US5821947A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Mixing of computer graphics and animation sequences
Assignee: Sigma Designs Inc
•
Filing: 1996-11-25
•
Granted: 1998-10-13
•
Expires: 2016-11-25
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus and a method is disclosed for mixing animation sequences with computer graphics information for presentation on a computer display screen. The animation sequences may be stored in compressed format in a standard storage medium. An animation sequence generator retrieves these compressed animation sequences, decompresses them into pixel information, and sends them to a single line store for synchronization with the computer graphics pixel information. Pixels from the animation sequences and from the computer graphics generator are mixed, windowed and overlaid in a digital mixer. The output of the digital mixer is sent to a visual display system such as a video digital-to-analog converter driving a computer display monitor.
Inventors
- 👤 Julien T. Nguyen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-10 02:34
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N19/00; H04N19/20; H04N19/27; G; G09; G09G; G09G5/00; G09G5/42; G09G2340/00; G09G2340/12
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
222 words
An apparatus for presenting animation information comprising pixels at a first selected frequency, lines at a second selected frequency, and frames at a third selected frequency from sequence images in synchronization with pixels, lines, and frames from a computer graphics generator, said apparatus comprising: first storage means for storing the 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 the 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 of consecutive times so as to synchronize with frames from the computer graphics generator at the selected third frequency; and means for storing and presenting pixels from a selected number of lines of said amounts of said animation information to said computer graphics generator, said means for storing and presenting pixels operating to supply said pixels at said first selected frequency, and said lines at said second selected frequency in synchronization with pixels and lines from the computer graphics generator, said means for storing and presenting pixels comprising less storage than for an entire frame of pixels.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
222 words
An apparatus for presenting animation information comprising pixels at a first selected frequency, lines at a second selected frequency, and frames at a third selected frequency from sequence images in synchronization with pixels, lines, and frames from a computer graphics generator, said apparatus comprising: first storage means for storing the 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 the 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 of consecutive times so as to synchronize with frames from the computer graphics generator at the selected third frequency; and means for storing and presenting pixels from a selected number of lines of said amounts of said animation information to said computer graphics generator, said means for storing and presenting pixels operating to supply said pixels at said first selected frequency, and said lines at said second selected frequency in synchronization with pixels and lines from the computer graphics generator, said means for storing and presenting pixels comprising less storage than for an entire frame of pixels.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said means for storing and presenting pixels from said selected lines of said amounts of said animation information comprises storage for a single line of pixels.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
45 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said means for storing and presenting pixels from said selected lines of said amounts of said animation information comprises a dual ported memory having storage for only a single line of pixels with separate read and write addressing circuits.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first storage means comprises an optical storage medium.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said animation sequences comprise computer generated video images.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
13 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said animation sequences comprise real-time video images.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer graphics generator includes 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.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
49 words
The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the animation information being presented, comprising pixels, lines, and frames from the sequence of animation images, is from more than one animation sequence at the first, second, and third selected frequencies in synchronization with pixels, lines and frames from the computer graphics generator.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
96 words
The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said first storage means stores said animation information from said more than one animation sequences; said means for retrieving and for temporarily storing said compressed animation obtains said compressed animation from said more than one animation sequences in blocks comprising a selected number of frames of said compressed animation information; said means for decompressing decompresses and temporarily stores amounts of said animation information wherein said animation information is from said more than one animation sequence; said number of lines of said information is from said more than one animation sequence.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said means for decompressing is a single means and wherein said means for storing and presenting pixels is a single means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
32 words
The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said means for storing and presenting pixels from said selected lines of said amounts of said animation information comprises storage for a single line of pixels.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
45 words
The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said means for storing and presenting pixels from said selected lines of said amounts of said animation information comprises a dual ported memory having storage for only a single line of pixels with separate read and write addressing circuits.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
27 words
An apparatus as in claim 12, further comprising a temporal filter coupled to said means for storing and presenting and to said single line dual ported memory.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said first storage means comprises a compact disk drive.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said animation sequences comprise computer generated video images.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
13 words
The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said animation sequences comprise real-time video images.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
82 words
An apparatus as in claim 7 wherein said digital mixer comprises: a multiplexer coupled to a memory, a graphics output port, and to an animation input port; a control circuit coupled to said multiplexer, said control circuit coupled to said graphics output port and to at least one register, said control circuit disposed to generate a control signal which is a Boolean function of a content value of said at least one register and of a value presented by said graphics port.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
14 words
An apparatus as in claim 17, wherein said control circuit comprises a chromakey register.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
17 words
An apparatus as in claim 17, wherein said control circuit is coupled to said mixer output port.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3908080A
Cited
US3846762A
Cited
US3947826A
Cited
US4353057A
Cited
US4528561A
Cited
US4523227A
Cited
US4394650A
Cited
US4425581A
Cited
US4498098A
Cited
US4587633A
Cited
US4757310A
Cited
US4626837A
Cited
US4713621A
Cited
US4580165A
Cited
US4684936A
Cited
US4779210A
Cited
US4811205A
Cited
US4628479A
Cited
US4680622A
Cited
US4675612A
Cited
US4947342A
Cited
US5333261A
Cited
US4905189B1
Cited
US4905189A
Cited
US4862392A
Cited
US5065346A
Cited
US4876600A
Cited
US4870406A
Cited
US4916301A
Cited
US5191410A
Cited
US4814879A
Cited
US4907086A
Cited
US5099331A
Cited
US5046023A
Cited
US4953101A
Cited
JPH01175374A
Cited
US4891631A
Cited
US5329630A
Cited
US5157716A
Cited
US4951229A
Cited
US5208745A
Cited
US4947257A
Cited
EP0384257A2
Cited
US4994912A
Cited
EP0384419A2
Cited
US5231492A
Cited
US5138307A
Cited
US5111409A
Cited
US5220312A
Cited
US5027212A
Cited
US5397853A
Cited
US5097257A
Cited
US5185665A
Cited
US5191548A
Cited
US5253078A
Cited
US5196946A
Cited
US5341318A
Cited
US5270832A
Cited
US5151875A
Cited
US5218431A
Cited
US5111292A
Cited
US5168356A
Cited
US5122875A
Cited
US5379356A
Cited
US5309567A
Cited
US5289276A
Cited
US5243447A
Cited
US5450544A
Cited
US5309111A
Cited
US5426756A
Cited
US5371861A
Cited
US5446501A
Cited
US5402147A
Cited
US5471576A
Cited
US5406306A
Cited
US5392239A
Cited
US5434913A
Cited
US5450542A
Cited
US5416749A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-10-12 | 2002-04-13 | 2002-10-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-10-12 | 2006-04-13 | 2006-10-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-10-12 | 2010-04-13 | 2010-10-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |