← Back to Patent Explorer
US5412487A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Video camera and apparatus for extracting an object

Assignee: Hitachi Ltd
•
Filing: 1993-11-30
•
Granted: 1995-05-02
•
Expires: 2013-11-30
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract A video camera and apparatus for extracting an object from a video signal. The video camera and the extracting apparatus include units for setting a plurality of different parameters for distinguishing a plurality of areas in an input video signal according to the plurality of different set parameters, a unit for determining an extracting area in accordance with the plurality of areas distinguished by the setting units, and an extracting unit for generating extracting information for the extracting area for the video signal. The video camera includes a unit for controlling an operation of the video camera in accordance with the extracted information. Alternatively or additionally, the video camera includes a unit for indicating an area of a portion of an object viewed by a camera operator, a unit for sampling the video signal in the region of the indicated area, a unit for setting at least one parameter of the portion of the object in accordance with the sampled video signal, and an extracting unit for extracting at least the portion of the object in accordance with the set parameter. The video camera further includes a control unit for controlling an operation of the video camera in accordance with the extracted portion of the object.

Inventors

  • 👤 Ryuji Nishimura
  • 👤 Mayuko Yamamoto
  • 👤 Takuya Imaide

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 13:32
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N23/00; H04N23/60; H04N23/63; H04N23/633; H04N23/635; H04N23/70; H04N23/749; H04N23/80; H04N23/84; H04N23/88; H04N23/67

