Color modification apparatus for a color television system

Claim 2

An improved color television system of the type wherein an input color as viewed by a television camera is represented by a chrominance signal and a luminance signal, the chrominance signal having a phase which is a function of the hue of said input color and an amplitude which is a function of the saturation of said input color, wherein the improvement comprises: a. signal generating means for measuring the relative phase of said chrominance signal with respect to a reference signal, and for generating a digital control signal whenever the relative phase lies within a range of values corresponding to a preselected range of hues; b. gating means adapted to receive said digital control signal and to provide an output signal when said digital control signal is present; and c. attenuating means coupled to receive said output signal and said chrominance signal, said attenuating means decreasing the amplitude of said chrominance signal while maintaining the phase of said chrominance signal constant when said output signal is present.

Claim 3

The improved color television system of claim 1 further comprising delay means for receiving and delaying said chrominance signal before passage of said chrominance signal to said attenuating means.

Claim 4

The improved color television system of claim 2 wherein said preselected range of hues is the range of flesh tone hues.

Claim 5

An improved color television system of the type wherein an input color as viewed by a television camera is represented by a chrominance signal and a luminance signal, the chrominance signal having a phase which is a function of the hue of said input color and an amplitude which is a function of the saturation of said input color, wherein the improvement comprises: a. first signal generating means for measuring the relative phase of said chrominance signal with respect to a reference signal, and for generating a digital control signal whenever the relative phase lies within a range of values corresponding to a preselected range of hues; b. means for measuring the amplitude of said chrominance signal; c. second signal generating means for receiving and comparing the amplitude of said chrominance signal with the amplitude of said luminance signal and for generating a gain control signal in accordance with said comparison; d. gating means adapted to receive said digital control signal and said gain control signal, said gating means transmitting said gain control signal whenever said digital control signal is present; and e. attenuating means adapted to receive said gain control signal and said chrominance signal, said attenuating means decreasing the amplitude of said chrominance signal in accordance with said gain control signal while maintaining the phase of said chrominance signal constant.

Claim 6

An improved color television system of the type wherein an input color as viewed by a television camera is represented by a chrominance signal and a luminance signal, the chrominance signal having a phase which is a function of the hue of said input color and an amplitude which is a function of the saturation of said input color, wherein the improvement comprises: a. first signal generating means for measuring the relative phase of said chrominance signal with respect to a reference signal, and for generating a digital control signal whenever the relative phase lies within a range of values corresponding to a preselected range of hues; b. means for measuring the amplitude of said chrominance signal; c. second signal generating means for receiving and comparing the amplitude of said chrominance signal with the amplitude of said luminance signal and for generating a gain control signal in accordance with said comparison; d. gating means adapted to receive said digital control signal and said gain control signal, said gating means transmitting said gain control signal whenever said digital control signal is present; and e. attenuating means adapted to receive said gain control signal and said chrominance signal, said attenuating means decreasing the amplitude of said chrominance signal in accordance with said gain control signal while maintaining the phase of said chrominance signal constant.

Claim 7

The improved color teleVision system of claim 4 further comprising a delay means for receiving and delaying said chrominance signal before passage of said chrominance signal to said attenuating means.

Claim 8

The improved color television system of claim 5 wherein said preselected range of hues is the range of flesh tone hues.

Claim 9

An improved color television receiving system for processing a composite video signal and for controlling the color output of a display device in accordance with said video signal, said video signal having a chrominance signal component which contains input color information and a reference burst signal component, said chrominance signal having a phase which is a function of the hue of the input color and an amplitude which is a function of the saturation of the input color, said receiving system including means for recovering said chrominance signal component from said composite video signal, a source of reference signal synchronized by said reference burst signal, and means for demodulating said chrominance signal in accordance with said reference signal, wherein said improvement comprises: a. signal generating means for measuring the relative phase of said chrominance signal with respect to said reference signal and for generating a digital control signal whenever said relative phase lies within a range of values corresponding to a preselected range of hues; b. gating means adapted to receive said digital control signal and to provide an output signal when said digital control signal is present; and c. attenuating means coupled to receive said input signal and said chrominance signal, said attenuating means decreasing the amplitude of said chrominance signal while maintaining the phase of said chrominance signal constant when said output signal is present.

Claim 10

An improved color television receiving system for processing a composite video signal and for controlling the color output of a display device in accordance with said video signal, said video signal having a chrominance signal component which contains input color information and a reference burst signal component, said chrominance signal having a phase which is a function of the hue of the input color and an amplitude which is a function of the saturation of the input color, said receiving system including means for recovering said chrominance signal component from said composite video signal, a source of reference signal synchronized by said reference burst signal, and means for demodulating said chrominance signal in accordance with said reference signal, wherein said improvement comprises: a. signal generating means for measuring the relative phase of said chrominance signal with respect to said reference signal and for generating a digital control signal whenever said relative phase lies within a range of values corresponding to a preselected range of hues; b. gating means adapted to receive said digital control signal and to provide an output signal when said digital control signal is present; and c. attenuating means coupled to receive said input signal and said chrominance signal, said attenuating means decreasing the amplitude of said chrominance signal while maintaining the phase of said chrominance signal constant when said output signal is present.

Claim 11

The improved color television receiving system as defined by claim 7 further comprising a delay means for receiving and delaying said chrominance signal before passage of said chrominance signal to said attenuating means.

Claim 12

The improved color television receiving system as defined by claim 8 wherein said preselected range of hues is the range of flesh tone hues.

