Color camera

Claim 2

A color camera comprising: image sensing means for receiving optical signals to produce two alternately different picture-pixel signals-a first picture-pixel signal and a second picture-pixel signal, the first picture-pixel signal being composed of repeated combination of two different color pixel informations which are shifted out with a repetition frequency of f in a horizontal synchronous interval of television signal, and the second picture-pixel signal being composed of repeated combination of the next two different color pixel informations which are different from the two different color pixel informations in the first picture-pixel signal and are shifted out with a repetition frequency of f in the next coming horizontal synchronous interval of the television signal-; analog to digital (A/D) converting means for receiving said two alternately different picture-pixel signals to produce two alternate digital picture-pixel signals; digital chrominance signal processing means for receiving said two alternate digital picture-pixel signals to produce two independent digital chrominance-difference signals; digital luminance signal processing means for receiving said two alternate digital picture-pixel signals to produce a digital luminance signal; color television signal encoding means for receiving said two independent digital chrominance-difference signals and said digital luminance signal to produce a coler television signal; control circuit means for generating first, second, third and fourth timing pulse systems in accordance with the timing of said driving means, said timing pulse systems respectively controlling said A/D converting means, said digital chrominance signal processing means, said digital luminance signal processing means and said color television signal encoding meansi and driving means for driving said image sensing means, said color television signal encoding means and said control circuit means.

Claim 3

The color camera according to claim 1, wherein said digital chrominance signal processing means comprises: one horizontal digital memory means; first digital chrominance signal detection means; second digital chrominance signal detection means and data-path multiplex means, and said two alternate digital picture-pixel signals are applied to said first digital chrominance signal detection means and said one horizontal digital memory means, output signals from said one horizontal digital memory means being applied to said second digital chrominance signal detection means, and output signals from said first and second digital chrominance signal detecting means being respectively applied to said data-path multiplex means.

Claim 4

The color camera according to claim 1, wherein said image sensing means has an optical color filter which is placed on a sensing surface of said sensing means, and first combination of colors for one horizontal sensing direction are arranged in A, B, A, B, ... color order and second combination of colors for the next coming horizontal sensing direction are arranged in C, D, C, D, ... color order, said first and second combinations being repeated alternately toward a vertical sensing direction.

Claim 5

The color camera according to claim 1, wherein said A/D converting means comprises: an analog switch circuit coupled to said image sensing means for receiving A or C color informations of picture-pixel signals on first input and B or D color informations of picture-pixel signals on second input to produce mixed stream to analog picture-pixel signals on said output; and an analog to digital (A/D) converting circuit coupled to said output of said analog switch circuit for receiving said mixed stream of analog picture-pixel signals to produce said two alternate digital picture-pixel signals, said analog switch being switched alternately between said first and second inputs at a repetition frequency of f c /2, and a data conversion rate of said A/D converting circuit being chosen to a frequency of f c which is synchronized with said frequency of f c /2.

Claim 6

The color camera according to claim 1, wherein said A/D converting means comprises: a first analog to digital (A/D) converting circuit coupled to said image sensing means for receiving A or C color-informations of picture-pixel signals to produce digitalized A or C color informations; a second analog to digital (A/D) converting circuit coupled to said image sensing means for receiving B or D color-informations of picture-pixel signals to produce digitalized B or D color-informations; a first digital latch circuit coupled to said first A/D converting circuit for receiving said digitalized A or C color informations; and a second digital latch circuit coupled to said second A/D converting circuit for receiving said digitalized B or D color informations, outputs of said first and second digital latch circuits being coupled together, and an operating timing of said first A/D converting circuit and said first digital latch circuit and an operating timing of said second A/D converting circuit and said second digital latch circuit being alternately synchronized to produce said two alternate digital picture-pixel signals.

