Patent · US Expired

Apparatus for modulating the output of a CCD camera

US5162913A · kind A · utility

38Cited by
10References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 26, 1990
Grant dateNov 10, 1992
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 26, 2010

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04N23/555
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and apparatus for automatically adjusting the exposure of video images of the type that are commonly generated during endoscopic examination of tissue. The output of a video amplifier is detected and compared with an ideal value. A corresponding adjustment of amplifier gain is determined and such adjustment compared with a predetermined optimum range of amplifier gain. In the event that the calculated adjustment lies within such optimum range, the gain of the amplifier is adjusted accordingly. In the event that the optimum range is exceeded by the absolute value of the calculated adjustment, the exposure time of the camera sensor and the gain of the amplifier are adjusted in opposite senses whereby the amplifier is continuously operated within its optimum range.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.