Video camera imager and imager IC capable of plural kinds of double-Image processings
AssigneeMatsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
InventorsYuichiro Takahashi, Makoto Sube
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An inventive video camera imager supports an interlace scan mode, a dynamic range-widening scan (WS) mode and a sequential scan mode with a limited amount of circuitry. For this, a WS image signal of 2N lines and a sequential scan image signal of 2N lines (N is the number of scan lines of an image to be obtained) is used. Every other line of WS image signal is longer in exposure time than adjacent lines of the WS image signal. A simplified imager may support only interlace scan mode and sequential scan mode, or may support only WS mode and sequential scan mode.
Claims18
A method of supporting at least an interlace scan mode and a sequential scan mode in a single imager for use in a video camera wherein the imager includes a CCD portion, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) in response to a mode selection signal, causing said CCD portion to generating a corresponding one of an interlace scan image signal and a sequential scan image signal, said sequential scan image being comprised of 2N scan lines, where N is the number of scan lines of an image to be obtained;
- (b) synchronizing each pair of odd lines and even lines of a given image signal;
- (c) passing said interlace scan image signal in said interlace scan mode and said synchronized pair of odd and even lines of said given image signal in other scan mode;
- (d) doing ordinary image regulations such as contour correction in parallel to a first input image signal and a second input image signal to provide a first regulated image signal and a second regulated image signal;
- (e) in response to said mode selection signal indicating said sequential scan mode, generating a new sequential scan image signal from said first and second regulated image signals, which are regulated odd and even line signals in the mode;
- (f) in response to said mode selection signal indicating said sequential scan mode, adding said first and second regulated image signals (i.e., said regulated odd and even line signals) together to generate a new interlace scan image signal;
- and
- (g) outputting a regulated interlace scan image signal in said interlace scan mode and said new interlace scan image signal in said sequential scan mode.
A method of supporting at least a dynamic range-widening scan mode and a sequential scan mode in a single imager for use in a video camera wherein the imager includes a CCD portion, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) in response to a mode selection signal, causing said CCD portion to generating a corresponding one of a dynamic range-widening scan (WS) image signal of 2N lines and a sequential scan image signal of 2N lines, N being the number of scan lines of an image to be obtained, and every other line of said WS image signal being exposed longer than adjacent lines of said WS image signal;
- (b) synchronizing each pair of odd lines and even lines of a given image signal;
- (c) generating a dynamic range-widened image signal from said each pair of odd lines and even lines of said WS image signal in said WS mode;
- (d) doing ordinary image regulations such as contour correction in parallel to a first input image signal and a second input image signal to provide a first regulated image signal and a second regulated image signal;
- (e1) in said sequential scan mode, passing said synchronized pair of odd and even lines of said sequential scan image signal to said step (d);
- (e2) in said WS mode, passing said dynamic range-widened image signal to said step (d) as said first input image signal;
- (f) in response to said mode selection signal indicating said sequential scan mode, generating a new sequential scan image signal from said first and second regulated image signals, which are regulated odd and even line signals in the mode;
- (g) in response to said mode selection signal indicating said sequential scan mode, adding said first and second regulated image signals (i.e., said regulated odd and even line signals) together to generate a new interlace scan image signal;
- and
- (h) outputting a regulated dynamic range-widened image signal in said WS mode and said new interlace scan image signal in said sequential scan mode.
An imager, for use in a video camera, which supports at least an interlace scan mode and a sequential scan mode, the imager comprising:
- CCD means, responsive to a mode selection signal, for generating a corresponding one of an interlace scan image signal and a sequential scan image signal, said sequential scan image being comprised of 2N scan lines, where N is the number of scan lines of an image to be obtained;
- means for synchronizing each pair of odd lines and even lines of a given image signal;
- means for passing said interlace scan image signal in said interlace scan mode and said synchronized pair of odd and even lines of said given image signal in other scan mode;
- regulation means for doing ordinary image regulations such as contour correction in parallel to a first input image signal and a second input image signal to provide a first regulated image signal and a second regulated image signal;
- means, responsive to said mode selection signal indicating said sequential scan mode, for generating a new sequential scan image signal from said first and second regulated image signals, which are regulated odd and even line signals in the mode;
- means, responsive to said mode selection signal indicating said sequential scan mode, for adding said first and second regulated image signals (i.e., said regulated odd and even line signals) together to generate a new interlace scan image signal;
- and
- means for outputting a regulated interlace scan image signal in said interlace scan mode and said new interlace scan image signal in said sequential scan mode.
