JPH072164B2 - Electronic endoscopic device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an electronic endoscope apparatus having a white balance adjustment circuit.

[Problems to be Solved by the Related Art and Invention] In recent years, an endoscope (scope or scope) capable of diagnosing or inspecting internal organs in a body cavity by inserting a small-diameter insertion portion into the body cavity Fiberscopes) are widely used. Further, it is used not only for medical purposes but also for industrial purposes for observing and inspecting objects in pipes of boilers, machines, chemical plants, etc., or in equipment.
Further, various electronic scopes using a charge-coupled device as an image pickup means are also used.

By the way, a delicate change in color is an important parameter for finding an abnormality of an object in diagnosis and inspection using an endoscope. However, in the electronic scope, due to factors such as the spectral sensitivity of the CCD as an imaging means, the variation of color filters, the color variation of the light source, etc., the reproduced color varies for each scope or for the entire electronic endoscope apparatus. . Therefore, it was necessary to take a white balance so that a white object was reproduced white on the monitor.

A technique for adjusting the white balance is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 59-
No. 228494. In this prior art, a circuit that detects whether or not the pressing time of the push button switch exceeds a predetermined time, and if this circuit detects that the predetermined time is exceeded, the automatic white balance circuit detects the white balance again. And a means for generating a control signal instructing to output new balance information.

However, in the above-described conventional technique, when the white balance adjustment is performed, if the monitor image is frozen, there is a possibility that the white balance may be adjusted for another subject even though the white subject is displayed on the monitor image. Also, in a device having a zoom function, a white subject is displayed in the zoomed-up monitor image, but if the unzoomed part of the subject actually photographed is not white, correct white balance is taken. The problem arises that you can't.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic endoscope apparatus that prevents a white balance circuit from malfunctioning and obtains a reliable white balance.

[Means and Actions for Solving the Problem] In the electronic endoscope apparatus of the present invention, a white balance switch for instructing the operation of the white balance adjustment circuit and a subject moving image are output as an output image of the video signal processing means. And a control means for operating the white balance adjustment circuit when the white balance switch is operated for a certain period of time.

In the present invention, the control means detects whether the white balance switch has been operated for a certain period of time. The control means detects whether the output image of the video signal processing means is a moving subject image. When the white balance switch is operated for a certain period of time and the output image is a moving image, the control means operates the white balance circuit to take the white balance.

EXAMPLES The present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings.

1 to 11 relate to the first embodiment of the present invention.
The figure is a block diagram for explaining the overall configuration of the electronic endoscope apparatus.
2 and 3 are external views of the panel device, FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of the keyboard, FIG. 5 is an overall configuration diagram of the electronic endoscope device, and FIGS. 6 to 10 are display images on the monitor. Illustration,
FIG. 11 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the CPU.

In FIG. 5, the electronic endoscope apparatus 1 is an electronic scope 2
A control device 3, a monitor 4, a keyboard 6, and an external video recording device 7.

The electronic scope 2 has a long-diameter operating portion 9 connected to the rear end of the elongated insertion portion 8, and a universal cable 11 extends from the operating portion 9. Universal cable
A connector 12 provided at the rear end of 11 is detachably connected to the control device 3.

The insertion portion 8 is provided with a distal end portion 13, a bending portion 14, and a flexible tube portion 16 in this order from the distal end side, and the flexible tube portion 16 is provided with the operation portion 9 described above.
Are lined up. The bending portion 14 is bent in the vertical and horizontal directions by a bending operation knob 17 provided on the operation portion 9.

In FIG. 1, the tip portion 13 is provided with an objective lens system 18 and a light distribution lens system 19. A solid-state image sensor 21 is provided behind the objective lens system 19 and the solid-state image sensor 21 is provided.
An image of the subject 22 is formed on the image pickup surface of. The solid-state image sensor 21 is connected to the CC of the control device 3 by the signal line 23.
It is connected to the D driver 24 and the color separation circuit 26.

Behind the light distribution lens system 19, an emission end face of a light guide 27 formed of a fiber bundle that transmits illumination light is provided. The light guide 27 is inserted through the insertion portion 8, the operation portion 9 and the inside of the universal cable 11 so that the control device 3
It is adapted to be guided to the light source unit 28 provided in the.

Further, a scope switch is provided on the operation unit 9 of the electronic scope 2.
29a, 29b, 29c, 29d are provided.

The control device 3 includes the light source unit 28, a signal processing unit 31, and a control unit 32 as a control means.

The light source unit 28 includes a light source lamp 33 that generates illumination light and a condenser lens 34 that condenses the illumination light and irradiates the incident end face of the light guide 27.

The color separation circuit 26 constituting the signal processing unit 31 separates the luminance signal Y and the color difference signals RY and BY from the image signal input from the solid-state image pickup device 21, and the luminance signal Y is variable gain amplifier 36R. , 36B and A / D converter 37 to output the color difference signal RY
To the adder 38 and the color difference signal BY to the adder 39. The variable gain amplifier 36R outputs the luminance signal YR 'whose gain is adjusted by the control signal from the white balance control circuit 41 to the adder 38, and the variable gain amplifier 36B similarly outputs the white balance control circuit 41.
Luminance signal YB ′ whose gain is adjusted by the control signal from
Is output to the adder 39.

The adder 38 adds the luminance signal YR 'to the color difference signal RY and outputs the color difference signal RY' to the white balance control circuit 41 and the A / D converter 37, and the adder 39 The luminance signal YB 'is added to the color difference signal BY to obtain the color difference signal BY'.
The white balance control circuit 41 and the A / D
It is adapted to output to the converter 37.

The variable gain amplifiers 36R and 36B and the white balance control circuit 41 constitute a white balance adjustment circuit.

The A / D converter 37 digitally converts the input signal and outputs it to the image memory 42. The signal once stored in the image memory 42 is converted into an analog signal by the D / A converter 43, converted into a standard video signal by the video signal processing circuit 44, and changed over to the changeover switch 46.
Entered in. The changeover switch 46 is adapted to switch and output a video signal to the monitor 4 and the external image recording device 7.

The white balance control circuit 41 is controlled by the microcomputer 47 that constitutes the control unit 32.

The microcomputer 47 is a CPU 48 and a keyboard /
A panel interface circuit 51, an external recording device interface circuit 52, an internal interface circuit 56,
It is composed of a character signal generating circuit 57.

The CPU 48 controls the operations of the keyboard / panel interface circuit 51, the external recording device interface circuit 52, the internal interface circuit 56, and the character signal generation circuit 57. The keyboard / panel interface circuit 51 is a keyboard. 6 and the panel device 49, and the external recording device interface circuit 52 controls the external recording device 7.

The internal interface circuit 56 is a white balance control circuit 41, a memory controller 53 and a color bar / 50.
It is connected to a color bar / 50% white generation circuit 54 which generates a signal of% white and a video signal processing circuit 44, and controls these circuits. The character signal generation circuit 57 generates a character signal, outputs it to the video signal processing circuit 44, and superimposes it on the subject video signal.

The memory controller 53 includes the A / D converter 37 and the image memory 4
2 and the D / A converter 43 are controlled, and the color bar / 50% white generation circuit 54 is connected to the video signal processing circuit 44. Further, the changeover switch 46 is controlled to change over through the internal interface circuit 56.

2 and 3 are external views of the panel device 49. The switches 58a, 58b, 58c, 58d in FIG. 3 are switches for turning on / off the recording to the external recording device 7, and the LEDs 59 arranged on the respective switches 58a, 58b, 58c, 58d.
When a, 59b, 59c, and 59d are lit, recording on each recording device is possible. Here, a digital file, a video tape recorder, a still video recorder, or a video disk recorder can be connected as the external recording device 7.

The switches 58e, 58f and 58g are for switching the NTSC, Y / C separation and RGB signals output to the monitor 4, respectively.
The switch 58e has four signals: an image of an NTSC signal captured by the scope 2, a playback image of a still video recorder (SVR), a playback image of a video tape recorder (VTR), and a playback image of a video disc recorder (V.DISK). One of them can be selected and output to the monitor 4. With the switch 58f, the Y / C separated signal can be selected from three images of an image picked up by the scope 2, an SVR reproduced image, and a VTR reproduced image and output to the monitor 4. Switch 58
g is the monitor 4 by selecting either the image of the RGB signal captured by the scope 2 or the reproduced image of the digital image file.
It is possible to output to.

The switching status by operating the switches 58e, 58f, 58g is shown by the LEDs 59e, 59f, 59 provided above the switches 58e, 58f, 58g.
You can know it by lighting g.

The switch 58h in FIG. 2 can directly operate the image capture and printout to the video printer as the external video recording device 7, and the LED 59 provided on the upper part of the switch 58h.
h lights when the video printer is operating. The switch 58i can operate the recording / pausing of the VTR as the external video recording device 7, and the LED 59i provided above the switch 58i during the VTR recording.
Is lit up. The switch 58j can be an image obtained by differentiating the subject image displayed on the monitor 4 by the differential image ON / OFF switch. While the differentiated image is displayed, the LED 59j provided above the switch 58j.
Is lit up.

Switch 58k is an ON / OFF switch for TVinTV mode.
When the mode is ON, a differential image is displayed, and when it is frozen, a reduced moving image is displayed on the screen as a child screen. Switch 58k when TVinTV mode is ON
LED59k provided at the top of the lights up. The switch 58m can be switched to three levels of weak and strong by a contour emphasis changeover switch, and the LED 59m provided above the switch 58m is turned on in accordance with the selected emphasis amount. The switch 58n is an ON / OFF switch for a high-speed shutter mode that uses the element shutter function of the solid-state imaging device 21, and when the high-speed shutter mode is ON, freezing provides a short-exposure image with less blur. When the high-speed shutter mode is ON, the LED 59 provided above the switch 58n
n lights up.

The switch 58p can switch between average photometry and peak photometry by switching the photometry mode, and the LED 59p provided above the switch 58p is turned on according to the switching of the average or peak.

The switch 58q switches between the field freeze and the frame freeze of the image by switching the freeze mode, and the LED 59q provided above the switch 58q is turned on according to the mode.

Switch 58r is ON / O for automatic gain control (AGC)
ON / OFF of the AGC can be selected with the FF switch, and the LED 59r provided on the upper part of the switch 58r is lit accordingly.

The switch 58s is a white balance switch, and the white balance can be operated by operating this switch. When the white balance is operating, the LED 59s provided above the switch 58s is turned on.

The switches 58t and 58u are switches for increasing / decreasing the reddish component of the image, respectively, and can be adjusted to a total of 17 steps of zero and 8 steps of positive and negative,
The adjusted value is displayed centering on LED59t.

The switches 58v and 58w are switches for increasing / decreasing the bluish component of the image, respectively, and can be adjusted to a total of 17 steps of zero and positive increase 8 steps,
The adjusted value is displayed on the LED 59v centered on zero.

LED61a, 61b and LED62a, 62b and LED63a, 63b and LED64a, 64b
Respectively indicate the functions of the scope switches 29a, 29b, 29c, 29d provided in the scope 2. For example, when the LED 61a is lit, the scope switch 29a
Is operated to perform a release operation, and when the LED 61b is lit, the scope switch 29b is operated to perform a freeze operation. Scope switches 29a, 29b, 29c, 2
Switching of the function of 9d is performed by another switch not shown.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the keyboard 6.

By operating the keys on the keyboard 6, various data can be input on the character screen shown in FIG. 6 which is superimposed on the subject image. In FIG. 6, for example, as the patient ID number, “ID.N
In the "O:" section, enter the 15-digit patient code and name as "NAME:"
20 characters in the section, 3 characters in the section "SEX:" as gender, 3 digits in the section "AGE:" as age, and the date of birth in the section "DOBIRTH:" Comments for "COMMEN
You can enter each 37 characters in the "T:" section. Also, the clock time of the CPU 48 is displayed. In this display, the time of the stopwatch can be displayed instead of the time by operating the "stopwatch" key 67a.
When you press the "Stopwatch" key 67a, the time display on the clock disappears, the stopwatch is displayed instead of the date, and counting starts from 00:00:00. When the key 67a is pressed again while the stopwatch is counting, the stopwatch is stopped, and when the stopwatch is stopped, pressing 67a again displays the clock again. When the stopwatch is stopped and the key 67a is pressed while pressing the "shift" key, the stopwatch count is restarted.

