Sony Electronics Inc

Sony Corporation

Sony United Kingdom Limited

Other

Panavision International, L.p.

Sony Broadcast & Communications Limited

James Bernard Pearman

John James Galt

John W Richards

David J Hedley

Yoshio Ozaki

Terry R Hurley

Peter Kavanagh

Scott Allen Bowser

An image processor is disclosed which is capable of automatically generating a series of test signals, running the test signals through its image processing software and hardware, and capturing the resulting output signals to automatically generate a 3D LUT that represents most or all of the imaging processing steps being performed by the image processor. No external equipment is required to generate the 3D LUT. In other embodiments, the image processor may be connected to an external image processing device, and the image processor can then automatically generate a series of test signals, run those test signals through the external image processing device, and capture the resulting output signals to automatically generate a 3D LUT that represents most of all of the image processing steps being performed by the external image processing device.

Generation of 3D look-up tables for image processing devices

A resequencer changes the ABCD grouping of a sequence of video fields derived from a motion picture film via 3-2 pulldown so as to allow that sequence of video fields to be cut into or edited with a second sequence of similarly derived video fields, the cut or edit occurring at any desired position, without any artifacts. The resequencer comprises eight field stores. In each video field time, an input video field is stored into one field store and an output video field is read from a different field store. The particular field stores into which fields are read and written in each video field time are chosen so as to achieve the desired change in ABCD grouping.

Method and apparatus for changing phase of video program material taken from 24 frame per second film

In a system and method for providing a uniform light source for color correction processes, the system includes a plurality of flashlamps for generating a theoretical point light source. The system further includes a power supply for sequentially activating each of the plurality of flashlamps. The system also includes an element for integrating the light generated by the plurality of lamps. The plurality of flashlamps are mounted in the integrating element so as to direct the substantially uniform light generated thereby out from the integrating element.

Sequentially-activated multiple flashlamp lamphouse system and method

A film transport mechanism for transporting film having perforations including a motor that drives sprockets for transporting the film in increments defined by a pull down stroke. In addition, the mechanism includes a pin element having at least one pin, the pin element being rotatable to a first position wherein the pin is inserted into an associated perforation to stabilize the film without contacting a perforation edge to generate a first sound level when the pull down stroke substantially equals a perforation pitch. Further, when the pitch is not equal to the pull down stroke, the pin contacts a perforation edge to generate a second sound level. The mechanism also includes a microphone positioned adjacent the pin element and the film for detecting a range of sound levels. An acoustic analyzing circuit is provided for comparing a sound level detected by the microphone to an acoustic signature indicative of contact between the pin and a perforation edge wherein when the detected sound level substantially matches the acoustic signature, the circuit controls the drive means to adjust the pull down stroke until the first sound level is detected wherein the pull down stroke is substantially equal to the pitch and thus the pin is inserted into a perforation without contacting a perforation edge.

Film transport mechanism having automatic stroke adjustment

A system for the analysis of image data 48 that has been subject to one or more processing operations is described. The image data is displayed using a display palette 30 which maps pixel values PV to displayable appearances RGB, I. Under user control, a sub-section of the pixel values are mapped to enhanced displayable appearances so as to make small variations in the pixel values more visible. A palette scale 54 illustrating the mapping being performed by the palette 30 is displayed adjacent to the image 48 being analyzed. In addition, a graph 60 of the variation of pixel value along a given analysis line 62 is displayed to assist quantative analysis.

Apparatus and method for detecting distortions in processed image data

A real-time telecine system for converting motion picture film to high definition video contains a control unit comprising a database which provides complete control over all parameters associated with the film to high definition video conversion. The telecine system comprises a film transport sub-system, camera sub-system, rotating shutter and lamphouse. To convert a motion picture film to high definition video, the motion picture film is advanced, by the film transport sub-system, a single frame at a time during a pulldown period, and the film is held steady during a register period. The lamphouse emanates a single diffused light source to illuminate the film frame to generate an optical film image. The rotating shutter permits exposure of the optical film image to the camera sub-system in a 3-2 pulldown arrangement. Values for controlling the lamphouse light intensity are stored in the database and are subsequently retrieved for film to video conversion. In addition, color correction parameters associated with the motion picture film are stored in the database such that the color correction parameters are used as an initial starting point for the calibration of the telecine system.

