Patents Examined by Cheryl Cohen
  • Patent number: 6008863
    Abstract: An image sensing apparatus includes an image sensor for sensing an optical image and converting the optical image into an electrical signal, and a white balance control circuit for controlling a white balance condition of the electrical signal. A limiting device limits a control range of the white balance control circuit, and a changeover switch changes over the limiting device to selectively change the control range of the white balance control circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1999
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shigeru Jinnai
  • Patent number: 5663770
    Abstract: A color picture display apparatus is provided having a driving circuit for a display device so that a low light adjustment is not influenced by a high light adjustment during white balance adjustment. Horizontal blanking period is blanked by a transistor and a clamping potential of a low light level for white balance adjustment is added to the above blanked signal. The signal, to which a clamping potential was added, is gain-adjusted and clamped by a capacitor and a transistor. Next, the clamped portion is blanked at a transistor and the blanked signal is supplied to a CRT through a driving stage. Low light adjustment is done by adjusting clamping potential with a potentiometer and high light adjustment is done by adjusting gain with another potentiometer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 2, 1997
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shigemitsu Yamade
  • Patent number: 5648817
    Abstract: A dual type imaging device includes a first CCD and a second CCD, on which complementary color filters with a checkerboard (or matrix) arrangement are disposed. The complementary color filters have the same construction as each other, having magenta elements, yellow elements, cyan elements and green elements arranged in a regular manner. The arrangement of the color elements of the filter of the first CCD is offset, by a width of one light-sensitive element, with respect to the arrangement of the color elements of the filter of the second CCD. An R-signal, a G-signal and a B-signal are sensed in accordance with four light-sensitive elements which are arranged in a 2.times.2 matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 15, 1997
    Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Harumi Aoki, Nobuhiro Tani, Keiji Sawanobori
  • Patent number: 5600383
    Abstract: A bistable deformable mirror device (DMD) pixel architecture is disclosed, wherein the torsion hinges are placed in a layer different from the torsion beam layer. This results in pixels which can be scaled to smaller dimensions while at the same time maintaining a large fractional active area, an important consideration for bright, high-density displays such as are used in high-definition television applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 4, 1997
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Larry J. Hornbeck
  • Patent number: 5589879
    Abstract: White balance control for a video camera is strongly influenced by remarkably change of brightness level, color of an object and photographing conditions. An automatic white balance control device according to the present invention for a video camera can control white balance by controlling timming of outputing control signals for controlling gains of amplifiers for control white balance and changing signal process of a picture image in accordance with a percentage of white color shared in the picture image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 31, 1996
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Saito, Yasuhiro Shinkai
  • Patent number: 5552836
    Abstract: In an image signal processing apparatus which processes image signals, a plurality of different kinds of digital image signals are formed by delaying a digital image signal which was obtained by digitizing an analog image signal. When new digital image signals are formed using the plurality of different kinds of digital image signals, the apparatus is controlled so that a power-consumption state of at least one of a circuit for forming digital image signals and a circuit for delaying digital image signals is lower during a predetermined time period within the analog image signal. It it thereby possible to reduce power consumption of the apparatus, and to simplify the circuitry of the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1996
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kousuke Nobuoka
  • Patent number: 5552840
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a projection type liquid crystal display. In a preferred aspect, the projection type liquid crystal display of the invention includes an optical source for generating light, a light dividing unit which divides the light into a first light having a first polarization direction and a second polarization direction and allows the first and second lights to come out in different directions from each other, a pair of reflective liquid crystal display elements formed of a first reflective liquid crystal display element and a second reflective liquid crystal display element with synchronization, a light synthesizing unit for receiving the first light which comes out of the first reflective liquid crystal display element and the second light which comes out of the second reflective liquid crystal display element and synthesizing the first and second lights into image light, and a screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1996
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yutaka Ishii, Yoshitaka Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 5550647
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a bit conversion part for converting an input multilevel image signal obtained via raster scanning into an output multilevel image signal through an MTF correction processes; a bi-level rendition part for performing a bi-level rendition processes with respect to the output multilevel image signal so that a first bi-level image signal is produced, and for performing a pseudo halftone rendition process with respect to the input multilevel image signal to generate a second bi-level image signal; a discrimination part for detecting whether a picture element indicated by the input multilevel image signal is located in a halftone region of an original image or in a bi-level region thereof, and an image synthesizing part for outputting the first bi-level image signal to an output device when the picture element is detected as being located in the bi-level region of the original image and for outputting the second bi-level image signal to the output device when the picture eleme
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 27, 1996
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazumasa Koike
  • Patent number: 5548324
    Abstract: A computer-implemented process, apparatus, and system for displaying multiple video streams at the same time on a single display monitor, where at least two of the video streams may have different frame rates. Data structures containing linked control blocks are used to process the multiple video streams, where each control block contains information used in scaling and converting a single unscaled bitmap corresponding to a single frame of a video stream. In a preferred embodiment, the invention provides video conferencing capabilities between multiple remotely located participants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 20, 1996
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Terry Downs, Judith A. Goldstein
  • Patent number: 5543837
    Abstract: A photometry device having a first and a second imaging device, a control mechanism and a photometry measurement mechanism. The first and second imaging devices include light-sensitive elements which are sensitive to complementary colors dispose thereon in a 2.times.2 matrix. The control mechanism controls the first and second imaging devices to construct luminance signals in accordance with the output signals of the first and second imaging devices. The photometry measurement mechanism carries out photometry measurement in accordance with the luminance signals constructed by the control mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 6, 1996
    Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Harumi Aoki, Nobuhiro Tani, Keiji Sawanobori
  • Patent number: 5543832
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for projecting an image of a surgical field along an optical path to intersect a display screen which is nonperpendicular to the optical path and adjacent the surgical field. A video projector projects the image along the optical path through a tilted projection optic or compensator, and mirrors locate the optical path adjacent the surgical field. A sterilizable display screen is located in the optical path adjacent the surgical field so that a normal to the screen is noncoincident with the optical path and the projected image on the screen is of constant focus across the screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 6, 1996
    Assignee: Laser Surge, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael G. Oravecz, Roger J. Greenwald, Daniel E. McGarry, Jude S. Sauer
  • Patent number: 5543836
    Abstract: The disclosed image sensing apparatus includes a first circuit for forming a first signal to control gains of various color signals included in the outputs of an image sensing device in accordance with the levels of the various color signals, a second circuit for forming a second signal to control the gains of the various color signals in accordance with a color temperature of an object to be photographed, and a gain control circuit for controlling and determining the gains of the various color signals by mixing the first and second signals formed by the first and second circuits, in which a high accurate white balance adjustment is effected and the variation of the color temperature of the object is followed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 6, 1996
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, P.C.
    Inventors: Teruo Hieda, Masao Suzuki, Hitoshi Narita
  • Patent number: 5543936
    Abstract: This invention relates to an image processing system which relies upon quantization and dithering techniques to enable an output device, which has a given number of output levels, to accurately reproduce a image which is generated by an input device, which has a greater or equal number of input levels. Generally, neither the number of input nor output levels need to be a power of two. The present invention is implemented in a number of different embodiments. These embodiments generally rely upon an image processor which, depending on the particular implementation, includes memory devices and an adder, a comparator, or a bit shifter. Additional embodiments use an image adjustment system to refine the raw input levels of the input device, in order to create an improved output image. Also, the particular embodiments of the image processors can be used in connection with imaging systems having bi-tonal, monochromatic, or color input and output devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 6, 1996
    Assignee: Digital Equipment Corporation
    Inventor: Robert A. Ulichney
  • Patent number: 5537156
    Abstract: A video imaging system having an image memory for storing a plurality of image frames and a video display having a matrix of pixels. Apparatus generates addresses for accessing pixels stored in the image memory to be displayed on the video display. The address generating apparatus includes a programmable mapping memory for storing a pixel descriptor of each pixel to be displayed on the video display, each pixel descriptor including a pixel group identification field which identifies a group of pixels on the video display, and an address field which includes address information of the image memory of pixels to be displayed. An address manager and a control causes each pixel descriptor read out of the mapping memory to be processed according to its pixel group to effect multiple format display of multiple format source video.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 16, 1996
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Andrew S. Katayama
  • Patent number: 5532758
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an analog image signal clamp and an A/D converter that converts the analog image signal into an m bit digital signal. The clamp is controlled in accordance with an n+1 (m>n) bit digital image signal converted by the A/D converter and an n bit digital image signal portion of the m bit digital image signal is processed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 2, 1996
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Honma
  • Patent number: 5532764
    Abstract: In a convergence error detecting apparatus for use in combination with a display system of a projection type which displays, onto a display panel, a projected image signal which has a first synchronization signal of a predetermined frequency, and for detecting a convergence error signal representative of a convergence error appearing on the projected image signal, image pickup device is operated by a second synchronization signal of a frequency different from the predetermined frequency, for picking up the projected image signal to produce a pickup image signal by the use of the second synchronization signal, and processing unit processes the pickup image signal to detect the convergence error and to produce a convergence error signal representative of the convergence error. The convergence error signal is supplied to the display system to remove the convergence error in the display system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 2, 1996
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Yohichi Itaki
  • Patent number: 5532742
    Abstract: In an image pickup apparatus with a horizontal line interpolation function having a plurality of solid state image pickup elements, three chrominance signals obtained from the plurality of solid state image pickup elements are shifted in vertical phase from one another, whereby when a horizontal interpolation line is synthesized, in the case where the interpolated video signal is viewed as a whole of three chrominance signals (e.g. when a luminance signal synthesized from G, R, and B signals by matrix operation is considered), deterioration in vertical frequency response characteristic can be reduced, and deterioration in vertical sharpness of an image can be reduced. Further, by combining a frame signal in a pseudo fashion, a high-quality frame still image can be formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 2, 1996
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroya Kusaka, Takashi Sakaguchi, Masaaki Nakayama
  • Patent number: 5530474
    Abstract: In controlling the gain of plural color signals, for the purpose controlling the white balance of a video signal released from an image pickup device and including the above-mentioned plural color signals, there is provided a calculation circuit for calculating color temperature information according to the plural color signals and forming a gain control signal according to the color temperature information, and the variable range of the gain control signal is set at one of mutually non-overlapping plural ranges, whereby the correction error of the white balance is rendered visually inconspicuous.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 25, 1996
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirofumi Takei
  • Patent number: 5528296
    Abstract: A graphics data unit (17) for a digital television receiver (10) that uses a spatial light modulator (16). The graphics data unit (17) has a graphics processor (22), which offloads graphics processing tasks, such as for closed captioning and on-screen display, from a main processor (14). The graphics data unit (17) also has a character memory (24), which stores fonts for closed caption and on-screen display characters. A read-only memory (22a) stores graphics primitives. The character fonts and the graphics primitives may be adapted to compensate for staggered pixel layouts of the spatial light modulator (16).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 18, 1996
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Robert J. Gove, Richard C. Meyer, John R. Reder, Scott D. Heimbuch
  • Patent number: 5528388
    Abstract: Each color dot is displayed by three original color components. In each color dot, a brightness is calculated in accordance with brightness constants for the three original color components and three original color component data. In accordance with brightness calculated for dots to be displayed, the dots are grouped by the brightness and ranges for grouping of the dots. Among each grouped dots, data are equalized in each of the three original color component data to be stored in place of the three original color component data obtained by a scanner, a video camera, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 18, 1996
    Assignee: Hudson Soft Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yuji Tanaka