JPH05308507A - Image synthesizing and displaying system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To efficiently realize image effects such as soft edge or the like as the required function of a relevant field when applying a conventional WS or PC for the use of an image system. CONSTITUTION:When a synthetic ratio from a synthetic ratio memory 4 is a specified value, a switching judging means 9 switches a signal showing a picture element value from a display memory 2 and 3 to an image synthesizing means 10 and a signal at a fixed voltage level by using a picture element value switching means 7 or 8. Thus, chrominance signals are generated regardless of the picture element value required for image effects such as soft edge or the like.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image synthesizing display system which constitutes a system which makes heavy use of image effects such as presentations and electronic catalogs.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, with the progress of digital technology, it has become possible to practically handle images with a computer. For this reason, various image systems, which have conventionally been constructed as dedicated devices for each purpose, have begun to be constructed based on workstations (hereinafter abbreviated as WS) and personal computers (hereinafter abbreviated as PC). This is because the system can be upgraded by changing the program, and the already distributed software assets can be inherited.

A typical example of such a system is a museum system in a museum or a museum. In these systems, image effects such as a wipe effect of sequentially replacing an image with the next image from the left and right or upper and lower edges and a dissolve effect in which the next image is gradually raised and replaced are used as visual effects. In such museum systems, standardization of system configurations is being promoted in order to promote sharing and mutual use of data in museums and museums. With regard to image effects, the effect types that should be provided for in this standardization are also stipulated as essential requirements (Refer to "Technical guidelines for exhibition-type high-definition still image disk systems in [industrial and public fields]".
Hi-Vision diffusion support center).

However, it is difficult to perform such an image effect with a conventional WS or PC at a practical processing speed. As a method for improving this problem, a system in which WS is equipped with extended hardware capable of executing these image effects at high speed has begun to appear.

As these extension methods, a configuration for performing an image effect with good compatibility with a conventional WS software environment has been proposed. As a representative example of this, a method called a blending method, in which images stored in a plurality of image memories are combined and displayed at an arbitrary mixing ratio, is promising. In particular, this blending system is characterized by a configuration capable of producing an image effect as an extension of a multi-window environment in a computer.

FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of an image synthesizing system using a conventional blending method. In FIG. 4, 201 is a main control means, 202 and 203 are image memories, 204 is a composition ratio memory, 205 is a display position address generating means, and 206 is a display position address generating means.
Is a conversion table, and 2010 is an image synthesizing means. The blending method is composed of a synthesis ratio memory 204 that stores a temporary synthesis ratio (hereinafter, abbreviated as T value) that represents a synthesis ratio for each pixel of the image memories 202 and 203. The T value is further converted by the conversion table 206 into an actual combination ratio α value when actual combination is performed.

In practice, the T value may be directly used as the α value without using the conversion table. The RGB values of both images read from the image memories 202 and 203 by the display position address generating means 205 are the ratios of the α values obtained by converting the T values read from the combining ratio memory 204 by the conversion table 206. The means 2010 mixes and outputs. In this case, the RGB value of the output composite image is
It is calculated by the following formula.

(RGB value of composite image) = α × (RGB value of image A) + (1−α) × (RGB value of image B) [α is a decimal number satisfying 0 ≦ α ≦ 1] For example, α When = 1, only the A pixel is visible and the B pixel is hidden. On the contrary, when α = 0, only the B pixel is visible and the A pixel is hidden. Also, if α = 0.5, A
And B is a semi-transparent composite image. Various image effects can be realized by performing these synthesizing methods at high speed with extended hardware. For example, first change the α value from 1 to 0 for each vertical line from the end to the state where the entire A image is visible with α value = 1 to the state where the entire B image is visible with α value = 0. For example, it is possible to realize the wipe effect in which the B images are sequentially seen from the edge of the A image.

As described above, the advantage of the blending method based on WS or PC is that it is possible to perform the wipe or the combining effect of an arbitrary shape in which the mixing ratio is changed for each pixel.

Conventionally, in a dedicated device for effecting such an image effect, a key signal having a predetermined shape is generated, and this is used as a trigger to perform an image effect such as wiping in an arbitrary shape. For this reason, it was not possible to realize a partial effect that matches the wipe shape or the image content other than the determined one. However, in this blending method, by rewriting the T value or the conversion table 206 by a program, only the window glass part is made semi-transparent and the image behind is made transparent, and various effects according to the image content are obtained. realizable.

[0011]

As an image effect, a wipe edge or the like is not abruptly switched from the previous image to the next image, but a band of a specific color such as white irrelevant to the image is sandwiched at the switching boundary. Moreover, there is a strong demand for a soft edge effect that softly produces the visual effect of the edge portion.

However, in the conventional blending configuration, the RGB values of the preceding and following images are mixed in a certain ratio depending on the α value, so that it is impossible to display colors other than the blended colors. Therefore, it is not possible to generate an effect color that is essential for the soft edge effect, such as white.

