Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display driving control circuitry – Controlling the condition of display elements
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-15
2002-04-23
Cabeca, John (Department: 2173)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display driving control circuitry
Controlling the condition of display elements
C345S215000, C345S215000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06377282
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to combining of images and to controlling a cursor when images are combined.
Some computer systems combine images. An example is a computer-based video conferencing system
110
.
1
shown in FIG.
1
. System
110
.
1
is of type VMU-1000 (Trademark) available from Sony Electronics Inc. of San Jose, Calif. System
110
.
1
allows human user
120
.
1
to conduct a video conference with two other users shown at
120
.
2
. Users
120
.
2
use video conferencing system
110
.
2
which may be identical to or different from the system
110
.
1
.
User
120
.
1
controls the system
110
.
1
with a mouse
130
connected to computer
140
. Computer
140
executes a video conferencing software application
150
. Under the control of this application, the computer exchanges control signals with video overlay system
160
over a link
170
. Video overlay system
160
also receives from computer
140
an analog signal CV for display on monitor
174
. The analog signal incorporates a window
178
VC generated by application
150
. Window
178
VC includes a menu of choices for user
120
.
1
. The signal CV also incorporates a window
178
A generated by some other application (not shown) executed by computer
140
, for example, a spreadsheet.
Video overlay system
160
also receives a remote video (“far-side video”) signal FV from system
110
.
2
over a telephone link
182
. (In addition, system
110
.
1
receives an audio signal from system
110
.
2
. The audio signal is demultiplexed and processed by another portion (not shown) of system
110
.
1
.)
The video signal FV incorporates an image displayed in window
178
F on monitor
174
.
Video overlay system
160
receives a local video (“near-side video”) signal NV from camera
186
which is part of system
110
.
1
. Video overlay system
160
sends the near-side video to system
110
.
2
over telephone link
182
. (The local audio is sent out over the same link.)
If desired, the local video image carried by signal NV is displayed on monitor
174
in window
178
N.
FIG. 2
illustrates a portion of video overlay system
160
. Motion video block
210
receives far-side and near-side signals FV, NV (“motion video signals”) and generates an analog signal MV incorporating the far-side and near-side images. Video switch
220
selects either the signal MV or the computer video signal CV. The output of video switch
220
controls an electron beam (not shown) in CRT monitor
174
. When the beam traces the monitor screen areas in which the computer video is to be displayed (computer video is the image generated by computer
140
, including the windows
178
VC,
178
A in FIG.
1
), the switch
220
selects the signal CV. When the F g beam traces the areas in which the motion video is to be displayed (the motion video includes the far-side and near-side images in windows
178
F,
178
N), the switch selects the motion video signal MV.
Video switch
220
is controlled by select signal ALPHA generated by multiplexor control mask
230
. Multiplexor control mask
230
includes a memory (not shown) storing a 1 or a 0 for each group of pixels in monitor
174
. These 0's and 1's are read out of the memory to generate the select signal ALPHA. See PCT application WO 97/50242 “System and Method for Overlay of a Motion Video Signal on an Analog Video Signal” published Dec. 31, 1997.
The signal CV incorporates cursor
240
(FIG.
1
). The cursor is generated by computer
140
in response to signals from mouse
130
. The cursor helps the user
120
.
1
to control the system
110
.
1
.
It is desirable to make the cursor more convenient to use.
SUMMARY
The inventor has observed that when the mouse moves the cursor into the motion video, the cursor disappears and the user becomes disoriented. The cursor disappears because the motion video is constructed from the signal MV and the signal MV does not incorporate the cursor.
In some embodiments of the present invention, the cursor is incorporated into the motion video. In some embodiments, the motion video signal MV is combined with the computer video signal CV. For example, in some embodiments, MV is summed with CV, and the motion video is constructed using the sum signal. Therefore, if the mouse moves the cursor into the motion video, the cursor is displayed in the motion video.
In some embodiments, when MV carries the motion video, the signal CV=0 (CV is black for RGB embodiments) except for the cursor. Therefore, the motion video is not degraded.
The present invention is not limited to video conferencing or to motion video. Some embodiments combine non-video-conferencing signals that incorporate images. One or more of these signals are generated by a system capable to incorporate a cursor into an image. At least a portion of the cursor can be combined with another image.
Other features and advantages of the invention are described below. The invention is defined by the appended claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5506954 (1996-04-01), Arshi et al.
patent: 5574934 (1996-11-01), Mirashrafi et al.
patent: 5587928 (1996-12-01), Jones et al.
patent: 5793367 (1998-08-01), Taguchi
patent: 5794018 (1998-08-01), Vrvilo et al.
patent: 5859979 (1999-01-01), Tung et al.
patent: 6202212 (2001-03-01), Sturgeon et al.
patent: WO97/50242 (1997-12-01), None
Cabeca John
Shenker Michael
Skjerven Morrill & MacPherson LLP
Sony Corporation
Vu Kieu D.
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