Imaging system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9838610-B2
Application number	US-201715618505-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 9, 2017
Priority date	Oct 7, 2015
Publication date	Dec 5, 2017
Grant date	Dec 5, 2017

Abstract

An imaging system includes: an imaging device including an image sensor provided with an electronic shutter function, the imaging device being configured to capture a subject; a light source configured to emit illumination light for illuminating the subject; an identification unit configured to identify which one of a first light source and a second light source configured to emit light having a wavelength bandwidth different from a wavelength bandwidth of the first light source is employed as the light source used for observation; an electronic shutter controller configured to control the electronic shutter function of the image sensor based on a control pattern according to the classification of the light source identified by the identification unit; and an electronic shutter control pattern setting unit configured to set a control pattern of the electronic shutter function in accordance with the classification of the light source identified by the identification unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An imaging system comprising:
an imaging device including an image sensor provided with an electronic shutter function, the imaging device being configured to capture a subject;
a light source configured to emit illumination light for illuminating the subject;
an identification unit configured to identify which one of a first light source and a second light source configured to emit light having a wavelength bandwidth different from a wavelength bandwidth of the first light source is employed as the light source used for observation;
an electronic shutter controller configured to control the electronic shutter function of the image sensor based on a control pattern according to the classification of the light source identified by the identification unit; and
an electronic shutter control pattern setting unit configured to set a control pattern of the electronic shutter function in accordance with the classification of the light source identified by the identification unit,
wherein the electronic shutter control pattern setting unit sets a control pattern to use the electronic shutter function when the identification unit identifies that the light source is the first light source and sets a control pattern to selectively make switching between using the electronic shutter function and not using the electronic shutter function when the identification unit identifies that the light source is the second light source.

2. The imaging system according to claim 1 , wherein
the first light source is an internal light source provided within a same casing device as an imaging signal processing unit configured to process an imaging signal generated by the image sensor,
the second light source is provided at an external light source device configured as a separate body from the casing device, and
the identification unit identifies which one of the internal light source and the external light source device is employed as the light source used for observation.

3. The imaging system according to claim 2 , wherein
the external light source device emits light having an infrared wavelength bandwidth as the illumination light for the subject.

4. An imaging system comprising:
an imaging device including an image sensor provided with an electronic shutter function, the imaging device being configured to capture a subject;
a light source configured to emit illumination light for illuminating the subject;
an identification unit configured to identify a classification of a light source used for observation and a classification of the image sensor; and
an electric shutter controller configured to control the electronic shutter function of the image sensor based on a control pattern according to the classification of the light source and the classification of the image sensor identified by the identification unit.

5. The imaging system according to claim 4 , further comprising an electronic shutter control pattern setting unit configured to set a control pattern of the electronic shutter function in accordance with the classification of the light source and the classification of the image sensor identified by the identification unit, wherein
the electronic shutter controller controls the electronic shutter function of the image sensor based on the control pattern set by the electronic shutter control pattern setting unit.

6. The imaging system according to claim 5 , wherein
the image sensor is a first image sensor having sensitivity higher than reference sensitivity or a second image sensor having sensitivity lower than the reference sensitivity,
the identification unit identifies which one of the first image sensor and the second image sensor is employed as the image sensor used for observation, and
the electronic shutter control pattern setting unit sets a control pattern to use the electronic shutter when the identification unit identifies that the image sensor is the first image sensor and sets a control pattern not to use the electronic shutter when the identification unit identifies that the image sensor is the second image sensor.

7. An imaging system comprising:
an imaging device including an image sensor provided with an electronic shutter function, the imaging device being configured to capture a subject;
a light source configured to emit illumination light for illuminating the subject;
an identification unit configured to identify a classification of a light source used for observation; and
an electronic shutter controller configured to control the electronic shutter function of the image sensor based on a control pattern according to the classification of the light source identified by the identification unit; and
a photometry unit configured to measure brightness of an object to be captured by the image sensor, wherein
the electronic shutter controller alters an exposure time of the image sensor based on the control pattern and a photometric value by the photometry unit.

8. The imaging system according to claim 5 , wherein
the electronic shutter control pattern setting unit sets a control pattern of the electronic shutter function from among a control pattern to always turn off the electronic shutter function, a control pattern to always turn on the electronic shutter function, and a control pattern to selectively switch the electronic shutter function between turning on and turning off.

Assignees

• Olympus Corp

Inventors

• Sakai Aiko
• Tanaka Satoshi

Classifications

• H04N23/555

  for picking-up images in sites, inaccessible due to their dimensions or hazardous conditions, e.g. endoscopes or borescopes · CPC title

• H04N23/73 Primary

  by influencing the exposure time · CPC title

• H04N23/667

  Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes · CPC title

• H04N23/56

  provided with illuminating means · CPC title

• A61B1/04 Primary

  combined with photographic or television appliances · CPC title