Abstract: An operator is provided with a continuous display, on a single convenient monitor, of the extent of progress, the status, etc., of each camera in a multi-camera system, during a microprocessor controlled automatic setup procedure. The display is superimposed on a video picture generated by the selected camera, which corresponds to one of various video signals selectable by the operator.

Abstract: A pattern recognition circuit integral with a checkerboard diascope pattern used for spatial and shading error measurement and correction, performs detection in the time domain. A locator time window is provided to positively locate and distinguish white-to-black transitions of coarse locators selectively placed within the diascope pattern from, for example, checker white-to-black transitions, or from white-to-grey transitions, even under adverse scanning conditions. The circuit includes narrow time windows for identifying specific valid locator transitions, to thereby prevent triggering due to checker transitions, short noise pulses, etc. During one field interval, each locator is scanned a number of lines, but only the middle line scan is used to describe the locator coordinates, i.e., is used to generate a locator strobe output for latching the coarse locator positions into a system memory for subsequent comparison with the diascope pattern to determine the coarse scan errors.

Abstract: To provide measurement of horizontal and vertical spatial errors, as well as shading errors, the active video picture is divided horizontally into 13 equal blocks, and vertically into 14 bands of checkers. During the setup mode, the signal from a selected camera is fed to an A/D converter in the video signal path, and to sync and pattern validation circuits which provide control and timing signals and an electronic test pattern signal. Horizontal error measurement is provided via a horizontal adder/memory loop whereby selected samples within the blocks of successive horizontal lines are selectively summed to provide successive pairs of summed horizontal digital data. Vertical error measurement is done simultaneously by a vertical adder/memory circuit whereby selected adjacent samples of alternate checkers are selectively delayed and added, to provide successive pairs of summed vertical digital data.

Abstract: The checkered black/white test pattern used during a television camera setup mode for the automatic correction of spatial registration, shading, and gamma errors, is also used to obtain digital data for automatically focusing the camera. The system detects the variation of the optical and the electrical focus by detecting the corresponding variation in the risetime of the signal generated as the electron beam spot scans across a transition in the test pattern. At an optimum focus condition the digital data is at a maximum value, i.e., the risetime is at a maximum rate. The focus data is stored for subsequent use during the camera operating mode.