Patent ID: 8187174

Claim:
A method for detecting a capsule camera entering into or exiting the GI tract, comprising: determining if the capsule camera has previously been determined to have already entered the GI tract; if the capsule camera has previously been determined to have already entered the GI tract, determining if a predetermined criterion is satisfied for initiating detection of whether or not the capsule camera has exited the GI tract; if the capsule camera has not previously been determined to have already entered the GI tract, or if the predetermined criterion is already satisfied: taking a first test image under the condition that an illumination system of the capsule camera is substantially disabled; taking a second test image under the same condition as the first test image; comparing selected corresponding pixel values of the first test image and the second test image to determine if a significant change in pixel values has occurred; and upon detecting the significant change in pixel values, determining if the capsule camera has entered or exited the GI tract, and performing operations appropriate to follow such determination.