In a conventional dedicated system such as a video switcher device, a special dedicated circuit for generating a signal for realizing a soft edge effect is incorporated or an external circuit is connected. However, this method cannot perform a partial effect of the image or an effect other than the shape registered in advance, and has a disadvantage that the circuit scale becomes large.

Further, the structure in which the dedicated circuit is added to the WS-based system is not suitable because it requires a new program means for controlling the circuit, which causes the loss of the compatibility with the software of the conventional blend structure. ..

In view of the above points, the present invention provides an image synthesizing system capable of efficiently realizing an image effect such as a soft edge which is an essential function in a relevant field when a WS or a PC is applied to an image system application. To aim.

[0016]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention comprises a display memory for storing pixel values forming a plurality of images, and a combination ratio memory for storing a combination ratio value between the pixel values. Image combining means for outputting a combined value between the pixel values according to the combining ratio value, and pixel value switching for switching between a signal representing the pixel value and a signal of a constant voltage level from the display memory to the image combining means And a switching determination unit that instructs the pixel value switching unit to switch a signal in the case of the specific combination ratio value.

[0017]

According to the present invention, according to the above-mentioned structure, the switching determination means, in the case of the specific combination ratio value, gives the pixel value switching means a signal representing a pixel value from the display memory to the image composition means and a constant voltage level. It is possible to generate a color signal irrelevant to the pixel value necessary for an image effect such as a soft edge by switching the color signal to the color signal.

[0018]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the basic construction of an image composition / display system in an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an operation example of FIG.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a main control means for controlling the operation of the entire system, 2 is an image memory for storing the RGB values of the image A, and 3 is an image memory for storing the RGB values of the image B. Reference numeral 4 denotes a composition ratio memory that stores a temporary composition ratio T value (hereinafter, abbreviated as T value) for each pixel of the image memory 2 and the image memory 3. Reference numeral 5 is a display position address generating means for controlling an address for reading the image memory and display timing, and 6 is a conversion table for converting the T value into the actual synthesis ratio α value.

Reference numeral 7 is a pixel value switching means for switching the color data of the image memory 2 to constant data, and 8 is a pixel value switching means for switching the color data of the image memory 3. Reference numeral 9 denotes a switching determination unit that determines whether the pixel value switching unit 7 and the pixel value switching unit 8 switch the RGB value from the image memory to the specific color RGB value. Reference numeral 10 denotes an image synthesizing means, which is a synthetic RG in which the RGB values of the images A and B that have passed through the pixel value switching means 7 and 8 are mixed at a ratio of α values.
Output the B value. In this embodiment, this combined RGB value is set to α
An image effect for the output image is realized by changing the value.

FIG. 3 shows an example of the conversion table 6. In this embodiment, the T value and the α value are 8-bit values, that is, 0 to 2
It shall take the value of 55. The conversion table 6 is a table for converting the α value by using the T value as an index, and is a calculated value 0 when the actual combination is performed with respect to the provisional combination ratio T value having 0 to 255 entries. The actual combination ratio α value of up to 255 is set.

In the example shown in FIG. 3, when the T value = 0, the α value = 128 and when the T value = 254, the α value = 34 is output. The α value for each entry value of the conversion table 6 can be rewritten by the main control means 1, and the conversion table 6
By rewriting, it is possible to realize the image effect without changing the T value of the composition ratio memory 4.

Now, consider an example in which the image A is switched to the image B by the wipe effect using the soft edge.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing one state during switching.

In FIG. 2, 32 is an image memory that stores the RGB values of the image A, 33 is an image memory that also stores the RGB values of the image B, and 34 is a composition ratio of each pixel position of the image memory 32 and the image memory 33. It is a synthesis ratio memory for storing the T value. 320 is an example showing a change in the RGB value of the image A in a horizontal direction, and 321 is an RGB value of the RGB value 320 after passing through the switching means 37. Similarly, 330 and 331 are examples of RGB values after passing through the horizontal switching means 38 with the image B. 341 is an RGB value 321 and an RGB value 331
6 is a variation example of the α value for calculating the combined RGB value of.

The α value is input from the conversion table 36 to the image synthesizing means 310 as 0-bit data from 0 to 0.
A value of 255 is taken and the image synthesizing means 310 uses (α / 25
By 5), it is converted to a decimal value of 0 to 1. 32 in FIG.
1 to 34 correspond to the memories 2 to 4 in FIG. 1, and the switching means 37 and 38 correspond to the pixel value switching means 7 and 8 in FIG. 1, respectively. The image synthesizing unit 310 is the image synthesizing unit 10 of FIG. 1, the switching determination unit 39 is the switching determination unit 9 of FIG. 1, and the conversion table 36 is the conversion table 6 of FIG.
Equivalent to.

The simplest configuration example of the switching means 37 and 38 can be realized by a gate circuit which opens and closes the inside of the switching means by an ON / OFF control signal from the switching determination means 39. In the case of the OFF control signal from the switching determination means 39, the gate circuit is closed and the RGB values from the image memory are passed and output. In the case of the ON control signal, the gate circuit is opened and the power supply line is used to correspond to white. Switch to RBG value and output. With the configuration of the present embodiment, an example in which a white band edge is generated as a soft edge effect is shown in FIGS.
Will be described below.

