JP2007259193A - Video output apparatus, and method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem that circuit scale becomes expanded since a plurality of circuit devices such as a magnification/reduction device are required for working a video image when that video image is obtained by spatially dividing the video image and composing them later by preparing the magnification/reduction device for each of the video images when obtaining a video image in the required size by performing aspect conversion on a still picture in a video output apparatus such as a video recorder. <P>SOLUTION: A frame rate of the video image is increased and video image magnification/reduction means are operated in a time division manner. Thus, by inserting a worked still picture between ordinary video images, a still picture like a thumbnail can be obtained with a required aspect through the same route as that of an ordinary video image. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image output apparatus and method for outputting an image to a television, such as a video recorder.

When a plurality of videos having different aspects are displayed, the video output apparatus spatially divides the video, prepares an enlargement / reduction unit for each, and then synthesizes the video to obtain a video. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1.)
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-184125 (page 5-8, FIG. 1)

  The problem to be solved is that two enlargement / reduction units are required, a plurality of enlargement / reduction circuit devices necessary for image processing are required, and the circuit scale increases.

  The video signal output apparatus according to the present invention processes a normal video by increasing the video frame rate and operating the video scaling means in a time-sharing manner in order to suppress the circuit scale of the scaling unit. By inserting a still image, the main feature is that a still image such as a thumbnail is obtained in a necessary aspect through the same route as a normal image.

  In the video output apparatus according to the present invention, the video scaling means is operated in a time-sharing manner, so that the circuit scale required for the video scaling means can be reduced, and further, the video output apparatus has the same aspect ratio as that of a normal video. Therefore, there is an advantage that a still image such as a thumbnail and a moving image can be displayed simultaneously with simple control.

  By converting the frame rate of the video output device that can display a still image and a moving image simultaneously, such as a thumbnail, the enlargement / reduction route is realized in one route.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a video output apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes video input means. Since the video from the video input means 1 such as storage media and broadcast is usually compressed, it is decoded and converted into a video signal. The decoded video is stored in the decode buffer 8 which is a memory. Reference numeral 2 denotes frame rate conversion means. A normal video image represents a moving image by displaying 30 pictures per second. For example, 32 video images are sent per second. This is realized by changing the reading rate from the decode buffer 8. Reference numeral 9 denotes still image insertion means, which inserts a still image when the frame rate conversion means 2 increases the video transmission rate. This is realized by arranging still images on the memory of the decode buffer 8 and inserting, for example, two still images per second when 32 images are transmitted per second.

  The still image insertion unit 9 includes a memory unit 15 and a path switching unit 16 and inserts a still image into the output of the frame rate conversion unit 2. Further, as shown in the configuration diagram of FIG. 9, the still image inserting unit 9 arranges the still image video data in the same memory unit as the decode buffer 8, and sets the memory read location of the frame rate converting unit 2. Even with a configuration such as the still image insertion unit 17 that inserts a still image in the middle of the decoded video by changing, the still image can be similarly inserted into the output of the frame rate conversion unit.

  Reference numeral 3 denotes enlargement / reduction means, which enlarges / reduces both the normal video and the inserted still image. Reference numeral 4 denotes a panel conversion means, which is equivalent to the enlargement / reduction means 3, but converts the aspect ratio according to the output television and adds a band called a side panel or letterbox to the periphery of the video. Reference numeral 5 denotes a second frame rate conversion means for returning, for example, what was processed at 32 frames per second to normal image processing at 30 frames per second. At this time, the excessively processed still image is stored in the still image memory 11 and extracted by the still image extraction means 10. Reference numeral 13 denotes a menu screen creation means for creating a menu screen that accepts a user operation such as a playback instruction using the still image extracted by the still image extraction means 10. Reference numeral 6 denotes video output means for outputting the moving image converted to the normal frame rate by the second frame rate conversion means 5 to the television apparatus. Reference numeral 12 denotes on-screen synthesis means for synthesizing a still image such as a menu screen or user operation screen created by the menu screen creation means 13 with the video output by 6 to the video output means. .

  The operation of the video output apparatus configured as described above will be described. FIGS. 2 and 3 are operation diagrams showing the operation of the present invention. FIG. 2 shows a state in which images transmitted at a normal transmission rate are processed side by side on the time axis. FIG. 3 shows a state in which still images are inserted and processed at a higher frame rate, arranged side by side on the time axis.

  The compressed video decoded by the video input means 1 in FIG. 1 is stored in the decode buffer 8 in units of frames. The stored video is output sequentially, but in this embodiment, the output is processed by the frame rate conversion means 2 and output at a frame rate faster than usual. For example, a normal video image displays 30 pictures per second and is processed as shown in FIG. 2. For example, the frame rate conversion means 2 sends out 32 video images per second. Thus, the number of frames that can be processed per second is increased by increasing the reading rate from the decode buffer 8. A still image is inserted into the decode buffer 8 by the still image insertion means 9 for the increased frame. In the video read out by the frame rate conversion means 2, as shown by a in FIG. 3, a still image is processed in a form inserted in a frame sequence of a normal moving image. . Since the video stored in the decode buffer 8 is a collection of still image frames, a part of the video is moved and stored in another memory so that it can be reused like the still image inserted this time.

