Apparatus for mix-run encoding of image data
First Claim
Patent Images
1. For displaying images represented by a source signal that represents pixel values in a pixel-by-pixel manner, an apparatus comprising:
- A) a display mechanism having a screen comprising screen locations corresponding to respective image pixels, the display mechanism being adapted for reception of a display input comprising run-code pixel words, each of which corresponds to a respective pixel in an image, that represent pixel value in accordance with a run code such that the set of the run-code pixel words corresponding to all pixels in the image includes a plurality of runs of run-code pixel words, each run including at least one run-code pixel word that represents the pixel value of its corresponding pixel as a mix of values of a characteristic set of pixel values without additionally containing all of the values the characteristic set, for scanning the screen locations in a screen sequence and displaying, at the scanned screen locations corresponding to the image pixels to which the run-code pixel words in the run correspond, the sequences of pixel values that the runs represent in accordance with the run code;
B) a display-memory circuit, including display-memory locations that correspond to the respective screen locations and to the pixels to which the screen locations correspond and being operable to store in its display-memory locations corresponding run-code pixel words containing pixel values encoded in accordance with the run code, for scanning the display-memory locations in a sequence that tracks the scanning of the corresponding screen locations, for generating a display-memory output representative of the contents of the scanned memory locations, and for applying the display-memory output to the display mechanism as its display input; and
C) an encoder, adapted to receive a source signal comprising source pixel words associated with respective image pixels, each pixel word representing the pixel value of its respective image pixel without reference to the pixel values of other pixels, for encoding sequences of the source pixel words into runs of the run-code pixel words in accordance with the run code and operating the display-memory circuit to store the run-code pixel words in the display-memory locations that correspond to the image pixels to which the respective run-code pixel words correspond.
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Abstract
An encoder (12) in an image-display system converts explicitly represented pixel values from an image source (14) into mix-run-encoded representations thereof and stores them into the locations of a display memory (16). A display mechanism (18) draws the resultant stored data from the display memory and interprets them in accordance with a mix-run-encoding scheme of a type previously used for anti-aliasing purposes. As a consequence, the system is able to provide a wide range of color shades with only modest-sized display and palette memories (16 and 36).
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. For displaying images represented by a source signal that represents pixel values in a pixel-by-pixel manner, an apparatus comprising:
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A) a display mechanism having a screen comprising screen locations corresponding to respective image pixels, the display mechanism being adapted for reception of a display input comprising run-code pixel words, each of which corresponds to a respective pixel in an image, that represent pixel value in accordance with a run code such that the set of the run-code pixel words corresponding to all pixels in the image includes a plurality of runs of run-code pixel words, each run including at least one run-code pixel word that represents the pixel value of its corresponding pixel as a mix of values of a characteristic set of pixel values without additionally containing all of the values the characteristic set, for scanning the screen locations in a screen sequence and displaying, at the scanned screen locations corresponding to the image pixels to which the run-code pixel words in the run correspond, the sequences of pixel values that the runs represent in accordance with the run code; B) a display-memory circuit, including display-memory locations that correspond to the respective screen locations and to the pixels to which the screen locations correspond and being operable to store in its display-memory locations corresponding run-code pixel words containing pixel values encoded in accordance with the run code, for scanning the display-memory locations in a sequence that tracks the scanning of the corresponding screen locations, for generating a display-memory output representative of the contents of the scanned memory locations, and for applying the display-memory output to the display mechanism as its display input; and C) an encoder, adapted to receive a source signal comprising source pixel words associated with respective image pixels, each pixel word representing the pixel value of its respective image pixel without reference to the pixel values of other pixels, for encoding sequences of the source pixel words into runs of the run-code pixel words in accordance with the run code and operating the display-memory circuit to store the run-code pixel words in the display-memory locations that correspond to the image pixels to which the respective run-code pixel words correspond. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification