Endoscope apparatus, control method of endoscope apparatus, and recording medium

A control method of an endoscope apparatus, wherein the endoscope apparatus includes:

• an insertion portion formed so as to extend in a longitudinal direction along a predetermined central axis and having a distal end portion;
• an optical path switching unit that is disposed inside the insertion portion and is configured to switch an optical path so that only one of a first subject image and a second subject image is imaged on an image forming area where the first subject image and the second subject image are commonly focused, the first subject image being an image of a subject formed by light emitted from a first objective optical system disposed at the distal end portion, the second subject image being an image of the subject formed by light emitted from a second objective optical system disposed at the distal end portion and having an optical magnification higher than that of the first objective optical system;
• an imaging element configured to generate an image acquired by picking up the first subject image and the second subject image formed in the image forming area;
• and
• an endoscope processing unit configured to control switching of the optical path based on an input zoom magnification and apply image processing to the image generated by the imaging element,
• the control method including:
• causing, by the endoscope processing unit, the optical path to be switched to an optical path on which the second subject image is formed when the zoom magnification is a magnification greater than or equal to an optical magnification of the second objective optical system;
• and
• causing, by the endoscope processing unit, the optical path to be switched to an optical path on which the first subject image is formed when the zoom magnification is a magnification lower than the optical magnification of the second objective optical system.

A computer-readable recording medium storing a control program of an endoscope apparatus, wherein the endoscope apparatus includes:

• an insertion portion formed so as to extend in a longitudinal direction along a predetermined central axis and having a distal end portion;
• an optical path switching unit that is disposed inside the insertion portion and is configured to switch an optical path so that only one of a first subject image and a second subject image is imaged on an image forming area where the first subject image and the second subject image are commonly focused, the first subject image being an image of a subject formed by light emitted from a first objective optical system disposed at the distal end portion, the second subject image being an image of the subject formed by light emitted from a second objective optical system disposed at the distal end portion and having an optical magnification higher than that of the first objective optical system;
• an imaging element configured to generate an image acquired by picking up the first subject image and the second subject image formed in the image forming area;
• and
• an endoscope processing unit configured to control switching of the optical path based on an input zoom magnification and apply image processing to the image generated by the imaging element,
• the control program causing a computer of the endoscope apparatus to execute:
• a process of causing the optical path to be switched to an optical path on which the second subject image is formed when the zoom magnification is a magnification greater than or equal to an optical magnification of the second objective optical system;
• and
• a process of causing the optical path to be switched to an optical path on which the first subject image is formed when the zoom magnification is a magnification lower than the optical magnification of the second objective optical system.