Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display driving control circuitry – Controlling the condition of display elements
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-27
2001-02-06
Bayerl, Raymond J. (Department: 2773)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display driving control circuitry
Controlling the condition of display elements
C345S215000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06184879
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for creating and editing multi-media titles.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, the focus has been on information service, and accordingly, the need for a system that can provide service has increased. Since multi-media data are handled by computers, as the performance of computers has improved, there has been an increase in the demands for a system that can create and can reproduce a multi-media title in order to mix the multi-media data and to disseminate information by the means of computers. Especially, because of the original property of information, it is demanded of recent information service systems that different information be provided repetitiously, over a short period of time. That is, there is a demand for a system that can repeatedly and easily create similar titles. In a conventional multi-media title editing and reproduction system, a time axis is employed as a basic axis. Along this axis, the editing and the reproduction of a title is conducted so as to perform an action, such as the display and the non-display of individual elements.
FIG. 11
is a diagram illustrating one conventional example of an apparatus for editing and reproducing multi-media titles. As is shown in
FIG. 11
, a conventional multi-media title editing apparatus comprises: element accumulation means
1101
; element management means
1102
; user input means
1103
; scenario storage means
1106
; scenario accumulation means
1107
; layout setting means
1104
; and display attribute setting means
1105
. Using this arrangement, an explanation of the operation for creating and editing a multi-media title will now be given. First, a user employs the user input means
1103
to select an element in the element accumulation means
1101
that is managed by the element management means
1102
. The selected element is displayed on the user input means
1103
, e.g., a display. Then, the layout setting means
1104
is employed to set up the layout for the element. In the layout are included a position at which the element is to be displayed, i.e., positions X and Y on the display, and the size of the displayed element, i.e., the width and the height. As the method to be used for the setup, there is one method whereby a layout is set up using a mouse in a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get: data are output as they are displayed on a screen) manner while monitoring a positional relationship on the screen, and there is another method that provides the input of values for positions, etc., directly, by using a keyboard.
Further, the display attribute setting means
1105
is used to set the display attributes for the element. The display attributes represent various setups, such as an element display method and an element modifier method. If the display element is a moving picture, its display attribute is the setting of drawing frame speed; if the display element is a static picture, the display attribute is the setting for the limited number of colors to be used; if the display element is text, the attributes are the settings for the character font type and size, and for the colors of characters and the background; if the display element is a speech element, the attributes are the settings for the volume and for the balance on right and left sides; and if the display element is an animation, the attributes are the settings for the speed for drawing frames, for the frame modifier that encloses the display element, and for the display level. The display level indicates the position of an element relative to the lowermost location in the display when several elements are stacked and displayed. A method for selecting one of the setups from a selection list, or a method for inputting a value directly at a keyboard can be employed as the method for setting the display attributes.
These operations are performed each time an element is added to a title until finally, the scenario storage means
1106
is used to store the scenario for a title that is created. As is described above, each time a display element is selected, the conventional multi-media title creation and editing apparatus determines a layout for defining the display position and the size of the element, and the display attributes to be used for representing the display method and the modifier method for the element.
Although the conventional multi-media title creation and editing apparatus can have a high degree of freedom for an expression method and can provide an expression at a high level, it requires a user to simultaneously perform the selection of an element when a title is to be created, the definition of a layout, such as the display position and the size of the element, and the detailed definition of a display method, such as the display attributes for the element. Therefore, the procedures for the performance of the job are difficult to understand, and cannot be handled unless a user is technically skilled. Further, the conventional title creation and editing apparatus disables recycling, such as the repetitive use of only the layout for the title that was created, or its display attributes. When it is desired that the title is to be created frequently, each time an element to be displayed on the title is changed, the layout and the display attribute must be set, which requires much labor. Since new information must be sequentially provided when using a multi-media title, the layout and the display attribute of a title that is determined once must be easy to use repeatedly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To overcome the above shortcomings, it is an object of the present invention to provide a multi-media title creation and editing apparatus that can easily and repeatedly create an expressive multi-media title without requiring great technical skills for its use.
According to the present invention, the layout setup that is performed each time an element to be displayed with a title is selected, and the setup of all the attributes that is performed for all of the display elements, both of these setups being ones that are performed with the conventional multi-media title creation and editing apparatus, are in total and in general called a style setup. The definition of a style setup, i.e., the definitions of the layout setup and attribute setup, is called a style. In addition, according to the present invention, the style is prepared in advance, so that a user can employ this style to create or edit a title. This indicates that the layout setting and the display attribute setting, which are performed by a conventional system during the creation of a title, should be completed before a title is created. A user can set the layout and the display attributes by using this style. As for the structure, the layout setting means and the display attribute setting means of a conventional system are combined, and together form single means for determining a style, this means being provided outside the conventional multi-media title creation and editing apparatus. This indicates that the job involving the creation of a style is performed independently of the job involving the creation of a multi-media title, and this differs greatly from the functioning of the conventional system.
To achieve the above object, the following matters are important.
1. A user must use a style that is created and registered in advance by a skilled user in order to simplify the style setup. To repeatedly create a title using the same style, even after a title is completed, the layout information and display attribute information for a title that is created must be recycled when the next title is created. To make various styles available, the style has not only to be stored in the multi-media title editing apparatus, but must also be exchanged and distributed as one of the elements with the other apparatuses.
2. It is important, at the time of creation of a title, to provide support for a user so that the title is easily created.
3. A level for displaying an element that makes
Asai Kayoko
Minemura Atsushi
Sato Makoto
Bayerl Raymond J.
Lowe Hauptman Gopstein Gilman & Berner
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Nguyen Cao H.
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