Generating picture effects in video signals

Claim 3

The method of claim 1, wherein said sample points corresponding to each treatment signal are symmetrically positioned in time about said reference point.

Claim 4

The method of claim 2, wherein one pair of said sample points are separated from said reference point by a separation time which is twice the separation time of the other pair of said sample points.

Claim 5

The method of claim 3, wherein the shorter of the said separation times is approximately 75 ns.

Claim 6

The method of claim 3, wherein said video signals are line sequential and the shorter of the said separation times is equal to the line time.

Claim 7

The method of claim 1, including the steps of coring said treatment signals before combining them with said video signal.

Claim 8

The method of claim 6, wherein coring is applied to a degree which is selectable.

Claim 9

The method of claim 7, wherein said degree of coring is preselected and stored in said pre-programming means, and said control signals including signals specifying said preselected degree.

Claim 10

The method of claim 1, wherein said treatment signals are combined with said video signal in a selectable sense with respect to the sense of said video signal.

Claim 11

The method of claim 9, in which signals are prerecorded in said pre-programming means to indicate the required sense of the combination, said pre-programming means supplying inversion control signals in response to said synchronising signals, and said treatment signals being combined with said video signal in a sense determined by said inversion control signals.

Claim 12

An aperture correction circuit comprising: (a) a signal input for receiving a video signal from a telecine apparatus, and a signal output for providing a treated video signal; (b) means operable to provide samples of an unmodified input at first, second, third, fourth and fifth sample points in time; (c) first combining means for combining said samples provided at said first and fifth sample points to generate a first treatment signal; (d) second combining means for combining said samples provided at said second and fourth sample points to generate a second treatment signal; (e) third combining means for combining said first and second treatment signals in selectable proportions with said sample provided at said third sample point, to generate said corrected video signal; (f) pre-programming means, said pre-programming means being operable to record proportions for use by said third combining means, said proportions being preselected for each scene, frame or frame portion of a length of film to be processed by said telecine; (g) synchronising means operable to supply synchronising signals to said pre-programming means indicating said scene, frame or frame portion being processed; said pre-programming means being operable in response to said synchronising signals to provide control signals to said third combining means, said control signals specifying said preselected proportions corresponding to said scene, frame or frame portion being processed.

Claim 13

An aperture correction circuit comprising: (a) a signal input for receiving a video signal from a telecine apparatus, and a signal output for providing a treated video signal; (b) means operable to provide samples of an unmodified input at first, second, third, fourth and fifth sample points in time; (c) first combining means for combining said samples provided at said first and fifth sample points to generate a first treatment signal; (d) second combining means for combining said samples provided at said second and fourth sample points to generate a second treatment signal; (e) third combining means for combining said first and second treatment signals in selectable proportions with said sample provided at said third sample point, to generate said corrected video signal; (f) pre-programming means, said pre-programming means being operable to record proportions for use by said third combining means, said proportions being preselected for each scene, frame or frame portion of a length of film to be processed by said telecine; (g) synchronising means operable to supply synchronising signals to said pre-programming means indicating said scene, frame or frame portion being processed; said pre-programming means being operable in response to said synchronising signals to provide control signals to said third combining means, said control signals specifying said preselected proportions corresponding to said scene, frame or frame portion being processed.

Claim 14

The circuit of claim 11, wherein said sample providing means comprises first, second, third and fourth delay circuits each having an input and an output and being operable to delay a signal received at said input and to provide said signal at said input after delay, said delay circuits being connected together in series, said input of said first delay being said signal input and said samples being provided at said delay circuit inputs and at said output of said fourth delay circuit.

Claim 15

The circuit of claim 11, wherein said third combining means comprises first and second controllable, variable attenuator means for attenuating said first and second treatment signals respectively, before said corrected video signal is generated.

Claim 16

The circuit of claim 11, wherein said third combining means comprises coring means operable to apply a coring function to said treatment signals.

Claim 17

The circuit of claim 14, wherein said coring means is controllable to apply said coring function to a selectable degree.

Claim 18

The circuit of claim 15, wherein said pre-programming means is operable to provide control signals including coring signals specifying a degree of coring which has been preselected for the scene, frame or frame portion being processed and has been recorded in said pre-programming means.

Claim 19

The circuit of claim 11, further comprising inverter means selectively actuable to invert said treatment signals with respect to said sample provided at said third sample point.

Claim 20

The circuit of claim 17, wherein said inverter means is controlled to invert or not to invert in accordance with inversion control signals provided by said pre-programming means in accordance with prerecorded signals.

Claim 21

The circuit of claim 12, wherein each delay circuit provides the same length of delay.

