Method for picture-in-picture insertion and device for performing the method

Claim 1

In a method for picture-in-picture insertion in which a small picture having successive frames is to be inserted into a main picture having successive frames, the improvement which comprises: alternatingly writing the successive frames of the small picture frame-wise into a first memory region and a second memory region of a memory device, generating a decision signal at a beginning of a display of the main picture, for deciding from which of the first and second memory regions a stored frame of the small picture is to be read out, and generating the decision signal as a function of synchronizing signals of the small picture and the main picture, and as a function of a location of the small picture in the main picture, and reading out successive frames of the small picture from whichever memory region enables joint-line-free insertion of the small picture into the main picture.

Claim 10

An apparatus for picture-in-picture insertion, comprising: a screen for displaying a main picture and at least one small picture to be inserted into the main picture, a first video source for displaying the main picture with first frames that succeed one another in alternation and have first synchronizing signals, a second video source for displaying the small picture with second frames that succeed one another in alternation and have second synchronizing signals, a memory device having one memory region for write-in of the first frames and another memory region for write-in of the second frames of the small picture, a write-in device connected to said memory device for writing the successive frames of the small picture into said memory regions, a readout device connected to said memory device for reading out the frames of the small picture stored in said memory regions, an inserting device connected between said memory device and said screen for joint-line-free insertion of the frames to be read out of the small picture into the main picture, and a decision device connected to said readout device for generating a decision signal to be supplied to said readout device for deciding at a beginning of a display of the main picture from which of said memory regions a stored frame of the small picture for insertion into the main picture is to be read out, said decision device having a first input terminal for receiving the synchronizing signal of the main picture, a second input terminal for receiving the synchronizing signal of the small picture, a third input terminal for receiving a signal indicating a location of the small picture in the main picture, a detector device connected to said first input terminal and having an output for supplying a detector signal indicating a beginning of a first picture line of the main picture being visible on said screen, and a logic array connected to the output of said detector device and said second and third input terminals for furnishing the decision signal as a function of the detector signal.

Claim 11

An apparatus for picture-in-picture insertion, comprising: a screen for displaying a main picture and at least one small picture to be inserted into the main picture, a first video source for displaying the main picture with first frames that succeed one another in alternation and have first synchronizing signals, a second video source for displaying the small picture with second frames that succeed one another in alternation and have second synchronizing signals, a memory device having one memory region for write-in of the first frames and another memory region for write-in of the second frames of the small picture, a write-in device connected to said memory device for writing the successive frames of the small picture into said memory regions, a readout device connected to said memory device for reading out the frames of the small picture stored in said memory regions, an inserting device connected between said memory device and said screen for joint-line-free insertion of the frames to be read out of the small picture into the main picture, and a decision device connected to said readout device for generating a decision signal to be supplied to said readout device for deciding at a beginning of a display of the main picture from which of said memory regions a stored frame of the small picture for insertion into the main picture is to be read out, said decision device having a first input terminal for receiving the synchronizing signal of the main picture, a second input terminal for receiving the synchronizing signal of the small picture, a third input terminal for receiving a signal indicating a location of the small picture in the main picture, a detector device connected to said first input terminal and having an output for supplying a detector signal indicating a beginning of a first picture line of the main picture being visible on said screen, and a logic array connected to the output of said detector device and said second and third input terminals for furnishing the decision signal as a function of the detector signal.

Claim 17

An apparatus for picture-in,picture insertion, comprising: a screen for displaying a main picture and at least one small picture to be inserted into the main picture, a first video source for displaying the main picture with first frames that succeed one another in alternation and have first synchronizing signals, a second video source for displaying the small picture with second frames that succeed one another in alternation and have second synchronizing signals, a memory device having one memory region for write-in ,,of the first frames and another memory region for write-in of the second frames of the small picture, a write-in device connected to said memory device for writing the successive frames of the small picture into said memory regions, a readout device connected to said memory device for reading out the frames of the small picture stored in said memory regions, an inserting device connected between said memory device and said screen for joint-line-free insertion of the frame to be read out of the small picture into the main picture, a decision device connected to said readout device for generating a decision signal to be supplied to said readout device for deciding at a beginning of a display of the main picture from which of said memory regions a stored frame of the small picture for insertion into the main picture is to be read out, and a correction device connected between said inserting device and said memory device for correcting interlace inversions arising in the small picture to be inserted, said correction device having means for supplying said decision device with: a first frame of the small picture being intended for insertion into a first or second frame of the main picture, and a second frame of the small picture being intended for insertion into a second frame of the main picture in unchanged form, and a second frame of the small picture being intended for insertion into a first frame of the main picture in a form being offset downward by one picture line.

Claim 18

An apparatus for picture-in,picture insertion, comprising: a screen for displaying a main picture and at least one small picture to be inserted into the main picture, a first video source for displaying the main picture with first frames that succeed one another in alternation and have first synchronizing signals, a second video source for displaying the small picture with second frames that succeed one another in alternation and have second synchronizing signals, a memory device having one memory region for write-in ,,of the first frames and another memory region for write-in of the second frames of the small picture, a write-in device connected to said memory device for writing the successive frames of the small picture into said memory regions, a readout device connected to said memory device for reading out the frames of the small picture stored in said memory regions, an inserting device connected between said memory device and said screen for joint-line-free insertion of the frame to be read out of the small picture into the main picture, a decision device connected to said readout device for generating a decision signal to be supplied to said readout device for deciding at a beginning of a display of the main picture from which of said memory regions a stored frame of the small picture for insertion into the main picture is to be read out, and a correction device connected between said inserting device and said memory device for correcting interlace inversions arising in the small picture to be inserted, said correction device having means for supplying said decision device with: a first frame of the small picture being intended for insertion into a first or second frame of the main picture, and a second frame of the small picture being intended for insertion into a second frame of the main picture in unchanged form, and a second frame of the small picture being intended for insertion into a first frame of the main picture in a form being offset downward by one picture line.

Claim 19

An apparatus for picture-in-picture insertion, comprising: a screen for displaying a main picture and at least one small picture to be inserted into the main picture, a first video source for displaying the main picture with first frames that succeed one another in alternation and have first synchronizing signals, a second video source for displaying the small picture with second frames that succeed one another in alternation and have second synchronizing signals, a memory device having one memory region for write-in of the first frames and another memory region for write-in of the second frame of the small picture, a write-in device connected to said memory device for writing the successive frames of the small picture into said memory regions, a readout device connected to said memory device for reading out the frames of the small picture stored in said memory regions, an inserting device connected between said memory device and said screen for joint-line-free insertion of the frames to be read out of the small picture into the main picture, a decision device connected to said readout device for generating a decision signal to be supplied to said readout device for deciding at a beginning of a display of the main picture from which of said memory regions a stored frame of the small picture for insertion into the main picture is to be read out, and a correction device connected between said inserting device and said memory device for correcting interlace inversions arising in the small picture to be inserted, said correction device having means for supplying said decision device with: a second frame of the small picture being intended for insertion into a first or second frame of the main picture, and a first frame of the small picture being intended for insertion into a first frame of the main picture in unchanged form, and a first frame of the small picture being intended for insertion into a second frame of the main picture in a form being offset upward by one-half of a picture line.

Claim 20

An apparatus for picture-in-picture insertion, comprising: a screen for displaying a main picture and at least one small picture to be inserted into the main picture, a first video source for displaying the main picture with first frames that succeed one another in alternation and have first synchronizing signals, a second video source for displaying the small picture with second frames that succeed one another in alternation and have second synchronizing signals, a memory device having one memory region for write-in of the first frames and another memory region for write-in of the second frame of the small picture, a write-in device connected to said memory device for writing the successive frames of the small picture into said memory regions, a readout device connected to said memory device for reading out the frames of the small picture stored in said memory regions, an inserting device connected between said memory device and said screen for joint-line-free insertion of the frames to be read out of the small picture into the main picture, a decision device connected to said readout device for generating a decision signal to be supplied to said readout device for deciding at a beginning of a display of the main picture from which of said memory regions a stored frame of the small picture for insertion into the main picture is to be read out, and a correction device connected between said inserting device and said memory device for correcting interlace inversions arising in the small picture to be inserted, said correction device having means for supplying said decision device with: a second frame of the small picture being intended for insertion into a first or second frame of the main picture, and a first frame of the small picture being intended for insertion into a first frame of the main picture in unchanged form, and a first frame of the small picture being intended for insertion into a second frame of the main picture in a form being offset upward by one-half of a picture line.

