GB1221842A - Method of and apparatus for the production of subjective colours - Google Patents

Abstract

1,221,842. Television. BATTELLE DE. VELOPMENT CORP. 10 Dec., 1968, No. 58566/68. Heading H4F. [Also in Division G2] A method of recording sequences of light and dark information which upon playback and display will appear in subjective colour (see Specifications 1,083,483 and 1,221,841), comprises selecting a coded sequence including a discharge phase, colour coding phase and white phase (see Fig. 5, the colour coding and white phase being combined for the different subjective colour sequences), preparing animation cells for the three phases in which the discharge phase is dark in the entire area in which the subjective colour is to be reproduced, the colour coding phase is dark in the area to appear in subjective colour and light in other areas, and the white phase is light in the area to appear in subjective colour and in other areas, and recording said cells in a step-by-step fashion in accordance with the sequence to store indicia of said light and dark areas on a recording media, and repeating the recording of the sequences a plurality of times to provide a sustained display of subjective colour when the sequence is displayed between 30 and 3 times per second. The repeating sequence of light and dark signals is recorded by a field by field or a frame by frame animation technique on a motion picture film using a movie camera, on a video tape using a television camera, or is programmed in a computer memory. With a motion picture camera the film is exposed frame by frame, combinations of animation cells being arranged and recorded to provide the desired frame by frame sequence, Figs. 4 and 5. With a television camera the video tape is recorded frame by frame or field by field. With a computer, a programme is prepared to provide a frame by frame pictorial read-out on a display such as a cathode-ray tube. The various combinations of dark and light signals (subjective colour codes) for producing various subjective colours are related in charts, Figs. 3A-3D (not shown), to physical colours in a standard notation such as the Munsell colour notation, these charts being formed by preparing various subjective colour codes and viewing the resulting respective subjective colours under given conditions and comparing these colours with known physical colours such as Munsell colour chips (Figs. 6A and 6B, not shown). The picture to be displayed may comprise a steady black and white image with a subjective colour portion or area inserted therein, either or both comprising "live" action, static shots, animated figures or letters, the information coming from motion film, video tape, slide or "live" pick-up. The insertion of the subjective colour area into the black and white image may be accomplished optically or electronically by special effects, film processing, or electronic keying. The Specification describes in detail the various possible subjective colour codes for the primary colours of red, green and blue for 60 and 50 field per second television standards.