EP0079195A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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System for stabilizing television picture
Assignee: CBS Broadcasting Inc
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Filing: 1982-11-03
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2002-11-03
Abstract
Abstract A television picture stabilizing system for deriving from an input video signal exhibiting unsteadiness due to having been produced by an unsteady television camera, a corrected video signal essentially free of such unsteadiness, without destroying intentional panning and tilting of the camera, in which a detector (24, 26) selects from an input video signal (10) a reference within the camera field of view, which reference but for the camera unsteadiness would normally be stationary, against which picture motion is measured. Motion of the selected reference is measured with a position counter (80) and comparator (84) which produces a correction signal (AP) representative of the measured motion. The correction signal (AP) controls the delay of a digital frame store (16), to which the input video signal is applied, eliminating the unsteadiness in the overall television picture. In a system for providing both horizontal and vertical stabilization, the reference consists of a horizontally disposed edge (40) and a vertically disposed edge and separate position counters are provided for continually measuring their motion from field to field. The reference edges are tracked by respective tracking windows (50). Preferably the tracking windows are locked onto their respective reference edges despite up and down and side-to-side movement of the reference edges. An initial horizontal position of the vertical tracking window and an initial vertical position of the horizontal tracking window are stored in digital memories (not shown), which memories are respectively responsive to measured side-to-side motion and measured up and down motion automatically to alter the horizontal position of the vertical tracking window and the vertical position of the horizontal tracking window.
Inventors
- 👤 Richard R. Green
- 👤 John E. Siau
- 👤 Henry W. Mahler
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 22:53
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N5/00; H04N5/14; H04N5/144; H04N5/145; H04N23/00; H04N23/60; H04N23/68; H04N23/681; H04N23/6811; H04N23/6815; H04N23/682; H04N23/683
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
83 words
L. A system for producing from a camera-produced input video signal (10) exhibiting unsteadiness a correction signal (AP) representative of such unsteadiness, the system comprising: means receiving the input video signal and for selecting therefrom a reference (edge 40, 130) within the camera field of view (38) which but for the unsteadiness normally would be stationary against which to measure picture motion, and means for measuring the motion of the selected reference and for producing a correction signal representative of such measured motion.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
84 words
A system according to claim 1, wherein the reference selecting means comprises means for separately selecting from the input video signal at least one of a horizontally disposed reference edge (40) and a vertically disposed reference edge (130) within the camera field of view against which to measure up and down and side-to-side motion, respectively, and wherein the measuring means comprises means for separately measuring motion of the selected one or ones of the reference edges to produce vertical or horizontal correction signals respectively.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
41 words
A system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the system further comprises: means for modifying a picture-representing video signal with the correction signal for adjusting the position of the overall picture represented by the picture-representingsignal responsively to the correction signal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
A system in accordance with claim 1 or 2, comprising means (22,16) operative responsively to the correction signal for making the necessary corrections to the overall television picture represented by the input video signal to eliminate picture unsteadiness.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
A system in accordance with claim 4, as appendant to claim 2, wherein the correction-making means is operative responsively to a selected one or ones of the correction signals.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
88 words
A system according to claim 5, wherein the correction-making means includes separate means for making vertical corrections to the television picture to eliminate up anddown motion, which means comprises: first delay means (16, Figure 1) having a controllable delay time connected to receive the input video signal and operative responsively to the vertical correction signal to vary its delay time in integral line incre-, ments in a direction and by an amount necessary to substantially eliminate up anddown motion of the horizontally disposed reference edge (4 0 ).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
37 words
A system according to claim 6, wherein the input video signal is a field-interlaced signal, and wherein the first delay means (16) is a digital store having a controllable delay time of at least one television field.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
119 words
A system according to claim 7, wherein the means for measuring the motion of the horizontally disposed reference edge comprises means for comparing the vertical position of the horizontally disposed reference edge in successive corresponding fields and producing for each such comparison a vertical correction signal indicative of the number of television lines of position change, if any; and wherein the digital store is operative responsively to the vertical correction signal to vary its delay in a direction and by an amount equal to the integral number of television lines sufficient to produce at the output of the store a vertically stabilized video signal in which the horizontal disposed reference edge is maintained at substantially the same vertical position.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
80 words
A system according to claim 6, 7, or 8, wherein the correction-making means includes means for separately making horizontal corrections to the television picture to eliminate side-to-side motion, which means comprises: second delay means (l04, Figure 5) having a controllable delay time and operative responsively to the horizontal correction signal to vary the delay thereof in system clock period increments in a direction and by an amount necessary to substantially eliminate side-to-side motion of the vertically disposed reference edge (130).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
57 words
A system according to claim 9, wherein the means for measuring motion of the vertically disposed reference edge,comprises means (144) for comparing the horizontal position of the vertically disposed reference edge in successive fields and for each comparison producing a horizontal correction signal (AP) indicative of the number of system clock intervals change of position, if any.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
38 words
A system according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the second delay means (104) receives the vertically stabilized video signal from the first delay means (16) for producing at its output a vertically and horizontally stabilized video signal.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
115 words
A system according to any of claims 5 to 11, wherein the means for selecting a reference edge comprises: means (30) for slicing the input video signal for producing signals representing a transition in contrast caused by an edge occurring within the camera field of view; means including a television monitor (38) for visually displaying the sliced video signal; means (52) for producing an electronic cursor (50) positionable (54) on the monitor by an operator to intersect an edge of interest (40) in the displayed sliced video; and means (70) operative responsively to the intersection of the cursor with a selected edge for producing transition-indicating signals for use in measuring motion of the selected edge.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
40 words
A system according to claim 12, wherein the cursor-producing means includes means for producing a first vertically disposed edge of interest, and means for producing a second horizontally disposed cursor (132) for selecting a vertically disposed reference edge of interest.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
108 words
'A system according to claim 13, wherein the means for measuring motion.of a selected horizontally disposed reference edge comprises: first counting means (80) connected to be clocked at the line rate of the input video signal, to be successively reset at the field rate of the input video signal and to be stopped by a transition-indicating signal for producing an output count (P) indicative of the position of the line containing the selected reference edge, and means (84) for comparing each such vertical position-indicating count (P) with the position-indicating count prodmced in the next previous corresponding field and for each such comparison producing a vertical correction signal (AP).
