Sony Corporation

Fumihiko Sudo

Taku Kihara

Katsumi Kaneko

Motohiro Nakasuji

Takashi Asaida

Takashi Kameyama

Seiji Kawa

Ichiro Tanji

Hitoshi Nakamura

Kazuyuki Marukawa

Takashi Tsuchiya

Kenichi Aihara

Hiromasa Ikeyama

Hideaki Murayama

Yoshiaki Nishide

Yoshio Chiba

Kazuhiro Sugeno

Noriyuki Ono

Motohiro Nakasuzi

An arithmetic processing section executes an arithmetic process on a flicker correction signal output from a flicker correction signal outputting section and corresponding to the flicker component contained in a video signal of each of specific periods and the video signal of each of the specific periods to form a corrected video signal of the specific period corrected for the flicker component of the specific period for the video signal of each of the specific periods formed as a succession of specific periods and containing a flicker component as supplied from a video signal generating section in response to a correction error signal of each of the specific periods supplied from a correction error detecting section.

Flicker correcting method, flicker correcting circuit, and imaging device using them

A video-signal-processing device has luminance conversion section that performs level compression on three input primary-color signals of a color video signal at a same luminance adjustment compression ratio with a hue and a saturation of the color video signal being kept constant, thereby generating three compressed primary-color signals. The device also has saturation conversion section that performs level conversion on the three compressed primary-color signals by using a saturation compression ratio if a maximum level of at least one of the three compressed primary-color signals exceeds a first level. The saturation conversion section sets the saturation compression ratio by using a minimum level one of the three compressed primary-color signals.

Video-signal-processing device, imaging apparatus using the same, and method for processing video signal

A preprocessor performs a signal processing operation by using an image signal DVa generated by picking up a subject image. A frame adder adds frames of an image signal DVb generated by the preprocessor so as to generate an image signal DVc with a changed frame rate. When changing the setting of the signal processing operation of the preprocessor, the signal processing operation is restarted with the new setting at the start or at the end of a frame addition period (in units of frame addition periods) of the frame adder based on a determination signal indicating the frame addition period.

Image pickup apparatus with frame addition

An image signal generation portion 10 generates an image signal DVb of a variable frame-rate picked-up image whose frame rate can be varied. A frame rate conversion portion 30 converts a frame rate of an image signal DVu supplied to it into a frame rate of the image signal DVb and synchronizes them to provide an image signal DVw. A monitor image signal generation portion 40 uses the image signals DVb and DVw to generate an image signal DVmix of an image in which an image based on the image signal DVb and an image based on the image signal DVw are mixed and output it as a monitor image signal DMTout or SMTout. Alternatively, it generates an image signal DVwp of an image in which a part of an image based on the image signal DVb is replaced by an image based on the image signal DVw and outputs it as the monitor image signal DMTout or SMTout. It is possible to simultaneously display a variable frame-rate picked-up image and an image having a different frame rate.

Matching frame rates of a variable frame rate image signal with another image signal

An image shooting unitgenerates an image signal DVb having an image shooting frame rate. A main line image processing blockperforms frame addition on the image signal DVb having the image shooting frame rate, and generates a main line image signal having a desired output frame rate. Based on the image signal DVb, a monitor image processing blockgenerates a monitor image signal having a frame rate independent of the frame rate of the main line image signal. Since the frame rate of the main line image signal and that of the monitor image signal are independent of each other, shooting an image while varying the frame rate of the main line image signal allows a monitor image at an image shooting time to be displayed at a predetermined frame rate using the monitor image signal DVr.

Imaging apparatus and imaging method having a monitor image frame rate independent of a main line image frame rate

An image signal generator generates an imaging signal having a frame rate that is controlled to be variable. A frame rate converter generates a monitor image signal. Upon receiving communication information from an external source, a controller controls the operations of the image signal generator and the frame rate converter on the basis of the communication information. When an instruction to specify the frame rate of the monitor image signal is given from a user interface, the controller controls the frame rate converter to generate a monitor image signal having a specified frame rate by giving priority to this instruction over the communication information.

Image pickup apparatus and control method therefor

High frequency components of a video signal are attenuated for avoiding aliasing when the video signal is corrected by a non-linear gamma correction circuit. Such high frequency components arise from the video signal harmonics, and also are generated in image contour processing of the video signal. The high frequency components are band limited, thereby linearizing the gamma correction circuit and preventing aliasing. Up-converting the sampling frequency increases a desired band limitation area and defers the generation of high frequency components that cause aliasing. The non-linear gamma correction function is divided into a plurality of sections which are replaced by respective straight-line segments each represented by a linear expression, and gamma correction is effected with a straight-line segment corresponding to the amplitude of the digital video signal.

