Superimposing circuit performing superimposing based on a color saturation level determined from color difference signals

• US 5,561,474 A
• Filed: 05/18/1995
• Issued: 10/01/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation), Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamada, Takeshi, Sugiura, Hiroaki, Kuno, Tetsuya, Kojima, Kazuaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miller, John W.
• Application Number:
  US08/443,759
• Time in Patent Office: 502 Days
• Field of Search: 348/586, 348/587, 348/598, 348/599, 348/601, 348/649, 348/652, 348/590, 348/591, 348/592
• US Class Current: 348/653
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/61 based on recognised objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/673 based on contrast or high frequency components of image signals, e.g. hill climbing method
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/675 comprising setting of focusing regions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/71 Circuitry for evaluating the brightness variation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/208 for compensating for attenuation of high frequency components, e.g. crispening, aperture distortion correction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2621 Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects during image pickup, e.g. digital cameras, camcorders, video cameras having integrated special effects capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/643 Hue control means, e.g. flesh tone control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/646 for image enhancement, e.g. vertical detail restoration, cross-colour elimination, contour correction, chrominance trapping filters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/75 Chroma key

Abstract

The color video camera has a processing circuit which converts electrical signals obtained from an imager into a luminance signal and color-difference signals. The color video camera further includes a memory which stores a table of values designating color saturation levels and corresponding to a specific hue of a background color. The memory outputs a color saturation level based on the color difference signals obtained by imaging an object on a background of the specific hue. This color saturation level is compared with the luminance signal, and based on the comparison results the luminance signal and color difference signals are separated into components corresponding to the background area and components corresponding to the object area.

Claims

1. A color video camera having a processing circuit for converting electrical signals obtained from an imager into a luminance signal and color-difference signals, comprising:

a memory, containing a table of values designating color saturation levels and corresponding to a specific hue of a prescribed background color, for outputting a color saturation level specified in accordance with the table using addresses associated with the color-difference signals input thereto, the color-difference signals being obtained by imaging an object on a background of the specific hue;

comparing means for comparing the color saturation level output of said memory with the luminance signal obtained by imaging the object on the background of the specific hue; and

means for separating the luminance signal and color-difference signals into components corresponding to the background area and components corresponding to the object area on the basis of the output of said comparing means.

2. A color video camera having a processing circuit for converting electrical signals obtained from an imager into a luminance signal and color-difference signals, comprising:

a memory for creating a table of values designating color saturation levels in accordance with an arbitrarily set background color of a specific hue, and outputting a color saturation level specified in accordance with the table using addresses associated with the color-difference signals input thereto, the color-difference signals being obtained by imaging an object on a background of the specific hue;

comparing means for comparing the color saturation level output of said memory with the luminance signal obtained by imaging the object on the background of the specific hue; and

means for separating the luminance signal and color-difference signals into components corresponding to the background area and components corresponding to the object area on the basis of the output of said comparing means.

3. A color video camera having a processing circuit for converting electrical signals obtained from an imager into a luminance signal and color-difference signals, comprising:

extracting means for extracting a portion of a background of a specific hue against which an object has been imaged;

storing means for storing the luminance and color-difference signals for the portion of the background extracted by said extracting means as a background color;

a look-up table, containing a table into which values designating color saturation levels specified in accordance with the output of said storing means are written, for outputting a color saturation level specified in accordance with the table using addresses associated with the color-difference signals input thereto, the color-difference signals being obtained by imaging the object on the background of the specific hue;

comparing means for comparing the color saturation level output of said look-up table with the luminance signal obtained by imaging the object on the background of the specific hue; and

means for separating the luminance signal and color-difference signals into components corresponding to the background area and components corresponding to the object area on the basis of the output of said comparing means.

4. A color video camera as set forth in claim 3, wherein said extracting means extracts the center area of a screen as the portion of the background and said storing means stores the luminance and color-difference signals for the extracted portion as the background color.

5. A color video camera as set forth in claim 3, further comprising:

cursor generating means for generating a cursor on a screen; and

cursor moving means for moving the cursor so as to detect a specific position on the screen,

wherein said extracting means extracts the detected position as the portion of the background and said storing means stores the luminance and color-difference signals for the extracted portion as the background color.

6. A color video camera having a processing circuit for converting electrical signals obtained from an imager into a luminance signal and color-difference signals, comprising:

mean calculating means for calculating mean values of the luminance and color-difference signals obtained by imaging an object on a background of a specific hue;

storing means for storing the output of said mean calculating means as a background color;

a memory, containing a table into which values designating color saturation levels specified in accordance with the output of said storing means are written, for outputting a color saturation level specified in accordance with the table using addresses associated with the color-difference signals input thereto;

comparing means for comparing the color saturation level output of said memory with the luminance signal; and

means for separating the luminance signal and color-difference signals into components corresponding to the background area and components corresponding to the object area on the basis of the output of said comparing means.

7. A color video camera as set forth in claim 6, wherein said mean calculating means calculates mean values of the luminanee and color-difference signals for a portion of a screen and said storing means stores the output of said mean calculating means as the background color.

8. A color video camera as set forth in claim 6, further comprising:

screen splitting means for splitting a screen,

wherein said mean calculating means calculates mean values of the luminanee and color-difference signals for one of the split screens produced by said screen splitting means and said storing means stores the output of said mean calculating means as the background color.