The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 09, 1999
Filed:
Mar. 24, 1998
Peter H Gregson, Halifax, CA;
Steve M Franklin, Dartmouth, CA;
Dalhousie University, Halifax, CA;
Abstract
This invention relates to an analog video merging system, and more particularly to a system that can take the output of a plurality of video cameras and form a combined video signal which can be fed to a computer having only a single frame grabber card. This system is used to track targets using multiple video cameras. The present invention is comprised of an analog video merging apparatus for merging N video signals from N video cameras. The apparatus is comprised of N video processors, each of the N processors is connected to the N video cameras in a one-to-one correspondence, wherein each of the N video processors compares the video signal associated with one of the N video cameras with a dynamic predetermined threshold level and produces a binary output signal having a low level and a high level, the low level being output if the associated video signal is below the predetermined threshold, and high level being output if the associated video signal is above the predetermined threshold. N binary combiners are provided, with each being connected to the N video processors in a one-to-one correspondence. Each combiner produces a processed binary signal having a low level and a high level, the low level being output in the presence of a low level output from the associated video processor and a high level being output in the presence of a high level from the associated video processor, wherein the high level of the processed binary signal is a unique level to that particular binary combiner such that a unique high level is output from the N binary combiners that are associated with the N video cameras. The processed binary signal for camera N is scaled by a factor of 2.sup.N-1 with respect to the other camera signals. A summing unit is provided for summing N processed binary signals from the N binary combiners to produce a merged video signal. A method of providing a merged video signal is also provided.