Video system having image combining function

• US 5,175,624 A
• Filed: 04/01/1991
• Issued: 12/29/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.), Cytyc Corporation (Hologic Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Takashi, Koji, Abe, Takeshi, Kyuma, Kenji, Nakatani, Yoshihiro, Suzuki, Koichiro, Hieda, Teruo, Ishikawa, Yoshifumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Groody, James J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Murrell, Jeffrey S.
• Application Number:
  US07/678,668
• Time in Patent Office: 638 Days
• Field of Search: 358/183, 358/182, 358/22, 358/185, 358/906, 358/209, 358/909
• US Class Current: 348/564
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2624 for obtaining an image which is composed of whole input images, e.g. splitscreen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/272 Means for inserting a foreground image in a background image, i.e. inlay, outlay
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 358/906 Hand-held camera with recorder in a single unit

Abstract

A video system is constructed of an auxiliary unit and a primary unit. The auxiliary unit includes a memory for storing a plurality of image data corresponding to an area occupying a portion of one picture, a plurality of location data indicative of the respective locations of the plurality of image data in the one picture and a plurality of color data indicative of respective colors relative to the plurality of image data. The primary unit includes an inputting circuit for inputting a first color video signal, a forming circuit for forming a second color video signal according to the plurality of image data, the plurality of location data and the plurality of color data which are supplied from the auxiliary unit and a combining circuit for combining the first video signal with the second video signal. The video system is capable of producing a variety of comined images with a relatively small memory capacity.

Claims

1. A video system, comprising:

(a) an auxiliary unit including a memory for storing image data corresponding to an area occurpying a portion of one picture and location data indicative of the location of the image data in the one picture; and

(b) a primary unit to which said auxiliary unit is removably secured, the primary unit including inputting means for inputting a first video signal, memory means for storing the image data, forming means for forming a second video signal by reading out the image data from said memory means at a timing according to the location data, and combining means for combining the first video signal with the second video signal.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said inputting means includes a video camera, said forming means operating in accordance with the operation of said video camera.

3. A system according to claim 2, further comprising recording means for recording on a recording medium a video signal outputted from said combining means.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein said memory stores a plurality of image data each corresponding to an area occupying a portion of the one picture and a plurality of location data indicative of the respective locations of the plurality of image data in the one picture, said forming means forming a video signal in which the plurality of image data are combined in accordance with the plurality of location data.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the image data is binary image data.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein said memory further stores color data indicative of a color relative to the binary image data.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein said memory stores a plurality of binary image data each corresponding to an area occupying a portion of the one picture, a plurality of location data indicative of the respective locations of the plurality of binary image data in the one picture, and a plurality of color data indicative of colors relative to the respective binary image data.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein said forming means is capable of forming a video signal containing a plurality of colors respectively corresponding to the plurality of color data and a color corresponding to a combination of the colors.

9. A video system, comprising:

(a) a memory for storing a plurality of image data each corresponding to an area occupying a portion of one picture and a plurality of location data indicative of the respective locations of the plurality of image data in the one picture;

(b) inputting means for inputting a first video signal;

(c) forming means for forming a second video signal according to the plurality of image data and the plurality of location data, said forming means including a memory circuit for storing the plurality of image data and forming the second video signal by reading out the plurality of image data from the memory circuit at timings according to the plurality of location data; and

(d) combining means for combining the first video signal with the second video signal.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein said inputting means includes a video camera, said forming means operating in accordance with the operation of said video camera.

11. A system according to claim 10, further comprising recording means for recording on a recording medium a video signal outputted from said combining means.

12. A system according to claim 9, wherein said memory further stores a plurality of color data indicative of respective colors relative to the plurality of image data.

13. A system according to claim 12, wherein said forming means is capable of forming a video signal containing a plurality of colors respectively corresponding to the plurality of color data and a color corresponding to a combination of the colors.

14. A video system, comprising:

(a) a memory for storing a plurality of binary image data each corresponding to an area occupying a portion of one picture, a plurality of location data indicative of the respective locations of the plurality of binary image data in the one picture and a plurality of color data indicative of respective colors relative to the plurality of binary image data;

(b) inputting means for inputting a first color video signal;

(c) forming means for forming a second color video signal which contains a plurality of colors respectively corresponding to the plurality of color data and a color corresponding to a combination of the colors and in which the plurality of image data is combined in accordance with the plurality of location data; and

(d) combining means for combining the first color video signal with the second video signal.

15. A system according to claim 14, wherein said inputting means includes a video camera, said forming means operating in accordance with the operation of said video camera.

16. A system according to claim 15, further comprising recording means for recording on a recording medium a video signal outputted from said combining means.