Claim 13

An improved color television receiving system for processing a composite video signal and for controlling the color output of a display device in accordance with said video signal, said video signal having luminance, chrominance and reference burst signal components, said chrominance signal having a phase which is a function of the hue of the input color and an amplitude which is a function of the saturation of the input color, said receiving system including means for recovering said luminance and chrominance signals from said composite video signal, a source of reference signals synchronized by said reference burst signal, and means for demodulating said chrominance signal in accordance with said reference signal, wherein said improvement comprises: a. first signal generating means, a sample of said chrominance signal and said reference signal being applied to said first signal generating means, said first signal generating means producing a digital control signal whenever the relative phase of said chrominance signal and said reference signal lies within a range of values corresponding to a preselected range of hues; b. means for measuring the amplitude of said chrominance signal; c. second signal generating means for receiving and comparing the amplitude of said chrominance signal with the amplitude of said luminance signal and for generating a gain control signal in accordance with said comparison; d. gating means adapted to receive said digital control signal and said gain control signal, said gating means transmitting said gain control signal whenever said digital control signal is present; and e. attenuating means adapted to receive said gain control signal and said chrominance signal, said attenuating means decreasing the amplitude of said chrominance signal in accordance with said gain controL signal while maintaining the phase of said chrominance signal constant.

Claim 14

An improved color television receiving system for processing a composite video signal and for controlling the color output of a display device in accordance with said video signal, said video signal having luminance, chrominance and reference burst signal components, said chrominance signal having a phase which is a function of the hue of the input color and an amplitude which is a function of the saturation of the input color, said receiving system including means for recovering said luminance and chrominance signals from said composite video signal, a source of reference signals synchronized by said reference burst signal, and means for demodulating said chrominance signal in accordance with said reference signal, wherein said improvement comprises: a. first signal generating means, a sample of said chrominance signal and said reference signal being applied to said first signal generating means, said first signal generating means producing a digital control signal whenever the relative phase of said chrominance signal and said reference signal lies within a range of values corresponding to a preselected range of hues; b. means for measuring the amplitude of said chrominance signal; c. second signal generating means for receiving and comparing the amplitude of said chrominance signal with the amplitude of said luminance signal and for generating a gain control signal in accordance with said comparison; d. gating means adapted to receive said digital control signal and said gain control signal, said gating means transmitting said gain control signal whenever said digital control signal is present; and e. attenuating means adapted to receive said gain control signal and said chrominance signal, said attenuating means decreasing the amplitude of said chrominance signal in accordance with said gain controL signal while maintaining the phase of said chrominance signal constant.

Claim 15

The improved color television receiving system as defined by claim 10 further comprising a delay means for receiving and delaying the chrominance signal before passage of said chrominance signal to said attenuating means.

Claim 16

The improved color television receiving system as defined by claim 11 wherein said preselected range of hues is a range of flesh tone hues.

Claim 17

The improved color television receiving system for processing a composite video signal and for controlling the color output of a display device in accordance with said video signal, said video signal having luminance, chrominance and reference burst signal components, said chrominance signal having a phase which is a function of the hue of the input color and an amplitude which is a function of the saturation of the input color, said receiving system including means for recovering said luminance and chrominance signals from said composite video signal, a source of reference signal synchronized by said reference burst signal, and means for demodulating said chrominance signal in accordance with said reference signal, wherein said improvement comprises: a. a phase detector for receiving a first sample of said chrominance signal and a sample of said reference signal, said phase detector generating a digital control signal whenever the relative phase of said chrominance signal with respect to said reference signal lies within a range of values corresponding to a preselected range of hues; b. an envelope detector for receiving a second sample of said chrominance signal; c. a low-pass filter for receiving a sample of said luminance signal; d. ratio detecting means for receiving the outputs of said envelope detector and said low-pass filter and for generating a gain control signal as a function of the ratio of the amplitude of said chrominance signal to the amplitude of said luminance signal; e. delay means for receiving and delaying said chrominance signal; f. means for amplifying said delaying chrominance signal; g. gating means adapted to receive said digital control signal and said gain control signal, said gating means transmitting said gain control signal whenever said digital control signal is present; and h. attenuating means adapted to receive said gain control signal and said chrominance signal, said attenuating means decreasing the amplitude of said chrominance signal in accordance with said gain control signal while maintaining the phase of said chrominance signal constant.

Claim 18

The improved color television receiving system for processing a composite video signal and for controlling the color output of a display device in accordance with said video signal, said video signal having luminance, chrominance and reference burst signal components, said chrominance signal having a phase which is a function of the hue of the input color and an amplitude which is a function of the saturation of the input color, said receiving system including means for recovering said luminance and chrominance signals from said composite video signal, a source of reference signal synchronized by said reference burst signal, and means for demodulating said chrominance signal in accordance with said reference signal, wherein said improvement comprises: a. a phase detector for receiving a first sample of said chrominance signal and a sample of said reference signal, said phase detector generating a digital control signal whenever the relative phase of said chrominance signal with respect to said reference signal lies within a range of values corresponding to a preselected range of hues; b. an envelope detector for receiving a second sample of said chrominance signal; c. a low-pass filter for receiving a sample of said luminance signal; d. ratio detecting means for receiving the outputs of said envelope detector and said low-pass filter and for generating a gain control signal as a function of the ratio of the amplitude of said chrominance signal to the amplitude of said luminance signal; e. delay means for receiving and delaying said chrominance signal; f. means for amplifying said delaying chrominance signal; g. gating means adapted to receive said digital control signal and said gain control signal, said gating means transmitting said gain control signal whenever said digital control signal is present; and h. attenuating means adapted to receive said gain control signal and said chrominance signal, said attenuating means decreasing the amplitude of said chrominance signal in accordance with said gain control signal while maintaining the phase of said chrominance signal constant.

Claim 19

The improved color television system defined by claim 13 wherein said preselected range of hues is in the range of flesh tone hues.