Video filming method and apparatus

Claim 3

A method according to claim 1, comprising accounting for variations in colour and/or brightness between different areas of the video image by selecting an area and applying said processing to the selected area.

Claim 4

A video apparatus comprising: a video camera having an imaging device for producing video image data representing a moving video image; means for enabling an operator to designate a selected area of the moving video image, a first correction factor for adjusting the brightness and/or color of the selected area, and a second correction factor for adjusting the brightness and/or color of the selected area, and including means for searching for brightness and/or color transitions in the vicinity of a boundary of the selected area by analyzing video image data output from the imaging device and means for redefining the selected area as being bounded by the transitions; processing means for adjusting the brightness and/or color of the selected area according to said first correction factor when said selected area is at a first position within said moving image, according to said second correction factor when said selected area is at a second position within said moving image, and according to a third correction factor when said selected area is at a position other than said first position or said second position, said third correction factor being generated by interpolation based on said first correction factor and said second correction factor, such that said first, second and third correction factors depend on the position of said selected area within said image; and a video amplifier and processor connected to the output of the processing means.

Claim 5

A video apparatus comprising: a video camera having an imaging device for producing video image data representing a moving video image; means for enabling an operator to designate a selected area of the moving video image, a first correction factor for adjusting the brightness and/or color of the selected area, and a second correction factor for adjusting the brightness and/or color of the selected area, and including means for searching for brightness and/or color transitions in the vicinity of a boundary of the selected area by analyzing video image data output from the imaging device and means for redefining the selected area as being bounded by the transitions; processing means for adjusting the brightness and/or color of the selected area according to said first correction factor when said selected area is at a first position within said moving image, according to said second correction factor when said selected area is at a second position within said moving image, and according to a third correction factor when said selected area is at a position other than said first position or said second position, said third correction factor being generated by interpolation based on said first correction factor and said second correction factor, such that said first, second and third correction factors depend on the position of said selected area within said image; and a video amplifier and processor connected to the output of the processing means.

Claim 6

An apparatus according to claim 3 further comprising a display device for displaying video image data output by the video amplifier and processor, the selection means being arranged to enable an operator to select an area of the video image by indicating the area on the display device.

Claim 7

An apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the selection means comprises at least one of a plurality of keys, a joystick, and a pointing device such as a track ball or mouse for controlling an on-screen-cursor displayed on the display device.

Claim 8

An apparatus according to claim 3 further comprising means for measuring the brightness and/or colour temperature of the selected areas.

Claim 9

An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the processing means is operative to calculate, in response to the entered information for each respective selected area, correction parameters for adjusting the brightness and/or colour of pixels in the respective selected area.

Claim 10

An apparatus according to claim 7 further comprising a memory for storing the correction parameters of respective selected areas.

Claim 11

An apparatus according to claim 3 further comprising movement detection means for detecting movement of selected areas between successive frames.

Claim 12

A video camera device for use with a video camera, having an imaging device for producing video image data representing a moving video image and having a video amplifier and processor, the video camera device being capable of insertion into the camera and being arranged for connection to the output of the imaging device and the input of the video amplifier and processor, the video camera device comprising: means for selecting an area of the moving video image for processing and for specifying a first correction factor and a second correction factor; means for searching for brightness and/or color transitions in the vicinity of a boundary of the selected area by analyzing video image data output from the imaging device; means for redefining the selected area as being bounded by the transitions; and processing means for adjusting the brightness and/or color of the redefined selected area according to said first correction factor when said selected area is at a first position within said moving image, according to said second correction factor when said selected area is at a second position within said moving image, and according to a third correction factor when said selected area is at a position other than said first position or said second position, said third correction factor being generated by interpolation based on said first correction factor and said second correction factor, such that said first, second and third correction factors depend on the position of said selected area within said image.

