Scaling images

• US 6,714,218 B1
• Filed: 09/05/2000
• Issued: 03/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Bian, Qixiong J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cao (Kevin)
• Application Number:
  US09/655,236
• Time in Patent Office: 1,302 Days
• Field of Search: 345/762, 345/765, 345/744, 345/764, 345/790, 345/529
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/40 Scaling of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. expanding or contracting

Abstract

A method and apparatus for scaling is provided. The method comprises enabling a user to identify at least a portion of an image on a display device. The method comprises enabling scaling of an electronic representation of the portion of the image using an overlay engine. The apparatus comprises a controller and a video overlay engine that is coupled to the controller. The controller is provided to receive user selected information associated with at least a portion of an image on a display device. The video overly engine is provided to scale an electronic representation of the portion of the image using a video overlay engine.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a controller to receive user selected information including a scale factor to scale the electronic representation of the portion of the image associated with at least a portion of an image on a display device;

a memory region to store an electronic representation of the image; and

a video overlay engine coupled to the controller, the video overlay engine to scale an electronic representation of the portion of the image, provide the scaled portion of the image to the display device as an overlay over the image on the display device, and dynamically update the scaled portion of the image.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller to receive the user selected information comprises the controller to receive coordinates corresponding to the portion of the image displayed on the display device.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the controller to receive the user selected information further comprises the controller to:

determine memory location of the electronic representation of the portion of the image in an associated memory region based on the received coordinates, wherein the associated memory region comprises at least one memory location corresponding to at least one pixel of the display device; and

provide the memory location to the overlay engine.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the video overlay engine to scale the electronic representation of the portion of the image comprises the video overlay engine to scale the electronic representation of the image residing in the associated memory region.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising the controller to:

update the associated memory region that is occupied by the electronic representation of the portion of the image; and

scale the electronic representation of the portion of the image in response to the update.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a display to display the portion of the image.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is a processor.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the video overlay engine to scale comprises the video overlay engine to scale the electronic representation of the portion of the image by a factor greater than one.

9. An article comprising one or more machine-readable storage media containing instructions that when executed enable a processor to:

receive user selected information including a scale factor to scale the electronic representation of the portion of the image associated with at least a portion of an image on a display device;

scale an electronic representation of the portion of the image using an overlay engine; and

dynamically update the scaled portion of the image.

10. The article of claim 9, wherein the one or more machine-readable storage media contain instructions that when executed enable the processor to receive coordinates corresponding to the portion of the image displayed on the display device.

11. The article of claim 10, wherein the one or more machine-readable storage media contain instructions that when executed enable the processor to:

determine the memory location of the electronic representation of the portion of the image in an associated memory region based on the received coordinates, wherein the associated memory region comprises at least one memory location corresponding to at least one pixel of the display device; and

provide the memory location to the overlay engine.

12. The article of claim 11, wherein the one or more machine-readable storage media contain instructions that when executed enable the scaling of the electronic representation of the image residing in the associated memory region.

13. The article of claim 12, wherein the one or more machine-readable storage media contain instructions that when executed enable the processor to:

update the associated memory region that is occupied by the electronic representation of the portion of the image; and

enable the electronic representation of the portion of the image to be scaled in response to the update.

14. A method comprising:

enabling a user to identify at least a portion of an image on a display device including receiving a scale factor to scale the electronic representation of the portion of the image;

enabling scaling of an electronic representation of the portion of the image using an overlay engine;

enabling display of the scaled portion of the image as an overlay over the image on the display device; and

dynamically updating the scaled electronic representation.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein enabling the user to identify the portion of the image comprises enabling receiving coordinates corresponding to the portion of the image displayed on the display device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the display device has an associated memory region for one or more pixels of the display device, further comprising:

enabling determining memory location of the electronic representation of the portion of the image in the associated memory region based on the received coordinates; and

enabling providing the memory location to the overlay engine.

17. The method of claim 16, further including:

allowing updates to the associated memory region that is occupied by the electronic representation of the portion of the image; and

enabling scaling of the electronic representation of the portion of the image in response to the update.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein enabling scaling of the electronic representation of the portion of the image comprises enabling scaling of the electronic representation of the image residing in the associated memory region.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising enabling displaying of the portion of the image.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein enabling scaling comprises enabling scaling the electronic representation of the portion of the image using a video overlay engine.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein enabling scaling comprises enabling scaling the electronic representation of the portion of the image by a factor greater than one.

22. A system, comprising:

a display;

a control box coupled to the display, the control box comprising;

a controller to receive user selected information including a scale factor to scale the electronic representation of the portion of the image associated with at least a portion of an image on a display device; and

an interface coupled to the controller, the interface comprising a video overlay engine to scale an electronic representation of the portion of the image; and

a memory region to store an electronic representation of the image, the video overlay engine to provide the scaled portion to the display as an overlay over the image and dynamically update the scaled portion of the image.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the controller to receive the user selected information further comprises the controller to associate the received coordinates to the electronic representation of the portion of the image in an associated memory region, wherein the associated memory region comprises at least one memory location corresponding to at least one pixel of the display device.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the video overlay engine to scale the electronic representation of the portion of the image comprises the video overlay engine to scale the electronic representation of the image residing in the associated memory region.

25. A method comprising:

selecting at least a portion of an image on a display device having an associated memory region corresponding to each pixel, including associating the selected portion of the image to an electronic representation of the portion of the image in the associated memory region;

scaling an electronic representation of the portion of the image using a video overlay engine;

enabling display of the scaled portion as an overlay over the image on the display device; and

dynamically updating the scaled electronic representation.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein scaling the electronic representation of the portion of the image comprises scaling the electronic representation of the image residing in the associated memory region.

27. The method of claim 26, further including:

updating the associated memory region that is occupied by the electronic representation of the portion of the image; and

scaling of the electronic representation of the portion of the image in response to the update.