# US 5,347,371 A · Video camera with extraction unit for extracting specific portion of video signal > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,347,371 A - Document ID: US5347371A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 07/940,348 - Filed: 1992-09-03 - Granted: 1994-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 1991-09-03 - Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd. - Inventors: Ryuji Nishimura; Akihito Nishizawa; Mayuko Yamamoto; Takuya Imaide - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5347371A ## CPC - H04N 23/749: {by influencing the pick-up tube voltages} - H04N 5/2621: {Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects during image pickup, e.g. digital cameras, camcorders, video cameras having integrated special effects capability} - H04N 23/665: {involving internal camera communication with the image sensor, e.g. synchronising or multiplexing SSIS control signals} - H04N 23/70: Circuitry for compensating brightness variation in the scene - H04N 23/88: for colour balance, e.g. white-balance circuits or colour temperature control - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract A video camera for enabling improvement in automatic functions such as automatic white balancing and automatic focusing while controlling picture quality of a video image including a specific object of the video image and/or background thereof. The video camera includes 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. An extraction unit is provided for extracting a signal representative of a specific portion of the video signal of the signal processing circuit, and a control unit responsive to the signal extracted by the extraction unit effects control of at least one of the signal processing circuit and at least one input control parameter of the video camera in accordance therewith, thereby providing improvement in the picture quality. ## Claims ### Claim 1 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 irrespective of movement of the target object 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. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A video camera according to claim 1, wherein the signal processing circuit includes signal processing parameter means for controlling parameters of the processed video signal including at least one of degree of sharpness, frequency characteristic, signal level, white balance, degree of saturation and hue of a color signal thereof, the control means controlling the signal processing parameter means. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A video camera according to claim 1, wherein the at least one input control parameter of the video camera includes a parameter of at least one of focusing means, shutter means of an electronic shutter, a value of a stop, an iris characteristic, or a zoom ratio, the control means controlling the at least one input control parameter. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) A video camera according to claim 2, further comprising 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. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) A video camera according to claim 4, further comprising output means for outputting a result of recognition of the recognition means. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) A video camera according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the output means and the recognition means includes means for encoding the result of recognition and the output means includes means for superposing the encoded result of recognition on the video signal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) A video camera according to claim 6, wherein the output means output the result of recognition in the form of voice information on the video signal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) A video camera according to claim 4, wherein the at least one input control parameter of the video camera includes a parameter of at least one of focusing means, shutter means of an electronic shutter, a value of a stop, an iris characteristic, or a zoom ratio, the control means controlling the at least one input control parameter. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) A video camera according to claim 8, further comprising 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. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A video camera according to claim 9, further comprising output means for outputting a result of recognition of the recognition means. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) A video camera according to claim 10, wherein at least one of the output means and the recognition means includes means for encoding the result of recognition and the output means includes means for superposing the encoded result of recognition on the video signal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A video camera according to claim 11, wherein the output means output the result of recognition in the form of voice information on the video signal. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A video camera according to claim 1, wherein the extraction means extracts the specific portion of the target object by distinguishing the area on which the video signal coincides with a predetermined condition. ### Claim 14 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. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) A video camera according to claim 14, 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 in response to the signal extracted by the extraction means and effects a different control of at least one of the signal processing circuit and at least one input control parameter of the video camera for the remaining portion of the video signal. ### Claim 16 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. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) A video camera according to claim 16, further comprising output means for outputting a result of recognition of the recognition means. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) A video camera according to claim 17, wherein at least one of the output means and the recognition means includes means for encoding the result of recognition and the output means includes means for superposing the encoded result of recognition on the video signal. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) A video camera according to claim 18, wherein the output means output the result of recognition in the form of voice information on the video signal. ### Claim 20 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. ### Claim 21 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. ### Claim 22 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.