JPH0134514B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention enables the recording of a desired screen on a master video disk from a continuous video signal such as a television signal recorded on a video tape, etc., and then online production of color films and color separation plates of high-quality images. This invention relates to a prepress system for video images that are created manually.

Due to the recent remarkable development and spread of video technology and changes in publishing trends due to the diversification of printed materials, it is now possible to use desired screens in continuous video information recorded on video tapes, etc. for photographs, printed manuscripts, etc. If so, you will get many benefits. This is because compared to the traditional method in which photographers use still cameras to shoot film, there are improvements in speed, shot accuracy, shutter sound, flash light, and
This is because it is free from constraints such as low brightness, and at the same time, various needs can be expected to develop. for example,
Directly create photographs and printing plates from video information recorded on video tapes, or use composite video signals from television or R (red), G (green), and B (blue) from movie film using a telecine device. create a signal,
From now on, it will be possible to directly create printing plates, making it possible to publish at a lower cost and faster than conventional methods.

However, when using conventional video information recorded on a videotape as a printing document, the videotape is first set in a playback device, continuous video is displayed on a CRT (cathode ray tube) using slow or stop playback, and then the screen is displayed. After a film original is created by photographing a desired image with a still camera while observing the image, color separation plates are created from the film original using a plate making device such as a color scanner. Therefore, the quality of the printed document depends on the resolution of the television image. However, color television broadcasting in Japan uses the NTSC system, and one screen (one frame) is formed by 525 scanning lines, regardless of the size of the television image.
Therefore, the image quality of one frame is extremely poor in terms of resolution etc. compared to general color film. In addition, in the method of selecting a desired screen from a continuous video image and photographing it with a still camera, in order to improve the quality of the image, the color temperature of the CRT, the coloring characteristics and brightness range of the RGB phosphor, the color temperature of the color film, Due to the mismatch between the characteristics of the coloring material and the density range, there are problems in that it is necessary to insert a special color temperature conversion filter in front of the camera and to adjust the hue and contrast of the color monitor. Moreover, it is not always possible to obtain a satisfactory color tone only by making these corrections.

Furthermore, the number of television scanning lines has a great effect on the quality of resolution, and if the image projected on a CRT is accurately focused and photographed with a camera, these scanning lines will be markedly recorded as horizontal stripes on the film. Put it away. The scanning lines recorded on this film cause moire fringes during the plate-making process, so
A photographic technique that eliminates scanning lines is required. For example, to obtain a desired image from a continuous image with little movement, the effects of scanning lines are usually erased by exposing several frames onto a single film while playing back or slowing down. Since the image cannot be completely erased, the focus of the image is shifted slightly. However, this method has the disadvantage that it becomes difficult to accurately photograph a desired screen and that the screen becomes blurred. Therefore, in order to obtain a desired image from continuous video with large movements, it is necessary to perform stop playback. Normally, with a 3/4-inch VTR, only one field of video signal is played during stop playback, and the vertical resolution of the image projected on the CRT is halved, making scanning line erasure a more difficult shooting technique than in the former case. is required. In such cases, since the resolving power of color film is generally around 50 lines/mm, a photographing method is used that takes advantage of the limits of color film's resolving power. That is, the scanning lines are erased by photographing the desired image on the CRT in a reduced size until the scanning lines are no longer distinguishable. Therefore, since video images with inherently poor image quality are shot on extremely small size color film, the final print size is limited to A6 to A7 size, and larger sizes have no commercial value. . Another drawback is that the workability becomes significantly worse due to page layout and enlarged plate making of small-sized color images.

A television image plate-making apparatus for solving the above-mentioned problems reads, for example, a video signal corresponding to one desired frame from a video tape recorder that records a television video signal, and converts this video signal into three primary color signals. There is a printer that produces a printing plate by converting the three primary color signals into a print image signal and supplying this print image signal to a plate-making scanner. A scanner that converts the RGB signals into Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan), and BK (black) signals; and the means for supplying it are all configured online. Although this device has solved the above-mentioned problems quite effectively, since the device configuration is all online, the video tape recorder has to repeat slow playback, stop playback, etc. in order to obtain the desired screen. The disadvantage is that the lifespan is shortened, and the friction caused by the playback head of the video tape recorder can damage the valuable video tapes of customers. Moreover, since this apparatus is entirely online, it is not possible to independently perform videotape editing work and signal conversion processing work, which poses problems in terms of workability and efficiency. Furthermore, there is no mention of the necessity of a time base corrector that electrically corrects image jitter and dropout, a noise reducer that removes noise other than image signals, and a detail collector that enhances image contours. There are also problems with this.

In light of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a video image plate making system that solves the above-mentioned inconveniences and problems.

This invention will be explained below.

This invention provides: 1) video tapes, video discs, slides, captions, television radio waves and
2) An input section that inputs a video signal from a TV camera, etc. via an input switching section and records the desired image on a master video disk while watching a TV monitor; , time lag correction between each scanning line signal of the reproduced video signal of the master video disk;
The image quality improvement unit consists of a digital circuit that performs noise removal and edge enhancement processing, and separates brightness and color signals suitable for high-quality images to convert them into RGB signals. Character and Pattern Telephone Access
It is possible to input RGB signals from sources such as Information System), adjust these RGB signals simultaneously or independently, and perform color and gradation correction processing (contrast correction, parallel gradation movement, adjustment of light areas or shadow areas). a display unit that displays the RGB signal before correction and the RGB signal after correction on a monitor via a double-sided synthesizer, and digitizes and stores the corrected RGB signal. 3) The image signal conversion processing section is connected online, and the output signal of the image signal conversion processing section is stored in a storage section such as a floppy disk in which the output signal of the image signal conversion processing section is written. remembered
The RGB signal is read out sequentially as scanning line information for odd feeds and scanning line information for even feeds, and scanning line interpolation is performed by switching to cubic convolution, bilinear, or nearest neighbor depending on the screen to create a color film. output to a color film creation device when printing, output to a scanner when creating print separations, output to a scanner when creating a layout for a single or multiple screens, or output to a layout system via a scanner. It has been established.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention, and the input medium of the input device may be any medium as long as it generates a video signal, such as a video tape 11,
Video disk (or floppy disk) 1
2. Film (or slide, caption) 13.
Television radio waves 14 can be considered. The videotape 11 and the video disk 12 can contain not only one recorded screen but also a composite of several screens, and these input media 1
1 to 14 are VTR (video tape recorder) 21 and VDR (video disc recorder) 2, respectively.
2. The video signal is reproduced by the telecine device 23 and the TV receiver 24 and transmitted to the input switching section 30. Further, the video information (for example, NTSC system) captured by the TV camera 25 is directly input to the input switching unit 30.
It may also be transmitted to

These pieces of input image information input to the input switching section 30 are selected by operating the console 50, and the images of the selected input media 11-14, 25 are displayed on the CRT monitor 31. And the operator
By operating the console 50 while looking at the screen displayed on the CRT monitor 31, the image information of the desired screen is transferred to the video disk recorder 32 for each scene.
to record on the master video disk 33. In this case, if a video switcher is used as the input switching unit 30, a composite image of any input medium can be created. In this way, through the input switching section 30,
The image information recorded on the master video disk 33 by the VDR 32 is played back by the VDR 32 during plate making, but the playback operation is controlled by the console 50.

Therefore, the image signal from the master video disk 33 that is played back by the VDR 32 is transmitted to the image quality improvement section 6.
0, and image quality improvement processing is performed here. This image quality improvement section 60 is composed of a time base collector 61, a noise reducer 62, and a detail collector 63. The time base corrector 61 is for correcting the time difference between each scanning line of the video signal, which is usually called jitter. This is because differences occur in the starting point and the number of sample pixels. The noise reducer 62 is intended to suppress various noises and improve the image quality, and is used to suppress various noises and improve image quality. This is to improve image quality that has deteriorated due to noise generated in the video editing section or the signal conversion system during playback of the re-recorded videotape 33. Detail collector 63
The method performs contour enhancement processing to emphasize the points of change in each of the horizontal and vertical directions of the image and to make the image appear sharper.

