Patent Document ID: 20020152557
Application ID: 10043897
Patent Status: 0

Claim One:
1. An apparatus for identifying a scene location viewed via a remotely operated television camera system, the apparatus comprising: a first television camera adapted to be remotely operated for observing a scene from varying directions through a narrow angle lens, said first television camera including at least two image pick up devices; a second television camera conjoint said first television camera for observing said scene through a wide angle lens, said first and said second television cameras being optically targeted towards the same scene being observed; means for moving said first and second television cameras conjointly; a processor including signal combining circuit means for combining video signals generated by said first television camera and by said second television camera for regenerating a combined video signal and for outputting said combined video signal composed of a sub picture of said scene observed by said second television camera inside a main picture of said scene observed by said first television camera, so that said sub picture, which is a wide angle view of said scene and which occupies a small area inside said main picture which is a narrow angle view of said scene, identifies the scene location; at least one of said image pick up devices being a color imager and at least another one of said image pick up devices being a black and white imager, and said first television camera including a switchover means for switching said image pick up devices from said color imager to said black and white imager and back to said color imager; said processor including a sensing and comparing circuit for said video signals generated by said first television camera and said second television camera, for detecting one of a low comparative video signal and a high comparative video signal by comparing said video signals to a reference signal, wherein said processor activates said switching from said color imager to said black and white imager when said sensing and comparing circuit detects the low comparative video signal generated by said first television camera, and returns said switchover means back to said color imager when said sensing and comparing circuit detects the high comparative video signal generated by said second television camera.