Color television camera

• US 4,437,111 A
• Filed: 01/06/1982
• Issued: 03/13/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Saitoh, Teruo, Inai, Takayoshi, Sannomiya, Hisayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Masinick, Michael A.
• Application Number:
  US06/337,364
• Time in Patent Office: 797 Days
• Field of Search: 358/211, 358/44, 358/41, 358/168, 358/209
• US Class Current: 348/222.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/75 by influencing optical camera components

Abstract

A color television camera comprises a color pickup device such as color pickup tube, an automatically detachable infrared cut filter disposed in the light path to an image receiving face of the pickup device, a brightness detection means which changes its output signal when brightness becomes under a certain predetermined level, a driving means for driving the automatically detachable infrared-cut filter to be removed from the light path to the image receiving face, and a video signal circuit including a switching circuit to operate in such a manner to switch the circuit to constitute a color video signal producing circuit when the brightness is over the predetermined level and accordingly the infrared-cut filter is inserted in front of the image receiving face, and on the other hand to switch the circuit to constitute a monochrome video signal producing circuit when the brightness is below the predetermined level and accordingly the infrared-cut filter is removed from the front of the image receiving face.

Claims

1. A color television camera comprising:

a pickup device having sensitivity in the visible light range and at least a part of the infrared range,

an automatically detachable infrared-cut filter means disposed in a light path which is leading to said pickup device,

a brightness detection means disposed nearer to an object than said infrared-cut filter so as to detect brightness change of the light coming into said light path for issuing an output signal which varies between a first state when brightness is over a predetermined level and a second state when brightness is below the predetermined level,

a driving circuit part including a detector for detecting the output signal of said brightness detection means and a comparator for comparing a detected output signal of said detector with a predetermined level, and a driving circuit part for issuing a control signal responding to the result of the comparing by the comparator,

filter driving means coupled to said driving circuit and controlled based on said control signal for driving said automatically detachable infrared-cut filter to be inserted into said light path leading to said pickup device at said first state and driving the same out of said light path at said second state, and

a video signal circuit coupled to said driving circuit and controlled based on said control signal including a switching means to be switched in a manner to constitute a color video signal producing circuit at said first state and a monochrome video signal producing circuit at said second state.

2. A color television camera in accordance with claim 1, wherein said brightness detection means is a photoelectric element selected from a group consisting of photocell and photoconductive element which is provided separately from said pickup device.

3. A color television camera in accordance with claim 1 or 2, wherein said video signal circuit includes

a first circuit for producing a chrominance signal,

a second circuit for producing a luminance signal, and

a change-over switch for switching selectively to lead either of output of said first circuit or output of said second circuit.

4. A color television camera in accordance with claim 1 or 2, wherein said video signal circuit includes

a chrominance encoder for producing a modulated chrominance signal based on color signals obtained from said pickup device,

a chrominance switch for selectively stopping or passing said modulated chrominance signal from said chrominance encoder, and

a mixing and output circuit for composing a television signal from output signal of said chrominance switch and luminance signal.

5. A color television camera in accordance with claim 1 or 2, wherein said video signal circuit includes

a chrominance encoder for producing a modulated chrominance signal based on color signals obtained from said pickup device,

a color carrier switch for selectively gating transmission of color carrier to said chrominance encoder, and

a mixing and output circuit for composing a television signal from output signal of said chrominance encoder and luminance signal.