Yoshinori Kitamura

Automatic image stabilizing system by full-digital signal processing

An automatic image-stabilizing system for camcorders and VCRs utilizing only digital signal processing has been developed. New technologies for this system are (1) the BERP (band extract representative point) matching technique with a small-scale circuit, (2) an adaptive system control algorithm to discriminate moving objects, and (3) suppression of motion vectors due to noise. Calculations show that the motion vector detector requires only 11000 gates, the electronic zoom controller requires only 8500 gates, and only one 8-b field memory is required. >

A digital video camera system

A new video camera control system developed for extending the dynamic range of present single-chip CCD (charge coupled device) cameras whose dynamic range is inherently limited is discussed. This is accomplished by controlling the dynamic range using a signal which discriminates the contrast of the object, by compensating the white balance by detecting achromatic parts of the object out of video signals, and by reducing pseudocolor effects produced at a region where high-frequence components are abundant. Saturation and glooming problems associated with present consumer-use video cameras caused by the narrow dynamic range of the single CCD camera system and lack of signal processing capability are solved. The approach adopted prevents excessive iris closing under back lighting and saturation of a locally bright area of images produced by excessive forward lighting. >

New Automatic Focusing System for Video Cameras

Video cameras can be considered as a kind of substi tute for the human eye. They have a wide range of applications and as such, are in great demand. Advances in IC technology have improved video camera performance to the extent that it can rival that of the human eye. Yet, for even greater popularization of video cameras, improvement of performance and function is essential. The most important improvement in this area has been the development of a focusing system which is automatic. However, the considerable size of current automatic focusing systems has proved to be a major factor hindering the production of more compact models and, hence, their usability.

A new noise reduction system for video camera

A novel noise reduction system developed to improve the sensitivity of video cameras is reported. The frequency resolution characteristics, feedback characteristics, and bit accuracies of the noise reduction circuit in which the field or frame difference signal is separated into frequency components were studied for improving the S/N (signal-to-noise ratio) of the color difference signal, and for optimizing its circuit construction. An S/N improvement as high as 9 dB at a permissible lagged image level is thus accomplished, and this is to be used to improve the sensitivity of home video cameras. >

New IC Family for a Single-Tube Color Video Camera

With a marked spread of portable video tape recorders, there has been an increasing demand for reduction in size and power consumption and improved performance of color video cameras. To meet this demand, a family of seven ICs for a single-tube color video camera has been developed. The ICs can be used for any single-tube color video cameras employing the one-carrier frequency-division systeml) which is the most popular color encoding system.

A New Noise Reduction System

A video camera noise reduction system capable of an S/N improvement of 9 dB of color difference signal is developed. In this system, the video signals are transformed into spatial frequency components to which feedbacks are discriminatively applied.

A Digital Color Video Camera Using A Single-Chip Solid-STate Image Sensor

Recent progress in the field of digital ICs and LSIs has brought digital television/video circuitry almost a reality consumer applica-tions, but not quite. Although there have been several papers describing digital signal processing for consumer video cameras,1)2) there remains a number of problems to be soloved before making these cameras viable. Higher speed, higher accuracy and lower power consumption, for instance, are required for an ADC. The yield rate of image sensors are to be improved substantially.