Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
348071000 | Color TV | 27 |
20080284845 | METHOD AND APPARATUS TO PROCESS ENDOSCOPE IMAGES - The invention relates to a method improving the images in an image processing unit ( | 11-20-2008 |
20090058999 | SIGNAL PROCESSING DEVICE FOR BIOLOGICAL OBSERVATION APPARATUS - Tissue information of a desired deep portion of a biological tissue based on a spectral image obtained from signal processing is adjusted to image information in a color tone suitable for observation. Outputs of a matrix computing section | 03-05-2009 |
20090073261 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS AND COLOR BALANCE ADJUSTING METHOD - There are provided an image processing apparatus, an endoscope apparatus, and a color balance adjusting method capable of obtaining a good observation image. An image processing apparatus of the invention includes: an image signal input unit for inputting an image signal of a subject image picked up by an image pickup unit, the subject image including at least an image of a color balance adjustment tool; a control unit for calculating a value of coefficient to change brightness value of the image signal, based on a correction value to correct characteristic variation of the color balance adjustment tool, the correction value being shown in a correction value display portion included by the color balance adjustment tool, and a brightness value of the image of the color balance adjustment tool; and a color balance process unit for performing color balance adjustment by changing the brightness value of the image signal based on the coefficient value. | 03-19-2009 |
20090251532 | Electronic endoscope system - An electronic endoscope system, including a scope that outputs a plurality of types of color signals obtained by an imaging device and a processor for processing the signals outputted from the scope. A color conversion matrix in which each element data value is defined such that only a color involved in diagnosis is converted to desired color is stored in a memory of the scope or in a memory of the processor. The processor includes at least one multiplier that multiplies the plurality of types of color signals outputted from the scope by coefficients, each provided for each color signal, a coefficient setting means (microcomputers) for setting each element data of the color conversion matrix read out from the memory in the multiplier as the coefficients, and at least one adder that adds up signals outputted from the multiplier. | 10-08-2009 |
20090290017 | ENDOSCOPE PROCESSOR AND ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM - An endoscope processor including a receiver and a correction circuit block is provided. The receiver receives an image signal. The image signal corresponds to a captured subject. The image signal is generated by an imaging device. The image signal comprises a plurality of pixel signals corresponding to a plurality of pixels. A plurality of pixels forms an optical image of the subject. The correction circuit block carries out first signal processing on the pixel signals so that a representative value matches a standard value when the image signal received by the receiver is a fluorescence image signal. The representative value is calculated on the basis of a plurality of chrominance difference values corresponding to a plurality of pixel signals. The fluorescence image signal is generated when the subject is illuminated with excitation light. The excitation light makes an organ fluoresce. | 11-26-2009 |
20100177181 | ENDOSCOPE IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD AND APPARATUS, AND ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM USING THE SAME - A method capable of obtaining a fluorescence image and a background image with a simple configuration. A color image is obtained, when excitation light is emitted on a subject, by imaging excitation light reflected from the subject and fluorescence emitted from the subject. Thereafter, an estimated spectral image that includes a background image representing the excitation light and a fluorescence image representing the fluorescence is generated by allocating a wavelength component of the excitation light and a wavelength component of the fluorescence included in the obtained color image to different primary color components. | 07-15-2010 |
20100182414 | IMAGE PROCESSOR, SCOPE, AND ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME - An image processor effects a color conversion appropriate for an image acquisition unit, such as a scope, and improves color reproduction accuracy. The image processor includes a plurality of color conversion sections; an information acquisition section that acquires an index for selecting at least one of the plurality of color conversion sections as a specific color conversion means for applying a color conversion process to an input video signal; and a selection section that selects at least one of the plurality of color conversion sections as the specific color conversion means based on the index, in which the plurality of color conversion sections include a linear color conversion section that applies a color conversion process based on linear conversion to the input video signal. A table conversion section applies a color conversion process to the input video signal, based on nonlinear conversion. | 07-22-2010 |
