Sony Corporation

Masafumi Kurashige

Junichi Ogikubo

Masaki Nishikawa

Nobuyuki Minami

Shin Todo

Motomu Ueta

Jun Onuki

Kazumasa Ito

Osamu Watanabe

Shinichi Fukushima

Teruyuki Nakahashi

Tetsuya Harada

Ayumi Nakao

Yuichi Hayatsu

Yoshiyuki Ota

An information processing apparatus includes the following elements. A generation unit generates a multiplexed video frame having a predetermined screen size. A dividing unit divides input audio data into audio data items each having samples for one frame period of the multiplexed video frame. A multiplexing unit multiplexes audio data items obtained by dividing each stream of input audio data and number-of-samples information representing the number of samples thereof. A processing unit processes audio data items multiplexed in a multiplexed video frame input from an input video port, and outputs from an output video port thereof a multiplexed video frame in which the resulting audio data items and the number-of-samples information thereof are multiplexed. An extraction unit extracts the audio data items multiplexed in the multiplexed video frame output from the processing unit in accordance with the number-of-samples information. A transmission unit outputs the extracted audio data items to outside.

Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program

A communication device includes a transmission amplifier supplied with a binary transmission signal is capable of choosing between amplifying the transmission signal and entering a high-impedance state at an output. An antenna is supplied with a transmission signal output from the transmission amplifier. A comparator compares a signal received by the antenna with threshold values to obtain a reception signal, which is supplied to a processing unit. A capacitor is connected between the transmission amplifier and the antenna or between the antenna and the comparator. A control unit allows the transmission amplifier to be in the high-impedance state for a period during which the processing unit receives a reception signal.

A special effect image generating apparatus provided with an image conversion processing circuit for posterization or other image conversion, a luminance and chroma condition setting circuit for image extraction by luminance and colors, a mask pattern generator for selection of a mask, and mixer for preparing a video signal, a transformation unit for transformation processing such as movement, and a post video modification unit for addition of a locus etc. The extracted image automatically tracks movement of the image so there is no change in visual effects, images having the same luminance and color conditions can be deleted by mask adjustment, movement of the image can be handled by adjustment of the mask, and highly accurate boundaries can be set by the wave-filtering and shaping circuit. Therefore, a special effect image with distinctive luminance and color can be easily prepared.

Special effect image generating apparatus

Special effect image generating apparatus employing selective luminance/chrominance condition setting

A video signal processing device includes an address generator to calculate a transformation matrix for three-dimensionally transforming an image to a &ldquo;blue board&rdquo; area. The transformation is based on corner positions of the blue board area of a video signal and those of an image area of a source video signal to be inserted. Address information is calculated for reading the source video signal from a memory based on an inverse matrix of the transformation matrix. In this way, the image area to be inserted can be three-dimensionally transformed and automatically inserted into the blue board area, without requiring an operator to input parameters indicative of a post-transformation state.

Video signal processing device and method employing transformation matrix to generate composite image

A low cost image transform device capable of converting an input image to the linear drawing style in real time is presented. An edge signal of the input image is detected and normalized. The normalized edge signal is then non-linear transformed to decrease the intermediate tone level of the edges so that lines can be seen more clearly. Inversion control is further used to reverse the lightness and darkness of the non-linear transformed edge signal. The inverted signal is subsequently level adjusted and then mixed with a delayed version of the input signal using an externally controlled ratio signal. The resulting output signal is a drawing or painting type image. Since these processes are executed by simple addition or multiplication, the linear drawing style image is obtained in real time, in which edges having high-light and shaded contrast are extracted from the input image.

Image transform device for transforming a picture image to a painting-type image

An image converting apparatus for converting an image of an input video signal into an image with a metallic luster and representing the metallic luster with parameters designated corresponding to the input image. The apparatus is based on the concept that a model of reflected light can represented with a model of reflected light of diffusion reflection and mirror-surface reflection and that even though the resultant model of reflected light is three-dimensional data, assuming that the brightness of an input video signal linearly varies, the model can be represented with brightness data. A color correction circuit,has a look-up table with which calculations for generating an image with a metallic luster are performed with the brightness data and the designated parameters. A matrix calculating circuit extracts a luminous signal component from the input video signal. A pre-modifying circuit adjusts the amplitude. The color correction circuit performs calculations for generating an image with a metallic luster. Mix circuits mix output signals of the color correction circuit with an input video signal.