This reproduction operation can be performed online or offline. Then, the image signal whose image quality has been improved by the image quality improvement section 60 is
RIV is sent to the RGB decoder 52 and converted from the NTSC signal into RGB signals of R (red), G (green), and B (blue). Since this RGB decoder 52 separates the luminance signal Y and chroma signal C using a comb filter, it is possible to obtain an image signal with excellent resolution and color tone, and the separated RGB signals are sent to the switch 53 and frame The image is input to the gradation correction unit 72 via the memory 84, and is also passed through the screen synthesizer 70 so that it can be observed on the screen 71A of the CRT monitor 71. Also, switchcha 53
RGB signals from TV cameras (RGB system), captain systems (RGB signals), microcomputers, office computers, etc. are input to the , and these RGB signals can be taken in by switching the switcher 53. be able to. That is, the data imported via the switcher 53
The RGB signal is digitized by an AD converter 83, stored in a frame memory 84, converted into an analog signal by a DA converter 85, and sent to a screen synthesizer 70 and a gradation correction section 72. The gradation correction unit 72 also includes a correction device and a display 55 controlled by the operation console 50.
is connected, and it is possible to manually correct the contrast, shift the gradation in parallel, and adjust the gradation of the light or shadow areas by manual operation for each RGB signal input from the switcher 53, and the correction results are displayed on the screen. It passes through the synthesizer 70 and is displayed on the CRT monitor 71 at any time. Therefore, the corrector and indicator 5
By inserting a cursor signal into the still image from step 5, the video level at any point in the still image displayed on the CRT monitor 71 is corrected using a value compared to the video white signal reference value of 0.7V. Numerical values can be displayed on the display unit and the display unit 55. In addition, the conditions for applying gradation correction to each of the input RGB signals and the setting position information of the gradation correction knob of the corrector and display 55 are
It is possible to record on an external memory (eg, magnetic tape, paper tape) 57 via an external memory recording/reproducing device 56.

In this way, the R, G, and B still image signals that have undergone the necessary corrections by the corrector and display device 55 are displayed on the CRT monitor 71 via the screen synthesizer 70, and when the corrections are completed, the corrections are made on the console 50. By pressing the completion instruction switch, it is converted into a digital signal of 765 pixels per scanning line via the AD converter 54 in real time, and is sequentially stored in the frame memory 80 corresponding to each R, G, B signal, and displayed on one screen. Recording of the RGB signal for is completed.

In addition, the display method on the CRT monitor 71 is as follows.
First, the entire screen may be displayed as the image before gradation correction, and then the image after gradation correction may be displayed on the entire screen by switching the screen synthesizer 70.
Screen switching is optional. In addition, as shown in the figure, one screen is divided into two, and one is the image area 7 before correction.
1A and the other as the corrected image area 71B, the screen dividing line 71C can be set to any position using a knob provided on the screen synthesizer 70, and the dividing line 71C If 71C is set at the left and right screen edges, it is the same as switching the screen.

The corrected R, G, and B still image information written in the frame memory 80 in this manner is sent to the scanning line interpolation section 81. In the signal for one scanning line transferred to the scanning line interpolation unit 81, the scanning lines of the odd field and even field are read out alternately in ascending order of number, and the scanning method is switched from the interlaced method to the sequential method, This switching prevents pairing, which is a drawback of the skipping method, and prevents deterioration in image quality. The number of scanning line signals transferred to the scanning line interpolation section 81 is 484 signals, which is the number of scanning lines of television (NTSC system), which is 525 minus the number of scanning lines corresponding to the blanking period. The scanning line interpolation unit 81 performs interpolation calculations to determine the number of scanning lines.
The number of scanning lines has been increased approximately four times from 484 to 1924, so that some of the scanning lines overlap during exposure so that they cannot be recognized as separate lines. The resolution can also be increased by the interpolation effect.