Method and apparatus for a real-time film-to-video conversion system

A light valve for attenuating a collimated light beam contains a focusing lens, a light vane and motor control. The focusing lens contains a focal length and lens diameter. The focusing lens focuses a collimated light beam to generate a light cone such that the dimensions of the light cone are based on the diameter and focal length of the focusing lens. The light vane deflects light within the light cone. The motor is controlled to position the light vane to attenuate the light within the light cone by placing the light vane in at least one position ranging from a zero stop attenuation position to a full stop attenuation position. For a single degree of light vane rotation into the light cone, the light beams is attenuated by three percent. In the zero stop position, the light vane is parallel to an edge of the light cone so that no light is attenuation. In the full stop position, the light vane is located thirty degrees, relative to the zero stop position, into the light cone.

Method and apparatus for attenuating a light beam

A real-time telecine system for converting motion picture film to high definition video contains a control unit comprising a database which provides complete control over all parameters associated with the film to high definition video conversion. The telecine system comprises a lamphouse which generates three monochromatic light sources wherein the light intensity for each light source is controlled independently by the control unit. Each light source contains a lamp, a variable power supply, a lens configuration and a light valve. Each lamp comprises a non-incandescent lamp such as xenon, and generates a collimated light beam. Each lens configuration contains a heat mirror, dichroic filters and a focusing lens. The dichroic filters for each light source generate a monochromatic light source by filtering the light beam. The focusing lens focuses the monochromatic light beam from each light source for input to an integrating sphere. The integrating sphere generates a polychromatic diffused light source for illuminating a film frame to generate an optical film image.

Method and apparatus for an integrating sphere lamphouse

A telecine system for converting motion picture film to video contains a pulldown mechanism and a rotating shutter. The telecine system creates a 3-2 film frame to video frame conversion. The pulldown mechanism transports the film and the rotating shutter exposes the film to a video camera. The pulldown mechanism contains a film aperture and a pin registration system. The film is transported over the film aperture during a pulldown period, and the pin registration system provides precise placement of the film frame over the film aperture. The pulldown periods occur during constant intervals. During a register period of the telecine system, the single film frame is held steady over the film aperture. A rotating shutter contains five apertures wherein each aperture is used to expose a film frame to the camera. The shutter exposes a diffused light source to the film frame such that a first single frame is exposed for three video fields after a first pulldown period, and a second single frame is exposed for two video fields after a second pulldown period for each rotation of the rotating shutter.

Method and apparatus for a rotating shutter in real-time film-to-video

A method of generating an output video signal includes processing two or more input digital video signals so as to manipulate images that they represent and combining the processed signals to form the output video signal, which represents a composite image in which the manipulated images appear to fly through one another. In a first pass, a digital video effect generator (1) is supplied (4) with one of input video signals and is responsive to data (5) representing at least the manipulation to which the image represented by that one input signal is to be subjected to process that one input signal to subject the image represented thereby to the manipulation intended for that image. The processed signal resulting from the first pass is recorded (VTR1). In at least one subsequent pass, the generator 1) is supplied with the other or another of the input video signals and is responsive to data representing the manipulations to which the images represented by all of the input signals are to be subjected to process the other input signal so as to subject the image represented thereby to the manipulation intended for that image so as to crop or remove from the manipulated image any one or more portions thereof to be hidden in the composite image. The processed signal resulting from the at least one subsequent pass is keyed (16) into the recorded signal resulting from the previous pass.

Composite image generation with hidden surface removal using a single

Apparatus for photographic movie film to video signal conversion comprises a movie film to video conversion apparatus such as a telecine (11) in which the film (1) is aligned frame by frame to derive a video signal, and a video signal processor (16), such as a digital video effects apparatus (12), to process the derived video signal by reference to registration features (2) of the film (1), such as L-shaped registration marks (2) exposed thereon adjacent to each frame (3) of the film (1), to obtain more accurate frame alignment of the video signal.

Movie film to video conversion with correction of frame misalignment

In order to include a break slot in a broadcast video signal, the signal is first fed through a RAM recorder having a variable delay. Reading of the signal from the RAM recorder is controlled in such a manner that the delay produced by the RAM recorder is reduced from an accumulated value. After the delay has been reduced by a desired amount, reading out of the signal from the RAM recorder is inhibited until the delay has increased again to no more than the accumulated value, thereby to produce a break slot having a duration no more than the reduction of the delay produced by the RAM recorder. The reduction of the delay produced by the RAM recorder may be brought about by: skipping the reading of unwanted portions of the signal stored in the RAM recorder, by feeding the signal through a fixed delay RAM recorder before feeding it through the variable delay RAM recorder and viewing the signal before it is fed through the fixed delay RAM recorder to identify portions of the signal to be edited out; or by reading from the variable delay RAM recorder at a speed greater than the speed at which the signal is written to the variable delay RAM recorder.

Growing community of inventors

Glendale, CA, United States of America

James Bernard Pearman