Method and apparatus for dissolving image on display screen

An apparatus for dissolving an image on a display screen by providing sequential images to be successively displayed on the screen to form the dissolving transition of the objective image, the respective sequential images being created through applying a progressively-varied weight to the pixel values of the objective image, which is composed of a two-dimensional pixel array, comprising:

• first storage means for storing the values of pixels representing the objective image;
• second storage means for storing weighted pixel values;
• means for dividing the objective image pixels into a plurality of groups, the pixels in each group being dispersed in the image;
• means for selecting one of the pixel groups;
• means for reading all the pixel values of the selected group from the first storage means;
• means for multiplying a weight and the respective pixel values read from the first storage means by the reading means;
• means for storing the weighted pixel values, provided by the multiplying means, respectively in the storage locations, corresponding to the selected pixel group, within the second storage means;
• means for controlling to repeatedly activate the selecting, the reading, the multiplying, and the storing means, wherein the respective pixel groups of the objective image are selected cyclically and the weight is increased or decreased gradually as the repetition of the activation for the respective means progresses;
• and
• means for cyclically reading, in parallel with the controlling means, the weighted pixel values from the second storage means, in each reading cycle the pixel values corresponding to the pixel groups being read in a predetermined order to display one of the sequential images on the screen.

A computer readable medium storing a program for dissolving an image on a display screen by providing sequential images to be successively displayed on the screen to form the dissolving transition of the objective image, the respective sequential images being created through applying a progressively-varied weight to the pixel values of the objective image, which is composed of a two-dimensional pixel array, the program being causative of a computer operation including the steps of:

• (a) dividing the objective image pixels into a plurality of groups, the pixels in each group being dispersed in the image;
• (b) selecting one of the pixel groups;
• (c) reading all the pixel values of the selected group from first storage means;
• (d) multiplying the pixel values read from the first storage means by a weight respectively;
• (e) storing the weighted pixel values respectively in the storage locations, corresponding to the selected pixel group, within second storage means;
• (f) repeating steps (b) through (e) wherein the respective pixel groups of the objective image are selected cyclically and the weight is increased or decreased gradually as the repetition of the steps progresses;
• and
• (g) in parallel with step (f), cyclically reading the weighted pixel values from the second storage means, in each reading cycle the pixel values corresponding to the pixel groups being read in a predetermined order to display one of the sequential images on the screen.