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 35
Claim 1
Independent Claim 116 words
A video camera for automatically controlling an operation of the video camera and for generating a video signal utilizing imaging means, comprising: means for indicating an area of a specific portion of an object viewed by a camera operator; means for sampling the video signal in the region of the indicated area; means for setting at least one parameter of the specific portion of the object in accordance with the sampled video signal; means for extracting at least the specific portion of the object from the video signal in accordance the set parameter; and means for controlling the operation of the video camera in accordance with the extracted portion of the object of the video signal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 116 words
A video camera for automatically controlling an operation of the video camera and for generating a video signal utilizing imaging means, comprising: means for indicating an area of a specific portion of an object viewed by a camera operator; means for sampling the video signal in the region of the indicated area; means for setting at least one parameter of the specific portion of the object in accordance with the sampled video signal; means for extracting at least the specific portion of the object from the video signal in accordance the set parameter; and means for controlling the operation of the video camera in accordance with the extracted portion of the object of the video signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 56 words
A video camera according to claim 1, wherein the indicating means includes a marker generator for displaying a marker in a view finder of the video camera, and the sampling means effects sampling of the video signal in the region of the indicated area in which the marker is located as displayed in the view finder.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 30 words
A video camera according to claim 1, wherein the controlling means controls focusing of the video camera in accordance with the extracted portion of the object of the video signal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 30 words
A video camera according to claim 1, wherein the controlling means controls exposure for the video camera in accordance with the extracted portion of the object of the video signal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 28 words
A video camera according to claim 1, further comprising means for enabling electric zooming of at least the extracted specific portion of the object of the video signal.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 79 words
A video camera according to claim 1, wherein the setting means includes a plurality of different parameter setting means for setting different parameters for distinguishing a plurality of areas of the video signal in accordance with the plurality of different set parameters, the extracting means including means for determining the object to be extracted in accordance with a combination of outputs of the plurality of different parameter setting means corresponding to the plurality of areas of the video signal.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 69 words
A video camera according to claim 6, wherein the different parameter setting means includes a plurality of binarization means for generating respective binary signals indicating a plurality of different areas of the object of the video signal, and the extracting means includes means for generating a key signal in accordance with outputs of the binarization means in accordance with the set parameters for indicating the object to be extracted.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 48 words
A video camera according to claim 6, wherein the extracting means includes a plurality of signal processing means for applying different signal processing to the video signal, and selecting means for selecting the processed signals as an output video signal in accordance with the object to be extracted.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 53 words
A video camera according to claim 6, wherein the extracting means includes signal processing means for applying predetermined signal processing to the video signal, and the extracting means includes means for outputting the processed signal in accordance with one of the object to be extracted and other than the object to be extracted.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 25 words
A video camera according to claim 9, wherein the extracting means applies no signal processing to the video signal for the object to be extracted.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 21 words
A video camera according to claim 10, wherein the signal processing means provides an external video signal as the processed signal.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 34 words
A video camera according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of means for setting different parameters set parameters representing a combination of ranges of chrominance and luminance for different areas of the video signal.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 105 words
A video camera for automatically controlling an operation of the video camera and for generating a video signal utilizing imaging means, comprising: means for setting a plurality of different parameters for distinguishing a plurality of areas in an input video signal provided by the imaging means according to the plurality of different set parameters; means for determining an extracting area including at least one of the plurality of areas distinguished by the setting means; extracting means for generating extracting information for the extracting area for the video signal; and controlling means for controlling an operation of the video camera in accordance with the extracting information.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 105 words
A video camera for automatically controlling an operation of the video camera and for generating a video signal utilizing imaging means, comprising: means for setting a plurality of different parameters for distinguishing a plurality of areas in an input video signal provided by the imaging means according to the plurality of different set parameters; means for determining an extracting area including at least one of the plurality of areas distinguished by the setting means; extracting means for generating extracting information for the extracting area for the video signal; and controlling means for controlling an operation of the video camera in accordance with the extracting information.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 25 words
A video camera according to claim 13, wherein the controlling means controls a focusing operation of the video camera in accordance with the extracting information.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 25 words
A video camera according to claim 13, wherein the controlling means controls an exposure operation for the video camera in accordance with the extracting information.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 24 words
A video camera according to claim 13, further comprising means for enabling electric zooming of the extracting area in accordance with the extracting information.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 44 words
A video camera according to claim 13, further comprising replacement means for replacing a portion of the video signal in accordance with a predetermined signal based on one of the extracting area and other than the extracting area in accordance with the extracting information.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 44 words
A video camera according to claim 17, wherein the replacement means includes a plurality of signal processing means for applying predetermined signal processing to the video signal, and selector means for selecting an output signal from the processed video signal as the predetermined signal.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 33 words
A video camera according to claim 13, wherein the means for setting a plurality of different parameters set different combinations of ranges of chrominance and luminance for different areas of the video signal.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 55 words
A video camera according to claim 13, wherein the means for setting a plurality of different parameters include a plurality of binarization means for generating respective binary signals for indicating said plurality of different areas, and the extracting means generates extracting information in accordance with a plurality of outputs of the plurality of binarization means.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 50 words
A video camera according to claim 13, further comprising means for indicating at least a portion of an extracting area by a video camera operator, means for sampling the input video signal in the region of the indicated area, and means for enabling extraction in accordance with the sampled signal.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 50 words
A video camera according to claim 21, wherein the indicating means includes a marker generator for displaying a marker in a view finder of the video camera, and the sampling means samples the video signal in the region in which the marker is located as displayed on the view finder.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 87 words
A video signal processing apparatus enabling extraction of an image of an object from an input video signal, comprising: means for setting a plurality of different parameters for distinguishing a plurality of different areas in the input video signal according to the plurality of different set parameters; means for determining an extracting area including at least one of the plurality of areas distinguished by the setting means; and means for extracting an image of the object of the input video signal according to the determined extracting areas.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 87 words
A video signal processing apparatus enabling extraction of an image of an object from an input video signal, comprising: means for setting a plurality of different parameters for distinguishing a plurality of different areas in the input video signal according to the plurality of different set parameters; means for determining an extracting area including at least one of the plurality of areas distinguished by the setting means; and means for extracting an image of the object of the input video signal according to the determined extracting areas.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 71 words
A video signal processing apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the setting means includes a plurality of binarization means for generating respective binary signals indicating a plurality of different areas of the object of the video signal, the determining means including means for generating a key signal in accordance with outputs of the binarization means in accordance with the set parameters for indicating the image of the object to be extracted.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim 49 words
A video signal apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the extracting means includes a plurality of signal processing means for applying different signal processing to the video signal, and selecting means for selecting the processed signals as an output video signal in accordance with the object to be extracted.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim 55 words
A video signal processing apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the extracting means includes signal processing means for applying predetermined signal processing to the video signal, and the extracting means includes means for outputting the processed signal in accordance with one of the object to be extracted and other than the object to be extracted.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim 27 words
A video signal processing apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the extracting means applies no signal processing to the video signal for the object to be extracted.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim 23 words
A video signal processing apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the signal processing means provides an external video signal as the processed signal.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim 36 words
A video signal processing apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the plurality of means for setting different parameters set parameters representing a combination of ranges of chrominance and luminance for different areas of the video signal.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim 53 words
A video signal processing apparatus according to claim 23, further comprising means for indicating an area of a specific portion of an object viewed by a camera operator, and means for sampling the input video signal in the region of the indicated area, the set parameters being set according to the sampled signal.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim 41 words
A video signal processing apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the video signal processing apparatus forms a part of a video camera having imaging means for generating the input video signal, the video signal processing apparatus providing an output video signal.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim 47 words
A video signal processing apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the video signal processing apparatus is part of a video tape recorder providing the input video signal, the video signal processing apparatus providing an output video signal from the input video signal reproduced from a magnetic tape.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4535364A Cited
US4403256A Cited
US4701782A Cited
US4871906A Cited
US4829382A Cited
US4965678A Cited
US4794459A Cited
US4789898A Cited
US5063606A Cited
JPH02214272A Cited
JPH0319476A Cited
JPH043155A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1998-05-01 1998-10-31 1999-05-02 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2002-05-01 2002-10-31 2003-05-02 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2006-05-01 2006-10-31 2007-05-02 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag