JPH11164293A - Magnification observation unit and magnification image pickup device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device that is applicable to various applications and has enhanced availability. SOLUTION: This magnification observation unit is configured with a combination of a slave set C consisting of a 1st image pickup section 2 that photographs a magnified image and of a magnification observation device having a video image means that displays a video image based on photographed information from the 1st image pickup section 2; and of a master set P consisting of a 2nd image pickup device section 2A that photographs a magnified image and of a magnification image pickup device having an image processing means that applies image processing to photographed information from the 2nd image pickup device section 2A. In the above configuration, the video information based on the photographed information by the 2nd image pickup device section 2A of the master set P is displayed on the video means of the slave set C via a communication means.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a magnifying observation device such as a so-called microscope.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A magnifying observation apparatus 100 as shown in FIG. 10 is conventionally known. In FIG. 10, the imaging unit 1
The enlarged image captured at 01 is displayed on a dedicated monitor 103 via a signal processing circuit built in the main unit 102. Since the magnifying observation apparatus 100 has the imaging unit 101 connected to the main body unit 102 by the cable 104, there is an advantage that there is no need to cut out the object T unlike a so-called microscope.

[0003]

Some of the magnifying observation apparatuses 100 are provided with a handle 105 so as to be portable, but have various functions such as a complicated image processing function and a measuring function. In relation to the magnification observation device 10
0 becomes large, so it is hard to carry.

On the other hand, the magnifying observation apparatus 100 is provided with an output port for outputting an analog or digital video signal, and an enlarged image can be displayed on a monitor of a television or a personal computer via the output port. here,
Since the dedicated monitor 103 of the magnifying observation apparatus 100 is small and is difficult to see, the utility value of the dedicated monitor 103 mounted on the magnifying observation apparatus 100 is low. Therefore, other monitors are often used. On the other hand, the provision of the dedicated monitor 103 increases the cost accordingly.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and has as its object to provide an apparatus for obtaining such an enlarged image,
The purpose is to increase the utility value so that it can be used for various purposes.

In order to achieve the above object, the present magnifying observation unit is constituted by a magnifying observation device and a magnifying imaging device described below. The magnifying observation device constitutes a slave unit of the unit, and includes a first imaging unit that captures an enlarged image and a video unit that displays video based on imaging information from the first imaging unit. On the other hand, the magnified imaging apparatus constitutes a master unit of the unit, and includes a second imaging unit that captures an enlarged image and an image processing unit that performs image processing on imaging information from the second imaging unit.

[0007] The magnifying observation unit according to the first invention (claim 1) transmits an image based on the image pickup information picked up by the second image pickup section of the master unit to the image means of the slave unit via communication means. It is something that can be projected. According to the first aspect of the invention, since the imaging information subjected to the image processing by the master unit can be displayed on the video means of the slave unit, an enlarged image can be viewed without the monitor of the master unit.

According to a second aspect of the present invention (claim 3), the magnifying observation unit is configured so that image information taken by the first image pickup section of the slave unit can be image-processed by image processing means of the master unit. .

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the imaging information obtained by the slave can be subjected to image processing or the like by the master, the slave does not need a function of performing complicated image processing. Can be reduced in size. Therefore, since the slave unit is easy to carry, the utility value is enhanced, such as being easy to carry to the site.

In the present invention, "video information based on imaging information" refers to "information as it is, as well as information obtained by correcting missing pixels, etc., or image processing performed on the imaging information. Refers to information.

In the present invention, "communication means" is generally constituted by a cable or a connector.
This is a component for clarifying that the parent device and the child device of the present invention can be used in different places. In addition, you may employ | adopt a wireless communication means etc. as a "communication means."

In the magnified image pickup apparatus according to the third aspect of the present invention, which constitutes the master unit according to the first and second aspects of the present invention, an illuminating device is attached to a distal end portion of a cylindrical body accommodating an image sensor and a lens unit for image formation. An imaging unit that irradiates the target object with illumination light from the illumination device and captures an enlarged image of the target object; and an image processing unit that performs image processing on image information from the imaging unit.
And, a magnifying imaging device comprising a main body portion having a built-in light source for supplying light to the lighting device via the light guide means,
It is possible to employ an enlarged imaging apparatus in which an output port for outputting a signal based on imaging information is provided in the main body, and an input port for inputting imaging information and video information from another device is provided in the main body.

[0013] Since the magnified image pickup apparatus of the third aspect of the present invention does not have an image means, the magnified image cannot be observed by itself. However, since an output port for outputting a signal based on the imaging information is provided, an enlarged image can be observed by connecting the present enlarged imaging device to various devices having video means. In addition, since an input port for inputting imaging information and video information from another device is provided, for example, image processing is performed on imaging information from the slaves of the first and second inventions, and video information is output from the output port. Can be output.

[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 1, a magnifying observation unit is constituted by a master unit (magnifying imaging device) P and a slave unit (magnifying observation device) C.

First, the slave C will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the slave unit C includes a slave unit main body 1 having a liquid crystal monitor (image means) 10 and a first imaging unit 2. The main unit 1 and the first imaging unit 2 are connected to each other by a first cable 3 integrally connected to the first imaging unit 2. The first cable 3 is connected by a first connector 30
The slave unit 1 is detachably connected to the main unit 1. The liquid crystal monitor 10 is provided on an outer surface of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped slave unit case 11 in the slave unit body 1.

In FIG. 2, the first image pickup section 2 includes a first
A housing is constituted by the tubular body 20. The first cylindrical body 20 accommodates a CCD (first imaging device) 24, a CCD drive circuit 25, and a first lens unit 26 for imaging. The first lens unit 26 includes, for example, a plurality of imaging lenses, and forms an image of the object T on the CCD 24 by performing so-called focus adjustment.

A first illumination head 40 is fixed to the tip of the first cylindrical body 20. The illumination head 40 irradiates the object T with light from a large number of LEDs (light emitting diodes: an example of a light source) 41. For example, a light guide in which a metal thin film is deposited on the outer surface of a transparent acrylic resin is used. It is composed of light means. The LEDs 41 are provided on the circumference of FIG. 2B, for example, over the entire circumference at an equal angular pitch.

As shown in FIG. 3, the LED 41 is turned on through an illumination switch 42 and a main power switch 12a.
The main power switch 1 is connected to a secondary battery 12 and a power supply circuit (not shown) built in the slave unit main body 1.
2a and the lighting switch 42 are turned on, and the object T in FIG. 2 is irradiated with continuous illumination light. The light reflected by the object T is transmitted to the first lens unit 2
The light is condensed at 6, forms an image on the CCD 24, undergoes photoelectric conversion, is read out by the CCD drive circuit 25 as an image signal (image information), and is input to the first signal processing circuit 13 in FIG. 3. The first signal processing circuit 13 sequentially stores the imaging signals in the first image memory 13a, and causes the liquid crystal monitor 10 to display an enlarged image of the object based on the stored imaging signals. The main unit 1 is provided with a shutter button 14. By pressing the shutter button 14,
The first signal processing circuit 13 stores the image displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 10 (stored in the first image memory 13a) on the recording medium 15.

The recording medium 15 is, for example, a RAM housed in a card-like casing, inserted through an insertion slot (not shown) formed in the main unit 1, and passed through a medium connector 13b. Connected to the first signal processing circuit 13.
In addition, the child device main body 1 has a second connector in which an input port for inputting video information (video signal) from the parent device P and an output port for outputting video information and the like to the parent device P are integrated. 17 are provided.

Next, an example of using the slave unit C alone will be described. First, the main power switch 12a is turned on, and FIG.
The lighting head 40 close to the object T
Is turned on, an enlarged image of the object T is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 10. When the shutter button 14 is depressed after searching for a part that requires imaging while viewing the enlarged image, the enlarged image is stored in the recording medium 15 in FIG. in this way,
The slave unit C can capture an enlarged image,
An enlarged image can be displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 10.

Next, the master unit P will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the parent device P is not provided with an image means.
The master unit P includes a second imaging unit 2A and a master unit main unit 5 connected to each other by a second cable 3A and an optical fiber cable 3B.

As shown in FIG. 4, the second image pickup unit 2A
Has a CCD (second imaging device) 24A and a second lens unit 26A housed in a second cylindrical body 20A.
A second illumination head (illumination device) 40A is attached to a tip of the second imaging unit 2A. The second lighting head 4
0A is illuminated from a halogen lamp (light source) 32 incorporated in the main body 5 through an optical fiber (light guiding means) 31 inserted into the second cylindrical body 20A and the optical fiber cable 3B. Light is provided. The main unit 5 includes
A CCD drive circuit 25A is housed therein, and the CCD drive circuit 25A includes a second cable 3A and a third connector 33A.
, The charge of the CCD 24A is read out. The CCD 24A of the second imaging unit 2A is connected to the CC of the first imaging unit 2 in FIG.
The number of pixels is larger than D24, and the lamp 32 of FIG.
Has a larger light amount than the LED 41 of FIG.

