Abstract: A battery section of an electronic endoscope is provided with an EEPROM. The EEPROM stores charging time and the number of charging of batteries, necessary for calculating remaining power of the batteries, and customized information for assigning functions to first, second and third switches of an operation section. A remaining-power calculator calculates the remaining power of the batteries based on a relation between discharge voltage and discharge time of the batteries as well as on the charging time and the number of charging of the batteries read out from the EEPROM. A function assignment circuit assigns the functions to the first, second and third switches in accordance with the customized information read out from the EEPROM.

Abstract: Connection pads and alignment marks are formed on a long metal thin plate that is carried in a longitudinal direction, and then an insulating layer for covering the connection pads is formed. Then, via holes, which are aligned and arranged on the connection pads by utilizing the alignment marks, are formed in portions of the insulating layer. Then, n-layered (n is an integer of 1 or more) wiring layers connected to the connection pads via the via holes are formed, and the connection pads and the insulating layer are exposed by removing the metal thin plate.

Abstract: An electronic endoscope includes: a discharge voltage measuring circuit for measuring discharge voltage of a battery; a time-measuring circuit for measuring period of time for which the battery is used; a remaining available time estimating circuit for obtaining remaining available time tr of the battery based on the result of the measured discharge voltage obtained by the discharge voltage measuring circuit, the result of the measured time obtained by the time-measuring circuit, and a relation between discharge voltage and discharge time of the battery stored in a ROM; and a transmission device for transmitting the remaining available time tr to a processor unit. The processor unit includes: a receiving device for receiving the remaining available time tr from the transmission device; and an image processing unit for displaying a progress bar indicating the remaining available time tr of the battery outside a displaying area of an endoscopic image.

Abstract: A wiring layer forming wirings containing inner leads and outer leads are formed on a flexible substrate. Then, inner lead reinforcing electrodes to which a semiconductor chip is connected are formed on the inner leads, outer lead reinforcing electrodes are formed on the outer leads, and wiring reinforcing portions are formed between the inner leads and the outer leads on the wiring layers. The flexible substrate is mounted onto an electronic device by folding a portion to which the wiring reinforcing portions are provided between the inner leads and the outer leads.

Abstract: An electronic endoscope and a processor of an electronic endoscope apparatus transmit and receive signals via radio waves within a predetermined frequency band to which plural channels are allocated. The electronic endoscope has a transmission frequency band switching circuit which switches between a first and second transmission frequency bands, and a first channel detection circuit for detecting an available channel. The processor has a reception frequency band switching circuit which switches between a first and second reception frequency bands, and a second channel detection circuit for detecting an available channel. The transmission and reception frequency band switching circuits automatically switch the transmission and reception frequency bands according to detection results of the first and second channel detection circuits.

Abstract: An endoscope apparatus comprises: an endoscope comprising an imaging device that forms a color image signal of a body to be observed; a storage portion that stores matrix data regarding a wavelength range in which a spectral image is constituted; a spectral image forming circuit that conducts matrix calculation based on the color image signals by using the matrix data of the storage portion and forms a spectral image of a selected wavelength range; and a wavelength selecting section that selects the wavelength range of the spectral image formed by the spectral image forming circuit through a continuous changeover or a step-wise changeover.

Abstract: An endoscope apparatus comprises: a scope comprising a solid imaging device; a processor unit which forms an observation image from signals emitted from the solid imaging device, the processor being connected to the scope; and a plurality of monitors each of which is connected to the processor unit, wherein a whole image of the observation image is displayed on at least one of said plurality of monitors, and a partial image of the observation image is enlarged and displayed on the other one(s) of said plurality of monitors.

Abstract: An endoscope apparatus comprises: an endoscope comprising an imaging device that forms color image signals of a body to be observed; a Y/C signal processing circuit that forms brightness/color difference signals from a color image signal obtained by the imaging device; a storage portion that stores Y/C matrix data for forming a spectral image based on the brightness/color difference signals; and a Y/C spectral image forming circuit that conducts matrix calculation by the Y/C matrix data of the storage portion and the brightness/color difference signals output from the Y/C signal processing circuit and forms a spectral image of an arbitrarily selected wavelength range.

Abstract: An endoscope apparatus comprises: an endoscope comprising an imaging device that forms a color image signal of a body to be observed; a storage portion that stores matrix data for forming a spectral image based on the color image signal; a spectral image-forming circuit that conducts matrix calculation based on the color image signal by using the matrix data of the storage portion and forms at least one spectral image signal each of which corresponds to an arbitrarily selected wavelength range; and an amplifier circuit that amplifies said at least one spectral image signal formed by the spectral image-forming circuit.

Abstract: In an endoscope apparatus in which a scope is connected to a processor unit in a freely attachable and detachable way, the endoscope apparatus wherein matrix calculation is conducted for RGB signals formed by using CCD, a color space conversion processing circuit is provided for forming spectral images of the arbitrarily selected wavelength range. CCD characteristics identification information including types of color filters of the CCD and spectral characteristics or scope characteristics information is stored in the ROM of the scope, a plurality of matrix data corresponding to characteristics identification information is stored in the memory of the processor unit, and matrix data corresponding to the obtained characteristics information is read from the memory, thereby forming an excellent spectral image by using data suitable for characteristics of the CCD or the scope.