Image converting apparatus and image converting method

A corner detector capable of detecting each corner position of a predetermined area from an input signal with a simple structure. There is provided memory means (9B) for storing memorizing an input signal (keyT) and corner detection means (9C) for detecting a point where the signal level becomes the reference signal level or more at first by reading an input signal stored in the memory means sequentially in horizontal direction from an upper limit and a lower limit of a retrieval scope and in vertical direction from the left end to the right end of the retrieval scope, and detecting a point where the signal level becomes the reference signal level or more at first by reading an input signal stored in the memory means sequentially in a diagonal direction at a predetermined angle from each angle of the retrieval scope to detect from the detected points four points whose positions differ. With such means, each corner position of the area of the detection object can be detected with a simple structure and quickly.

Corner detection device and corner detection method

A method and apparatus for changing a video image having a number of luminance areas to a drawing-style image. An edge boundary between two luminance areas of the video image may be detected and a key signal may be generated therefrom. The key signal may be nonlinear transformed to generate a transformed key signal. Two color signals may be mixed in accordance with the transformed key signal so that the boundary of the video image may be displayable as a line in the drawing-style image.

Apparatus and method for changing a video image to a drawing-style image

Since the corner detection means (7, 9) to detect each position of the blue board area from video signal, the conversion address generation means (11) to generate the conversion address based on the position information detected and the position information showing each corner position of the image area of video signal to be inserted and the image conversion means (16) to form conversion source video signal based on the conversion address are provided and the source video signal is to be inserted to the video signal, the operator's operation adjustment as the conventional device becomes unnecessary when inserting the source video signal into the prescribed frame of the video signal, and the operation of the operator can be further decreased. Thus, a video signal processing device capable of further decreasing the operator's operation can be realized.

Video signal processing device and its method

In a special effects video processor, a low-pass filter limits, in a horizontal direction, the bandwidth of an input video signal. A field/frame converter, receiving the video signal from the first low-pass filter, generates a frame signal which is comprised of a video signal for one frame by generating one odd or even field signal from the other said odd or even field signal. A low-pass filter limits in a vertical direction the bandwidth of such frame signal supplied from the field/frame converter. In a mapping processor, a memory stores the frame signal supplied from the second low-pass filter, and an interpolator performs interpolation for a plurality of data in the frame signal read from the memory. Such special effects video processor provides a processed video image without deterioration in quality.

Special effects video processor

In an image transforming apparatus for transforming an input image into a wavering output image, an attenuation standard position and an attenuation range measured from the attenuation standard position are selected and three-dimensional shape data are generated for representing a shape based on the produced transform address data by adding the address data of the input image to an offset value changing in accordance with a predetermined cyclic function. Then, an attenuation value is generated within the attenuation range, and the attenuation value changes in accordance with the distance from the attenuation standard position. The offset value is weighted by this attenuation value and the input image is mapped on the shape such that the amplitude of a ripple varies in accordance with the distance from the attenuation standard position. When the attenuation value is set to a constant value, and the offset value is weighted and such attenuation value, the input image is mapped on the shape such that the amplitude of a ripple is kept to a constant value even when the distance from the attenuation standard position changes.

Image converting apparatus

A method and apparatus for transforming a two-dimensional input video signal onto a three-dimensional surface and for depicting illumination thereof by a spot light source transforms the two-dimensional video signal in accordance with a mapping data signal onto the three-dimensional surface. A spot light source signal including first and second data signals is generated, the first data signal representing the direction of the axis of a spot light source and the second data signal representing a radius of the spot light source. A spot light key signal is generated based on the second data signal and a distance signal representing distances between locations on the three-dimensional surface and the axis of the spot light source based on the first data signal and the mapping data signal. At least one of a luminance component and hue components of at least one of the two-dimensional video image signal and the transformed two-dimensional video image signal is modified in accordance with the spot light key signal.

Method and apparatus for transforming a two-dimensional video signal

A mosaic effect generating apparatus having at least a single-line memory supplied with an incoming video signal, and supplying as its output a mosaic effect signal a clock signal generating circuit that determines the mosaic width by generating a clock signal of a predetermined frequency and supplying the clock signal to the single-line memory as a write clock signal and a read clock signal and a write control circuit that determines the mosaic height by enabling the incoming video signal to be writtenn in the single-line memory only during selected portions of each horizontal interval of a selected plurality of said successive horizontal intervals of the incoming video signal.

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Kanagawa, Japan

Masafumi Kurashige