 20, 20a, 20b ... Image processing device, 21 ... Control unit, 22 ... Image pickup signal acquisition unit, 23 ... Image signal processing unit, 24 ... RAW image generation unit, 25 ... Parameter addition processing unit, 26 ... Parameter selection unit, 27 ... Output control unit, 28 ... ROM, 30 ... Lighting unit, 31 ... Light source control unit, 32 ... Light source driver, 33 ... light source, 41 ... display device, 42 ... RAW recording device.

Claims (10)

A light source unit having a light source that emits illumination light to irradiate the subject,
An image processing device capable of inputting an image pickup signal obtained by imaging the return light from the subject based on the irradiation of the light source unit and outputting an observation image based on the image pickup signal is provided.
The image processing device is
A RAW image generation unit that receives an image pickup signal obtained by imaging the return light from the subject based on the irradiation of the light source unit and generates a RAW image from the image pickup signal, and a RAW image generation unit.
A parameter selection unit that selects parameters used for developing the RAW image and at least selects parameters based on set values related to the illumination light emitted by the light source unit.
A parameter addition processing unit for adding and outputting the parameters selected by the parameter selection unit to the RAW image is provided .
The parameter selection unit uses the current value for driving the light source unit or the set value for the pulse width as the setting value for the illumination light emitted by the light source unit.
An endoscopic system characterized by that. The RAW image generation unit selectively performs predetermined image processing at the time of RAW image generation, and the RAW image generation unit performs predetermined image processing.
The endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein the parameter selection unit selects parameters other than the parameters related to image processing selected at the time of RAW image generation in the RAW image generation unit. The endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein the parameter selection unit selects a parameter based on the type information of the endoscope that obtains the image pickup signal based on the return light from the subject. The parameter selection unit uses, as the setting value for the illumination light emitted by the light source unit, the current value and the pulse width when the semiconductor light source is PWM-driven when the light source is a semiconductor light source. The endoscopic system according to claim 1. The endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein the parameter selection unit selects a parameter that specifies an observation mode of the endoscope that obtains the image pickup signal based on the return light from the subject. The image processing device is an image signal processing unit that receives an image pickup signal obtained by imaging the return light from the subject based on the irradiation of the light source unit and processes the image pickup signal to generate an observation image. The endoscope system according to claim 1, further comprising. The endoscope system according to claim 6, wherein the parameter selection unit selects a parameter used for signal processing of the image signal processing unit. Instead of the RAW image generation unit, an imaging signal obtained by imaging the return light from the subject based on the irradiation of the light source unit is input, and a second RAW image generation unit that generates a RAW image from the imaging signal. And a second parameter addition processing unit that adds parameters used for developing the RAW image generated by the second RAW image generation unit, a detection result of the imaging signal, and the second parameter addition processing unit. A second image processing device including an output control unit for outputting the RAW image is further provided.
The image processing device is
An external input control unit for inputting the detection result and the RAW image output by the output control unit, and
A control unit that generates a control signal for controlling the light source unit based on the detection result received by the external input control unit and outputs a parameter based on a set value for the illumination light obtained from the light source unit.
An image in which the RAW image received by the external input control unit is input, and the RAW image is signal-processed using the parameters added to the RAW image and the parameters from the control unit to generate and output an observation image. The endoscope system according to claim 1, further comprising a signal processing unit. The parameter selection unit includes parameters added to the RAW image received by the external input control unit, parameters based on set values for the illumination light obtained from the light source unit, and signal processing of the image signal processing unit. Of the parameters used for the above, the parameters necessary for developing the RAW image are selected and given to the parameter addition processing unit.
The endoscope system according to claim 8, wherein the parameter addition processing unit adds and outputs a parameter given by the parameter selection unit to the RAW image received by the external input control unit. An image signal processing unit that receives an image pickup signal obtained by imaging the return light from the subject and processes the image pickup signal to generate and output an observation image, and the light source instead of the image generation unit. An image pickup signal obtained by imaging the return light from the subject based on the irradiation of the unit is input, and the second image generation unit that generates a RAW image from the image pickup signal and the detection result of the image pickup signal are output. The illumination received by at least the first input / output control unit that selects the parameters used for developing the RAW image and the first input / output control unit that receives the parameters based on the set values related to the illumination light. It has a second parameter selection unit that selects a parameter based on a set value related to light, and a second parameter addition processing unit that adds and outputs the parameter selected by the second parameter selection unit to the RAW image. Further equipped with a second image processing device,
A second input / output control unit that receives the detection result output by the first input / output control unit, and a second input / output control unit.
A control signal for controlling the light source unit is generated based on the detection result received by the second input / output control unit, and a parameter based on a set value for the illumination light obtained from the light source unit is input to the second input / output unit. The endoscope system according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit that outputs to the first input / output control unit via an output control unit.

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