Video apparatus and method for producing the illusion of motion from a sequence of still images
First Claim
1. Apparatus for generating a montage video signal providing an illusion of continuous motion from sequences of related discontinuous still images, said apparatus comprising:
- a source of first sequences of related discontinuous still images;
a source of other still images unrelated to said first sequences of still images;
a first mixer for generating said montage video signal at an output port thereof responsive to first and second component video signals applied respectively to a first input port thereof and to a second input port thereof;
a first image processor for generating said first component video signal responsive to said first sequences of still images, said first image processor consecutively considering successive pairs of each said first sequence of still images during respective series of raster scans and cross-dissolving in respective series of steps from one of the still images of each pair to the next, one step per raster scan, thereby to generate said first component video signal; and
means responsive to said other still images for generating said second component video signal.
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Abstract
An apparatus is provided for use with a computerized graphics system to create the illusion of motion from a sequence of still images. A memory and circuitry are provided to generate video signals representing successive still images in the motion sequence. The transition from still image to still image in the sequence is provided by dissolving from the presently displayed image to the next image. This dissolve eliminates the jerkiness that is usually present in creating motion from two images having rather large pixel size by smoothing over the transition from one still image to the next.
70 Citations
12 Claims
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1. Apparatus for generating a montage video signal providing an illusion of continuous motion from sequences of related discontinuous still images, said apparatus comprising:
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a source of first sequences of related discontinuous still images; a source of other still images unrelated to said first sequences of still images; a first mixer for generating said montage video signal at an output port thereof responsive to first and second component video signals applied respectively to a first input port thereof and to a second input port thereof; a first image processor for generating said first component video signal responsive to said first sequences of still images, said first image processor consecutively considering successive pairs of each said first sequence of still images during respective series of raster scans and cross-dissolving in respective series of steps from one of the still images of each pair to the next, one step per raster scan, thereby to generate said first component video signal; and means responsive to said other still images for generating said second component video signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. Apparatus for generating a montage video signal providing an illusion of continuous motion from sequences of related discontinuous motion from apparatus comprising:
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means for supplying first sequences of related discontinuous still images descriptive of foreground objects, each successive image of said first sequences being repetitively raster scanned; means for supplying said first sequences of related discontinuous still images delayed by one frame time, each delayed successive image of said first sequences being repetitively raster scanned; means for supplying second sequences of related discontinuous still images descriptive of background for said foreground objects, each successive image of said second sequences being repetitively raster scanned; means for supplying said second sequences of related discontinuous still images delayed by one frame time, each delayed successive image of said second sequences being repetitively raster scanned; a first video processor responsive to said first sequences of still images for generating a first component video signal; a second video signal processor responsive to said second sequences of still images for generating a second component video signal; a first mixer generating a first component montage video signal at an output port thereof, receptive of said first component video signal at one input port thereof and of said second component video signal at another input port thereof, said first mixer selecting portions of said first component video signal descriptive of foreground objects for said first component montage video signal and otherwise selecting said second component video signal; a third video processor responsive to said delayed first sequences of still images for generating a third component video signal; a fourth video processor responsive to delayed said second sequences of still images for generating a fourth component video signal; a second mixer generating a second component montage video signal at an output port thereof, receptive of said third component video signal at one input port thereof and of said fourth component video signal at another input port thereof, said second mixer selecting portions of said third component video signal descriptive of foreground objects for said second component montage video signal, and otherwise selecting said fourth component video signal; a third mixer having a first input port receptive of said first component montage video signal, having a second input port receptive of said second component montage video signal, and having an output port at which said montage video signal is generated by admixing said first and second component montage video signals in proportions determined from a control signal; and a controller for controlling the number of repetitive raster scannings of said still images in said first sequences and in said delayed first sequences, for controlling the number of still images in said second sequences and in said delayed second sequences, and for generating said control signal.
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10. A method for generating montage video signals descriptive of moving images, said method comprising the steps of:
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storing most-current frames of background video signal data and repeatedly retrieving each successive one of them from storage in accordance with a prescribed scanning pattern to generate a first video signal; storing most-current and next-to-most-current frames of foreground video signal and repeatedly retrieving them from storage in accordance with a prescribed scanning pattern; synchronizing the retrievals from storage of said background video signal data and said foreground video signal data, for determining relative positions of background and foreground video signal data in said montage video signals; cross-disolving from the next-to-most-current frames of foreground video signal data to the most-current frame of foreground video signal data during the course of repeatedly retrieving them from storage, for generating a second video signal; and during each set of synchronized retrievals from storage, replacing the first video signal with second video signal descriptive of foreground video signal data superposed over background video signal data, in a mixing process for generating said montage video signal.
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11. A method for generating montage video signals descriptive of moving images, said method comprising the steps of:
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storing most-current and next-to-most-current frames of background video signal data and repeatedly retrieving them from storage in accordance with a prescribed scanning pattern; storing most-current frames of foreground video signal data and repeatedly retrieving each successive one of them from storage in accordance with a prescribed scanning pattern to generate a first video signal; synchronizing the retrievals from storage of said background video signal data and said foreground video signal data, for determining relative positions of background and foreground video signaal data in said montage video signals; cross-dissolving from the next-to-most-current frame of background video signal data to the most-current frame of background video signal data during the course of repeatedly retrieving them from storage, for generating a second video signal; and during each set of synchronized retrievals from storage, replacing the second video signal with first video signal descriptive of foreground video signal data to be superposed over background video signal data, in a mixing process for generating said montage video signal.
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12. A method for generating montage video signals descriptive of moving images, said method comprising the steps of:
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storing most-current and next-to-most-current frames of background video signal data and repeatedly retrieving them from storage in accordance with a prescribed scanning pattern; storing most-current and next-to-most-current frames of foreground video signal data and repeatedly retrieving them from storage in accordance with a prescribed scanning pattern; synchronizing the retrievals from storage of said background video signal data and said foreground video signal data, for determining relative positions of background and foreground video signal data in said montage video signals; cross-dissolving from the next-to-most-current frame of background video signal data to the most-current frame of background video signal data during the course of repeatedly retrieving them from storage, for generating a first video signal; cross-disolving from the next-to-most-current frames of foreground video signal data to the most-current frame of background video signal data during the course of repeatedly retrieving them from storage, for generating a second video signal; and during each set of synchronized retrievals from storage, replacing the first video signal with second video signal descriptive of foreground data to be superposed over background data, in a mixing process for generating said montage video signal.
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Specification