Abstract: In an electronic endoscope of the present invention, an edge detection circuit detects a down edge section and an up edge section of both ends of a blood vessel in a width direction based on a G signal output from an RGB color conversion circuit, an R coefficient selector and a B coefficient selector select, for example, a coefficient smaller than 1 for the detected down edge section and select, for example, a coefficient larger than 1 for the up edge section, and a multiplier multiplies an R signal and a B signal by these coefficients. As a result, both ends of the blood vessel are highlighted with a left end part expressed blackish and a right end part expressed reddish, making it possible to clearly display blood vessels in mucous membranes on a monitor.

Abstract: An electronic endoscope apparatus includes a connection unit for selectively connecting a plurality of machine types of electronic endoscopes which use different color information obtainment methods and a plurality of replacement tables which are provided for the plurality of machine types of electronic endoscopes respectively, and each of which stores a correspondence between values representing colors which canoe obtained by each of the electronic endoscopes by photographing an observation object and values representing the true colors of the observation object. The electronic endoscope apparatus distinguishes the machine type of the electronic endoscope and replaces the values of obtained colors by using the replacement table for the distinguished machine type. Further, the electronic endoscope apparatus stores setting information for each purpose of examination, and further performs image processing, based on selected setting information, on the image of which the values of the colors have been replaced.

Abstract: When an image obtained by an electronic endoscope apparatus is recorded, the image is recorded in a state where whether or not the image has been subjected to image processing can be judged with certainty. Recording image selection means selects either an original image without the image processing by image processing means or a processed image having been subjected to the image processing, as the image to be recorded by image recording means. Image type information generation means generates image type information representing whether the image selected by the recording image selection means is the original image or the processed image, and the image recording means records the selected image in relation to the image type information in response to operation by an operator using operation means.

Abstract: An image obtained by an electronic endoscope apparatus is changed to an image that is appropriate for observation with suppressed halation and fewer dark areas. Halation detection means detects halation of a predetermined level or higher in an image represented by a signal obtained by an imaging device, based on the signal. Light amount adjustment means decreases an amount of light emitted from illumination means to cause the halation to become a predetermined level or lower. Luminance conversion means processes the signal so as to generate a luminance conversion image wherein only a dark area having a predetermined luminance or lower in the image due to the decrease in the amount of the light is changed to have a higher luminance.

Abstract: A replacement table for each purpose of examination is stored in an electronic endoscope apparatus in advance. The replacement table stores a correspondence between the value of color which can be obtained by photographing an observation object with an electronic endoscope and the value of color which is defined so that a hue in a range of color which is necessary for diagnosis is wider than a hue in a range of color which is not necessary for diagnosis. The electronic endoscope apparatus produces an image for a selected examination purpose by separately replacing the value of the color of each pixel which forms the image obtained by the electronic endoscope by using a correspondence stored in a replacement table for a single examination purpose specified by input instruction data.

Abstract: An electronic endoscope apparatus includes a scope unit in which a color filter is provided. The scope unit further includes a filter information storage means for storing filter information showing the kind of the color filter provided in the scope unit. Further, a plurality of kinds of scope units, each of which has filter information showing a different kind of color filter from each other, can be selectively connected. The filter information stored in the filter storage means of the connected scope unit is obtained. Then, color space correction processing is performed, based on the filter information, on color image signals output from the plurality of kinds of scope units so that each of signals for display, produced from the color image signals, represents the same point in color space.

Abstract: An adjustment amount of a brightness level is determined for each pixel of an image based on the value of each pixel of a luminance distribution image which represents the distribution of luminance of the image. A portion contributing to adjustment of brightness and a portion contributing to adjustment of saturation are determined for each pixel of the image so that the sum thereof is equal to the adjustment amount of the brightness level. Then, an adjustment value of saturation, which is obtained by weighting the value of each pixel in the image based on the portion contributing to saturation, and an adjustment value of brightness, which is obtained by weighting the value of each pixel in the luminance distribution image, which corresponds to each pixel of the image, based on the portion contributing to brightness are added to the value of each pixel of the image.

Abstract: The sharpness of an image obtained by an endoscope is adjusted. A sharpness enhancement amount is determined for each pixel based on the value of each pixel which forms a luminance distribution image. Further, a portion contributing to adjustment of brightness and a portion contributing to adjustment of saturation in the sharpness enhancement amount are determined for each pixel of the image so that the sum thereof is equal to the sharpness enhancement amount. Then, an adjustment value of saturation, which is obtained by weighting the value of each pixel of the image based on the portion contributing to saturation, and an adjustment value of brightness, which is obtained by weighting the value of each pixel of the luminance distribution image, which corresponds to each pixel of the image, based on the portion contributing to brightness, are added to the value of each pixel of the image.

Abstract: An electronic endoscope apparatus includes an imaging element and a signal processing unit. The imaging element obtains an image of an observation object, and outputs an image signal of the observation object. The signal processing unit alternately repeats obtainment of a partial image signal using a part of a light receiving area of the imaging element and obtainment of a partial image signal using the remaining part of the light receiving area. The signal processing unit also obtains a whole image signal corresponding to an image of the observation object using a partial image signal obtained in the n-th (n is a natural number) obtainment and a partial image signal obtained in the (n+1) th obtainment. Further, a partial component of the n-th partial image signal is extracted by an extraction unit, and the extracted partial component is added to the (n+1) th partial image signal.

Abstract: To provide a timing generator which generates a first reference signal at a standard speed of approximately 14 MHz and a second reference signal operating at approximately 28 MHz which is double the standard speed and forms a moving image based on the first reference signal, reads, when a freeze switch is operated, an image pickup signal based on the second reference signal operating at the double speed and writes this signal into the memory 36 at the same speed. Then, by reading this still image signal from the memory at the standard speed, the still image is displayed on the monitor. Thereby, the need for setting a conventional light shielding period can be eliminated.