Video camera and apparatus for extracting an object

• US 5,412,487 A
• Filed: 11/30/1993
• Issued: 05/02/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Mayuko, Nishimura, Ryuji, Imaide, Takuya
• Primary Examiner(s): BRINICH, STEPHEN M
• Application Number:
  US08/159,132
• Time in Patent Office: 518 Days
• Field of Search: 348/356, 348/362-364, 348/345, 348/349, 348/352, 348/354, 358/452-453
• US Class Current: 358/452
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/67 Focus control based on electronic image sensor signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/70 Circuitry for compensating brightness variation in the scene
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/749 by influencing the pick-up tube voltages
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/88 for colour balance, e.g. white-balance circuits or colour temperature control

Abstract

A video camera and apparatus for extracting an object from a video signal. The video camera and the extracting apparatus include units for setting a plurality of different parameters for distinguishing a plurality of areas in an input video signal according to the plurality of different set parameters, a unit for determining an extracting area in accordance with the plurality of areas distinguished by the setting units, and an extracting unit for generating extracting information for the extracting area for the video signal. The video camera includes a unit for controlling an operation of the video camera in accordance with the extracted information. Alternatively or additionally, the video camera includes a unit for indicating an area of a portion of an object viewed by a camera operator, a unit for sampling the video signal in the region of the indicated area, a unit for setting at least one parameter of the portion of the object in accordance with the sampled video signal, and an extracting unit for extracting at least the portion of the object in accordance with the set parameter. The video camera further includes a control unit for controlling an operation of the video camera in accordance with the extracted portion of the object.

Claims

1. A video camera for automatically controlling an operation of the video camera and for generating a video signal utilizing imaging means, comprising:

means for indicating an area of a specific portion of an object viewed by a camera operator;

means for sampling the video signal in the region of the indicated area;

means for setting at least one parameter of the specific portion of the object in accordance with the sampled video signal;

means for extracting at least the specific portion of the object from the video signal in accordance the set parameter; and

means for controlling the operation of the video camera in accordance with the extracted portion of the object of the video signal.

2. A video camera according to claim 1, wherein the indicating means includes a marker generator for displaying a marker in a view finder of the video camera, and the sampling means effects sampling of the video signal in the region of the indicated area in which the marker is located as displayed in the view finder.

3. A video camera according to claim 1, wherein the controlling means controls focusing of the video camera in accordance with the extracted portion of the object of the video signal.

4. A video camera according to claim 1, wherein the controlling means controls exposure for the video camera in accordance with the extracted portion of the object of the video signal.

5. A video camera according to claim 1, further comprising means for enabling electric zooming of at least the extracted specific portion of the object of the video signal.

6. A video camera according to claim 1, wherein the setting means includes a plurality of different parameter setting means for setting different parameters for distinguishing a plurality of areas of the video signal in accordance with the plurality of different set parameters, the extracting means including means for determining the object to be extracted in accordance with a combination of outputs of the plurality of different parameter setting means corresponding to the plurality of areas of the video signal.

7. A video camera according to claim 6, wherein the different parameter setting means includes a plurality of binarization means for generating respective binary signals indicating a plurality of different areas of the object of the video signal, and the extracting means includes means for generating a key signal in accordance with outputs of the binarization means in accordance with the set parameters for indicating the object to be extracted.

8. A video camera according to claim 6, wherein the extracting means includes a plurality of signal processing means for applying different signal processing to the video signal, and selecting means for selecting the processed signals as an output video signal in accordance with the object to be extracted.

9. A video camera according to claim 6, wherein the extracting means includes signal processing means for applying predetermined signal processing to the video signal, and the extracting means includes means for outputting the processed signal in accordance with one of the object to be extracted and other than the object to be extracted.

10. A video camera according to claim 9, wherein the extracting means applies no signal processing to the video signal for the object to be extracted.

11. A video camera according to claim 10, wherein the signal processing means provides an external video signal as the processed signal.