When the "erase all characters" key 67b is pressed, the generation of characters from the character signal generation circuit 57 is stopped and the character display disappears. Pressing the key 67b again restarts the generation of characters.

When the "comment expansion" key 67c is pressed, the cursor moves to the object image shown by a large octagon in FIG. 6, and a free comment of 26 characters × 19 lines can be written. When the key 67c is pressed again, the cursor moves to the "COMMENT:" item.

When the "title screen" key 67d is pressed, the subject image disappears, and a free comment of 37 characters x 21 lines can be written on the monitor 4. When the key 67d is pressed again, the screen is switched to the normal screen before the key 67d is pressed, and the subject image is also displayed.

The characters written as the "title screen" are stored even when the power is turned off and can be recalled at any time.

When the "patient data input" key 67e is pressed, the screen of FIG. 7 is displayed on the monitor 4. This screen is a patient data pre-input selection screen of a pre-registration function that pre-enters patient data for 20 people and calls the patient data as needed. This screen shows a list of ID numbers and names for 20 people. When the number of the data to be input or changed is input from 01 to 20 and the return key is pressed, the screen shown in FIG. 8 is displayed, and the patient data can be input and corrected.

When the "patient data registration" key 67f is pressed, the patient data entered on the screen of FIG. 8 is registered in the memory, and the patient data of the next data number is awaited. In order to get out of the screen shown in FIG. 8, the "patient data input" key 67e may be pressed again.

When the "Display patient data" key 67g is pressed, the screen shown in FIG. 9 is displayed, and a list of patient IDs and names that have been input in advance is displayed. When the numbers 1 to 20 are input and the Lintern key is pressed, the screen shown in FIG. 6 displays the patient data registered.

Each time the "cursor" key 67h is pressed, the display of the cursor on the screen is turned ON / OFF.

Pressing the "Preset" key 67i brings up the preset screen shown in FIG. In the "COUNTER" section of FIG. 10, the number of frames of each external image recording device displayed on the screen can be corrected. Here, "SCV" is the "hard copy" 58b, "VD" of the panel device 49.
Corresponds to the "Video Disc" 58d. The recording device name and the number of frames of the external image recording device 7 selected by the switches 58a, 58b, 58c, 58d of the panel device 49 are displayed on the screen of FIG. In the "DATE" section, the date and time of the clock in the CPU48 can be corrected. In the "RELEASE TIME" section, video disc (VD), digital file (DF), hard copy (SC
You can set the freeze time for relays for V) in the range of 2 to 9 seconds. Still video (SVR) is 1 second. Scope switch 29a, 29
Freeze time during release when the release operation is performed by the operation of b, 29c, 29d is selected from among the release times set for the four recording devices of video disk, digital file, hard copy and still video. It is considered to be the longest one. For example, if a video disc and a still video are selected with a video disc of 3 seconds, a digital file of 5 seconds, a hard copy of 2 seconds, and a still video of 1 second, the freeze time at release is 3 seconds.

"SCOPE SWITCH 2" and "SCOPE SWITCH 3" can have an optional function by specifying "1" for each of the mode switches of the scope switches 29b and 29c. Commands can be sent.

The data changed on the preset screen of FIG. 10 is set in the memory or clock by operating the “preset” key 67i again. It is not set for incomplete input data.

When the "white / color bar" key 67j is operated, a signal is output from the internal interface circuit 56 to the color bar / 50% white generation circuit 54 so as to generate a color bar or 50% white. 50% white on the monitor 4
The color bar is displayed on the monitor 4 when the key 67j is operated again, and the normal screen is restored when the key 67j is operated again.

When the "cursor top" key 67k is operated, the cursor moves to the item of ID in FIG.

When the "SCV reset" key 67m is operated, the number of frames in the hard copy counter is reset to "1".

By operating the "Search" key 67n, it is possible to search for an image already recorded in the video disc or the digital file.

