Patent ID: 6078362
Filing Date: 2000-06-20
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
Device for combining video signals which represent images having a different perception depth, comprisinga number of sources which each generate a video signal in the form of a series of pixels, each accompanied by a priority signal which determines the depth of the signal and a key signal which determines a local change in depth,selection means for selecting in each case those pixels in the simultaneously available video signals which are currently accompanied by a priority signal corresponding to the highest and the second highest priority,a mixing stage in which the selected pixels are mixed, account being taken of the key signal,characterizedin that all the sources are coupled to the mixing stage via a bus system provided with a pixel data bus, a key-signal bus and a priority-signal bus,in that the priority-signal bus has a number of conductors which is at least equal to the number of sources, each of the conductors corresponding to a certain priority,in that the priority signals comprise a single bit which is placed on the corresponding conductor of the priority-signal bus by each source,in that each source is provided with a priority-bus detector with which the signals on the priority bus are received and are compared with its own priority signal in order to detect whether the source has the highest or the second highest priority, andin that each source is provided with switching means controlled by the priority-bus detector in such a way that only those sources having the highest or second highest priority present the pixel data via the switching means to the pixel data bus and present the key signal to the key-data bus.