20100265322 | IMAGING DEVICE, ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM AND IMAGING METHOD - An image generating device includes a first image-information generating unit that generates first image information based on a plurality of pieces of acquired color element information, a color-component detecting unit that detects a predetermined color component based on each piece of color element information, a color-component eliminating unit that eliminates the predetermined color component detected by the color-component detecting unit from a predetermined piece of color element information among the plurality of pieces of color element information, and a second image-information generating unit that generates second color information based on a piece of color element information obtained by eliminating the predetermined color component by the color-component eliminating unit and another piece of color element information. | 10-21-2010 |
20120127293 | ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS - In an endoscope apparatus, a first color separation section separates an image picked up by an image pickup section into a first luminance signal and a first color difference signal, then a first color conversion section and a second color separation section convert the first luminance signal and the first color difference signal to first three primary color signals and second three primary color signals respectively, a signal intensity ratio calculation circuit calculates a signal intensity ratio among the first three primary color signals, matrix coefficients of the second color separation section are changed based on the calculated signal intensity ratio and the second color separation section converts the first luminance signal and the second color difference signal to the second three primary color signals. | 05-24-2012 |
20120206582 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR DEMOSAICING IMAGES WITH HIGHLY CORRELATED COLOR CHANNELS - In one embodiment of the invention, an apparatus is disclosed including an image sensor, a color filter array, and an image processor. The image sensor has an active area with a matrix of camera pixels. The color filter array is in optical alignment over the matrix of the camera pixels. The color filter array assigns alternating single colors to each camera pixel. The image processor receives the camera pixels and includes a correlation detector to detect spatial correlation of color information between pairs of colors in the pixel data captured by the camera pixels. The correlation detector further controls demosaicing of the camera pixels into full color pixels with improved resolution. The apparatus may further include demosaicing logic to demosaic the camera pixels into the full color pixels with improved resolution in response to the spatial correlation of the color information between pairs of colors. | 08-16-2012 |
20130271587 | Endoscoope System - An endoscope system includes an endoscope objective optical system that acquires two optical images with different focus positions, an image pickup device that picks up the two optical images to acquire two image signals, an image synthesis processing section that makes a comparison in contrast between the two image signals for each spatially identical pixel region and selects a pixel region having relatively higher contrast to thereby synthesize the two image signals into one image, and a focus switchover mechanism that moves a position of a focus switchover lens provided for the endoscope objective optical system and selectively switches a focus of the endoscope objective optical system to one of two observation regions of proximity observation and remote observation, in which the image synthesis processing section synthesizes two images in each of the respective observation regions of the proximity observation and the remote observation. | 10-17-2013 |
20130307953 | SYSTEM FOR VISUALIZING TISSUE IN A SURGICAL REGION - The invention relates to a system for visualizing characteristic tissue with a colorant in a surgical region. The system contains a detection unit which detects light from at least one object point in the surgical region. The system has a computer unit which is connected to the detection unit and drives a visualization unit which displays an image of an area in the surgical region. The computer unit determines the color coordinate in a color space with respect to the light from a point from the object point in the surgical region. Depending on the position of the color coordinate determined with respect to the object point, the computer unit calculates a color coordinate information (“0”, “1”) for controlling the visualization unit by comparing information concerning the determined color coordinate of the object point with information concerning a characteristic reference color coordinate. | 11-21-2013 |
20140002627 | COLOR SIGNAL TRANSMISSION DEVICE, WIRELESS IMAGE TRANSMISSION SYSTEM, AND TRANSMITTER | 01-02-2014 |
20140063216 | ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM, PROCESSOR DEVICE THEREOF, AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - In an oxygen saturation level measurement mode, a color image sensor images an internal body portion alternately irradiated with measurement light and normal light. A normal image is produced from image data obtained under irradiation with the normal light. An oxygen saturation level is calculated from image data obtained under irradiation with the measurement light. Based on the oxygen saturation level, a hyperoxic region and a hypoxic region are determined in the normal image. A color balance process and a color enhancement process are applied to the hyperoxic region to improve visibility of depressions and projections of internal body tissue and a blood vessel pattern. A gain process is applied to the hypoxic region to make distinct color variations according to the degree of the oxygen saturation level. | 03-06-2014 |
20140293031 | IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, PROGRAM, AND ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM - There is provided an image processing device including an image information acquisition unit configured to acquire a captured image from an endoscope, an adjustment information acquisition unit configured to acquire color calibration information about color calibration performed in a display device on which the captured image is displayed, a transmission unit configured to transmit, to a printing device, print data corresponding to the acquired captured image, and a correction value acquisition unit configured to acquire a correction value used for performing, on the print data, correction that is corresponding to the color calibration of the acquired color calibration information. | 10-02-2014 |
20140320620 | LESION EVALUATION INFORMATION GENERATOR, AND METHOD AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM THEREFOR - A lesion evaluation information generator including a processor configured to, when executing processor-executable instructions stored in a memory, determine a hue value and a saturation value of each of pixels of an endoscopic image based on an acquired endoscopic color image data, determine, for at least a part of the pixels of the endoscopic image, a correlation value between color information of each individual pixel and reference color data, based on a hue correlation value between the hue value of each individual pixel and a reference hue value of the reference color data, and a saturation correlation value between the saturation value of each individual pixel and a reference saturation value of the reference color data, and generate an evaluation value for evaluating a severity of a lesion in the endoscopic image, by integrating the correlation value of each individual pixel. | 10-30-2014 |
20150042775 | Efficient Image Demosaicing and Local Contrast Enhancement - An efficient demosaicing method includes reconstructing missing green pixels after estimating green-red color difference signals and green-blue color difference signals that are used in the reconstruction, and then constructing missing red and blue pixels using the color difference signals. This method creates a full resolution frame of red, green and blue pixels. The full resolution frame of pixels is sent to a display unit for display. In an efficient demosaicing process that includes local contrast enhancement, image contrast is enhanced to build and boost a brightness component from the green pixels, and to build chromatic components from all of the red, green, and blue pixels. Color difference signals are used in place of the red and blue pixels in building the chromatic components. | 02-12-2015 |
20150049177 | Camera Arrangement and Image Processing Method for Quantifying Tissue Structure and Degeneration - Methods and arrangements for detecting osteoarthritis (OA) relate to image processing for enhancing, visualizing and quantifying the fibrillation structure of cartilage using endoscopes. A structure enhancement method comprises obtaining input data, conversion to intensity data, preprocess filtering, intensity fluctuation filtering and contrast enhancement. The degeneration is quantified by a degeneration index (DI) algorithm, applied to the structure enhanced image. Results are then compiled in an output frame presentation. | 02-19-2015 |
20150092036 | DRIVING METHOD OF IMAGING ELEMENT, IMAGING DEVICE, AND ENDOSCOPIC DEVICE - It is a method of driving a MOS type imaging element in which pixels having sensitivities for different colors are arranged two-dimensionally, in which the imaging element has at least two types of read-out lines having different pixel arrangements to read out a charge signal of the pixels, and the method includes driving such that a read-out time interval of a charge signal of at least one type of read-out line among the read-out lines is longer than a read-out time interval of another type of read-out line and a charge accumulating period of each pixel of the one type of read-out line is longer than a charge accumulating period of each pixel of said another type of read-out line. | 04-02-2015 |
20150138329 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATIC NAVIGATION OF A CAPSULE BASED ON IMAGE STREAM CAPTURED IN-VIVO - Embodiments of the invention include a method and system for displaying an in vivo imaging procedure. The method includes receiving real-time image data captured by the capsule, and continuously generating an updated summarized color bar, said color bar comprising color strips and time scale marks. The color bar is calculated based on color values of received image data, and is updated continuously as new image data is received. The displayed time period is periodically updated, for example based on pre determined fixed time intervals, based on varying time intervals, or based on an accumulated amount of received image data. Other methods of determining the periodic updates may be used. | 05-21-2015 |
20150294463 | IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND INFORMATION STORAGE DEVICE - An image processing device includes an image acquisition section, a distance information acquisition section, a concavity-convexity information acquisition section, a determination section that determines whether or not to exclude or reduce extracted concavity-convexity information corresponding to each given area of a captured image, and a concavity-convexity information correction section that excludes the extracted concavity-convexity information corresponding to the given area for which the determination section has determined to exclude the extracted concavity-convexity information, or reduces the degree of concavities and convexities represented by the extracted concavity-convexity information corresponding to the given area for which the determination section has determined to reduce the extracted concavity-convexity information. The concavity-convexity information acquisition section excludes a structure that is more global than a desired concavity-convexity part from the distance information based on known characteristic information to extract information about the desired concavity-convexity part as the extracted concavity-convexity information. | 10-15-2015 |
