Patent ID: 7525601
Filing Date: 2009-04-28
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An image switching apparatus which uses two types or more of special effect apparatuses having different I/O interfaces from each other to apply special effect processing to a plurality of input images and further uses image synthesis means to perform switching processing involving image synthesis processing, comprising: a first image output interface for a first special effect apparatus to be connected to the image synthesis means; a first image input interface for the first special effect apparatus; a second image output interface for a second special effect apparatus to be connected to the image synthesis means; a second image input interface for the second special effect apparatus; a type storage section which stores settings indicating whether to use either a first path which is based on a combination of the first image output interface and first image input interface or a second path which is based on a combination of the second image output interface and second image input interface; routing instruction means for inputting an instruction that causes an image to go through the special effect apparatus; one or more image synthesis/switching sections including selection switches for an operator to perform switching processing between the image selected from a plurality of externally input images and the first or second image input interface and the image synthesis means which performs synthesis processing; a synthesis/switching operation input section for the operator to perform input operation to select the image to be input to the image synthesis/switching section; and an assignment management section which refers to the type storage section in response to an instruction from the routing instruction means and outputs the image in the image synthesis/switching section to the first image output interface as well as acquires the image from the first image input interface to input the acquired image to the image synthesis/switching section when the setting is the first path, and outputs the image in the image synthesis/switching section to the second image output interface as well as acquires the image from the second image input interface to input the acquired image to the image synthesis/switching section when the setting is the second path, and refers to the type storage section in response to an input image selection instruction from the synthesis/switching operation input section and selects an image to be directed to the first image output interface when the setting is the first path, and selects an image to be directed to the second image output interface when the setting is the second path.