EP0178938A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Television apparatus and method
Assignee: New York Institute of Technology
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Filing: 1985-10-17
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2005-10-17
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus and method for generating video signals, including a high-definition component that has a reduced bandwidth, are disclosed. One form of video apparatus for generating video signals representative of images of a scene, comprises: first video imaging means (140; 521) and second video imaging means (130; 522, 523, 524); optical means (111; 512, 513, 516, 517) for directing light from the scene to the first and second video imaging means; means for scanning the first video imaging means (140; 521) at a relatively fast scan rate; and means for scanning the second video imaging means (130; 522, 523, 524) at a relatively slow scan rate. The first video imaging means may be a high-definition monochrome television camera and the second video imaging means a standard-resolution colour television camera. Alternatively, CCD camera chips (521, 522, 523, 524) may be used. One embodiment uses an optical switching system which makes efficient use of available light from a scene being imaged. Video recording techniques which save bandwidth, and a temporal filter which is tailored to the eye's temporal response are also disclosed.
Inventors
- 👤 William E. Glenn
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 16:15
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N7/00; H04N7/01; H04N7/0117; H04N7/012; H04N23/00; H04N23/80; H04N23/84; H04N5/00; H04N5/76; H04N5/765; H04N5/77; H04N5/772; H04N7/015; H04N9/00; H04N9/79; H04N9/797; H04N9/80; H04N9/86; H04N9/87; F; F02; F02B; F02B75/00; F02B75/02; F02B2075/022; F02B2075/027; H04N5/91; H04N5/92; H04N5/9201; H04N5/9205
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
85 words
Video camera apparatus for generating video signals representative of images of a scene, characterized by:- first video imaging means (140;521) and second video imaging means (130; 522, 523, 524); optical means (111, 512, 513, 516, 517) for directing light from the scene to the first and second video imaging means; means for scanning the first video imaging means (140; 521) at a relatively fast scan rate; and means for scanning the second video imaging means (130; 522, 523, 524) at a relatively slow scan rate.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
85 words
Video camera apparatus for generating video signals representative of images of a scene, characterized by:- first video imaging means (140;521) and second video imaging means (130; 522, 523, 524); optical means (111, 512, 513, 516, 517) for directing light from the scene to the first and second video imaging means; means for scanning the first video imaging means (140; 521) at a relatively fast scan rate; and means for scanning the second video imaging means (130; 522, 523, 524) at a relatively slow scan rate.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
Apparatus as defined by claim 1, wherein the optical means (111) is operative to direct substantially the same optical image to the first and second video imaging means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
40 words
Apparatus as defined by claim 1 or 2 wherein the optical means (101, Fig. 10) is operative to direct light from the scene alternately in time to the first video imaging means (140) and the second video imaging means (130).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
34 words
Apparatus as defined by claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the relatively fast scan rate is 30 frames per second, and the relatively slow scan rate is not greater than 15 frames per second.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
50 words
Apparatus as defined by any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the means (101, 102, 41, 190) for directing light is adapted to direct light to the second video imaging means (130) during periods of time which include the vertical blanking periods of the first video imaging means (140).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
32 words
Apparatus as defined by any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising means (150, 160, Fig. 1) for combining components of the outputs of the first and second video imaging means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
Apparatus as defined by any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising means for transmitting the outputs of the first and second imaging means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus as defined by any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising means (160) for recording the outputs of the first and second imaging means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
Apparatus as defined by any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second video imaging means (130) has a higher spatial resolution than the first video imaging means (140).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
36 words
Apparatus as defined by any one of the claims 1 to 9, wherein the first video imaging means (140) comprises a colour television camera and the second video imaging means (130) comprises a monochrome television camera.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
45 words
Apparatus as defined by claim 10, wherein the means for scanning the colour television camera (140) comprises means for interlace scanning the colour television camera, and wherein the means for scanning the monochrome television camera (130) comprises means for progressively scanning the monochrome television camera.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
63 words
Apparatus as defined by any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first and second video imaging means are arranged to have substantially the same image on their respective photosensitive surfaces, the image on one of the video imaging means (522) being displaced by one diagonal pixel position with respect to the image on the other of the said video imaging means (521).