Claim 7

The color camera according to claim 1, wherein said digital luminance signal processing means comprises: a digital luminance processing circuit coupled to said A/D converting means for receiving said two alternate digital picture-pixel signals to produce a basic digital luminance signal; and a digital-gamma correction circuits coupled to said digital luminance processing circuit for receiving said basic-digital luminance signal to produce said digital luminance signal.

Claim 8

The color camera according to claim 1, wherein said color television signal encoding means comprises: first digital to analog signal (D/A) converting means coupled to said digital chrominance signal processing means for receiving one of said two independent digital chrominance-difference signals to produce a first analog chrominance-difference signal; second digital to analog signal (D/A) converting means coupled to said digital chrominance signal processing means for receiving the other of said two independent digital chrominance-difference signals to produce a second analog chrominance-difference signal; third digital to analog signal (D/A) converting means coupled to said digital luminance signal processing means for receiving said digitalized luminance signal to produce an analog luminance signal; modulated chrominance signal producing means coupled to said first and second D/A converting means for receiving said first and second analog chrominance-difference signal to produce a modulated analog chrominance signal; and mixing means coupled to said third D/A converting means and said modulated chrominance signal producing means for receiving said analog luminance signal and modulated analog chrominance signal to produce said color television signal, first informations of chroma burst frequency and horizontal synchronous interval being applied to said modulated chrominance signal producing means, second informations of horizontal synchronous interval, vertical synchronous interval and luminance level-clip signal being supplied to said D/A converting means, and said first and second informations designating to said timing pulse system which are generated in accordance with the timing of said driving means.

Claim 9

A color camera comprising: image sensing means for receiving optical signals to produce two alternately different picture-pixel signals-a first picture-pixel signal and a second picture-pixel signal, the first picture-pixel signal being composed of repeated combination of two different color pixel informations which are shifted out with a repetition frequency of f in a horizontal synchronous interval of television signal, and the second picture-pixel signal being composed of repeated combination of the next two different color pixel informations which are different from the two different color pixel informations in the first picture-pixel signal and are shifted out with a repetition frequency of f c in the next coming horizontal synchronous interval of the television signal-; analog to digital (A/D) converting means for receiving said two alternately different picture-pixel signals to produce two alternate digital picture-pixel signals; digital chrominance signal processing means for receiving said two alternate digital picture-pixel signals to produce two independent digital chrominance-difference signals; digital luminance signal processing means for receiving said two alternate digital picture-pixel signals to a produce digital luminance signal; color television signal encoding means for receiving said two independent digital chrominance-difference signals and said digital luminance signal to produce a color television signal; control circuit means for generating first, second, third and fourth timing pulse systems in accordance with the timing of said driving means, said timing pulse systems respectively controlling said A/D converting means, said digital chrominance signal processing means, said digital luminance signal processing means and said color television signal encoding means; and driving means for driving said image sensing means, said color television signal encoding means and said control circuit means, wherein said digital chrominance signal processing means comprises: one horizontal digital memory means which receives the output signal of said A/D converting means; first digital chrominance-difference signal processing means which receives the output signal of said A/D converting means; second digital chrominance-difference signal processing means which receives the output signal of said first chrominance-difference signal processing means; digital chrominance-difference signal switching means which receives the output signals of said first and second digital chrominance-difference signal processing means and obtains therefrom a first and a second digital chrominance-difference signals; and digital white balance means which is inserted in a signal transmission path from said A/D converting means through said first digital chrominance-difference signal processing means to said one horizontal digital signal memory means or in the other signal transmission path from said digital chrominance-difference signal switching means to said color television signal encoding means.

