Electronic still store with high speed sorting and method of operation

• US 4,821,121 A
• Filed: 02/24/1987
• Issued: 04/11/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ampex Corporation (Delta Information Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ampex Corporation (Delta Information Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Beaulier, Daniel A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coles, Sr., Edward L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harvey, David E.
• Application Number:
  US07/018,786
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 358/160, 358/183, 358/311, 358/342, 358/102, 360/35.1, 360/9.1, 360/10.1, 360/14.1
• US Class Current: 348/580
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2175 with local image input
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2195 with temporary storage before final recording or on play-back, e.g. in a frame buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0089 Image display device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/325 Modified version of the image, e.g. part of the image, image reduced in size or resolution, thumbnail or screennail
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3277 The additional information being stored in the same storage device as the image data

Abstract

An electronic still store system stores and selectively outputs video image data defining a plurality of signal frame still images. The simultaneous display of up to 16 or more quarter sized images for scanning or sorting by an operator is facilitated by generating a quarter sized copy of each newly received image frame and storing both together on a conventional magnetic disk storage device as is typically employed in general purpose digital computing systems. The quarter sized image can then be recalled directly for a multi-image scan or sort function in which 16 reduced size images are displayed simultaneously without the time delays associated with the retrieval and size reduction of 16 full size images.

Claims

1. An electronic still store system comprising:

an image store means for retrievably storing therein a plurality of image frame copies of video frames, the image frame copies comprising data representing full spatial resolution images and corresponding data representing reduced spatial resolution images of the video frames;

frame store means for receiving and storing in a first mode one of said full spatial resolution images from said image store means and for repetitively generating a full spatial resolution image output, and in a second mode for receiving from the image store means and storing a plurality of said reduced spatial resolution images each at selectively located different positions, the frame store means in the second mode further repetitively generating an image output comprising the stored plurality of said reduced spatial resolution images; and

size reducer means for receiving from the frame store means the stored full spatial resolution image and in response thereto returning to the frame store means a corresponding reduced spatial resolution image, wherein the frame store means receives and stores the returned reduced spatial resolution image while continuing to store the stored full spatial resolution image.

2. The electronic still store system according to claim 1, wherein the reduced spatial resolution images each have a spatial resolution of one-fourth the spatial resolution of the corresponding full spatial resolution image.

3. The electronic still store system according to claim 1, wherein said frame store means includes a central processing unit, controlled by an operator in said first mode for selecting which of said full spatial resolution images stored in said image store means is to be retrieved from the image store means, and in said second mode for selecting which of said reduced spatial resolution images stored in said image store means are to be retrieved and stored in said frame store means, and further for selecting the different positions within a video frame at which each of said retrieved reduced spatial resolution images is stored.

4. The electronic still store system according to claim 3, wherein said frame store means further comprises an output digital-to-analog converter coupled to receive output image data from the frame store means and in response thereto to generate an analog video signal representing an output image;

and

a monitor coupled to receive the analog video signal and display the output image represented thereby.

5. The electronic still store system according to claim 4, further comprising a video input means for generating an input analog video signal representing an input video image and an analog-to-digital converter coupled between the video input means and the frame store means for converting the input analog video signal to a digital form such that digital data representing said input video image is received and stored by the frame store means.

6. A video still store system comprising:

external source means for supplying a full size image data set representing a full size image frame;

a size reducer coupled to receive the full size image data set for producing therefrom a reduced size image data set representing a corresponding reduced size image frame;

an image store for storing a plurality of full size image data sets representing a plurality of full size image frames and for storing a plurality of reduced size image data sets representing a plurality of reduced size image frames, each of said reduced size image data sets corresponding to one of said full size image data sets; and

frame store means for storing one of said full size image data sets from either the external source or said image store, wherein if said image store does not supply a corresponding reduced size image data set, said frame store outputs a copy of said full size image data set to said size reducer, and receives in turn a corresponding reduced size image data set;

wherein said image store stores the reduced size image data set along with the previously stored corresponding full size image data set.

7. An apparatus for storing video pixel data representing video images of a first resolution and, for each each of the images at said first resolution, a corresponding video image at a second resolution, comprising:

random access memory means for storing video pixel data representing one of a succession of full size images at said first resolution and a corresponding reduced size version thereof at said second resolution;

bulk memory means for receiving said video pixel data from said random access memory means and for storing said succession of full size images and the corresponding reduced size versions thereof, and for outputting upon a user'"'"'s command, either a selected one of the successive full size images or selected ones of the corresponding reduced size versions thereof for direct transfer to, and storage back in, said random access memory means; and

means responsive to said random access memory means for selectively generating one of said corresponding reduced size versions from the respective full size image in said random access memory means, and for transferring the video pixel data representing and the corresponding reduced size version back to the contents of said random access memory means.

8. An apparatus for storing video pixel data as at least one full size image at a first resolution, and at least one reduced size image thereof at a second lower resolution, comprising:

random access memory means having an input port and an output port, for storing the video pixel data presented at the input port;

said video pixel data representing the full size video image at a first resolution being stored in a first group of memory locations in said random access memory means;

bulk storage memory for also storing the video pixel data and for presenting selected groups of video data at said input port for storage by said random access memory means;

size reducing means responsive to said random access memory means for directly receiving said video pixel data stored in said random access memory means representing said full size image at said first resolution, and for reducing said image to the reduced size image at the second lower resolution, and for supplying said reduced size image at said second resolution directly back to said random access memory means in a second group of memory locations therein;

control means coupled to said random access memory means, to said bulk storage memory and to said size reducing means, for causing said size reducing means to generate said reduced size image at said second resolution and to supply same to said random access memory means in said second group of memory locations; and

said control means further causing the transfer of the full size and reduced size video pixel data from said random access memory means to said bulk storage memory for storage, and for causing the selective transfer from said bulk storage memory directly into said random access memory means of either said full size image at said first resolution or said reduced size image at said second lower resolution.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said size reducing means produces said reduced size image at said second resolution with one fourth the spatial resolution of said full size image at said first resolution, and wherein said control means determines the transfer of said reduced size image at said second resolution into said random access memory means for storage at a selected one of 16 predetermined groups of said memory locations.

10. A system for storing video data representing video images which are displayable as rasters of vertically distributed horizontal lines, each represented video image normally occupying a raster of selected vertical and horizontal size, the system comprising:

a video image size reducer having an input for receiving video data representing a video image corresponding to the selected raster size and for generating video data representing a reproduction of said video image at a selected fractional-size of said selected raster size;

a first store for receiving video data for storage and for providing video data therefrom, said first store having a capacity for storing the video data representing the video image corresponding to the selected raster size simultaneously together with the video data supplied by said video image size reducer representing said reproduction of the video image at the selected fractional-size;

a second store for receiving and storing the video data stored in the first store and for providing video data therefrom directly to the first store, said second store further storing video data representing a plurality of additional video images each corresponding to the selected raster size, and video data representing a plurality of additional reproductions at the selected fractional size of said selected raster size; and

means for selectively transferring from said second store directly to said first store either video data representing of the plurality of video images corresponding to the selected raster size, or video data representing a plurality of reproductions at the selected fractional-size of said selected raster size.

11. A method of storing video pixel data comprising:

receiving and storing in selected storage locations in a random access memory, full video pixel data comprising a full size image;

generating from the full video pixel data, reduced video pixel data representing a reproduction thereof in the form of a reduced size image at a lower resolution;

storing the reduced video pixel data representing the reduced size image in additional storage locations in said random access memory along with the full video pixel data;

storing both the full size image and the reduced size image in bulk storage memory; and

selectively transferring either the full size image or the reduced size image from said bulk storage memory into said random access memory for further processing.

12. A video still store system comprising:

an external source for supplying a plurality of full size image data sets representative of corresponding full size images;

an image store for storing said full size image data sets, and for storing a like plurality of reduced size image data sets representing a plurality of reduced size images, each of said reduced size image data sets corresponding to one of the full size image data sets;

a memory for simultaneous storage of one of said full size image data sets and a corresponding one of said reduced size image data sets;

a size reducer means for receiving from said memory the stored one of said full size image data sets, and for producing and returning to said memory the corresponding one of said reduced size image data sets;

said memory being responsive to either the external source or the image store for storing said one of said full size image data sets, and for supplying to the image store both the stored one of said full size image data sets and the corresponding one of said reduced size image data sets;

said memory being responsive to the image store to store at different selected locations the plurality of reduced size image data sets;

said memory further supplying as an output image either the plurality of reduced size image data sets arranged at different locations within the output image, or the full size image data set; and

means responsive to said memory for displaying the output image as a raster scanned video display.

13. A method of storing video pixel data for access and display comprising:

providing data sets for a plurality of full size images at a first spatial resolution;

generating, from the data sets of the full size images, second data sets representing a corresponding plurality of reduced size reproduction images at a second lower spatial resolution;

storing both the data sets of the plurality of full size images and the data sets of the corresponding plurality of reduced size reproduction images in respective selected groups of storage location; and

selectively accessing from the storage locations a data, set representing one of the plurality of full size images, and a data set representing one of the corresponding plurality of the reduced size reproduction images, simultaneously.

14. An apparatus for storing video pixel data as at least one full size image at a first resolution, and at least one reduced size image thereof at a second lower resolution, comprising:

random access memory means having an input port and an output port, for storing the video pixel data presented at the input port;

said video pixel data representing the full size video image at a first resolution being stored in a first group of memory locations in said random access memory means;

bulk storage memory for also storing the video pixel data and for presenting selected groups of video data at said input port for storage by said random access memory means;

size reducing means responsive to said random access memory means for receiving said video pixel data stored in said random access memory means representing said full size image at said first resolution, and for producing reduced size pixel data representing the reduced size image at the second lower resolution, and for supplying said reduced size image at said second resolution to said random access memory means in a second group of memory locations therein;

control means coupled to said random access memory means, to said bulk storage memory and to said size reducing means, for causing said size reducing means to generate said reduced size image at said second resolution and to supply said reduced image to said random access memory means in said second group of memory locations;

said control means further causing the transfer of the full size and reduced size video pixel data from said random access memory means to said bulk storage memory for storage, and for causing the selective transfer from said bulk storage memory into said random access memory means of either said full size image at said first resolution or said reduced size image at said second lower resolution; and

wherein said control means also determines the selective transfer of said reduced size image at said second resolution from said size reducing means into said bulk storage memory via the random access memory means.

15. A method of storing video pixel data for access and display comprising:

providing data sets for a plurality of full size image at a first spatial resolution, wherein each one of the full size images occupies upon display a raster of selected vertical and horizontal size;

generating, from the data sets of the full size images,second data sets representing a corresponding plurality of reduced size reproduction images at a second lower spatial resolution;

storing both the data sets of the plurality of full size images and the data sets of the corresponding plurality of reduced size reproduction images in respective selected groups of storage locations;

selectively accessing from the storage locations a data set of one of the plurality of full size images, and one of the sets of the corresponding plurality of the reduced size reproduction images simultaneously;

wherein the step of accessing further includes, retrieving a plurality of reproduction images, storing the retrieved plurality of images in a random access memory, and outputting the stored plurality of retrieved images as a mosaic of reproduction images occupying a raster of the selected vertical and horizontal size.