US5400080A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus and methods for combining video signals representing images having different depths
Assignee: Sony Corp
•
Filing: 1993-10-22
•
Granted: 1995-03-21
•
Expires: 2013-10-22
Abstract
Abstract At least three video signals including at least one video signal which is given special effects are combined into a single video signal. Each of the three video signals contains a key signal and depth information. Two video signals closer to a viewpoint for images represented by the video signals are selected from the at least three video signals, per pixel, by comparing the depth information contained in the video signals per pixel to detect two pieces of depth information corresponding to two pixels closer to said viewpoint, and holding the two pixels corresponding to the detected two pieces of depth information based on the detected two pieces of depth information. Then, the selected video signals are weighted and mixed based on the key signals and depth information thereof per pixel.
Inventors
- 👤 Masahiko Oka
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 13:12
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N5/00; H04N5/222; H04N5/262; H04N5/272
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
105 words
An apparatus for combining a plurality of video signals into a single video signal, each of said video signals being comprised of a video image signal and being further comprised of a key signal and a depth information signal which depend on the video image signal, said apparatus comprising: receiving means for receiving M video signals; selecting means for selecting N of said M received video signals having a higher priority in a predetermined interval; and weighting and mixing means for weighting and mixing the selected N video signals as a function of the key signals and the depth information signals in said predetermined interval.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
105 words
An apparatus for combining a plurality of video signals into a single video signal, each of said video signals being comprised of a video image signal and being further comprised of a key signal and a depth information signal which depend on the video image signal, said apparatus comprising: receiving means for receiving M video signals; selecting means for selecting N of said M received video signals having a higher priority in a predetermined interval; and weighting and mixing means for weighting and mixing the selected N video signals as a function of the key signals and the depth information signals in said predetermined interval.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said M video signals comprise at least three video signals, and said N video signals comprise two video signals.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
13 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined interval is a pixel.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
39 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said selecting means operates to select said N video signals that are closest to a viewpoint for viewing images represented by the video signals as a function of said depth information signals.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
105 words
An apparatus for combining a plurality of video signals into a single video signal, comprising: receiving means for receiving a plurality of video signals each comprising a video image signal, a key signal and a depth information signal; selecting means for selecting two of said plurality of video signals that are closest to a viewpoint for viewing images represented by the video signals in a predetermined interval as a function of the depth information signals; and weighting and mixing means for weighting and mixing the selected video signals as a function of the key signals and the depth information signals thereof in said predetermined interval.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
105 words
An apparatus for combining a plurality of video signals into a single video signal, comprising: receiving means for receiving a plurality of video signals each comprising a video image signal, a key signal and a depth information signal; selecting means for selecting two of said plurality of video signals that are closest to a viewpoint for viewing images represented by the video signals in a predetermined interval as a function of the depth information signals; and weighting and mixing means for weighting and mixing the selected video signals as a function of the key signals and the depth information signals thereof in said predetermined interval.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
13 words
An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said predetermined interval is a pixel.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
164 words
An apparatus for combining a plurality of video signals into a single video signal, comprising: receiving means for receiving a plurality of video signals each comprising a video image signal, a key signal and a depth information signal; selecting means for selecting two of said plurality of video signals that are closest to a viewpoint for viewing images represented by the video signals in a pixel as a function of the depth information signals, said selecting means comprising detecting means for comparing the depth information signals contained in the video signals corresponding to said pixel to detect two of said depth information signals of two of said video signals that represent portions of a video image that are closest to said viewpoints, and holding means for holding the two video signals having the detected two depth information signals; and weighting and mixing means for weighting and mixing the selected video signals as a function of the key signals and the depth information signals thereof.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
164 words
An apparatus for combining a plurality of video signals into a single video signal, comprising: receiving means for receiving a plurality of video signals each comprising a video image signal, a key signal and a depth information signal; selecting means for selecting two of said plurality of video signals that are closest to a viewpoint for viewing images represented by the video signals in a pixel as a function of the depth information signals, said selecting means comprising detecting means for comparing the depth information signals contained in the video signals corresponding to said pixel to detect two of said depth information signals of two of said video signals that represent portions of a video image that are closest to said viewpoints, and holding means for holding the two video signals having the detected two depth information signals; and weighting and mixing means for weighting and mixing the selected video signals as a function of the key signals and the depth information signals thereof.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
186 words
An apparatus for combining at least three video signals into a single video signal, at least one of said video signals representing special video effects, said apparatus comprising: receiving means for receiving at least three video signals, including said at least one video signal which represents special video effects, each of said video signals comprising a video image signal, a key signal and a depth information signal; selecting means for selecting, for each pixel, two video signals that are closest to a viewpoint for viewing images represented by the video signals from said at least three video signals; said selecting means comprising: detecting means for comparing the depth information signals contained in the video signals corresponding to said pixel to detect two of said depth information signals of two of said video signals that represent portions of a video image that are closest to said viewpoint, and holding means for holding the two video signals having the detected two depth information signals; and weighting and mixing means for weighting and mixing the selected video signals as a function of the key signals and depth information thereof.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
186 words
An apparatus for combining at least three video signals into a single video signal, at least one of said video signals representing special video effects, said apparatus comprising: receiving means for receiving at least three video signals, including said at least one video signal which represents special video effects, each of said video signals comprising a video image signal, a key signal and a depth information signal; selecting means for selecting, for each pixel, two video signals that are closest to a viewpoint for viewing images represented by the video signals from said at least three video signals; said selecting means comprising: detecting means for comparing the depth information signals contained in the video signals corresponding to said pixel to detect two of said depth information signals of two of said video signals that represent portions of a video image that are closest to said viewpoint, and holding means for holding the two video signals having the detected two depth information signals; and weighting and mixing means for weighting and mixing the selected video signals as a function of the key signals and depth information thereof.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
97 words
A method of combining a plurality of video signals into a single video signal, each of said video signals being comprised of a video image signal and being further comprised of a key signal and a depth information signal which depend on the video image signal, said method comprising the steps of: receiving M video signals; selecting N of said M received video signals having a higher priority in a predetermined interval; and weighting and mixing the selected N video signals as a function of the key signals and the depth information signals in said predetermined interval.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
97 words
A method of combining a plurality of video signals into a single video signal, each of said video signals being comprised of a video image signal and being further comprised of a key signal and a depth information signal which depend on the video image signal, said method comprising the steps of: receiving M video signals; selecting N of said M received video signals having a higher priority in a predetermined interval; and weighting and mixing the selected N video signals as a function of the key signals and the depth information signals in said predetermined interval.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
97 words
A method of combining a plurality of video signals into a single video signal, comprising the steps of: receiving a plurality of video signals each comprising a video image Signal, a key signal and a depth information signal; selecting two of said plurality of video signals that are closest to a viewpoint for viewing images represented by the video signals in a predetermined interval as a function of the depth information signals; and weighting and mixing the selected video signals as a function of the key signals and the depth information signals thereof in said predetermined interval.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
97 words
A method of combining a plurality of video signals into a single video signal, comprising the steps of: receiving a plurality of video signals each comprising a video image Signal, a key signal and a depth information signal; selecting two of said plurality of video signals that are closest to a viewpoint for viewing images represented by the video signals in a predetermined interval as a function of the depth information signals; and weighting and mixing the selected video signals as a function of the key signals and the depth information signals thereof in said predetermined interval.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
73 words
A method according to claim 10, wherein said step of selecting two of said plurality of video signals includes comparing the depth information signals contained in the video signals corresponding to said predetermined interval to detect two of said depth information signals of two of said video signals that represent portions of a video image that are closest to said viewpoint, and holding the video signals having the detected two depth information signals.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
169 words
A method of combining at least three video signals into a single video signal, at least one of said video signals representing special video effects, said method comprising the steps of: receiving at least three video signals, including said at least one video signal which represents special video effects, each of said video signals comprising a video image signal, a key signal and a depth information signal; selecting, for each pixel, two video signals that are closest to a viewpoint for viewing images represented by the video signals from said at least three video signals, by comparing the depth information signals contained in the video signals corresponding to said pixel to detect two of said depth information signals of two of said video signals that represent portions of a video image that are closest to said viewpoint, and holding the two video signals having the detected two depth information signals; and weighting and mixing the selected video signals as a function of the key signals and depth information thereof.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
169 words
A method of combining at least three video signals into a single video signal, at least one of said video signals representing special video effects, said method comprising the steps of: receiving at least three video signals, including said at least one video signal which represents special video effects, each of said video signals comprising a video image signal, a key signal and a depth information signal; selecting, for each pixel, two video signals that are closest to a viewpoint for viewing images represented by the video signals from said at least three video signals, by comparing the depth information signals contained in the video signals corresponding to said pixel to detect two of said depth information signals of two of said video signals that represent portions of a video image that are closest to said viewpoint, and holding the two video signals having the detected two depth information signals; and weighting and mixing the selected video signals as a function of the key signals and depth information thereof.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3764732A
Cited
US4360831A
Cited
GB2155729A
Cited
US4774583A
Cited
EP0486468A2
Cited
US5280568A
Cited
US5121210A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1998-03-20 | 1998-09-19 | 1999-03-21 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2002-03-20 | 2002-09-19 | 2003-03-21 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2006-03-20 | 2006-09-19 | 2007-03-21 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |