Endoscope apparatus
AssigneeOlympus Corporation
InventorSho Nakamura
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An endoscope apparatus includes an endoscope including an observation optical system including a lens drive mechanism and a video processor connected to the endoscope, and the endoscope apparatus includes a voice coil motor provided in the endoscope and configured to drive a lens relating to the lens drive mechanism and a position detecting apparatus provided in the endoscope and configured to detect a position of the lens. The video processor is configured to determine whether or not the position detecting apparatus is in a heat generating state, and halt actuation of the position detecting apparatus if the video processor determines that the position detecting apparatus is in the heat generating state.
Claims14
An endoscope apparatus comprising:
- an endoscope including an observation optical system, the observation optical system including a lens drive mechanism;
- and
- an image processing apparatus including a processor including hardware, the image processing apparatus being connected to the endoscope, the endoscope apparatus comprising:
- an actuator provided in the endoscope and configured to drive a lens relating to the lens drive mechanism;
- a memory configured to store determination information for a heat generation determination;
- and
- a position detecting sensor provided in the endoscope, the position detecting sensor being configured to detect a position of the lens by being supplied with an input voltage and an input current and outputting a position detection signal,
- the processor being configured to:
- determine whether or not the position detecting sensor is in a first heat generating state based on the determination information and one or more of the input voltage or the input current;
- and
- if the position detecting sensor is determined to be in the first heat generating state, make the input current and the input voltage supplied to the position detecting sensor be zero so as to halt actuation of the position detecting sensor, or make the input current and the input voltage supplied to the position detecting sensor be equal to or below a predetermined current value so as to reduce heat generated by the position detecting sensor.
An endoscope apparatus comprising:
- an endoscope including an observation optical system, the observation optical system including a lens drive mechanism;
- and
- an image processing apparatus including a processor including hardware, the image processing apparatus being connected to the endoscope, the endoscope apparatus comprising:
- an actuator provided in the endoscope and configured to drive a lens relating to the lens drive mechanism;
- and
- a position detecting sensor provided in the endoscope, the position detecting sensor being configured to detect a position of the lens,
- the processor being configured to:
- monitor an input current or an input voltage inputted to the position detecting sensor;
- if a value of the input current or the input voltage is a first threshold or greater and a state in which the value of the input current or the input voltage is the first threshold or greater continues for a first period of time, determine that the position detecting sensor is in a first heat generating state;
- and
- if the processor determines that the position detecting sensor is determined to be in the first heat generating state, halt actuation of the position detecting sensor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.