Control circuit for a video camera

Claim 2

A video camera comprising: pick-up means for outputting a picked-up signal corresponding to a camera picture; lens means for directing incident light in the form of the camera picture onto a light reception surface of said pick-up means and having a controllable focus; adjustable stop means for limiting the amount of said incident light; variable gain amplifier means for varying a level of said picked-up signal; signal processing means for converting an output of said variable gain amplifier means into a video signal and including means for adjusting a white balance of said video signal; and control means for controlling said focus of the lens means, said adjustable stop means, said gain of said variable gain amplifier and said means for adjusting a white balance of said video signal on the basis of said output of said variable gain amplifier.

Claim 3

A video camera as in claim 1; further comprising: analog-to-digital converter means for converting said output of said variable gain amplifier into a digital signal output.

Claim 4

A video camera as in claim 2; further comprising: means for detecting the white balance of said video signal from said digital signal output of said analog-to digital converter means; means for detecting said gain from said digital signal output of said analog-to-digital converter means; and means for detecting said focus from said digital signal output of said analog-to-digital converter means.

Claim 5

A video camera as in claim 3; in which said means for detecting the white balance includes color separation means receiving said digital signal output and separating the latter into composite and luminance signals, and integrating means for integrating said composite and luminance signals and providing integration results from which a color temperature of said image is determined by said control means.

Claim 6

A video camera as in claim 3; in which said means for detecting the gain of said variable gain amplifier means includes integrating means receiving said digital signal output and performing integrations for portions of said digital signal output corresponding to respective areas of said camera picture, whereupon, an average of the integration results is output to said control means as an indication of said gain.

Claim 7

A video camera as in claim 5; in which said areas of the camera picture include central and peripheral areas, and said integrating means weights said central area more heavily than said peripheral areas when forming said average of the integration results.

Claim 8

A video camera as in claim 3; in which said means for detecting the focus of said lens means includes band-pass filter means receiving said digital signal output and passing a high frequency signal component thereof, and integrating means for integrating said high frequency signal component and supplying the corresponding integration result to said control means as an indication of said focus.

Claim 9

A video camera as in claim 3; in which said means for detecting the white balance includes color separation means receiving said digital signal output and separating composite and luminance signals therefrom, and first integrating means for integrating said composite and luminance signals and providing corresponding integration results from which said control means determines a color temperature of said image; said means for detecting the gain of said variable gain amplifier means includes second integrating means receiving said digital signal output for integrating portions of said digital signal output corresponding to respective areas of said camera picture, and for averaging the respective integration results as an indication to said control means of said gain; and said means for detecting the focus of said lens means includes band-pass filter means receiving said digital signal output and passing a high frequency signal component, and third integrating means for integrating said high frequency signal component and supplying the corresponding integration result to said control means as an indication of said focus.

Claim 10

A video camera as in claim 8; in which said areas of the camera picture include central and peripheral areas, and said second integrating means weights said central area more heavily than said peripheral areas when forming said average of the respective integration results.

Claim 11

A video camera comprising: pick-up means for outputting a signal corresponding to a camera picture; lens means for directing incident light in the form of the camera picture onto a light reception surface of said pick-up means and having a controllable focus; adjustable stop means for limiting the amount of said incident light; variable gain amplifier means for varying a level of said signal output from the pick-up means; and control means for controlling said focus of the lens means, said adjustable stop means and a gain of said variable gain amplifier means on the basis of an output from said variable gain amplifier means.

Claim 12

A video camera comprising: pick-up means for outputting a signal corresponding to a camera picture; lens means for directing incident light in the form of the camera picture onto a light reception surface of said pick-up means and having a controllable focus; adjustable stop means for limiting the amount of said incident light; variable gain amplifier means for varying a level of said signal output from the pick-up means; and control means for controlling said focus of the lens means, said adjustable stop means and a gain of said variable gain amplifier means on the basis of an output from said variable gain amplifier means.

Claim 13

A video camera as in claim 10; further comprising: analog-to-digital converter means for converting said output from said variable gain amplifier means into a digital signal output.

Claim 14

A video camera as in claim 11; further comprising: means for detecting said gain from the digital signal output of said analog-to-digital converter means; and means for detecting said focus from the digital signal output of said analog-to-digital converter means.

Claim 15

A video camera as in claim 12; in which said means for detecting said gain includes integrating means receiving said digital signal output and performing integrations for portions of said digital signal output corresponding to respective areas of said camera picture, whereupon, an average of the integration results is output to said control means as an indication of said gain.

Claim 16

A video camera as in claim 13; in which said areas of the camera picture include central and peripheral areas, and said integrating means weights said central area more heavily than said peripheral areas when forming said average of the integration results.

Claim 17

A video camera as in claim 13; in which said means for detecting said focus includes band-pass filter means receiving said digital signal output and passing a high frequency signal component thereof, and additional integrating means for integrating said high frequency signal component and supplying the corresponding integration result to said control means as an indication of said focus.

