Programmable image-transformation system

Claim 1

An image-processing system comprising: A. an image-signal source for generating digital source signals representing the intensities of source picture elements disposed in different locations in a source image; B. a frame buffer, adapted for application thereto of data signals that represent data to be stored and including a plurality of frame-buffer locations corresponding to buffer picture elements disposed in different locations in a buffer image, for storing in the frame-buffer locations as pixel storage data the data represented by the data signals applied thereto, the frame buffer generating digital buffer signals representing the contents of the pixel storage data contained in the frame-buffer locations; C. a conversion memory, including a plurality of addressable conversion-memory locations containing conversion data as contents thereof, and adapted for application thereto of address signals designating given conversion-memory locations, for applying to the frame buffer, as data signals, conversion signals representing the contents of the conversion-memory location addressed by the address signals applied thereto; D. a multiplexer, connected to receive the source signals and the buffer signals and adapted for application thereto of selection signals that can assume different values that specify different combinations of bits of the received source and buffer signals, for forwarding to the conversion memory as the address signals, in accordance with different values of the selection signals, the combination of bits of the received source and buffer signals that the selection signals specify; and E. a control circuit for synchronizing operation of the image-signal source and the frame buffer so that the locations in the source and buffer images of the source and buffer picture elements, respectively, whose intensities are represented by the source and buffer signals, respectively, whose bits the multiplexer forwards as address signals to the conversion memory to designate a memory location whose contents are represented by given conversion signals are the same as the location in the buffer image of the buffer picture element corresponding to the frame-buffer location in which the frame buffer stores the data represented by the given conversion signals, whereby the multiplexer and conversion memory together establish a correspondence between conversion signals and combinations of source and buffer signals that can be changed by changing the values of the selection signals applied to the multiplexer.