Patent ID: 7822247

Claim:
An endoscope processor, comprising: a signal receiver that receives an image signal, said image signal being generated based on an optical image captured at a light receiving surface on an imaging device, said image signal comprising a plurality of pixel signals, said pixel signals being generated by a plurality of pixels according to the amounts of received light, the plurality of said pixels being arranged on said light receiving surface on said imaging device; an average calculator that calculates the signal average value, said signal average value being the average of the signal levels of said pixel signals that one frame or one field of said image signal comprises; a difference calculator that calculates a signal difference value, said signal difference value being the difference between the signal level of said pixel signal for said each pixel and the signal level of said signal average value; an emphasizer that calculates an emphasized value by multiplying said signal difference value by a predetermined gain; a synthesizer that generates an emphasized image signal, in which said pixel signal for said each pixel is replaced with the sum of said emphasized value for said each pixel and said signal average value; and an output block that outputs said emphasized image signal.