Patent Description:
In HDR (High Dynamic Range) imaging, it is possible to express videos having a wide dynamic range and realize high-luminance expressions and expressions of colors having high luminance, that have been unable to be fully expressed by SDR (Standard Dynamic Range) video signals having a standard dynamic range displayable on a normal monitor.

Patent Literature <NUM> discloses a method of encoding an HDR video and an LDR video together.

<CIT> discloses a workflow for content creation and guided display management of video with enhanced or high dynamic range.

<CIT> discloses the capture, distribution, and display of high dynamic range (HDR) image data to both HDR-enabled display devices and display devices that do not support HDR imaging.

The present technology aims at solving various problems in a case of processing a plurality of video signals that have been respectively adjusted under mutually-different conditions.

The solution is set out in the appended claims.

As described above, according to the present technology, it is possible to solve various problems in a case of processing a plurality of video signals that have been respectively adjusted under mutually-different conditions.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present technology will be described.

<FIG> is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of a video system <NUM> according to a first embodiment of the present technology.

As shown in the figure, this video system <NUM> includes a camera system <NUM> and a video converter <NUM>. The camera system <NUM> and the video converter <NUM> are connected via a main transmission channel <NUM>.

The camera system <NUM> includes an image pickup apparatus <NUM> and a camera control unit <NUM>. The image pickup apparatus <NUM> and the camera control unit <NUM> are connected via a camera cable <NUM> such as an optical fiber.

The image pickup apparatus <NUM> includes an optical system <NUM> including a lens group for image pickup, an image pickup device <NUM>, a preprocessor <NUM>, a transmission unit <NUM>, and a CPU <NUM>.

The image pickup device <NUM> is an image sensor such as a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) device and a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device), and converts light taken in via the optical system (not shown) into an electric pixel signal corresponding to a light intensity.

It should be noted that in the configuration of the video system <NUM> according to the present technology, an "image pickup unit" corresponds to the image pickup apparatus <NUM> described above.

The preprocessor <NUM> carries out signal correction processing such as defect correction on pixel signals obtained by the image pickup device <NUM> and lens aberration correction.

The transmission unit <NUM> carries out processing of transmitting the pixel signals output from the preprocessor <NUM> to the camera control unit <NUM> via the camera cable <NUM>. Specifically, the pixel signals transmitted to the camera control unit <NUM> by the transmission unit <NUM> are RAW image signals that have not been subjected to processing related to a gain or dynamic range, debayer processing, gamma signal processing, and the like.

The CPU <NUM> is a controller that controls respective parts of the image pickup apparatus <NUM> and also communicates with a CPU <NUM> of the camera control unit <NUM> via the camera cable <NUM>.

Meanwhile, the camera control unit <NUM> includes a transmission unit <NUM>, an HDR process unit <NUM>, an SDR process unit <NUM>, and the CPU <NUM>.

The transmission unit <NUM> is constituted of a communication circuit for performing wired or wireless communication, receives pixel signals transmitted from the image pickup apparatus <NUM> via the camera cable <NUM> (first transmission channel), and supplies the pixel signals to the HDR process unit <NUM> and the SDR process unit <NUM>.

The HDR process unit <NUM> carries out processing of generating an HDR video while applying various adjustments to the pixel signals supplied from the transmission unit <NUM> on the basis of HDR adjustment parameter information. The HDR video generated by the HDR process unit <NUM> is transmitted to the video converter <NUM> via the main transmission channel <NUM> after the HDR adjustment parameter information and SDR adjustment parameter information are added thereto. It should be noted that as a method of adding adjustment parameter information, the CPU <NUM> may carry out processing of multiplexing adjustment parameter information to an HDR video stream and output it to the main transmission channel <NUM> as a metadata file associated with the HDR video stream separately from the HDR video. It should be noted that the main transmission channel <NUM> may be configured either as a single transmission channel or a plurality of transmission channels in which the HDR video stream is transmitted via a dedicated transmission channel having a larger transmission band than a general-purpose transmission channel, the adjustment parameter information is transmitted via a general-purpose transmission channel having a smaller transmission band than the dedicated transmission channel, and the like.

