159

BROADCAST CAMERA

USING D I G I T A L

SIGNAL PROCESSING

Ryoji Asada, Shyoji Nishikawa, Hide0 Toyoda, Yasumi Miyakawa, Yoshinon Kitamura, Makoto Watanabe, Tetsuya Kiguchi, Mitauyd Taniguihi

By the nature of their use broadcast equipment must have high reliability and operability while capable of producing high quality image signals. Equipment utilizing digital signal processing technology should meet these requirements. VCRs, switchers and special effects equipment already incorporate digital technology, while the use of digital technology in TV cameras has been eagerly awaited. TV cameras are made up of 2 major components; an image capturing unit and a signal processing unit. Many of the TV cameras used today in the broadcast industry use solidstate image capturing devices, because doing so dramatically improves the image capturing unit's reliability and operability. Generally a broadcast cameras signal processing unit must possess 10 plus bit digital accuracy in order to achieve adequate gamma correction. However, the capability limitation of A D converters and the limitations on circuit size have made it impractical to achieve such level of digital accuracy. In addition, a digital signal processing unit inherently sacrifices the flexibility factor. Therefore, until now, digital signal processing technology has not been practically applicable to broadcast-quality TV cameras, this is due, in part, to demands of frequent changes in performance characteristics by the users even, since, eventually, resolution of the digital accuracy issue could be overcome. A number of attempts have been made to apply digital technology to a TV camera's signal processing unit, but none of these attempts have reached the level of sophistication necessary to meet the demands made of broadcast-quality TV cameras. Realizing that it is unrealistic to convert the entire signal processing system to digital technology,we attempted and achieved development of a signal processing method that would optimally combine analog and digital signal processing functions. This solves the digital accuracy problem, and furthermore, combination of this system, with a microcomputer based system control process improves the operational fiexibility over that offered by the analog signal processing methods. These developments enable a significant increase in the application of digital technology in a broadcast-quality TV camera's signal processing unit. We have realized implementation of our digital signal processing system by means of three newly developed LSIs (3chips). These LSIs incorporate a number of functions that cannot be realized by analog methods. Using these development, we have succeeded in producing the world's first broadcast-quality TV camera that features digitai signal processing and highperformance FIT-CCD in the image capture unit. This paper describes the new signal processing system, the signal processing LSIs and the

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.,Ltd, Japan

broadcast-quality TV camera that is the result of these developments.

2 OVEBBLL cONFIGUIWII,QN
Figure 1 shows the overall configuration of the TV camera. This TV camera consists of an image capturing unit, signal processing unit and a onaol unit. The image capturing units ignificantly affects a T V camera's performance, reliability and operability. This T V camera uses a highperformance FIT-CCD, while also utilizing space pixel shifting process t o further improve resolution. ProcThe signal processing unit consists of an analog preprocessor, A D converter, digital processor and encoder. An 8-bit A D converter has been selected because of its highly practical features; such as cost, p o w e r consumption and performance capability. Although an 8-bit A D converter is used, this signal processing unit meets the requirements of high digital accuracy. The outputs of the digital processor are the luminance and color difference signals. The encoder then synthesizes the PAL o r NTSC signals, which are the final output of a TV camera. preprocessor is a critical element for digital processing with achievable digital accuracy. The first-stage operation amplifier adds the black shading correction, flare correction and pedestal signals to the original image signal from the solidstate image capturing device. The multiplication circuit changes the gain in response to the white balance conaol signal as well as the white shading correction signal from the microcomputer. It also varies the gain, in response to a control signal f r o m t h e microconputer. T h e non-linear compression circuit's inputloutput characteristic curve closely approximates the gamma characteristic (0.45) in a polygonal line form. The fourth-stage's operational amplifier matches the image signal level to the A D converter's input level. It also adds to the image signal a dither pulse which is nccessary for digital processing.
ieital m o m The digital processor consists of three LSIs. The functions performed by each LSI can be viewed as a single processing block, we refer to the three blocks as digital processor A, digital processor B and digital processor C.

__

The analog

__

..

o r 4 The digital processor . A performs dither processing, gamma autoknee processing and image data processing. The dither processing suppresses quantizing noise and improves digital accuracy by 1 bit. It is an

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160

effective technique for removing false profiles. The gamma autoknee processing converts nonlinear compression signals form the analog preprocessor so that they exhibit normal gamma characteristics. It also compresses adaptively the high luminance portion of the image signals so that these signals can be fit within a prescribed dynamicrange. RAM conversion tables are used for this processing. The image data processing divides a screen into a number of small sample areas, and calculates the average value of each area's image signal. The microcomputer extracts the image features from the data generated by the image data processor and performs several processing functions.
(2) Digital Drncessor B. The digital processor B is a memory device that simply delays image .. signals by 1 honzontal scan cycle.

EEPROM is used to retain the user modified data. The U 0 section consists of interface and character generator LSIs which are designed to speed up processing.

3 KEY F E A T U W S OF

PROCESSING

cIc-

The method we have developed uses digital technology in most of the signal processing hardware. Some of the key features of our digital processing system are described below.

3-1 Dither P r o c e s s i u
Figure 2 illustrates the principle of dither processing. In this processing, a dither puls equaling one half the quantization step is added to the analog signal. The analog signals are converted to digital signals by the A D converter. Each digitized signal value differd depending on whether or not the corresponding analog signal is larger than the quantization step's median value. The digital signals are fed to a low pass filter and a high pass filter. The digital accuracy of each signal that passes through the low pass filter is twice as high as the signal before dither processing. The high pass filter detects the highfrequency portion of the input signal. The coring circuit suppresses only the dither pulse signal elements of the high-frequency portion and its output is added to the output of the low pass filter. These processe improve the digital accurecy without appreciably affecting the signals.

C consists o f a pixel shift processor,masking section, matrix section, enhancer and high chroma saturation aperture device. The pixel shift processor achieves coexistence of normal color reproducibility, as well as high-band luminance signals, by pixel shifting. The masking section consists of color matrix circuits, improving color reproducibility. The matrix section generates the luminance and color difference signals from the three basic color signals. The enhancer consists of a two-dimensional cross color removal circuit, vertical enhancer circuit, horizontal enhancer circuit, level dependent circuit and coring circuit. The two-dimensional cross color removal circuit eliminates cross color contamination, without appreciable sacrifice of resolution. This circuit is nearly impossible to implement in conventional analog systems. The horizontal enhancer's boost frequency varies extensively depending on the user's requirements. This circuit is configured in such a way that the boost frequency can be varied throughout a wide range. The level dependent circuit enables increasing the amount of enhancement in the high luminance to offset the scale deterioration caused by the autoknee function. Today's typical camera systems cause significant deterioration of resolution in the area of high chroma saturation. This system's high chroma saturation aperture is a new feature that overcomes this deterioration in resolution.

l3) Dims I Drocessnr C. The digital processor

..

ma Correction and Autnknee P r o c e u

Gamma correction was one of the key factors inhibiting digitization of signal processing unit. Our new signal processing method enables gamma correction at a practically acceptable digital accuracy level. In Figure 3, (A) shows linearity characteristic ( y = l ) , (B) shows the characteristic of non-linear compression in the analog preprocessor, and (C) shows the characteristic after gamma correction. These data show that non-linear compression enables gamma correction without appreciable elongation on even the signals near the dark range which adversely affect the S/N ratio. This results in digital accuracy improvement of approximately 2 bits in comparison to digitization of linear signals. Figure 4 (A), (B) shows this improvement effect. Our system provides variable gamma range of 0.35 to 0.55. Our new signal processing method also features digital autoknee processing by modifying a portion of the gamma correction data. Figure 5 shows an example of this feature.

2-2 Control

Unit

The control unit consists of three parts, microcomputer section, 1/0 section and shading correction signal generation section. The microcomputer section consists of an 8-bit microcomputer, PROM, RAM and EEPROM. The microcomputer brings in various switch status data, image data stored in the image data memory and discrete data concerning user requested characteristic changes. It then feeds them to the analog preprocessor and the digital processor. The microcomputer also handles external requests for detection of white and black shading data derived from the image information and performs calculation of shading correction data. The microcomputer then stores the calculated shading correction data in RAM and the compressed data in the EEPROM. The PROM is used t o store microcomputer programs and various data such as the gamma characteristic data. Therefore, the user can achieve the desired gamma correction for proper processing.

3-3 Pixel

ShiftLae

. .

The pixel shift processor achieves coexistence of good color reproducibility and high-band luminance signals. The pixel shifting process produces high-band luminance signals by applying the following operation on the color signals:

YH = G + 0.5 (R or Y H = G + R

+ B)

... ...
..