The main unit 5 includes a second signal processing circuit 50.
And a mode setting section 51,
Fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh connectors 54 to 57 connected to the signal processing circuit 50 are provided. The second
The signal processing circuit 50 includes an image processing unit 58, a measuring unit 59, and a second image memory 50a. The image processing unit 58 performs image processing on the imaging information stored in the second image memory 50a according to the setting of the mode setting unit 51. It should be noted that the processing contents of the information and the input / output port (connector) are selected according to the setting of the mode setting unit 51. The two signal processing circuits 50 and 13 control communication with each other or with a personal computer or the like.

The measuring means 59 is a function for calculating a geometrical value. The measuring means 59 is a distance between two points clicked (designated) on the liquid crystal monitor 10 and is surrounded by an angle defined by three points and a line segment. The area of the predetermined region is calculated. These geometric values are calculated from the input magnification of the second lens unit 26A or the first lens unit 26 and the number of pixels.

The fourth connector 54 has an output port for outputting a video signal based on image information stored in the second image memory 50a, and an input port for inputting image information from the slave unit C, for example. As shown in FIG. 5, the input / output port is configured so that it can be directly connected to the second connector 17 of the child device main unit 1. That is, the imaging information captured by the second imaging unit 2A of the master unit P is used as it is, or as video information image-processed by the image processing unit 58, by the second signal processing circuit 50 via the fourth connectors 54 and 17. , And transmitted to the first signal processing circuit 13 of the slave unit C to be displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 10. As shown in FIG. 6, the imaging information captured by the first imaging unit 2 of the slave C is transmitted from the first signal processing circuit 13 to the second signal processing of the master P via the second connectors 17 and 54. Circuit 5
0, the image is further processed by the image processing means 58, and the second signal processing circuit 50 sends the first signal processing circuit 1 again.
3, the image information subjected to the image processing can be displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 10 of the slave C. Therefore, the video can be viewed even if the parent device P does not have a monitor.

The second signal processing circuit 50 of FIG.
Converts digital imaging information into an analog color television signal (a signal in which a luminance signal and a chrominance signal are superimposed) and outputs the television signal from the fifth connector 55. That is, by connecting the analog television 60 of FIG. 7 to the fifth connector 55, an enlarged image captured by the second imaging unit 2A can be viewed. The sixth connector 56 is a serial input / output port such as RS232C. When a personal computer 61 is connected to the sixth connector 56, the video signal stored in the second image memory 50a is transmitted to the sixth connector 56. 56 to a personal computer 61.

As shown in FIG. 8, the seventh connector 57
Is for capturing imaging information from another imaging device 70. The imaging information captured from another imaging device 70 is input to the second signal processing circuit 50, and then subjected to predetermined image processing, and can be displayed on the television 60 or the like. In addition, as other imaging devices, there are, for example, an endoscope and a video scope for recording a moving image.

4 has a medium connector 50b for connecting the recording medium 15, and the imaging information stored in the recording medium 15 is transmitted to the second signal processing circuit 5b.
It can be imported to 0. That is, the imaging information captured by the slave C in FIG. 3 and stored in the recording medium 15 can be processed by the image processing unit 58 in FIG.

Next, an example of use of the present magnification observation unit will be described. As shown in FIG. 9A, the recording medium 15 is loaded in the slave main unit 1, and an enlarged image captured by the slave C is stored (recorded) in the recording medium 15. Next, FIG.
As shown in (b), the recording medium 15 is loaded into the parent machine main body 5, and the child machine main body 1 is connected to the parent machine main body 5, so that the imaging information recorded on the recording medium 15 is transmitted to the second main body 5. The signal is read by the signal processing circuit 50 and transmitted to the first signal processing circuit 13 of the slave unit 1 via the fourth connector 54 and the second connector 17, and is expanded on the liquid crystal monitor 10 of the slave unit 1. Display the image. Further, while viewing the image, the desired image processing is performed by the image processing means 58, and the image-processed image information is transmitted to the slave unit main body 1 in real time, so that the image-processed image is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 10.
You can see it in

Here, since the slave C has no image processing means, it can be downsized as shown in FIG.
Can be easily carried around to investigation sites or accident sites (good portability). Therefore, the utility value is higher than that of the large magnification observation apparatus 100 shown in FIG.

Further, since one master unit P and a plurality of slave units C shown in FIG. 1 are always provided, a plurality of persons can take the slave unit C and use it. Here, the slave unit C is inexpensive because it does not have a complicated or sophisticated image processing function or measurement function, so that even if a plurality of persons can use it at the same time, the cost does not increase much. In other words, it is much cheaper than purchasing a plurality of conventional magnifying observation devices 100.