The SDR process unit <NUM> carries out processing of generating an SDR video on the pixel signals supplied from the transmission unit <NUM> while applying various adjustments on the basis of the SDR adjustment parameter information. The SDR video generated by the SDR process unit <NUM> is transmitted to a display <NUM> of an operation apparatus <NUM> of a video creator, for example, via an output transmission channel <NUM>. The respective output transmission channels of the HDR process unit <NUM> and the SDR process unit <NUM> may be different transmission channels. For example, the SDR video is displayed on the display <NUM> of the operation apparatus <NUM> of the video creator via the output transmission channel <NUM> (third transmission channel) independent from the main transmission channel <NUM> (second transmission channel).

The HDR process unit <NUM>, the SDR process unit <NUM>, and the CPU <NUM> are constituted of one or a plurality of integrated circuits and the like, and correspond to a first processing circuit in the configuration of the present technology.

The CPU <NUM> is a controller that controls respective parts of the camera control unit <NUM>. The CPU <NUM> is capable of communicating with the HDR process unit <NUM> and the SDR process unit <NUM> to control selections of adjustment contents to be applied to image signals in respective processes.

Further, the CPU <NUM> performs control to add the parameter information used for performing the adjustments on the pixel signals in the HDR process by the HDR process unit <NUM> and the SDR process by the SDR process unit <NUM> to the HDR video generated by the HDR process unit <NUM>, and transmit it to the video converter <NUM> via the main transmission channel <NUM>.

The CPU <NUM> is capable of communicating with the operation apparatus <NUM> connected via a communication channel <NUM> such as a LAN (Local Area Network). The operation apparatus <NUM> includes the display <NUM>, an operation input unit <NUM>, and a control unit <NUM>. The operation apparatus <NUM> may be constituted of, for example, an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer, a dedicated control panel for camera control, or the like. The operation input unit <NUM> may be constituted of, for example, operation keys, a mouse, a trackball, a dial, a lever, a touch sensor panel, a remote controller, or the like. The control unit <NUM> of the operation apparatus <NUM> is constituted of a circuit such as a CPU, receives various control commands and setting information from a creator such as a VE (Video Engineer), and communicates with the CPU <NUM> of the camera control unit <NUM> via the communication channel <NUM>.

<FIG> is a block diagram showing functional configurations of the HDR process unit <NUM> and SDR process unit <NUM> of the camera control unit <NUM>.

The HDR process unit <NUM> includes an HDR gain adjustment unit <NUM>, a matrix processing unit <NUM>, a black level correction unit <NUM>, a detail processing unit <NUM>, an OETF unit <NUM>, and a formatter <NUM>.

In addition to control of a master gain, the HDR gain adjustment unit <NUM> controls an RGB gain for a white balance adjustment.

On the basis of color gamut information (HDR-Color Gamut) which is a part of the HDR adjustment parameter information and is information related to colors of an HDR video, the matrix processing unit <NUM> carries out debayer processing, linear matrix processing, and the like on the pixel signals that have passed the HDR gain adjustment unit <NUM>, and obtains color image data.

The black level correction unit <NUM> carries out black level correction of the color image data on the basis of information for black level correction as a part of the HDR adjustment parameter information (HDR-Black).

The detail processing unit <NUM> carries out detail processing of the color image data.

The OETF unit <NUM> carries out OETF (Optical-Electro Transfer Function) gamma signal processing on the color image data on the basis of OETF information which is information related to an HDR transmission gamma which is a part of the HDR adjustment parameter information.

The formatter <NUM> converts the color image data that has passed through the OETF unit <NUM> into an HDR video transmission format.

Meanwhile, the SDR process unit <NUM> includes a resolution conversion unit <NUM>, an SDR gain adjustment unit <NUM>, a matrix processing unit <NUM>, a black level correction unit <NUM>, a knee/detail processing unit <NUM>, a gamma processing unit <NUM>, and a formatter <NUM>.

The resolution conversion unit <NUM> converts a resolution of pixel signals transmitted from the image pickup apparatus <NUM> (e.g., <NUM> resolution) into an HD resolution.

The SDR gain adjustment unit <NUM> controls a master gain on the basis of a relative gain (Relative-Gain) which is a part of the SDR adjustment parameter information and is parameter information related to levels of an SDR video and an HDR video, and also controls an RGB gain for a white balance adjustment.