Claim 13

A video camera device for use with a video camera, having an imaging device for producing video image data representing a moving video image and having a video amplifier and processor, the video camera device being capable of insertion into the camera and being arranged for connection to the output of the imaging device and the input of the video amplifier and processor, the video camera device comprising: means for selecting an area of the moving video image for processing and for specifying a first correction factor and a second correction factor; means for searching for brightness and/or color transitions in the vicinity of a boundary of the selected area by analyzing video image data output from the imaging device; means for redefining the selected area as being bounded by the transitions; and processing means for adjusting the brightness and/or color of the redefined selected area according to said first correction factor when said selected area is at a first position within said moving image, according to said second correction factor when said selected area is at a second position within said moving image, and according to a third correction factor when said selected area is at a position other than said first position or said second position, said third correction factor being generated by interpolation based on said first correction factor and said second correction factor, such that said first, second and third correction factors depend on the position of said selected area within said image.

Claim 14

A video apparatus comprising: a video camera with an imaging device for producing moving video image data and a video amplifier and processor; means for selecting an area of a video image; means for searching for brightness and/or color transitions in the vicinity of a boundary of the selected area by analyzing video image data output from the imaging device; means for redefining the selected area as being bounded by the transitions; means for specifying a first correction factor for adjusting the brightness and/or color of the selected area and a second correction factor for adjusting the brightness and/or color of the selected area; and means for adjusting the brightness and/or color of the selected area according to said first correction factor when said selected area is at a first position within said moving image, according to said second correction factor when said selected area is at a second position within said moving image, and according to a third correction factor when said selected area is at a position other than said first position or said second position, said third correction factor being generated by interpolation based on said first correction factor and said second correction factor, such that said first, second and third correction factors depend on the position of said selected area within said image.

Claim 15

A video apparatus comprising: a video camera with an imaging device for producing moving video image data and a video amplifier and processor; means for selecting an area of a video image; means for searching for brightness and/or color transitions in the vicinity of a boundary of the selected area by analyzing video image data output from the imaging device; means for redefining the selected area as being bounded by the transitions; means for specifying a first correction factor for adjusting the brightness and/or color of the selected area and a second correction factor for adjusting the brightness and/or color of the selected area; and means for adjusting the brightness and/or color of the selected area according to said first correction factor when said selected area is at a first position within said moving image, according to said second correction factor when said selected area is at a second position within said moving image, and according to a third correction factor when said selected area is at a position other than said first position or said second position, said third correction factor being generated by interpolation based on said first correction factor and said second correction factor, such that said first, second and third correction factors depend on the position of said selected area within said image.

Claim 16

An apparatus according to claim 11 further comprising a display device for displaying video image data output by the video amplifier and processor, the selection means being arranged to enable an operator to select an area of the video image by indicating the area on the display device.

Claim 17

An apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the selection means comprises at least one of a plurality of keys, a joystick, and a pointing device such as a track ball or mouse for controlling an on-screen-cursor displayed on the display device.

Claim 18

An apparatus according to claim 11 further comprising means for measuring the brightness and/or colour temperature of the selected areas.

Claim 19

An apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the processing means is operative to calculate, in response to the entered information for each respective selected area, correction parameters for adjusting the brightness and/or color of pixels in the respective redefined selected area.

Claim 20

An apparatus according to claim 15 further comprising a memory for storing the correction parameters of respective selected areas.

Claim 21

An apparatus according to claim 11 further comprising movement detection means for detecting movement of selected areas between successive frames.

Claim 24

A video apparatus comprising: a video camera having an imaging device for producing video image data representing a moving video image; selection means for enabling an operator to designate a selected area of the moving video image and to specify a first correction factor and a second correction factor; processing means connected to the imaging device and the selection means for adjusting the brightness and/or color of the selected area according to said first correction factor when said selected area is at a first position within said moving image, according to said second correction factor when said selected area is at a second position within said moving image, and according to a third correction factor when said selected area is at a position other than said first position or said second position, said third correction factor being generated by interpolation based on said first correction factor and said second correction factor, such that said first, second and third correction factors depend on the position of said selected area within said image; a video amplifier and processor connected to the output of the processing means; and means for detecting movement of the selected area between successive frames so that said processing is performed for the successive frames.

