JPH0528028B2 - - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an image composition apparatus, and more particularly to an image composition apparatus that composes a plurality of images formed by video signals such as television signals into a single image.

BACKGROUND ART Various methods have been implemented in commercial equipment such as broadcasting stations to synthesize images using video signals output from video sources such as television cameras and video tapes. For example, in an image synthesis method called wiping, signals in a specific area of one image are deleted, and a corresponding portion of another image is incorporated into the deleted portion. The key signal instructing this specific area is selected from various graphic patterns stored in memory, or a device that electronically generates key signals such as calculating various graphic patterns by a computer is used. generated by.

Professional equipment such as the one mentioned above can synthesize images of complex patterns using large-capacity memory and complicated calculation means, but for example, equipment that amateurs can use, such as electronic still cameras, has electronic keys. Applying the signal generation method is disadvantageous both in terms of handling of the device and economically.

Purpose The present invention solves the drawbacks of the prior art,
It is an object of the present invention to provide an image compositing device that can easily perform image compositing with simple operations even when images have complicated shapes.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION An image synthesis apparatus according to the present invention comprises: an image input means for inputting a video signal representing an image; an accumulation means for accumulating the video signal; a key signal forming means for forming a key signal for image synthesis from the video signal; The storage means includes a first video signal representing the first image and a second image to be combined with the first image. A second video signal indicating
When a third video signal indicating a third image specifying a portion of the second image to be combined with the first image is input to the input means, the control means causes the key signal forming means to The control means generates a key signal corresponding to the video signal, the third video signal is originally formed by photographing the third image, and the control means
The first and second video signals are read out from the storage means in response to the formation of the key signal, thereby causing the second video signal to be read out from the storage means.
The part corresponding to the key signal of the video signal of
video signal.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Next, embodiments of an image synthesis apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

First, the basic principle of the present invention will be briefly explained. 1st
Referring to the figure, in this example, the target image 10
The person 16 of the inserted image 14 is placed in a heart-shaped frame 20 and inserted into the desired portion 12 of the image 19, and the final image 19 is created.
Assume that a In this hypothetical example, the target image 10 and the inserted image 14 are recorded on a magnetic disk as video signals.

First, target image 10 and insertion image 14
is input to this device as a video signal and stored in the storage device within the device. Therefore, FIG. 22 showing the insertion frame 20 is prepared, photographed with, for example, a television camera, and inputted as a video signal to the present apparatus. In FIG. 22, for example, a heart shape 20a is drawn in black on thick paper with a white background 26. In this device, a key signal 24 is created from the output video signal of the television camera that photographed FIG. Insert the image into a shape and perform image composition.

As you can see, in this device, the insertion frame 20
is photographed with a camera and used as a key signal for image composition, so no matter how complex the frame 20 is,
The desired image composition can be performed with simple operations.

An embodiment of an image synthesis apparatus according to the present invention that realizes such image synthesis is shown in FIG. The apparatus shown in the figure has image input devices such as a television camera 30 and a magnetic disk device 32 for inputting images as video signals. In this embodiment, the magnetic disk device 32 is a magnetic reproducing device using a small magnetic disk 34 whose image is taken by an electronic still camera, and the output 38 of the magnetic reproducing head 36 is controlled by a changeover switch. 40 to an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 54.

The television camera 30 uses a solid-state imaging device, for example, and connects a control line 48 from a synchronization control section 46 to a control line 48.
A video signal is outputted at the output 50 in synchronization with the driving clock supplied through the ADC 54, and this is also inputted to the input 42 of the ADC 54 through the changeover switch 40.

A video signal input from the camera 30 or the magnetic disk 34 is converted into a digital signal format by the ADC 54 and input to a first-in first-out memory (FIFO) 56. As will be seen later, the FIFO 56 performs a speed conversion function to match the signal speed of the video signal input from the camera 30 or the disk 34 to the signal read speed from the memory 58.

The output 60 of the FIFO 56 is connected to the selector switch 62.
is connected on the one hand to the input 66 of the memory 58 and on the other hand to the input 112 of the binarization circuit 110.

In this embodiment, the memory 58 has a capacity to store at least two fields of image data, and has at least two storage areas 58A and 58B. For example, target image 1 is in area 58A.
Data of 0 is accumulated in another area 58B, and data of the insertion image 14 is accumulated in another area 58B. For example, if one screen is composed of 512x512 pixels and one pixel is composed of 16 bits, one area 58A or B
has a capacity of approximately 512K bits.

Each read output 70 of memories 58A and 58B
A and 70B are provided to an input 82 of a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) 80 through a transfer switch 76 as shown. DAC8
0 converts this digital signal into a corresponding analog format video signal and outputs it from the output terminal 84 of this device. The output terminal 84 is connected to a device to be used, such as a video monitor device 106, a magnetic disk recording device, a video tape recorder, a communication line, or the like.

The binarization circuit 110 has a FIFO 56 at the input 112.
This circuit determines whether a value indicated by a code string of a digital signal inputted from a digital signal exceeds a predetermined threshold value. The threshold value set in the binarization circuit 110 is
It is advantageous to take a value that allows a clear separation of black and white levels in the luminance signal of the video signal. As will be clear from the explanation below, this is due to the black portion 20a and the white portion 2 in the video signal obtained by photographing FIG. 22 for generating the key signal 24.
This is to clearly separate 6. Binarization circuit 11
0, as shown by a dotted line 114, performs switching control of the changeover switch 76 in accordance with the thus separated binary values.

Note that FIG. 22 does not necessarily need to be formed as a black and white image. For example, the graphic 20 may be identified by a specific color. In this case, the binarization circuit 110 is configured to be able to identify a color difference signal instead of a luminance signal, or to identify a color difference signal in addition to the luminance signal.

The synchronization control section 46 is a circuit that integrates and controls the entire apparatus including the disk device 32 through control lines 48, 98, 100, 102, etc. in response to instructions input from the operation section 104. The changeover switches 40, 62, and 76 are also controlled by these switches (not shown), and instructions for reading and writing the memory 58 are given through the control line 102.

The image composition operation by this apparatus will be explained using the example shown in FIG.

First, the magnetic disk 34 on which the target image 10 is recorded is set in the disk device 32. The operating section 104 is operated to bring the switches 40 and 62 into the connection state shown, and the target image 10 is read from the track on which the target image 10 is recorded on the disk 34 and stored in the area 58B of the memory 58. This image is displayed on the video monitor device 1 connected to the output terminal 84.
06. Further, it is advantageous to configure the apparatus so that the following operations are performed while monitoring the video on the monitor device 106.

These operations are performed under the control of the synchronization control section 46 as follows. The synchronization control section 46 drives the disk device 32 to read video signals from a designated track on the disk 34. This video signal is passed from the magnetic tube 36 to the ADC 5 through the changeover switch 40.
4, where it is converted into a digital signal. This digital signal passes through the FIFO 56 and the switch 62 and is stored in the area 58A of the memory 58 as digital video data. The designation of the write area 58A and the write instruction are carried out by the address designation circuit 96 under the control of the synchronization control section 46.
and through the control line 102.

In the same manner, operate the operation unit 104 to select the disk 3.
4 is selected, and the inserted image 14 is stored in the area 58B of the memory 58. Of course, if the inserted image 14 is recorded on another disk,
The disk is loaded into the deck 32 and the image 14 is read. Note that it goes without saying that these images 10 and 14 may be directly input into the memory 58 from the camera 30. In that case,
The changeover switch 40 assumes a connection state opposite to that shown.

Next, operate the operating unit 104 to put the switches 40 and 62 in the opposite connection state from the illustrated state,
FIG. 22 is photographed using the camera 30. At that time, the synchronization control unit 46 controls the storage area 58 of the memory 58.
A video signal of the target image 10 is read out from the area 58B, and a video signal of the inserted image 14 is read out from the area 58B to the respective outputs 70A and 70B in synchronization with each other. This reading is performed by the synchronization control unit 46 sequentially specifying the corresponding addresses of both areas 58A and 58B from the first address via the address designation circuit 96.

Meanwhile, in synchronization with this, the synchronization control unit 46 drives the camera 30 and causes the camera 30 to output the video signal shown in FIG. The latter video signal is supplied to the input 112 of the binarization circuit 110 by the FIFO 56 in synchronization with the video signal from the memory 58.

More specifically, the data of both images 10 and 14 read from areas 58A and 58B of memory 58 are outputted 70A and 70 for each corresponding word.
It is output in synchronization with B. These words are image data that constitute part of a plurality of corresponding pixels or scan lines of both images 10 and 14.

When the video signal outputted from the camera 30 in synchronization with this readout substantially indicates a white level, the output 114 of the binarization circuit 110 is deactivated, and the video signal substantially indicates a black level. energize it when it is active. The signal at the output 114 constitutes the key signal 24 for image synthesis. Therefore, when the video signal indicating the white background portion 26 in FIG. When it is output, switch 7
6 assumes a state opposite to that shown.