The relative gain is a parameter that indicates a ratio between a gain for pixel signals in the HDR process and a gain for pixel signals in the SDR process so as to enable a contrast ratio between the HDR video and the SDR video to be adjusted. For example, a relative range defines how many times the dynamic range of the SDR video the dynamic range of the HDR video is to be set to. By this relative range, the ratio of the master gain on the SDR process side to the master gain on the HDR process side can be set to an arbitrary ratio such as <NUM> and <NUM>/<NUM>, for example. If the ratio of the master gain on the SDR process side to the master gain on the HDR process side is set in this way, the dynamic range of the HDR video correlated with the dynamic range of the SDR video can be obtained.

More specifically, an upper limit reference of the dynamic range of the SDR video is given by reference white (Diffuse-White) selected by the creator. In the video system <NUM> according to this embodiment, by selecting this reference white (Diffuse-White) of the SDR video, an upper limit reference of the dynamic range of the HDR video (reference white (Diffuse-White) of HDR video) is also determined on the basis of the correlation based on the relative range.

The relative range should be selected as appropriate in accordance with a shooting environment such as daytime, nighttime, indoor, outdoor, inside a studio, fine weather, and rainy weather. Therefore, a plurality of types of relative ranges associated with various shooting environments are prepared. As a method of preparing a plurality of types of relative ranges associated with the shooting environments, there is a method of comparing, by human eyes, brightness of appearance of the SDR video and HDR video simultaneously output from the camera control unit <NUM>. It is only necessary to change the value of the relative range and compare the SDR video and the HDR video every time the value is changed, and determine a relative range in which the brightness in appearance of the SDR video is close to that of the HDR video as a relative range optimum for the shooting environment.

It should be noted that the relative gain only needs to be information for carrying out white balance processing or contrast processing for the SDR video and may be, for example, information other than a numerical value of the ratio with respect to the gain of the HDR signal, such as a gain value with respect to RAW data as a sensor output value.

It should be noted that a luminance dynamic range of an HDR video is wider than a luminance dynamic range of an SDR video. For example, assuming that the luminance dynamic range of the SDR video is <NUM> to <NUM>%, the luminance dynamic range of the HDR video is, for example, <NUM>% to <NUM>%, <NUM>% to <NUM>%, or the like. An output luminance range of the image pickup apparatus <NUM> is <NUM> to <NUM> or the like.

On the basis of the color gamut information (SDR-Color Gamut) which is a part of the SDR adjustment parameter information and is information related to colors of the SDR video, the matrix processing unit <NUM> carries out debayer processing, linear matrix processing, and the like on the pixel signals that have passed through the SDR gain adjustment unit <NUM>, to obtain color image data.

The black level correction unit <NUM> carries out black level correction of the color image data on the basis of the information for black level correction which is a part of the SDR adjustment parameter information (SDR-Black).

The knee/detail processing unit <NUM> carries out knee correction on the color image data on the basis of information related to the knee correction (KNEE) which is a part of the SDR adjustment parameter information, and also carries out detail processing.

On the basis of information related to dynamic range compression which is a part of the SDR adjustment parameter information (SDR-D-Range-Gamma), the gamma processing unit <NUM> carries out gamma signal processing on the dynamic range set by the SDR gain adjustment unit <NUM>, and simultaneously carries out gamma signal processing for display.

The formatter <NUM> converts the color image data into an SDR video transmission format.

These pieces of parameter information are set by the creator such as a VE (Video Engineer) who operates an operation apparatus connected to the camera control unit <NUM> via a communication channel such as a LAN (Local Area Network).

The video converter <NUM> includes an inverse HDR process unit <NUM>, an SDR process unit <NUM>, and a CPU <NUM>.

The CPU <NUM> extracts the HDR adjustment parameter information and the SDR adjustment parameter information from the parameter-information-attached HDR video received via the main transmission channel <NUM> and supplies the HDR adjustment parameter information to the inverse HDR process unit <NUM>. Further, the CPU <NUM> supplies the SDR adjustment parameter information to the SDR process unit <NUM>.

