Television – Camera – system and detail – With single image scanning device supplying plural color...
Reexamination Certificate
1996-04-26
2001-04-17
Garber, Wendy R. (Department: 2612)
Television
Camera, system and detail
With single image scanning device supplying plural color...
C348S223100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06219096
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an image pickup apparatus. More particularly, the invention relates to an image pick-up apparatus used by being connected to external equipment, such as a personal computer or the like, which apparatus is operable by the clock of a bus for the external equipment so as to output digital chrominance signals to the bus, thereby simplifying the overall construction of the apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hitherto, personal computers, etc. are adapted to execute image processing by capturing video signals from video equipment, such as a television camera and so on, through an interface board used for video-signal processing.
Namely,
FIG. 14
is a block diagram illustrating an image-processing system for use in a personal computer. In this image-processing system generally designated by
1
, an interface board
2
used for video-signal processing is inserted into a slot of the personal computer and is connected to a bus of the personal computer. A television camera
3
is then connected to this interface board
2
. The television camera
3
employed in this system outputs standard video signals according to the National Television System Committee (NTSC) system or the like. For example, the television camera
3
switches its operation under control of the personal computer through an interface, such as RS232C or the like, and outputs a video signal SV representing image pick-up results to a video terminal T
1
of the interface board
2
.
The interface board
2
inputs this video signal SV into a decoder
4
which then separates a horizontal synchronizing signal HD from the video signal SV with the use of its built-in synchronous separation circuit. The decoder
4
also divides the video signal SV into a luminance signal (Y signal) and a color difference signal (C signal) in its built-in Y/C separation circuit. Then, the decoder
4
further converts the luminance signal and the color difference signal into a red-color signal R, a green-color signal G and a blue-color signal B in a predetermined matrix computation circuit.
A phase locked loop (PLL) circuit
5
generates a clock CK
1
having a predetermined frequency, based on the horizontal synchronizing signal HD that is output from the decoder
4
, and then, outputs it. Analog-to-digital (A/D) conversion circuits
6
R,
6
G and
6
B, relative to this clock CK
1
, digitize the red-color signal R, the green-color signal G and the blue-color signal B which are then respectively converted into 8-bit digital chrominance signals.
First In First Out (FIFO) storages
7
R,
7
G and
7
B incorporate the digital chrominance signals that are output from the A/D conversion circuits
6
R,
6
B and
6
B, respectively, at a timing in synchronization with the digital chrominance signals, and then output them to the internal BUS at a timing in synchronization with a clock CK
2
of the BUS. With this arrangement, after the image-processing system of the above type thus converts the video signal SV obtained from a typical television camera into digital chrominance signals suitable for personal-computer processing, it outputs the signals to the personal computer at a timing in synchronization with the internal BUS.
In this type of image-processing system, it may be convenient and further increase ranges of uses for applications of personal computers of the above type if the overall construction of the image processing system is simplified.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above background, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image pick-up apparatus which is simply constructed on the whole and is able to output image pick-up results to external equipment, such as a personal computer and so on.
In order to solve the above problems, according to the present invention, there is provided an image pick-up apparatus comprising: an image pick-up device that sequentially samples images formed on its image pick-up surface and outputs image pick-up results; and analog-to-digital conversion means for converting the image pick-up results into digital chrominance signals of red, green and blue colors and outputting them to a bus for external equipment, wherein the image pick-up device sequentially samples the images at a timing in synchronization with the clock of the bus, and wherein the analog-to-digital conversion means generates the digital chrominance signals based on a timing in synchronization with the clock of the bus.
According to the present invention, there is also provided an image pick-up apparatus comprising: an image pick-up device that sequentially samples images formed on its image pick-up surface and outputs image pick-up results; and analog-to-digital conversion means for converting the image pick-up results into digital chrominance signals of red, green and blue colors and outputting them to a bus for external equipment, wherein the analog-to-digital conversion means generates the digital chrominance signals upon comparison with a reference voltage generated by a predetermined reference power supply, and varies the reference voltage so as to adjust the white balance of the digital chrominance signals.
Further, the foregoing image pick-up device may output the above-described image pick-up results at a horizontal scanning frequency and a vertical scanning frequency of a standard video signal.
Image pick-up results of the image pick-up device are converted into digital chrominance signals of red, green and blue colors, which are then output to the bus for external equipment. This makes it possible to eliminate a process for inversely converting a luminance signal and the like to a chrominance signal in external equipment or an interface for connecting the apparatus and the external equipment. Also, the image pick-up device sequentially samples image pick-up results at a timing in synchronization with the clock of the bus, and the analog-to-digital conversion means generates digital chrominance signals relative to a timing in synchronization with the clock of the bus. Accordingly, the digital chrominance signals can be directly output to the external bus.
Further, the analog-to-digital conversion means, which converts image pick-up results into digital chrominance signals of red, green and blue colors, generates the digital chrominance signals based on a comparison with a reference voltage generated by a predetermined reference supply, and also varies the reference voltage so as to adjust the white balance of the digital chrominance signals. This makes it possible to regulate the white balance during an analog-to-digital conversion operation without requiring adjustments of the level ratio of the chrominance signals.
In the above background, the foregoing image pick-up device outputs the above-described image pick-up results at a horizontal scanning frequency and a vertical scanning frequency of the standard video signal. This enables the use of integrated circuits and the like for processing standard video signals.
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IEEE Transactions on Consumer Electronics, “A Multimedia Color Camera Providing Multi-Format Digital Images”, vol. 39
Garber Wendy R.
Moe Aung S.
Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal
Sony Corporation
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