Video processing system

• US 5,107,252 A
• Filed: 09/20/1989
• Issued: 04/21/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Quantel Limited (Belden Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Quantel Limited (Belden Inc.)
• Inventors: Traynar, Michael J., McNeil, Ian
• Primary Examiner(s): Weldon, Ulysses
• Assistant Examiner(s): FATAHI YAR, MAHMOUD
• Application Number:
  US07/410,155
• Time in Patent Office: 944 Days
• Field of Search: 340/712, 340/724, 340/725, 340/729, 340/723, 340/749, 358/183, 358/22, 364/518, 364/522
• US Class Current: 345/634
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/10 Geometric effects
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/20 Editing of 3D images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/2016 Rotation, translation, scaling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/272 Means for inserting a foreground image in a background image, i.e. inlay, outlay

Abstract

A video processing system for use in combining a first video image sequence comprising a number of image frames and a second sequence of video image frames to create a composite video image sequence is disclosed. The system comprises a stylus and touch tablet combination and is arranged to define on a frame-by-frame basis at least four reference points representing corners of a keyframe in three dimensional space notionally projected onto a monitor screen. A transforming circuit transforms the addresses of pixels in a frame of the first video image sequence so as to cause the pixels to represent the frame as projected onto the display screen from the same location in three dimensional space as the keyframe. A combiner combines the transformed frame with a corresponding frame of the second video sequence to produce the composite video image sequence.

Claims

1. A video processing system comprising:

a viewing screen;

manually operable control means for generating address signals representing the addresses of at least four reference points defining the corners of a polygon notionally projected on said screen;

means for effecting selective adjustment of said polygon address signals to produce manipulated address signals defining the corners of said polygon as projected on said screen after a movement of said polygon in three dimensional space;

transformer means responsive to said manipulated address signals for transforming the address of video frames to produce respective manipulated video frames having a projected picture which has undergone the same movement in three dimensional space as said polygon;

means for supplying a first sequence of input frames to said transformer means to produce a sequence of manipulated frames, wherein said polygon address signals are individually defined for each of said input frames;

means for storing a sequence of said manipulated frames;

means for storing a second sequence of input video frames; and

means for keying stored manipulated frames over respective second input frames to produce a sequence of output frames.

2. A video processing system as claimed in claim 1 wherein polygon address signals are defined while displaying said polygon over its respective frame of said second sequence of input frames.

3. A video processing system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said stored manipulated frames are keyed over said second frames in real-time allowing a preview of the output sequence to be viewed before being recorded.

4. A video processing system for use in combining a first video image sequence comprising a number of image frames and a second sequence of video image frames to create a composite video image sequence, the system comprising user operable means for defining on a frame-by-frame basis at least four reference points representing corners of a polygon in three dimensional space notionally projected onto a display screen, transforming means for transforming addresses of pixels in a frame of said first video image sequence so as to cause said pixels to represent the frame as projected onto the display screen from the same location in three dimensional space as the polygon, and combining means for combining the transformed frame with a frame of the second video image sequence thereby to produce said composite video image sequence.

5. A system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the user operable means is arranged to enable each of the reference points to be defined individually.

6. A system as claimed in claim 4 or 5, wherein the user operable means comprises a stylus and touch tablet combination.

7. A system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the transforming means is adapted to create a control image for each frame of the sequence, which control image is used by the combining means on a pixel-by-pixel basis to control the combining of the said transformed frame and the said second sequence frame.

8. A system as claimed in claim 4, wherein means are provided for displaying a representation of the polygon as projected onto the display screen over a displayed frame of said second video sequence to facilitate positioning of said reference points.

9. A system as claimed in claim 4 further comprising bulk storage means for storing said video sequences which storage means is adapted to deliver individual frames of said first and second video sequences to respective first and second frame store means via respective buffer means.

10. A system as claimed in claim 4, further comprising previewing means responsive to said user operable means for enabling the composite video sequence to be previewed on a frame-by-frame basis, the previewing measn including keying means for keying a transformed frame over a corresponding frame of said second sequence in accordance with the corresponding control image frame.

11. A video signal processing system comprising:

(a) a source of a first clip of frames of background video signals;

(b) a source of a second clip of frames of insert video signals;

(c) means for selecting each frame of said first clip in turn together with a corresponding frame of said second clip;

(d) means for defining a key frame initially enclosing a feature represented by video signals within an area of a correspondingly selected frame of said second clip;

(e) operator manipulable reshaping means for reshaping said key frame with reference to a desired area of the currently selected frame of said first clip where it is desired to insert said feature;

(f) means responsive to said reshaping means for generating one or more transforms adapted to reshape said feature to fit said desired area, and for generating a control image corresponding to the reshaped key frame;

(g) means responsive to said one or more transforms for reshaping said feature;

(h) means for storing the reshaped feature and the corresponding control image for each respective frame of said second clip until the reshaped features and corresponding control images have been derived and stored for every frame of said second clip; and

(i) means responsive to said stored and reshaped features and control images for inserting the reshaped features in the respective frames of said first clip.

12. A system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said means for defining said key frame comprises means for defining plural reference points corresponding to corners of said area and said reshaping means comprises means for manipulating each of said reference points.

13. A system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said operator manipulable reshaping means is arranged to enable each of the reference points to be defined individually.

14. A system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said operator manipulable reshaping means comprises a stylus and touch tablet combination.

15. A system as claimed in claim 11 wherein said inserting means is responsive to said control image on a pixel-by pixel basis to control the inserting of said reshaped features in said second clip.

16. A video signal processing system comprising:

(a) a source of a first clip of frames of background video signals;

(b) a source of a second clip of frames of insert video signals;

(c) means for selecting each frame of said first clip in turn together with a corresponding frame of said second clip;

(d) means for defining a key frame initially enclosing a feature represented by video signals within an area of a correspondingly selected frame of said second clip;

(e) operator manipulable means for reshaping said key frame with reference to a desired area of the currently selected frame of said first clip where it is desired to insert said feature;

(f) means responsive to said reshaping means for deriving one or more transforms adapted to reshape said feature to fit said desired area;

(g) means for storing said one or more transforms for each respective frame of said second clip until the one or more transforms for all frames of said second clip have been derived and stored;

(h) means for deriving a control image corresponding to the reshaped key frame for each frame of said second clip; and

(i) means responsive to said stored one or more transforms and said control images for reshaping the respective features and inserting them in the respective frames of said first clip, independently of said operator manipulated means.

17. A system as claimed in claim 16, wherein said means for defining said key frame comprises means for defining plural reference points corresponding to corners of said area and said reshaping means comprises means for manipulating each of said reference points.

18. A system as claimed in claim 16, wherein said operator manipulable reshaping means is arranged to enable each of the reference points to be defined individually.

19. A system as claimed in claim 16, wherein said operator manipulable reshaping means comprises a stylus and touch tablet combination.

20. A system as claimed in claim 16, wherein said inserting means is responsive to said control image on a pixel-by-pixel basis to control the inserting of said reshaped features in said second clip.