1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a system for providing continuous linear binary interpolation and, more particularly, to a system for continuously linearly interpolating intermediary binary numbers from a continuous stream of binary numbers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Arrays of photoresponsive image receiving elements such as charge coupled devices (CCD's) are well known in the art for use in video cameras for converting a visual image into an ordered sequence of electrical signal amplitudes. In commercial color television, for example, where high quality images are required and where cost is not a significant limiting factor, optical elements split the incoming image and focus it onto three separate CCD arrays. Prior to reaching the CCD arrays, each split image optical signal passes through a filter having a different optical bandpass. Each CCD array then corresponds to and provides an electrical output representative of one of the three required color signals which together generate at the color display apparatus, e.g., a television receiver, the red, green and blue primary color signals which make up the color image. Currently available CCD arrays provide enough resolution so that a three array system can be used in commercial television applications in place of older equipment.
Charge coupled devices, however, are quite expensive and thus many approaches other than a three CCD array system have been tried to tap the consumer market for a solid state moderate cost video camera. Generally, each moderate cost approach uses a single CCD array masked with an optical filtering element. The filtering element may be, for example, a sequence of stripes or other repeating grid of filter elements having a plurality of different bands of image transmission wavelength ranges. These systems, however, incur a reduced resolution because the three different color signals which make up the eventually formed color image result from a single scan of the single CCD array. Therefore, the resolution offered by the single CCD array is reduced by a factor of three for each designated color signal.
Such CCD's comprise a plurality of discrete picture sensing elements or areas commonly referred to as pixels. The aforementioned light filtering elements may provide for each pixel to be filtered by a selected color filter thereby requiring that each color signal be derived from less than the full number of pixels available in the CCD array. Compensation may be provided by linearly interpolating color values for those pixels for which color values cannot be measured in a particular color. Most recently, it has been suggested that the analog signal amplitudes which define the color values sensed by the individual pixels be digitized prior to storage in a memory in order to more accurately reproduce the image. Such digitized electronic image data, however, does not readily lend itself to being linearly interpolated to provide intermediary color values for those pixels which sense colors other than the one being immediately processed.
Therefore, it is a primary object of this invention to provide a simple and economical system for continuously linearly interpolating intermediary binary data derived from a continuous stream of binary data.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a simple and economical system for continuously linearly interpolating intermediary binary numbers which define color values in a selected color for those pixel elements which do not provide output signals in that selected color.
Other objects of the invention will be in part obvious and will in part appear hereinafter. The invention accordingly comprises a mechanism and system possessing the construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which are exemplified in the following detailed disclosure.