JPH04113782A - Picture superimposer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To synthesize a natural picture onto a natural picture simply by generating a key signal through the designation of an area pointed out by a pointer depending on graphic processing with respect to a computer picture so as to apply write control to a picture memory recording a natural picture. CONSTITUTION:Logic level 1 is set to a write control signal WE to write a natural picture signal S1 to a picture memory 1 and the write control signal WE is set to logical level 0. In this state, a write enable signal WS outputted from an OR circuit 4 changes similarly with a key signal K2, then no write is implemented to a designated area and other areas are written. Thus, so long as the picture is not newly revised by the write control signal WE, a picture signal S2 in which a picture at a designated area is inserted as a still picture is obtained from the picture memory 1. The picture signal S2 is synthesized with a computer picture signal C by a synthesis circuit 5 and the result is outputted as a synthesis signal S0.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an image superimposer that synthesizes a computer-generated computer image onto a natural image with an intermediate truth, and particularly relates to an image superimposer that combines a computer-generated computer image with a natural image that has an intermediate truth. This invention relates to an image superimposer that can embed natural images.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, this type of image superimposer has only had a function of compositing a computer image with a natural image, but has not had a function of compositing a natural image with a natural image. in general,
When compositing a natural image with a natural image, it is necessary to generate a key signal, and the method for generating this key signal is as follows.
There are methods to generate the image by specifying the color components of the target image, and methods to generate the image by detecting an area by binarization or the like.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

The conventional image superimposer described above does not have a function of compositing a natural image with a natural image. However, even if this function were to be added, it would be necessary to generate a key signal, and with conventional key signal generation methods, the circuit size would be large and complicated, and it would be difficult to draw out sharp contours. There is a problem.

An object of the present invention is to provide an image superimposer that has a function of easily generating a key signal and compositing a natural image with a natural image.

[Means to solve the problem]

The image superimposer of the present invention is an image superimposer that combines a natural image with halftones with a computer image generated by a computer based on the natural image, and stores a signal of the natural image in accordance with a write enable signal. an image memory that arbitrarily specifies an area in the computer image and generates a key signal indicative of the area; a key signal memory that stores the key signal; and the key signal memory that outputs the key signal. A logic circuit that generates the write enable signal in response to a key signal and a write control signal from the outside, and a synthesis circuit that synthesizes an image signal output from the image memory and a signal of the computer image. . Further, the key signal generation unit may be configured to generate the key signal by performing graphic processing on the computer image to fill in an area designated by a pointer.

〔Example〕

Next, the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, in which an image memory 1 stores a natural image signal with halftones, and a computer image signal C generated by a computer based on this natural image is converted into a key signal. 1, a key signal memory 3 that stores a key signal of 1, an OR circuit 4 that generates a write enable signal W that controls writing to the image memory 1, and an image memory 1. The digitally converted natural image signal S is written into the image memory 1 under the control of the write enable signal Ws. The written natural image signal is read out from the image memory 1 at a rate synchronized with the computer image signal C and sent to the synthesis circuit 5. Further, the computer image signal C is sent to the synthesis circuit 5, superimposed on the image signal S2 read out from the image memory 1, and output as a composite image signal So. On the other hand, the computer image signal C is generated by the key signal generation section 2
sent to.

The key signal generation unit 2 receives a fill command for an image area specified by a closed curve with a pointer such as a mouse, performs graphic processing to fill the area, and converts the key signal into a 1
generate. The key signal □ is written into the key signal memory 3 in response to the key signal write enable signal WK. The key signal 2 read from the key signal memory 3 and the write control signal WE supplied from the outside are supplied to the OR circuit 4 and output as a write enable signal W5.

Next, the operation will be explained. Here, it is assumed that the image memory 1 stops writing when the write enable signal WS is at the logic level "0", and the key signal 2 is a logic level that becomes "0" in the designated image area. First, the write control signal Wε is set to logic level "1" to write the natural image signal S1 to the image memory 1, and then the write control signal WE is set to logic level "0".In this state, The write enable signal W5 output from the OR circuit 4 changes the key signal in the same way as 2, so writing is not performed in the area where 2 becomes the logic level "0" in the key signal, that is, in the designated area. Therefore, unless a new image is updated by the write control signal WE, the image signal S2 in which the image of the designated area is inserted as a still image is stored in the image memory 1.
obtained from. The image signal S2 obtained in this way is further synthesized with the computer image signal C by the synthesis circuit 5 and output as a synthesized signal So.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, a key signal is generated by filling in an area designated by a pointer on a computer image using graphic processing, and writing control of an image memory storing a natural image is performed according to the key signal. By doing this, it is possible not only to generate key signals on a simple circuit scale, but also to synthesize a natural image with a natural image. It is possible to obtain an image superimposer that also has the function of compositing.

--- Key signal memory, 4-- OR circuit, 5-- Synthesizing circuit, C --- Computer image signal, Sl --- Natural image signal, So.・・−
- Composite image signal, Ws... write enable signal,
WE...Write control signal, K1. 2...
...Key signal.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In an image superimposer that combines a natural image with halftones with a computer image generated by a computer based on the natural image, a signal of the natural image is stored in accordance with a write enable signal. image memory,
a key signal generation unit that arbitrarily specifies an area in the computer image and generates a key signal indicating this area; a key signal memory that stores the key signal; and a key signal output from the key signal memory and a key signal from an external source. An image superimpression system comprising: a logic circuit that generates the write enable signal in response to a write control signal; and a synthesis circuit that synthesizes an image signal output from the image memory and a signal of the computer image. Poza. 2. The image superimposer according to claim 1, wherein the key signal generation unit generates the key signal by performing graphic processing on the computer image to fill in an area designated by a pointer.