Mixing of computer graphics and animation sequences

Claim 1

In a computer system including a computer graphics generator producing pixels at a first selected frequency to compose lines at a second selected frequency to compose frames at a third selected frequency, said computer system further including a digital mixer for mixing, windowing, and overlaying computer graphics images and animation sequence images on a pixel-by-pixel basis for delivery to a visual display, apparatus for presenting animation information comprising pixels, lines, and frames from said animation sequence images at said first, second, and third selected frequencies in synchronization with pixels, lines, and frames from said computer graphics generator, said apparatus comprising: first storage means for storing said animation information as compressed animation information; means for retrieving and for temporarily storing said compressed animation in blocks comprising a selected number of frames of said compressed animation information; means for decompressing and for temporarily storing amounts of said animation information comprising a selected number of pixels from a selected number of lines from a selected frame in a selected one of said blocks containing said compressed information, said selected frame being selected a number consecutive times so as to synchronize with frames from said computer graphics generator at said selected third frequency; and means for storing and presenting pixels from a selected number of lines of said information to said mixer, said means for storing and presenting pixels operating to supply said pixels at first said selected frequency, and said lines at second said selected frequency in synchronization with pixels and lines from said computer graphics generator, said means comprising storage for fewer lines than comprise a field or a frame of said information.