Claim 18

A video camera comprising: pick-up means for outputting a picked-up signal corresponding to a camera picture; lens means for directing incident light in the form of the camera picture onto a light reception surface of said pick-up means and having controllable focus; variable gain amplifier means for varying a level of said picked-up signal; signal processing means for converting an output of said variable gain amplifier means into a video signal and including means for adjusting a white balance of said video signal; and control means for controlling said focus of the lens means, said gain of said variable gain amplifier and said means for adjusting a white balance of said video signal on the basis of said output of said variable gain amplifier.

Claim 19

A video camera comprising: pick-up means for outputting a picked-up signal corresponding to a camera picture; lens means for directing incident light in the form of the camera picture onto a light reception surface of said pick-up means and having controllable focus; variable gain amplifier means for varying a level of said picked-up signal; signal processing means for converting an output of said variable gain amplifier means into a video signal and including means for adjusting a white balance of said video signal; and control means for controlling said focus of the lens means, said gain of said variable gain amplifier and said means for adjusting a white balance of said video signal on the basis of said output of said variable gain amplifier.

Claim 20

A video camera as in claim 16; further comprising: analog-to-digital converter means for converting said output of said variable gain amplifier into a digital signal output.

Claim 21

A video camera as in claim 17; further comprising: means for detecting the white balance of said video signal from said digital signal output of said analog-to-digital converter means; means for detecting said gain from said digital signal output of said analog-to-digital converter means, and means for detecting said focus from said digital signal output of said analog-to-digital converter means.

Claim 22

A video camera as in claim 18; in which said means for detecting the white balance includes color separation means receiving said digital signal output and separating the latter into composite and luminance signals, and integrating means for integrating said composite and luminance signals and providing integration results from which a color temperature of said image is determined by said control means.

Claim 23

A video camera as in claim 18; in which said means for detecting the gain of said variable gain amplifier means includes integrating means receiving said digital signal output and performing integrations for portions of said digital signal output corresponding to respective areas of said camera picture, whereupon, an average of the integration results is output to said control means as an indication of said gain.

Claim 24

A video camera as in claim 20; in which said areas of the camera picture include central and peripheral areas, and said integrating means weights said central area more heavily than said peripheral areas when forming said average of the integration results.

Claim 25

A video camera as in claim 18; in which said means for detecting the focus of said lens means includes band-pass filter means receiving said digital signal output and passing a high frequency signal component thereof, and integrating means for integrating said high frequency signal component and supplying the corresponding integration result to said control means as an indication of said focus.

Claim 26

A video camera comprising: pick-up means for outputting a picked-up signal corresponding to a camera picture; lens means for directing incident light in the form of the camera picture onto a light reception surface of said pick-up means; adjustable stop means for limiting the amount of said incident light; variable gain amplifier means for varying a level of said picked-up signal; signal processing means for converting an output of said variable gain amplifier means into a video signal and including means for adjusting a white balance of said video signal; and control means for controlling said adjustable stop means, said gain of said variable gain amplifier and said means for adjusting a white balance of said video signal on the basis of said output of said variable gain amplifier.

Claim 27

A video camera comprising: pick-up means for outputting a picked-up signal corresponding to a camera picture; lens means for directing incident light in the form of the camera picture onto a light reception surface of said pick-up means; adjustable stop means for limiting the amount of said incident light; variable gain amplifier means for varying a level of said picked-up signal; signal processing means for converting an output of said variable gain amplifier means into a video signal and including means for adjusting a white balance of said video signal; and control means for controlling said adjustable stop means, said gain of said variable gain amplifier and said means for adjusting a white balance of said video signal on the basis of said output of said variable gain amplifier.

Claim 28

A video camera as in claim 23; further comprising: analog-to-digital converter means for converting said output of said variable gain amplifier into a digital signal output.

Claim 29

A video camera as in claim 24; further comprising: means for detecting the white balance of said video signal from said digital signal output of said analog-to-digital converter means; and means for detecting said gain from said digital signal output of said analog-to-digital converter means.

Claim 30

A video camera as in claim 25; in which said means for detecting the white balance includes color separation means receiving said digital signal output and separating the latter into composite and luminance signals, and integrating means for integrating said composite and luminance signals and providing integration results from which a color temperature of said image is determined by said control means.

Claim 31

A video camera as in claim 25; in which said means for detecting the gain of said variable gain amplifier means includes integrating means receiving said digital signal output and performing integrations for portions of said digital signal output corresponding to respective areas of said camera picture, whereupon, an average of the integration results is output to said control means as an indication of said gain.

Claim 32

A video camera as in claim 27; in which said areas of the camera picture include central and peripheral areas, and said integrating means weights said central area more heavily than said peripheral areas when forming said average of the integration results.