Simultaneously displaying a graphic image and video image

• US 6,359,657 B1
• Filed: 05/02/1997
• Issued: 03/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Van Gelderen, Tedde, Brouwer-Janse, Magdalena D., Westerink, Joanne H. D. M., Westrik, Remko, Tang, Hok K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lo, Linus H.
• Application Number:
  US08/850,031
• Time in Patent Office: 1,782 Days
• Field of Search: 348/586, 348/587, 348/591, 348/592, 348/594, 348/595, 348/593, 348/584, 348/589, 348/566, 348/570, 348/578, 345/113, 345/114, 345/121
• US Class Current: 348/584
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44504 Circuit details of the additional information generator, e.g. details of the character or graphics signal generator, overlay mixing circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/641 Multi-purpose receivers, e.g. for auxiliary information H04N9/642 takes precedence

Abstract

A method and arrangement for simultaneously displaying a graphic image (23) (e.g., a control menu of a television receiver or video recorder) and a video image (22). In order to achieve optimal legibility of the menu without fully obscuring the underlying video signal, the graphic image is accommodated within a window (21) and the window is given an adequate color (24) which is additively mixed with the video signal. The mixing factor is preferably controlled in response to the amount of spatial and/or temporal activity of the video signal within the window.

Claims

1. A method of simultaneously displaying a graphic image and a video image, comprising the steps of;

generating a background color for said graphic image;

generating a control signal having a first value to indicate said graphic image and a second value to indicate said background color;

generating a window covering a portion of said video image and including said graphic image;

selecting the graphic image for display within the window in response to the first value of the control signal;

mixing said background color and the video image, within the window in response to second value of the control signal so as to color the video image by said background color; and

wherein the video image is displayed outside the window; and

wherein the background color signal and the video signal are given respective weighting factors which are automatically controlled in response to the amount of activity in the video image within said window.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the weighting factors are further adaptively controlled automatically in response to an amount of activity in the graphic image.

3. An arrangement for displaying a graphic image and a video image simultaneously, said arrangement comprising:

means for generating a background color for said graphic image;

means for generating a control signal having a first value to indicate said graphic image and a second value to indicate said background color;

means for generating a window covering a portion of said video image and including said graphic image;

means for selecting the graphic image for display within the window in response to the first value of the control signal; and

means for mixing said background color and the video image within the window in response to the second value of the control signal so as to color the video image by said background color;

wherein the video image is displayed outside the window; and

wherein the background color signal and the video signal are given respective weighting factors which are automatically controlled in response to the amount of activity in the video image within said window.

4. An arrangement as claimed in claim 3, further comprises means for adaptively controlling the weighting factors controls the weighting factors automatically in response to an amount of activity in the graphic image.

5. A television receiver including means for receiving television signals and for displaying a video image representing said television signals, said television receiver including an arrangement for displaying a graphic image and said video image, said arrangement comprising a graphic generator for generating said graphic image accommodated within a window, wherein said arrangement further comprises:

means for generating a background color signal for said window; and

means for mixing said background color signal and the video signal representing said video image wherein the mixing is automatically controlled in response to the amount of activity of the video image within the window.

6. A video recorder including means for generating a video image and an arrangement for displaying a graphic image and said video image, said arrangement comprising a graphic generator for generating said graphic image accommodated within a window, wherein said arrangement further comprises:

means for generating a background color signal for said window; and

means for mixing said background color signal and the video signal representing said video image wherein the mixing is automatically controlled in response to the amount of activity of the video image within the window.

7. A multimedia station comprising a personal computer having means for generating a video image, said multimedia station including an arrangement for displaying a graphic image and said video image, said arrangement comprising a graphic generator for generating said graphic image accommodated within a window, wherein said arrangement further comprises:

means for generating a background color signal for said window; and

means for mixing said background color signal and the video signal representing said video image wherein the mixing is automatically controlled in response to the amount of activity of the video image within the window.