Analog to digital video game conversion

• US 4,145,043 A
• Filed: 12/15/1976
• Issued: 03/20/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SEGA Pinball Incorporated
• Original Assignee: United Research Laboratories
• Inventors: Olliges, William E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hum, Vance Y.
• Application Number:
  US05/750,620
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• Field of Search: 35/11 R, 35/11 A, 35/12 N, 273/1 E, 273/85 R, 273/86 B, 273/102.2 R, 273/101.2, 273/DIG. 28, 340/324 A, 340/324 AD, 340/323 R, 358/93, 358/104
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/272 Means for inserting a foreground image in a background image, i.e. inlay, outlay

Abstract

Analog video signals representative of a video picture are generated by a video camera or the like, and the analog video signals are digitized. The digitized analog video signals are fed to a coincidence gating circuit, to which manually operable digitally generated signals are also fed. The analog video signals are mixed with the output signals from the coincidence gating circuit and are fed to a cathode ray tube for display.

Claims

1. An entertainment device which uses a display device capable of providing a visible display in response to electrical signals fed to it, the improvement comprising:

means for generating an analog video signal representative of a video picture;

means for digitizing said analog video signal;

means for generating a digital video signal;

said digital signal generating means comprising square wave generating means and a manually controlled image generator coupled to the output of said square wave generating means for modulating the square waves generated by said square wave generating means to provide digital video signals representative of a selected object;

gating means; and

means for feeding said digitized analog video signal and said digital video signal to said gating means for controlling the visible display on said display device, said gating means comprising a coincidence circuit operable to provide a predetermined output in response to coincidence of said digitized analog video signals and said digital video signals; and

means for coupling to said display device said analog video signal and the output of said gating means.

2. An entertainment device as described in claim 1, wherein said display device comprises a cathode ray tube and said analog video signal generating means comprises a video camera.

3. An entertainment device as described in claim 1, wherein said display device comprises a cathode ray tube and said analog video signal generating means comprises a video recording-medium player.

4. An entertainment device as described in claim 1, wherein said digitizing means comprises means for providing a first output signal in response to dark tones represented by said analog video signal and means for providing a second output signal in response to light tones represented by said analog video signal.

5. An entertainment device as described in claim 4, wherein said digitizing means further comprises means for generating a third output signal in response to intermediate tones represented by said analog video signal.

6. An entertainment device as described in claim 5, wherein said dark tones are substantially black, said intermediate tones are grey and said light tones are substantially white.

7. An entertainment device as described in claim 1, wherein said digitizing means comprises a plurality of analog to digital converters each of which is responsive to different tones represented by said analog video signal, to produce different output signals for different tone ranges.

8. An entertainment device as described in claim 7, said gating means comprising a coincidence circuit operable to provide one output signal in response to coincidence of said digital video signals with the digitized analog video signals corresponding to one tone range and to provide a different output signal in response to coincidence of said digital video signals with the digitized analog video signals corresponding to a different tone range.

9. An entertainment device as described in claim 8, wherein said one tone range is substantially black and said different tone range is substantially white.

10. An entertainment device as described in claim 1, wherein said manual control is operative to move said selected object on said display device in a selected manner.

11. An entertainment device as described in claim 1, wherein said coupling means comprises a selector device which, in a first position, bypasses said digitizing means to couple said analog video signal to said display device and in a second position said bypass is inoperative.

12. An entertainment device as described in claim 1, wherein said coupling means includes a summing circuit for mixing the output of said gating means with one of said analog video signal and said digitized analog video signal.

13. An entertainment device which uses a cathode ray tube and which comprises:

means for generating an analog video signal representative of a video picture;

means for digitizing said analog video signal, said digitizing means comprising means for providing a first output signal in response to dark tones represented by said analog video signal and means for providing a second output signal in response to light tones represented by said analog video signal;

means for generating a digital video signal, said digital signal generating means comprising a square wave generator and a manually controlled image generator coupled to the output of said square wave generator for modulating the square waves generated by said square wave generator to provide digital video signals representative of a selected object, said manual control being operative to move said selected object on said cathode ray tube in a selected manner;

gating means for controlling the visible display on said cathode ray tube, said gating means being responsive to coincidence of said digitized analog video signals and said digital video signals, said gating means comprising a coincidence circuit operable to provide one output signal in response to coincidence of said digital video signal with the digitized analog video signals corresponding to dark tones and to provide a different output signal in response to coincidence of said digital video signal with the digitized analog video signals corresponding to said light tones; and

means for coupling to said cathode ray tube (a) one of said analog video signal and said digitized analog video signal and (b) the output of said gating means.

14. An entertainment device as described in claim 13, wherein said coupling means comprises a selector device which, in a first position, bypasses said digitizing means to couple said analog video signal to said display device and in a second position said bypass is inoperative.

15. In an entertainment device in which a cathode ray tube displays selected objects and the result of coincidence thereof, and one of said objects is manually controlled, the improvement comprising, in combination:

means for generating an analog video signal representative of a video picture;

means for digitizing said analog video signal;

said digitizing means comprising means for providing a first output signal in response to dark tones represented by said analog video signal and means for providing a second output signal in response to light tones represented by said analog video signal;

a coincidence circuit;

means for feeding to said coincidence circuit said digitized analog signal;

means for feeding to said coincidence circuit manually controllable digital signals;

said digital signal feeding means comprising square wave generating means and a manually controlled image generator coupled to the output of said square wave generating means for modulating the square waves generated by said square wave generating means to provide digital video signals representative of a selected object;

means for coupling said analog video signal to the cathode ray tube; and

means for coupling the output of said coincidence circuit to the cathode ray tube.