An imager, for use in a video camera, which supports at least a dynamic range-widening scan mode and a sequential scan mode, the imager comprising:
- CCD means, responsive to a mode selection signal, for generating a corresponding one of a dynamic range-widening scan (WS) image signal of 2N lines and a sequential scan image signal of 2N lines, N being the number of scan lines of an image to be obtained, and every other line of said WS image signal being exposed longer than adjacent lines of said WS image signal;
- means for synchronizing each pair of odd lines and even lines of a given image signal;
- means for generating a dynamic range-widened image signal from said each pair of odd lines and even lines of said WS image signal in said WS mode;
- regulation means for doing ordinary image regulations such as contour correction in parallel to a first input image signal and a second input image signal to provide a first regulated image signal and a second regulated image signal;
- means for, in said sequential scan mode, passing said synchronized pair of odd and even lines of said sequential scan image signal to said regulation means and for, in said WS mode, passing said dynamic range-widened image signal to said regulation means as said first input image signal;
- means, responsive to said mode selection signal indicating said sequential scan mode, for generating, as an output of the imager, a new sequential scan image signal from said first and second regulated image signals, which are regulated odd and even line signals in the mode;
- means, responsive to said mode selection signal indicating said sequential scan mode, for adding said first and second regulated image signals (i.e., said regulated odd and even line signals) together to generate a new interlace scan image signal;
- and
- means for outputting a regulated dynamic range-widened image signal in said WS mode and said new interlace scan image signal in said sequential scan mode.
An integrated circuit, for use in a video camera, which processes an image signal supplied from a CCD portion of the camera in a specified one of at least an interlace scan mode and a sequential scan mode wherein the CCD portion is capable of generating at least an interlace scan image signal and a sequential scan image signal, the sequential scan image being comprised of 2N scan lines, where N is the number of scan lines of an image to be obtained, the integrated circuit comprising:
- means for synchronizing each pair of odd lines and even lines of a given image signal;
- means for passing said interlace scan image signal in said interlace scan mode and said synchronized pair of odd and even lines of said given image signal in other scan mode;
- regulation means for doing ordinary image regulations such as contour correction in parallel to a first input image signal and a second input image signal to provide a first regulated image signal and a second regulated image signal;
- means, responsive to said mode selection signal indicating said sequential scan mode, for generating a new sequential scan image signal from said first and second regulated image signals, which are regulated odd and even line signals in the mode;
- means, responsive to said mode selection signal indicating said sequential scan mode, for adding said first and second regulated image signals (i.e., said regulated odd and even line signals) together to generate a new interlace scan image signal;
- and
- means for outputting a regulated interlace scan image signal in said interlace scan mode and said new interlace scan image signal in said sequential scan mode.
An integrated circuit, for use in a video camera, which processes an image signal supplied from a CCD portion of the camera in a specified one of at least a dynamic range-widening scan mode and a sequential scan mode wherein the CCD portion is capable of generating at least a dynamic range-widening scan (WS) image signal of 2N lines and a sequential scan image signal of 2N lines, N being the number of scan lines of an image to be obtained, and every other line of said WS image signal being exposed longer than adjacent lines of said WS image signal, the integrated circuit comprising:
- means for synchronizing each pair of odd lines and even lines of a given image signal;
- means for generating a dynamic range-widened image signal from said each pair of odd lines and even lines of said WS image signal in said WS mode;
- regulation means for doing ordinary image regulations such as contour correction in parallel to a first input image signal and a second input image signal to provide a first regulated image signal and a second regulated image signal;
- means for, in said sequential scan mode, passing said synchronized pair of odd and even lines of said sequential scan image signal to said regulation means and for, in said WS mode, passing said dynamic range-widened image signal to said regulation means as said first input image signal;
- means, responsive to said mode selection signal indicating said sequential scan mode, for generating, as an output of the imager, a new sequential scan image signal from said first and second regulated image signals, which are regulated odd and even line signals in the mode;
- means, responsive to said mode selection signal indicating said sequential scan mode, for adding said first and second regulated image signals (i.e., said regulated odd and even line signals) together to generate a new interlace scan image signal;
- and
- means for outputting a regulated dynamic range-widened image signal in said WS mode and said new interlace scan image signal in said sequential scan mode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.