Claim 10

A color camera comprising: image sensing means for receiving optical signals to produce two alternately different picture-pixel signals-a first picture-pixel signal and a second picture-pixel signal, the first picture-pixel signal being composed of repeated combination of two different color pixel informations which are shifted out with a repetition frequency of f in a horizontal synchronous interval of television signal, and the second picture-pixel signal being composed of repeated combination of the next two different color pixel informations which are different from the two different color pixel informations in the first picture-pixel signal and are shifted out with a repetition frequency of f c in the next coming horizontal synchronous interval of the television signal-; analog to digital (A/D) converting means for receiving said two alternately different picture-pixel signals to produce two alternate digital picture-pixel signals; digital chrominance signal processing means for receiving said two alternate digital picture-pixel signals to produce two independent digital chrominance-difference signals; digital luminance signal processing means for receiving said two alternate digital picture-pixel signals to a produce digital luminance signal; color television signal encoding means for receiving said two independent digital chrominance-difference signals and said digital luminance signal to produce a color television signal; control circuit means for generating first, second, third and fourth timing pulse systems in accordance with the timing of said driving means, said timing pulse systems respectively controlling said A/D converting means, said digital chrominance signal processing means, said digital luminance signal processing means and said color television signal encoding means; and driving means for driving said image sensing means, said color television signal encoding means and said control circuit means, wherein said digital chrominance signal processing means comprises: one horizontal digital memory means which receives the output signal of said A/D converting means; first digital chrominance-difference signal processing means which receives the output signal of said A/D converting means; second digital chrominance-difference signal processing means which receives the output signal of said first chrominance-difference signal processing means; digital chrominance-difference signal switching means which receives the output signals of said first and second digital chrominance-difference signal processing means and obtains therefrom a first and a second digital chrominance-difference signals; and digital white balance means which is inserted in a signal transmission path from said A/D converting means through said first digital chrominance-difference signal processing means to said one horizontal digital signal memory means or in the other signal transmission path from said digital chrominance-difference signal switching means to said color television signal encoding means.

Claim 11

The color camera according to claim 8, wherein said image sensing means has an optical color filter which is placed on a sensing surface of said sensing means, and first combination of colors for one horizontal sensing direction are arranged in magenta, green, magenta, green, ... color order, and second combination of colors for the next coming horizontal sensing direction are arranged in yellow, cyan, yellow, cyan, ... color order, said first and second combinations of colors being repeated alternately toward a vertical sensing direction.

Claim 12

The color camera according to claim 8, wherein said digital luminance signal processing means comprises: a digital luminance signal processing circuit which receives a digital picture-pixel signal from said A/D converting means and a delayed picture-pixel signal from said one horizontal digital memory means; and digital gamma-correction means which performs gamma correction of the output signal of said digital luminance signal.

Claim 13

The color camera according to claim 10, wherein said digital luminance signal processing circuit comprises: a one picture-pixel shift circuit for selectively shifting the input digital picture-pixel signal by one bit; and a digital addition circuit for adding the input digital picture-pixel signal remaining unshifted by said one picture-pixel shift circuit with the output digital picture-pixel signal of said one picture-pixel shift circuit.

Claim 14

The color camera according to claim 11, wherein said one picture-pixel shift circuit comprises: a first digital latch circuit which receives the input digital picture-pixel signal; and a second and a third digital latch circuits which receive the output signal of said first digital latch circuit selectively at a specified timing, the output signals of said second and third latch circuits being applied to said digital addition circuit.

Claim 15

The color camera according to claim 10, wherein said digital luminance signal processing circuit comprises: a first luminance signal correction circuit for digitally adding the digital picture-pixel signals; a second luminance signal correction circuit for digitally adding the delayed digital picture-pixel signals from said one horizontal digital memory means; and an addition-averaging circuit for adding and averaging the output signals of said first and second luminance signal correction circuits.

Claim 16

The color camera according to claim 13, wherein said first and second luminance signal correction circuits each comprises: a one picture-pixel shift circuit for selectively shifting the input digital picture-pixel signals by one bit; and a digital addition circuit for adding the digital picture-pixel signal remaining unshifted by said one picture-pixel shift circuit with the output digital picture-pixel signal of said one picture-pixel shift circuit.