Anti-aliasing video camera processing apparatus and method

An image shooting unitgenerates an image signal Spa having an image shooting frame rate. A frame addition unitperforms frame addition on the image signal DVb having the image shooting frame rate. Control unitcontrols drive unitand the frame addition unitbased on a frame rate setting signal RSF from operation unit, and controls a variation of the image shooting frame rate in image shooting unitand/or a switch of the number of additive frames in the frame addition unit, thus allowing an image signal DVj having a desired frame rate to be output from the frame addition unit. Thus, increasing the additive frame in number even without decreasing the image shooting frame rate at a low-speed shooting of the image allows such an image signal DVj shot at the low speed to be obtained.

Imaging apparatus and imaging method

An image pickup device picks up an image. An image signal in association with the image is filtered in a time axis direction using a digital low-pass filter to generate an image signal having a reduced dynamic resolution power, which is equivalent to an image signal that would be obtained at a longer exposure time. The filtered signal is then subjected to frame skipping processing to generate an output image signal having a preferred frame period. The resultant signal is equivalent to one obtained by a slow shooting.

Imaging apparatus and method for lowering resolution power of an image and modifying the frame period

A video camera system capable of matching colors between configured video cameras by effectively reducing color differences therebetween. A red, a green and a blue signal from imaging devices are amplified by preamplifiers and video amplifiers before being fed to a color matching circuit. The color matching circuit performs color matching in accordance with the levels of the red, green and blue signals using variables of gains and DC offset values. The gains and DC offset values are determined by the color matching circuit executing predetermined operation expressions. With a plurality of colors imaged in advance by the video cameras to be matched in color with a reference video camera, necessary coefficients of the operation expressions are obtained by use of the level measurements (tristimulus values) of the red, green and blue signals from an integrating circuit of each camera. Executing the operation expressions thus obtained allows the matching circuit to absorb the color differences between the reference video camera on the one hand, and the video camera to be matched in color therewith on the other hand.

Video camera and video camera system

Of three-color signals R&prime;, G&prime; and B&prime;, obtained as output signals of multipliers R, G and B, designed to effectuate luminance compression of the three-color signals R, G and B sent to input terminals R, G and B by multiplying the signals R, G and B with a coefficient k, in such a manner as to maintain saturation and color hue of the three-color signals R, G and B, only the saturation of color video signals represented by the three-color signals R&prime;, G&prime; and B&prime; is compressed by first saturation compression circuits R, G and B so that the signal level of the signal of the three-color signals R&prime;, G&prime; and B&prime; having the highest signal level will be the clip level. Of the three prime color signals R&Prime;, G&Prime; and B&Prime; obtained as output signals of the first saturation compression circuits R, G and B, only the saturation of the signals R&Prime;, G&Prime; and B&Prime; is compressed, in a state in which the luminance and the color hue of the signals R&Prime;, G&Prime; and B&Prime; are maintained, in order to obtain three prime color signals R*, G* and B* the high luminance portion of which has only saturation changed.

Picture signal processing apparatus, color video camera and picture signal processing method

Video signal compression apparatus for analyzing an input video signal to determine the distribution of signal levels and compressing the input signal as a function of the distribution to produce an output video signal.

Video signal compression apparatus utilizing multiple compression ratios

A video camera and an image enhancing apparatus which can add details without deteriorating an S/N ratio near the black level are provided. The video camera is constructed by: an image pickup device for photographing an object and generating a video signal; a signal level detecting circuit for detecting a signal level of DC components of the video signal; a detail signal forming circuit for forming a detail signal to correct an outline of an image which is expressed by the video signal by extracting partial frequency components in the video signal from the video signal; a control unit for controlling the detail signal forming circuit on the basis of an output of the signal level detecting circuit in a manner such that as a signal level of the DC components is low, frequency of the detail signal to be formed by the detail signal forming circuit becomes lower; and a mixing circuit for mixing the detail signal to the video signal.

Video camera and image enhancing apparatus

A solid state image pickup apparatus comprises a solid state imager having a plurality of pixels and which outputs a signal corresponding to light incident thereon, a sample and hold circuit for sampling and holding analog output signals from respective pixels of the solid state imager in response to a sampling signal, a low-pass filter connected to the analog output of the sample and hold circuit for eliminating a high frequency component therefrom so as to output a filtered signal, an analog-to-digital converter for converting the filtered signal to a digital filtered signal, a memory for storing position data indicative of a position of a defective pixel, a circuit for stopping the supply of the sampling signal to the sample and hold circuit in response to the position data indicating a defective pixel so that the output signal from the defective pixel is replaced with the analog output signal from a pixel read immediately prior thereto, an interpolating circuit connected to the analog-to-digital converter for interpolating a digital signal corresponding to the position data indicating a defective pixel by using the digital signals corresponding to other pixels surrounding the defective pixel so as to generate an interpolated signal, and a switch for selectively outputting the digital filtered signal and the interpolated signal in accordance with the position data.

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Kanagawa, Japan

Fumihiko Sudo