Sony Corporation

Sony Cinema Products Corporation

Sony Broadcast & Communications Limited

Yoshio Ozaki

Michael J Kohut

Etsuro Saito

John James Galt

Toshiyuki Shirasu

Hidemichi Shirai

Tomio Omata

John W Richards

Koichi Yoshikawa

James Bernard Pearman

Shuichi Ohta

Milan Krsljanin

An improved theater surround sound system incorporates a screen top speaker and an overhead speaker driven by corresponding upper surround channels to more accurately reproduce sounds produced from above the listener. These top surround channels are encoded along with the left and right surround channels. A pilot signal is used to direct the sound from the side surround channels to the upper surround channels when needed.

Theater sound system with upper surround channels

A system for controlling distribution of sound in a multi-channel sound system such as a 'surround sound' system in a movie theater. Control signals are used to steer, or distribute, portions of the sound signal between designated speakers. In a preferred embodiment the control signals are provided with the sound signals, themselves, and are separated from the sound signals by using a pilot signal or signals.

Ceiling speaker and signal source

Digital sound signal reproducing apparatus for projector

Motion picture film composition method

A digital audio signal recording device which, in conjunction with a film magazine loaded with a motion picture film and an analog audio recording device recording analog audio signals on the motion picture film, constitutes an audio signal recording system for the motion picture film capable of recording both analog audio signals and digital audio signals on the motion picture film delivered from the film magazine. The digital audio signal recording device transports the motion picture film, delivered from the inside of the film magazine via the film reel-out section, into the digital audio signal recording device via a first film feed-in section, and then transports the film to the analog audio signal recording device via a first feed-out section and a film lead-in section. The motion picture film introduced into the analog audio signal recording device is returned into the digital audio signal recording device via a film lead-out section and a second film feed-in section. The digital audio signals are recorded in the digital sound track area on the motion picture film returned back into the digital audio signal recording device by a digital audio signal recording section provided in the digital audio signal recording device. The motion picture film, on which the digital audio signals have now been recorded, is delivered via a second film feed-out section towards the film magazine so as to be taken up in the film magazine by a film taker-in section.

Digital audio signal recording device for motion picture film and audio

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

Apparatus for converting, for example, 24 Hz 1:1 format film to, for example, a 60 Hz 2:1 interlace format video signal comprises a converter (12) for transferring 24 Hz 1:1 format film material to a 60 Hz 2:1 interlace format video signal using 3 2 3 2 pull down, and a coder (13) associated with the converter (12) for associating a 10-field sequence identifier with the video signal. The 10-field sequence identifier is used to maintain identification of the phantom fields and the field sequence through subsequent processing, and in particular to control motion processing.

Video post-production of material acquired on film

A film image recorded on an initial movie film is converted into a television video signal which is thereafter converted into another film image and recorded an another movie film. The initial movie film includes an identification film part formed in the front end part of the initial movie film and includes first and second identifying patterns which are respectively arranged in alternating frames. By adjusting the timing of the conversion of the television video signal to the other film image in accordance with the image from the identification film part obtained during this conversion, the film image recorded on the other movie film is made to correspond to the film image recorded on the initial movie film.

Apparatus for recovering a film signal from a television video signal

An apparatus and method for converting images recorded in a plurality of frames in a cinematic film into an output video signal having a plurality of fields. A predetermined number of fields of a video signal are generated from each of the plurality of frames of the film such that the predetermined number of fields generated from odd numbered frames differ from the predetermined number of fields generated from even numbered frames by a number n, where n is a positive integer. An interpolated video signal is generated from a plurality of the generated fields of the video signal which include fields generated from at least two essential frames. The interpolated video signal has a duration of n multiplied by the duration of a field. The interpolated video signal is combined with at least some of the predetermined number of fields of the video signal to form the output video signal.

Apparatus and method for coverting cinematic images to video signals

Modulation abnormality detector for optical sound-recording system

Level control circuit for light beam recording apparatus

A telecine projector includes film supply and take-up means; a film constant-speed drive means for advancing the film at an arbitrary predetermined constant speed past a magnetic transducer; a shutter for intermittently illuminating the film at a predetermined constant rate; intermittent film advancing means for advancing the film past the shutter; a film slack detecting means for detecting whether slack in the film between the film advancing means and the film constant drive means exceeds a predetermined amount; and control means for controlling the advancing operation of the film advancing means in accordance with the output of the film slack detecting means. The film can be intermittently advanced in accordance with a film running speed which is arbitrarily predetermined while the shutter operates at the video field frequency. Fast motion reproduction and slow motion reproduction are possible. A guide is provided to prevent the film slack detecting means from falsely indicating an excess of slack upon the occurrence of a splice in the film.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Yoshio Ozaki