In FIG. 2, an example will be described in which T value = 253 to 255 is reserved as the execution key value of the switching determination means 9. When the T value = 253, the switching signal of only the pixel value switching means 7 is used, when the T value = 254, the switching signal of only the pixel value switching means 8 is used, and when the T value = 255, the pixel value switching means 7 and It is assumed that it is set so that a switching signal to both of 8 and 8 is generated.

First, the RGB value and the T value of the addresses sequentially generated by the display position address generating means 5 are read out from the image memory 32, the image memory 33, and the composition ratio memory 34 according to an instruction to display an image from the main control means. It The T value read from the composition ratio memory 34 is compared with the T value reserved in advance by a comparison circuit inside the switching determination means 39. Here, T value = 253 in the interval 1 and T value = 2 in the interval 2
55, it is assumed that T value = 254 is read from the composition ratio memory 34 in the section 3. In the section 1 of T value = 253, an ON control signal is output to the pixel value switching means 37 and white RG
Switch to B value.

On the other hand, in the section 3 of T value = 254, the ON control signal to the pixel value switching means 38 is outputted to switch to the white RGB value. Further, in the section 2 of T value = 255, the ON control signals for both the pixel value switching means 37 and 38 are output and switched to the white RGB value. Furthermore, from these RGB values 321, 331, the image synthesizing means 310
The composite RGB value is calculated by, and an image like 311 is displayed.

As described above, the switching determination means 3 sets a constant T value.
By setting it as the key value of 9, it is possible to generate a specific color, and the effect such as a soft edge desired for the image effect can be realized by the conventional blend configuration.

In the present embodiment, the example in which the pixel value is switched to white by the key value is shown, but a method of setting switching to a color other than white is also possible. In addition, a method of inputting a signal of a designated color from the outside and switching to the signal, or a method of setting a different color for each reserved value of the composition ratio is possible.

In the present embodiment, it is also possible to use a part of the bits in the T value and the α value as a key and change the calculation method of the image synthesizing means 310 to generate the RGB value of the specific color.

Finally, in the present embodiment, description has been made by taking the composition between two image memories as an example, but it is also possible to extend to composition between three image memories or more. Further, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the T value is input as it is to the image synthesizing means without using the conversion table. Although the T value and the α value are described as 8 bits, the number of bits can be increased or decreased.

[0034]

As described above, according to the present invention, a display memory that stores pixel values that form a plurality of images, a combination ratio memory that stores a combination ratio value between the pixel values, and a combination ratio value Image combining means for outputting a combined value between the pixel values; pixel value switching means for switching between the signal representing the pixel value and the signal of a constant voltage level from the display memory to the image combining means; Switching determination means for instructing the pixel value switching means to switch a signal in the case of the composite ratio value, and the switch determination means displays the pixel value switching means to the display memory in the case of the specific composite ratio value. It is possible to generate a color signal irrelevant to the pixel value necessary for the image effect such as a soft edge by switching the signal representing the pixel value from the image synthesizer to the image synthesizer. Because, without impairing the conventional blending method consistency, take a configuration for realizing a more extensive image effect with a simple additional circuit, it is possible to further expand the application field of the imaging system takes a blend method.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an image composition system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an operation example of the image synthesizing system in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a conversion table according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a conventional image composition system.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Main Control Means 2 Image Memory 3 Image Memory 4 Composite Ratio Memory 5 Display Position Address Generating Means 7 Pixel Value Switching Means 8 Pixel Value Switching Means 9 Switching Judging Means

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification code Internal reference number FI technical display location G09G 5/36 9177-5G

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A display memory for storing pixel values forming a plurality of images, a combination ratio memory for storing a combination ratio value between the pixel values, and a combination value between the pixel values output by the combination ratio value. Image synthesizing means, pixel value switching means for switching the signal representing the pixel value from the display memory to the image synthesizing means and a signal of a constant voltage level, and the pixel in the case of the specific synthesizing ratio value. An image synthesizing display system, comprising: a switching determination unit for instructing a value switching unit to switch a signal. 2. A display memory that stores pixel values that form a plurality of images, a combination ratio memory that stores a combination ratio value between the pixel values, and a combination value between the pixel values that is output according to the combination ratio value. Image synthesizing means, a pixel value switching means for switching a signal representing the pixel value from the display memory to the image synthesizing means and an externally input color signal, and a specific synthesizing ratio value An image synthesizing display system, comprising: a switching determination unit for instructing the pixel value switching unit to switch a signal. 3. A display memory for storing pixel values forming a plurality of images, a combination ratio memory for storing combination ratio values between the pixel values, and a combination value between the pixel values according to the combination ratio value. And an image synthesizing unit for performing the switching, when the image synthesizing unit has a specific synthesizing ratio value, switching to the synthesizing value and a signal value set in the image synthesizing unit in advance is performed. Composite display system.