System and method for composing a display frame of multiple layered graphic sprites
US5546518A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 6, 1995 |
| Grant date | Aug 13, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 6, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S345/95
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A data processing apparatus includes a graphics display device for displaying a display frame comprising a plurality of display frame pixels. A sprite management system composes the display frame from a plurality of graphic sprites. Each graphic sprite comprises a plurality of sprite pixels and corresponding sprite pixel values. Each sprite has a specified depth relative to the other sprites. One of the sprites is designated to be a video sprite. This sprite is loaded with a chroma-key value. The sprite management system includes a data processing device connected to access a display frame composition buffer. The data processing device is programmed to write pixel values of individual sprites to the display frame composition buffer. This writing begins with the pixel values of the sprite having the greatest depth and proceeds with the pixel values of the remaining sprites in order of decreasing sprite depth. The display frame data is then passed to a video overlay board which overlays a video image over those pixels containing the chroma-key value. The result is a display frame in which the plurality of graphic sprites, including the video sprite, appear layered with respect to eac…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.