Patents Examined by John K. Peng
  • Patent number: 6118498
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for masking program selection latency in an MPEG-like information stream receiver, such as an ATSC or DVB television receiver. An information stream receiver receives VSB- or QAM-modulated signals comprising an MPEG-like system streams including program transport streams. In a channel scanning mode of operation, a plurality of identified program transport streams (i.e., channels) are sequentially retrieved from one or more system streams. A portion of each retrieved program transport stream, such as an intra-frame encoded video frame within an included elementary video stream, is extracted and stored in a memory. In a channel changing mode of operation, if a desired channel is one of the sequentially scanned channels, then the stored I-frame is retrieved and coupled to a decoder while the desired channel is re-acquired by tuning, demodulating, and demultiplexing operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2000
    Assignee: Sarnoff Corporation
    Inventor: Glenn Arthur Reitmeier
  • Patent number: 6115078
    Abstract: A sharpness processing method and apparatus, and a storage medium storing a program, for presenting images with increased perspective or three-dimensional effect. At least two points are designated in a direction of distance on an original image displayed on a display screen. The original image is divided by lines extending perpendicular to and touching opposite ends of a vector defined by the two points. An output image in the proper perspective is obtained by applying no processing to a near view area in the original image, applying a uniformly strong blur processing to a distant view area, and processing an intermediate area in a way to increase blur gradually in the direction indicated by the vector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2000
    Assignee: Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masatoshi Kino
  • Patent number: 6111595
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for transmitting video over telephone lines is provided. FM data is produced representative of a video picture to be transmitted and synchronization data concerning the transmitted picture is also produced. The FM data and the synchronization data are transmitted via telephone lines to a receiver. A pair of memories is provided in the receiver. The receiver uses the synchronization data to coordinate the storage and display of the received pictures. One memory displays the picture while the other memory is being loaded. The memories are toggled so that the memory from which the previously stored data is displayed becomes the memory being loaded and the memory being loaded becomes the memory from which previously stored data is displayed. Alternatively, one memory is a load memory while the other memory is a display memory. After the incoming picture is stored in the load memory, it is transferred to the display memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2000
    Assignee: Northern Information Technology
    Inventor: James P. Hertrich
  • Patent number: 6111610
    Abstract: In arrangements for the frame rate upconversion of motion-picture-source video, a 60 Hz (interlaced field rate or progressive scan frame rate) television signal is converted to a form suitable for display on a variable-frame-rate high-resolution progressively-scanned monitor of the type typically associated with a computer or with a television set employing an increased frame rate. The inherent 3-2 motion picture film pulldown pattern in the source signal is changed to an equal time frame pattern, such as 3-3, 4-4, or 5-5, when the source signal is converted to a higher frame rate. This may be accomplished when the increased progressively-scanned video display frame rate is an integral multiple of the motion picture frame rate, namely 72 Hz, 96 Hz and 120 Hz.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2000
    Assignee: Faroudja Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Yves C. Faroudja
  • Patent number: 6111613
    Abstract: A receiver which receives two-channel multiplex broadcasting by using television sub audio. Two-channel data and/or facsimile data which are multiplexed on the broadcasting sub audio band of the television broadcasting wave including a video band, a main audio band and a sub audio band are displayed, printed and output. The receiver may have a device for displaying and printing data multiplexed on the sub audio band of the FM broadcasting wave, and further may have a device for displaying a television picture. The receiver may perform only one, some or all of the functions of displaying, printing and outputting multiplexed data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2000
    Assignees: LSI Japan Co., Ltd., Asahi National Broadcasting Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kouji Sasano, Takashi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 6108042
    Abstract: An interactive video system is disclosed that processes a video data stream and an associated data stream corresponding to the video data stream. The interactive video system displays a video image defined by the video data stream on a display device and performs interactive command functions specified by the associated data stream. The interactive command functions include commands that specify placement of a video display window, commands that specify parameters of graphical objects that are associated with the video image and commands that specify pixel data or graphics description for the graphical object and commands for placement of selection windows and that specify interactive functions for the selection windows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2000
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Robert Adams, David M. Williams, John Richardson, Burt Perry
  • Patent number: 6104441
    Abstract: This disclosure provides for an image editing system that permits manipulation of compressed image formats without full decompression to the image domain. In particular, an editor manipulates discrete cosine transform ("DCT") coefficients for a dependent frame in a compressed image sequence to incorporate DCT representations of anchor frames upon which the dependent frame depends. Once converted, the frame can simply be reordered in the compressed domain without violating temporal dependencies, subject to bit rate matching. In one embodiment, an image sequence can be cut to leave remaining image frames which are then altered, so as to eliminate temporal dependencies upon eliminated frames. In another embodiment, an image sequence can be processed in the compressed domain for reverse-play. The editor provided by this disclosure permits real-time compressed domain editing applications, with reduced requirements for computational bandwidth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2000
