Video compositor
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for blending images, comprising:
- receiving a first image, said first image includes a first set of pixels;
receiving a second image, said second image includes a second set of pixels and a third set of pixels, said third set of pixels has a predefined attribute indicating that said third set of pixels should not be mixed;
determining which pixels of said second image are part of said second set of pixels and which pixels of said second image are part of said third set of pixels based on said predefined attribute;
for each specific pixel of said first set of pixels that corresponds in position with a pixel from said second set of pixels;
determining a color of said specific pixel from said first video image, accessing a color map after determining said color of said specific pixel, said color map capable of storing blending value information for a plurality of different colors, and using said determined color of said specific pixel to determine a pixel blending value for said specific pixel from said color map; and
blending said first set of pixels with said second set of pixels based on said pixel blending values.
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Abstract
A system is disclosed for blending two image that makes use of a color map which indicates colors in a foreground can be mixed with the background and how much of each source to mix. One embodiment of the invention restricts the use of the color map to only pixels in the foreground that correspond to a graphic (or effect) in the background. Another embodiment makes use of a gray scale matte which stores blending values for each pixel in the foreground.
161 Citations
49 Claims
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1. A method for blending images, comprising:
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receiving a first image, said first image includes a first set of pixels;
receiving a second image, said second image includes a second set of pixels and a third set of pixels, said third set of pixels has a predefined attribute indicating that said third set of pixels should not be mixed;
determining which pixels of said second image are part of said second set of pixels and which pixels of said second image are part of said third set of pixels based on said predefined attribute;
for each specific pixel of said first set of pixels that corresponds in position with a pixel from said second set of pixels;
determining a color of said specific pixel from said first video image, accessing a color map after determining said color of said specific pixel, said color map capable of storing blending value information for a plurality of different colors, and using said determined color of said specific pixel to determine a pixel blending value for said specific pixel from said color map; and
blending said first set of pixels with said second set of pixels based on said pixel blending values. - View Dependent Claims (2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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3. A method for blending images, comprising:
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receiving a first image, said first image includes a first set of pixels;
receiving a second image, said second image includes a second set of pixels and a third set of pixels, said third set of pixels has a predefined attribute indicating that said third set of pixels should not be mixed;
determining which pixels of said second image are part of said second set of pixels and which pixels of said second image are part of said third set of pixels based on said predefined attribute;
for each specific pixel of said first set of pixels that corresponds in position with a pixel from said second set of pixels, accessing a color map based on color of said specific pixel and determining a pixel blending value for said specific pixel based on said accessing said color map, said color map capable of storing blending value information for a plurality of different colors;
blending said first set of pixels with said second set of pixels based on said pixel blending values; and
updating said color map in real time, said step of blending is performed in real time.
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20. An apparatus used for blending images, comprising:
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an input device;
an output device;
memory; and
one or more processors, said one or more processors perform a method comprising the steps of;
receiving a first image, said first image includes a first set of pixels, receiving a second image, said second image includes a second set of pixels and a third set of pixels, said third set of pixels has a predefined attribute indicating that said third set of pixels should not be mixed, determining which pixels of said second image are part of said second set of pixels and which pixels of said second image are part of said third set of pixels based on said predefined attribute, for each specific pixel of said first set of pixels that corresponds in position with a pixel from said second set of pixels;
determining a color of said specific pixel from said first video image, accessing a color map after determining said color of said specific pixel, said color map capable of storing blending value information for a plurality of different colors, and using said determined color of said specific pixel to determine a pixel blending value for said specific pixel from said color map, and causing a blending of said first set of pixels with said second set of pixels based on said pixel blending values. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. An apparatus used for blending images, comprising:
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an input device;
an output device;
memory; and
one or more processors, said one or more processors perform a method comprising the steps of;
receiving a first image, said first image includes a first set of pixels, receiving a second image, said second image includes a second set of pixels and a third set of pixels, said third set of pixels has a predefined attribute indicating that said third set of pixels should not be mixed, determining which pixels of said second image are part of said second set of pixels and which pixels of said second image are part of said third set of pixels based on said predefined attribute, for each specific pixel of said first set of pixels that corresponds in position with a pixel from said second set of pixels, accessing a color map based on color of said specific pixel and determining a pixel blending value for said specific pixel based on said accessing said color map, said color map capable of storing blending value information for a plurality of different colors, causing a blending of said first set of pixels with said second set of pixels based on said pixel blending values, said step of causing a blending includes creating a matte based on said pixel blending values and mixing said first image with said second image on a pixel by pixel basis using said matte, said matte includes a fourth set of pixels, each pixel in said fourth set of pixels includes a data value, each data value is based on at least a corresponding pixel blending value.
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27. A method for blending images, comprising the steps of:
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storing blending information for a set of visibly distinct colors;
receiving a first image, said first image includes a first set of pixels, each pixel of said first set of pixels is associated with color data;
receiving a second image, said second image includes a second set of pixels;
for each pixel in said first set of pixels, identifying an appropriate subset of said stored blending information based on said color data;
creating a matte, said matte includes a third set of pixels, each pixel in said third set of pixels corresponds to at least one pixel in said first set of pixels, each pixel in said third set of pixels includes a data value based on said appropriate subset of said stored blending information for said corresponding at least one pixel in said first set of pixels; and
causing a blending of said first image with said second image based on said matte. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. An apparatus used for blending images, comprising:
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an input device;
an output device;
memory; and
one or more processors, said one or more processors, said one or more processors perform a method comprising the steps of;
storing blending information for a set of visibly distinct colors, receiving a first image, said first image includes a first set of pixels, each pixel of said first set of pixels is associated with color data, receiving a second image, said second image includes a second set of pixels, for each pixel in said first set of pixels, identifying an appropriate subset of said stored blending information based on said color data, creating a matte, said matte includes a third set of pixels, each pixel in said third set of pixels corresponds to at least one pixel in said first set of pixels, each pixel in said third set of pixels includes a data value based on said appropriate subset of said stored blending information for said corresponding at least one pixel in said first set of pixels, and causing a blending of said first image with said second image based on said matte. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38)
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39. An apparatus for blending a first video image with a second video image, comprising:
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a pixel blending value calculation circuit receiving said first video image, said pixel blending value calculation circuit includes a color map, said color map stores information indicating blending values for multiple visibly distinct colors, said pixel blending value calculation circuit generates an output by;
determining color in said first video image, accessing said color map after determining said color in said first video image, and using said determined color in said first video image to determine a pixel blending value from said color map for at least a portion of said first video image; and
a blending circuit receiving said first video image and said second video image, said pixel blending circuit in communication with said pixel blending value calculation circuit, said blending circuit mixes said first video image with said second video image based on said output of said pixel blending value calculation circuit. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. An apparatus for blending a first video signal with a second video signal, comprising:
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a memory, said memory stores a color map, said color map stores information indicating blending information for multiple colors;
a processor in communication with said memory, said processor receives said first video signal, determines colors in said first video signal, accesses said color map after determining said colors in said first video signal, and uses said determined colors in said first video signal to determine blending values from said color map; and
a video blending circuit in communication with said processor, said video blending circuit receives said first video signal and said second video signal, said video blending circuit mixes said first video signal with said second video signal based on said blending values. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49)
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Specification