Edge enhancement circuit

• US 6,453,076 B1
• Filed: 01/27/1999
• Issued: 09/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nakajima, Takatsugu
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BRINICH, STEPHEN M
• Application Number:
  US09/238,095
• Time in Patent Office: 1,329 Days
• Field of Search: 382/266-269, 382/199, 382/254, 382/260, 348/606, 348/625, 348/628-629, 358/409, 358/412, 358/447
• US Class Current: 382/266
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/142 Edging; Contouring

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an edge enhancement circuit which is capable of reducing required memory capacity and power consumption. An input analog video signal HVa is sampled based on a clock signal CLK_H1, to obtain a digital video signal HVb. An edge-enhanced signal HIEa is obtained by a filter operation using the video signal HVb and its delayed signals HVc and HVd. The video signal HVa is sampled based on a clock signal CLK_H2 kept in inverse phase with the clock signal CLK_H1 to obtain a digital video signal HVe, after which its delayed signal HVf is obtained. Pixel data constituting the video signals HVf and HVc are alternately taken out based on a clock signal CLK_H3 having a frequency corresponding to that of the clock signal CLK_H1 to obtain a main-line signal HVg. The main-line signal HVg and edge-enhanced signal HIEa are respectively converted to analog signals, which in turn are added together to obtain an edge-enhanced output analog video signal HVi. Pixel data for obtaining the edge-enhanced signal are set at one-pixel intervals with respect to that about the main-line signal.

Claims

1. An edge enhancement circuit, comprising:

first analog/digital converting means for sampling an input analog video signal, based on a first clock signal to thereby obtain a first digital video signal;

filter processing means for filter-processing the first digital video signal to thereby obtain a digital edge-enhanced signal;

second analog/digital converting means for sampling the input analog video signal, based on a second clock signal having a frequency identical to that of the first clock signal and in inverse phase with respect to the first clock signal to thereby obtain a second digital video signal;

switch means for alternately taking out pixel data constituting the first and second digital video signals, based on a third clock signal having a frequency corresponding to twice that of the first clock signal to thereby obtain a digital main-line signal; and

signal adding means for adding the signal outputted from said filter processing means to the signal outputted from said switch means to thereby obtain an edge-enhanced output video signal.

2. The edge enhancement circuit according to claim 1, further comprising digital/analog converting means for converting the digital edge-enhanced signal to an analog edge-enhanced signal and supplying the same to said signal adding means, said digital/analog converting means having the function of adjusting the level of the analog edge-enhanced signal.

3. The edge enhancement circuit according to claim 1, wherein the phase of said first and second clock signals are reversed in successive fields.

4. An imaging device, comprising:

imaging means;

first analog/digital converting means for receiving an analog video signal outputted from said imaging means and sampling the input analog video signal, based on a first clock signal to thereby obtain a first digital video signal;

filter processing means for filter-processing the first digital video signal to thereby obtain a digital edge-enhanced signal;

second analog/digital converting means for sampling the input analog video signal, based on a second clock signal having a frequency identical to that of the first clock signal and in inverse phase with respect to the first clock signal to thereby obtain a second digital video signal;

switch means for alternately taking out pixel data constituting the first and second digital video signals, based on a third clock signal having a frequency corresponding to twice that of the first clock signal to thereby obtain a digital main-line signal; and

signal adding means for adding the signal outputted from said filter processing means to the signal outputted from said switch means to thereby obtain an edge-enhanced output video signal.