# US 11,432,704 B2 · Image pickup apparatus and endoscope > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,432,704 B2 - Document ID: US11432704B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/576,910 - Filed: 2019-09-20 - Published: 2020-01-16 - Granted: 2022-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-05-19 - Assignees: Olympus Corporation - Applicants: Olympus Corporation - Inventors: Fumiyuki Adachi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11432704B2 ## CPC - G02B 23/2423: {of the distal end} - A61B 1/00006: {of control signals} - A61B 1/00009: {of image signals during a use of endoscope} - A61B 1/00018: {using electrical cables} - A61B 1/0005: {combining images e.g. side-by-side, superimposed or tiled} - A61B 1/00096: {Optical elements} - A61B 1/00193: {adapted for stereoscopic vision} - A61B 1/045: Control thereof - A61B 1/05: characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion - G02B 23/2415: {Stereoscopic endoscopes} - G06T 1/0085: {Time domain based watermarking, e.g. watermarks spread over several images} - H04N 23/45: for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images - H04N 23/555: {for picking-up images in sites, inaccessible due to their dimensions or hazardous conditions, e.g. endoscopes or borescopes} - G06T 2207/10021: Stereoscopic video; Stereoscopic image sequence - G06T 2207/30004: Biomedical image processing - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract An image pickup apparatus includes: a plurality of image pickup devices configured to pick up images of a same object and sequentially read the images for each line; an objective optical system configured to form the images at different image-forming positions on the image pickup devices; a memory configured to record predetermined time differences for reading the leading positions of the effective pixels of the images at the same timing; and an I2C control circuit configured to control the image reading timing of the image pickup devices by generating a plurality of synchronizing signals based on a master synchronizing signal and supplying the synchronizing signals to the image pickup devices after shifting the synchronizing signals by the respective predetermined time differences. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image pickup apparatus comprising: a plurality of image pickup devices configured to sequentially read image data for each line; an optical system configured to form a plurality of images related to a same object on the plurality of image pickup devices, the plurality of formed images being at different image-forming positions; a memory configured to record information on predetermined time differences, the predetermined time differences being differences of timings at which leading positions of effective pixels are read respectively in a plurality of image data, when the plurality of image data are read at the same time, the plurality of image data being acquired by the plurality of image pickup devices picking up respective images of the plurality of formed images; and a timing control circuit configured to generate a plurality of synchronizing signals shifted respectively by the predetermined time differences based on a master synchronizing signal from a processor, wherein in the plurality of image pickup devices, reading timings of the image data are independently controlled based on the plurality of synchronizing signals. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a relationship of Δt=R×ΔL/L is established, where Δt is each of the predetermined time differences, ΔL is a difference in the number of lines regarding leading lines between the effective pixels in the plurality of image data, L is a total number of lines in one frame, and R is a frame rate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of image pickup devices comprises a first image pickup device and a second image pickup device, the first image pickup device outputs a first video data in which an optical black pixel, an unused pixel, and each of the effective pixels are sequentially read, and the second image pickup device outputs a second video data in which an optical black pixel, each of the effective pixels, and an unused pixel are sequentially read. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The image pickup apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a line memory configured to perform processing for matching video formats of the first video data and the second video data, wherein the line memory attaches the optical black pixel of the first video data immediately before each of the effective pixels of the first video data. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of image pickup devices comprises a first image pickup device and a second image pickup device, the first image pickup device outputs a first video data in which an optical black pixel and each of the effective pixels are sequentially read, and the second image pickup device outputs a second video data in which each of the effective pixels and an optical black pixel are sequentially read. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The image pickup apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a line memory configured to perform processing for matching video formats of the first video data and the second video data, wherein the line memory attaches the optical black pixel of the second video data in a previous frame immediately before each of the effective pixels of the second video data in a current frame. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) An endoscope comprising: the image pickup apparatus according to claim 1; and an insertion portion insertable into a subject, wherein the plurality of image pickup devices and the optical system are disposed in a distal end portion of the insertion portion.