    Assignee: Hewlett Packard Company
    Inventors: Susie J. Wee, Bhaskaran Vasudev
  • Patent number: 6100939
    Abstract: A intra-field time division tone display method for dividing the time width in a field of a TV signal into a plurality of subfields in the pixel storing time direction and displaying the TV image by controlling the presence or absence of light emission of the subfields and an apparatus therefor, wherein there are at least two subfields (most significant subfields) whose luminant time widths are longest and almost equal and when it is assumed that the tones are displayed in the ascending order starting from the lowest level of tone in light emission of the subfields, the tone of a TV image signal is displayed under a rule that two or more light emissions are not started from the aforementioned at least two most significant subfields at the same time, accordingly the dynamic false contour noise of a moving image followed by movement of the viewing point can be reduced remarkably and a moving image of high image quality and high quality can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2000
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Shigeo Mikoshiba, Takhiro Yamaguchi, Kohsaku Toda
    Inventors: Akihiko Kougami, Masaji Ishigaki, Shigeo Mikoshiba, Takahiro Yamaguchi, Kohsaku Toda
  • Patent number: 6100938
    Abstract: A gamma correction circuit for a television receiver includes a low pass filter for filtering a luminance signal gamma-corrected in a transmitter side and outputting a low frequency zone component luminance signal, a luminance signal corrector for compensating for a high frequency zone component with regard to a color signal transmitted from the transmitter side and the low frequency zone component luminance signal outputted from the low pass filter, an operator for applying a subtraction and a division with regard to the low frequency zone component luminance signal outputted from the low pass filter and the corrected luminance signal, and a color signal restoration unit for restoring a original color signal using the color signal corrected in the corrector and the luminance signal outputted from operator, for thereby being provided to a CPT (color picture tube).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2000
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Yeong-Ho Ha, Tae-Shik Kim
  • Patent number: 6097440
    Abstract: A synchronous control device is disclosed which is capable of obtaining stable synchronization regardless of the kind of image source even when the automatic synchronous control circuit cannot operate in the normal manner.The device includes a phase comparator, an integrator, a horizontal oscillation circuit, and a horizontal synchronous control circuit composed of a frequency measuring section consisting of a digital frequency measuring circuit, etc. and a control section consisting of a frequency determining circuit, an oscillation frequency control circuit, etc. The frequency measuring section measures the input horizontal synchronizing frequency and transfers it to the control section as digital data, and the control section determines the true value of the input synchronizing frequency by the frequency determining circuit while monitoring the transition of the frequency data per unit time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2000
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Masayuki Omori, Kiyohiro Oka
  • Patent number: 6097447
    Abstract: A digital deflection control system in a projection TV is provided which digitally integrates the configuration for converting the digital horizontal deflection signal outputted from the DCS into an analog signal to be applied to the deflection coil as an input, thereby reducing the production cost and realizing small-size product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2000
    Assignee: SamSung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jung Tae Kim, Deuk Young Kwon, Ki Hwan Kim, Hoe Jik Kim, Kwang Hoon Park
  • Patent number: 6097437
    Abstract: A format converter includes: a microcomputer for receiving horizontal and vertical synchronizing signals from a host, determining a video mode, and generating data that indicates the number of dots per a period of a horizontal output signal; a W-PLL and time generator for receiving the data from the microcomputer, and generating a write clock signal; an R-PLL and time generator for receiving the data and the horizontal synchronizing signal respectively generated by the microcomputer and the host, and generating a read clock signal; an AD converting section for sampling an analog picture signal received from the host according to the write clock signal of the W-PLL and time generator, and converting it to a digital picture signal; and a format converting section for storing the picture signal received from the AD converter according to the period of the write clock signal of the W-PLL and time generator, and converting the format of the stored picture signal according to the read clock signal received from the
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2000
    Assignee: SamSung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ho-Dae Hwang
  • Patent number: 6097445
    Abstract: A color display with a white balance self-adjusting function, including a DC-voltage-level/gain adjusting circuit for adjusting, on the basis of adjustment data, the DC voltage level and the gain of each of R, G and B primary color signals, thereby outputting the adjusted signals. Also includes is a CRT driving circuit responsive to the output signals of the DC-voltage-level/gain adjusting circuit for outputting CRT driving signals to drive the color CRT of the display, and a cathode current detecting circuit for detecting currents flowing through the cathode electrodes of the color CRT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2000
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kenji Goto, Hiroshi Karasuda, Takeo Hagiwara
  • Patent number: 6094212
