A continuous motion telecine apparatus and method

Claim 3

A telecine apparatus of the kind comprising a plurality of photo-sensitive devices, means for transporting a cinema film frame-by-frame with continuous motion relative to the devices, the transport means being capable of transporting films of different formats and/or at different frame rates, an optical system arranged to focus an image of a moving film on the devices, means for scanning the image of each film frame during its movement across the devices by interrogating the devices at a desired line frequency, and means for processing the scanned lines of electrical picture information so derived to provide a television signal conforming to a desired standard, the apparatus being characterised in that the plurality of devices form a two-dimensional matrix (8) having a plurality of parallel rows which are disposed substantially perpendicular to the direction of motion of the image, in that the scanning means (9) is effective in respect of each film frame to interrogate the matrix (8) at the desired line frequency along a plurality of rows thereof with the said interrogation being stepped from one row of the said plurality to the next at successive instants during the scanning, thereby to derive from substantially the entire height of each film frame or a desired part thereof a desired number of scanned lines different from the number which would be obtained if the scanning were performed along only a single row of the matrix, and in that means (12) are provided for selectively varying the number of rows interrogated in respect of each film frame image so as to accommodate different film formats and/or film frame rates.

Claim 4

A telecine apparatus of the kind comprising a plurality of photo-sensitive devices, means for transporting a cinema film frame-by-frame with continuous motion relative to the devices, the transport means being capable of transporting films of different formats and/or at different frame rates, an optical system arranged to focus an image of a moving film on the devices, means for scanning the image of each film frame during its movement across the devices by interrogating the devices at a desired line frequency, and means for processing the scanned lines of electrical picture information so derived to provide a television signal conforming to a desired standard, the apparatus being characterised in that the plurality of devices form a two-dimensional matrix (8) having a plurality of parallel rows which are disposed substantially perpendicular to the direction of motion of the image, in that the scanning means (9) is effective in respect of each film frame to interrogate the matrix (8) at the desired line frequency along a plurality of rows thereof with the said interrogation being stepped from one row of the said plurality to the next at successive instants during the scanning, thereby to derive from substantially the entire height of each film frame or a desired part thereof a desired number of scanned lines different from the number which would be obtained if the scanning were performed along only a single row of the matrix, and in that means (12) are provided for selectively varying the number of rows interrogated in respect of each film frame image so as to accommodate different film formats and/or film frame rates.

Claim 5

A telecine apparatus as claimed in claim 2, further comprising means for selecting the interrogation in respect of each film frame image to be performed along only a single row of the matrix when the current film frame rate and film format correspond to a predetermined norm.

Claim 6

A telecine apparatus as claimed in claim 2 or 3, further comprising means for selecting the stepping of the interrogation to be performed as desired in the same direction as that of the film image motion or in the opposite direction thereto.

Claim 7

A telecine apparatus as claimed in claim 2, 3 or 4, wherein the transport means is capable of holding a film stationary with a frame thereof focussed on the matrix, and wherein the apparatus further comprises means for cyclically interrogating the matrix row-by-row in order to derive a television signal corresponding to a still picture.

Claim 8

A telecine apparatus as claimed in claim 2, 3, 4 or 5, wherein the processing means includes interpolation means operative to reduce the geometric distortion introduced by the stepping from one row of the matrix to the next.

Claim 9

A telecine apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the processing means includes a sequential-to-interlaced converter.