3D video special effects system

Claim 2

A video 3D special-effects system for manipulating a stream of source pixel values representing a digitized flat video source image to create an output display comprising a plurality of target pixels, each of which has a target location and value, that form a projection into a viewing plane of a desired three-dimensional object formed by a plurality of object polygons on each of which appears a segment of the source image contained in a different respective source polygon associated therewith such that each target point that is a projection into the image plane of a point in the object polygon thereby corresponds to a source point in the source polygon associated with that object polygon and each source polygon is associated with the polygon, denominated a target polygon, formed by the target points corresponding to the source points in that source polygon, the system comprising: A) means controlled by the user for specifying, for each of a plurality of the source polygons, a transform associated therewith for determining from the location of a target point in the associated target polygon the location of the corresponding source point in the associated source polygon and for specifying boundary coefficients that define the boundaries of the associated target polygon; B) means for generating a target-pixel-location signal that consecutively identifies each of the plurality of target pixels in the output display; C) a plurality of separate patch detectors, each of which is associated with a different one of the target polygons and thereby with the boundary coefficients specified therefor, each patch detector being responsive to reception of the target-pixel-location signal simultaneously with its reception by other patch detectors to determine simultaneously therewith whether the target pixel identified by the target-pixel-location signal is located in the target polygon defined by the boundary coefficients associated with that patch detector and to generate a presence signal indicative of the result of that determination; D) means responsive to the presence signals for selecting, in accordance with predetermined criteria, one said target polygon in which the given target pixel is located; E) means responsive to the target-pixel location signal and the polygon selection for employing the transform associated with the selected polygon to calculate the source location corresponding to the target pixel identified by the target-pixel location signal; and F) means for calculating a value, for each target pixel located in a target polygon, from at least one source value chosen in accordance with the source location calculated for that target pixel and for generating an output display signal representing an output display that comprises pixels having values thus calculated.

Claim 3

A video 3D special effects system according to claim 1 wherein said selecting means comprises means for assigning a priority code to each of said plurality of polygons and means responsive to said priority code and operative, when more than one of said presence signals identifies their respective target polygons as containing the target pixel identified by the target-pixel-location signal, for selecting one of said identified polygons.

Claim 4

A video 3D special effects system according to claim 1 wherein said means for calculating a value for each target pixel located in a target polygon generators said value for each such target pixel by filtering an interpolation of source pixel values in response to said source location.

Claim 5

A video 3D special-effects system for manipulating first analog video picture information representing a flat video source image to create an output display comprising a plurality of target pixels, each of which has a target location and value, that form a projection into a viewing plane of a desired three-dimensional object formed by a plurality of object polygons on each of which appears a segment of the source image contained in a different respective source polygon associated therewith such that each target point that is a projection into the image plane of a point in the object polygon thereby corresponds to a source point in the source polygon associated with that object polygon and each source polygon is associated with the polygon, denominated a target polygon, formed by the target points corresponding to the source points in that source polygon, the system comprising: A) an analog-to-digital converter responsive to said analog picture information for generating a stream of digital source pixel values; B) a memory responsive to said stream of digital source pixel values for temporarily storing said digital source pixel values; C) means controlled by the user for specifying, for each of a plurality of the source polygons, a transform associated therewith for determining from the location of a target point in the associated target polygon the location of the corresponding source point in the associated source polygon and for specifying boundary coefficients that define the boundaries of the associated target polygon; D) means for generating a target-pixel-location signal that consecutively identifies each of the plurality of target pixels in the output display; E) a plurality of separate patch detectors, each of which is associated with a different one of the target polygons and thereby with the boundary coefficients specified therefor, each patch detector being responsive to reception of the target-pixel-location signal simultaneously with its reception by other patch detectors to determine simultaneously therewith whether the target pixel identified by the target-pixel-location signal is located in the target polygon defined by the boundary coefficients associated with that patch detector and to generate a presence signal indicative of the result of that determination; F) means responsive to the presence signals for selecting, in accordance with predetermined criteria, one said target polygon in which the given target pixel is located; G) means responsive to the target-pixel location signal and the polygon selection for employing the transform associated with the selected polygon to calculate the source location corresponding to the target pixel identified by the target-pixel location signal; H) means responsive to the calculated source location for retrieving from the memory at least one source value; and I) means for calculating, for each target pixel located in a target polygon, a value calculated from that at least one source value retrieved from the memory and for generating an output display signal representing an output display that comprises pixels having values thus calculated.

