Patents Assigned to Shenzhen TCL New Technology Ltd.
  • Patent number: 8909023
    Abstract: An electronic device includes display control logic for adjusting video settings of the electronic device in order to improve the display of portable media player files on the electronic device. The video settings may include picture settings for a display subsystem of the electronic device, video processing methods stored within a processor of the electronic device, and expansion ratios for images received from the portable media player. A method of operating the electronic device may include acquiring media file data, such as the expansion ratio and file type, from the portable media player and using the data to determine the video settings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Shenzhen TCL New Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Steven L. Cooper, Khelan M. Modi
  • Patent number: 8659592
    Abstract: A method for real-time 2D to 3D video conversion includes receiving a decoded 2D video frame having an original resolution, downscaling the decoded 2D video frame into an associated 2D video frame having a lower resolution, and segmenting objects present in the downscaled 2D video frame into background objects and foreground objects. The method also includes generating a background depth map and a foreground depth map for the downscaled 2D video frame based on the segmented background and foreground objects, and deriving a frame depth map in the original resolution based on the background depth map and the foreground depth map. The method further includes providing a 3D video frame for display at a real-time playback rate. The 3D video frame is generated in the original resolution based on the frame depth map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Shenzhen TCL New Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Haohong Wang, Glenn Adler
  • Patent number: 8531611
    Abstract: There is provided a system and method for powering down particular circuits in an electronic device based on the usage habits of the user. An exemplary method comprises collecting usage data for a plurality of device functions of the electronic device, and reducing power consumption by circuitry associated with at least one of the plurality of device functions when the electronic device is in use if the usage data for the at least one of the plurality of device functions indicates that the at least one of the plurality of device functions is used less than at least another of the plurality of device functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Shenzhen TCL New Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: William John Testin, Mark Francis Rumreich
  • Patent number: 8484672
    Abstract: A method performed by a digital television receiver associated with a television includes storing in a memory a first rating configuration, including a region identification of the first rating configuration and a version identification of the first rating configuration, for rating a television program in accordance with a rating scheme, and storing in the memory an identification of a first television channel as a default channel for the rating scheme. The method further includes receiving a subset of a group of transport packets via a receiving channel, comparing the region identification and the version identification of the first and the second rating configurations, and if the region identifications are the same, and the version identifications of the first and the second rating configurations indicate that the second configuration is not newer than the first rating configuration, not storing the second configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Shenzhen TCL New Technology Ltd.
    Inventor: Glenn Adler
  • Patent number: 8469517
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to an illumination system. The illumination system comprises a plurality of modules comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) adapted to emit light signals. The illumination system further comprises a plurality of polarizing elements disposed subsequent to the LEDs. Each of polarizing elements is adapted to render a unique polarization to the light signals emitted by a respectively corresponding one of the modules. Further, the illumination system comprises a polarization converting element disposed subsequent to the plurality polarizing elements. The polarization converting element is adapted to uniformly polarize all of the light signals emitted by the plurality of modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Shenzhen TCL New Technology Ltd.
    Inventor: Estill Thone Hall, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8403495
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to an illumination system. The illumination system comprises a plurality of modules such that each module comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) adapted to emit light. The illumination system further comprises a plurality of lens elements disposed subsequent to the LEDs. Further, a number of the lens elements corresponds to a number of LEDs; such that the plurality of lens elements is adapted to redirect the light emitted by the LEDs on a plurality lenses. The illumination system further comprises a plurality of imagers disposed subsequent to the plurality of lenses, such that each of the imagers forms an image from the light provided by each of the lenses, respectively. Further, the images formed by the plurality of imagers are combined by a device, such as an X-cube, to form a single image that is further provided to a light pipe of a display system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Shenzhen TCL New Technology Ltd.
    Inventor: Estill Thone Hall, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8373805
    Abstract: There is provided a system and method for remote control of a television with a manually actuatable control element. More specifically, in one embodiment, there is provided a remote control for a television with a manually actuatable control element. The remote control may comprise a manually actuatable control element configured to generate a signal in response to an activation of the control element by a user, wherein the signal is generated at one of a plurality of different levels based on a characteristic of the activation, and a control system configured to receive the signal and to produce one of a plurality of television commands in response to the signal, wherein the command produced corresponds to the level of the signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Shenzhen TCL New Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Eric Stephen Carlsgaard, Mark Gilmore Mears, James Duane Tenbarge
  • Patent number: 8356330
    Abstract: An exemplary channel entry device comprises a SUBCHANNEL button. The exemplary channel entry device further comprises an OK button, and wherein the channel entry device is adapted to receive a subchannel selection after the SUBCHANNEL button is pressed and to thereafter transmit the subchannel selection to an associated electronic device when either the OK button or the SUBCHANNEL button is pressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Shenzhen TCL New Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Mark G. Mears, Minging (Mike) Xing
  • Patent number: 8356123
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a storage slot for storing context information for a storage device. The electronic device is configured to apply settings related to the context information to the storage device upon detecting connection of the storage device to the electronic device. A method of operating the electronic device may include acquiring context information from the storage device, storing the context information within a storage slot of the electronic device, and applying settings to the storage device. The settings may be related to the context information and may be applied upon detecting a reconnection of the storage device to the electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Shenzhen TCL New Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Steven L. Cooper, James Duane Tenbarge
  • Patent number: 8346063
    Abstract: An exemplary method of operating a recording device comprises acquiring a title of a recorded program when a recording operation begins. The exemplary method further comprises determining, at a first specific time period after a next-occurring hour of the clock or after a next-occurring half hour of the clock during the recording operation, whichever occurs first, whether the recording operation started within a second specific time period, the second specific time period being between the first specific time period and thirty minutes, storing as the title of the recorded program the title acquired when the recording operation began if the recording operation was not started within the second specific time period, and reacquiring the title of the recorded program if the recording operation was started within the second specific time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Shenzhen TCL New Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Mark Gilmore Mears, Mark Alan Logan
  • Patent number: 8314886
    Abstract: An exemplary embodiment of the present invention relates to an electrostatic discharge/electromagnetic interference (ESD/EMI) protection circuit for an integrated circuit. The ESD/EMI protection circuit comprises an input that is adapted to receive a communication signal, a Zener diode pair connected between the input and a ground that is shared with the input, a resistor coupled to the input, and a capacitor coupled in series with the resistor between the input and the integrated circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Shenzhen TCL New Technology Ltd
    Inventor: Ronald Thomas Keen
  • Patent number: 8269895
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a system and method for recursive noise reduction. An exemplary method comprises receiving a first film frame having a first frame rate and a second film frame having the first frame rate and converting the first film frame into a first plurality of video frames having a second frame rate. The exemplary method further comprises converting the second film frame into a second plurality of video frames having the second frame rate, wherein the first plurality of video frames is positioned adjacent the second plurality of video frames at a border between the first plurality of video frames and the second plurality of video frames and updating a noise reduction correction signal only on the border between the first plurality of video frames and the second plurality of video frames when operating in a first mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Shenzhen TCL New Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Michael Crabb, Mark Francis Rumreich
  • Publication number: 20110271302
    Abstract: There is provided a system and method for channel selection. An exemplary method comprises receiving a channel scan rate command signal that indicates a first channel scan rate or a second channel scan rate. The exemplary method further comprises scanning through a user interface display of a channel list at the first channel scan rate if the first channel scan rate is indicated by the channel scan rate command signal and scanning through the user interface display of the channel list at the second channel scan rate if the second channel scan rate is indicated by the channel scan rate command signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Applicant: Shenzhen TCL New Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Eric Stephen Carlsgaard, Mark Gilmore Mears, James Duane Tenbarge
  • Patent number: 8004608
    Abstract: An exemplary method relates to buffering closed captioning data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Shenzhen TCL New Technology Ltd
    Inventor: Janghwan Lee
  • Patent number: 7995792
    Abstract: There is provided a system and/or method of monitoring media content. More specifically, in one embodiment, there is provided a method of monitoring operation of an electronic device having a plurality of signal inputs, the method comprising periodically collecting images from each of the plurality of signal inputs, storing the collected images for later evaluation if an image storage option is enabled, and sending the collected images for direct viewing if the image storage option is not enabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Shenzhen TCL New Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Mark Nierzwick, Ronald Thomas Keen
  • Publication number: 20110134368
    Abstract: The present embodiments are directed to a backlight illumination system. The backlight illumination system includes a light source adapted to uniformly emit light in numerous directions for illuminating a display unit. The backlight illumination system further includes a reflector disposed behind the light source, wherein the reflector is adapted to reflect the uniformly emitted light along a desired direction to provide backlight illumination to the display unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Applicant: Shenzhen TCL New Technology Ltd.
    Inventor: Estill Thone Hall, JR.
  • Publication number: 20110123177
    Abstract: An exemplary method of operating a recording device comprises acquiring a title of a recorded program when a recording operation begins. The exemplary method further comprises determining, at a first specific time period after a next-occurring hour of the clock or after a next-occurring half hour of the clock during the recording operation, whichever occurs first, whether the recording operation started within a second specific time period, the second specific time period being between the first specific time period and thirty minutes, storing as the title of the recorded program the title acquired when the recording operation began if the recording operation was not started within the second specific time period, and reacquiring the title of the recorded program if the recording operation was started within the second specific time period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2008
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Applicant: Shenzhen TCL New Technology LTD
    Inventors: Mark Gilmore Mears, Mark Alan Logan
  • Publication number: 20110122319
    Abstract: There is provided a system and method for configuring a television scan list. More specifically, in one embodiment, there is provided a method comprising determining whether a channel is potentially objectionable when the channel is selected for display, providing a prompt with an option to remove the channel if the channel is determined to be potentially objectionable, and marking the channel as deleted if the option to remove the channel is selected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2007
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Applicant: Shenzhen TCL New Technology LTD
    Inventors: James Duane Tenbarge, Bret David Hawkins
  • Publication number: 20110122222
    Abstract: An exemplary electronic device comprises a display subsystem that is adapted to display an image and at least one additional subsystem. The exemplary electronic device additionally comprises a low power control logic that is adapted to place the electronic device in either a low power operating mode in which power is removed from the display subsystem and the at least one additional subsystem or an active-display standby mode in which the display subsystem remains powered and power is removed from the at least one additional subsystem.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2007
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Applicant: Shenzhen TCL New Technology LTD
    Inventors: Mark Francis Rumreich, Poh Chua, Scott Baxter, Thomas Dale Yost
  • Patent number: 7948744
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a multi-purpose flat panel display cover. One embodiment of the present invention may include a cover for a flat panel display, the cover comprising a shield portion configured to protect a flat panel display screen, and a handle portion coupled to the shield portion, wherein the cover is configured to hingedly couple with the flat panel display and rotate into a display support configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Shenzhen TCL New Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Will Bishop, Bill Bose, Michel Cadio, Mark Galambus