When the "inspection end" key 67p is operated, the characters displayed on the monitor 4 are reset to the state shown in FIG.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

The light emitted from the light source lamp 33 of the light source unit 28 collects light.
A light guide provided inside the scope 2 by the 34
The light is condensed and transmitted to the incident end face of 27, and the subject 22 is illuminated from the light distribution lens system 19. The light reflected from the subject 22 is imaged on the image pickup surface of the solid-state image pickup device 21 by the objective lens system 18. The solid-state imaging device 21 is a solid-state imaging device called a single-plate color chip in which a color filter (not shown) is provided on the imaging surface. The solid-state imaging device 21 is driven by the drive signal from the CCD driver 24, converts the formed optical image into an electric signal and outputs it. The signal output from the solid-state imaging device 21 is separated by the color separation circuit 26 into a luminance signal Y and two color difference signals RY and BY, and two variable gain amplifiers.
After the white balance is adjusted by the white balance adjustment circuit consisting of 36R and 36B and the white balance control circuit 41, it is converted into a digital signal by the A / D converter 37 and stored in the image memory 42, and by the D / A converter 43. The analog signal is converted into a standard video signal by the video signal processing circuit 44 and displayed on the monitor 4 via the changeover switch 46.

On the other hand, the CPU 48 of the microcomputer 47 performs the operation shown in the flowchart of FIG. In the figure, CPU48 is P
At 1, check the white balance switch 58s of the panel device 49 through the keyboard / panel interface circuit 51. If the switch 58s is ON, the process proceeds to P2, and if it is OFF, the process proceeds to P3 and the timer t = 0 is set and the process returns to P1. At P2, check whether a moving image is displayed on the monitor 4. For example, during freeze, differential image display, title screen display, patient data pre-input, pre-input data recall, preset screen display, color bar, 50% white display, etc. 4 is not displayed, the subject for which the white balance is to be adjusted may not be displayed normally. Therefore, if the normal moving image is not being displayed, the timer t = 0 is set at P3 and the process returns to P1. If a normal video is displayed, proceed to P4. At P4, 10 ms is added to the timer t to check if it has reached 500 ms. If t = 500 ms, that is, if the white balance switch 58s is continuously pressed for 500 ms during moving image display, the process proceeds to P5. If t <500 ms, return to P1.

In P5, CPU48 through internal interface circuit 56 The signal is output to the white balance control circuit 41.

White balance control circuit when signal is input
41 is a color difference signal R-Y obtained by adding the color difference signal RY and the luminance signal YR 'produced by the variable gain amplifier 36R.
The gains of the variable gain amplifiers 36R and 36B are controlled so that the levels of Y'and the color difference signal BY 'produced in the same manner become zero. When the white balance control circuit 41 achieves the white balance, that is, the color difference signal RY ′,
When BY 'becomes zero Output a signal.

In P6, CPU48 through internal interface circuit 56 Check if the signal is input. if, If a signal is input, proceed to P9. If not, proceed to P7. In P7 Check whether 5 seconds have passed since the signal was output. If 5 seconds have elapsed, proceed to P10, and if 5 seconds have not elapsed, proceed to P8. At P8, the LED 59s provided on the upper portion of the white balance switch 58s of the panel device 49 blinks at a constant cycle to display that the white balance operation is in progress, and the process returns to P6.

In P9, LE is used to display that the white balance has been adjusted.
Turn on D59s and proceed to P11. P10 turns off the LED59s to indicate that the white balance has not been adjusted, and proceeds to P11. In P11 Turns off the signal and ends the white balance operation.

In addition, All panel switches and keyboard keys are locked while the signal is output.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the white balance is adjusted while confirming that the display image on the monitor 4 is a moving image and a white subject is surely captured, so that the correct white balance can be obtained. it can.

Also, when the white balance switch 58s is pressed for 500ms, a control signal is output to the white balance control circuit 41 to perform white balance. The balance is never adjusted.

12 to 14 relate to a second embodiment of the present invention,
The figure is a block diagram for explaining the overall configuration of the electronic endoscope apparatus.
FIG. 13 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the CPU, FIG.
The figure is an explanatory diagram of the white balance operation.

