Method and apparatus for blending image input layers

• US 6,462,786 B1
• Filed: 12/15/1998
• Issued: 10/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ATI Technologies ULC (Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ATI International SRL (Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.)
• Inventors: Frank, Michael, Glen, David I. J., Callway, Ed
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Trang U.
• Application Number:
  US09/212,141
• Time in Patent Office: 1,393 Days
• Field of Search: 348/599, 348/453, 348/450, 348/554, 348/555, 348/557, 348/185, 345/112, 345/113, 345/153, 345/154, 345/155, 345/453, 382/162, 382/166, 358/518, 358/450, 358/500
• US Class Current: 348/599
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/125 wherein one of the images is motion video
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/006 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/641 Multi-purpose receivers, e.g. for auxiliary information H04N9/642 takes precedence

Abstract

A method and apparatus for blending a plurality of image input layers include processing that begins by converting each of a plurality of image input layers that have a color base that differs from a color base of a display into a image layer having the color base of the display, thereby producing converting image layers. The color base of the image input layers and of the output include the colorimetries of various standardized video signals, color space, and/or any other defining display characteristics of video signals that is currently standardized or maybe standardized. Further note that an image input layer corresponds to a window, a background and/or a display area of a display, where the display is capable of presenting more than one image, where the images originate from different video and/or graphics data sources (e.g., a television signal, and a computer application display). The processing continues by blending each of the converted image layers with each of the plurality of image input layers that have the color base of the display to produce a blended output having the color base of the display.

Claims

1. A method for blending a plurality of image input layers, the method comprises the steps of:

a) converting each of the plurality of image input layers, of received video signals, that have a color base that differs from a color base of a display into an image layer having the color base of the display to produce a converted image layer, wherein the color base of the display is one of a plurality of color bases; and

b) blending each of the converted image layers with each of the plurality of image input layers that have the color base of the display to produce a blended output having the color base of the display.

2. The method of claim 1, where the plurality of color bases comprises RGB component systems and luma and chroma YUV component systems.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of image input layers comprises one of first graphics data, second graphics data, hardware cursor, NTSC video data, ATSC video data, PAL video data, or SECAM video data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the color base of the display is YCrCb of PAL, NTSC, or SECAM, and wherein the step (a) further comprises:

converting each of the plurality of image input layers that have a color base of RGB or ATSC to the converted image layer having a color base of the YCrCb.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

converting the blended output into a second output having a second color base.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprises:

converting the blended output into a third output having a third color base.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

converting each of the plurality of image input layers that have a color base that differs from a second color base of a second display into an image layer having the second color base of the second display to produce a second converted image layer, wherein the second color base of the second display is another one of the plurality of color bases; and

blending each of the second converted image layers with each of the plurality of image input layers that have the second color base of the second display to produce a second blended output having the color base of the second display.

8. A method for blending a plurality of image input layers, the method comprises the steps of:

a) blending at least two image input layers of the plurality of image input layers, of received video signals, when the at least two image input layers have a similar color base to produce a blended image input layer and remaining image input layers of the plurality of image input layers;

b) converting each of the remaining image input layers that have a color base that differs from a color base of a display into an image input layer having the color base of the display to produce a converted image layer;

c) converting the blended image input layer into a blended layer having the color base of the display when the color base of the at least two image input layers differs from the color base of the display to produce a converted blended input; and

d) blending each of the remaining image input layers that have the color base of the display with each of the converted image layers and with the converted blended input or the blending image input layer when the color base of the blended image input layer matches the color base of the display to produce a blended output.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein step (a) further comprises:

blending at least two other image input layers of the plurality of image input layers when the at least two other image input layers have a similar second color base to produce a second blended image input layer.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprises:

converting the blended output into a second output having a second color base.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprises:

converting the blended output into a third output having a third color base.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprises:

converting each of the remaining image input layers that have a color base that differs from a second color base of a second display into a second image input layer having the color base of the second display to produce a second converted image layer,

converting the blended image input layer into a second blended layer having the color base of the second display when the color base of the at least two image input layers differs from the color base of the second display to produce a second converted blended input; and

blending each of the remaining image input layers that have the color base of the second display with each of the second converted image layers and with the second converted blended input or the blended image input layer when the color base of the blended image input layer matches the color base of second the display to produce a second blended output.

13. An image input layer blending module comprises:

processing module; and

memory operably coupled to the processing module, the memory includes operational instructions that cause the processing module to (a) convert each of the plurality of image input layers, of received video signals, that have a color base that differs from a color base of a display into an image layer having the color base of the display to produce a converted image layer, wherein the color base of the display is one of a plurality of color bases; and

(b) blend each of the converted image layers with each of the plurality of image input layers that have the color base of the display to produce a blended output having the color base of the display.

14. The image input layer blending module of claim 13, wherein the color base of the display is YCrCb of PAL, NTSC, or SECAM, and wherein the memory further comprises operational instructions that cause the processing module to:

convert each of the plurality of image input layers that have a color base of RGB or ATSC to the converted image layer having a color base of the YCrCb.

15. The image input layer blending module of claim 13, wherein the memory further comprises operational instructions that cause the processing module to:

convert the blended output into a second output having a second color base.

16. The image input layer blending module of claim 15, wherein the memory further comprises operational instructions that cause the processing module to:

convert the blended output into a third output having a third color base.

17. The image input layer blending module of claim 13, wherein the memory further comprises operational instructions that cause the processing module to:

convert each of the plurality of image input layers that have a color base that differs from a second color base of a second display into an image layer having the second color base of the second display to produce a second converted image layer, wherein the second color base of the second display is another one of the plurality of color bases; and

blend each of the second converted image layers with each of the plurality of image input layers that have the second color base of the second display to produce a second blended output having the color base of the second display.

18. An image input layer blending module comprises:

processing module; and

memory operably coupled to the processing module, the memory includes operational instructions that cause the processing module to (a) blend at least two image input layers of the plurality of image input layers, or received video signals, when the at least two image input layers have a similar color base to produce a blended image input layer and remaining image input layers of the plurality of image input layers;

(b) convert each of the remaining image input layers that have a color base that differs from a color base of a display into an image input layer having the color base of the display to produce a converted image layer;

(c) convert the blended image input layer into a blended layer having the color base of the display when the color base of the at least two image input layers differs from the color base of the display to produce a converted blended input; and

(d) blend each of the remaining image input layers that have the color base of the display with each of the converted image layers and with the converted blended input or the blending image input layer when the color base of the blended image input layer matches the color base of the display to produce a blended output.

19. The image input layer blending module of claim 18, wherein the memory further comprises operational instructions that cause the processing module to:

blend at least two other image input layers of the plurality of image input layers when the at least two other image input layers have a similar second color base to produce a second blended image input layer.

20. The image input layer blending module of claim 18, wherein the memory further comprises operational instructions that cause the processing module to:

convert the blended output into a second output having a second color base.

21. The image input layer blending module of claim 20, wherein the memory further comprises operational instructions that cause the processing module to:

convert the blended output into a third output having a third color base.

22. The image input layer blending of module of claim 18, wherein the memory further comprises operational instructions that cause the processing module to:

convert each of the remaining image input layers that have a color base that differs from a second color base of a second display into a second image input layer having the color base of the second display to produce a second converted image layer;

convert the blended image input layer into a second blended layer having the color base of the second display when the color base of the at least two image input layers differs from the color base of the second display to produce a second converted blended input; and

blend each of the remaining image input layers that have the color base of the second display with each of the second converted image layers and with the second converted blended input or the blended image input layer when the color base of the blended image input layer matches the color base of second the display to produce a second blended output.

23. An image input layer blending module comprises:

a first converting module for converting a first image input layer, of received video signals, having a first color base into a first converted image input layer having a second color base;

a second converting module for converting a second image input layer, of received video signals, having a third color base into a first converted image input layer having the second color base; and

a blending module operably coupled to the first and second converting modules, wherein the blending module blends the first and second converted image input layers into an output image having the second color base.

24. The image input layer blending module of claim 23 further comprises a third converting module for converting a third image input layer having a third color base into a third converted image input layer having the second color base, wherein the blending module is further couple to receive the third converted image input layer and to blend the first, second, and third converted image input layers into the output image having the second color base.

25. The image input layer blending module of claim 23, wherein the blending module is further operably coupled to receive a third image input layer having the second color base and to blend the first, second, and third converted image input layers into the output image having the second color base.

26. The image input layer blending module of claim 23 further comprises:

a third converting module for converting the second image input layer having the second color base into a third converted image input layer having the first color base;

a second blending module operably coupled to receive the first image input layer having the first input and the third converted input layer, wherein the second blending module blends the first image input layer and the third converted image input layer to produce a second output having the first color base.

27. The image input layer blending module of claim 23 further comprises:

a third converting module operably coupled to receive the output image having the second color base and to produce a second output image having the first color base.