Claim 22

The circuit of claim 19, wherein said video signal is in line sequential form and said length is one line time.

Claim 23

The circuit of claim 20, wherein said length is substantially 75 ns.

Claim 26

The method of claim 22, including deriving said focus waveform in accordance with pre-programmed data.

Claim 27

The method of claim 23, including loading pre-programming means with said pre-programmed data relating to at least one image portion, supplying synchronising signals to said pre-programming means during operation of said telecine, to cause said pre-programming means to reproduce said preprogrammed data corresponding to the image portion being processed, and selectively increasing said spot size in accordance with said pre-programmed date.

Claim 28

The method of claim 24, wherein said synchronising signals identify the portion of said image being processed, said data being different for different image portions.

Claim 29

A flying spot telecine comprising: (a) a cathode ray tube operable to produce a scanning electron beam; (b) focussing means for controlling the size of said spot produced by said beam; (c) defocussing means operable to cause said focussing means to increase said spot size at selectable positions of said spot.

Claim 30

A flying spot telecine comprising: (a) a cathode ray tube operable to produce a scanning electron beam; (b) focussing means for controlling the size of said spot produced by said beam; (c) defocussing means operable to cause said focussing means to increase said spot size at selectable positions of said spot.

Claim 31

The telecine according to claim 26, wherein said defocussing means comprises pre-programming means for storing and reproducing data representing said selectable positions, whereby said positions may be programmed.

Claim 32

The telecine of claim 27, wherein said positions may be programmed for a plurality of film frames or scenes, said telecine further comprising identifying means for supplying signals identifying the film frame or scene being processed and said preprogramming means being responsive to said identifying signals to reproduce stored data corresponding to said identified frame or scene.

Claim 33

The telecine of claim 28, wherein said pre-programming means further supplies data identifying a preselected degree of defocussing required.

Claim 36

The method of claim 30, wherein the shape of said raster is variable to vary the shape of said non-rectangular area.

Claim 37

The method of claim 31, wherein said shapes are controlled in accordance with pre-programmed shape selections.

Claim 38

The method of claim 32, wherein said shape selections are pre-programmed for a plurality of film portions to be scanned.

Claim 39

The method of claim 33, including the steps of storing said pre-programmed selections in pre-programming, supplying to said pre-programming means synchronising signals indicating the film portion to be scanned, to cause said pre-programming means to reproduce the corresponding pre-programmed selection, and controlling the shape of said raster in accordance with said reproduced selection.

Claim 40

The method of claim 30, applied to a telecine in which the scanning of said raster is controlled by a horizontal scanning signal and a vertical scanning signal, in which one or both of the scanning signals are modulated by a modulating signal to distort said raster.

Claim 41

The method of claim 35, in which said modulating signal is said vertical scanning signal and said modulated signal modulates said horizontal scanning signal.

Claim 42

The method of claim 30 applied to a flying spot telecine having a cathode ray tube for producing a flying spot which scans a raster, including the steps of generating in the region of said cathode ray a magnetic field to distort said raster to cause said raster to scan a non-rectangular image area.

Claim 43

The method of claim 37, in which said magnetic field causes pin-cushion or barrel distortion in said raster.

Claim 44

The method of claim 37, in which a plurality of energisable magnetic coils are provided for generating said magnetic field, said coils being energised by currents which are controlled to cause said raster distortion.

Claim 45

A telecine for generating a video signal representative of an image on a transparent film portion, comprising scanning means for scanning said image with a scanning raster, said scanning means comprising distortion means which distort said scanning raster to cause a non-rectangular image portion to be scanned.

Claim 46

A telecine for generating a video signal representative of an image on a transparent film portion, comprising scanning means for scanning said image with a scanning raster, said scanning means comprising distortion means which distort said scanning raster to cause a non-rectangular image portion to be scanned.

Claim 47

The telecine of claim 40, wherein said distortion means is operable to distort said raster to a degree which is variable.

Claim 48

The telecine of claim 41, comprising control means for controlling said distortion means to distort said raster in accordance with pre-programmed shape selections.

Claim 49

The telecine of claim 42, wherein said control means comprises pre-programming means operable to store and reproduce data representing pre-programmed shape selections for a plurality of film portions to be scanned.

Claim 50

The telecine of claim 40, wherein said scanning means is operable to generate a horizontal and a vertical scanning signal for controlling said scanning raster, and said distortion means comprises modulation means for modulating one or both of said scanning signals, to distort said scanning raster.

Claim 51

The telecine of claim 44, wherein said modulation means modulates said horizontal scanning signal with said vertical scanning signal.

