Patent · US Expired

Electronic endoscope apparatus adaptable to endoscopes equipped with imaging device with different pixel density

US6992694B2 · kind B2 · utility

74Cited by
7References
1Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJan 2, 2002
Grant dateJan 31, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 23, 2023

Classification

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

Abstract

An electronic endoscope apparatus including: a first endoscope having a first imaging device; and a second endoscope having a second imaging device with a different pixel density and a second drive pulse generation circuit, wherein a processor unit, which connects the two endoscopes, comprises: a first drive pulse generation circuit for driving the first imaging device, a synchronization circuit for generating a synchronizing signal synchronous with the signal of the second drive pulse generation circuit, a switching circuit for activating the synchronization circuit when the second endoscope is connected, and a signal processing circuit for processing the signals obtained by the first imaging device and for processing the signals obtained by the second imaging device based on the synchronizing signal. By this configuration, a single processor unit will suffice even when employing an imaging device with a different pixel density.

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