Patent ID: 6654025
Filing Date: 2003-11-25
Classification: G09G,H04N

Abstract:
A system for generating video signals defining a video image of a video program, a translucent region that partially obstructs the video image, and a graphical image for display by a video display device, the video display device including a video display screen having a plurality of pixels generally arranged in a plurality of tows for displaying the video image, the translucent region, and the graphical image, the system comprising:a frame buffer having a plurality of storage locations arranged in rows corresponding to the plurality of pixels of the video display screen, and wherein each storage location is configured to store a pixel value, said plurality of storage locations including first storage locations defining the graphical image to be displayed on the video display screen within the translucent region during display of the video image; second storage locations excluding said first storage locations that define the translucent region to be displayed on the video display screen during display of the video image, said second storage locations forming a plurality of rows, and an averaging device configured to receive pixel values from said plurality of storage locations and to generate therefrom a succession of average pixel values according to a predetermined function; a video signal generator configured to receive the successive average pixel values and generate the video signals therefrom for display of the video image, the translucent region, and the graphical image on the video display screen; and a control module operative to control storage of the pixel values for the video image, the translucent region, and the graphical image in said plurality of storage locations in said frame buffer wherein pixel values for the graphical image are stored in said first storage locations of said frame buffer; pixel values for the video image corresponding to said first storage locations of said frame buffer are discarded, pixels having a predetermined pixel value are stored in alternating rows of said second storage locations of said frame buffer, pixel values for the video image corresponding to said alternating rows of said second storage locations of said frame buffer are discarded, pixel values for the video image corresponding to rows between said alternating rows of said second storage locations of said frame buffer are stored in said rows, and pixel values for the video image outside of the translucent region are stored in the remaining storage locations of said plurality of storage locations; said control module being further operative to retrieve pixel values from storage locations of proximal rows of said frame buffer for use by said averaging device to generate the succession of average pixel values wherein each of the successive average pixel values for each storage location of said rows of the translucent region is the predetermined functions of the pixel value of the video image from one of said rows and the predetermined pixel values from said alternating rows proximate said one row or the predetermined pixel value from one of said alternating rows and the pixel values of the video image from said rows proximate said alternating row, as applicable.