The inverse HDR process unit <NUM> carries out an inverse HDR process on the HDR video received via the main transmission channel <NUM> using the HDR adjustment parameter information. Specifically, the inverse HDR process unit <NUM> removes adjustment components from the HDR video and generates restoration pixel signals.

The SDR process unit <NUM> generates an output video signal corresponding to the SDR video generated by the camera control unit <NUM> from the restoration pixel signals obtained by the inverse HDR process unit <NUM> using the SDR adjustment parameter information.

The inverse HDR process unit <NUM>, the SDR process unit <NUM>, and the CPU <NUM> are constituted of one or a plurality of integrated circuits or the like and correspond to a second processing circuit in the configuration of the present technology.

<FIG> is a block diagram showing functional configurations of the inverse HDR process unit <NUM> and SDR process unit <NUM> in the video converter <NUM>.

The inverse HDR process unit <NUM> includes a de-formatter <NUM>, an inverse OETF unit <NUM>, and a black level correction removal unit <NUM>.

The de-formatter <NUM> cancels the HDR video transmission format.

The inverse OETF unit <NUM> removes the gamma of OETF applied to the HDR video on the basis of information related to an HDR transmission gamma (type of OETF) which is part of the HDR adjustment parameter information.

The black level correction removal unit <NUM> carries out processing of canceling the black level correction applied to the HDR video on the basis of information for black level correction (HDR-Black) which is a part of the HDR adjustment parameter information.

The configuration of the SDR process unit <NUM> of the video converter <NUM> is the same as that of the SDR process unit <NUM> of the camera control unit <NUM>. Specifically, the SDR process unit <NUM> of the video converter <NUM> includes a resolution conversion unit <NUM>, an SDR gain adjustment unit <NUM>, a matrix processing unit <NUM>, a black level correction unit <NUM>, a knee/detail processing unit <NUM>, a gamma processing unit <NUM>, and a formatter <NUM>.

Here, the reason why the HDR video is transmitted to the video converter <NUM> via the main transmission channel <NUM> out of the HDR video and the SDR video generated by the camera system <NUM> is that the SDR video is used for checking a state of appearance of a video by the video creator and only the HDR video is transmitted via the main transmission channel <NUM>. Further, if the HDR video and the SDR video are simultaneously transmitted via the main transmission channel <NUM>, a pressure may be applied to the transmission band of the main transmission channel <NUM>. Due to the circumstances as described above, it is desirable to transmit only the HDR video via the main transmission channel <NUM>. In this regard, the camera system <NUM> may take a configuration in which, for example, while the output transmission channel <NUM> of the SDR process unit <NUM> outputs an SDR video and an SDR video for visually checking a shot video is displayed on the display <NUM> of the operation apparatus <NUM>, the SDR video is not output to the main transmission path <NUM>.

Further, there is a demand for a plurality of creators to simultaneously check an expression of a created video at different places. Although it is possible to check the HDR video received via the main transmission channel <NUM> by a monitor capable of displaying an HDR video, there is a strong demand for the selection of an expression including brightness, colors, and the like of a video to be performed on the basis of the SDR video that has been adjusted during shooting in accordance with a traditional method. Furthermore, even if the HDR video resolution is changed to the SDR video resolution by a down conversion and displayed on the monitor, an expression of the appearance differs from that of the HDR video due to a difference in the dynamic ranges between the HDR video and the SDR video. The video system <NUM> of this embodiment has been proposed in view of the circumstances as described above.

Further, even in a case where the HDR video and the SDR video are required as a main video at the same time, handling both videos equally in the entire system configuration is uneconomical because it definitely requires two systems. Therefore, by handling the main video as an HDR video and converting it into SDR at a final stage, there is an advantage that both of the videos can be handled as a main video.

Next, descriptions will be given on an operation in a case where, in this video system <NUM>, out of an HDR video and SDR video generated by the camera system <NUM>, the HDR video is transmitted to the video converter <NUM> via the main transmission channel <NUM>, and the video converter <NUM> generates, from the HDR video, output video signals corresponding to the SDR video generated by the camera system <NUM>.

Pixel signals obtained by the image pickup apparatus <NUM> are transmitted to the camera control unit <NUM> via the camera cable <NUM> by the transmission unit <NUM>. In the camera control unit <NUM>, the pixel signals received by the transmission unit <NUM> are supplied to the HDR process unit <NUM> and the SDR process unit <NUM>.

