An interactive television graphics apparatus comprising: video input means for receiving a background video signal, said background video signal including at least one graphics control signal for performing one or more of the following functions: selecting a locally generated graphic image overlay component, positioning a graphic image overlay component, and defining a bit map of a graphic image overlay component; memory means for storing at least one graphic image overlay component, including one or more of: a locally generated graphic image overlay component, and a bit map of a graphic image overlay component received from said video input means; and processor means, coupled to said video input means and said memory means for receiving said graphics control signals and generating a graphic image as an overlay over said background video in response to received graphics control signals, wherein said graphics control signals comprise signals for selecting a graphic image stored in said display means. view more

The interactive television graphics apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a user input means, coupled to said processor means, for generating user graphics control signals in response to a user input, wherein said processor means receives said user graphics control signals and generates a graphic image as an overlay over said background video in response to received locally generated graphics control signals. view more

An apparatus for inserting an overlay image onto a background video image, said apparatus comprising: video input means, for receiving a video signal corresponding to said background video image; synchronization means, coupled to said video input means, for generating synchronization signals from said background video signal; operator input means, for receiving an input command from an operator to select an overlay image; processor means, coupled to said operator input means, for receiving said input command and generating overlay image data; first memory means, coupled to said processor means, for storing said overlay image data; address generator means, coupled to said memory means, said processor means and said synchronization means for selectively generating memory addresses for said memory means in response to said processor means and in synchronization with said synchronization means; video output means, coupled to said memory means, for selectively reading the overlay image data from said memory means in synchronization with said synchronization means and merging said overlay image with said background video image; and second memory means, coupled to said processor means, for storing a plurality of overlay image data representing a plurality of overlay images, wherein said operator input means receives an input command from an operator to select an overlay image from said plurality of overlay images and said processor means receives selected overlay image data corresponding to a selected image from said second memory means and stores the selected overlay image data in said first memory means. view more