Television image processing system having capture, merge and display capability
First Claim
1. An image processing system capable of selectively merging graphics, text, digitized video frames and/or full motion video into a user selectable composite television display, said system comprising a composite or component RGB video input source means, said composite or component RGB video input source means comprising means for providing a full motion video input;
- a graphics coprocessor means capable of controllably retrievably storing digitized video frames for providing a user controllable variable window in an output composite television display picture;
memory means operatively connected to said graphics coprocessor means for receiving memory control signals therefrom, said memory means having a data input/output means for inputting and outputting data therefrom and a control signal input means for enabling control of reading and writing from and to said memory means;
control signal interception means operatively connected between said graphics coprocessor means and said control signal input means for controllably intercepting read memory control signals generated from said graphics coprocessor means and substituting write memory control signals therefor for providing said write memory control signals to said memory means control signal input means;
grab control means operatively connected to said control interceptor means for controllably causing said interception of said read memory control signals during grabbing of a user selected full motion video signal input from said composite video input source means, said grab control means selectively substantially instantaneously grabbing said full motion video signal input in response to said user selection of a full motion video frame to be grabbed;
video buffer means operatively connected to said data input/output means for controllably providing said grabbed user selected full motion video frame signal input to said memory means for retrievable storage of said grabbed user selected full motion video frame signal input, said grab control means further being operatively connected to said video buffer means for controlling said instantaneous grabbing of said user selected video frame signal input, said memory means retrievably storing said grabbed user selected video frame as a digitized video frame, said graphics coprocessor means enabling user manipulation of said stored grabbed user selected video frame for providing a still video image in said user controllable variable window in said output composite television display; and
video switch and merging means for selectively merging said stored grabbed digitized video frames with said full motion video and/or graphics and/or text in said user selectable composite television display picture;
whereby a flexible user controllable multimedia television image processing system is provided.
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Abstract
A television image processing system in which images from any composite or component RGB video source (26) may be fed into a signal processing circuit (60) where they are digitized for processing in real time, then reconverted to analog form and displayed on an RGB analog television screen (22). During this process, users can capture a frame of the digitized video at random and store it in digitized format as a full size image in the memory (32) of the graphics coprocessors (20). In order to store live or full motion video (26) in the memory (32), the memory read signal from the graphics coprocessor is intercepted (84) in response to a grab control (54) and a memory write signal substituted therefore, with the captured video then being written written to the memory (32) from the video buffer (86) through which it passes. Multiple variable size windows may be created and overlayed in the composite display (22), with each window being independent in size and content. The resultant composite television display (22) may have multiple still frame images overlayed over full motion or live video together with graphics and/or text. Separate color processing circuits (60a, 60b, 60c) are provided for parallel processing of the red, blue and green components of captured full color video to enhance the color resolution, with a separate graphics coprocessor (20a, 20b, 20c) and memory (32a, 32b, 32c) being in each circuit (60a, 60b, 60c).
103 Citations
46 Claims
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1. An image processing system capable of selectively merging graphics, text, digitized video frames and/or full motion video into a user selectable composite television display, said system comprising a composite or component RGB video input source means, said composite or component RGB video input source means comprising means for providing a full motion video input;
- a graphics coprocessor means capable of controllably retrievably storing digitized video frames for providing a user controllable variable window in an output composite television display picture;
memory means operatively connected to said graphics coprocessor means for receiving memory control signals therefrom, said memory means having a data input/output means for inputting and outputting data therefrom and a control signal input means for enabling control of reading and writing from and to said memory means;
control signal interception means operatively connected between said graphics coprocessor means and said control signal input means for controllably intercepting read memory control signals generated from said graphics coprocessor means and substituting write memory control signals therefor for providing said write memory control signals to said memory means control signal input means;
grab control means operatively connected to said control interceptor means for controllably causing said interception of said read memory control signals during grabbing of a user selected full motion video signal input from said composite video input source means, said grab control means selectively substantially instantaneously grabbing said full motion video signal input in response to said user selection of a full motion video frame to be grabbed;
video buffer means operatively connected to said data input/output means for controllably providing said grabbed user selected full motion video frame signal input to said memory means for retrievable storage of said grabbed user selected full motion video frame signal input, said grab control means further being operatively connected to said video buffer means for controlling said instantaneous grabbing of said user selected video frame signal input, said memory means retrievably storing said grabbed user selected video frame as a digitized video frame, said graphics coprocessor means enabling user manipulation of said stored grabbed user selected video frame for providing a still video image in said user controllable variable window in said output composite television display; and
video switch and merging means for selectively merging said stored grabbed digitized video frames with said full motion video and/or graphics and/or text in said user selectable composite television display picture;
whereby a flexible user controllable multimedia television image processing system is provided. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 44, 45, 46)
- a graphics coprocessor means capable of controllably retrievably storing digitized video frames for providing a user controllable variable window in an output composite television display picture;
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43. An image processing system in accordance with claim 47 wherein said full-motion video input comprises a live video signal input.
Specification
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- Resources
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Current AssigneeThe Frenry Company Incorporated
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Original AssigneeThe Frenry Company Incorporated
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InventorsRussell, David P., Papworth, Raymond C.
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Primary Examiner(s)Shepperd, John W.
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Application NumberUS07/131,992Time in Patent Office606 DaysField of Search358/22, 358/183, 358/903US Class Current348/559CPC Class CodesH04N 9/641 Multi-purpose receivers, e....
