Image processor

• US 20050213853A1
• Filed: 02/17/2005
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Huber, Gunther, Maier, Michael, Broghammer, Bernhard
• Granted Patent: US 7,720,312 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/302
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/503 Blending, e.g. for anti-aliasing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/62 Semi-transparency

Abstract

An image processor includes a memory that stores image layers, α-layers associated with the image layers, and pointers linking image areas of the image layers with the α-layer. A method for blending multiple image layers includes obtaining a transparency value for an image area by reading a pointer associated with the image area and blending the image layers using the obtained transparency value.

Claims

1. An image processor that generates a blended image from a plurality of image layers in accordance with at least one α

-layer, the α

-layer assigned to one of the plurality of image layers that indicates a transparency of image areas of the assigned image layer comprising;

a memory for storing a transparency table including a plurality of transparency values, where the α

-layer includes a pointer associated with an image area of the assigned image layer; and

the pointer refers to an address of the memory to assign a transparency value to the image area.

2. The image processor of claim 1, where an individual α

-layer is assigned to each of a plurality of the image layers, each of the individual α

-layers including a pointer associated with an image area of the assigned image layer.

3. The image processor of claim 2, comprising a plurality of transparency tables, where each of the individual α

-layers refers to a corresponding transparency table.

4. The image processor of claim 2, where all of the individual α

-layers refer to a single transparency table.

5. The image processor of claim 1, further comprising an adder that adds an offset value to the pointer.

6. The image processor of claim 1, further comprising an input unit that receives α

-layer data including the pointer and transparency table data comprising transparency values.

7. The image processor of claim 6, further comprising an offset input that receives the offset value.

8. The image processor of claim 7, where the transparency table holds 16 transparency values, each transparency value having a length of 4 bits.

9. The image processor of claim 8, where the image area corresponds to a pixel of the assigned image layer.

10. The image processor of claim 9, where the image layer has a size of 480*240 pixels.

11. The image processor of claim 10, where the α

-layer stores a pointer for each pixel of the assigned image layer.

28. An information and entertainment system comprising a display and an image processor according to claim 1.

29. The information and entertainment system of claim 28, further comprising a processor that controls the image processor, and configured so the processor directly accesses the memory of the image processor.

34. The information and entertainment system of claim 28, further comprising an external memory in communication with the image processor that stores α

-layer data and transparency data received from the processor.

12. An auxiliary processor that provides an image processor with α

-layer data indicating a transparency of image areas of an image layer processed by the image processor, comprising;

a first memory that stores a transparency table including a plurality of transparency values,

a second memory that stores a pointer-layer including a pointer associated with an image area of the image layer to be processed, the pointer referring to an address of the first memory, and

a generating unit that generates an α

-layer including a transparency value for each image area of the image layer to be processed by assigning a transparency value to each image area associated with the pointer.

13. The auxiliary processor of claim 12, further comprising an adder that adds an offset value to the pointer.

14. The auxiliary processor of claim 13, where the transparency table holds 16 transparency values, each transparency value having a length of 4 bits.

15. The auxiliary processor of claim 14, where the pointer-layer stores a pointer for each pixel of the assigned image layer.

30. An information and entertainment system comprising a display, an image processor, and an auxiliary processor according to claim 15.

31. An information and entertainment system according to claim 30, further comprising a processor that controls the auxiliary processor, and configured so the processor directly accesses the first and second memory of the auxiliary processor.

32. An information and entertainment system according to claim 31, where the information and entertainment system is used in a vehicle.

16. A method to blend a plurality of image layers using at least one α

-layer to generate a blended image, the α

-layer assigned to one of the plurality of image layers that indicates a transparency of image areas of the assigned image layer comprising;

obtaining a transparency value for an image area of the assigned image layer by reading a pointer associated with the image area from the α

-layer;

referring to an address of a memory associated with the pointer, where the memory stores a transparency table including a plurality of transparency values; and

blending the plurality of image layers using the obtained transparency value.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising performing a fade-in/fade-out effect for an image object of the assigned image layer, by changing at least one transparency value in the transparency table that indicates the transparency of an image area corresponding to the image object.

18. The method claim 17, where an individual α

-layer is assigned to each of a plurality of the image layers, each of the individual α

-layers including a pointer associated with an image area of the assigned image layer.

19. The method of claim 18, comprising a plurality of transparency tables, where each of the individual α

-layers refers to a corresponding transparency table.

20. The method of claim 18, where all of the individual α

-layers refer to a single transparency table.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising receiving α

-layer data including the pointer and transparency table data comprising the transparency values.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising adding an offset value to the pointer.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising receiving the offset value.

24. The method of claim 23, where the transparency table holds 16 transparency values, each transparency value having a length of 4 bits.

25. The method of claim 24, where the image area corresponds to a pixel of the assigned image layer.

26. The method of claim 25, where the image layer has a size of 480*240 pixels.

27. The method of claim 26, where the α

-layer stores a pointer for each pixel of the assigned image layer.

33. The method of claim 16, where the blending further comprises blending a background contribution with the plurality of image layers.

35. An image processor that generates a blended image from a plurality of image layers in accordance with at least one α

-layer comprising;

means for storing a transparency table including a plurality of transparency values, where the α

-layer includes means for associating the α

-layer with an image area of the assigned image layer, and the α

-layer is assigned to one of the plurality of image layers that indicates a transparency of image areas of the assigned image layer, and

means for associating the α

-layer with an image area of the assigned image layer referring to an address of the memory to assign a transparency value to the image area.

36. An auxiliary processor that provides an image processor with α

-layer data indicating a transparency of image areas of an image layer processed by the image processor, comprising;

means for storing a transparency table including a plurality of transparency values,

means for storing a pointer-layer including a pointer associated with an image area of the image layer to be processed, the pointer referring to an address of the first memory, and

means for generating an α

-layer including a transparency value for each image area of the image layer to be processed by assigning a transparency value to each image area associated with the pointer.

37. A computer program product, comprising one or more computer readable media having computer-executable instructions that blend a plurality of image layers using at least one α

-layer, comprising;

providing an α

-layer assigned to one of the plurality of image layers for indicates a transparency of image areas of the assigned image layer;

obtaining a transparency value for an image area of the assigned image layer by reading a pointer associated with the image area from the α

-layer;

referring to an address of a memory associated with the pointer, where the memory stores a transparency table including a plurality of transparency values; and

blending the plurality of image layers using the obtained transparency value.