While an HDR video is generated from the pixel signals in the HDR process unit <NUM>, various adjustments are applied on the basis of HDR adjustment parameter information supplied from the CPU <NUM>. Similarly, while an SDR video is generated from the pixel signals also in the SDR process unit <NUM>, various adjustments are applied on the basis of SDR adjustment parameter information supplied from the CPU <NUM>.

The CPU <NUM> performs control to add the HDR adjustment parameter information used for adjusting the HDR video in the HDR process unit <NUM> and the SDR adjustment parameter information used for adjusting the SDR video in the SDR process unit <NUM> to the HDR video and transmit it to the video converter <NUM> via the main transmission channel <NUM>.

On the other hand, the SDR video generated by the SDR process unit <NUM> is transmitted to the display <NUM> of the operation apparatus <NUM> of the video creator, for example, and displayed.

Next, descriptions will be given on an operation of the video converter <NUM> for processing a parameter-information-attached HDR video transmitted from the camera control unit <NUM> via the main transmission channel <NUM>.

In the video converter <NUM>, when the parameter-information-attached HDR video is received via the main transmission channel <NUM>, the CPU <NUM> extracts each of the HDR adjustment parameter information and the SDR adjustment parameter information from the received parameter-information-attached HDR video. The CPU <NUM> supplies the extracted HDR adjustment parameter information to the inverse HDR process unit <NUM> and also supplies the SDR adjustment parameter information to the SDR process unit <NUM>.

The inverse HDR process unit <NUM> carries out an inverse transformation on the HDR video using the HDR adjustment parameter information supplied from CPU <NUM>, to generate restoration pixel signals obtained by restoring the original pixel signals. The restoration pixel signals are supplied to the SDR process unit <NUM>.

In the SDR process unit <NUM>, output video signals corresponding to the SDR video generated in the camera control unit <NUM> are generated from the restoration pixel signals obtained by the inverse HDR process unit <NUM> using the SDR adjustment parameter information. The output video signals corresponding to the generated SDR video are transmitted and displayed on a display different from the display <NUM> of the operation apparatus <NUM> to which the SDR video generated by the camera control unit <NUM> is transmitted, for example.

As described above, according to the video system <NUM> of this embodiment, the camera control unit <NUM> adds the HDR adjustment parameter information and the SDR adjustment parameter information to the generated HDR video and transmits it to the video converter <NUM> via the main transmission channel <NUM>. The video converter <NUM> restores the original pixel signals on the basis of the HDR adjustment parameter information added to the HDR video and reproduces, with respect to this restoration pixel signals, output video signals corresponding to the SDR video generated in the camera control unit <NUM> on the basis of the SDR adjustment parameter information added to the HDR video. Accordingly, in the camera control unit <NUM>, output video signals having expressions essentially close to those of the SDR video generated simultaneous with the HDR video from the pixel signals can be obtained by the conversion from the HDR video in the video converter <NUM>.

Next, a second embodiment of the present technology will be described.

<FIG> is a block diagram showing a configuration of a video system 1A according to the second embodiment of the present technology.

This video system 1A includes an HDR process unit <NUM> in the image pickup apparatus <NUM>.

The HDR process unit <NUM> generates an HDR video while applying various adjustments to pixel signals output from the preprocessor <NUM> on the basis of HDR adjustment parameter information, and supplies it to the transmission unit <NUM>. The transmission unit <NUM> transmits the HDR video supplied from the HDR process unit <NUM> to the camera control unit <NUM> via the camera cable <NUM>.

The CPU <NUM> of the image pickup apparatus <NUM> communicates with the CPU <NUM> of the camera control unit <NUM> via the camera cable <NUM> and notifies the CPU <NUM> of the camera control unit <NUM> of the HDR adjustment parameter information used for generating the HDR video in the HDR process unit <NUM>.

The camera control unit <NUM> includes the transmission unit <NUM>, an inverse HDR process unit <NUM>, the SDR process unit <NUM>, and the CPU <NUM>.