(1)

() 2

To produce normal luminance signals, the following operation is used,

f

YH = 0.59G

+ 0.3R + O.llB

(3)

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161

The pixel shift processor substitutes the highfrequency portion of the high-band luminance signal for each color signals high-frequency portion. As illustrated in Figure 6, this process makes the low-frequency portion of luminance signal, which significantly affects color reproducibility, to that expressed by (3) and the high-frequency portion, which affects resolution, to that expressed by (1) or (2). This enables coexistence of good color reproducibility and high-band luminance signal.
3-4 E m e e r and H ieh Chroma Saturation

4.Jdsb
up of three LSIs. Each LSI is a CMOS gatearray that uses the 1.5 um process. Total gates count is approximately 100,000. and power consumption is approximately 3.5 W. Table 1 summarizes the key specifications of these LSIs.

As mentioned earlier, the digital processor is made

TV

Aoerture
Two-dimensional cross color removal circuit suppresses only the signals near the sub-camer frequency in relation to that of diagonal resolution. This enables removal of cross color signals without appreciable deterioration of resolution. Figure 7 shows the characteristics of the horizontal enhancer circuit. The boost frequency can be varied smoothly in a wide range by changing the selection switch and the coefficients K1, K2, K3 and K4. Figure 8 shows the characteristics of the high chroma saturation aperture. The correction signal is generated from the high-frequency portion of the color difference signal whose negative polarity side has been clipped. The correction signal is added to the luminance signal. To prevent erroneous operation, a decision circuit is included.

Quantizing noise significantly affects performance of digital signal processing. Our new signal processor uses a commercial grade 8-bit A D converter. Even so, the optimized analog and digital processor designs maintain the quantizing noise on the luminance signal below the allowable level. Table 2 shows the performance characteristics of the new broadcast-quality TV camera. DTL, pedestal andother numbers of adjustment figures can be shown in the view finder, as shown in Figure 9 and can easily adjust them according to his preference.

We have achieved practical application of

digital technology in a significant portion of a broadcast-quality TV camera by developing a new signal processing method. We have also developed a broadcast-quality TV camera that features excellent operability and reliability as well as high picture quality by using the new signal processing method. We are confident that this TV camera will open the door to a 100% digital TV broadcasting system.

50

100

150

2 I

FIG-3 Input/Output Characteristic Curve of Gamma Correction

IO

20

IO

20

INPUT(4.1 (A) in the case of Linear A/D

at the Dark Level

INPUT (5)

(B) in the case of Non-Linear A/D

FIG4 Gamma Correction Characteristic Curve

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162

FIG- 1 Overall Configuration of TV Camera

OUTPUT

N+l

N+1

N+l

N+l

N+l

N+l

OUTPUT

2N

2N

2N

2N

2 N 2N+1 2N+1 2N+1 2N+1 2 N c l 2 N + 2 2 N + 2

0.6

OUTPUT

1 - 1

OUTPUT

2N

2N

2N

2N

2 N 2N+1 2N+1 2N+1 2N+1 2N+1 2 N + 2 2 N + 2

CK

OUTPUT

N+l

N+l

N+l

N+l

FIG-2 Dither Processing

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163

T' 0

y
400

WHITE CLIP LEVEL KNEE POINT

200

100

I
100

ZOO

300

400

'0'

A ):( ,

r dFwq

FIG-5 Input/Output Characteristic Curve of Auto Knee Correction

nm

Y = 0.59G+0.3R+0.11B jY,=G+O.S(R+B) { or [Y,,=G+R

FIG-6 Pixel Shifting method

Gal"

0 0
0

Normalized Freo

FIG-7 Frequency Characteristic of DTL

FIG-8 Frequency Characteristic

of High Chroma Saturation Aperture

TYPE CHANNEL LENGTH TOTAL GATES

I

CMOS GATE-ARRA'

SENSITIVITY

Zoo0 lux ; F5.6

1 . 5m ~
~

DUNAMIC RANGE RESOLUTION NO.OF COMPONENT FOR SIGNAL PROCESSING N0.01: ADJUSTMENT PART FOR SIGNAL PROCESSING

600 %

750 TV-Lines
70 % less
(vs Analogue)

I
POWER and 29MHz)

80 9% less (vs Analogue)

TABLE-1 Specification of LSIs

TABLE-2 Performance Characteristic of TV Camera

DETAIL

OdB

(I-a) NEW 9
16
5
14%

-.

0.31) H. D E T A I L
(

OLD 9 16 2
14

V.

DETAIL

COR1 NG L E V E L DEP. PEAK LINE FRQ. MIX

2 2H

J
FIG-9 Example of view-finder indication

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