20150339817 | ENDOSCOPE IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND INFORMATION STORAGE DEVICE - An endoscope image processing device includes an image acquisition section, a distance information acquisition section, a concavity-convexity determination section that performs a concavity-convexity determination process that determines a concavity-convexity part of an object that agrees with characteristics specified by known characteristic information based on distance information and the known characteristic information that represents known characteristics relating to a structure of the object, a mucous membrane determination section that determines a mucous membrane area within the captured image, and an enhancement processing section that performs an enhancement process on the mucous membrane area based on information about the concavity-convexity part determined by the concavity-convexity determination process. The concavity-convexity determination section excludes a structure that is more global than a local concavity-convexity structure having a desired size from the distance information based on the known characteristic information to extract the local concavity-convexity structure having the desired size as the concavity-convexity part. | 11-26-2015 |
20160006993 | IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE AND METHOD FOR OPERATING ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM - A base image includes a B image signal in which ductal structure is brighter than mucous membrane and capillary vessels are darker than the mucous membrane. The B image signal is subjected to a frequency filtering process for extracting frequency components including the ductal structure and the capillary vessels. Thereby, a structure-extracted image signal, in which a pixel value of the ductal structure is a positive value and a pixel value of the capillary vessels is a negative value, is generated. Based on the structure-extracted image signal, a display controlling image to be used for enhancing display of the ductal structure and suppressing display of the capillary vessels is generated. The base image is combined with the display controlling image to obtain a display-controlled image in which the display of the ductal structure is enhanced and the display of the capillary vessels is suppressed. | 01-07-2016 |
20160035064 | ELECTRONIC ENDOSCOPE - An electronic endoscope system has an image sensor driver configured to read one line's worth of image-pixel signals in order; at least four line memories configured to store one line's worth of image-pixel signals, respectively; and an interpolation processor that interpolates image-pixel signals of interpolated scanning lines to generate an enlarged image. The interpolation processor generates one line's worth of interpolated image-pixel signals based on image-pixel signals that are stored in the line memories. The image sensor driver reading one line's worth of image-pixel signals intermittently, and the interpolation processor suspends a writing of image-pixel signals that are stored in the line memories in accordance to a suspension of the outputting of the one line's worth of image-pixel signals from the image sensor. | 02-04-2016 |
20160089011 | ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM, PROCESSOR DEVICE, AND METHOD FOR OPERATING ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM - An endoscope system includes a light source unit, an image sensor, an image signal obtaining section, a vessel position signal generator, a vessel width signal generator, and a vessel image signal generator. The light source unit generates illumination light. The image sensor captures an image of an object of interest irradiated with the illumination light. The image signal obtaining section obtains an image signal, which represents the object, from the image sensor. The vessel position signal generator generates a vessel position signal, which represents the position of a blood vessel of the object, from the image signal. The vessel width signal generator generates a vessel width signal, which represents the width of the blood vessel, from the image signal. The vessel image signal generator generates a vessel image signal, which represents the blood vessel, from the vessel position signal and the vessel width signal. | 03-31-2016 |
20160089012 | ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OPERATING THE SAME - An endoscope system is provided with a light source unit for generating illumination light, an image sensor for imaging an object of interest irradiated with the illumination light, an image signal obtaining section, a calculated image signal generator, and an image generator. The image signal obtaining section obtains a B1 image signal corresponding to violet light and a B2 image signal corresponding to blue light. The calculated image signal generator generates a calculated image signal from the B1 and B2 image signals. The image generator generates an image in which one of the B1 image signal and the B2 image signal is assigned to a luminance channel or a green channel and the calculated image signal is assigned to a remaining channel. | 03-31-2016 |
20170236280 | ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS | 08-17-2017 |