Apparatus for manipulating a picture represented by a video signal

• US 5,237,657 A
• Filed: 10/17/1991
• Issued: 08/17/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Pearman, James B., Hedley, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phu K.
• Application Number:
  US07/782,880
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• Field of Search: 395/144, 395/155, 395/157, 395/164, 395/162, 340/747, 340/750, 340/798, 340/799
• US Class Current: 345/501
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/222 Studio circuitry; Studio devices; Studio equipment cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors, or control thereof H04N23/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/262 Studio circuits, e.g. for mixing, switching-over, change of character of image, other special effects ; Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects

Abstract

Apparatus for manipulating a picture (P1) represented by a video signal (V1) includes a picture manipulator (16R, 16G, 16B, 18R, 18G, 18B) responsive to data representing a desired manipulation to manipulate the picture by changing at least one geometrical parameter thereof. The picture manipulator is controlled by a computer (40) that comprises a keyboard 48 and track ball assembly (50) for entering command information indicative of how the picture is to be manipulated. The computer (40) incorporates processing software that enables the computer to act as processor means responsive to the command information to generate the data representing a desired manipulation. The computer (40) has a VDU (42) and incorporates display software responsive to the command information to cause the VDU to display a frame which is subjected to the same manipulation as that desired for the picture. The computer (40) is selectively connectable to the picture manipulator such that the computer can be used on-line to generate the data and supply it to the manipulator, to control the manipulator, or can be used off-line to generate the data.

Claims

1. An apparatus for manipulating a picture represented by a video signal comprised of a sequence of video signal frames each representing a respective frame of said picture having a predetermined geometrical parameters, comprising:

picture manipulating means responsive to command data supplied thereto representing a desired manipulation of a respective frame of said picture represented by a corresponding video signal frame for rearranging said corresponding video signal frame such that at least one geometrical parameter of said respective frame of said picture is thereby changed; and

a plurality of computers each responsive to command information manually input to said computer by a user for generating said command data under the control of processing software stored in the respective computer;

each said computer including;

manual input means for manually entering said command information in said respective computer;

a visual display unit operative to provide a display;

means for supplying data signals to said visual display unit under display software control such that said visual display unit is operative to display an image representing said respective frame of said picture which is subjected to the same manipulation as that desired for said respective frame of said picture; and

interconnecting means for selectively connecting and disconnecting said each computer to said picture manipulating means such that said each computer is usable when connected to said picture manipulating means to communicate said command data thereto through said interconnecting means and usable when disconnected therefrom to generate said command data.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each computer includes operating software that enables windowing of the display provided by said visual display unit, and wherein said means or supplying data signals to said visual display unit is operative under the control of said display software to supply said data signals such that said visual display unit is operative to display said image representing said respective frame in a first window and to display, in a second window, in alphanumeric form, information corresponding to the desired manipulation of said respective frame of said picture as represented by said image in said first window.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said manual input means includes menu control keys and said means for supplying data signals to said visual display unit is operative under the control of said display software to supply said data signals such that said visual display unit is operative to display, in a third window, alphanumeric information, which, in conjunction with the operation of said menu control keys, enables different modes for generating said command data to be selected.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means for supplying data signals to said visual display unit is operative under the control of said display software to supply said data signals such that said visual display unit is operative to display an image representing said respective frame of said picture prior to manipulation thereof and lying in a plane of said display such that the area of said display is larger than an area of the image representing the unmanipulated respective frame of said picture, said image representing said unmanipulated respective frame of said picture at least including a boundary of said unmanipulated respective frame of said picture, and such that said visual display unit is operative to simultaneously display said image representing the manipulated respective frame of said picture together with said boundary such that the relationship of said image representing the manipulated respective frame with said boundary can be observed even when said image representing the manipulated respective frame is displayed at least partly outside of said boundary.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said visual display unit is operative to display said image in the form of an outline which, when said respective frame of said picture is unmanipulated, is rectangular and corresponds to the edges of the respective frame of said picture.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said visual display unit is operative to display said image in the form of a grid of lines within said outline which, when said respective frame of said picture is unmanipulated, are parallel to respective edges of said outline.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said manual input means includes autosize control means for entering autosize command information to its respective computer and said computer is operative in response to said autosize command information entered by said autosize control means to generate said command data representing an expansion of a manipulated frame of said picture including an area smaller than that of the unmanipulated frame of said picture to an extent that it covers all of the area of the unmanipulated frame of said picture.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said manual input means includes a plurality of function keys operative to enter functional feature commands to said computer, and said means for supplying data signals to said visual display unit is operative under the control of said display software to supply said data signals such that said visual display unit is operative to display, along a bottom of a display provided thereby, a row of labels identifying functional features currently available by operating corresponding function keys of said manual input means.

9. A computer for generating data representing a desired manipulation of a frame of a picture represented by a corresponding video signal frame to be effected by a picture manipulator which receives said corresponding video signal frame and rearranges the latter such that at least one geometrical parameter of said frame of said picture is thereby changed, the computer comprising:

manual input means for entering commands identifying said desired manipulation of said frame of said picture;

means operative under the control of processing software stored in said computer and responsive to said commands manually entered with the use of said manual input means for generating said data representing said desired manipulation;

visual display means for controllably providing a display;

means operative under the control of display software stored in said computer for controlling said visual display means in response to said commands to cause said visual display means to display an image representing said frame of said picture which image is subjected to the manipulation that is desired for said frame of said picture; and

interconnecting means for selectively connecting and disconnecting said computer to and from said picture manipulator and for communicating said data representing said desired manipulation from said computer to said picture manipulator when said computer is connected thereto.

10. A computer according to claim 9, which includes operating software that enables said computer to control said visual display means to window the display provided thereby, said computer being operative with the use of said display software for controlling said visual display means to display said image representing the manipulated frame in a first window and to display, in a second window, in alphanumeric form, information corresponding to the desired manipulation of said frame of said picture as represented by said image in said first window.

11. A computer according to claim 10, wherein said manual input means includes menu control keys, and wherein said computer is operative with the use of said display software for controlling said visual display means to display, in a third window, alphanumeric information, which, in conjunction with said menu control keys, enables different modes for generating said data representing a desired manipulation to be selected.

12. A computer according to claim 9, wherein said visual display means is operative under the control of said computer with the use of said display software to display an image representing said frame of said picture prior to manipulation thereof and lying in a plane of said display such that the area of said display is larger than an area of the image representing the unmanipulated frame of said picture, said image representing the unmanipulated frame of said picture at least including a boundary of said unmanipulated frame of said picture, and such that said visual display means is operative under the control of said computer to simultaneously display the image representing the manipulated frame with said boundary such that the relationship of said image representing the manipulated frame with said boundary can be observed even when the image representing the manipulated frame is displayed at least partly outside of said boundary.

13. A computer according to claim 9, wherein said visual display means is operative to display said image representing said frame of said picture in the form of an outline which, when said frame of said picture is unmanipulated, is rectangular and corresponds to the edges thereof.

14. A computer according to claim 13, wherein said visual display means is operative to display said image representing said frame of said picture in the form of a grid of lines within said outline and which, when said frame of said picture is unmanipulated, are parallel to respective edges of said outline.

15. A computer according to claim 9, wherein said manual input means includes autosize control means for entering autosize command information to said computer and said computer is operative in response to said autosize command information to generate data representing an expansion of a manipulated frame of said picture including an area smaller than that of the unmanipulated frame of said picture to an extent that it covers all of the area of the unmanipulated frame of said picture.

16. A computer according to claim 9, wherein said manual input means includes a plurality of function keys operative to enter functional feature commands to said computer, and said computer is operative under software control for controlling said visual display means to display, along a bottom of the display provided thereby, a row of labels identifying functional features currently available by operating corresponding ones of said function keys of said manual input means.

17. A computer according to claim 9, which is connected to said picture manipulator by said interconnecting means to supply said data representing a desired manipulation thereto as said data is generated.

18. A computer according to claim 10, further comprising storing means for storing said data representing a desired manipulation generated therein in a storage medium for subsequent supply to said picture manipulator.

19. A computer according to claim 18, wherein said storing means is operate to store said data representing a desired manipulation in a storage medium which can be removed from the computer such that said data representing a desired manipulation may be read from said storage medium by another like computer connected to said picture manipulator and supplied to said picture manipulator by said other computer.

20. For use with a computer operative under processing software control to supply data to a picture manipulator representing a desired manipulation of a frame of a picture represented by a corresponding video signal frame supplied thereto for rearranging said corresponding video signal frame such that at least one geometrical parameter of said frame of said picture is thereby changed, said computer being further operative under display software control for producing an image representing said frame of said picture on a visual display unit thereof which image is subjected to the manipulation that is desired for said frame of said picture, said computer having input means for reading said processing software and said display software from a storage medium, a storage device comprising:

a storage medium having said processing software stored therein for controlling the supply of said data by said computer to the picture manipulator for carrying out said desired manipulation, the storage medium further having said display software stored therein for controlling the production of said image on said visual display unit so that said image is subjected to the manipulation that is desired for the frame of said picture; and

means for supporting said storage medium for removably engaging said input means with said storage medium to supply said processing software and said display software thereto, such that said storage device is removable from engagement with said input means by a user of the computer so that said storage device is usable with a selected one of a plurality of computers.

21. The storage device of claim 20, wherein said storage device comprises a floppy disc.

22. The storage device of claim 20, wherein said storage medium is operative to store processing software and display software produced by said computer.