In this embodiment, the present invention is applied to a frame sequential electronic endoscope apparatus. The same components as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

The light source unit 28 of the control device 3 of this embodiment is provided with a rotary filter 71 in addition to the configuration described in the first embodiment. The rotary filter 71 is provided with color separation filters 72R, 72G, and 72B that transmit red (R), green (G), and blue (B) colors in a circular shape. The color transmission filters 72R, 72G, and 72B are The light source lamp 33 and the light guide 27 are sequentially inserted into the optical path connecting the light source lamp 33 and the incident end surface of the light guide 27 by being rotated by a motor 73.

Further, the signal processing unit 31 is provided with a variable gain amplifier 74 that receives the image signal from the solid-state imaging device 21. The gain of the variable gain amplifier 74 is adjusted by the control signal from the white balance control circuit 41.
The gain-adjusted image signal is converted into a digital signal by the A / D converter 37, written into the R memory 76R, G memory 76G, and B memory 76B, respectively, and then converted into an analog signal by the D / A converter 43.

Other configurations are similar to those of the first embodiment.

In the above-described configuration, the rotary filter 71 illuminates the incident end surface of the light guide 27 with the illumination of R, G, B colors, and the light distribution lens system 19 illuminates the subject 22. The reflected light from the subject 22 is imaged on the imaging surface of the solid-state imaging device 21. In this case, the solid-state image sensor 21 is a solid-state image sensor for monochrome images. The solid-state image sensor 21 is driven by a CCD driver 24 and outputs R, G, B image sequential image signals. The white balance control circuit 41 When a signal is input, as shown in FIG. 14, the gain of the variable gain amplifier 74 is controlled by each timing of R, G and B by the RGB timing signal from the memory controller 53, and the signal output of the variable gain amplifier 74 is controlled. R '= G' =
Adjust the white balance so that it becomes B '.

In this embodiment, the CPU 48 for white balance adjustment
The operation of is performed as shown in FIG. In the figure, P5 and
It is similar to the flowchart of FIG. 11 except that P20 is newly provided between P6.

In the present embodiment, the toning switch 58t, 5 of the panel device 49
Set the color tone of the image displayed on the monitor 4 changed by 8u, 58v, 58w while the white balance operation is being performed.
It returns to zero and zero neutral at P20. This P20
By providing the above, the user of the electronic endoscope apparatus 1 can observe the image on the monitor 4 and confirm that the white balance is achieved.

It should be noted that the buzzer may sound once in P5 and the buzzer may sound twice in P8 to notify the operation of the white balance by the sound.

In this embodiment, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained also in the frame sequential electronic endoscope apparatus.

As described above, according to the present invention, the white balance circuit is operated when the subject image is displayed as a moving image and the white balance switch is operated for a certain period of time. A malfunction of the circuit can be prevented, and a reliable white balance can be obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 to 11 relate to the first embodiment of the present invention.
The figure is a block diagram for explaining the overall configuration of the electronic endoscope apparatus.
2 and 3 are external views of the panel device, FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of the keyboard, FIG. 5 is an overall configuration diagram of the electronic endoscope device, and FIGS. 6 to 10 are display images on the monitor. Illustration,
FIG. 11 is a flowchart explaining the operation of the CPU, and FIG.
FIG. 14 to FIG. 14 relate to the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 12 is a block diagram for explaining the overall configuration of the electronic endoscope apparatus.
FIG. 14 is a flowchart explaining the operation of the CPU, and FIG. 14 is an explanatory view of the white balance operation. 1 ... Electronic endoscope device, 2 ... Electronic scope 3 ... Control device, 4 ... Monitor 7 ... External image recording device, 28 ... Light source unit 31 ... Signal processing unit, 32 ... Control unit 44 Video signal processing circuit 47 Microcomputer 48 CPU, 49 Panel device 58 Switch 58s White balance switch 59 LED

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An electronic endoscope apparatus having a video signal processing means for video-processing an image signal output from an image pickup means and a white balance adjusting circuit for white balance adjustment, wherein an operation of the white balance adjusting circuit is instructed. And a control means for operating the white balance adjustment circuit when it is determined that a subject moving image is output as an output image of the video signal processing means, and the white balance switch is operated for a certain period of time. An electronic endoscope apparatus comprising: