Image transfer arrangement and method for image transfer
An image transfer arrangement ( 1 ) for the wireless transfer of image information items between a transmitter ( 4 ) and a receiver ( 8 ), wherein at least two communication channels ( 11 ) which are physically independent of one another are formed between the transmitter ( 4 ) and the receiver ( 8 ) and enable impairment and interference-free communication.
1. An endoscope system, comprising:
an image transfer arrangement ( 1 ) for the wireless transfer of image information items, the image transfer arrangement having a device ( 2 ) including at least one transmitter ( 4 ) arranged in an endoscope, wherein each said transmitter ( 4 ) comprises at least two mutually independent transmitting devices ( 6 ) that are integrated into a housing ( 5 ) of the device ( 2 ),
at least one receiver ( 8 ), wherein each said receiver ( 8 ) comprises two receiving components ( 10 ), and
the at least two transmitting devices ( 6 ) and the two receiving components being configured for communication over at least two wireless communication channels ( 11 ) that are independent of one another for each said transmitter and each said receiver, wherein the image transfer arrangement is configured to transmit data asynchronously via the at least two wireless communication channels, and wherein one of the wireless communication channels ( 11 ) is configured as bidirectional and another one of the wireless communication channels ( 11 ) is configured as unidirectional.
2. The endoscope system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising at least one of: the device being an image recording device ( 2 ) with at least one image sensor ( 3 ) that is connected or connectable to the transmitter ( 4 ), an image display device ( 7 ) that is connected or connectable to the receiver ( 8 ), or an additional image output device on the transmitter.
3. The endoscope system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of: (a) one of the communication channels ( 11 ) is configured for transferring control at least one of commands or measurement data, or (b) at least one of the communication channels ( 11 ) is configured as an image channel.
4. The endoscope system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the transmitter ( 4 ) or the receiver ( 8 ) for each of the physical communication channels ( 11 ) in each case has at least one of an individual interface component ( 6 , 10 ) or an individual address.
5. The endoscope system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the communication channels ( 11 ) are configured as at least one of a radio link or optical connection.
6. The endoscope system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a preprocessor configured for delay-free image processing is disposed upstream of the transmitter ( 4 ).
7. The endoscope system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the transmitter ( 4 ) has at least one of a data or signal distributor, a multiplexer that feeds the at least two communication channels ( 11 ) with the at least one of data or signals, or an image divider that distributes image information items between the communication channels ( 11 ).
8. The endoscope system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a marking device comprising a processor disposed upstream of the transmitter ( 4 ) and being configured to add a respective identification information item ( 23 ) to image information items communicated via the at least two communication channels ( 11 ), said respective identification information item ( 23 ) is adapted to allow for combining the transferred image information items at the receiver.
9. The endoscope system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising the device being an image recording device ( 2 ), and a memory ( 13 ) configured to store image information items that are present in the image recording device ( 2 ).
10. The endoscope system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each said communication channel ( 11 ) is feedable with data in a targeted manner.
11. An endoscope system, comprising:
an image recording device ( 2 ) having at least one image sensor ( 3 ) in an endoscope head of an endoscope, and
at least one transmitter ( 4 ) arranged in the endoscope and connected to the at least one image sensor and configured to asynchronously transmit image signals with at least two communication channels ( 11 ),
wherein each said transmitter ( 4 ) comprises at least two mutually independent transmitting devices ( 6 ),
at least one receiver ( 8 ), wherein each said receiver ( 8 ) comprises two receiving components ( 10 ), and
the at least two transmitting devices ( 6 ) and the two receiving components being configured for communication over the at least two wireless communication channels ( 11 ) that are independent of one another for each said transmitter and each said receiver to transmit the image signals asynchronously via the at least two wireless communication channels, wherein one of the wireless communication channels ( 11 ) is configured as bidirectional and another one of the wireless communication channels ( 11 ) is configured as unidirectional.
12. The endoscope system ( 14 ) as claimed in claim 11 , further comprising at least one image display device ( 7 ), including:
a receiver ( 8 ) with at least two communication channels ( 11 ) configured to receive the image signals, and
a display screen ( 9 ) connected to the receiver ( 8 ).
13. A method for transferring image information items between a transmitter ( 4 ) and a receiver ( 8 ) in an endoscope system, the method comprising:
providing an image transfer arrangement ( 1 ) including a device ( 2 ) with at least one transmitter ( 4 ) arranged in an endoscope, wherein each said transmitter ( 4 ) comprises at least two mutually independent transmitting devices ( 6 ) that are integrated into a housing ( 5 ) of the device ( 2 ), at least one receiver ( 8 ), wherein each said receiver ( 8 ) comprises two receiving components ( 10 ), and the at least two transmitting devices ( 6 ) and the two receiving components being configured for communication over at least two wireless communication channels ( 11 ) that are independent of one another;
dividing an original total image into the image information items; and
asynchronously transferring the image information items over the at least two independent communication channels ( 11 ) between each said transmitter and each said receiver, wherein one of the wireless communication channels ( 11 ) is configured as bidirectional and another one of the wireless communication channels ( 11 ) is configured as unidirectional.
14. The method as claimed in claim 13 , further comprising:
encoding an identification information item ( 23 ) in each of the image information items that are transferred over the communication channels ( 11 ), and
forming a reconstruction of the original total image from the image information items using the encoding at a receiver end.
15. The method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the total image is divided between the at least two communication channels ( 11 ).
16. The method as claimed in claim 15 , further comprising:
if an image information item is missing in the reconstruction, omitting associated image information items that produce the reconstruction of the total image altogether, and presenting a previously reconstructed total instead.
17. The method as claimed in claim 13 , further comprising:
using one of the at least two communication channels ( 11 ) for transferring at least one of control commands or measurement data.