The CPU <NUM> communicates with the CPU <NUM> of the image pickup apparatus <NUM> via the camera cable <NUM> to receive the HDR adjustment parameter information from the CPU <NUM> of the image pickup apparatus <NUM> and supply it to the inverse HDR process unit <NUM>.

The transmission unit <NUM> of the camera control unit <NUM> supplies the HDR video transmitted from the image pickup apparatus <NUM> via the camera cable <NUM> to the inverse HDR process unit <NUM> and also transmits it to the main transmission channel <NUM>.

The inverse HDR process unit <NUM> generates restoration pixel signals by removing adjustment components from the HDR video using the HDR adjustment parameter information supplied from the CPU <NUM>, and supplies it to the SDR process unit <NUM>.

The SDR process unit <NUM> carries out processing of generating an SDR video while applying various adjustments to the restoration pixel signals on the basis of the SDR adjustment parameter information. The SDR video generated by the SDR process unit <NUM> is transmitted to and displayed on the display <NUM> of the operation apparatus <NUM> of the video creator, for example.

Further, the CPU <NUM> performs control to add the HDR adjustment parameter information used for generating the restoration pixel signals from the HDR video in the inverse HDR process by the inverse HDR process unit <NUM> and the SDR adjustment parameter information used for applying adjustments to the SDR video in the SDR process unit <NUM>, to the HDR video, and transmit it to the video converter <NUM> via the main transmission channel <NUM>.

The HDR process unit <NUM> and CPU <NUM> of the image pickup apparatus <NUM> and the inverse HDR process unit <NUM>, SDR process unit <NUM>, and CPU <NUM> of the camera control unit <NUM> correspond to the first processing circuit in the configuration of the present technology.

The video converter <NUM> includes the inverse HDR process unit <NUM>, the SDR process unit <NUM>, and the CPU <NUM>. These are the same as the configuration of the video converter <NUM> according to the first embodiment.

<FIG> is a block diagram showing functional configurations of the inverse HDR process unit <NUM> and SDR process unit <NUM> of the camera control unit <NUM>.

The de-formatter <NUM> cancels an HDR video transmission format.

The inverse OETF unit <NUM> removes a gamma of OETF applied to the HDR video on the basis of information related to an HDR transmission gamma (type of OETF) which is a part of the HDR adjustment parameter information.

The SDR process unit <NUM> includes a resolution conversion unit <NUM>, an SDR gain adjustment unit <NUM>, a matrix processing unit <NUM>, a black level correction unit <NUM>, a knee/detail processing unit <NUM>, a gamma processing unit <NUM>, and a formatter <NUM>. The configuration of this SDR process unit <NUM> is the same as that of the SDR process unit <NUM> of the camera control unit <NUM>.

Next, an operation of the video system 1A will be described.

In the image pickup apparatus <NUM>, pixel signals output from the preprocessor <NUM> are supplied to the HDR process unit <NUM>, and the HDR process unit <NUM> generates an HDR video while applying various adjustments on the basis of HDR adjustment parameter information supplied from the CPU <NUM>. The generated HDR video is transmitted to the camera control unit <NUM> via the camera cable <NUM> by the transmission unit <NUM>. Further, the CPU <NUM> of the image pickup apparatus <NUM> communicates with the CPU <NUM> of the camera control unit <NUM> via the camera cable <NUM> to notify the CPU <NUM> of the camera control unit <NUM> of the HDR adjustment parameter information used for adjusting the HDR video in the HDR process unit <NUM>.

The CPU <NUM> of the camera control unit <NUM> supplies the HDR adjustment parameter information notified by the CPU <NUM> of the image pickup apparatus <NUM> to the inverse HDR process unit <NUM>.

Further, the HDR video received by the transmission unit <NUM> of the camera control unit <NUM> is passed through the camera control unit <NUM> to be supplied to the main transmission channel <NUM>, and is transmitted to the video converter <NUM> via the main transmission channel <NUM>. Moreover, the HDR video received by the transmission unit <NUM> is also supplied to the inverse HDR process unit <NUM>.

In the inverse HDR process unit <NUM>, restoration pixel signals are generated by removing adjustment components from the HDR video using the HDR adjustment parameter information supplied from the CPU <NUM>. The generated restoration pixel signals are supplied to the SDR process unit <NUM>. Then, in the SDR process unit <NUM>, processing of generating an SDR video is carried out while applying various adjustments to the restoration pixel signals on the basis of the SDR adjustment parameter information supplied from the CPU <NUM>. The generated SDR video is transmitted to and displayed on the display <NUM> of the operation apparatus <NUM> of the video creator, for example.

The CPU <NUM> performs control to add the HDR adjustment parameter information notified by the CPU <NUM> of the image pickup apparatus <NUM> and the SDR adjustment parameter information used for adjusting the restoration pixel signals by the SDR process unit <NUM>, to the HDR video that is to be passed through the camera control unit <NUM>, and transmit it to the video converter <NUM> via the main transmission channel <NUM>.

The operation of the video converter <NUM> is the same as that of the first embodiment. In other words, as the parameter-information-attached HDR video is received by the video converter <NUM> via the main transmission channel <NUM>, the CPU <NUM> extracts each of the HDR adjustment parameter information and the SDR adjustment parameter information from the received parameter-information-attached HDR video. The CPU <NUM> supplies the extracted HDR adjustment parameter information to the inverse HDR process unit <NUM> and also supplies the SDR adjustment parameter information to the SDR process unit <NUM>.

The inverse HDR process unit <NUM> carries out inverse transformation on the HDR video using the HDR adjustment parameter information supplied from CPU <NUM>, and generates restoration pixel signals obtained by restoring the original pixel signals. The restoration pixel signals are supplied to the SDR process unit <NUM>.

In the SDR process unit <NUM>, output video signals corresponding to the SDR video generated in the camera control unit <NUM> are generated from the restoration pixel signals obtained by the inverse HDR process unit <NUM> using the SDR adjustment parameter information. The generated output video signals are transmitted to and displayed on a display different from the display <NUM> of the operation apparatus <NUM> to which the SDR video generated by the camera control unit <NUM> is transmitted, for example.

As described above, also with the video system 1A according to this embodiment, output video signals having expressions essentially close to those of the SDR video generated simultaneous with the HDR video from the pixel signals in the camera control unit <NUM> can be obtained by the conversion from the HDR video in the video converter <NUM>.

Each of the camera control unit <NUM> and the video converter <NUM> can be configured using a computer. In other words, by installing a program for causing the computer to operate as the camera control unit <NUM> and the video converter 20in each of the computers, a video system including functions equivalent to those of the first embodiment and the second embodiment can be realized.

In the embodiments described above, the case of processing the HDR video and the SDR video has been described. However, the present technology is generally applicable to a case where two video signals are respectively generated from pixel signals while applying mutually-different adjustments and is not limited to only the HDR video and the SDR video. Particularly in a case where the different adjustments on the two video signals are adjustments related to colors, a video signal having an expression close to that of the other video signal generated simultaneously from the pixel signals can be obtained by a conversion from one of the video signals.

Claim 1:
A video system (<NUM>), comprising:
a camera system (<NUM>); and
a video converter (<NUM>),
the camera system (<NUM>) including
a first processing circuit (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) that generates, from a pixel signal generated by an image pickup unit (<NUM>) that captures a subject and obtains a pixel signal thereof, a first video signal on a basis of a first dynamic range related image adjustment parameter, generates a second video signal from the pixel signal generated by the image pickup unit (<NUM>) and provided on a first transmission channel (<NUM>) on a basis of a second dynamic range related image adjustment parameter different from the first dynamic range related image adjustment parameter, and transmits transmission information including the first dynamic range related image adjustment parameter,
the second dynamic range related image adjustment parameter and
the second video signal via a main transmission channel (<NUM>), wherein a dynamic range of the second video signal is wider than a dynamic range of the first video signal
the video converter (<NUM>) receiving the transmission information via the main transmission channel (<NUM>) and including
a second processing circuit (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) that generates, on a basis of the second dynamic range related image adjustment parameter included in the transmission information, a restoration pixel signal by inverse-transforming the second video signal included in the transmission information, and also carries out dynamic range related adjustment processing corresponding to the first video signal on the restoration signal on a basis of the first dynamic range related image adjustment parameter included in the transmission information to generate an output video signal corresponding to the first video signal, wherein the dynamic range of the second video signal is wider than a dynamic range of the output video signal.