Low resolution verifier for a still video image

• US 4,876,590 A
• Filed: 06/17/1988
• Issued: 10/24/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Parulski, Kenneth A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Groody, James J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/208,303
• Time in Patent Office: 494 Days
• Field of Search: 358/41, 358/44, 358/43
• US Class Current: 348/281
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/00 Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/134 based on three different wavelength filter elements

Abstract

Video imaging apparatus provides a relatively lower resolution verification image from a high resolution image sensor. By orienting a color filter array so that the luminance (green) elements are arranged in same-color stripes parallel to the horizontal scanning direction, the luminance elements may be subsampled for greater flexibility in generating the lower resolution image. A memory stores the discrete image signals from the image sensor and accesses the signals in two modes: a high resolution recording mode for addressing substantially all the image signals and a low resolution display mode for addressing only those signals from lines of same-color (green) filter elements. The low resolution addressing can be based on a variety of line sampling patterns corresponding to the line capability and horizontal resolution of a display device.

Claims

1. Imaging apparatus for generating a lower resolution verification image signal from a higher resolution image source, said imaging apparatus comprising:

an area image sensor having a plurality of light-sensitive areas arranged two-dimensionally in parallel lines each oriented lengthwise in the horizontal high speed scanning direction;

a color filter array having a pattern of at least one line of same-color luminance filter elements oriented in the horizontal scanning direction adjacent to at least one line of chrominance filter elements including at least one other color oriented in the horizontal scanning direction;

means for scanning said image sensor and generating an output signal comprising a plurality of discrete image signals corresponding to the plurality of light-sensitive areas, said output signal comprising a line-separated pattern of luminance image signals and chrominance image signals; and

means for generating a low resolution verification image signal from all or a portion of the luminance signals from said lines of same-color luminance filter elements.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which said color filter array comprises a vertically-repetitive pattern of at least one line of green filter elements oriented in the horizontal scanning direction adjacent to at least one line of alternating red and blue filter elements also oriented in the horizontal scanning direction.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which said color filter array comprises a vertically-repetitive pattern of three lines of green filter elements and one line of alternating red and blue filter elements, all oriented in the horizontal scanning direction.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a display device for generating a low resolution verification display from the low resolution verification signal.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 in which said display device accommodates fewer lines of image than provided by said area image sensor.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 in which said image sensor comprises a high definition line array of approximately 1000 or more lines and said display device accommodates a standard video rate of approximately 525 lines.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising memory means for receiving the output signal generated by said scanning means, said low resolution verification image signal being generated from all or a portion of the luminance image signals stored in said memory means.

8. Imaging apparatus for generating an electrical image of an object, for verifying the appearance of the image and for recording the image, said imaging apparatus comprising:

an area image sensor having a plurality of light-sensitive areas arranged two-dimensionally in parallel lines each oriented lengthwise in the horizontal high speed scanning direction;

a color filter array having a vertically-repetitive pattern of at least one line of same-color filter elements oriented in the horizontal scanning direction and a line of filter elements including at least one other color also oriented in the horizontal scanning direction;

means for scanning said image sensor and generating an output signal comprising a plurality of discrete signals corresponding to the plurality of light-sensitive areas, said output signal comprising a repetitive color video sequence of at least one line of the same color and one line including said other color;

memory means for receiving the output signal and for storing the discrete image signals in line sequence;

means for selectively addressing the memory means in either (A) a high resolution mode or (B) a low resolution mode, said high resolution mode including the addressing of substantially all image signals and said low resolution mode including the addressing of all or fewer image signals from only said lines of same-color filter elements;

means activating said high resolution mode for recording substantially all the discrete image signals stored in said memory means; and

means activating said low resolution mode for displaying all or fewer of the image signals of the same color.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 in which said color filter array includes a vertically-repetitive pattern of three lines of luminance-responsive filter elements and one line of chrominance-responsive filter elements, all oriented in the horizontal scanning direction.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 further comprising a display device for displaying a low resolution image in response to said low resolution mode.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 in which said low resolution mode is the standard NTSC video line rate and the high resolution mode is a line rate of approximately 1000 or more lines.