As can be seen, this switching of switch 76 occurs synchronously with the reading of images 10 and 14 from memory 58. Therefore, the video signal of the target image 10 is used for the white background part 26, and the video signal of the inserted image 1 is used for the black background part 20a.
4 video signals are supplied to input 82 of DAC 80 through switch 76. Therefore, this video signal represents the final image 19 in which the portion of the person 16 is inserted into the insertion frame 20.

The video signal representing the final image 19 is converted into a corresponding analog video signal by the DAC 80 and output from the output 84 of the device. This is played back on the video monitor device 106 as needed, and is recorded on a recording medium such as a magnetic disk or video tape. Further, it may be configured to be stored in the memory 58.

In this way, the figure used to generate the key signal is photographed with a camera and input into the present device. Therefore, even if the figure indicating the insertion frame is complex, a key signal can be created with a relatively simple device operation, and image synthesis can be easily performed.

In this embodiment, the binarization circuit 110 is used to create the key signal, but if a circuit that separates into more than two levels instead of a binarization circuit is used, even more images can be synthesized at the same time. can do. For example, by using a circuit that separates a luminance signal into four levels of gradation, up to four parts of an image can be combined into a single image.

In the embodiment described above, the target image 10 and the inserted image 14 are recorded on the magnetic disk 34,
It is now stored in memory 58. Of course, both or one of these images 10 and 14 may be input from the camera 30 and stored in the memory 58. Furthermore, without temporarily storing the target image 10 or the inserted image 14 in the memory 58,
It is also possible to directly read out the images from the magnetic disk 34 and perform image synthesis.

Furthermore, although in the illustrated embodiment the image 22 for creating the chroma key is obtained directly from the camera 30, it may of course be obtained from other image sources such as a magnetic disk,
It may also be configured such that all the video signals are read into the memory 58 and combined and processed in the memory 58. In short,
In the present invention, regardless of the form, a camera is used when the image 22 for creating a key signal is first converted into a video signal in the system. The video signal photographed by this camera is used to electronically create an image synthesis key signal in this apparatus, regardless of whether it is once transmitted through a storage medium or not.

Effects According to the present invention, as described above, a signal for creating an image synthesis key signal is directly input into the system using an image input means such as a camera that originally only takes images, and from this the image synthesis key signal is generated. is generated electronically by the key signal forming means, and based on this, the first and second signals previously stored in the storage means can be synthesized. Therefore, unlike in the past, you are not limited by the design of the image,
Furthermore, even if images have complex shapes, image synthesis can be easily performed with simple operations and a simple device configuration.

Generating a key signal using an image input means such as a camera has the following advantages. For example, the key can be easily changed by performing a zoom operation on the camera or changing the relative positional relationship between the camera and the image.
As a result, the insertion frame can be easily enlarged, reduced, moved, etc., and this can be applied to image trimming.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram explaining the basic principle of the present invention,
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the image synthesizing apparatus according to the present invention. Explanation of symbols of main parts, 30...Television camera, 32...Magnetic disk device, 46...Synchronization control section, 58...Memory, 68...Comparison section, 9
6...Address designation circuit, 104...Operation unit, 1
10...Binarization circuit.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. Image input means for inputting a video signal representing an image; Accumulating means for accumulating the video signal; Key signal forming means for forming a key signal for image synthesis from the video signal; and the image input. means, storage means, and control means for controlling the key signal forming means, and the storage means includes a first video signal representing a first image, and a second image representing a second image to be combined with the first image. A second video signal is accumulated, and the control means receives a third video signal indicating a third image specifying a portion of the second image to be combined with the first image into the input means. and the key signal forming means forms a key signal corresponding to the third video signal, the third video signal is originally formed by photographing the third image, and the control means reads the first and second video signals from the storage means in response to the formation of the key signal, thereby converting the portion of the second video signal corresponding to the key signal into the first video signal. An image compositing device characterized by compositing images. 2. In the device according to claim 1,
An image synthesizing device characterized in that the image input means includes a photographing device, and the third video signal is input from the photographing device. 3. In the device according to claim 2,
At least one of the first and second video signals,
An image synthesizing device characterized in that input is received from the photographing device. 4. In the device according to claim 1,
The image input means includes a magnetic reproduction device, a first
At least one of the second and third video signals,
An image synthesizing device characterized in that input is received from the magnetic reproducing device. 5. In the device according to claim 1,
The image synthesizing device is characterized in that the key signal forming means forms the key signal by binarizing and separating a luminance signal included in the third video signal. 6. In the device according to claim 1,
The third video signal is a color video signal, and the key signal forming means forms the key signal by identifying the hue of a color difference signal included in the third video signal. Synthesizer.