  FIG. 4 is also an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the present invention. The enlargement / reduction means 3 or the panel conversion means 4 can perform enlargement / reduction in units of frames or fields of the video, but the video reduced by these is reduced for each frame as shown in FIG. And transmitted. This is shown in FIG. The still image a processed in this way is written into the still image memory 11 by the second frame rate converting means 5 and extracted by the still image extracting means 10. The video other than the inserted still image is converted to a normal frame rate by the video output means 6 and a normal moving image is output to the television apparatus. The still image and the moving image extracted by the on-screen combining means 12 are output. Are combined and output. This operation is as follows.

  FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 are explanatory views of the screen showing the operation of the present invention. The still image reduced by the still image extracting means 10 is put into the screen 20 by the menu screen creating means 13 as shown in FIG. , 22a, 22b, 22c, etc., a menu screen to be arranged on the screen is created. Reference numeral 21 in FIG. 5 denotes a window in which a moving image is displayed, and a user operation screen in which still images and moving images are mixed as shown in FIG. Will be able to. The screen in FIG. 6 is a window that displays a moving image of the selected still image portion by selecting a still image arranged on the menu screen created by the menu screen creating means 13 by a remote control operation or the like. As described above, the menu screen creating unit 13 recreates the image, and the on-screen compositing unit 12 composes the still image selected by the user so that the still image starts moving as a moving image.

  The video as shown in FIG. 6 further has a screen that can be represented by a still image such as 32a, 32b, and 32c and a video of 31 according to the television to be connected, as shown in FIG. It is created and converted into an aspect ratio suitable for the connected television, or displayed with a band called a side panel as shown in FIG. As described above, the screen adapted to the connected television is created by arranging the still images extracted by the still image extracting unit 10 after being processed by the panel converting unit 4. The still image converted in this manner is extracted by the still image extracting means 10, arranged on the screen on the screen, and synthesized with the moving image by the on-screen synthesizing means 12, thereby obtaining an image as shown in FIG. 7. It will be possible. As described above, the aspect ratio (aspect ratio) of the displayed video and the still image is adjusted according to the connected TV, for example, by 4: 3 TV and wide TV. In accordance with this, the normal image and the inserted still image are processed by enlarging / reducing the image by the enlarging / reducing means 3 and the panel converting means 4, so that the same aspect ratio as that for displaying the moving image on the full screen is obtained. As a result, a still image or a reduced moving image of the menu screen as shown in FIG. 7 can be displayed.

  Next, the flow of a video output method for extracting a still image by converting a frame rate and inserting a still image, enlarging and reducing the frame rate, and extracting a still image will be described. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the video output method of the present invention. In FIG. 8, from the start of processing (40), video is input to the apparatus by decoding or the like (41), and first frame rate conversion is performed to change the video processing speed. (42) After that, a still image is inserted for a time when there is a margin for processing (43). After that, the still image is scaled up alone or at the same enlargement / reduction ratio as the original video (44), the second frame rate conversion is performed, and the processing speed of the output image is restored (45). (46).

  By performing still image insertion and enlargement / reduction processing after performing frame rate conversion in this way, processing can be performed in a time-sharing manner, so that the circuit scale required for enlargement / reduction processing can be reduced. Become.

  Note that such a video output device and method are effective when a reduced video is created from a plurality of videos, but is also effective when receiving and displaying a broadcast in which video is multiplexed in field units. is there.

  Since the video output apparatus and method according to the present invention can enlarge and reduce video and still images in time series in this way, the menu screen of a video recorder such as a DVD recorder, in particular, still images and It is useful for creating menu screens with mixed videos and for letting users select based on still images.

Configuration diagram of video output apparatus in Embodiment 1 of the present invention Explanatory drawing explaining operation | movement of this invention. Explanatory drawing explaining operation | movement of this invention. Explanatory drawing explaining operation | movement of this invention. Explanatory drawing explaining operation | movement of this invention. Explanatory drawing explaining operation | movement of this invention. Explanatory drawing explaining operation | movement of this invention. The flowchart which shows the video output method of this invention Configuration diagram of video output apparatus in Embodiment 1 of the present invention

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Video input means 2 Frame rate conversion means 3 Video expansion / contraction means 4 Panel conversion means 5 Frame rate conversion means 6 Video output means 8 Decode buffer 9 Still image insertion means 10 Still image extraction means 11 Still image memory 12 On-screen composition means 13 Menu screen creation means 15 Memory means 16 Path switching means 17 Still image insertion means 20 Screen 21 Movie window 22a, b, c Still image 30 Screen 31 Movie 32a, b, c Still image 40 Start step 41 Video input step 42 First Frame rate conversion step 43 Still image insertion step 44 Enlargement / reduction step 45 Frame rate conversion step 46 Still image extraction step

Claims (3)

First frame rate conversion means for converting the processing speed of the video signal, still image insertion means for inserting a still image into the output of the first frame rate conversion means, and output video of the first frame rate conversion means The enlargement / reduction means for changing the size of the image, the second frame rate conversion means for converting the frame rate of the output video of the enlargement / reduction means, and the output of the second frame rate conversion means, the still image insertion means An image output apparatus comprising: a still image extracting means for extracting an inserted still image frame. 2. The video output according to claim 1, further comprising a synthesizing unit that synthesizes an image created from the still image extracted from the still image extracting unit with an output video of the second frame rate converting unit. apparatus. A first frame rate conversion step for converting a processing speed of the video signal; a still image insertion step for inserting a still image into the converted output; an enlargement / reduction step for changing the size of the video after the insertion; A second frame rate converting step for converting the frame rate of the output whose size has been changed; and a still image extracting step for extracting a still image frame from the output converted in the second frame rate converting step. A video output method characterized by the above.

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