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A control signal for selectively outputting a frame of image data can be initiated using an inspection apparatus, and an inspection apparatus can process one or more frames of image data for determining a motion parameter. Responsively to the processing, the inspection apparatus can selectively outp

A control signal for selectively outputting a frame of image data can be initiated using an inspection apparatus, and an inspection apparatus can process one or more frames of image data for determining a motion parameter. Responsively to the processing, the inspection apparatus can selectively output a frame of image data, improving the quality of a frame of image data output subsequently to an initiation of a control signal to selectively output a frame of image data.

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1. A method for operating an inspection apparatus having an elongated inspection tube and an image sensor for generating image signals, said method comprising the steps of: (a) displaying a video stream comprising successive frames of image data on a display;(b) initiating a control signal to output

1. A method for operating an inspection apparatus having an elongated inspection tube and an image sensor for generating image signals, said method comprising the steps of: (a) displaying a video stream comprising successive frames of image data on a display;(b) initiating a control signal to output a selected frame of the image data;(c) capturing a portion of the video stream, the portion comprising a plurality of the successive frames of the image data;(d) processing the image data of said plurality of successive frames and determining a motion parameter for each of said plurality of successive frames, the motion parameter having a value indicating a degree of motion;(e) subsequent to initiation of said control signal to output the selected frame and subsequent to determining the motion parameter for each of said plurality of successive frames, selecting a frame of image data from said plurality of successive frames based on the motion parameter of the selected frame of image data having a value indicating a lowest degree of motion from among the degrees of motion determined for each of the plurality of successive frames; and(f) outputting said selected frame of image data. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said processing step (d) comprises processing less than a full frame of image data. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein said control signal is a freeze frame control signal. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein said control signal is a save frame control signal. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein said outputting step includes the step of outputting a single frame. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of successive frames includes successive frames of image data captured prior to a time of initiation of said control signal. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of successive frames includes successive frames of image data captured subsequent to a time of initiation of said control signal. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein said motion parameter is a parameter classifying a frame of image data as an “in motion” frame or a “motion free” frame. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein said value is a qualitative parameter indicating the degree of motion corresponding to one of at least three different qualitative degrees of motion. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein said selected frame of image data output in step (e) is a noise reduced frame of image data provided by processing of several single frames. 11. The method of claim 1, wherein said method includes the step of applying at least one of a set of non-uniform gain parameters and a set of non-uniform offset parameters to said selected frame of image data prior to said outputting step (f), the at least one of a set of non-uniform gain parameters and a set of non-uniform offset parameters being provided for brightening darker areas of said selected frame without substantial or without any brightening of a bright spot of said selected frame of image data. 12. The method of claim 1, wherein said method includes the steps of determining regional brightness values in a frame of image data, and responsively to said determination of regional brightness values, applying a set of position dependent non-uniform gain parameters to said selected frame of image data prior to said outputting step (f). 13. The method of claim 1, wherein said outputting step includes the step of outputting a noise reduced filtered frame. 14. The method of claim 1, wherein said outputting step includes the step of outputting a noise reduced filtered frame, the noise reduced filtered frame being provided by processing of several frames. 15. The method of claim 1, wherein said processing includes processing of said plurality of successive frames to determine super frames. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein said method includes the steps of detecting brightness of incoming image data and responsively to a determination that brightness has fallen below a threshold brightness level, processing super frames in step (d) for determination of a motion parameter. 17. The method of claim 1, wherein said outputting step includes the step of repeatedly outputting a buffered frame buffered in a frame buffer to a display. 18. The method of claim 1, wherein said outputting step includes the step of outputting a buffered frame to a memory device. 19. An inspection apparatus comprising: (a) an elongated inspection tube;(b) a two dimensional image sensor comprising a plurality of pixels, the two dimensional image sensor generating image signals corresponding to light incident on said pixels;(c) wherein said inspection apparatus is configured to be capable of: (i) displaying a video stream comprising successive frames of image data on a display; (ii) responding to a user-initiated control signal to output a selected frame of the image data; (iii) capturing a portion of the video stream, the portion comprising a plurality of the successive frames of the image data; (iv) processing the image data of said plurality of successive frames and determining a motion parameter for each of said plurality of successive frames, the motion parameter having a value indicating a level of motion; (v) subsequent to initiation of said control signal to output the selected frame and subsequent to determining the motion parameter for each of said plurality of successive frames, selecting a frame of image data from said plurality of successive frames based on the motion parameter of the selected frame of image data having a value indicating a lowest level of motion from among the levels of motion determined for each of the plurality of successive frames; and (vi) outputting said selected frame of image data. 20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said control signal is a freeze frame control signal. 21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said control signal is a save frame control signal. 22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said outputting step includes the step of outputting a single frame. 23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said plurality of successive frames includes frame image data captured prior to a time of initiation of said control signal. 24. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said plurality of successive frames includes frame image data captured subsequent to a time of initiation of said control signal. 25. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said motion parameter is parameter classifying a frame of image data as a motion frame or a motion free frame. 26. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said value is a parameter indicating a qualitative level of motion corresponding to one of at least three different qualitative levels of motion. 27. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said selected frame is a noise reduced frame generated by processing multiple frames of image data. 28. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said processing comprises averaging multiple frames of image data. 29. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said apparatus in outputting said selected frame outputs a noise reduced frame provided by processing of several single frames. 30. A method for operating an inspection apparatus of the type having an elongated inspection tube and an image sensor generating image signals, said method comprising the steps of: (a) the image sensor generating a video stream comprising successive frames of image data;(b) configuring said inspection apparatus to process a plurality of the successive frames of image data to provide a noise reduced frame of image data;(c) generating a control signal to output a selected frame responsively to an action by a user to initiate said control signal;(d) capturing a portion of the video steam, the portion comprising a plurality of the successive frames of the image data;(e) processing the image data of said plurality of successive frames and determining a motion parameter for each of said plurality of successive frames, the motion parameter having a value indicating a degree of motion;(f) subsequent to the generation of said control signal to output the selected frame and subsequent to determining the motion parameter for each of said plurality of the successive frames, selecting said noise reduced frame of image data from said plurality of successive frames based on the motion parameter of the selected frame of image data having a value indicating a lowest degree of motion from among the degrees of motion determined for each of the plurality of successive frames; and(g) outputting said selected noise reduced frame of image data. 31. The method of claim 30, wherein said apparatus in executing said processing step (e) and said selecting step (f) determines whether several successive frames are motion free and outputs a said selected noise reduced frame if each of said several frames are determined to be motion free. 32. The method of claim 30, wherein said configuring step comprises the step of configuring said inspection apparatus to average at least a subset of the plurality of the successive frames of the image data to provide the noise reduced frame of image data.