# US 11,076,750 B2 · Imaging system and endoscope system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,076,750 B2 - Document ID: US11076750B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/876,392 - Filed: 2018-01-22 - Published: 2018-05-24 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2015-07-23 - Assignees: Olympus Corporation - Applicants: Olympus Corporation - Inventors: Masahiro Nishio - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11076750B2 ## CPC - A61B 1/0655: {Control therefor} - A61B 1/00006: {of control signals} - A61B 1/00009: {of image signals during a use of endoscope} - A61B 1/043: {for fluorescence imaging} - A61B 1/045: Control thereof - A61B 1/05: characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion - A61B 1/0653: {with wavelength conversion} - A61B 1/0669: {at proximal end of an endoscope} - A61B 1/07: using light-conductive means, e.g. optical fibres - 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 23/56: provided with illuminating means - A61B 1/00188: {with focusing or zooming features} - G02B 23/243: {Objectives for endoscopes} - H04N 23/555: {for picking-up images in sites, inaccessible due to their dimensions or hazardous conditions, e.g. endoscopes or borescopes} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract An imaging system includes an illumination portion, an imager, a reader, and an illumination controller configured to control an intensity of illumination light based on modulated illumination in a non-reading period. The modulated illumination has a first integrated light amount as a product of a variable intensity of a first pulse and an output period of the illumination light and a second integrated light amount as a product of a constant intensity of a second pulse and the output period. In the non-reading period, the illumination controller causes a predetermined light amount that is not larger than a maximum value of the first integrated light amount and is not smaller than a minimum value of the second integrated light amount to transit between the first integrated light amount and the second integrated light amount. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An imaging system comprising: an illumination portion configured to emit illumination light with which a main target is illuminated; an imager including pixels two-dimensionally arrayed and each configured to generate an electrical signal by photoelectrically converting received light; a reader having a reading period during which part of lines of the pixels are read in one of one frame period and one field period and configured to sequentially read the electrical signals generated by the pixels for each line of the pixels; and an illumination controller configured to control an intensity of the illumination light based on modulated illumination for modulating the intensity of the illumination light in a non-reading period as a period other than the reading period, wherein in the non-reading period, the modulated illumination has a first integrated light amount as a product of a variable intensity of a first pulse and an output period of the illumination light and a second integrated light amount as a product of a constant intensity of a second pulse and the output period, wherein in the non-reading period, the illumination controller causes a predetermined light amount that is not larger than a maximum value of the first integrated light amount and is not smaller than a minimum value of the second integrated light amount to transit between the first integrated light amount and the second integrated light amount, wherein as the illumination controller increases a light amount of the illumination light in one of the one frame period and the one field period in a state in which the first integrated light amount is a maximum integrated light amount, the illumination controller performs a first increasing transition operation of decreasing the first integrated light amount by a predetermined transition amount and increasing the second integrated light amount by the predetermined transition amount, and wherein the illumination controller adjusts the output period of the first pulse after the first increasing transition operation so that an increased amount of the light amount of the illumination light corresponds to the first integrated light amount. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the illumination controller controls the intensity of the illumination light based on the modulated illumination and continuous illumination that is performed in part of the reading period to keep the intensity of the illumination light constant, and wherein the illumination controller causes the predetermined light amount to transit between the first integrated light amount and the second integrated light amount, and then causes a predetermined light amount that is not larger than the maximum value of the first integrated light amount and is not smaller than a minimum value of a third integrated light amount in a third pulse included in the continuous illumination to transit between the first integrated light amount and the third integrated light amount. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The imaging system of claim 2, wherein the maximum integrated light amount comprises a product of the intensity of the first pulse and a maximum value of the output period, and wherein the minimum integrated light amount comprises a product of the intensity of the first pulse and a minimum value of the output period, and wherein the illumination controller increases/decreases the first integrated light amount between the maximum integrated light amount and the minimum integrated light amount by increasing/decreasing the output period, thereby increasing/decreasing the light amount of the illumination light. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The imaging system of claim 1, wherein if the illumination controller further decreases the light amount of the illumination light in one of the one frame period and the one field period in a state in which the first integrated light amount is the minimum integrated light amount, the illumination controller performs a first decreasing transition operation of decreasing the second integrated light amount by the predetermined transition amount and increasing the first integrated light amount by the transition amount, and wherein after the first decreasing transition operation, the illumination controller adjusts the output period of the first pulse so that a decrease amount of the light amount of the illumination light corresponds to the first integrated light amount. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the illumination controller sets the transition amount as a difference between the maximum integrated light amount and a minimum integrated light amount. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The imaging system of claim 5, wherein the illumination controller controls the intensity of the first pulse to 1/M (wherein M is an integer not smaller than 2) of a maximum intensity of the illumination light. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The imaging system of claim 5, wherein if a sum of the intensity of the first pulse and the intensity of the second pulse is approximately equal to the maximum intensity of the illumination light, and the illumination controller further increases the light amount of the illumination light, the illumination controller performs a second increasing transition operation of decreasing the second integrated light amount by the transition amount and increasing an integrated light amount in the continuous illumination by the transition amount, and wherein if the sum of the intensity of the first pulse and the intensity of the second pulse is approximately equal to the maximum intensity of the illumination light, and the illumination controller further decreases the first integrated light amount, the illumination controller performs a second decreasing transition operation of decreasing an integrated light amount in the continuous illumination by the transition amount and increasing the second integrated light amount by the transition amount. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The imaging system of claim 7, wherein at least one of the second increasing transition operation and the second decreasing transition operation is performed in a plurality of frame periods or a plurality of field periods after a start of transition. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the illumination controller controls the intensity of the second pulse and the intensity in the continuous illumination so that a total sum of the second integrated light amount and an integrated light amount in the continuous illumination is constant. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the illumination controller increases/decreases the output period of the first pulse by one of PWM control, PDM control, and PNM control. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The imaging system of claim 1, further comprising an image processor configured to generate an image of the main target by image processing for the electrical signals output from the pixels, wherein the image processor includes a detector configured to detect a luminance value of the main target included in the image, and wherein the illumination controller controls an increase/decrease in the light amount of the illumination light based on the luminance value detected by the detector. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The imaging system of claim 1, further comprising an illumination device comprising: a light source configured to emit primary light, a light guide configured to guide the primary light emitted from the light source, and an optical converter of the illumination portion, configured to convert the primary light guided by the light guide into secondary light having optical characteristics different from those of the primary light. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) An endoscope system comprising an imaging system according to claim 1 and including an endoscope and a light source device from which the endoscope is detachable. ### Claim 14 An imaging system comprising: an illumination portion configured to emit illumination light with which a main target is illuminated; an imager including pixels two-dimensionally arrayed and each configured to generate an electrical signal by photoelectrically converting received light; a reader having a reading period during which part of lines of the pixels are read in one of one frame period and one field period and configured to sequentially read the electrical signals generated by the pixels for each line of the pixels; and an illumination controller configured to control an intensity of the illumination light based on modulated illumination for modulating the intensity of the illumination light in a non-reading period as a period other than the reading period, wherein in the non-reading period, the modulated illumination has a first integrated light amount as a product of a variable intensity of a first pulse and an output period of the illumination light and a second integrated light amount as a product of a constant intensity of a second pulse and the output period, wherein in the non-reading period, the illumination controller causes a predetermined light amount that is not larger than a maximum value of the first integrated light amount and is not smaller than a minimum value of the second integrated light amount to transit between the first integrated light amount and the second integrated light amount, wherein as the illumination controller decreases a light amount of the illumination light in one of the one frame period and the one field period in a state in which the first integrated light amount is a minimum integrated light amount, the illumination controller performs a first decreasing transition operation of decreasing the second integrated light amount by a predetermined transition amount and increasing the first integrated light amount by the predetermined transition amount, and wherein the illumination controller adjusts the output period of the first pulse after the first decreasing transition operation so that a decreased amount of the light amount of the illumination light corresponds to the first integrated light amount. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The imaging system of claim 14, wherein the illumination controller controls the intensity of the illumination light based on the modulated illumination and continuous illumination that is performed in part of the reading period to keep the intensity of the illumination light constant, and wherein the illumination controller causes the predetermined light amount to transit between the first integrated light amount and the second integrated light amount, and then causes a predetermined light amount that is not larger than the maximum value of the first integrated light amount and is not smaller than a minimum value of a third integrated light amount in a third pulse included in the continuous illumination to transit between the first integrated light amount and the third integrated light amount. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The imaging system of claim 15, wherein the maximum integrated light amount comprises a product of the intensity of the first pulse and a maximum value of the output period, and wherein the minimum integrated light amount comprises a product of the intensity of the first pulse and a minimum value of the output period, and wherein the illumination controller increases/decreases the first integrated light amount between the maximum integrated light amount and the minimum integrated light amount by increasing/decreasing the output period, thereby increasing/decreasing the light amount of the illumination light. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The imaging system according to of claim 14, wherein the illumination controller sets the transition amount as a difference between the maximum integrated light amount and the minimum integrated light amount. ### Claim 18 (depends on 5) The imaging system according to of claim 5, wherein if a sum of the intensity of the first pulse and the intensity of the second pulse is approximately equal to the maximum intensity of the illumination light, and the illumination controller further increases the light amount of the illumination light, the illumination controller performs a second increasing transition operation of decreasing the second integrated light amount by the transition amount and increasing an integrated light amount in the continuous illumination by the transition amount, and wherein if the sum of the intensity of the first pulse and the intensity of the second pulse is approximately equal to the maximum intensity of the illumination light, and the illumination controller further decreases the first integrated light amount, the illumination controller performs a second decreasing transition operation of decreasing an integrated light amount in the continuous illumination by the transition amount and increasing the second integrated light amount by the transition amount. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The imaging system according to of claim 18, wherein at least one of the second increasing transition operation and the second decreasing transition operation is performed in a plurality of frame periods or a plurality of field periods after a start of transition. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The imaging system according to of claim 15, wherein the illumination controller controls the intensity of the second pulse and the intensity in the continuous illumination so that a total sum of the second integrated light amount and an integrated light amount in the continuous illumination is constant.