    Abstract: This invention proposes to eliminate the limitation that the reception data, assigned to a subchannel, cannot be re-assigned to another subchannel in the transmission. For this purpose, in a configuration of the present invention, the transmission information, formed by multiplexing information of plural kinds in a multiplexing unit, is transmitted to a line control unit which is connected to a communication line and serves to transmit and receive information to and from different locations, while the reception information received from the communication line is received by the line control unit and separated in a demultiplexing unit into the information of respective kinds, and at least one is selected by an entire control unit from thus separated plural information and is turned back to the multiplexing unit through a turn-back bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2000
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Eiji Imaeda
  • Patent number: 6094236
    Abstract: A tuner circuit comprising a first frequency conversion means 14 for converting a high frequency input signal into a first intermediate frequency signal according to a first local oscillation signal, a second frequency conversion means 19 for converting the first intermediate frequency signal from the first frequency conversion means 14 into a second intermediate frequency signal according to a second local oscillation signal, a first PLL means 24 for controlling the first local oscillation signal so as to synchronize the phase of the signal with that of a reference oscillation signal having a fixed frequency, a second PLL means 31 for controlling the second local oscillation signal so as to synchronize the phase of the signal with that of a reference oscillation signal. In the first PLL means 24, a phase comparison frequency is set to a frequency higher than a specified value. In the second PLL means 31, a phase comparison frequency is set to a frequency lower than a specified value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2000
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Shuji Abe, Hideki Oto, Toshimasa Adachi, Katsuya Kudo
  • Patent number: 6091461
    Abstract: A projection display device wherein a modulated laser beam is scanned across a viewing surface by a system of rotating mirrors. A correcting mirror is provided for introducing small variations in the path of the beam. An instantaneous position of the beam on the viewing surface is monitored and a deviation between the actual pattern traversed by the beam and a predetermined scanning pattern is detected. The angular position of the correcting mirror is adjusted to reduce the deviation between the actual scanning pattern and the predetermined scanning pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2000
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Corporation of America
    Inventor: George S. Bardmesser
  • Patent number: 6091459
    Abstract: To provide an OSD circuit needing little load for the control command transfer for displaying a background color, a OSD circuit of the invention comprises a background color control circuit (4) for out-putting three color signals and a blanking signal generated by a character generator (3), when a background control signal supplied from the command processor is inactive, said background control signal made active when the video picture is to be replaced with a background color, and outputting the three color signals generated by the character generator during the blanking signal is active and background color signals for displaying the background color during the blanking signal is inactive, together with a background blanking signal for suppressing signals of all of the video picture instead of the blanking signal, when the background control signal is active.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2000
    Assignee: NEC Corportion
    Inventor: Yasufumi Masaike
  • Patent number: 6088063
    Abstract: There occurs an output timing lag between audio and video, for example, in case of building a system. Excessive frame skipping, etc. occurs. Prior to comparing a PTS and an SCR of MPEG within an apparatus, an offset value is added to the value of PTS. A minus offset value is used for a fast decode process. Offset values are written into an audio offset value register etc. by a host CPU. A value obtained by adding PTS and an offset value and an internal clock SSC depending on an SCR are compared by an adder-subtracter. If comparison shows the decode process is still fast, a decision controller instructs, for example, display of the same frame twice.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2000
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kosuke Shiba
  • Patent number: 6084643
    Abstract: A receiving method in the receiving equipment in, first, a service table composed of channel numbers currently on air is made and, if the channel key is judged to be pressed, a channel number searched from the service table is displayed on the screen. If the channel key is judged to be pressed continuously, only the channel numbers are changed and if the channel key is judged to be released, a channel selection is started. There is thus provideded a receiving equipment capable of swiftly selecting a desired channel of the television broadcasting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2000
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yuriko Kishtaka, Tetsuya Kohno, Naoki Kigawa, Toshiro Ozawa, Mika Ito, Kazuhiro Akaike
  • Patent number: 6084642
    Abstract: A receiver for receiving a cable and terrestrial digital signals of differing VSB modes where the data levels of the various signals have a desired relationship that enables simple data level slicing and error determination. Some of the signals have sync levels that do not conform to the desired relationship and the receiver includes a comb filter for reducing interference when receiving an 8VSB terrestrial signal. The mode of the received signal is determined and a correction factor is applied to the syncs of the signals as needed to reestablish the desired relationship. Operation of the comb filter results in additional levels and a disruption of the desired relationship. For such cases, the comb filtered data levels are modified to make them a subset of the VSB 16 data levels. The modifications are accomplished in feedback paths of the phase tracker after the circuit equalizer and do not affect the data levels passed to the next stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2000
    Assignee: Zenith Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Gopalan Krishnamurthy