Video printer

• US 4,920,423 A
• Filed: 07/05/1988
• Issued: 04/24/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Shiota, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): MCELHENY JR, DONALD E
• Application Number:
  US07/215,145
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• Field of Search: 360/14.1, 360/14.3, 360/15, 360/33.1, 358/310, 358/311, 358/335, 358/22, 358/75, 358/105, 358/108, 358/78
• US Class Current: 386/326
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2227/005 Matrix print; Index print
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00283 with a television apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/387 Composing, repositioning or otherwise geometrically modifying originals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/147 Scene change detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/937 by assembling picture element blocks in an intermediate store

Abstract

A video printer for making a print of main frames of different scenes of a video motion picture or animation recorded on a video tape, video floppy or the like can detect automatically one frame for each scene. For detecting a scene transition, the video printer is provided with a frame comparing device for comparing video signals of every pair of two adjacent frames reproduced time serially to provide a signal representative of the degree of correlation thereof. A judging device determines that there is a scene transition when the frame comparing device provides a signal larger than a preset signal. The video printer makes a print of a first frame reproduced after a lapse of a predetermined time period after the detection of the transition of scene. The main frames of the different scenes are printed as a composite image to provide an index print for demonstrating the contents of a video tape.

Claims

1. A video printer for making a hard copy of one of a plurality of continuous video images recorded in a video image recording medium, said video printer comprising:

means for detecting a value substantially corresponding to a degree of correlation between each pair of adjacent frames of said continuous video images reproduced time serially.

means for comparing said detected value with a preset value; and

means for making a hard copy of a frame which is reproduced a predetermined time period later if said comparing means outputs a comparison value indicative of said detected value being smaller than said preset value.

2. A video printer as defined in claim 1, further including means for copying a plurality of said frames as a single hard copy of a composite image.

3. A video printer as defined in claim 2, further comprising memory means for storing, as video signals, said frame to be copied.

4. A video printer as defined in claim 3, wherein said memory means stores a plurality of said frames as composed video signals which are copied as a single hard copy of a composite image.

5. A video printer as defined in claim 1, wherein said detected value is the reciprocal of a mean value of differences of video signals between respective picture elements of said each two adjacent frames.

6. A video printer as defined in claim 2, wherein said detected value is the reciprocal of a total value of differences of video signals between respective picture elements of said each two adjacent frames.

7. A video printer for making hard copy of one of a plurality of continuous video images recorded in a video image recording medium, said video printer comprising:

means for detecting a value substantially corresponding to a degree of correlation between each two adjacent frames of said continuous video images as time serially reproduced.

means for comparing said detected value with a first value and with a second preset value smaller than said first value, respectively; and

means for making a hard copy of one of said each two adjacent frames for which said detected value is larger than said second preset value after a detection of any two adjacent frames of which said detected value is smaller than said first preset value.

8. A video printer as defined in claim 7, wherein said hard copy making means makes hard copy of a frame reproduced at a lapse of a predetermined time period when said detecting means detects no value larger than said second preset value.

9. A video printer as defined in claim 7, further including means for copying a plurality of said frames as a single hard copy of a composite image.

10. A video printer as defined in claim 8, further including means for copying a plurality of said frames as a single hard copy of a composite image.

11. A video printer as defined in claim 7, further comprising memory means for storing, as video signals, said frame to be copied.

12. A video printer as defined in claim 8, further comprising memory means for storing as video signals, said frame to be copied.

13. A video printer as defined in claim 11, wherein said memory means stores a plurality of said frames as composed video signals which are copied as a single hard copy of a composite image.

14. A video printer as defined in claim 7, wherein said value is the reciprocal of a mean value of difference of video signals between respective picture elements of said each tow adjacent frames.

15. A video printer as defined in claim 7, wherein said value is the reciprocal of a total value of differences of video signals between respective picture elements of said each two adjacent frames.