Sony Corporation of America

Sony Electronics Inc

Media Vision

David O Hodgson

Patrice J Capitant

Vinson R Perry

Daniel B Gochnauer

Yoram Levy

An expansion card for a personal computer digitizes, optionally processes and/or compresses, stores, and then relays to the personal computer video information without the use of a frame store memory. An analog-to-digital converter on the expansion card digitizes at least part of a frame of an analog video signal received on a video connector of the expansion card. After optional processing and/or compressing of the digitized video information of the frame, part of the digitized video information is stored into a relatively small memory on the expansion card. Once stored, the digitized video information is transferred from the memory and to the personal computer over a parallel bus of the personal computer. Another part of the digitized video information of the frame is then stored into the same memory on the expansion card for subsequent transfer to the personal computer over the parallel bus. The memory provided on the video capture expansion card therefore has a smaller storage capacity than would be necessary otherwise if all the digitized video information of the frame which is to be stored were held at one time stored in a frame store memory.

Video capture expansion card

A film scanning system and method for generating a digital signal representing digitized film images, and having a first (less than real-time) film frame rate, and performing digital correction (such as flare correction, color correction, or both) on the digital signal at a higher (but still less than real-time) frame rate. In a preferred embodiment, conventional video signals (having NTSC or format, or SMPTE-240M or another high definition video format) are then generated from the corrected digital signal. In one embodiment, the system of the invention includes circuitry for scanning color film frames to generate and store a digital signal (representing digitized color film images) at a rate of 1.875 film frames per second, circuitry for color correcting the stored digital signal at an internal processing rate of 7.5 frames per second, and means for generating SMPTE-240M high definition video signals (having a frame rate of 30 frames per second) from the color corrected digital signal.

Non-real-time film scanning system

A film-to-video frame image convertor includes a 3-2 pulldown frame convertor for converting signals representing input film frame images, having a lower associated film frame image rate, to signals representing output video frame images having a higher associated video frame image rate. The output video frame images consist of genuine and simulated video frame images, which correspond to actual input film frame images and multiple input film frame images, respectively, in accordance with a 3-2 film-to-video frame pulldown. Each genuine video frame image consists of two video field images corresponding to two actual film field images from the same film frame image. Each simulated video frame image consists of two video field images corresponding to two actual film field images from different film frame images, with one of the two video field images being a duplicate of a video field image in an adjacent video frame image. Identification signals are selectively inserted into the vertical blanking interval of some of the output video frame images to identify which ones are simulated video frame images containing duplicate video field images. This allows the duplicate video field images to be identified and selectively deleted when the video frame images, having the higher associated video frame image rate, are to be reconverted to film frame images having the lower associated film frame image rate.

Film-to-video frame image conversion apparatus and method for

A method and system for generating a bordered split screen video display. In preferred embodiment, the invention generates a composite signal from digital signals representing reference and scanned film images, converts the composite signal to a composite video signal, and displays the composite video signal as a bordered split screen video display. The invention can be embodied in a film scanning system which includes a processor for digitally correcting a digital signal representing a digitized film image, such as by performing digital color correction on the digital signal. The film scanning system also includes field store circuitry for storing the corrected digital signal and a digital reference signal, circuitry for generating a composite signal from the stored reference and corrected signal, and circuitry for generating a composite video signal from the composite signal. In accordance with the invention, the composite video signal is displayed as a split screen composite image having a distinctive border between distinct test and reference picture areas. In a class of preferred embodiments, a graphics cursor signal is also inserted into the composite signal. When displayed, the cursor signal overlays a cursor region of the bordered split screen composite image.

Digitized film image processing system with bordered split screen display

A method and system for combining digital data signals representing digitized images in a manner avoiding aliasing effects. In a class of preferred embodiments, the inventive system includes two data channels, mutiplication circuitry in at least one of the data channels for multiplying the data signal in that channel by a multiplicative factor signal, and circuitry for combining the output of the data channels. Each data signal to be multiplied is prefiltered in an anti-aliasing filter in order to remove high frequency components that would otherwise result in aliasing error during the multiplication operation. The anti-aliasing filter is preferably an adaptive finite impulse response filter which receives the mutliplicative factor signal, and is transparent during times when the multiplicative factor signal has a constant value.

Digital video processing system with mixing prefilter

A method and system for digitally performing a color transformation on digitized color film images. The digitized images may comprise frames of a digital video signal, with a red frame, a blue frame, and a green frame collectively corresponding to a digitized color image. The invention avoids aliasing error by employing a set of low pass filters, connected in parallel, to filter the digital input data prior to color correction. The output of each filter is processed digitally in a separate color correction circuit. Each color correction circuit implements a different polynomial term of a color transformation. The outputs of the color correction circuits are combined to generate a color corrected output data stream.

Digital video color processor with anti-aliasing filter

A method and system for digitally performing flare correction on digitized color film images. Each digitized image may include a red data stream, a blue data stream, and a green data stream collectively corresponding to a digitized color image (or frame). The system of the invention digitally generates flare correction signals, and employs the flare correction signals to compensate for undesired luminance variations from frame to frame within each color channel. In a preferred embodiment, the system also generates lift variation correction signals, and employs these signals to achieve a desired balance between the color channels. In one embodiment, the invention generates digitized color film images from a motion picture film, and digitally performs flare correction on the digitized images to correct for changes in the average luminance of consecutive images, and lift correction to achieve a desired balance between red, blue, and green color channels. Additional processing operations, such as color correction, are then performed digitally on the corrected digitized images.

Growing community of inventors

San Mateo, CA, United States of America

David O Hodgson