Image pickup apparatus, endoscope apparatus including image pickup apparatus, mobile body including image pickup apparatus, image pickup unit, and video processing unit

An endoscope apparatus comprising an image pickup apparatus including:

• a first unit including an image pickup device configured to pick up an image of an object and generate a video signal;
• a second unit including a video processing circuit configured to perform predetermined processing on the video signal;
• a waveguide path that is provided between the first unit and the second unit and through which a millimeter wave or a submillimeter wave is transmitted;
• a millimeter-wave carrier-wave generation circuit disposed in the second unit and configured to generate a millimeter-wave carrier wave based on a predetermined reference signal;
• a processing-transmission circuit disposed in the first unit and configured to receive the millimeter-wave carrier wave generated by the millimeter-wave carrier-wave generation circuit in the second unit through the waveguide path, generate a millimeter-wave modulated wave by superimposing the video signal generated by the image pickup device on the millimeter-wave carrier wave, and transmit the millimeter-wave modulated wave toward the waveguide path;
• and
• a demodulator disposed in the second unit and configured to receive the millimeter-wave modulated wave generated in the first unit through the waveguide path and regenerate the video signal generated by the image pickup device,
• wherein:
• the second unit further includes a delay circuit disposed between the millimeter-wave carrier-wave generation circuit and the demodulator, and
• the delay circuit is set to provide, to a signal passing through the delay circuit, a delay time period equivalent to a round-trip signal transfer time period through the waveguide path.

A mobile body including an image pickup apparatus comprising:

• a first unit including an image pickup device configured to pick up an image of an object and generate a video signal;
• a second unit including a video processing circuit configured to perform predetermined processing on the video signal;
• a waveguide path that is provided between the first unit and the second unit and through which a millimeter wave or a submillimeter wave is transmitted;
• a millimeter-wave carrier-wave generation circuit disposed in the second unit and configured to generate a millimeter-wave carrier wave based on a predetermined reference signal;
• a processing-transmission circuit disposed in the first unit and configured to receive the millimeter-wave carrier wave generated by the millimeter-wave carrier-wave generation circuit in the second unit through the waveguide path, generate a millimeter-wave modulated wave by superimposing the video signal generated by the image pickup device on the millimeter-wave carrier wave, and transmit the millimeter-wave modulated wave toward the waveguide path;
• and
• a demodulator disposed in the second unit and configured to receive the millimeter-wave modulated wave generated in the first unit through the waveguide path and regenerate the video signal generated by the image pickup device,
• wherein:
• the second unit further includes a delay circuit disposed between the millimeter-wave carrier-wave generation circuit and the demodulator, and
• the delay circuit is set to provide, to a signal passing through the delay circuit, a delay time period equivalent to a round-trip signal transfer time period through the waveguide path.

A video processing unit connected to a waveguide path through which a millimeter wave is transmitted, the video processing unit comprising:

• a millimeter-wave carrier-wave generation circuit configured to generate a millimeter-wave carrier wave based on a predetermined reference signal and send the millimeter-wave carrier wave to the waveguide path;
• a demodulator configured to receive, through the waveguide path, a millimeter-wave modulated wave generated by superimposing a video signal on the millimeter-wave carrier wave and regenerate the video signal by demodulating the millimeter-wave modulated wave;
• and
• a delay circuit disposed between the millimeter-wave carrier-wave generation circuit and the demodulator,
• wherein the delay circuit is set to provide, to a signal passing through the delay circuit, a delay time period equivalent to a round-trip signal transfer time period through the waveguide path.