US 5,313,306 A · Omniview motionless camera endoscopy system

Abstract

A endoscopic-type device for omnidirectional image viewing providing electronic pan-and-tilt orientation, rotation, and magnification within a selected field-of-view for use in applications in various environments such as in internal medicine inspection, monitoring, and surgery. The imaging device (using optical or infrared images) is based on the effect that the image from a wide angle lens, which produces a circular image of an entire field-of-view, can be mathematically corrected using high speed electronic circuitry. More specifically, an incoming image from a endoscope image acquisition source, including a wide angle lens, is transmitted through an image conduit and captured by a camera that produces output signals according to that image. A transformation of these output signals is performed for the viewing region of interest and viewing direction, and a corrected image is output as a video image signal for viewing, recording, or analysis. Multiple simultaneous images can be output from a single input image.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A device for providing perspective and distortion corrected views, in a desired format, of a selected portion of a field of view in an environment, said device comprising:

an imaging system for receiving selected optical and infrared images of said selected portion of a field of view and for producing output signals corresponding to said selected optical and infrared images, said imaging system including a light source, an image conduit to conduct light from said light source into the environment and return said images from the environment, and a video camera to create said output signals;
a lens attached to a distal end of said image conduit of said imaging system, said distal end for placement in the environment, for conveyance of said selected optical and infrared images through said image conduit of said imaging system;
image capture circuitry for receiving and providing digitized signals from said output signals from said imaging system;
image transform circuitry for processing said digitized signals from said image capture circuitry according to selected viewing angles of pan, tilt, and rotation and percentage of magnification, and for producing output signals according to a combination of said digitized signals and said selected viewing angles of pan, tilt, and rotation and percentage of magnification;
an input for selected user and external computer input to select said angles of pan, tilt, and rotation and percentage of magnification, and for converting said selected viewing angles of pan, tilt, and rotation and percentage of magnification for input to said image transform circuitry to control said processing of said image transform circuitry;
and
an output connected to said image transform circuitry for recording said perspective and distortion corrected views according to said selected viewing angles of pan, tilt, and rotation and percentage of magnification.

4 more elements

An endoscopy device for providing perspective corrected views of a selected portion of perspective distorted optical images from an environment into a desired format, said device comprising:

an imaging system for receiving optical images from the environment and for producing output signals corresponding to said perspective distorted optical images, said imaging system including light source, an image conduit for conveying light from said light source into the environment, a wide angle lens at a distal end of said image conduit in the environment for optical conveyance of said optical images through said image conduit and a video camera positioned exterior the environment to receive images from said lens, said optical images to said video camera being perspective distorted by said wide angle lens;
image capture circuitry for receiving, and producing digitized signals from, said output signals from said imaging system;
image transform circuitry for processing said digitized signals from said image capture circuitry according to selected viewing angles of pan, tilt, and rotation and percentage of magnification for producing output signals of perspective corrected images according to a combination of said digitized signals and said selected viewing angles of pan, tilt, and rotation and percentage of magnification;
an input for selecting said viewing angles of pan, tilt, and rotation and percentage of magnification, and for producing signals to control said processing of said image transform circuitry as to said viewing angles of pan, tilt, and rotation and percentage of magnification;
and
an output connected to said image transform circuitry for recording said perspective corrected views according to said selected viewing angles of pan, tilt, and rotation and percentage of magnification.

3 more elements

An endoscopic device for use in internal medicine to provide perspective corrected views of a selected portion of perspective distorted optical images from an environment within a patient into a desired format, said device comprising:

an imaging system for receiving optical images from the environment and for producing output signals corresponding to said perspective distorted optical images, said imaging system including an image conduit, a video camera at a proximal end of said image conduit exterior the environment, a wide angle lens at a distal end of said image conduit for placement within the environment for optical conveyance of said optical images from the environment through said image conduit to said video camera, said optical images to said video camera being perspective distorted by said wide angle lens, said imaging system being sterilizable;
image transform circuitry for processing said output signals from said imaging system according to selected viewing angles of pan, tilt, and rotation and percentage of magnification for producing output signals of perspective corrected images according to a combination of said digitized signals and said selected viewing angles of pan, tilt, and rotation and percentage of magnification;
an input for selecting said viewing angles of pan, tilt, and rotation and percentage of magnification, and for producing signals to control said processing of said image transform circuitry as to said viewing angles of pan, tilt, and rotation and percentage of magnification;
and
a further input for inputting control signals to said image transform circuitry to achieve multiple perspective corrected views in said output means and selected scanning of said video camera;
and
an output connected to said image transform circuitry for recording said perspective corrected views according to said selected viewing angles of pan, tilt, and rotation and percentage of magnification;
wherein said image transform circuitry is programmed to implement the following two equations:
##EQU9## where:
A=(cos .phi. cos .differential.-sin .phi. sin .differential. cos .beta.)
B=(sin .phi. cos .differential.+cos .phi. sin .differential. cos .beta.)
C=(cos .phi. cos .differential.+sin .phi. cos .differential. cos .beta.)
D=(sin .phi. sin .differential.-cos .phi. cos .differential. cos .beta.)
and where:
R=radius of the image circle
.beta.=zenith angle
.differential.=Azimuth angle in image plane
.phi.=Object plane rotation angle
m=Magnification
u,v=object plane coordinates
x,y=image plane coordinates.

18 more elements

An endoscopic device for use in confined industrial inspection to provide perspective corrected views of a selected portion of perspective distorted optical images from an environment within an industrial device into a desired format, said device comprising:

an imaging system for receiving optical images from the environment and for producing output signals corresponding to said perspective distorted optical images, said imaging system including an image conduit, a video camera at a proximal end of said image conduit exterior the environment, a wide angle lens at a distal end of said image conduit for placement within the environment for optical conveyance of said optical images from the environment through said image conduit to said video camera, said optical images to said video camera being perspective distorted by said wide angle lens;
image transform circuitry for processing said output signals from said imaging system according to selected viewing angles of pan, tilt, and rotation and percentage of magnification for producing output signals of perspective corrected images according to a combination of said digitized signals and said selected viewing angles of pan, tilt, and rotation and percentage of magnification;
an input for selecting said viewing angles of pan, tilt, and rotation and percentage of magnification, and for producing signals to control said processing of said image transform circuitry as to said viewing angles of pan, tilt, and rotation and percentage of magnification;
and
a further input for inputting control signals to said image transform circuitry to achieve multiple perspective corrected views in said output means and selected scanning of said video camera;
and
an output connected to said image transform circuitry for recording said perspective corrected views according to said selected viewing angles of pan, tilt, and rotation and percentage of magnification;
wherein said image transform circuitry is programmed to implement the following two equations:
##EQU10## where:
A=(cos .phi. cos .differential.-sin .phi. sin .differential. cos .beta.)
B=(sin .phi. cos .differential.+cos .phi. sin .differential. cos .beta.)
C=(cos .phi. sin .differential.+cos .phi. cos .differential. cos .beta.)
D=(sin .phi. sin .differential.-cos .phi. cos .differential. cos .beta.)
and where:
R=radius of the image circle
.beta.=zenith angle
.differential.=Azimuth angle in image plane
.phi.=Object plane rotation angle
m=Magnification
u,v=object plane coordinates
x,y=image plane coordinates.

18 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Omniview motionless camera endoscopy system

Life of this patent

Omniview motionless camera endoscopy system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19