Color conversion method and apparatus for chromakey processing

• US 6,807,296 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2001
• Issued: 10/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Photron Ltd. (Imagica Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Imagica Corp. (Imagica Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mishima, Yasushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehta, Bhavesh M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bayat, Ali
• Application Number:
  US09/924,454
• Publication Number:
  US 20020164071A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,167 Days
• Field of Search: 382/162-167, 382/276, 382/282, 382/283, 382/284, 382/289, 382/291, 382/293, 382/294, 382/295, 382/296, 382/297, 382/300, 358/525, 358/537, 358/538, 358/540, 358/518, 358/519, 358/520, 358/521, 358/522, 358/523, 358/524, 348/584, 348/585, 348/587, 348/586, 348/588, 348/590, 348/591, 348/592, 348/593, 348/606, 348/607, 348/631, 348/645
• US Class Current: 382/162
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/75 Chroma key

Abstract

Upon chromakey processing, 4×4 transformation matrix is provided through which a backing color selected is transformed to the original point and monochrome color is transformed to vertically distribute at a spot away from the original point along an axis. Matrix multiplication comprising only addition and multiplication is applied to a foreground image data signal to generate a masked output image and a color-processed foreground output image without requiring complex arithmetic operations.

Claims

1. A color conversion method for chromakey processing wherein a foreground image taken with an object of shooting located in front of a single colored screen and a background image to be used in a completed composite image are composited, which comprises

transforming an original coordinate system into a coordinate system wherein a backing vector is a principal axis and a backing color selected is at an original point, said backing vector being line drawn perpendicularly from the backing color to monochrome straight line, and

comparing a distance between pixel data to be processed and the backing color, a distance defined by a base control variable selected and a distance defined by a mask control variable selected, generating transformation coefficients on the basis of a comparison result before pixel processing and using said transformation coefficients to perform processing on a pixel by pixel basis, thereby generating a mask signal.

2. A color conversion method according to claim 1 further comprising comparing the distance between pixel data to be processed and the backing color, the distance defined by the base control variable selected and a distance defined by a spill control variable selected, generating transformation coefficients on the basis of a comparison result before pixel processing and using said transformation coefficients to perform processing on a pixel by pixel basis, thereby suppressing any spill of backing color components existing in the foreground image and replacing the same with a replacement color selected.

3. A color conversion apparatus for chromakey processing wherein a foreground image taken with an object of shooting located in front of a single colored screen and a background image to be used in a completed composite image are composited, which comprises

a setup data input module for setup of a backing color, a replacement color, a base control variable, a mask control variable and a spill control variable,

a setup data translation module for transforming an original coordinate system into a coordinate system wherein a backing vector is a principal axis and a backing color selected in said setup data input module is at an original point, said backing vector being line drawn perpendicularly from the backing color to monochrome straight line, for comparing a distance between pixel data to be processed and the backing color, a distance defined by the base control variable selected and a distance defined by the mask control variable selected, for comparing the distance between pixel data to be processed and the backing color, the distance defined by the base control variable selected and a distance defined the by the spill control variable selected and for generating transformation coefficients on the basis of comparison results before pixel processing and

a pixel processing module for using said transformation coefficients generated in the setup data translation module to perform processing on a pixel by pixel basis, thereby generating a mask signal and suppressing any spill of the backing color components existing in the foreground image and replacing the same with a replacement color selected.