Video camera with extraction unit for extracting specific portion of video signal

A video camera comprising:

• means including an image pickup device and a signal processing circuit responsive thereto for processing the image picked up by the image pickup device and providing a video signal as an output;
• extraction means for extracting a signal representative of a specific portion of the video signal of the signal processing circuit;
• and
• control means responsive to the signal extracted by the extraction means for effecting control of at least one of the signal processing circuit and at least one input control parameter of the video camera in accordance therewith;
• wherein the control means effects control of at least one of the signal processing circuit and at least one input control parameter of the video camera for a remaining portion of the video signal which is not extracted by the extracting means.

A video camera comprising:

• means including an image pickup device and a single processing circuit responsive thereto for processing the image picked up by the image pickup device and providing a video signal as an output;
• extraction means for extracting a signal representative of a specific portion of the video signal of the signal processing circuit;
• control means responsive to the signal extracted by the extraction means for effecting control of at least one of the signal processing circuit and at least one input control parameter of the video camera in accordance therewith;
• and
• recognition means for recognizing the specific portion from the specific portion signal extracted by the extraction means, the control means being responsive to the recognition means for effecting control in accordance therewith.

A video camera comprising:

• means including an image pickup device and a signal processing circuit responsive thereto for processing circuit responsive thereto for processing the image picked up by the image pickup device and providing a video signal as an output;
• extraction means for extracting a signal representative of a specific portion of a target object of the video signal of the signal processing circuit and for automatically following the target object to extract the signal representative of the specific portion when the target object moves within the picked up image;
• and
• control means responsive to the signal extracted by the extraction means for effecting control of at least one of the signal processing circuit and at least one input control parameter of the video camera in accordance therewith.

A video camera comprising:

• means including an image pickup device and a signal processing circuit responsive thereto for processing the image picked up by the image pickup device and providing a video signal as an output;
• extraction means for extracting a signal representative of a specific portion of the video signal of the signal processing circuit;
• and
• control means responsive to the signal extracted by the extraction means for effecting control of at least a zoom control of the video camera in accordance therewith.

A video camera comprising:

• means including an image pickup device and a signal processing circuit responsive thereto for processing the image picked up by the image pickup device and providing a video signal as an output;
• extraction means for extracting a signal representative of a specific portion of a target object of the video signal of the signal processing circuit;
• and
• control means responsive to the signal extracted by the extraction means for controlling at least the signal processing circuit to modify at least one of a frequency characteristic, color, brightness, gain and size of the target object in accordance with the extracted signal.