Motion video signal processing for recording or reproducing – Local trick play processing – With randomly accessible medium
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-21
2004-03-16
Chevalier, Robert (Department: 2615)
Motion video signal processing for recording or reproducing
Local trick play processing
With randomly accessible medium
C386S349000, C386S349000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06707983
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and method for efficiently synthesizing a plurality of image data while encoding the data, and a storage medium capable of being read by a computer in which an image processing program is stored.
2. Description of the Related Art
When editing images picked up by a video camera, as shown in
FIG. 1
, output image signals from two video cassette recorders (hereinafter abbreviated as “VCRs”)
110
and
112
are input to an image editor
114
. An image signal obtained by editing the image signals is output to another VCR
116
in order to be recorded on a recording medium, such as a magnetic tape or the like.
FIG. 2
is a schematic block diagram illustrating the configuration of a camcorder (a video camera incorporating a recording/reproducing apparatus). In
FIG. 2
, an image pickup device
120
converts an optical image of an object into an electric signal. An A/D (analog-to-digital) converter
122
converts an analog signal from the image pickup device
120
into a digital signal. A compression circuit
124
performs data compression of data output from the A/D converter
122
, and records the compressed image data on a recording medium
126
. The output of the compression circuit
124
is also supplied to a digital interface (I/F)
128
. The digital interface
128
conforms, for example, to IEEE 1394 standards. The image data is output to the outside in a format conforming to the standards.
Data reproduced from the recording medium
126
and the data input to the digital interface
128
are supplied to an expansion circuit
130
, which expands the received data from a compressed state. Output data from the expansion circuit
130
is converted into an analog signal by a D/A (digital-to-analog) converter
132
, and is supplied to a monitor
134
for image display.
Various image compression methods have been proposed and actually used. Many of these methods use both orthogonal transformation and variable-length encoding.
Conventionally, when synthesizing two images which are recorded in a compressed state as described above, image synthesizing processing is performed after completely expanding image data.
FIG. 3
is a schematic block diagram illustrating a conventional image synthesis apparatus.
Compressed image data are input to input terminals
140
a
and
140
b
. Variable-length decoding circuits
142
a
and
142
b
perform variable-length decoding of the data from the input terminals
140
a
and
140
b
, respectively. Inverse orthogonal transformation circuits
144
a
and
144
b
perform inverse orthogonal transformation of outputs from the variable-length decoding circuits
142
a
and
142
b
, respectively, and output restored image data.
A system control circuit
146
controls the entire apparatus in accordance with the user's operation through an operation unit
148
. Particularly, the system control circuit
146
controls a coefficient generation circuit
150
so as to generate coefficients to be used when synthesizing the two image data. The generated coefficients are supplied to multipliers
152
a
and
152
b
. The multipliers
152
a
and
152
b
multiply the outputs of the inverse orthogonal transformation circuits
144
a
and
144
b
by the corresponding coefficients from the coefficient generation circuit
150
, respectively. An adder
154
adds the results of the multiplication by the muntipliers
152
a
and
152
b
. That is, the adder
154
synthesizes the two images.
An orthogonal transformation circuit
156
performs orthogonal transformation of an output image from the adder
154
. A variable-length encoding circuit
158
performs variable-length encoding of the output of the orthogonal transformation circuit
156
. The output of the variable-length encoding circuit
158
is output to the outside from an output terminal
160
.
As described above, conventionally, the two inverse orthogonal transformation circuits
144
a
and
144
b
are required, and orthogonal transformation processing is required when again encoding data after image synthesis. Accordingly, extensive hardware or software is required, and a long time is required for calculation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-described problems.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an image synthesis apparatus and method capable of providing a smaller circuit and fewer signal processing steps than previously used, and a storage medium that stores program software for realizing the image processing method.
According to one aspect of the present invention, an image processing apparatus includes an input unit for inputting first image data and second image data different from the first image data. At least one of the first image data and the second image data is encoded while being subjected to orthogonal transformation processing. The apparatus also includes a transformation unit for transforming the first image data and the second image data into orthogonal transformation coefficient data, and a synthesis unit for synthesizing the first image data and the second image data transformed by the transformation unit.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, a storage medium capable of being read by a computer stores an image processing program, the program including an input step of inputting first image data and second image data different from the first image data. At least one of the first image data and the second image data is encoded while being subjected to orthogonal transformation processing. The program also includes a transformation step of transforming the first image data and the second image data into orthogonal transformation coefficient data, and a synthesis step of synthesizing the first image data and the second image data transformed in the transformation step.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, in a storage medium, capable of being read by a computer storing an image processing program, the program includes an input step of inputting first image data and second image data different from the first image data. At least one of the first image data and the second image data is encoded while being subjected to orthogonal transformation processing. The program also includes a transformation step of transforming the first image data and the second image data into orthogonal transformation coefficient data, and a synthesis step of synthesizing the first image data and the second image data transformed in the transformation step.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5140437 (1992-08-01), Yonemitsu et al.
patent: 6038345 (2000-03-01), Osawa et al.
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