Camera status and diagnostics display system

Claim 2

System for monitoring via a selected display the status as well as malfunctions of a video camera during a setup mode, comprising: a monitor for providing a video picture corresponding to the output of the video camera during the setup mode; insert means operatively coupled to the monitor for generating an insert window anywhere within the video picture while providing horizontal addresses indicative of the display; means for supplying data indicative of the operation of the camera and of its setup status; character generating means for storing character data descriptive of the operation of the camera and of its setup status; and display control means coupled to the means for supplying data and to the character generating means for selectively addressing the character data to generate a character video signal corresponding to the display of the camera operation and status.

Claim 3

The system of claim 1 wherein the character generating means include; data memory means containing addressable selections of character and error code message data descriptive of the camera operation and status; and a character generator coupled to the data memory means for supplying display characters corresponding to the selections addressed in the data memory means in response to the display control means.

Claim 4

The system of claim 2 wherein the display control means include; control memory means containing display format data addressable by the insert means; and multiplexer means coupled to the means for supplying data for selectively determining the data memory means selections in response to the control memory means.

Claim 5

The system of claim 2 wherein the insert means include; a counter; a source of system vertical sync; vertical count logic means responsive to the system vertical sync for generating a vertical gate signal indicative of the insert window vertical start; and horizontal count logic means responsive to the system vertical sync for generating horizontal addresses indicative of the horizontal locations of the character data.

Claim 6

The system of claim 3 wherein the means for supplying data include; a source of data ready pulses; and latch means for latching the data indicative of the camera operation and of its setup status in response to the data ready pulses; wherein the multiplexer means receives the latched data in response to the control memory means.

Claim 7

The system of claim 2 including; multiple video cameras having respective camera video signals; and switch means for receiving the multiple camera video signals and for supplying one of the video signals to the monitor in response to the insert means.

Claim 8

THe system of claim 6 wherein the switch means include; a difference switch coupled to receive the camera video signals; and a video switch integral with the difference switch and coupled to the character generator for supplying the character video signal to the monitor in response to the insert means.

Claim 9

System for monitoring via a display the status of a plurality of cameras during a setup mode, comprising; means for successively selecting given cameras of the plurality, each with a respective video output signal; monitor means for forming video pictures of the selected camera's output signal; means responsive to the means for selecting, for supplying data corresponding to the identification and status of each of the cameras; and means coupled to the means for supplying for continuously superimposing on the video pictures successive displays of information which correspond to the identity and status of each camera; said means for superimposing further including; insert means for generating an insert window in the video picture; control memory means coupled to the insert means for containing addressable display format data; character generating means coupled to the control memory means and to the insert means for generating a character video signal corresonding to the display information provided by the means for supplying for each camera as controlled by the control memory means; and switch means coupled to the character generating means for inserting the respective character video signal of the selected camera within the insert window in response to the insert means.

Claim 10

System for monitoring via a display the status of a plurality of cameras during a setup mode, comprising; means for successively selecting given cameras of the plurality, each with a respective video output signal; monitor means for forming video pictures of the selected camera's output signal; means responsive to the means for selecting, for supplying data corresponding to the identification and status of each of the cameras; and means coupled to the means for supplying for continuously superimposing on the video pictures successive displays of information which correspond to the identity and status of each camera; said means for superimposing further including; insert means for generating an insert window in the video picture; control memory means coupled to the insert means for containing addressable display format data; character generating means coupled to the control memory means and to the insert means for generating a character video signal corresonding to the display information provided by the means for supplying for each camera as controlled by the control memory means; and switch means coupled to the character generating means for inserting the respective character video signal of the selected camera within the insert window in response to the insert means.

Claim 11

The system of claim 2 or 8 further including; character reverse means coupled to the character generating means for reversing the character video signal in response to the selected camera data from the means for supplying.

Claim 12

The system of claim 8 wherein the means for supplying include command latch means for latching the camera data in response the means for successively selecting the camera.

Claim 13

The system of claim 10 further including; multiplexer means coupled to the command latch means for multiplexing the latched camera data to the character generating means in response to the control memory means.

Claim 14

The system of claim 8 wherein the character generating means include; data memory means coupled to the insert means for containing addressable selections of characters and error code messages descriptive of the camera data; and a character generator responsive to the data memory means for generating the character video signal corresponding to the display information.

Claim 15

The system of claim 12 wherein; the insert means generates horizontal addresses indicative of the display format configuration superimposed on the video picture; and the data memory means selections are addressed via the horizontal addresses in response to the control memory means to generate the character video signal.

Claim 16

The system of claim 6 or 8 wherein; the camera supplies a multiplexed video signal and an electronic test pattern video signal; the switch means includes means for providing a difference video signal equal to the difference between the electronic test pattern and the multiplexed video signals; and the switch means supplies the multiplexed video or the difference video signal to the monitor.

Claim 17

The system of claim 8 wherein the insert means include; a source of system vertical sync; horizontal/vertical counter means responsive to the system vertical sync for generating horizontal addresses indicative of the insert window character format configuration; and insert logic means coupled to the horizontal/vertical counter means for initiating the start of the insert window.

Claim 18

The system of claim 15 wherein the control memory means supplies a horizontal gate signal to the insert logic means to determine the insert start, and an end insert signal to the horizontal/vertical counter means to end the insert, in response to the horizontal addresses.

Claim 21

The system of claim 17 further including; character reverse means coupled to the character generating means for reversing a given portion of the character video signal indicative of the number of the camera being setup.

Claim 22

The system of claim 17 wherein; the display format includes multiple rows of text with each row formed of a selected plurality of horizontal lines; the latch means latches data which identifies the camera, the image tube thereof, camera status and error code messages; and the character video signal from the character generating means is displayed in selected rows of the display in response to the horizontal addresses as controlled by the control memory means.

Claim 23

Method for monitoring the status of a plurality of cameras during a setup mode, comprising;

Claim 24

Method for monitoring the status of a plurality of cameras during a setup mode, comprising;

Claim 25

selecting a given camera of the plurality each with a respective video output signal; forming video pictures of the selected camera's output signal; supplying data corresponding to the identification and status of each of the cameras; storing the display information in an addressable display format; generating a character video signal corresponding to the display information in response to addressing the display format; generating an insert window in the video picture; and inserting within the insert window in the video pictures successive displays of continuous information corresponding to the respective character video signals indicative of the identity and status of each camera.

Claim 26

selecting a given camera of the plurality each with a respective video output signal; forming video pictures of the selected camera's output signal; supplying data corresponding to the identification and status of each of the cameras; storing the display information in an addressable display format; generating a character video signal corresponding to the display information in response to addressing the display format; generating an insert window in the video picture; and inserting within the insert window in the video pictures successive displays of continuous information corresponding to the respective character video signals indicative of the identity and status of each camera.

Claim 27

The method of claim 20 further including; reversing the character video signal identifying a camera number in response to detecting the camera being setup.

Claim 28

The method of claim 20 wherein the step of supplying data includes latching the camera data in a temporary storage.

Claim 29

The method of claim 20 wherein the step of supplying data includes the steps of; latching data identifying the camera; latching data identifying the extent of completion of the setup process for the respective camera; and latching data identifying any malfunctions experienced by the respective camera.

Claim 30

The method of claim 20 further including; switching between the character video signal and the video output signal of the respective camera during the course of a video picture to superimpose the display in the video picture.