Abstract: A method for controlling the exposure of a stationary mounted video camera is proposed, which makes it possible to attain an optimal exposure even in difficult light circumstances. For this purpose, measuring zones in the image are evaluated and, using the evaluation, a correction factor is calculated which influences the exposure parameters of the camera.

Abstract: A method of detecting edge structures in a video signal, with a decision criterion being derived from the environment pixels of an image pixel so as to realize image coding with the least number of bits possible. The object of detecting all of the oblique edges i.e. edges which are not horizontal or vertical, is accomplished in that an average is formed from the environment pixels of an image pixel and this average is then compared with each environment pixel so as to obtain an output signal having one of three-values (1, 0, -1) dependiing on whether the luminance or chrominance values of the particular environment pixel is above, within or below a given tolerance range. A conclusion as to the existence of an edge and its orientation is then drawn from the number of immediately consecutive identical positive or negative values (1 or -1) of this possible three-valued signal for an image pixel and from the position of the changes in value within the sequence of environment pixels.