Colour television camera

Claim 2

1) A color television camera having image pickup means for outputting three prime color image pickup signals at a predetermined rate fs, said color television camera comprising analog/digital converting means for digitizing output signals from said image pickup means at a clock rate equal to said rate fs, first rate converting means for interpolating and converting output signals from said analog/digital converting means into three prime color image pickup digital signals having a rate equal to 2fs which is twice the rate fs, signal processing means supplied with output signals from said first rate converting means and adapted for forming 2fs rate digital composite video signals from the 2fs rate three prime color image pickup digital signals, a digital low-pass filter supplied with output signals from said signal processing means and adapted for limiting the pass band of said 2fs rate digital composite video signals to about less than fs/2, and second rate converting means supplied with output signals from said signal processing means and adapted for converting the rate of the pass band limited 2fs rate digital composite video signals to fs.

Claim 3

The color television camera according to claim 1 wherein said image pickup means comprises a first solid-state image pickup element for imaging a green image, a second solid-state image pickup element for imaging a red image and a third solid-­state image pickup element for imaging a blue image, wherein said first solid-state image pickup element is offset from said second and third solid-state image pickup elements by one half the repetitive pixel pitch.

Claim 4

The color television camera according to claim 1 or 2 further comprising digital/analog converter means supplied with an output signal of said signal processing means and adapted for converting the 2fs rate digital composite video signal into an analog form for outputting an analog composite video signal.

Claim 5

A color television camera having image pickup means for outputting three prime color image pickup signals at a predetermined rate fs, said color television camera comprising a camera part, said camera part including analog/digital converting means for digitizing output signals from said image pickup means at a clock rate equal to said rate fs, first rate converting means for interpolating and converting output signals from said analog/digital converting means into three prime color digital image pickup signals having a rate equal to 2fs which is twice the rate fs, and signal processing means supplied with output signals from said first rate converting means and adapted for forming 2fs rate digital composite video signals from the 2fs rate three prime color image pickup digital signals, said color television camera also comprising an adapter part detachably mounted on said camera part, said adapter part including a digital low-pass filter supplied with output signals from said signal processing means and adapted for limiting the pass band of said 2fs rate digital composite video signals to about less than fs/2, and second rate converting means supplied with output signals from said signal processing means and adapted for converting the rate of the pass band limited 2fs rate digital composite video signals to fs.

Claim 6

A color television camera having image pickup means for outputting three prime color image pickup signals at a predetermined rate fs, said color television camera comprising a camera part, said camera part including analog/digital converting means for digitizing output signals from said image pickup means at a clock rate equal to said rate fs, first rate converting means for interpolating and converting output signals from said analog/digital converting means into three prime color digital image pickup signals having a rate equal to 2fs which is twice the rate fs, and signal processing means supplied with output signals from said first rate converting means and adapted for forming 2fs rate digital composite video signals from the 2fs rate three prime color image pickup digital signals, said color television camera also comprising an adapter part detachably mounted on said camera part, said adapter part including a digital low-pass filter supplied with output signals from said signal processing means and adapted for limiting the pass band of said 2fs rate digital composite video signals to about less than fs/2, and second rate converting means supplied with output signals from said signal processing means and adapted for converting the rate of the pass band limited 2fs rate digital composite video signals to fs.

Claim 7

The color television camera according to any one of the preceding claims further comprising image enhancement means supplied with output signals from said analog/digital converting means and output signals from said first rate converting means and adapted for performing image enhancement of the three prime color digital image pickup signals.

Claim 8

The color television camera according to any one of the preceding claims further comprising gamma correcting means supplied with the output signal of said first rate converting means and adapted for performing gamma correction of the three prime color digital image pickup signals.

Claim 9

The color television camera according to any one of the preceding claims further comprising digital/analog converting means supplied with the output signals of said first rate converting means and adapted for converting the 2fs rate three prime color digital image pickup signals into analog signals.

Claim 10

The color television camera according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said signal processing means generate fs rate digital color difference signals from said 2fs rate three prime color digital image pickup signals.

Claim 11

The color television camera according to claim 8 further comprising digital/analog converting means for converting the output fs rate digital color difference signals from said signal processing means into analog signals.

Claim 12

The color television camera according to claim 1 further comprising a microphone for transducing audio signals second analog/digital converting means for converting output signals from said microphone into digital voice signals, and multiplexor means supplied with output signals from said second rate converting means and said second analog/digital converting means and adapted for one of the supplied signals.

Claim 13

A color television camera having image pickup means for outputting three prime color image pickup signals at a predetermined rate fs, said color television camera comprising analog/digital converting means for digitizing output signals from said image pickup means at a clock rate equal to said rate fs, first rate converting means for interpolating and converting output signals from said analog/digital converting means into three prime color digital image pickup signals having a rate equal to 2fs which is twice the rate fs, signal processing means supplied with output signals from said first rate converting means and adapted for forming 2fs rate digital composite video signals, fs rate digital color difference signals and 2fs rate digital luminance signals, a digital low-pass filter supplied with an output signals of said digital low-pass filter and adapted for limiting the frequency range of said 2fs rate digital composite video signals to less than about fs/2, second rate converting means supplied with an output signal of said digital low-pass filter and adapted for converting the rate of the band pass limited 2fs rate digital composite video signals into fs, first digital/analog converting means supplied with the output signal of said signal processing means and adapted for converting the 2fs rate digital composite video signals into an analog form for outputting an analog composite video signal, second digital/analog converting means supplied with an output signal from said first converting means and adapted for converting the 2fs rate three prime color digital image pickup signals into an analog signal, third digital/analog converting means for the fs rate digital color difference signal outputted from said signal processing means into an analog signal, and fourth digital/analog converting means for converting the 2fs rate digital luminance output signal from said signal processing means into an analog signal.

