Automatic exposure control for endoscopic imaging

A non-transitory computer readable storage media storing instructions thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause a computer system to:

• capture image data on an image sensor using an exposure period, the image data comprising:
• an indication of brightness captured by each pixel of the image sensor;
• analyze the indication of brightness of each pixel to determine whether the captured image data is saturated, wherein determining whether the captured image data is saturated comprises:
• selecting a brightest proportion of the indication of brightness captured by each pixel of the image sensor;
• and
• determining an average intensity of the selected brightest proportion and comparing the average intensity to a saturation threshold;
• and
• when it is determined that the captured image data is saturated:
• reduce the exposure period by a first increment, and repeating the steps of capturing image data and analyzing the indication of brightness of each pixel until it is determined that the captured image data is not saturated;
• when it is determined that the captured image data is not saturated:
• analyze the indication of brightness of each pixel to determine whether a threshold indicative of use of a selected proportion of an available dynamic range of the image sensor has been reached;
• and
• when it is determined that the threshold has not been reached, increasing said exposure period by a second increment, wherein the first increment has a magnitude at least three times that of the second increment.

An endoscopic apparatus configured to capture an image of in-vivo tissue and configured to perform automatic exposure control, the apparatus comprising:

• image capture logic to capture image data on an image sensor using an exposure period, the image data comprising an indication of brightness captured by each pixel of said image sensor;
• analysis logic to analyze the indication of brightness of each pixel to determine whether the captured image data is saturated, wherein determining whether the captured image data is saturated comprises:
• selecting a brightest proportion of the indication of brightness captured by each pixel of the image sensor;
• and
• determining an average intensity of the selected brightest proportion and comparing the average intensity to a saturation threshold;
• and
• adjustment logic that:
• when it is determined that the captured image data is saturated, reduces the exposure period by a first increment, and repeats the capturing image data and analyzing the indication of brightness steps until it is determined that the captured image data is not saturated;
• when it is determined that the captured image data is not saturated, analyzes the indication of brightness of each pixel to determine whether a threshold indicative of use of a selected proportion of an available dynamic range of the image sensor has been reached;
• and
• when it is determined that said threshold has not been reached, increasing the exposure period by a second increment, wherein said first increment has a magnitude at least three times that of the second increment.