YIQ Computer graphics system

United States Patent m

Evans et al.

[li] Patent Number: 4,564,915 [45] Date of Patent: Jan. 14, 1986

[54] [75]

YIQ COMPUTER GRAPHICS SYSTEM

Inventors: Lawrence J. Evans, Los Gatos;

Junaid Sheikh, Fremont; Rodney D.
Stock, Palo Alto; Kenneth E. J.
Turkowski, San Carlos, all of Calif.

[73] Assignee: Ampex Corporation, Redwood City, Calif.

[21] Appl. No.: 353,373
[22] Filed: Mar. 1, 1982

Related U.S. Application Data

[63] Continuation of Ser. No. 139,590, Apr. 11, 1980, abandoned.

[51] Int. CI.4 G06F 3/153; G06F 15/20

[52] U.S. CI 364/521; 340/701;

358/75; 358/903

[58] Field of Search 364/515, 521; 358/4,

358/9, 16, 75, 77, 80, 903; 340/701, 707, 724,

731

[56] References Cited

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(List continued on next page.)
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A YIQ computer graphics system includes a data processing system having a data tablet for receiving inputs from an artist and a video processing system connected to the data processing system. The video processing system includes a two component expandable frame store with the first component storing video intensity information for each pixel of a visual image and with the second component storing two video color components each for one-half of the visual image. The video processing system further includes a memory controller coupled to receive pixel address information identifying pixel locations within a row and column matrix of pixel locations containing the visual image and addressing specific locations within the frame store in response thereto, an interface circuit coupled to transfer video data between the frame store and the data processing system at pixel locations within a matrix of locations defined by the data processing system, and a video output processor coupled to provide matrix address locations to the frame store and receive in return video data from the frame store to generate a color video output signal in raster scan order. The video processing system may also include an input scanner coupled to write into the frame store video information on a continuous frame-by-frame basis to permit the video output processor to output a video signal which indicates a continuously changing video image on a frame-byframe real time basis.

37 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

3,976,982 8/1976 Eiselen 340/172.5

4,002,827 1/1977 Nevin et al 343/5 SC

4,017,680 4/1977 Anderson et al 348/242

4,026,555 5/1977 Kirschner et al 273/85 R

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OTHER PUBLICATIONS Shoup, Richard G., "Color Table Animation", Computer Graphics, vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 8-13 (Aug. 1979). H. K. Regnier and L. J. Evans, "Interactive Computer Graphics in the Broadcast Environment", IEEE Conf. Pub. 166, pp. 236-243 (1978).

Michael Housing, "Videograph-A Flexible Component System for Television Picture Synthesis", NTG-Fachberichte, vol. 67, pp. 183-193 (Mar. 13-15, 1979). D. Meyer-Ebrecht and R. Weissel, "The Integrated Picture Processing/Picture Bank System PICASSO", NTG-Fachberichte, vol. 67, pp. 246-253, (Mar. 13-15, 1979).