Television – Camera – system and detail – Combined image signal generator and general image signal...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-19
2001-03-06
Garber, Wendy R. (Department: 2612)
Television
Camera, system and detail
Combined image signal generator and general image signal...
C382S294000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06198505
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
The present invention relates generally to digital cameras, and more specifically, to a high resolution, high speed digital camera for cinema and multimedia applications.
A digital camera is desirable for cinematography instead of film due to its compatibility with the growing trends in the use of digital techniques in the production of movies and other multimedia products. In addition, a digital camera provides artistic flexibility and economic benefits over the use of film cameras.
Existing digital cameras do not meet the speed and resolution requirements of the movie industry. There are high speed digital cameras with low to moderate resolution capability and there are high resolution digital cameras with low to moderate speed capabilities. However, there are none capable of both high resolution and high speed performance. Digital camera complexity is proportional to the number of pixels per frame, the number of bits per pixel, and the number of frames per second provided by the camera.
Dicomed produces single shot high resolution digital cameras. These products include the BigShot™ digital instant cameras, ScanBack™ digital scanning cameras and StudioPro™ digital scanning camera backs. Kodak produces high speed low resolution cameras including the Megaplus™ cameras that have 15, 30 and 60 frames per second frame rates with 1024 by 1024 pixel resolution.
None of these cameras meet the requirements for the movie industry. Cinematography experts in the movie industry have defined the requirements for a digital camera to have 4096 by 4096 pixel resolution, at least 10 bits digitization for each of the three primary colors, and a speed of 60 frames per second.
A conventionally designed digital camera with these characteristics would produce an output data rate in excess of 30 Gigabits per second. This data rate is at the edge of technical feasibility from a speed perspective. In addition, an expensive storage system with more than 20 Terrabytes of capacity would be required to store a typical 90 minute movie. This places a conventionally designed digital camera system at the limits of affordability and technical feasibility. However, there are economic and artistic benefits that could accrue from a system that can capture the live action in a scene in a digital format with high detail and color and in nearly real time.
Accordingly, it is an objective of the present invention to provide for a high resolution high speed digital camera for use in movie and multimedia applications that is technically realizable and is affordable. This objective will be achieved through a non conventionally designed camera that reduces the data rate and reduces the required storage capacity.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To accomplish the above and other objectives, the present invention provides for a high resolution, high speed camera that produces a high resolution digital color representation of a moving image scene viewed by the camera. The camera captures several high resolution frames per second and many more lower resolution frames per second. The data from the frames are then used to produce a sequence of high resolution picture frames at a high rate. The high resolution frames capture the fine details of the scene while the low resolution frames capture the motion of objects in the scene.
The camera comprises an input lens and shutter system that couples light from the image scene into an electro-optic imaging system located within the camera body. The electro-optic system is comprised of two types of imaging sensors. A first imaging sensor generates a digital output representing a high resolution sequence of frames of the image scene at a relatively low frame rate. A second imaging sensor generates a digital output representing a sequence of lower resolution digital frames of the image scene at a high frame rate.
The digital outputs from the two types of imaging sensors are processed by image processing electronics to produce a combined digital output that is a high speed sequence of high resolution frames of the image scene. The image processor uses the digital data from the high speed, low resolution frames to provide an interpolation of the locations of moving objects as they transition between the high resolution frames. The interpolation algorithm is used to generate intermediate high resolution frames, which are inserted between the captured high resolution frames. This results in a sequence of color imagery frames that have the full detail of the high resolution sensor as well as the motion dynamics captured by the high speed sensor.
The data generated by the camera is the sum of the data from the two sensors, which will in the order of ¼ to {fraction (1/10)} of the data generated by a conventional digital camera with the same characteristics. The actual improvement is a function of the ratio of the two frame rates. This ratio is chosen to provide the desired artistic cinematic effects.
The digital camera performs very high resolution color digital imaging, at very high frame rates, on the order of 60 frames per second or more. The resolution and speed performance of the high resolution, high speed digital camera is comparable or exceeds the performance of high quality film cameras.
The digital camera provides a nearly instantaneous viewable output of captured images. The output may be examined to determine if changes to the scene are needed and a retake can be made while the set is still in place. When film is used the film processing time limits the flexibility in making these kind of instantaneous changes.
The digital camera is designed to replace film cameras for making movies and other multimedia applications. The digital camera provides the means to make a revolutionary change in the way the movie industry makes movies by eliminating film processing steps that are currently employed.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4628344 (1986-12-01), Glenn
patent: 4652909 (1987-03-01), Glenn
patent: 5550937 (1996-08-01), Bell et al.
patent: 5963664 (1999-10-01), Kumar et al.
Hill William A.
Turner Elbert L.
Wilson Dennis L.
Float Kenneth W.
Garber Wendy R.
Lockheed Martin Corp.
Tillery Rashawn N.
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