# US 10,504,262 B2 · Endoscope system and endoscope image generation method

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- Number: US 10,504,262 B2
- Document ID: US10504262B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/876,520
- Filed: 2018-01-22
- Published: 2018-06-07
- Granted: 2019-12-10
- Earliest claimed: 2015-07-24
- Assignees: Olympus Corporation
- Applicants: Olympus Corporation
- Inventors: Eiichi Kobayashi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10504262B2

## CPC

- G02B 23/24: Instruments {or systems} for viewing the inside of hollow bodies, e.g. fibrescopes
- F01D 17/06: responsive to speed
- F01D 21/003: {Arrangements for testing or measuring (for measuring vibrations G01H)}
- G02B 23/2484: {Arrangements in relation to a camera or imaging device (processing or control of video signals generated by an endoscope H04N23/60, H04N23/70)}
- G06T 11/60: Creating or editing images; Combining images with text
- F05D 2270/802: Calibration thereof
- F05D 2270/8041: Cameras
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- F01D: NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES (machines or engines for liquids F03; non-positive displacement pumps F04D)
- G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL
- F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS

## Abstract

An endoscope system includes a borescope configured to pick up images of a rotatable inspection target with a linear sensor at predetermined time intervals to acquire a plurality of first inspection target images, a borescope configured to pick up images of the inspection target with a linear sensor at the predetermined time intervals in synchronization with the acquisition timing of the first inspection target images to acquire a plurality of second inspection target images, and a PC. The PC reconstructs image data on each of the plurality of first inspection target images based on time-series image information formed of the second inspection target images arranged over time and a correction table containing a position of a pixel including a predetermined feature quantity in each of the second inspection target images and an amount of an angle of rotation of the inspection target.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An endoscope system for inspecting a plurality of blades arranged periodically along a rotating direction of a rotary shaft, the endoscope system comprising:
a first linear sensor comprising an image pickup area along a direction perpendicular to a rotating direction of the plurality of blades that are rotatable, the first linear sensor being configured to pick up images of the plurality of blades at predetermined time intervals to acquire a plurality of first blade images that are one-dimensional images containing an entirety of one of the plurality of blades;
a second linear sensor comprising an image pickup area along the rotating direction of the plurality of blades that are rotatable, the second linear sensor being configured to pick up images of the plurality of blades at the predetermined time intervals in synchronization with acquisition timing of the first blade images to acquire a plurality of second blade images that are one-dimensional images containing a width of one of the plurality of blades; and
a processor comprising hardware, the processor being configured to:
determine time-series image information formed of the acquired second blade images arranged over time;
photograph the plurality of second blade images while rotating the plurality of blades at a constant speed by using a turning tool, estimate position change information representing a change in a position of a pixel having a predetermined luminance value corresponding to an edge portion of one of the plurality of blades in each of the plurality of second blade images, and determine, from the estimated position change information, correspondence information that relates the position of the pixel having the predetermined luminance value in each of the second blade images to an amount of an angle of rotation of the plurality of blades; and
correct the plurality of first blade images, based on the time-series image information and the correspondence information.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein the correspondence information is information determined prior to an inspection process of the blades.

### Claim 3

An endoscope image generation method in an endoscope system for inspecting a plurality of blades arranged periodically along a rotating direction of a rotary shaft, the method comprising:
picking up images of the plurality of blades, by a first linear sensor, at predetermined time intervals to acquire a plurality of first blade images that are one-dimensional images containing an entirety of one of the plurality of blades, the first linear sensor comprising an image pickup area along a direction perpendicular to a rotating direction of the plurality of blades that are rotatable;
picking up images of the plurality of blades, by a second linear sensor, at the predetermined time intervals in synchronization with acquisition timing of the first blade images to acquire a plurality of second blade images that are one-dimensional images containing a width of one of the plurality of blades, the second linear sensor comprising an image pickup area along the rotating direction of the plurality of blades that are rotatable;
determining time-series image information formed of the acquired second blade images arranged over time;
photographing the plurality of second blade images while rotating the plurality of blades at a constant speed by using a turning tool, estimating position change information representing a change in a position of a pixel having a predetermined luminance value corresponding to an edge portion of one of the plurality of blades in each of the plurality of second blade images, and determining, from the estimated position change information, correspondence information that relates the position of the pixel having the predetermined luminance value in each of the second blade images to an amount of an angle of rotation of the plurality of blades; and
connecting the plurality of first blade images, based on the time-series image information and the correspondence information.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein the position change information is estimated by causing the pixel to undergo a predetermined statistical process, the pixel having the predetermined luminance value corresponding to the edge portion of one of the plurality of blades in each of the plurality of second blade images.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein the position change information is a curve obtained by inverting a correction curve representing a correspondence between the position of the pixel and an amount of angular change in the angle of rotation of the plurality of blades, with an orientation of a temporal axis reversed, the pixel having the predetermined luminance value corresponding to the edge portion of one of the plurality of blades in each of the plurality of second blade images.