Video art electronic system

• US 4,782,335 A
• Filed: 10/30/1986
• Issued: 11/01/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Edward L Gussin
• Original Assignee: LJN Toys, Ltd.
• Inventors: Gussin, Edward L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yusko, Donald J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Queen, Tyrone
• Application Number:
  US06/925,653
• Time in Patent Office: 733 Days
• Field of Search: 340/709, 340/703, 340/710, 273/148 B
• US Class Current: 345/161
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/06 using player-operated means for controlling the position of a specific area display
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/20 Input arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/02 characterised by the way in which colour is displayed details of colour display specific for CRTs G09G1/28; specific for flat matrix panels other than liquid crystal displays G09G3/2003; specific for liquid crystal displays G09G3/3607

Abstract

A video art electronic system for drawing and coloring on a conventional color television video monitor includes a first joystick for drawing and a second joystick for coloring. The operation is in real time and is simple enough for a child to operate.

Claims

1. A video art electronic system for drawing and coloring on a conventional color television video monitor including a television screen having predetermined pixels, comprising:

a draw switch having a first position for drawing and coloring on the video monitor and a second position for not drawing and coloring on the video monitor;

means including a first joystick to produce first digital signals representing the "X" and "Y" coordinates of a pixel position of a cursor on the video monitors;

means including a second joystick to produce second digital signals representing the color of the cursor on the video monitor;

a pixel memory comprising a random access memory (RAM) having digital memory addresses corresponding to the pixels and adapted to be read in correspondence with the conventional horizontal and vertical scanning of the video monitor;

first connecting means operative when the draw switch is in its first position to connect said first and second digital signals to said pixel memory so that the color and position of the cursor on the video monitor are written into said pixel memory;

means to convert output signals from said pixel memory to conventional color television signals; and

means to convert said first and second digital signals to conventional color television signals when said draw switch is in its second position, whereby digital signals in said pixel memory are displayed on the video monitor and the cursor is located on the video monitor at the position defined by said first digital signals with a color defined by said second digital signals.

3. A system of claim 1, wherein said means to produce first digital signals comprises a multiplexer.

4. A system of claim 3, wherein said means to produce first digital signals further comprises an analog to digital converter.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said means to produce second digital signals comprises a multiplexer.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said means to produce second digital signals further comprises an analog to digital converter.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said means to produce first digital signals comprises a digital register.

8. Ths system of claim 1, wherein said means to produce second digital signals comprises a digital register.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising means to scan said pixel memory.

10. A system of claim 1, wherein said means to produce second digital signals comprises a color read only memory (ROM).

11. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein both said means to convert to conventional color television as a channel common thereto;

a color matrix operatable for transforming said output signals from the pixel memory or said second digital signals, to analog color signals suitable for producing a conventional color television signal, and a modulator coupled to said color matrix and operable to modulate said analog color signals to produce a conventional color television signal.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for clearing the video monitor.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising means to background color the video monitor with a color corresponding to said second digital signals.

2. A video art electronics system for drawing and coloring on a conventional color television video monitor including a television screen having predetermined pixels, said system comprising a first and a second member positionably movable by an operatir, the drawing and coloring being by way of real-time positional and color correspondence of a cursor movably displayed on the screen with the current positions of said first and second members, the position of said first member representing commanded position of the cursor on the screen and the position of said second member representing commanded color of the cursor,

said system being operable in a first mode of drawing and coloring in which currently commanded position and currently commanded color of the cursor are replicated on the screen in real time on a durable and cumulatively up-to-date basis as a durable trace of the cursor movement, so that the screen durably displays the executed drawing and currently commanded coloring traces up-to-date,

said system being operable in a second mode of not drawing and coloring in which the screen continues to display durably the traces as last previously brought up-to-date and in which the currently commanded position and color of the cursor are replicated by the cursor displayed on the screen, but without new and current formation of a durably displayed trace,

said system further comprising:

a draw switch having a first position for invoking said first mode of drawing and coloring on the video monitor and a second position for invoking said second mode of not drawing and coloring on the video monitor; and

means operative in either mode and responsive to said first member to produce first digital signals representing the commanded "X" and "Y" coordinates of the pixel position of the cursor on the screen.

14. A video art electronic system for drawing and coloring on a conventional color television video monitor including a television screen having predetermined pixels, comprising:

a draw switch having a first position for drawing and coloring on the video monitor and a second position for not drawing and coloring on the video monitor;

first joystick means operable to produce a first analog signal representing "X" and "Y" coordinates of a pixel position of a cursor on the video monitor;

second joystick means operable to produce a second analog signal representing a color of said cursor on the video monitor;

digitizing means operable to time division multiplex said first and second analog signals and to produce an "X" digital signal related to the "X" coordinate of said pixel position, a "Y" digital signal related to the "Y" coordinate of said pixel position, and first and second color digital signals related to the color of said cursor on the color video monitor;

a first register operable to receive said "X" digital signal;

a second register operable to receive said "Y" digital signal;

a third register operable to receive said first color digital signal;

a fourth register operable to receive said second color digital signal;

a preprogrammed color read only memory (ROM) operable for producing a third color digital signal from said first and second color digital signals, said third color digital signal defining the three color components of the video monitor;

a pixel memory comprising a random access memory having digital memory addresses corresponding to said pixels and adapted to be read in correspondence with the conventional horizontal and vertical scanning of the video monitor so that said digital memory addresses correspond to possible pairs of "X" and "Y" digital signals for the video monitor;

first connecting means operative when the draw switch is in a first position to connect said first and second registers to said pixel memory and to connect said color ROM to said pixel memory so that said third color signal is written into said pixel memory at a digital memory location corresponding to said "X" and "Y" digital signals in said first and second registers;

a fifth register coupled to said pixel memory and operable for reading said third color digital signal at said digital memory location in said pixel memory when said pixel memory is scanned;

an "X" address counter coupled to said pixel memory and operable for scanning the digital memory locations in said pixel memory in an "X" direction;

a "Y" address counter coupled to the pixel memory and operable for scanning the digital memory locations in said pixel memory in a "Y" direction;

second connecting means operative when said "X" and "Y" address counters are scanning said pixel memory to connect said pixel memory to said fifth register for reading any third color digital signals in said pixel memory into said fifth register;

an address comparator coupled to said first and second registers and said pixel memory, and operable for comparing the "X" and "Y" digital signals in said first and second registers to the address at each of the digital memory locations in said pixel memory while said "X" and "Y" address counters are scanning said pixel memory;

said address comparator being operative for connecting said color ROM to said fifth register when both said draw switch is in its second position and the "X" nd "Y" digital signals in said first and second register correspond to the address of said pixel memory being scanned;

a color matrix coupled to the fifth register and operable for transforming said third color digital signal in said fifth register into analog color signals suitable for producing a conventional color television signal; and

a modulator coupled to the color matrix and operable to modulate said analog color signal to produce a conventional color television signal, whereby any third color digital signals in said pixel memory are displayed on the video monitor at positions corresponding to their respective "X" and "Y" digital signals and said cursor is located on the video monitor at a position defined by said first joystick means and said cursor has a color defined by said second joystick means.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising means to clear the video monitor.

16. A system of claim 14, further comprising means to color the video monitor with a color corresponding to said second digital signals.