Claim 14

A color television camera having image pickup means for outputting three prime color image pickup signals at a predetermined rate fs, said color television camera comprising analog/digital converting means for digitizing output signals from said image pickup means at a clock rate equal to said rate fs, first rate converting means for interpolating and converting output signals from said analog/digital converting means into three prime color digital image pickup signals having a rate equal to 2fs which is twice the rate fs, signal processing means supplied with output signals from said first rate converting means and adapted for forming 2fs rate digital composite video signals, fs rate digital color difference signals and 2fs rate digital luminance signals, a digital low-pass filter supplied with an output signals of said digital low-pass filter and adapted for limiting the frequency range of said 2fs rate digital composite video signals to less than about fs/2, second rate converting means supplied with an output signal of said digital low-pass filter and adapted for converting the rate of the band pass limited 2fs rate digital composite video signals into fs, first digital/analog converting means supplied with the output signal of said signal processing means and adapted for converting the 2fs rate digital composite video signals into an analog form for outputting an analog composite video signal, second digital/analog converting means supplied with an output signal from said first converting means and adapted for converting the 2fs rate three prime color digital image pickup signals into an analog signal, third digital/analog converting means for the fs rate digital color difference signal outputted from said signal processing means into an analog signal, and fourth digital/analog converting means for converting the 2fs rate digital luminance output signal from said signal processing means into an analog signal.

Claim 15

A color television camera having image pickup means for outputting three prime color image pickup signals at a predetermined rate fs, said color television camera comprising analog/digital converting means for digitizing output signals from said image pickup means at a clock rate equal to said rate fs, first rate converting means for interpolating and converting output signals from said analog/digital converting means into three prime color digital image pickup signals having a rate equal to 2fs which is twice the rate fs, luminance signal forming means supplied with an output signal of said first rate converting means and adapted for forming a 2fs rate digital luminance signal from the 2fs rate three prime color digital image pickup signal, color difference signal forming means supplied with the output signal of said rate converting means and adapted for forming fs rate digital color difference signal from said 2fs rate digital three prime color image pickup signals, modulating means supplied with output signals from said color difference signal forming means and adapted for modulating said fs rate digital color difference signals, second rate converting means for converting said digital color difference signals modulated by said modulating means into 2fs rate modulated digital color difference signals, composite video signal forming means for forming a 2fs rate digital composite video signal from said 2fs rate digital luminance signal outputted from said luminance signal forming means and from said 2fs rate digital composite video signal from said 2fs rate modulated digital color difference signals, digital/analog converting means for converting an output signal from said composite video signal forming means into an analog form, and a low-pass filter supplied with the output signal from said digital analog converting means and adapted to pass a signal component of a frequency lower than said frequency fs.

Claim 16

A color television camera having image pickup means for outputting three prime color image pickup signals at a predetermined rate fs, said color television camera comprising analog/digital converting means for digitizing output signals from said image pickup means at a clock rate equal to said rate fs, first rate converting means for interpolating and converting output signals from said analog/digital converting means into three prime color digital image pickup signals having a rate equal to 2fs which is twice the rate fs, luminance signal forming means supplied with an output signal of said first rate converting means and adapted for forming a 2fs rate digital luminance signal from the 2fs rate three prime color digital image pickup signal, color difference signal forming means supplied with the output signal of said rate converting means and adapted for forming fs rate digital color difference signal from said 2fs rate digital three prime color image pickup signals, modulating means supplied with output signals from said color difference signal forming means and adapted for modulating said fs rate digital color difference signals, second rate converting means for converting said digital color difference signals modulated by said modulating means into 2fs rate modulated digital color difference signals, composite video signal forming means for forming a 2fs rate digital composite video signal from said 2fs rate digital luminance signal outputted from said luminance signal forming means and from said 2fs rate digital composite video signal from said 2fs rate modulated digital color difference signals, digital/analog converting means for converting an output signal from said composite video signal forming means into an analog form, and a low-pass filter supplied with the output signal from said digital analog converting means and adapted to pass a signal component of a frequency lower than said frequency fs.

Claim 17

The color television camera according to claim 12 wherein said color difference signal forming means samples down the 2fs rate three prime color digital image pickup signals outputted from said first rate converting means to the fs rate by means of a pre-filter having a zero point at least the frequency fs for forming the fs rate digital color difference signal.

Claim 18

The color television camera according to claim 12 or 13 wherein said second rate converting means is constituted by a digital filter allowing to pass an fsc component and inhibiting the fs-­fsc component of the color subcarrier frequency.

Claim 19

The color television camera according to claim 12 or 13 wherein said second rate converting means is constituted by a digital filter having a nearly zero differential coefficient at the color subcarrier frequency fsc and having at least one zero point in the vicinity of the fs-fsc frequency.

Claim 20

The color television camera according to any one of claims 12 to 15 wherein said image pickup means include a first solid-state image pickup element for imaging a green image, a second solid-state image pickup element for imaging a red image and a third solid-state image pickup element for imaging a blue image, said first solid-­state image pickup element being offset relative to said second and third solid-state image pick-up elements by an amount equal to one half the pixel pitch.