Method and apparatus for combining multiple video images in three dimensions

Claim 1

A system for combining a plurality of respective input video signals, each video signal comprising data samples correspondiong to respective discrete locations on a viewing plane and having associated therewith input key signals corresponding to respective said locations, said system comprising means in respect to each of said input video signals for producing a respective sequence of priority signals corresponding to a respective sequence of said discrete locations, means responsive to said priority signals and respective said input key signals for producing in respect to each input video signal a set of processed key signals corresponding to respective coordinate locations on said viewing plane in said respective sequence, each said set of processed key signals indicating the weighted portion of the respective data samples to be included in a combined video signal at each respective coordinate location, cutter means responsive to said sets of processed key signals for cutting corresponding said data samples to produce corresponding weighted data samples in respect to each input video signal in said respective sequence, and combining means for combining said weighted data samples of said plurality of input video signals for each respective coordinate location on said viewing plane in said respective sequence to produce a combined output video signal.

Claim 2

A system for combining a plurality of respective input video signals, each video signal comprising data samples correspondiong to respective discrete locations on a viewing plane and having associated therewith input key signals corresponding to respective said locations, said system comprising means in respect to each of said input video signals for producing a respective sequence of priority signals corresponding to a respective sequence of said discrete locations, means responsive to said priority signals and respective said input key signals for producing in respect to each input video signal a set of processed key signals corresponding to respective coordinate locations on said viewing plane in said respective sequence, each said set of processed key signals indicating the weighted portion of the respective data samples to be included in a combined video signal at each respective coordinate location, cutter means responsive to said sets of processed key signals for cutting corresponding said data samples to produce corresponding weighted data samples in respect to each input video signal in said respective sequence, and combining means for combining said weighted data samples of said plurality of input video signals for each respective coordinate location on said viewing plane in said respective sequence to produce a combined output video signal.

Claim 3

A system for combining a plurality of respective input video signals, each video signal comprising data samples corresponding to respective discrete locations on a viewing plane, at least one of said video signals including such data samples corresponding to elements of an image lying in an image plane, and having associated therewith input key signals corresponding to respective said locations, said system comprising means in respect to each of said input video signals for producing a respective sequence of depth signals corresponding to the depth coordinates of the respective image plane at the locations corresponding to a respective sequence of said discrete locations, means for comparing depth signals of respective sets of depth signals corresponding to the same locations on said viewing plane in said respective sequence and producing respective weighting signals indicative of the relative depth of respective image planes at the locations corresponding to said discrete locations in said same respective sequence, means responsive to said weighting signals and respective said input key signals for producing in respect to each input video signal a set of processed key signals correspoiding to respective coordinate locations on said viewing plane in said respective sequence, each said set of processed key signals indicating the weighted portion of the respective data samples to be included in a combined video signal at each respective coordinate location, cutter means responsive to said sets of processed key signals for cutting corresponding said data samples to produce weighted data samples in respect to each input video signal in said respective sequence, and combining means for combining said weighted data samples of said plurality of said input video signals for each respective coordinate location on said viewing plane in said respective sequence to produce a combined output video signal.

Claim 4

A system for combining a plurality of respective input video signals, each video signal comprising data samples corresponding to respective discrete locations on a viewing plane, at least one of said video signals including such data samples corresponding to elements of an image lying in an image plane, and having associated therewith input key signals corresponding to respective said locations, said system comprising means in respect to each of said input video signals for producing a respective sequence of depth signals corresponding to the depth coordinates of the respective image plane at the locations corresponding to a respective sequence of said discrete locations, means for comparing depth signals of respective sets of depth signals corresponding to the same locations on said viewing plane in said respective sequence and producing respective weighting signals indicative of the relative depth of respective image planes at the locations corresponding to said discrete locations in said same respective sequence, means responsive to said weighting signals and respective said input key signals for producing in respect to each input video signal a set of processed key signals correspoiding to respective coordinate locations on said viewing plane in said respective sequence, each said set of processed key signals indicating the weighted portion of the respective data samples to be included in a combined video signal at each respective coordinate location, cutter means responsive to said sets of processed key signals for cutting corresponding said data samples to produce weighted data samples in respect to each input video signal in said respective sequence, and combining means for combining said weighted data samples of said plurality of said input video signals for each respective coordinate location on said viewing plane in said respective sequence to produce a combined output video signal.

Claim 5

A system for combining a plurality of respective input video signals, each video signal comprising data samples corresponding to respective discrete locations on a viewing plane, at least one of said video signals including such data samples corresponding to elements of an image lying in an image plane, and having associated therewith input key signals corresponding to respective said locations, said system comprising means for providing respective sets of plane defining signals for defining each respective said image plane in a three-dimensional coordinate system including a depth coordinate, means responsive to each respective set of plane defining signals for producing a respective sequence of depth signals corresponding to the depth coordinates of the respective image plane at the locations corresponding to a respective sequence of said discrete locations, means for comparing depth signals of respective sets of depth signals corresponding to the same locations on said viewing plane in said respective sequence and producing respective weighting signals indicative of the relative depth of respective planes at the locations corresponding to said discrete locations in said same respective sequence, means responsive to said weighting signals and respective said input key signals for producing in respect to each input video signal a set of processed key signals corresponding to respective coordinate locations on said viewing plane in said respective sequence, each said set of processed key signals indicating the weighted portion of the respective data samples to be included in a combined video signal at each respective coordinate location, cutter means responsive to said sets of processed key signals for cutting corresponding said data samples to produce weighted data samples in respect to each input video signal in said respective sequence, and combining means for combining said weighted data samples of said plurality of said input video signals for each respective coordinate location on said viewing plane in said respective sequence to produce a combined output video signal.

Claim 6

A system for combining a plurality of respective input video signals, each video signal comprising data samples corresponding to respective discrete locations on a viewing plane, at least one of said video signals including such data samples corresponding to elements of an image lying in an image plane, and having associated therewith input key signals corresponding to respective said locations, said system comprising means for providing respective sets of plane defining signals for defining each respective said image plane in a three-dimensional coordinate system including a depth coordinate, means responsive to each respective set of plane defining signals for producing a respective sequence of depth signals corresponding to the depth coordinates of the respective image plane at the locations corresponding to a respective sequence of said discrete locations, means for comparing depth signals of respective sets of depth signals corresponding to the same locations on said viewing plane in said respective sequence and producing respective weighting signals indicative of the relative depth of respective planes at the locations corresponding to said discrete locations in said same respective sequence, means responsive to said weighting signals and respective said input key signals for producing in respect to each input video signal a set of processed key signals corresponding to respective coordinate locations on said viewing plane in said respective sequence, each said set of processed key signals indicating the weighted portion of the respective data samples to be included in a combined video signal at each respective coordinate location, cutter means responsive to said sets of processed key signals for cutting corresponding said data samples to produce weighted data samples in respect to each input video signal in said respective sequence, and combining means for combining said weighted data samples of said plurality of said input video signals for each respective coordinate location on said viewing plane in said respective sequence to produce a combined output video signal.

Claim 8

A system according to any foregoing claim including means for normalizing said processed key signals so that the sum of said processed key signals including any background key signal corresponds to an uncut input video signal.

Claim 9

A system according to any of claims 1 to 5 including means for cutting at least one of said input key signals to provide transparency of the corresponding image.

Claim 10

A method for combining a plurality of respective input video signals, each video signal comprising data samples corresponding to respective discrete locations on a viewing plane and having associated therewith input key signals corresponding to respective said locations, said method comprising

Claim 11

A method for combining a plurality of respective input video signals, each video signal comprising data samples corresponding to respective discrete locations on a viewing plane and having associated therewith input key signals corresponding to respective said locations, said method comprising

Claim 14

A method for combining a plurality of respective input video signals, each video signal comprising data samples corresponding to respective discrete locations on a viewing plane, at least one of said video signals including such data samples corresponding to elements of an image lying in an image plane, and having associated therewith input key signals corresponding to respective said locations, said method comprising in respect to each of said input video signals producing a respective sequence of depth signals corresponding to the depth coordinates of the respective image plane at the locations corresponding to a respective sequence of said discrete locations, comparing depth signals of respective sets of depth signals corresponding to the same locations on said viewing plane in said respective sequence and producing respective weighting signals indicative of the relative depth of respective image planes at the locations corresponding to said discrete locations in said same respective sequence, utilizing said weighting signals and respective said input key signals to produce in respect to each input video signal a set of processed key signals corresponding to respective coordinate locations on said viewing plane in said respective sequence, each said set of processed key signals indicating the weighted portion of the respective data samples to be included in a combined video signal at each respective coordinate location, cutting said data samples according to respective said processed key signals to produce corresponding weighted data samples in respect to each input video signal in said respective sequence, and combining said weighted data samples of said plurality of said input video signals for each respective coordinate location on said viewing plane in said respective sequence to produce a combined output video signal.

Claim 15

A method for combining a plurality of respective input video signals, each video signal comprising data samples corresponding to respective discrete locations on a viewing plane, at least one of said video signals including such data samples corresponding to elements of an image lying in an image plane, and having associated therewith input key signals corresponding to respective said locations, said method comprising in respect to each of said input video signals producing a respective sequence of depth signals corresponding to the depth coordinates of the respective image plane at the locations corresponding to a respective sequence of said discrete locations, comparing depth signals of respective sets of depth signals corresponding to the same locations on said viewing plane in said respective sequence and producing respective weighting signals indicative of the relative depth of respective image planes at the locations corresponding to said discrete locations in said same respective sequence, utilizing said weighting signals and respective said input key signals to produce in respect to each input video signal a set of processed key signals corresponding to respective coordinate locations on said viewing plane in said respective sequence, each said set of processed key signals indicating the weighted portion of the respective data samples to be included in a combined video signal at each respective coordinate location, cutting said data samples according to respective said processed key signals to produce corresponding weighted data samples in respect to each input video signal in said respective sequence, and combining said weighted data samples of said plurality of said input video signals for each respective coordinate location on said viewing plane in said respective sequence to produce a combined output video signal.

Claim 16

A method for combining a plurality of respective input video signals, each video signal comprising data samples corresponding to respective discrete locations on a viewing plane, at least one of said video signals including such data samples corresponding to elements of an image lying in an image plane, and having associated therewith input key signals corresponding to respective said locations, said method comprising providing respective sets of plane defining signals for defining each respective said image plane in a three-dimensional coordinate system, including a depth coordinate, utilizing each respective set of plane defining signals to produce a respective sequence of depth signals corresponding to the depth coordinates of the respective image plane at the locations corresponding to a respective sequence of said discrete locations, comparing depth signals of respective sets of depth signals corresponding to the same locations on said viewing plane in said respective sequence and producing respective weighting signals indicative of the relative depth of respective planes at the locations corresponding to said discrete locations in said same respective sequence, utilizing said weighting signals and respective said input key signals to produce in respect to each input video signal a set of processed key signals corresponding to respective coordinate locations on said viewing plane in said respective sequence, each said set of processed key signals indicating the weighted portion of the respective data samples to be included in a combined video signal at each respective coordinate location, cutting said data samples according to respective said processed key signals to produce corresponding-weighted data samples in respect to each input video signal in said respective sequence, and combining said weighted data samples of said plurality of said input video signals for each respective coordinate location on said viewing plane in said respective sequence to produce a combined output video signal.

Claim 17

A method for combining a plurality of respective input video signals, each video signal comprising data samples corresponding to respective discrete locations on a viewing plane, at least one of said video signals including such data samples corresponding to elements of an image lying in an image plane, and having associated therewith input key signals corresponding to respective said locations, said method comprising providing respective sets of plane defining signals for defining each respective said image plane in a three-dimensional coordinate system, including a depth coordinate, utilizing each respective set of plane defining signals to produce a respective sequence of depth signals corresponding to the depth coordinates of the respective image plane at the locations corresponding to a respective sequence of said discrete locations, comparing depth signals of respective sets of depth signals corresponding to the same locations on said viewing plane in said respective sequence and producing respective weighting signals indicative of the relative depth of respective planes at the locations corresponding to said discrete locations in said same respective sequence, utilizing said weighting signals and respective said input key signals to produce in respect to each input video signal a set of processed key signals corresponding to respective coordinate locations on said viewing plane in said respective sequence, each said set of processed key signals indicating the weighted portion of the respective data samples to be included in a combined video signal at each respective coordinate location, cutting said data samples according to respective said processed key signals to produce corresponding-weighted data samples in respect to each input video signal in said respective sequence, and combining said weighted data samples of said plurality of said input video signals for each respective coordinate location on said viewing plane in said respective sequence to produce a combined output video signal.

Claim 18

A method according to any of claims 7 to 9 wherein said weighting signals correspond to a weighting range extending from zero to full weight, with fractional weight when respective planes are within a predetermined range of depth from each other for respective discrete locations, whereby im- .ages in respective planes are blended near their intersection.

Claim 19

A method according to any of claims 7 to 10 including normalizing said processed key signals so that the sum of said processed key signals including any background key signal corresponds to an uncut input video signal.

Claim 20

A method according to any of claims 7 to 11 including cutting at least one of said input key signals to provide transparency of the corresponding image.