Claim 52

The telecine of claim 40, comprising a cathode ray tube for generating a flying spot to scan said raster, and wherein said distortion means comprises field means for generating a magnetic field in the region of the cathode ray.

Claim 53

The telecine of claim 46, wherein said field means is operable to generate a magnetic field which causes said scanned image portion to have pin-cushion or barrel distortion.

Claim 56

A raster-scanning telecine for scanning a film image to generate a video signal, comprising: (a) means for sampling said video signal at first, second, third, fourth and fifth sample points in time; (b) first combining means for combining said first and fifth samples to form a first treatment signal; (c) second combining means for combining said second and fourth samples to form a second treatment signal; (d) third combining means for combining said treatment signals in selectable proportions and applying said combined signals to said video signal at said third sample point; (e) means for distorting said raster to scan a selectable, non-rectangular portion of said image; (f) pre-programming means, said pre-programming means being operable to record proportions for use by said third combining means, said proportions being preselected for each scene, frame or frame portion of a length of film to be processed by said telecine; (g) synchronising means operable to supply synchronising signals to said pre-programming means indicating said scene, frame or frame portion being processed; said pre-programming means being operable in response to said synchronising signals to provide control signals to said third combining means, said control signals specifying said pre-selected proportions corresponding to said scene, frame or frame portion being processed.

Claim 57

A raster-scanning telecine for scanning a film image to generate a video signal, comprising: (a) means for sampling said video signal at first, second, third, fourth and fifth sample points in time; (b) first combining means for combining said first and fifth samples to form a first treatment signal; (c) second combining means for combining said second and fourth samples to form a second treatment signal; (d) third combining means for combining said treatment signals in selectable proportions and applying said combined signals to said video signal at said third sample point; (e) means for distorting said raster to scan a selectable, non-rectangular portion of said image; (f) pre-programming means, said pre-programming means being operable to record proportions for use by said third combining means, said proportions being preselected for each scene, frame or frame portion of a length of film to be processed by said telecine; (g) synchronising means operable to supply synchronising signals to said pre-programming means indicating said scene, frame or frame portion being processed; said pre-programming means being operable in response to said synchronising signals to provide control signals to said third combining means, said control signals specifying said pre-selected proportions corresponding to said scene, frame or frame portion being processed.

Claim 60

A flying spot telecine for scanning a film image to generate a video signal, comprising: (a) means for sampling said video signals at first, second, third, fourth and fifth sample points in time; (b) first combining means for combining said first and fifth samples to form a first treatment signal; (c) second combining means for combining said second and fourth samples to form a second treatment signal; (d) third combining means for combining said treatment signals in selectable proportions and applying said combined signals to said video signal at said third sample point; (e) means for enlarging said flying spot at selectable positions to defocus said image; (f) Pre-programming means, said pre-programming means being operable to record proportions for use by said third combining means, said proportions being preselected for each scene, frame or frame portion of a length of film to be processed by said telecine; (g) synchronising means operable to supply synchronising signals to said pre-programming means indicating said scene, frame or frame portion being processed; said pre-programming means being operable in response to said synchronising signals to provide control signals to said third combining means, said control signals specifying said pre-selected proportions corresponding to said scene, frame or frame portion being processed.

Claim 61

A flying spot telecine for scanning a film image to generate a video signal, comprising: (a) means for sampling said video signals at first, second, third, fourth and fifth sample points in time; (b) first combining means for combining said first and fifth samples to form a first treatment signal; (c) second combining means for combining said second and fourth samples to form a second treatment signal; (d) third combining means for combining said treatment signals in selectable proportions and applying said combined signals to said video signal at said third sample point; (e) means for enlarging said flying spot at selectable positions to defocus said image; (f) Pre-programming means, said pre-programming means being operable to record proportions for use by said third combining means, said proportions being preselected for each scene, frame or frame portion of a length of film to be processed by said telecine; (g) synchronising means operable to supply synchronising signals to said pre-programming means indicating said scene, frame or frame portion being processed; said pre-programming means being operable in response to said synchronising signals to provide control signals to said third combining means, said control signals specifying said pre-selected proportions corresponding to said scene, frame or frame portion being processed.

Claim 64

A flying spot telecine comprising: (a) means for distorting the raster scanned by said flying spot to cause said spot to scan a non-rectangular area of an image; and (b) means for increasing the size of said spot at selectable positions to deform said image at said selectable positions.

Claim 65

A flying spot telecine comprising: (a) means for distorting the raster scanned by said flying spot to cause said spot to scan a non-rectangular area of an image; and (b) means for increasing the size of said spot at selectable positions to deform said image at said selectable positions.