Claim 21

An apparatus for picture-in-picture insertion, comprising: a screen for displaying a main picture and at least one small picture to be inserted into the main picture, a first video source for displaying the main picture with first frames that succeed one another in alternation and have first synchronizing signals, a second video source for displaying the small picture with second frames that succeed one another in alternation and have second synchronizing signals, a memory device having one memory region for write-in of the first frames and another memory region for write-in of the second frames of the small picture, a write-in device connected to said memory device for writing the successive frames of the small picture into said memory regions, a readout device connected to said memory device for reading out the frames of the small picture stored in said memory regions, an inserting device connected between said memory device and said screen for joint-line-free insertion of the frames to be read out of the small picture into the main picture, a decision device connected to said readout device for generating a decision signal to be supplied to said readout device for deciding at a beginning of a display of the main picture from which of said memory regions a stored frame of the small picture for insertion into the main picture is to be read out, said memory device having a memory region with means for storing more than two small pictures; and means for writing marking identifications into said memory device for defining the location of said memory region for the small picture inside said memory region for the main picture.

Claim 22

An apparatus for picture-in-picture insertion, comprising: a screen for displaying a main picture and at least one small picture to be inserted into the main picture, a first video source for displaying the main picture with first frames that succeed one another in alternation and have first synchronizing signals, a second video source for displaying the small picture with second frames that succeed one another in alternation and have second synchronizing signals, a memory device having one memory region for write-in of the first frames and another memory region for write-in of the second frames of the small picture, a write-in device connected to said memory device for writing the successive frames of the small picture into said memory regions, a readout device connected to said memory device for reading out the frames of the small picture stored in said memory regions, an inserting device connected between said memory device and said screen for joint-line-free insertion of the frames to be read out of the small picture into the main picture, a decision device connected to said readout device for generating a decision signal to be supplied to said readout device for deciding at a beginning of a display of the main picture from which of said memory regions a stored frame of the small picture for insertion into the main picture is to be read out, said memory device having a memory region with means for storing more than two small pictures; and means for writing marking identifications into said memory device for defining the location of said memory region for the small picture inside said memory region for the main picture.

Claim 23

An apparatus for picture-in-picture insertion comprising: a screen for displaying a main picture and at least one small picture to be inserted into the main picture, a first video source for displaying the main picture with first frames that succeed one another in alternation and have first synchronizing signals. a second video source for displaying the small picture with second frames that succeed one another in alternation and have second synchronizing signals, a memory device having one memory region for write-in of the first frames and another memory reason for write-in of the second frames of the small picture, a write-in device connected to said memory device for writing the successive frames of the small picture into said memory regions, a readout device connected to said memory device for reading out the frames of the small picture stored in said memory regions, an inserting device connected between said memory device and said screen for joint-line-free insertion of the frames to be read out of the small picture into the main picture, a decision device connected to said readout device for generating a decision signal to be supplied to said readout device for deciding at a beginning of a display of the main picture from which of said memory regions a stored frame of the small picture for insertion into the main picture is to be read out, said memory device having a memory region with means for storing a main picture, and means for writing marking identifications into said memory device for defining the location of said memory region for the small picture inside said memory region for the main picture.

Claim 24

An apparatus for picture-in-picture insertion comprising: a screen for displaying a main picture and at least one small picture to be inserted into the main picture, a first video source for displaying the main picture with first frames that succeed one another in alternation and have first synchronizing signals. a second video source for displaying the small picture with second frames that succeed one another in alternation and have second synchronizing signals, a memory device having one memory region for write-in of the first frames and another memory reason for write-in of the second frames of the small picture, a write-in device connected to said memory device for writing the successive frames of the small picture into said memory regions, a readout device connected to said memory device for reading out the frames of the small picture stored in said memory regions, an inserting device connected between said memory device and said screen for joint-line-free insertion of the frames to be read out of the small picture into the main picture, a decision device connected to said readout device for generating a decision signal to be supplied to said readout device for deciding at a beginning of a display of the main picture from which of said memory regions a stored frame of the small picture for insertion into the main picture is to be read out, said memory device having a memory region with means for storing a main picture, and means for writing marking identifications into said memory device for defining the location of said memory region for the small picture inside said memory region for the main picture.