Abstract: An image sensing apparatus includes an image sensing circuit for outputting a video signal representative of a subject image, a water-depth sensor for measuring water depths, an indication signal generating circuit for generating a signal for indication of the value of a water depth measured by the depth-water sensor, a combining circuit for combining an output of the image sensing circuit with an output of the indication signal generating circuit, an image displaying circuit for displaying an image represented by an output of the combining circuit, and a recording circuit for recording the video signal representative of the subject image on a recording medium.

Abstract: Video data is compressed according to a bit rate to be subdivided into data blocks each having a predetermined number of bits. The blocks are sent to a shuffling circuit to undergo a shuffling predetermined for the circuit. To concentrate errors onto a portion of the shuffled video data, the data is delivered to an inverse shuffled circuit to be subjected to an inverse shuffling so as to restore the data undergone a shuffling predetermined for a recording or transmitting apparatus, thereby transmitting the resultant compressed data to a D-2 VTR. This possibly reduces the interpolation probability on the screen and disperses the data. Even at occurrence of a burst error exceeding a correction capacity, propagation of the error can be minimized.

Abstract: A motion estimation coprocessor for use in a video data system. The motion estimation coprocessor may be used with a video memory that subdivides a P row.times.Q column image of pixels into several pages. The page structure enables efficient loading of video data into the coprocessor. The motion estimation coprocessor may perform several block matches simultaneously. The motion estimation coprocessor may perform exhaustive block matching or use a hierarchical search.

Abstract: An image encoding and transmitting system is an image transmission system for transmitting digital data such as TV telephones. The system for dividing input frame data into a plurality of blocks before transmitting them comprises on its sending side an intra-frame/inter-frame determiner for receiving intra-frame data and inter-frame data and selecting either of them for output, and a difference collator for having the intra-frame/inter-frame determiner compulsorily output intra-frame data at the time of data input for the next frame when one or more data in each block forming inter-frame data are larger than a predetermined threshold. The system also comprises on its receiving side an picture element domain frame data storage for storing received data in the picture element domain, and a motion vector detector for detecting according to the contents in the storage a motion vector using the data in the block surrounding the discarded block in order to guess the data in the discarded block.

Abstract: A video recording system comprises a method and apparatus provided for video recording remotely-generated images at a central, predetermined location. The system includes a plurality of video cameras fixedly or variably positioned at a plurality of fixed or variable locations remote from a conveniently-located viewstation having a plurality of television monitors and associated video camera jacks. The images gathered by the video cameras are continuously or intermittently displayed at one or more of the television monitors, so that a user having a video camera can connect the video camera to a video camera jack and independently record the image selected. For example, when the plurality of video cameras are positioned along a roller coaster path, the video camera can record a plurality of sequences of the roller coaster at spaced locations along the path.

Abstract: A method for incorporating future developments in video compression technology to migrate toward a better television system in a receiver-compatible manner. The invention uses enhancement data that can be combined with standard video data. Standard HDTV receivers will utilize standard video data, ignoring the enhancement data. More advanced HDTV receivers will combine the enhancement data with standard data. The television signal is transmitted in a format comprising a first set of bits that represents images at a first quality (e.g., first resolution) and that can be decoded to provide an output at the first resolution, and a second set of bits that represents enhancement information and that can be decoded and used in conjunction with the first set of bits to provide an output at a second resolution greater than the first resolution. The first set of bits is decoded according to a first decoding procedure to provide information representative of images at the first resolution.

Abstract: A system for electronic imaging of a hemispheric field of view includes a camera for receiving optical images of the field of view and for producing output data corresponding to the optical images. The camera includes an optical assembly for producing images throughout a hemispheric field of view for optical conveyance to an imaging device or photographic film. The optical system assembly has lens components that selectively emphasize the peripheral content of the hemispheric field of view. An electronic imaging device within the camera or a film-to-digital date conversion system provides digitized output signals to input image memory or electronic storage devices. A transform processor selectively accesses and processes the digitized output signals from the input image memory according to user-defined criteria and stores the signals in output image memory. The signals in the output image memory can then be displayed according to the user-defined criteria.

Abstract: A moving image signal coding apparatus and moving image signal coding method dividing one frame of the moving image signal into a plurality of areas which may possibly overlap each other and refreshing the areas at different periods corresponding to an independent non-overlapped range at the circumferential portion of the frame and to an overlapped range at the central portion. Further, a specific area in the frame can be encoded by selectively using inter-frame prediction coding and intra-frame prediction coding.

Abstract: A video accompaniment apparatus provides various screens of high picture quality by using data recorded on a laser disk or a compact disk and data stored in a memory accompaniment apparatus in which a plurality of accompanied songs and song texts are recorded. The background screen for video display is provided by the optical disk apparatus or by an external video unit; the song text is provided by the memory accompaniment unit; the audio accompaniment is provided by the optical disk unit or the memory accompaniment unit or by an external audio unit; and the user's voice is combined with the audio accompaniment selected.

Abstract: It is an object of the invention to efficiently transmit a video signal including a luminance signal and a chrominance signal. The invention includes a first processor to extract the input luminance signal every first block which is constructed by a plurality of pixels, a second processor to extract the inputted chrominance signal every second block which is constructed by a plurality of pixels, and an encoder for encoding a predetermined macro block including the first and second blocks as a unit. Another object of the invention is to provide a movement compensating method whereby a circuit scale, a calculating time, and costs, in case of executing the movement compensation, can be reduced by using the correlation between the luminance signal and the chrominance signal.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a video camera having a stroboscopic flash, and a method of photographing a subject with the video tape recorder. The video camera includes a strobe device for illuminating the subject with a flashing light, a movie photographing trigger serving as a movie photographing button, a still photographing trigger for initiating still photography, an image processing unit for energizing the movie photographing trigger so as to measure light quantity from the subject during a movie photography operation, and a control unit for determining based on information about the light quantity measured by the image processing unit whether or not strobe photography is required during a still photography operation. According to the above construction, the strobe photography can automatically and immediately be performed upon the still photography operation when the still photography is initiated in the course of the movie photography.

Abstract: An improved scanning apparatus and method which allows for increased coding efficiency over conventional zigzag scans is disclosed. The invention advantageously allows for total compatibility with the MPEG-1 standard, and accomodates video sequences which may be composed of both the progressive and interlaced format frames.

Abstract: A digital video tape recorder has interpolation and crossfading circuits and records audio and video signals in independent frames, the audio frames being offset with respect to the video frames. For a four-channel audio signal, the even and odd samples are recorded near different edges of the tape, enabling burst errors near one edge to be recovered efficiently by interpolating the audio signal from the other edge. When audio dubbing is performed, the first and last dubbed frames contain the even samples of the new signal and the odd samples of the old signal, or vice versa, and audio-dubbing flags are recorded in the these frames. When these frames are played back, the old and new signals are regenerated by interpolation and crossfaded to create a smooth transition between them. The same apparatus can also be used to record a two-channel signal, by recording each sample twice.

Abstract: A laser beam optical scanning system which has a laser source unit for emitting a laser beam which is a parallel pencil of rays, a first imaging system for imaging the laser beam emitted from the laser source unit on a reflective facet of a deflector, and a second imaging system for imaging the laser beam deflected by the deflector on a photosensitive drum. At least one of the first and the second imaging systems has a resin lens. The resin lens changes its power according to temperature so as to offset a change in light converging performance of the laser source unit.

Abstract: The technical field of the invention generally concerns environmental recording apparatuses for photographing events occurring during a seismic event. The environmental recording apparatus includes a base securely fastened to a mounting surface. Disposed on the base is a seismic isolation structure. Secured on the seismic isolation structure is a camera mount which receives a camera. A motion sensing switch secured to the mounting surface activates the camera in response to a seismic acceleration which exceeds a preestablished threshold is secured to the base. An electrical signal cable connects the motion sensing switch to the camera to couple an electrical signal from the motion sensing switch to a camera during a seismic event. An inner and outer protective housings enclose the camera.

Abstract: A method of converting a field of a regenerative signal in a VTR is provided wherein when image is reproduced at a nonstandard play speed, field data of a predetermined field number is formed using an inter-field signal with respect to a still part, and field data of a predetermined number is formed using only an inter-line signal with respect to a moving part; with respect to a carrier chrominance signal of a different field which will be interlaced, a signal processing is performed in such a way that when composite video signals are inputted in a normal direction, a phase is inverted, while when the composite video signals are inputted in a reverse direction, the phase is not inverted; and when abnormality occurs in an input state of the composite video signals, field data of a predetermined field number is formed using only the inter-line signal.

Abstract: An image display to display a 2-dimensional image and a beam deflector to deflect the lights from the pixels constructing the image of the image display are provided. The beam deflector is arranged closely in front of the image display. A plurality of 2-dimensional images of different visual directions are sequentially displayed in the image display. The light from each pixel is deflected by the beam deflector synchronously with the display of the 2-dimensional image so that the light from each pixel is directed to the region in which the visual point has been set in order to obtain each image. The switching operation in this instance is executed at a high speed.

Abstract: A video decompression system for decompressing consecutive streams of compressed video data to provide a continuous, uninterrupted decompressed video data output stream. The system is comprised of a plurality of decompression circuits, each circuit having a compressed video data buffer, a decoder, and a decompressed video data buffer. Each of the compressed video data buffers is coupled to an input switch and each of the decompressed video data buffers is coupled to an output switch. A controller operates the system. Decompression can occur simultaneously in all of the decompression circuits. This simultaneous decompression results, when necessary, in each decompression circuit having several frames of decompressed video data available for immediate display before that decompressed video data is actually required.

Abstract: A surveillance system having a monitor, a camera connected to the monitor by a camera cable, an event recorder connected to the monitor by a recorder cable, and an activation unit connected to the camera by an activation unit cable. The monitor receives power through a power cable. A power supply in the monitor supplies power to the camera and the activation unit receives power from the camera. The power supply of the monitor also provides power to the event recorder. The monitor displays video and audio signals from the camera. When the activation unit detects a condition for which the surveillance system is to record, the activation unit sends an activation signal through the activation unit cable, camera, and camera cable to the monitor. A processor in the monitor sends a command to the event recorder over the recorder cable to record the video and audio signals generated by the camera, which are also sent to the event recorder over the recorder cable.

Abstract: A method for detecting a scene change in an input image data composed of a plurality of frames. First, a DC component for each of blocks into which each of the frames is divided is calculated by orthogonal transformation such as discrete cosine transformation. An absolute value of the difference between the DC component of a current frame and the DC component of a frame adjacent to the current frame is calculated for each block of the current frame. The number of blocks for which the absolute value exceeds a first threshold value Is then counted, and a scene change between tile current frame and the adjacent frame is detected when the number of the blocks is higher than a second threshold value.