# US 10,945,591 B2 · Image capturing device, endoscope apparatus, and method for operating image capturing device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,945,591 B2 - Document ID: US10945591B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/964,461 - Filed: 2018-04-27 - Published: 2018-08-30 - Granted: 2021-03-16 - Earliest claimed: 2015-10-27 - Assignees: Olympus Corporation - Applicants: Olympus Corporation - Inventors: Koichiro Yoshino; Kanako Saito - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10945591B2 ## CPC - A61B 1/00042: {for mechanical operation} - A61B 1/00009: {of image signals during a use of endoscope} - A61B 1/0002: {provided with data storages} - A61B 1/00045: {Display arrangement} - A61B 1/0005: {combining images e.g. side-by-side, superimposed or tiled} - A61B 1/00105: {characterised by modular construction} - A61B 1/00126: {optical, e.g. for light supply cables} - A61B 1/00188: {with focusing or zooming features} - A61B 1/042: {characterised by a proximal camera, e.g. a CCD camera} - A61B 1/045: Control thereof - G02B 7/09: adapted for automatic focusing or varying magnification - G02B 23/2453: {of the proximal end} - 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)} - H04N 23/50: Constructional details - H04N 23/60: Control of cameras or camera modules - H04N 23/667: Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes - H04N 23/67: Focus control based on electronic image sensor signals - H04N 23/673: {based on contrast or high frequency components of image signals, e.g. hill climbing method} - A61B 1/055: having rod-lens arrangements - A61B 5/1076: {for measuring dimensions inside body cavities, e.g. using catheters (A61B3/1005 takes precedence)} - G02B 7/34: using different areas in a pupil plane - G02B 23/26: using light guides {(for illumination G02B23/2469)} - G06T 2207/10068: Endoscopic image - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract An image capturing device includes a processor. The processor is configured to implement: a switching control process for switching between a manual focus (MF) mode and an auto focus (AF) mode of performing auto focus control; a process for controlling driving of a focus lens; scene status determination process for performing a detection process for detecting a scene change during the MF mode and an estimation process for estimating distance change information indicating distance change between the image capturing section and an object. The processor is configured to implement: controlling the driving of the focus lens based on lens drive information; switching control for switching from the MF mode to the AF mode when the scene change is detected; and controlling the driving of the focus lens to bring the object into focus based on the distance change information. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image capturing device comprising: a processor including hardware, the processor being configured to implement: a switching control process for switching between a manual focus mode of performing manual focus control and an auto focus mode of performing auto focus control; a process for controlling driving of a focus lens of an image capturing section; a scene status determination process for performing a detection process for detecting a scene change during the manual focus mode and an estimation process for estimating distance change information indicating distance change between the image capturing section and an object; controlling the driving of the focus lens based on lens drive information input by a user through a focus lens operation section in the manual focus mode; switching control for switching from the manual focus mode to the auto focus mode when the scene change is detected by the scene status determination process; determining a control scheme for the auto focus control as an initial control parameter at a start of the auto focus control based on the distance change information estimated by the scene status determination process in the manual focus mode; and controlling the driving of the focus lens to bring the object into focus based on a parameter different from the distance change information in accordance with the determined control scheme in the auto focus mode. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image capturing device as defined in claim 1, the processor estimating, when the scene change is detected, the distance change information indicating the distance change in a scene change detection period that is a predetermined period until the scene change is detected. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The image capturing device as defined in claim 2, the processor determining a target movement direction of the focus lens as at least one parameter serving as the initial control parameter, based on the distance change information. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The image capturing device as defined in claim 2, the processor determining a target movement amount of the focus lens as at least one parameter serving as the initial control parameter, based on the distance change information. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The image capturing device as defined in claim 2, the processor determining a target position of the focus lens as at least one parameter serving as the initial control parameter, based on the distance change information. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The image capturing device as defined in claim 2, the processor determining a control scheme for the auto focus control as at least one parameter serving as the initial control parameter, based on the distance change information. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The image capturing device as defined in claim 1, the processor performing stable scene determination for determining whether or not a scene of image capturing by the image capturing section is stable; and the auto focus control when the scene is determined to be stable by the stable scene determination. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The image capturing device as defined in claim 7, the processor determining whether or not the scene is stable after scene change has been detected by the scene status determination process. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The image capturing device as defined in claim 1, the processor performing a process of receiving a lock operation by the user; and disabling the switching control process for switch between the manual focus mode and the auto focus mode, when the lock operation is received. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The image capturing device as defined in claim 1, the processor performing the estimation process for the distance change information based on information obtained by the detection process for the scene change. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The image capturing device as defined in claim 1, the processor performing the detection process for the scene change and the estimation process for the distance change information based on a change amount of a feature amount of a captured image captured by the image capturing section. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The image capturing device as defined in claim 11, the processor determining that the scene change has occurred when the change amount of the feature amount of the captured image continuously exceeds a given threshold for a given period of time of more. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The image capturing device as defined in claim 1, the processor performing the detection process for the scene change and the estimation process for the distance change information based on a movement of the image capturing section. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The image capturing device as defined in claim 13, the processor determining that the scene change has occurred when an amount of the distance change indicated by the distance change information estimated continuously exceeds a given threshold for a given period of time or more. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The image capturing device as defined in claim 13, the processor determining that the scene change has occurred when an integrated value of an amount of the distance change indicated by the distance change information estimated is determined to have exceeded a given threshold. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The image capturing device as defined in claim 1, the processor performing focus difficult scene determination to determine whether or not a current scene is a focus difficult scene where the object is difficult to bring into focus with the auto focus control; and the switching control for switching from the auto focus mode to the manual focus mode when the current scene is determined as the focus difficult scene by the focus difficult scene determination. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The image capturing device as defined in claim 16, the processor moving the focus lens to a predetermined position when the switching control to switch from the auto focus mode to the manual focus mode has been performed based on a determination result of the focus difficult scene determination. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The image capturing device as defined in claim 1, the processor performing a mode reporting process to report the manual focus mode or the auto focus mode as a currently set mode. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) An endoscope apparatus comprising the image capturing device as defined in claim 1. ### Claim 20 A method for operating an image capturing device, the method comprising: performing a switching control process for switching between a manual focus mode of performing manual focus control and an auto focus mode of performing auto focus control; performing a process for controlling driving of a focus lens of an image capturing section; performing a detection process for detecting a scene change during the manual focus mode; performing an estimation process for estimating distance change information indicating distance change between the image capturing section and an object; controlling the driving of the focus lens based on lens drive information input by a user through a focus lens operation section in the manual focus mode; performing switching control for switching from the manual focus mode to the auto focus mode when the scene change is detected; determining a control scheme for the auto focus control as an initial control parameter at a start of the auto focus control based on the distance change information estimated by the estimation process in the manual focus mode; and controlling the driving of the focus lens to bring the object into focus based on a parameter different from the distance change information in accordance with the determined control scheme in the auto focus mode.