Image data composition and display apparatus

• US 6,466,224 B1
• Filed: 01/19/2000
• Issued: 10/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Godo Kaisha IP Bridge 1 (IP Bridge, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nagata, Atsushi, Masumoto, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Razavi, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAVAN, THU THAO
• Application Number:
  US09/487,250
• Time in Patent Office: 1,000 Days
• Field of Search: 345/591, 345/592, 345/589, 345/593, 345/597, 345/598, 345/599, 345/600, 345/601, 345/602, 345/603, 345/604, 345/605, 345/606, 345/641, 345/640, 345/646, 345/594, 348/582, 348/586, 348/650
• US Class Current: 345/592
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/10 Mixing of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of an operation, e.g. adding, on the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/026 Control of mixing and/or overlay of colours in general G09G5/022 and G09G5/024 take precedence

Abstract

An image data composition apparatus includes a color table in which color data for each of plural color codes is associated with transparency data relating to the transparency of this color data. The color table receives first image data which has data relating to the color of an image as the color code, accepts the color code from the first image data, and outputs the color data and the transparency data which correspond to this color code. The apparatus further includes a composition unit which receives second image data having, as color data, information relating to the color of an image, and composes the color data of this second image data with the color data output from the color table in accordance with a transparency which is decided by the transparency data. Accordingly, the number of transparent colors can be increased by only rewriting the transparency data of the color codes to be transparent colors on the color table and, therefore, the circuit scale is not increased to increase the number of transparent colors. Further, since the transparency data corresponding to each color code is directly output from the color table, the processing cycle is not increased.

Claims

1. An image data composition apparatus comprising:

a color table in which color data for each of plural color codes is associated with transparency data relating to a transparency of the color data, said color table operable to receive first image data which has data relating to a color of an image as a color code, accept the color code from the first image data, and output the color data and the transparency data which correspond to the color code;

a composition unit operable to receive second image data having, as color data, information relating to the color of an image and composing the color data of the second image data with the color data output from said color table in accordance with a transparency which is decided by the transparency data;

a first multiplier operable to accept a coefficient specification signal which is composed of at least one bit decided by the transparency data, specify a first coefficient corresponding to the transparency of the color data of the first image data in accordance with the coefficient specification signal, and multiply the color data of the first image data by the first coefficient;

a second multiplier operable to accept the coefficient specification signal, specify a second coefficient corresponding to the transparency of the color data of the second image data in accordance with the coefficient specification signal, and multiply the color data of the second image data by the second coefficient; and

an adder operable to add the products which are output from said first multiplier and said second multiplier.

2. An image data composition apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

an image memory operable to store the first image data which has the data relating to the color of the image as the color code.

3. An image data composition apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a background color data register operable to store the second image data having, as the color data, information relating to the color of the image.

4. An image data composition apparatus comprising:

a color table in which color data for each of plural color codes is associated with transparency data relating to a transparency of the color data, said color table operable to receive first image data which has data relating to a color of an image as a color code, accept the color code from the first image data, and output the color data and the transparency data which correspond to the color code;

a composition unit operable to receive second image data having, as color data, information relating to the color of an image and composing the color data of the second image data with the color data output from said color table in accordance with a transparency which is decided by the transparency data;

a first multiplier operable to accept a coefficient specification signal which is composed of at least one bit decided by the transparency data, specify a first coefficient corresponding to the transparency of the color data of the first image data in accordance with the coefficient specification signal, and multiply the color data of the first image data by the first coefficient;

a second multiplier operable to accept the coefficient specification signal, specify a second coefficient corresponding to the transparency of the color data of the second image data in accordance with the coefficient specification signal, and multiply the color data of the second image data by the second coefficient;

a transparency code storage unit operable to store at least two transparency codes each being composed of at least one bit;

a transparency code selection unit operable to select one of the transparency codes stored in said transparency code storage unit on a basis of the transparency data;

wherein said transparency data is composed of at least one bit, and the coefficient specification signal is composed of the transparency data and the transparency code; and

an adder operable to add the products which are output from said first multiplier and said second multiplier.

5. An image data composition apparatus as claimed in claim 4, further comprising:

an image memory operable to store the first image data which has the data relating to the color of the image as the color code.

6. An image data composition apparatus as claimed in claim 4, further comprising:

a background color data register operable to store the second image data having, as the color data, information relating to the color of the image.

7. An image display apparatus comprising:

a color table in which color data for each of plural color codes is associated with transparency data relating to a transparency of the color data, said color table operable to receive first image data which has data relating to a color of an image as a color code, accept the color code from the first image data, and output the color data and the transparency data which correspond to the color code;

a composition unit operable to receive second image data having, as color data, information relating to the color of an image and composing the color data of the second image data with the color data output from said color table in accordance with a transparency which is decided by the transparency data;

a first multiplier operable to accept a coefficient specification signal which is composed of at least one bit decided by the transparency data, specify a first coefficient corresponding to the transparency of the color data of the first image data in accordance with the coefficient specification signal, and multiply the color data of the first image data by the first coefficient;

a second multiplier operable to accept the coefficient specification signal, specify a second coefficient corresponding to the transparency of the color data of the second image data in accordance with the coefficient specification signal, and multiply the color data of the second image data by the second coefficient; and

an adder operable to add the products which are output from said first multiplier and said second multiplier.

8. An image display apparatus as claimed in claim 7, further comprising:

an image memory operable to store the first image data which has the data relating to the color of the image as the color code.

9. An image display apparatus as claimed in claim 7, further comprising:

a background color data register operable to store the second image data having, as the color data, information relating to the color of the image.

10. An image display apparatus as claimed in claim 7, further comprising:

a monitor operable to display an image in accordance with an output from said adder.

11. An image display apparatus comprising:

a color table in which color data for each of plural color codes is associated with transparency data relating to a transparency of the color data, said color table operable to receive first image data which has data relating to a color of an image as a color code, accept the color code from the first image data, and output the color data and the transparency data which correspond to the color code;

a composition unit operable to receive second image data having, as color data, information relating to the color of an image and composing the color data of the second image data with the color data output from said color table in accordance with a transparency which is decided by the transparency data;

a first multiplier operable to accept a coefficient specification signal which is composed of at least one bit decided by the transparency data, specify a first coefficient corresponding to the transparency of the color data of the first image data in accordance with the coefficient specification signal, and multiply the color data of the first image data by the first coefficient;

a second multiplier operable to accept the coefficient specification signal, specify a second coefficient corresponding to the transparency of the color data of the second image data in accordance with the coefficient specification signal, and multiply the color data of the second image data by the second coefficient;

a transparency code storage unit operable to store at least two transparency codes each being composed of at least one bit; and

a transparency code selection unit operable to select one of the transparency codes stored in said transparency code storage unit on a basis of the transparency data;

wherein said transparency data is composed of at least one bit, and the coefficient specification signal is composed of the transparency data and the transparency code; and

an adder operable to add the products which are output from said first multiplier and said second multiplier.

12. An image display apparatus as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

an image memory operable to store the first image data which has the data relating to the color of the image as the color code.

13. An image display apparatus as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

a background color data register operable to store the second image data having, as the color data, information relating to the color of the image.

14. An image display apparatus as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

a monitor operable to display an image in accordance with an output from said adder.