Claim 6

A video 3D special-effects system for manipulating first analog video picture information representing a flat video source image to create an output display comprising a plurality of target pixels, each of which has a target location and value, that form a projection into a viewing plane of a desired three-dimensional object formed by a plurality of object polygons on each of which appears a segment of the source image contained in a different respective source polygon associated therewith such that each target point that is a projection into the image plane of a point in the object polygon thereby corresponds to a source point in the source polygon associated with that object polygon and each source polygon is associated with the polygon, denominated a target polygon, formed by the target points corresponding to the source points in that source polygon, the system comprising: A) an analog-to-digital converter responsive to said analog picture information for generating a stream of digital source pixel values; B) a memory responsive to said stream of digital source pixel values for temporarily storing said digital source pixel values; C) means controlled by the user for specifying, for each of a plurality of the source polygons, a transform associated therewith for determining from the location of a target point in the associated target polygon the location of the corresponding source point in the associated source polygon and for specifying boundary coefficients that define the boundaries of the associated target polygon; D) means for generating a target-pixel-location signal that consecutively identifies each of the plurality of target pixels in the output display; E) a plurality of separate patch detectors, each of which is associated with a different one of the target polygons and thereby with the boundary coefficients specified therefor, each patch detector being responsive to reception of the target-pixel-location signal simultaneously with its reception by other patch detectors to determine simultaneously therewith whether the target pixel identified by the target-pixel-location signal is located in the target polygon defined by the boundary coefficients associated with that patch detector and to generate a presence signal indicative of the result of that determination; F) means responsive to the presence signals for selecting, in accordance with predetermined criteria, one said target polygon in which the given target pixel is located; G) means responsive to the target-pixel location signal and the polygon selection for employing the transform associated with the selected polygon to calculate the source location corresponding to the target pixel identified by the target-pixel location signal; H) means responsive to the calculated source location for retrieving from the memory at least one source value; and I) means for calculating, for each target pixel located in a target polygon, a value calculated from that at least one source value retrieved from the memory and for generating an output display signal representing an output display that comprises pixels having values thus calculated.

Claim 7

A video 3D special effects system according to claim 4 wherein said selecting means comprises means for assigning a priority code to each of said plurality of polygons and means responsive to said priority code and operative, when more than one of said presence signals identifies their respective target polygons as containing the target pixel identified by the target-pixel-location signal, for selecting one of said identified polygons.

Claim 8

A video 3D special effects system according to claim 4 wherein said means for calculating a value for said each of said target pixels located in a target polygon calculates said value for each such target pixel by filtering and interpolation of source pixel values in response to said at least one retrieved source pixel value.

Claim 9

A video 3D special effects system according to claim 4 wherein said means for generating a target-pixel location signal comprises a scan line counter and a pixel position counter.

Claim 10

A video 3D special effects system according to claim 4 further comprising means responsive to said output display signal for generating an analog output video display representing an image of said desired three-dimensional shape.

Claim 11

A video 3D special effects system according to claim 4 further comprising means responsive to said first analog video picture information and to second analog video picture information for selectively applying said first analog video picture information and second analog video picture information to said analog-to-digital converter.

Claim 14

A method for manipulating a stream of source video pixel values according to claim 10 wherein step B comprises the steps of: B1. sequentially selecting each target pixel from left to right on a particular video scan line; B2. sequentially selecting each target pixel from left to right on a subsequent video scan line after all pixels on a scan line have been selected in step B1; and B3. repeating steps B1 and B2 until all target pixels have been selected.

Claim 15

A method for manipulating a stream of source video pixels according to claim 10 wherein step D further comprises the steps of: D1. assigning a priority code to each of said plurality of target polygons; and D2. using an assigned priority code to select a single target polygon when more than one of said presence signals identifies their respective target polygons as containing the target pixel identified by the target-pixel-location signal.