Method, Apparatus and System for Providing Reproducible Digital Imagery Products From Digitally Captured Images

• US 20090086100A1
• Filed: 05/25/2006
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Pines, Joshua, Kutcka, Chris
• Application Number:
  US12/085,262
• Publication Number:
  US 20090086100A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/624
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/253 Picture signal generating by scanning motion picture films or slide opaques, e.g. for telecine scanning details therefor H04N3/36 ; standard conversion therefor H04N7/0112

Abstract

The present invention provides a method, apparatus and system for the transfer of a digital video content captured by a digital motion picture camera (310) to reproducible digital imagery products such as digital dailies. In one embodiment, the present invention provides a log video signal of said digital video content using information regarding the dynamic range of at least one of said digital video content or said digital camera. Said log video signal comprises at least grey scale values of the colors of the original video content for enabling a quantitative assessment of the video content capture information for providing repeatable and reproducible values from which a cinematographer/director of photography could order the color correction or adjustment of the video content in a reproducible manner understood by a color correction specialist or “timer”.

Claims

1. A method for providing a reproducible digital imagery product of digital video content captured by a digital image capture device, comprising:

generating a log video signal representation of said digital video content using information regarding a dynamic range of at least one of said digital video content, a broadest range digital video content to be captured, said digital image capture device and a broadest range digital image capture device to be used to capture digital video content.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising mapping a full range of said log video signal representation to said dynamic range of said digital image capture device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising mapping a full range of said log video signal representation to said dynamic range of said digital video content.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising mapping a full range of said log video signal representation to said dynamic range of said broadest range digital image capture device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said log video signal representation comprises respective grey scale density values for color components of said digital video content.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising providing respective density offsets for said grey scale density values to color correct said log video signal representation of said digital video content.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said density offsets comprise linear offsets.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said density offsets are configured to provide values between 0 and 50 to emulate analog printer light offset values.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said log video signal representation is color corrected for a specific display environment.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein said log video signal representation provides grey scale values for the colors of said digital video content on a scene by scene basis.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said log video signal representation is used to create dailies.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said log video signal representation comprises a low resolution and low compression signal, which is acceptable for producing dailies.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said log video signal representation is stored on a video storage device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said log video signal representation is stored on a scene by scene basis.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said stored log video signal representation is used as a starting point for a digital intermediate.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying a display conversion to said log video signal representation.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said log video signal representation is able to be viewed on a calibrated display device such that the image on the display matches a final film print look.

18. A color device, comprising:

a processor and a memory configured to generate a respective log video signal representation of received digital video content using information regarding a dynamic range of at least one of said digital video content, a broadest range digital video content to be captured, a respective digital image capture device and a broadest range digital image capture device.

19. The color device of claim 18, further comprising:

a user interface configured to enable adjustment of density values of said log video signal representation to color correct said log video signal representation of said digital video content, said log video signal representation of said digital video content comprising grey scale density values for the colors of said digital video content.

20. The color device of claim 19, wherein said user interface comprises at least one of a wireless remote control, a pointing device, such as a mouse or a trackball, a voice recognition system, a touch screen, on screen menus, buttons, and knobs.

21. A system for providing a reproducible digital imagery product of digitally captured video content and color correction thereof, comprising:

a digital capture device configured to digitally capture said video content;

a color device configured to generate a respective log video signal representation of said video content using information regarding a dynamic range of at least one of said video content, a broadest range video content to be captured, said digital capture device and a broadest range digital capture device; and

a user interface configured to enable adjustment of density values of said log video signal representation to color correct said log video signal representation of said video content, said log video signal representation of said video content comprising respective grey scale density values for the colors of said video content.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising a storage means for storing a color corrected log video signal representation.

23. The system of claim 21, further comprising a storage means for storing said log video signal representation from said scanning device before said color correction.

24. The system of claim 21, further comprising a display for displaying a converted log video signal representation such that the image on the display matches a final film print look.