Motion video signal processing for recording or reproducing – Local trick play processing – With randomly accessible medium
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-01
2003-04-29
Christensen, Andrew (Department: 2615)
Motion video signal processing for recording or reproducing
Local trick play processing
With randomly accessible medium
C386S349000, C386S349000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06556775
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an image and sound reproduction system which, when a predetermined portion of a background image is to be combined with a part of or the whole of another arbitrary still picture, can easily perform various kinds of reproductions in accordance with graphic interactive data (hereinafter, referred to as GI data), such as that a part of or the whole of the arbitrary still picture is sequentially reproduced while changing the contents by synthesis or replacement, and that a combination of a part of or the whole of the arbitrary still picture is repeatedly reproduced while changing the combination.
GI data are control data indicating information such as the kind and the synthesizing position of a still picture or an object in a still picture, a size, horizontal inversion, vertical inversion, longitudinal inversion, an angle, rotation, and distortion on two-dimensional coordinates or three-dimensional coordinates, and a motion in which these motions are combined with each other.
2. Description of Prior Art
Conventionally, a part of a background image is replaced with another image by the so-called chromakey technique in which an image of an object that is taken with setting the background blue is combined with the background image. In this technique, no control data relating to a motion change of the object is used. Therefore, the technique has a drawback in that it is difficult to, after an image of an object is taken or after an object is combined with a background picture, produce a synthetic image in which the shape, the state, the illumination, the sound, or the like of the imaged object is changed.
In a computer graphics (hereinafter, referred to as CG) technique, a control such as that using so-called motion capture is performed in which motions of predetermined portions of an objective are measured directly or indirectly by sensors and the objective in the CG is controlled by the motion information of the predetermined portions of the objective.
However, such a CG is not provided with means for producing a control signal relating to a motion of an object which changes in linking relationships with frames of a background image that has been already taken, means for selecting and changing a still picture to be combined, controlling means for correlating identification numbers of continuous still pictures serving as a background when the still pictures are to be combined with another still picture or an object which is externally captured, with position information or corrected position information which describes the place where an arbitrary user image other than the background is to be combined, or means for storing control data relating to such information. Therefore, the CG has a drawback in that, after an image of an object is taken or after a synthetic image of an object and a background image is obtained by synthesis or the like, it is difficult to produce a synthetic image by replacing the object of the background image with another object image in which the kind, the size, the brightness, or the voice or sound of the object is selectively changed in accordance with the motion of the object, or superimposing the images.
When a three-dimensional CG due to polygon data is used as a background image, the number of coordinates of polygons is so large that the data processing is complicated and requires a prolonged time period. In order to control such a three-dimensional CG so as to be rendered as a two-dimensional image, therefore, a dedicated hardware which functions as high-speed and dedicated image calculating and generating means is necessary, thereby producing problems such as that the cost is increased, that the image reproduction rate, the number of polygons, the image quality, and the like are restricted, and that the development period is prolonged. When control data relating to the motion of an object in a moving picture image which has been once reproduced is stored and output, there arise drawback such as that the image reproduction rate, the number of polygons, the image quality, and the like are further restricted. In this case, neither means for selectively inputting a user object which is to be combined, nor information for selection exists, and hence a synthetic moving picture cannot be replaced with another one, only by replacement of a photo by the user.
As described above, in the prior art, means for realizing partial replacement of a background image file requires a very sophisticated technique and dedicated hardware, and is expensive. That is, a moving picture file of the prior art fails to, for each frame, have GI data which is motion selection information correlating information for controlling a still picture that is an objective of synthesis or replacement of a background image, with an identification number of a still picture to be combined. Therefore, it is not easy to combine or replace a still picture that is an objective of synthesis or replacement, with another arbitrary still picture. In a model in which a still picture serving as a material of synthesis or replacement, or an object segmented from a part of a still picture is represented by three-dimensional coordinates, there is a problem in that the amount of data is so large that the system is very complicated.
In other words, in a background image in the prior art, each frame of the image consists of data which have been processed as frame data. Consequently, there is no means for changing data in each frame, and post processing of such an image is hardly performed.
This will be described more plainly. In a movie software, only actors or actresses play. As far as a movie is taken on the basis of actual images, a usual person cannot appear in the movie unless the person is in the site of taking the movie. Furthermore, it is impossible to change the cast after a movie is taken. A person can enjoy oneself with freely deforming an image of the face synthesized by a CG or the like. However, there is no means for automatically adding such a deformed image into images which are previously completed, such as a movie. Therefore, a still picture must be separately produced for each frame, and the still pictures must be manually combined with a background moving picture, such as a movie. In this way, the user cannot easily enjoy such synthesis.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide an image and sound reproduction system in which a predetermined portion of a background image can be replaced with another still picture, and a still picture can be controlled in accordance with GI data indicating the position, motion of the predetermined portion of the background image, and the like, and in which the replacement and control of the still picture can be realized easily and economically.
Specifically, the object of the invention is to provide easily and economically an image and sound reproduction system in which a new moving picture using the same background can be easily obtained by replacing only the face or the body of the user with that of a person appearing in a background image, a new moving picture can be easily produced by replacing only a background image with another one even when the same user image is used, and image reproduction is enabled while easily selecting the story in accordance with the kind and the number of user images.
In order to solve the problems, the image and sound reproduction system of the invention comprises the following means:
(1) still picture synthesizing means for combining an arbitrary first still picture with plural second still pictures serving as a background; and synthesis and reproduction controlling means for, in accordance with position information for combining the first still picture with the second still pictures or selection information for selecting one from the one or more arbitrary first still pictures, controlling the still picture synthesizing means so as to combine the first still picture with the second still pictures, and sequentially repro
Chieu Po-lin
Christensen Andrew
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Stevens Davis Miller & Mosher LLP
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