US4074309A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Video effects apparatus and method
Assignee: Chroma Flex Inc
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Filing: 1976-11-12
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Granted: 1978-02-14
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Expires: 1996-11-12
Abstract
Abstract The red, green and blue video output of a camera, telecine channel or video tape recording is fed into a video effects unit including red, green and blue circuits, each of which are the same. Each of these color circuits includes an emitter follower feeding into a paraphase amplifier which produces inverted and non-inverted signals which are fed into an emitter follower arrangement, across which is coupled a potentiometer having a tap feeding into an amplitude mixer. Also feeding into the amplitude mixer are signals derived from an audio circuit, signals derived from a blanking circuit and signals derived from a luminance circuit. These four signals or selected of these signals are amplitude mixed and fed into a further emitter follower arrangement and thence to a buffer amplifier, whereat a clamping circuit exerts a clamping action based on clamping pulses generated from a synchronization or composite video signal. The method of the invention relates to producing special video effects by the use of color video signals and supplemental television signals and more precisely involves forming the video signals into inverted and non-inverted signals and selecting a level between the inverted and non-inverted signals for amplitude mixing with further signals derived from other signals incidental to the color video signals.
Inventors
- 👤 David Wynn-Smith
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 03:49
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N9/00; H04N9/64; H04N9/74; H04N9/76
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 31
Claim 1
Independent Claim
130 words
A video effects apparatus for use with a source of red, green and blue video signals and of supplemental television signals, said apparatus comprising paraphase amplifier means for receiving at least one of said video signals and deriving positive and negative signals therefrom, potentiometer means coupled to said paraphase amplifier means and including separate terminals respectively receiving said positive and negative signals and a tap adjustable between said terminals, mixing means coupled to said tap to receive a tapped signal from said paraphase amplifier means, and further means deriving a further signal from at least one of said supplemental television signals and transmitting the thusly derived further signal to said mixing means, said mixing means amplitude mixing said tapped signal and further signal to generate a video effects color signal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
130 words
A video effects apparatus for use with a source of red, green and blue video signals and of supplemental television signals, said apparatus comprising paraphase amplifier means for receiving at least one of said video signals and deriving positive and negative signals therefrom, potentiometer means coupled to said paraphase amplifier means and including separate terminals respectively receiving said positive and negative signals and a tap adjustable between said terminals, mixing means coupled to said tap to receive a tapped signal from said paraphase amplifier means, and further means deriving a further signal from at least one of said supplemental television signals and transmitting the thusly derived further signal to said mixing means, said mixing means amplitude mixing said tapped signal and further signal to generate a video effects color signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 comprising clamping pulse generating means for generating clamping pulses and clamping means responsive to said clamping pulses for clamping the video effects color signal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
50 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said clamping pulse generating means comprises receiving means for receiving pulses from said source of supplemental signals, differentiating means for differentiating said pulses to form pulses of opposite polarities, and means to pass pulses of one of said polarities to constitute clamping pulses.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
15 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said source is a source of synchronization pulses.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
36 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said source is a source of composite video signals and said receiving means includes a clipper coupled to said differentiating means for clipping pulses from said composite video signals.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
20 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 comprising manual control means for controlling the clamping of the video effects color signal.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
51 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a source of audio signals, and means to derive an audio control signal from said audio signals and apply the audio control signal to said mixing means, said mixing means further amplitude mixing the audio control signal with said tapped and further signals.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
59 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said means to derive an audio control signal comprises a transformer for receiving said audio signals, an audio amplifier coupled to said transformer to amplify audio signals received therefrom, and a splitting network for splitting the thusly amplified signal to produce three signals one of which is applied to said mixing means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
25 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 comprising further potentiometer means which couples said further means to said mixing means and controllably adjusts said further signal.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
113 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said source of supplemental signals is a source of blanking or synch signals, said further means comprising an emitter follower for receiving the latter said signals, a paraphase amplifier coupled to the emitter follower for generating positive and negative signals, emitter follower means for transmitting said positive and negative signals, a potentiometer coupled across said emitter follower means and including a tap, an amplifier coupled to said tap for amplifying the thusly tapped signal and a splitting network for receiving the amplified signal and splitting the same into signals adapted to cooperate with said video signals and one of which is transmitted to said mixing means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
24 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 comprising adjustment means between said amplifier and splitting network to adjust the magnitude of the signals passing therebetween.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
17 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 comprising a ground circuit adjustably coupled to said further potentiometer means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
21 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the splitting network includes adjustment means to adjust each of the signals formed therein.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
23 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 comprising emitter follower means between said paraphase amplifier means and said potentiometer means to isolate the same.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
34 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said further means is a source of audio signals whereby the said at least one video signal is modified by a signal derived from the audio signals.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
73 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 comprising further paraphase amplifiers for the other two video signals, further potentiometers coupled to said further paraphase amplifiers and including separate terminals coupled to said paraphase amplifiers and taps adjustable therebetween, and further mixing means coupled to the latter said taps, the said further means which derives the said further signal from said one supplemental further signal applying the thusly derived signal to said further mixing means.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
41 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 comprising emitter follower means coupled to and receiving said video effects color signal and a buffer amplifier coupled to said emitter follower means to amplify the video effects color signal to constitute an output signal.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
29 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 17 comprising between said mixing means and the latter said emitter follower means a diode and capacitor in parallel for the transmission of signals.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
102 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said source of signals is a source of non-composite video signals, comprising means to receive the non-composite video signals, clamping means to clamp the same and produce a black level, means to adjust the black level and produce an adjusted black level control signal, a paraphase amplifier to produce positive and negative black level control signals, a potentiometer across which the latter said signals are applied, and a splitting network coupled to said potentiometer for splitting the black level control signals into separate signals for respectively cooperating with the video signals in said mixing means.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
25 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 19 comprising adjustment means to receive the adjusted black level control signal and transmit the same to said paraphase amplifier.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
19 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 20 comprising an emitter follower between said paraphase amplifier and the latter said potentiometer.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
69 words
A method for providing special video effects by the use of color video signals and supplemental television signals, said method comprising forming at least one of said video signals into inverted and non-inverted signals, selecting a signal level between the inverted and non-inverted signals, and amplitude mixing the thusly selected signal with a further signal derived from at least one of said supplemental signals to produce an output signal.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
69 words
A method for providing special video effects by the use of color video signals and supplemental television signals, said method comprising forming at least one of said video signals into inverted and non-inverted signals, selecting a signal level between the inverted and non-inverted signals, and amplitude mixing the thusly selected signal with a further signal derived from at least one of said supplemental signals to produce an output signal.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the said further signal is derived from an audio signal which constitutes one of the supplemental television signals.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the said further signal is derived from a blanking signal.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the said further signal is derived from a non-composite video signal.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as claimed in claim 22 wherein the output signal is clamped with a signal derived from a synch or composite video signal.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method as claimed in claim 22 comprising adjusting said signal level for color balance.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method as claimed in claim 22 comprising adjusting said signal level to achieve special effects.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method as claimed in claim 22 comprising adjusting said signal level to convert negative stock effects to positive stock effects.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1981-02-13 | 1981-08-15 | 1982-02-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1985-02-13 | 1985-08-15 | 1986-02-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1989-02-13 | 1989-08-15 | 1990-02-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |