Selectively applying spotlight and other effects using video layering
View Patent ↗A video layer effects processing system which receives normal video and special effects information on separate layers has been presented. The system selectively mixes various video layers to transmit a composite video signal for a video display such as a television, or a virtual reality system. Special effects include spotlights, zooming, etc. Additional special effects such as shaping of objects and ghost effects are created by masking and superimposing selected video layers. The selective mixing, for example, to enable or disable, strengthen or weaken, or otherwise arrange special effects, can be directed from a remote source or locally by a user through real-time control or prior setup. The video layer effects processing system can also be incorporated into a set-top-box or a local consumer box.
1. A method of processing video layer effects in a video processing system, the method comprising:
providing a video data in layers with various special effects by a video source or by a supplemental video source;
identifying receipt of a plurality of video layers in the video data by a video layer selector;
storing the plurality of video layers by the video selector;
facilitating the selection of at least one of the plurality of video layers by a user;
mixing, by a video layer mixing unit, at least one of the plurality of video layers selected by a user with at least one of the others of the plurality of video layers to generate a composite output; and
recording, in a memory, the selection of the at least one of the plurality of video layers by the user, and the duration of said selection.
2. A method of claim 1 , wherein the providing step comprises: accessing a first video data in layers with various special effects from the video source; and retrieving a second video data in layers with various special effects from the supplemental video source.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the facilitating step comprises: presenting, to a user via an input selection means, the list of video layers from the first video data in layers and the second video data in layers; and soliciting user selection of a selected list of layers via the input selection means.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein the mixing step further comprises: extracting, by the video layer mixing unit, a background layer from the first video data in layers; and combining, by the video layer mixing unit, the selected list of layers with an user selected additional special effects and the background layer.
5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
displaying, via a display unit, the composite output.
6. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
transmitting to a plurality of receiving devices, via an output unit, the composite output.