IVI Display Control for Pixel-Level Transparency Compositing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing display systems face limitations in expressiveness due to restricted transparency information output, particularly in combining images from multiple application units, leading to insufficient composite image quality.
Innovation Solution
A display control system and method that generates separate images for color and transparency information, allowing for precise superimposition and composite image generation, enhancing expressiveness by setting transparency at the pixel level and supporting non-rectangular objects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If transparency information output is limited in the application unit, then the system complexity is reduced and compatibility with existing GUI frameworks is maintained, but the expressiveness of composite images deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the image rendering process into two separate rendering passes: a color rendering pass that generates the visual content, and a transparency rendering pass that generates alpha channel information. This segmentation allows the transparency information to be processed separately, enabling enhanced composite image expressiveness without increasing the complexity of the core application unit, as each pass can be independently optimized and implemented.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediate transparency map or alpha channel as a mediator between the application unit and the final composite image. This intermediary data structure carries transparency information from the limited-capability application unit to the composition system, enabling advanced transparency effects without requiring the application unit itself to have complex transparency handling capabilities.
2Ease of operation
If transparency information is not output by the application unit, then the ease of operation with existing GUI frameworks is maintained, but the manufacturing precision of transparency settings deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary transparency rendering during the initial rendering pass, generating transparency maps or alpha channels in advance before final composition. This preliminary action allows transparency information to be pre-calculated and stored, enabling precise transparency settings to be applied during composition without requiring complex real-time calculations, thus maintaining ease of operation while achieving high precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a separate transparency copy or alpha channel representation of the rendered image. This copying approach allows the original color image data to remain unchanged and easily operable with existing GUI frameworks, while a precise transparency copy is generated separately for high-precision transparency composition operations.
3Adaptability or versatility
If separate rendering for color and transparency is implemented, then the expressiveness of composite images is improved, but the loss of time in rendering processing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the color and transparency rendering operations by using the same rendering pipeline and data structures for both passes. The renderer processes geometry and textures once, then generates both color and transparency information from the same intermediate representation, significantly reducing redundant processing time while maintaining high expressiveness in the final composite images.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary rendering of both color and transparency information during a single initial processing phase, storing the results in optimized data structures. This preliminary action prevents the need for repeated rendering operations, reducing overall processing time while enabling sophisticated transparency effects in the final composition.
Data Source
AI summary
A GUIApp of an IVI processor passes, to a GUI framework, data of a first GUI object using a GUI component prepared in advance and data of a second GUI object that designates transparency of the first GUI object to be displayed while being superimposed on a meter image. The GUI framework generates a first image that designates color information to be displayed while being superimposed on the meter image based on the data of the first GUI object, and generates a second image that designates transparency of the first image based on the data of the second GUI object. A video compositor of a meter processor generates a composite image in which the first image whose transparency is set based on the second image is superimposed on the meter image.