Note that, as shown in FIG.
May be connected to a television 60 or a personal computer 61 to observe the image captured by the slave C on a large monitor. Also, the sixth
A printer may be connected to the connector 56 to print out the enlarged image.

As shown by the arrow A in FIG. 1, if the fourth connector 54 for connecting the slave unit main body 1 is provided so as to be able to be turned upside down, the slave unit main unit 1 can be easily seen.

[0034]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, since the image pickup information picked up by the master unit can be displayed on the video means of the slave unit, an enlarged image can be viewed even if the master unit does not have a monitor. be able to. In addition, by separating a slave unit that does not have a complicated image processing function and a measurement function from a separate unit, the portability of the slave unit is improved, and the utility value is increased.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since image processing and the like can be performed by the master unit on the imaging information obtained by the slave unit, there is no need to equip the slave unit with a complicated image processing function. Therefore, the portability of the slave unit is increased, and the use value is increased.

As described above, according to the present invention, the functions are divided into the master unit and the slave unit. Therefore, by carrying one master unit and a plurality of slave units, it is possible to carry around the portable unit excellent in portability. It is cheaper and more valuable than having a plurality of conventional magnifying observation devices.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an enlarged observation unit of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially sectional side view showing a first imaging unit and a plan view showing an arrangement of light sources.

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of a slave unit.

FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of a master unit.

FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an example of use of a magnifying observation unit.

FIG. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an example of use of a magnifying observation unit.

FIG. 7 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an example of use of a magnifying observation unit.

FIG. 8 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an example of use of a magnifying observation unit.

FIG. 9 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an example of use of a magnifying observation unit.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a conventional magnifying observation apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 C: slave unit 1: slave unit body 2: first imaging unit 3: first cable 10: liquid crystal monitor 13b: medium connector 15: recording medium 17: second connector 20: first cylindrical body 24, 24A: Image sensor 26: First lens unit 26A: Second lens unit P: Master unit 5: Master unit main body 2A: Second imaging unit 20A: Second cylindrical body 31, 3B: Light guide unit 3A: Second cable 50b : Medium connector 58: image processing means 40A: lighting device

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A slave unit comprising: a first imaging unit that captures an enlarged image; and a magnifying observation apparatus including a video unit that displays an image based on imaging information from the first imaging unit; A magnifying observation unit is configured by combining the main imaging unit with an imaging unit having image processing means for performing image processing on imaging information from the second imaging unit and the imaging information from the second imaging unit; A magnifying observation unit which is capable of projecting video information based on the imaging information captured in the step (c) through the communication means on the video means of the slave unit. 2. The magnifying observation unit according to claim 1, wherein the video information image-processed by the image processing unit of the master unit is displayed on the video unit of the slave unit via the communication unit. 3. A slave unit comprising: a first image pickup unit for picking up an enlarged image; and a magnifying observation device including an image unit for displaying an image based on image pickup information from the first image pickup unit; A magnifying observation unit configured by combining an imaging unit with an imaging unit having an image processing unit that performs image processing on imaging information from the second imaging unit; and a first imaging unit of the slave unit. A magnifying observation unit which is capable of performing image processing on the image pickup information picked up by the image processing means of the master unit. 4. The magnifying observation unit according to claim 3, wherein the video information image-processed by the image processing unit of the master unit can be displayed on the video unit of the slave unit via a communication unit. 5. The image processing means of the slave unit according to claim 1, 2 or 3 or 4, wherein the video means of the slave unit can be connected to a master unit main body incorporating image processing means of the master unit without using a cable. Enlarged observation unit. 6. The first imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the slave unit includes a first cylindrical body that houses a first imaging element and a first lens unit for imaging. Unit and a main unit including the video unit are connected by a first cable, and the master unit includes a second cylindrical body that houses a second image sensor and a second lens unit for imaging. A magnifying observation unit, wherein the second imaging unit and a main unit main body including the image processing means are connected by a second cable. 7. The magnifying observation unit according to claim 1, wherein the slave unit and the master unit have a medium connector for mounting the same recording medium. 8. The magnifying observation unit according to claim 1, wherein the master unit has a measurement function. 9. An illumination device is attached to a distal end portion of a cylindrical body that houses an imaging element and a lens unit for image formation,
An imaging unit configured to irradiate the object with illumination light from the illumination device and capture an enlarged image of the object; an image processing unit configured to perform image processing on imaging information from the imaging unit; and a light guide to the illumination device. A main body unit having a built-in light source for supplying light through the means, and an output port for outputting a signal based on the imaging information is provided in the main body unit, An enlarged imaging apparatus, wherein an input port for inputting imaging information and video information is provided in the main body.