The interpolation calculation in this invention is configured so that the nearest neighbor method, bilinear method, and Sayubik convolution method can be selected by switching a switch. The nearest neighbor law is
The data of adjacent pixels is directly used as the pixel data of the interpolation point, and is suitable for binarized images.The bilinear method uses the pixel data of the interpolation point as if the data between scanning lines changes linearly. The Cubic convolution method determines the pixel data of the interpolation point from the correlation of the data of the 16 pixels surrounding the interpolation point, and is suitable for images with many intermediate tones. is also suitable. This interpolation calculation requires 16 multiplications and additions per interpolation pixel for approximately 1.5 million pixels per screen, so computer software processing is slow and time-consuming. Pass. Therefore, in the present invention, the scanning line interpolation section 81 is configured with a logic circuit, and data is outputted to the output section of the next stage in real time, thereby enabling extremely high-speed image output.

Image information subjected to simultaneous RGB scanning line interpolation calculations by the scanning line interpolation section 81 is supplied online to an output section, and is output to either a color film or a film wrapped around the exposure section of a color scanner. Furthermore, the present invention enables more advanced prepress output and automation through an interface with a layout scanner system that outputs with an editing function. That is, when outputting to a color film, the image information subjected to scanning line interpolation calculation by the scanning line interpolation section 81 is transferred to the high resolution of the color film production device 90 via the selector 92 and the interface 91 for the color film production device. The light is sent to a cathode ray tube, which sequentially displays each RGB color as a black and white image with wide wavelength energy in the visible range. A color film is placed in front of the high-resolution cathode ray tube through a filter that corresponds to black and white images and has RGB information.Each filter is switched in synchronization with the black and white image signal, and the color film is sequentially exposed onto film. Once the exposure is complete,
The color film is automatically advanced frame by frame to enable exposure of the next selection screen. The color film used is a 6 x 7 cm roll film, and the standard image size is 51 x 68 mm, which is about 8 times larger in terms of area than the image size obtained with conventional color cathode ray tube photography. , the image quality is also very good.

Next, regarding the case of outputting a film from a color scanner, the image information interpolated by the scanning line interpolator 81 is transferred via a color scanner interface 93 by a clock signal synchronized with the rotational speed of the color scanner 94. Ru.
The transfer information is input as an analog signal to the RGB signal amplification section of the color computer section of the color scanner 94, and then passes through the signal processing system of the color scanner 94 to the color printing colors Y, M, C,
The signal is converted to a BK signal and output as continuous tone separated versions of Y, M, C, and BK onto the film wrapped around the exposure section.

That is, the details of the color scanner 94 and the layout system 95 are shown in FIG. 2, and the color scanner 221 picks up information such as color originals and text originals by scanning method, and the picked up analog image information is sent to AD.
It is converted into digital information by a converter, and is temporarily stored in external memory 225 via computer 223. As the external memory 225, one or more magnetic disk devices with a large storage capacity (approximately 300 megabytes) are sufficient. The image processing and editing device 224 also includes a keyboard, a digitizer,
A monitor display is attached, and these devices are used to input the page layout information of the copy mount. This page layout information is also temporarily stored in the external memory 225 via the computer 223. When performing page make-up, a command is input from the keyboard of the image processing/editing device 224 to call up page layout information on the display. Furthermore, a command is input from the keyboard to retrieve image information from the magnetic disk device of the external memory 225 and move it to a designated trimming position. Next, when a mask-related command is input, image information other than the trimming size is erased from the screen, leaving only the necessary image information. If you are dissatisfied with the tone, you can also retouch it with instructions regarding corrections. In addition to the above-mentioned image movement, masking, and modification, the commands and functions necessary for page make-up include cropping, image overlapping processing, flat dot printing, halftone dotting, and the like. When the operator completes a page make-up process, the image information is stored in a predetermined magnetic disk device via the computer 223. The information after this pagination process is converted into a film from the output device 226 when necessary, and is printed as Y (yellow).
It is obtained as a laid-out color separation plate 227 of M (magenta), C (cyan), and BK (black). In addition,
The separated size of each of the four versions depends on the number of scanning line interpolations and the number of exposure lines of the color scanner 85, so it is approximately 3.2 ×
4.3cm, approx. 6.4 x 8.6cm, approx. 9.7 x 12.3cm, approx. 13.8 x
You can choose from 4 sizes of 18.4cm. Further, in the present invention, it is also possible to supply the output of the color scanner 85 to the layout scanner 86 to provide an editing function.

As explained in detail above, according to the present invention, the image quality is dramatically improved compared to the conventional method of displaying continuous video images on a color cathode ray tube, selecting the desired screen, and photographing it with a still camera. It is possible to obtain images suitable for printing. This includes correction of RGB signal gradation, conversion of scanning method, 2
In addition to performing various image quality improvement processes such as increasing the number of scanning lines through dimensional interpolation to eliminate scanning lines and increasing resolution, we have also implemented various image quality improvement processes, such as increasing the number of scanning lines through dimensional interpolation processing, and increasing resolution. This is due to the effect of correction of the noise signal contained in the video signal by the noise reducer, and enhancement of the image outline by the detail collector. Also, compared to the method of taking pictures with a still camera, it is easier to select and extract screens. In addition, if a layout scanner system is introduced in the output section, manual departments that involve many labor-intensive elements such as photo processing, composition preparation such as mask creation, and composition, which are the main tasks of the plate-making process, can be automatically processed. You can expect effects such as: In addition, there are two display monitors in this system, one for screen selection and one for correction and non-correction comparison.Especially in the latter case, the screen synthesizer allows switching and monitoring independently or simultaneously, so color tone problems can be solved. problem is solved, and it is also economical. Furthermore, video information selected from multiple input media is recorded on a video disk by selecting the desired screen while viewing the CRT monitor, which has the advantage of simplifying the configuration and lowering the cost. be.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a part thereof in detail. 11...Video tape, 12...Video disc,
13...Film, 14...Television radio waves, 21
...VTR, 22, 32...VDR, 23...telecine equipment, 24...TV receiver, 25...TV camera, 30
...Input switching unit, 31, 71...CRT monitor, 50
...Operation console, 52...RGB decoder, 53...Switcher, 54, 83...AD converter, 60...Image quality improvement unit, 70...Screen synthesizer, 80, 84...Frame memory, 81...Scanning line interpolation unit, 90...Color Film creation device, 94...Color scanner, 95...Layout system.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1 (a) Video signals from video tapes, video discs, slides, subtitles, television radio waves, TV cameras, etc. are input through the input switching section, and desired images are mastered while watching the TV monitor. (b) an input section for recording on a video disk; The image quality improvement unit consists of a digital circuit that performs edge enhancement processing, and separates the brightness and color signals suitable for high-quality images to convert them into RGB signals.
You can input RGB signals from cameras, captain systems, etc., adjust these RGB signals simultaneously or independently, and perform color and gradation correction processing (contrast correction, gradation translation,
Adjustment of gradation, etc. of light or shadow areas)
a display section that displays the RGB signal before modification and the RGB signal after modification on a monitor via a double-sided synthesizer;
(c) The image signal conversion processing section is connected online, and the image signal conversion processing section has a storage section that digitizes and stores the RGB signal. The RGB signals are sequentially read out as scanning line information for odd feeds and scanning line information for even feeds, and scanning line interpolation is performed by switching to cubic convolution, bilinear, or nearest neighbor depending on the screen. When creating a print separation, output to a color film creation device, when creating printed separation plates, output to a scanner, and when creating a layout for a single or multiple screens, output to the scanner or output to a layout system via the scanner. 1. A video image prepress system comprising: