# US 11,308,578 B2 · Endoscope system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,308,578 B2 - Document ID: US11308578B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/022,541 - Filed: 2020-09-16 - Published: 2020-12-31 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2018-04-11 - Assignees: FUJIFILM Corporation - Applicants: FUJIFILM Corporation - Inventors: Tatsuya Aoyama - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11308578B2 ## CPC - G06T 3/4015: Image demosaicing, e.g. colour filter arrays [CFA] or Bayer patterns - A61B 1/000094: {extracting biological structures} - 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 1/063: {for monochromatic or narrow-band illumination} - A61B 1/0638: {providing two or more wavelengths} - G02B 23/24: Instruments {or systems} for viewing the inside of hollow bodies, e.g. fibrescopes - H04N 23/125: {Colour sequential image capture, e.g. using a colour wheel} - H04N 23/56: provided with illuminating means - H04N 23/843: {Demosaicing, e.g. interpolating colour pixel values} - H04N 25/133: including elements passing panchromatic light, e.g. filters passing white light - H04N 25/134: {based on three different wavelength filter elements} - H04N 23/555: {for picking-up images in sites, inaccessible due to their dimensions or hazardous conditions, e.g. endoscopes or borescopes} - H04N 2209/046: Colour interpolation to calculate the missing colour values - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract There is provided an endoscope system that can obtain a high-resolution endoscopic image not subjected to demosaicing processing as necessary. The endoscope system includes a light source unit that emits illumination light, an image sensor that includes a color filter having one color for each pixel among color filters having a plurality of colors and picks up an image of a subject using the illumination light, a demosaicing processing section that performs demosaicing processing on RAW images having the respective colors and corresponding to the color filters having the respective colors, and a switching section that switches whether to perform the demosaicing processing using spectral information of the illumination light. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An endoscope system comprising: a light source that emits illumination light; an image sensor that includes a color filter having one color for each pixel among color filters having a plurality of colors and picks up an image of a subject using the illumination light; and a processor configured to perform demosaicing processing on RAW images having the respective colors and corresponding to the color filters having the respective colors, and perform complementary processing for complementing a pixel value of a missing pixel of a specific color image, which is one of the RAW images having the respective colors and corresponding to the color filters having the respective colors, using a non-specific color image which is a RAW image different from the specific color image, wherein the processor switches processing to be performed between the demosaicing processing and the complementary processing using spectral information of the illumination light. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The endoscope system according to claim 1, the processor further configured to perform complementary processing for complementing a pixel value of a missing pixel of a specific color image, which is one of the RAW images having the respective colors and corresponding to the color filters having the respective colors, using a non-specific color image which is a RAW image different from the specific color image, wherein the processor switches processing to be performed to the complementary processing in a case where the illumination light is at least one of monochromatic light or narrow-band light corresponding to the color filters having the respective colors as the spectral information. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein the processor complements the pixel value of the missing pixel of the specific color image using pixel values of the non-specific color image multiplied by gains. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The endoscope system according to claim 2, wherein the processor complements the pixel value of the missing pixel of the specific color image using pixel values of the non-specific color image multiplied by gains. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The endoscope system according to claim 3, wherein the gains are parameters of calculation for causing the pixel values of the non-specific color image to be close to pixel values of the specific color image in a case where an image of a white subject is picked up. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The endoscope system according to claim 4, wherein the gains are parameters of calculation for causing the pixel values of the non-specific color image to be close to pixel values of the specific color image in a case where an image of a white subject is picked up. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The endoscope system according to claim 3, wherein the gains are coefficients for causing received light spectra of pixels forming pixel values of the specific color image and received light spectra of pixels forming the pixel values of the non-specific color image to be close to each other in a first received light spectrum that is obtained from spectral information of the illumination light and spectral transmittance of the color filters. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The endoscope system according to claim 4, wherein the gains are coefficients for causing received light spectra of pixels forming pixel values of the specific color image and received light spectra of pixels forming the pixel values of the non-specific color image to be close to each other in a first received light spectrum that is obtained from spectral information of the illumination light and spectral transmittance of the color filters. ### Claim 9 (depends on 3) The endoscope system according to claim 3, wherein the gains are coefficients for causing received light spectra of pixels forming pixel values of the specific color image and received light spectra of pixels forming the pixel values of the non-specific color image to be close to each other in a second received light spectrum that is obtained from spectral information of the illumination light, spectral transmittance of the color filters, and spectral characteristics of the subject. ### Claim 10 (depends on 4) The endoscope system according to claim 4, wherein the gains are coefficients for causing received light spectra of pixels forming pixel values of the specific color image and received light spectra of pixels forming the pixel values of the non-specific color image to be close to each other in a second received light spectrum that is obtained from spectral information of the illumination light, spectral transmittance of the color filters, and spectral characteristics of the subject. ### Claim 11 (depends on 5) The endoscope system according to claim 5, wherein the gains are coefficients for causing received light spectra of pixels forming pixel values of the specific color image and received light spectra of pixels forming the pixel values of the non-specific color image to be close to each other in a second received light spectrum that is obtained from spectral information of the illumination light, spectral transmittance of the color filters, and spectral characteristics of the subject. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The endoscope system according to claim 9, further comprising: a storage unit that stores the gains for each portion of the subject, wherein the processor switches the gains to be used for each portion of the subject on the basis of the gains stored in the storage unit. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein the illumination light is narrow-band light. ### Claim 14 (depends on 2) The endoscope system according to claim 2, wherein the illumination light is narrow-band light. ### Claim 15 (depends on 3) The endoscope system according to claim 3, wherein the illumination light is narrow-band light. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The endoscope system according to claim 13, wherein the narrow-band light is at least one of violet light, blue light, or green light. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The endoscope system according to claim 1, the processor further configured to: generate a color image using a complemented image. ### Claim 18 (depends on 2) The endoscope system according to claim 2, the processor further configured to: generate a color image using a complemented image. ### Claim 19 (depends on 3) The endoscope system according to claim 3, the processor further configured to: generate a color image using a complemented image. ### Claim 20 An endoscope system comprising: a light source that emits illumination light; an image sensor that includes a color filter having one color for each pixel among color filters having a plurality of colors and picks up an image of a subject using the illumination light; and a processor configured to perform demosaicing processing on RAW images having the respective colors and corresponding to the color filters having the respective colors, and perform complementary processing for complementing a pixel value of a missing pixel of a specific color image, which is one of the RAW images having the respective colors and corresponding to the color filters having the respective colors, using a non-specific color image which is a RAW image different from the specific color image, wherein the processor switches processing to be performed to the complementary processing in a case where the illumination light is at least one of monochromatic light or narrow-band light corresponding to the color filters having the respective colors using spectral information of the illumination light.