Imaging apparatus including means for converting red, green, and

Details Imaging apparatus including means for converting red, green, and Imaging apparatus including means for converting red, green, and

1996-04-26

1998-05-05

Burgess, Glenton B.

Television

Camera, system and detail

Combined image signal generator and general image signal...

348266, 348273, 348441, H04N 701

Patent

active

057482357

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus using a charge coupled device (referred to as a CCD) and particularly, to an imaging apparatus for producing a video signal of high resolution with a CCD.


BACKGROUND ART

Imaging apparatuses with CCD are well known for viewing an object and in response, producing a video signal. Such known imaging apparatuses will now be described referring to FIGS. 1 and 2.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the imaging apparatus of single array type provided with one CCD for producing a video signal.
Light emanated from an object is introduced from an optical system 1 and transmitted through a color filter 2 to a CCD 3. The color filter 2 is a complementary color filter assembly comprising, for example, a yellow filter, a cyan filter, and a magenta filter. The object emanated light is then subjected to photoelectric process in the CCD 3 before transferred as a video signal to a video amplifier 4. The video signal is amplified by the video amplifier 4 to a predetermined level and sent to an A/D converter circuit 5 where it is converted to a digital signal of a given bit format. The digital video signal from the A/D converter circuit 5 is further transmitted to a color separator circuit 6.
The color separator circuit 6 divides the digital video signal into three, R, G, and B, signal components which are then fed to a signal processor circuit 7. The signal processor circuit 7 performs common signal processing and matrix operations over the R, G, and B signal components to yield a luminance signal Y and two color-difference signals R-Y and B-Y. The R-Y and B-Y signals of the signal processor circuit 7 are then transferred to a modulator circuit 8.
The modulator circuit 8 operates orthogonal two-axis (two-phase) modulation of a chrominance subcarrier with the R-Y and B-Y signals to produce a carrier chrominance signal (referred to as a chroma signal) which is then supplied to one of two inputs of an adder 9. The other input of the adder 9 receives the Y signal from the signal processor circuit 7. The chroma signal from the modulator circuit 8 and the Y signal from the processor circuit 7 are combined to a digital composite video signal which is released from an output terminal 10.
The conventional imaging apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is equipped with the single CCD for converting the object emanated light into the R, G, and B signal components, thus minimizing its overall size and weight and being portable. However, the R, G, and B signal components are derived from a limited number of photoelectric elements or pixels where each color component is assigned to a small group of the pixels and their resultant signal or the digital composite signal at the output terminal 10 will relatively be low in the resolution.
For increasing the resolution, three-array type has been proposed including three CCDs. The three-array type of a conventional imaging apparatus will be explained referring to FIG. 2.
As shown in FIG. 2, light emanated from an object is introduced through an optical system 21 to a color separator prism 22. The color separator prism 22 divides the object emanated light into three, red, green, and blue, colors which are then transferred to a red CCD 23, a green CCD 24, and a blue CCD 25 respectively.
The red, green, and blue CCDs 23, 24, 25 convert their respective red, green, and blue light inputs by photoelectric processing to thee, R, G, and B signal components respectively. The R, G, and B signal components are transmitted to three video amplifiers 26, 27, and 28 respectively where they are amplified to predetermined levels before sent to three A/D converter circuits 29, 30, and 31 respectively. In their respective A/D converter circuits 29, 30, and 31, the R, G, and B signal components are converted to digital signals which all are transferred to a signal processor circuit 32.
The signal processor circuit 32 performs common signal processing and matrix operations over the R, G, and B signal components to yield a luminance signal Y and

REFERENCES:
patent: 4661850 (1987-04-01), Strolle et al.
patent: 5309227 (1994-05-01), Inoue
patent: 5379072 (1995-01-01), Kondo
patent: 5521636 (1996-05-01), Nakayama et al.
patent: 5541651 (1996-07-01), Iura et al.
patent: 5546194 (1996-08-01), Ross

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Imaging apparatus including means for converting red, green, and does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Imaging apparatus including means for converting red, green, and, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Imaging apparatus including means for converting red, green, and will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-59829