Patent ID: 9289113
Filing Date: 2016-03-22
CPC Classification: A61B,G02B,H04N

Claim Text:
1. A processor for an electronic endoscope for processing an image signal from the electronic endoscope and displaying an image on a monitor, comprising: an image data generator that generates a plurality of frames of image data from the image signal; first and second image storages, each of which stores the plurality of frames of image data; a motion detector that obtains a difference for each frame of the plurality of frames of image data by comparing the frame of image data with an immediately preceding frame of plurality of frames of image data; a signal processor that converts the plurality of frames of image data into a video signal which is displayed on the monitor; and a controller that controls the signal processor and the first and second image storages, wherein the controller performs control according to one of: a first mode, in which the plurality of frames of image data generated by the image data generator are sequentially converted into the video signal and are outputted, and the plurality of frames of image data and the difference are sequentially stored in the first and second image storages; a second mode, in which the plurality of frames of image data stored in the first image storage are converted into the video signal and are outputted, and the plurality of frames of image data generated by the image data generator and the difference are sequentially stored in the second image storage; and a third mode, in which the plurality of frames of image data stored in the second image storage are converted into the video signal and are outputted, and the plurality of frames of image data generated by the image data generator and the difference are sequentially stored in the first image storage, wherein in the second and third modes, the difference is monitored, and, based on the difference, a first reproduction mode is switched into a second reproduction mode, wherein, in the first reproduction mode, the plurality of frames of image data stored in the first image storage or the second image storage are successively converted into the video signal in a reverse chronological order in regard to stored times, and in the second reproduction mode, one of the plurality of frames of image data stored in the first and second image storages is repeatedly converted into the video signal and is outputted, wherein the processor further comprises a judger that receives an input of a control signal for switching from the first mode to the second or the third mode and for switching from the third mode or second mode to the first mode, and makes a judgment on which of the second mode and the third mode the controller switches to, when the control signal is inputted in the first mode, wherein the controller switches from the second mode to the first mode, when the control signal is inputted in the second mode, wherein, in response to the controller switching from the second mode to the first mode, the judger makes a judgment to switch from the first mode to the third mode only when the control signal is inputted within a predetermined time from a time when the controller switches from the second mode to the first mode, and wherein the predetermined time is determined based on a maximum number of frames of image data which can be stored in the first image storage.