Method and apparatus for analyzing digital video using multi-format display

• US 7,567,256 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2004
• Issued: 07/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HBC Solutions Incorporated (AEG Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Deschamp, Joseph, Mauger, Randy A., Zwiebel, Robert C., Guerrero, David R., Hollowbush, Richard R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chauhan; Ulka
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chow; Jeffrey J
• Application Number:
  US10/814,401
• Publication Number:
  US 20050219267A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,945 Days
• Field of Search: 345/618, 700/243, 700/246, 700/253, 700/789, 700/792
• US Class Current: 345/618
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/02 for colour television signals

Abstract

A multi-format display device for video production and testing selectively presents a video input signal in three or more distinct ways to facilitate analysis. A complete picture, a picture zoom an area of particular scrutiny around a cursor position, tabular pixel information, a color swatch corresponding to pixel data values and graphic plots of picture data, audio and other information can be placed in areas of a formatted display. Predetermined or input pixel selection criteria can shift the display at least temporarily to identify pixels in the display that meet the criteria as the input video signal frames proceed.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use in analyzing video images, comprising:

a video input signal providing a video signal to be analyzed, the video input signal including at least one of successive picture frames and fields containing a video picture that changes in time;

a video processor operable to produce a display of information on a display device at least partly from the video input signal, wherein the display of information comprises a repetitively composed formatted display of images that is changed over time from one mode of display of information to an other mode of display of information, as the video input signal changes in time, wherein said modes of display of the information comprise different selections of display elements, each of the different selections comprising one or more of;

a full representation of the video picture contained in the video input signal, selectively presented so as to occupy at least a portion of a display area of the formatted display;

a zoom image including an area of particular scrutiny in said video picture, selectively presented so as to occupy at least a portion of the display area of the formatted display;

a report of video data characteristics of at least one point within said area of particular scrutiny;

a subset of said full representation, said zoom image and said report; and

,

wherein a controller is coupled to the video processor and to at least one control input, wherein a user selects via the control input at least one selection criterion applied to the video signal to cause a change in the formatted display of images from said one mode to said other mode, and wherein the user selects via the control input a selection of the display elements to be included in the display composed by the video processor when the selection criterion is met.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the video processor has a display mode wherein the full representation of the video picture, the zoom image and the report of said video data characteristics are presented at different parts of the display device and present progressively smaller parts of the area of particular scrutiny.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the report includes a tabular display of data respecting pixels at the area of particular scrutiny.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the tabular display of data includes sample location information and color sample data.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the tabular display of data includes a color swatch demonstrating the color sample data.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the video input signal contains a digital video signal with successive picture frames and the video processor produces the formatted display repetitively for increments of at least one frame, from one of discrete sample data and discrete color state elements defining pixels in the video input signal.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the video processor produces the formatted display for increments of at least one frame from one of discrete sample data and discrete color state elements defining pixels in the video input signal.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the video processor is operable to resize at least part of the video picture for presentation in part of an area of the formatted display that occupies less than a full area of the formatted display, and wherein resizing by the video processor includes at least one of recalculating pixel values, sampling pixel values and reading out selected pixel values.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control input is operable by a user manually to select from the video input signal an area to be the area of particular scrutiny, and wherein the video processor is operable simultaneously to present the video picture and the zoom image including the area of particular scrutiny, in different areas of said formatted display.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the video processor allots the formatted display to accommodate said change in the formatted display of images from said one mode to said other mode.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller and the video processor are operable to coordinate between automatic and manual selection of the area of particular scrutiny, wherein one of said manual selection and said automatic selection supersedes an other of said manual selection and said automatic selection for a limited period of time after said changing of the formatted display by the video processor when the selection criterion is met.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the selection criteria for said automatic selection include a color gamut value criterion having at least one threshold value such that a value meeting the threshold value criterion is selected for particular scrutiny.