Video field-production camera control system

• US 5,325,202 A
• Filed: 04/13/1993
• Issued: 06/28/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kinya Washino
• Original Assignee: Kinya Washino
• Inventors: Washino, Kinya
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan J.
• Application Number:
  US08/045,255
• Time in Patent Office: 441 Days
• Field of Search: 358/185, 358/149, 358/160, 358/86, 358/181, 358/210, 358/83, 358/335, 358/86
• US Class Current: 348/222.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices

Abstract

A video field-production control system is adapted for use with video cameras supplied by various manufacturers, including cameras that utilize cable-oriented remote-control units associated with electronic news gatherings (ENG). An industry standard mounting frame holds a central control unit with interface modules dedicated to each camera to be used by the system, as well as a power supply, master synchronization generator and production switcher, all common to each installed interface module. In addition to providing customized connecters and cables to the attached equipment, each module provides for cable compensation and gain adjustment of composite and component video signals from the camera to the switcher plus phase adjustment of the master sync signal to the camera through an adapter further capable of providing the voltages necessary to power the camera.

Claims

1. A video field-production camera control system adapted for use in conjunction with equipment of varying configuration, including a master sync generator operative to generate a master synchronization signal, a production switcher unit operative to provide a program video-out signal by selecting among video input signals, and video cameras, including cameras that utilize cable remote-control units, the control system comprising:

a mounting frame upon which said sync generator and said switcher unit may be mounted;

a power supply disposed on said frame;

a central control unit disposed on said frame and connected to the power supply, sync generator and production switcher, the control unit being adapted to accept a plurality of interface modules for installation therein, each module being connected through a cable to an adapter interfaced to a video camera to be used with the system, and each module being operative to;

route power from the power supply to the camera through the adapter;

adjust the phase of said master synchronization signal in accordance with an operator control and route the adjusted synchronization signal to the camera through the adapter; and

receive at least one composite or component video signal from the camera through the adapter, adjust for cable frequency compensation and gain in accordance with an operator control, and route the adjusted video signal to said production switcher.

2. The video field-production control system of claim 1 wherein a plurality of component video signals are received by each module from the adapter connected thereto.

3. The video field-production control system of claim 1 wherein said adapter is further operative to derive a voltage required to operate said camera from the voltage supplied by said power supply.

4. The video field-production control system of claim 1 wherein the operator control in each interface module associated with adjusting the phase of said master synchronization signal provides for horizontal phase adjustment and subcarrier phase adjustment.

5. The video field-production control system of claim 1 wherein each interface module further includes a tally lamp connected to a tally-in signal from the production switcher and wherein said module further provides a tally-out signal to the camera through the adapter, the lamp being illuminated and the tally-out signal being asserted when the camera associated with said interface module has been selected.

6. The video field-production control system of claim 1 wherein each interface module further includes a VTR record start/stop switch connected to a record start/stop signal from the camera through the adapter, said switch being operative to activate and de-activate a video tape recorder dedicated to the camera associated with each module.

7. A video field-production control system adapted for use in conjunction with related equipment of varying configuration, including a master sync generator operative to generate a master synchronization signal, a production switcher unit operative to provide a program video out signal by selecting among video input signals and cable-remote-controlled video cameras, the control system comprising:

a framework having installed thereon a power supply, said master sync generator, said production switcher, and a plurality of interface modules, each being connected to the power supply, sync generator and production switcher, and each module including;

a chassis with a panel having disposed thereon a plurality of connectors, including a camera connector, a remote connector and video-out connectors;

an adapter and camera cable used to connect a video camera to the camera connector, thereby enabling said cable to carry power, synchronization and control signals to the camera and video, audio and status signals from the camera to said module;

operator-adjustable cable-compensation circuitry disposed on said chassis and connected to said camera connector, said cable-compensation circuitry being operative to allow an operator to compensate each video signal from said camera in accordance with the length of said camera cable;

operator-adjustable amplification circuitry disposed on said chassis and connected between said cable-compensation circuitry and said video-out connectors, said amplification circuitry being operative to allow an operator to adjust the gain of each video signal;

operator-controlled phase-adjustment circuitry disposed on said chassis and connected between said master sync generator and said camera connector, said phase-adjustment circuitry being operative to allow an operator to adjust the phase of the synchronization signal delivered to said camera; and

a remote cable adapted to be connected between said remote connector and said remote unit, if supplied.

8. The video field production control system of claim 7 wherein said adapter further includes voltage regulation circuitry adapted to receive the output of said power supply through said camera cable and generate therefrom a voltage required to operate said camera.

9. The video field production control system of claim 7 wherein said video-out connectors include connectors for composite video and connectors associated with a component video standard.

10. A video field-production control system adapted for use in conjunction with equipment of varying configuration, including cable-remote-controlled video cameras, video tape recorders, sync generators of the type that provide a GENLOCK signal, and production video switchers operative, under user control, to provide a video-out signal by choosing among video-in signals, the control system comprising:

a framework having installed thereon said sync generator, said production switcher, a power supply operative to supply a DC voltage, and a central control unit connected to the power supply, sync generator and production switcher, the control unit being adapted to accommodate a plurality of interface modules for installation therein, each module including;

a chassis with a panel having disposed thereon a plurality of connectors, including a camera connector, a remote connector, a composite video-out connector, and component video-out connectors;

an adapter and camera cable used to connect a camera to the camera connector disposed on said module, thereby enabling the cable to carry power, synchronization and control signals to the camera and video, audio and status signals from the camera to said module, the adapter being operative to derive ally voltages necessary to operate the camera;

operator-adjustable cable-compensation circuitry disposed on said chassis and connected to said camera connector, said cable-compensation circuitry being operative to allow an operator to compensate each video signal carried by said camera cable in accordance with the-length of said cable;

operator-adjustable amplification circuitry disposed on said chassis and connected between said cable-compensation circuitry and said composite and said component video-out connectors, said amplification circuitry being operative to allow an operator to adjust the gain of each signal associated therewith;

operator-controlled phase-adjustment circuitry disposed on said chassis and connected between said master sync generator and said camera connector, said phase-adjustment circuitry being operative to allow an operator to adjust the horizontal phase and sub-carrier phase of the GENLOCK signal prior to its delivery to said camera.

a remote cable adapted to be connected between said remote connector and said remote unit.

11. The video field-production control system of claim 10 wherein said remote unit is of the electronic news gathering (ENG) type.

12. The video field-production control system of claim 10 wherein the voltage supplied by .said power supply is greater than 12 volts DC.

13. The video field-production control system of claim 10 wherein said adapter is capable of deriving both positive and negative voltages required to operate said camera.

14. The video field-production control system of claim 10 wherein the panel on each module chassis has further disposed thereon an intercom connector connected to said camera connector, thereby enabling an operator to communicate with the operator of the camera connected to that module.

15. The video field-production control system of claim 10 wherein each interface module further includes a tally lamp connected to a tally-in signal from the production switcher and wherein said module further provides a tally-out signal to the camera through the adapter, the lamp being illuminated and the tally-out signal being asserted when the camera associated with said interface module has been selected.

16. The video field-production control system of claim 10 wherein the panel on each module chassis has further disposed thereon a VTR connector connected to an output of said amplification circuitry, thereby enabling a video cassette recorder attached to said VTR connector to record a video signal produced by the camera connected to that module.

17. The video field-production control system of claim 16 wherein each interface module further includes a VTR record start/stop switch connected to a record start/stop signal from the camera through the adapter, said switch being operative to activate and de-activate said video tape recorder.