12. A video camera according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of means for setting different parameters set parameters representing a combination of ranges of chrominance and luminance for different areas of the video signal.

13. A video camera for automatically controlling an operation of the video camera and for generating a video signal utilizing imaging means, comprising:

means for setting a plurality of different parameters for distinguishing a plurality of areas in an input video signal provided by the imaging means according to the plurality of different set parameters;

means for determining an extracting area including at least one of the plurality of areas distinguished by the setting means;

extracting means for generating extracting information for the extracting area for the video signal; and

controlling means for controlling an operation of the video camera in accordance with the extracting information.

14. A video camera according to claim 13, wherein the controlling means controls a focusing operation of the video camera in accordance with the extracting information.

15. A video camera according to claim 13, wherein the controlling means controls an exposure operation for the video camera in accordance with the extracting information.

16. A video camera according to claim 13, further comprising means for enabling electric zooming of the extracting area in accordance with the extracting information.

17. A video camera according to claim 13, further comprising replacement means for replacing a portion of the video signal in accordance with a predetermined signal based on one of the extracting area and other than the extracting area in accordance with the extracting information.

18. A video camera according to claim 17, wherein the replacement means includes a plurality of signal processing means for applying predetermined signal processing to the video signal, and selector means for selecting an output signal from the processed video signal as the predetermined signal.

19. A video camera according to claim 13, wherein the means for setting a plurality of different parameters set different combinations of ranges of chrominance and luminance for different areas of the video signal.

20. A video camera according to claim 13, wherein the means for setting a plurality of different parameters include a plurality of binarization means for generating respective binary signals for indicating said plurality of different areas, and the extracting means generates extracting information in accordance with a plurality of outputs of the plurality of binarization means.

21. A video camera according to claim 13, further comprising means for indicating at least a portion of an extracting area by a video camera operator, means for sampling the input video signal in the region of the indicated area, and means for enabling extraction in accordance with the sampled signal.

22. A video camera according to claim 21, wherein the indicating means includes a marker generator for displaying a marker in a view finder of the video camera, and the sampling means samples the video signal in the region in which the marker is located as displayed on the view finder.

23. A video signal processing apparatus enabling extraction of an image of an object from an input video signal, comprising:

means for setting a plurality of different parameters for distinguishing a plurality of different areas in the input video signal according to the plurality of different set parameters;

means for determining an extracting area including at least one of the plurality of areas distinguished by the setting means; and

means for extracting an image of the object of the input video signal according to the determined extracting areas.

24. A video signal processing apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the setting means includes a plurality of binarization means for generating respective binary signals indicating a plurality of different areas of the object of the video signal, the determining means including means for generating a key signal in accordance with outputs of the binarization means in accordance with the set parameters for indicating the image of the object to be extracted.

25. A video signal apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the extracting means includes a plurality of signal processing means for applying different signal processing to the video signal, and selecting means for selecting the processed signals as an output video signal in accordance with the object to be extracted.

26. A video signal processing apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the extracting means includes signal processing means for applying predetermined signal processing to the video signal, and the extracting means includes means for outputting the processed signal in accordance with one of the object to be extracted and other than the object to be extracted.

27. A video signal processing apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the extracting means applies no signal processing to the video signal for the object to be extracted.

28. A video signal processing apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the signal processing means provides an external video signal as the processed signal.

29. A video signal processing apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the plurality of means for setting different parameters set parameters representing a combination of ranges of chrominance and luminance for different areas of the video signal.

30. A video signal processing apparatus according to claim 23, further comprising means for indicating an area of a specific portion of an object viewed by a camera operator, and means for sampling the input video signal in the region of the indicated area, the set parameters being set according to the sampled signal.

31. A video signal processing apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the video signal processing apparatus forms a part of a video camera having imaging means for generating the input video signal, the video signal processing apparatus providing an output video signal.

32. A video signal processing apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the video signal processing apparatus is part of a video tape recorder providing the input video signal, the video signal processing apparatus providing an output video signal from the input video signal reproduced from a magnetic tape.