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
47 words
Apparatus as defined by any one of the preceding claims, further comprising means (415) for temporally filtering the output of the first video imaging means with a temporal filter that has enhanced temporal response in the temporal frequency range in which the human eye has maximum responsiveness.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
67 words
A method for generating video signals representative of images of a scene, characterized by the steps of: directing light from the scene to first and second video imaging means (140, 130) such that they receive substantially the same optical image; scanning the first video imaging means (140) at a relatively fast scan rate; and scanning the second video imaging means (130) at a relatively slow scan rate.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
67 words
A method for generating video signals representative of images of a scene, characterized by the steps of: directing light from the scene to first and second video imaging means (140, 130) such that they receive substantially the same optical image; scanning the first video imaging means (140) at a relatively fast scan rate; and scanning the second video imaging means (130) at a relatively slow scan rate.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
133 words
A method of recording video signals representative of images of a scene, characterized by the steps of: directing light from the scene to a monochrome television camera (440) and a colour television camera (410) such that the cameras receive substantially the same optical image; scanning the monochrome television camera (440) at a relatively slow rate; scanning the colour television camera (410) at a relatively fast rate; recording a luminance component signal (YL) from the colour television camera (410) on one of the recording channels of a video recording device (455) having at least two recording channels; combining an output of the monochrome television camera (410) with colour component signals from the colour television camera to obtain a combined signal; and recording the combined signal on another channel of the video recording device (455).
Claim 18
Independent Claim
133 words
A method of recording video signals representative of images of a scene, characterized by the steps of: directing light from the scene to a monochrome television camera (440) and a colour television camera (410) such that the cameras receive substantially the same optical image; scanning the monochrome television camera (440) at a relatively slow rate; scanning the colour television camera (410) at a relatively fast rate; recording a luminance component signal (YL) from the colour television camera (410) on one of the recording channels of a video recording device (455) having at least two recording channels; combining an output of the monochrome television camera (410) with colour component signals from the colour television camera to obtain a combined signal; and recording the combined signal on another channel of the video recording device (455).
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as defined by claim 15, wherein the monochrome television camera is progressively scanned and the colour television camera is interlace-scanned.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
134 words
Video camera apparatus for generating video signals representative of images of a scene, characterized by: first, second, third and fourth video imaging devices (521, 522, 523, 524); optical means (512, 513, 516, 517) for directing light from the scene to all of the video imaging devices such that they receive substantially the same image, with the third and fourth video imaging devices (516, 517) receiving different colour components of the image, and the image of the first video imaging device (521) being displaced by one diagonal pixel position with respect to the image on the second video imaging device (522); means for scanning the first video imaging device (521) at a relatively fast scan rate; and means for scanning the second, third and fourth video imaging devices (522, 523, 524) at relatively slow rates.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
134 words
Video camera apparatus for generating video signals representative of images of a scene, characterized by: first, second, third and fourth video imaging devices (521, 522, 523, 524); optical means (512, 513, 516, 517) for directing light from the scene to all of the video imaging devices such that they receive substantially the same image, with the third and fourth video imaging devices (516, 517) receiving different colour components of the image, and the image of the first video imaging device (521) being displaced by one diagonal pixel position with respect to the image on the second video imaging device (522); means for scanning the first video imaging device (521) at a relatively fast scan rate; and means for scanning the second, third and fourth video imaging devices (522, 523, 524) at relatively slow rates.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
69 words
Apparatus as defined by claim 17, further comprising means for recording an output of the first video imaging device (521) on one channel of a video recording device (550), and means (545) for combining outputs of the second, third and fourth video imaging devices (522, 523, 524) to obtain a combined signal, and for recording the combined signal on a second channel of the said video recording device (550).
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
162 words
Apparatus for receiving frames of an input video signal and temporally processing the video signal, characterized by: at least three frame store devices (611, 612, 613, 614) connected in series; means for applying the video signal to the first frame store device (611) of the series; a combining circuit (615) having at least four weighted inputs; means for applying the outputs of the frame store devices and the input video signal to the combining circuit (615), the outputs of at least two of the frame store devices being applied with a negative weight, and the outputs of at least some of the frame store devices being applied with a positive weight; the number of frame store devices in the series and the weightings of the combining circuit being selected such that the output of the combining circuit has an increased temporal response, as compared to the input video signal, in the temporal frequency range in which the human eye has maximum responsiveness.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
162 words
Apparatus for receiving frames of an input video signal and temporally processing the video signal, characterized by: at least three frame store devices (611, 612, 613, 614) connected in series; means for applying the video signal to the first frame store device (611) of the series; a combining circuit (615) having at least four weighted inputs; means for applying the outputs of the frame store devices and the input video signal to the combining circuit (615), the outputs of at least two of the frame store devices being applied with a negative weight, and the outputs of at least some of the frame store devices being applied with a positive weight; the number of frame store devices in the series and the weightings of the combining circuit being selected such that the output of the combining circuit has an increased temporal response, as compared to the input video signal, in the temporal frequency range in which the human eye has maximum responsiveness.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
20 words
Apparatus as defined by claim 19, wherein the increased temporal response is in the frequency range around approximately 10 Hertz.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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