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
125 words
A system according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the means for measuring motion of a selected vertically disposed reference edge comprises: second counting means (142) connected to be clocked at a rate corresponding to the reciprocal of the picture element interval of the input video signal, to be successively reset at the line rate of the input video signal, and to be stopped by a transition-indicating signal for producing an output count indicative of the position of the selected vertically disposed reference edge along a line selected by the horizontally disposed cursor, and means (144) for comparing each such horizontally disposed position-indicating count with the position-indicating count produced in the next previous field and for each such comparison producing a horizontal correction signal (AP).
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
76 words
A system according to claim 14, wherein the means for measuring motion of a selected horizontally disposed reference edge further comprises: means (56, 55) operative responsively to the output count of the first counting means (80) and to the vertical correction signal (AP) for producing a first tracking window (3H, 7H, or 15H) which automatically locks onto and tracks the selected horizontally disposed reference edge and for predicting its position in the next succeeding corresponding field.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
77 words
A system according to claim 15, wherein the means for measuring motion of a selected vertically disposed reference edge further comprises: means (120, 119) operative responsively to the output count (P) of the second counting means (142) and to the horizontal correction signal for producing a second tracking window (9, 21 or 45 P.S.) which automatically locks onto and tracks the selected vertically disposed reference edge (130) and for predicting its position in the next succeeding field.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
82 words
A system according to claim 15 or 17, wherein the input video signal is an NTSC television signal in which the phase of the colour subcarrier has a four field sequence (Figure 7), and wherein the means for measuring motion of a selected vertically disposed reference ddge includes means for recycling the line selected by the horizontally disposed cursor in a four-field sequence for causing the colour subcarrier at the vertically disposed reference edge to have the same phase in successive fields.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
48 words
A system according to any of claims 12 to 18, wherein the input video signal is a colour television signal containing luminance and chrominance components, and wherein the slicing means includes means (LPF 28) for substantially removing the chrominance component of the input video signal prior to slicing.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
164 words
A system according to any of claims 5 to 11, wherein each measuring means comprises: first (55) and second (119) generating means for generating first and second tracking windows for respectively tracking the horizontally and vertically disposed reference edges (40, 130); first memory means (57, Figure 8) operatively associated withthefirst generator (55) for storing information representing an initial position of the first tracking window (50) horizontally along the horizontally, disposed reference edge (40) and responsively to the horizontal correction signals (ΛP, 144) altering the horizontal position of the first tracking window to follow side-to-side motion of the horizontally disposed reference edge; and second memory means (125, Figure 9) operatively associated with the second generator (119) for storing information representing an initial position of the second tracking window vertically along the vertically disposed reference edge and responsively to the vertical correction signals (AP, 22) altering the vertical position of the second tracking window to follow up and down motion of the vertically disposed reference edge.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
43 words
.21. A system according to claim 20, wherein the system further includes separate operator-controllable means (54A, 118A) for initializing the storage in the first and second memory means of information representing the initial positions of the horizontally and vertically disposed reference edges, respectively.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
49 words
A system according to claim 20 or 21, wherein the first and second memory means are digital counters in which the position-representing information is stored in the form of binary numbers, the magnitude of which is adapted to be incremented responsively to the horizontal and vertical correction signals, respectively.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
122 words
A system according to claim 20, 21 or 22, wherein the means for selecting a reference edge comprises means (30) for slicing the input video signal for producing signals representing a transition in contrast caused by an edge; means including a television monitor (38) for displaying the sliced video signal; means for producing an electronic cursor including operator-controllable means for positioning the cursor on the monitor to intersect a selected reference edge; and wherein the system further comprises means (73, 123), operative responsively to the simultaneous intersection of the initializing means, for storing in the memory means information representing the then position of the cursor as the initial position of a tracking window and for displaying the tracking window on the monitor.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
103 words
A system according to claim 23, wherein the lastmentioned means includes a gate circuit (73,123) having at least first and second inputs and an output, means (70) operative responsively to intersection of the cursor with a selected reference edge for producing and applying to a first input of the gate circuit a transition-indicating signal, and wherein the initializing means is operative to apply to a second input of the gate circuit a signal having characteristics such that when applied simultaneously with a transition-indicating signal a signal (LOAD, 59) is produced at the output of the gate circuit for-initializing storage in the memory means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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