Claim 25

A video apparatus comprising: a video camera having an imaging device for producing video image data representing a moving video image; selection means for enabling an operator to designate a selected area of the moving video image and to specify a first correction factor and a second correction factor; processing means connected to the imaging device and the selection means for adjusting the brightness and/or color of the selected area according to said first correction factor when said selected area is at a first position within said moving image, according to said second correction factor when said selected area is at a second position within said moving image, and according to a third correction factor when said selected area is at a position other than said first position or said second position, said third correction factor being generated by interpolation based on said first correction factor and said second correction factor, such that said first, second and third correction factors depend on the position of said selected area within said image; a video amplifier and processor connected to the output of the processing means; and means for detecting movement of the selected area between successive frames so that said processing is performed for the successive frames.

Claim 26

A video camera device for use with a video camera, having an imaging device for producing video image data representing a moving video image and having a video amplifier and processor, the video camera device being capable of insertion into the camera and being arranged for connection to the output of the imaging device and the input of the video amplifier and processor, the video camera device comprising: processing means for processing video image data of a selected area of the video image by adjusting the brightness and/or color of the selected area according to a first correction factor when said selected area is at a first position within said moving image, according to a second correction factor when said selected area is at a second position within said moving image, and according to a third correction factor when said selected area is at a position other than said first position or said second position, said third correction factor being generated by interpolation based on said first correction factor and said second correction factor, such that said first second and third correction factors depend on the position of said selected area within said image; and means for detecting movement of the selected area between successive frames so that said adjusting is performed for the successive frames.

Claim 27

A video camera device for use with a video camera, having an imaging device for producing video image data representing a moving video image and having a video amplifier and processor, the video camera device being capable of insertion into the camera and being arranged for connection to the output of the imaging device and the input of the video amplifier and processor, the video camera device comprising: processing means for processing video image data of a selected area of the video image by adjusting the brightness and/or color of the selected area according to a first correction factor when said selected area is at a first position within said moving image, according to a second correction factor when said selected area is at a second position within said moving image, and according to a third correction factor when said selected area is at a position other than said first position or said second position, said third correction factor being generated by interpolation based on said first correction factor and said second correction factor, such that said first second and third correction factors depend on the position of said selected area within said image; and means for detecting movement of the selected area between successive frames so that said adjusting is performed for the successive frames.

Claim 28

A video apparatus comprising: a video camera with an imaging device for producing video image data and a video amplifier and processor; means for enabling an operator to select an area of a moving video image and to specify a first correction factor and a second correction factor; processing means connected to the imaging device and the selection means for processing the video image data of the selected area by adjusting the brightness and/or color of the selected area according to said first correction factor when said selected area is at a first position within said moving image, according to said second correction factor when said selected area is at a second position within said moving image, and according to a third correction factor when said selected area is at a position other than said first position or said second position, said third correction factor being generated by interpolation based on said first correction factor and said second correction factor, such that said first, second and third correction factors depend on the position of said selected area within said image; and means for detecting movement of the selected area between successive frames so that said adjusting is performed for the successive frames.

Claim 29

A video apparatus comprising: a video camera with an imaging device for producing video image data and a video amplifier and processor; means for enabling an operator to select an area of a moving video image and to specify a first correction factor and a second correction factor; processing means connected to the imaging device and the selection means for processing the video image data of the selected area by adjusting the brightness and/or color of the selected area according to said first correction factor when said selected area is at a first position within said moving image, according to said second correction factor when said selected area is at a second position within said moving image, and according to a third correction factor when said selected area is at a position other than said first position or said second position, said third correction factor being generated by interpolation based on said first correction factor and said second correction factor, such that said first, second and third correction factors depend on the position of said selected area within said image; and means for detecting movement of the selected area between successive frames so that said adjusting is performed for the successive frames.