Method and apparatus for analysis of digital video images

• US 20050219267A1
• Filed: 03/31/2004
• Published: 10/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HBC Solutions Incorporated (AEG Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Deschamp, Joseph, Guerrero, David R., Mauger, Randy A., Zwiebel, Robert C., Hollowbush, Richard R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,567,256 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/660
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/02 for colour television signals

Abstract

A multi-format display device for video production and testing presents a video signal in three or more distinct ways at different areas of a display, to facilitate analysis of video data for discrete areas within the video picture. A video processor produces a complete picture from the input signal on a limited part of the device display area, such as a quadrant of a digitally controlled standard display. At another limited part, preferably on the same display, a picture zoom is presented, showing a visual enlargement of a subpart of the picture around a cursor position, preferably large enough to point out individual pixels or data samples. A third part of the display presents a tabular form of specific pixel numeric data for one or more pixels at the cursor, and also produces a color swatch corresponding to the pixel data values. Graphic plots of picture data, audio and other associated information can be placed in remaining areas. The controller and video processor are operable to accept pixel selection criteria, to identify pixels in the display that meet the criteria, and to scrutinize the selected pixels in sequence, subject to manual selection override.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use in analyzing video images, comprising:

a video signal input for providing a video signal to be analyzed, the video signal including at least one of successive picture frames and fields;

a video processor coupled to at least one display device and operable to produce a display of information at least partly from the video input signal;

a controller coupled to the video processor and to at least one control input, the controller being operable to control a nature of the information displayed by the video processor;

wherein the video processor is operable to produce selectable data images for presentation on the display device comprising;

a representation of the full said video signal to be analyzed, wherein the full said video signal is selectively presented so as to occupy at least a portion of a display area of the display device;

a zoom image including an area of particular scrutiny in said video signal to be analyzed, said area of particular scrutiny occupying a selected part of the video signal and being selectively presented; and

,

a report of video data characteristics at least at one point within said limited area;

and, wherein the video processor is operable selectably to present on the display device a subset of the selectable data images.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the video processor has a plurality of display modes in which at least two of the selectable data images depict the area of particular scrutiny.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the video processor has a display mode wherein the full video image, the zoom image and the report of said video data characteristics are presented at different parts of the display device that present progressively smaller parts of the full video signal at the area of particular scrutiny.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the report includes a tabular display of data respecting pixels at the area of particular scrutiny.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the tabular display of data includes sample location information and color sample data.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the tabular display of data includes a color swatch demonstrating the color sample data.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the video input is adapted for processing a digital video signal in increments of at least one frame, the frame containing one of discrete sample data and discrete color state elements defining pixels.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a video sampler operable to produce a digital video signal in increments of at least one frame the frame containing one of discrete sample data and discrete color state elements defining pixels.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the video processor comprises a resizing engine operable to present the input video signal on said part of the area of the display device, the resizing engine being operable for at least one of recalculating pixel values, sampling pixel values and reading out selected pixel values, so as to produce an image in a display area which image occupies less than a full area of the display device.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control input is operable by a user manually to select from the input video signal an area of particular scrutiny, and wherein the video processor is operable simultaneously to present the input video signal on said part of the area of the display device, and a zoom image of the area of particular scrutiny on the first supplemental display area.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the selectable data images are presented in at predetermined areas of the display device providing a first display area and at least one supplemental display area, and wherein the video processor allots said predetermined areas to said selectable data images responsive to at least one of user input selections and data values in the video signal.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the video processor is operable responsive to the control input to define a selection criteria and automatically to select from the input video signal at least one said area of particular scrutiny based upon data in the video signal meeting said selection criteria.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further wherein the controller and the video process are operable to coordinate between automatic and manual selection of the area for particular scrutiny, wherein said manual selection supercedes automatic selection at least for a limited period of time.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the selection criteria for said automatic selection include a color gamut value criterion having at least one threshold value such that a value meeting the threshold value criterion is selected for particular scrutiny.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the video processor is operable responsive to the control input to define a selection criteria and automatically to select from the input video signal at least one area of particular scrutiny based upon data in the video signal meeting said selection criteria, and upon user selection to present on the display device at least one, or selectively two or three, of the input video signal, a zoom image of the area of particular scrutiny, and a table of video data characteristics.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the video data characteristics include sample data for at least two successive points representing one of pixels and samples from the area of particular scrutiny.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the video data characteristics displayed in the second supplemental display area include numeric values for identifying said successive points, numeric values for quantifying a video color characteristic of said successive points and a presentation of a zone having said video color characteristic.

18. A multi-format monitor for video signal analysis comprising video signal analysis and processing apparatus operable to compose a display signal that can controllably contain:

a full visual presentation of the video signal in one of said display areas of an area less than a full area of the display, said visual presentation selectably including at least one cursor identifying a limited part of the visual presentation containing at least one pixel defined by one of a sample value and a discrete minimum size zone,

an area zoom in which said limited part is zoomed in size to show a local area including and surrounding the pixel; and

,

a pixel data zoom containing a numerical analysis applied to the pixel;

wherein the processing apparatus is responsive to at least one of a user input and an automatic selection to map into the display signal portions containing one, two or each of said full visual presentation, said area zoom and said pixel data zoom.

19. The multi-format monitor of claim 18, further comprising:

a video signal input for providing a video signal to be analyzed, the video signal including at least one of successive picture frames and fields;

a video processor coupled to said display and operable to produce a display of information at least partly from the video input signal for said display areas; and

,

a controller coupled to the video processor and to at least one control input, wherein the controller is operable responsive to a user input to control selection of information displayed by the video processor, and said selection selectively includes manual selection of a position of the cursor, and automatic selection of the position of the cursor, based upon user selection criteria.

20. A method for presenting video information for analysis of a video signal represented by one of stored video data and presently processed video data, comprising:

providing a multi-format display having a display area;

selectively displaying the video signal as a complete picture at least in part of the display area, and providing a cursor for identifying a position in the picture;

selectively enlarging and selectively displaying at least in part of the display area a portion of the picture representing a limited area at and around the position identified by the cursor, thereby forming a picture image zoom that is selectively presented in said part of the display area, said limited area being substantially enlarged compared to a corresponding area in the complete picture;

numerically representing at least one pixel associated with the cursor by at least one data value associated with one of a position and an appearance of said at least one pixel, and selectively displaying a tabular presentation of the data values at least in part of the display area.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising accepting a user selection and responsive to the user selection composing the display area so as to include a display presentation chosen from the set consisting of:

said complete picture, said picture image zoom and said tabular presentation;

a selected pair of two of said complete picture, said picture image zoom and said tabular presentation;

a selected one of said complete picture, said picture image zoom and said tabular presentation; and

,

at least one of said complete picture, said picture image zoom and said tabular presentation together with an additional information display containing at least one of graphics and text.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising controlling the cursor position both manually and automatically, by providing a user control input for entering at least one of a manually selected cursor position on the picture and at least one manually defined data selection criterion, selectively displaying the manually selected cursor position, and switchably displaying at least one automatically selected cursor position at which the data selection criterion is met.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising visually identifying at least two cursor positions on at least one of the complete picture and the picture zoom, wherein at least one said automatically selected cursor position is identified.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising graphically displaying at a portion of the display areas at least one variable that is associated with a data selection criteria by which the automatically selected cursor position is determined.

22. The method of claim 32, wherein said picture image zoom is enlarged so as to present individual pixels as discrete blocks and wherein the tabular presentation comprises a visual representation of discrete blocks having appearances that correspond to the data values.