Claim 17

The color camera according to claim 14, wherein said one picture-pixel shift circuit comprises: a first digital latch circuit which receives the input digital picture-pixel signals; and a second and a third digital latch circuits which receive the output signal of said first digital latch circuit selectively at a specified timing, the output signals of said second and third latch circuits being applied to said digital addition circuit.

Claim 18

The color camera according to claim 8, wherein said digital white balance means is inserted into the signal transmission path from said A/D converting means through said first digital chrominance-difference signal processing means to said one horizontal digital memory means, and comprises: a digital multiplication circuit which receives the digital picture-pixel signal from said A/D converting means; a first, a second, a third and a fourth digital latch circuits ; and a digital latch switching circuit, said first through fourth digital latch circuits each being activated in turn by said digital latch switching circuit in synchronization with the timing when four different digital picture-pixel signals are given to said digital multiplication circuit, whereby white balance multiplying term corresponding to said four different digital picture-pixel signals are multiplied by said four different digital picture-pixel signals.

Claim 19

The color camera according to claim 8, wherein said digital white balance means is inserted into the signal transmission path from said digital chrominance-difference signal switching means to said color television signal encoding means, and comprises a first and a second digital multiplication circuits each of which is applied with the digital chrominance-difference signal, from said digital chrominance-difference signal switching means and digital white balance control signal respectively as multiplied values.

Claim 20

The color camera according to claim 8, wherein said first and second digital chrominance-difference signal processing means comprises: a one picture-pixel shift circuit for selectively shifting the input digital picture-pixel signals by one bit; a one picture-pixel inverting circuit for inverting the output digital picture-pixel signals of said one picture-pixel shift circuit; and a digital addition circuit for adding the input digital picture-pixel signal remaining unshifted by said one picture-pixel shift circuit with the output digital picture-pixel signal of said one picture-pixel inverting circuit.

Claim 21

The color camera according to claim 18, wherein said one picture-pixel shift circuit comprises: a first digital latch circuit which receives the input digital picture-pixel signals; a second and a third latch circuits each of which receives the output signal of said first digital latch circuit selectively at a specified timing, the output signal of said second digital latch circuit being directly applied to said digital addition circuit, and the output signal of said third digital latch circuit being applied to said digital addition circuit through said one picture-pixel inverting circuit.

Claim 22

The color camera according to claim 8, wherein said one horizontal digital memory means comprises: a random access memory circuit; a plurality of digital latch circuits connected as an input-and-output interface for said random access memory circuit; an address counter circuit for determining read and write addresses at said random access memory; and a timing pulse generating circuit for controlling said address counter circuit.

Claim 23

The color camera according to claim 8, wherein said one horizontal digital memory means comprises a plurality of digital shift registers.

Claim 24

The color camera according to claim 8, wherein said digital chrominance-difference signal switching means comprises: a first and a second digital latch circuits which receive the output signal of said first digital chrominance-difference signal processing means; and a third and a fourth digital latch circuits which receive the output signal of said second digital chrominance-difference signal processing means, the outputs of said first and third digital latch circuits being connected in common and the outputs of said second and fourth digital latch circuits being connected in common, and the timing for switching output gates of said first and fourth digital latch circuits being opposite to the timing for switching output gates of said second and third digital latch circuits in synchronization with the horizontal synchronizing periods.

Claim 25

The color camera according to claim 8, wherein said color television signal encoding means comprises: a first and a second digital-to-analog (D/A) converting circuits for converting digital chrominance-difference signals from said digital chrominance signal processing means to analog chrominance-difference signals, respectively; a third digital-to-analog (D/A) converting circuit and a synchronizing pulse generating circuit, for converting the digital luminance signal from said digital luminance signal processing means to a standard black-and-white television signal; a chrominance-difference signal modulation circuit for generating a chrominance signal which is phase-modulated by two independent phase-modulation axes from the analog chrominance-difference signals from said first and second D/A converting circuits; and an encoding circuit for generating a standard color television signal from said standard black-and-white television signal and said phase-modulated chrominance signal.