Patents Examined by Michael H. Lee
  • Patent number: 6774952
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for vertically scaling a video picture comprising receiving and storing lines of a video frame of a video picture, reading lines of the frame into linestores, applying the lines to a vertical filter and providing an output video line as a function of the lines. Reading the lines of the frame into linestores comprises reading M lines of each successive 2nd line of the frame lines into the linestores. Following generation of the output video line, a further X lines are read from the framestore into the linestores to provide a further set of M lines in the linestores. The M lines are applied to the vertical filter to provide a further output video line as a function of the lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Assignee: LSI Logic Corporation
    Inventor: Martin John Ratcliffe
  • Patent number: 6771317
    Abstract: An electronic program schedule system with product ordering capability which includes a data processor for receiving program schedule information for a plurality of programs, and a user control apparatus, such as a remote controller, for generating user control commands and transmitting signals to the data processor in response thereto. The television program schedule information is displayed on a display apparatus such as a television receiver. A video display generator receives video control commands from the data processor and program schedule information and displays a portion of the program schedule information on the receiver. The program schedule information indicates the availability of a product or service for certain of the programs included in the program information, wherein the product or service is associated with the program, such as a program transcript or videocassette.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2004
    Assignee: United Video Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Dean Ellis, Bruce Davis, Edward Bruce Knudson, Larry Miller
  • Patent number: 6771324
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide equipment, particularly a display, capable of easily corresponding to two or more types of remote controllers (for example, remote controllers of different manufacturers) while restraining cost increases as far as possible. Equipment according to the present invention comprises: initializing means for initializing so as to correspond to any one of plural types of remote controllers; and switching means for switching the initializing means so as to correspond to the remote controller using any one of the plural types of remote controllers. Thereby, the equipment is initialized so as to correspond to any one of the plurality of remote controllers, and it is possible to prevent misoperation due to other remote controllers. Also, by switching the initializing means by using any remote controller, switching can be performed if only a desired remote controller is available.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2004
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Video and Information Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Toshimitsu Watanabe, Kuninori Matsumi, Tomoharu Nakiri
  • Patent number: 6771318
    Abstract: A signal of a desired channel is selected by a tuner from digital broadcasting is received by an antenna. The condition of the radio wave received by the antenna, which is judged from an AGC signal of the signal of the channel selected by the tuner, a Sync signal detected by a synchronization establishment unit and the number of errors which have not been corrected by a forward error corrector 10, is displayed on an indicator. The receiving direction or position of the antenna can be easily decided on the basis of the condition of the received radio wave of the antenna, which is displayed on the indicator, so that received video has a C/N within thresholds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kunio Ninomiya
  • Patent number: 6771320
    Abstract: A contrast enhancement apparatus of a video signal comprises a coefficient generation unit for generating a low frequency mapping coefficient which increases or attenuates the low frequency component of the video signal, a minimum value processing unit for detecting the minimum value of the video signal, an edge detection unit for detecting rapid luminance change in the vertical and horizontal direction, a logarithmic conversion unit for converting logarithm by receiving the inputted video signal, a low-pass filter for passing a low frequency component of the logarithm-converted signal, a high-pass filter for passing a high frequency component of the logarithm-converted signal, a first multiplier for multiplying the low frequency mapping coefficient and a signal which passes low-pass filter, a second multiplier for multiplying the signal passes the high-pass filter by the signal outputted from the edge detection unit, a first adder for adding the signals outputted from the first multiplier and the second mult
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2004
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Sang Um Choi
  • Patent number: 6771307
    Abstract: In an image calibration device 10, a calibration pattern is projected onto a screen 4 from each projector 3 under control of a personal computer or other calibration device 10a, pictures are taken by a digital camera or other image pick-up device 11, and the results are supplied to the calibration device 10a. The calibration device 10a uses the supplied picture data to calculate parameters in order to perform picture positioning, color adjustment, brightness adjustment and other adjustments and corrections, and based on the calculation results transforms the original picture data, generates and supplies signals indicating projection conditions to each of the projectors 3, and performs image calibration control of the pictures projected by each projector 3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2004
    Assignee: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuji Waki, Tadashi Nishio, Akihiro Kubota, Masaki Higurashi
  • Patent number: 6771316
    Abstract: The method and apparatus operates in a television receiver to identify unwanted broadcast segments, such as commercial advertisements, of a television signal in real-time for the purpose of selectively altering the television display during each unwanted segment. A signature pattern associated with each segment of the television signal is detected and compared to stored signature patterns representative of selected segments such as commercial advertisement segments. If the signature pattern matches one of the stored signature patterns, the segment is thereby immediately identified as being one of the selected segments and is processed in real-time to mute or otherwise alter the television signal during the segment. If the signature pattern of the segment does not match any of the stored signature patterns, the segment is analyzed to determine whether the segment is nevertheless a selected segment and, if so, its signature pattern is stored along with the stored signature patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2004
    Inventor: Jerry Iggulden
  • Patent number: 6768520
    Abstract: In computer monitors having a picture tube, it may be seen that a small white picture area is displayed with the same white value as a large white picture area. If it were intended to achieve the same result for a television receiver with a picture tube, a voltage supply is necessary in which the power is permitted to fluctuate between 60 and 300 watts given a stable output voltage. On account of the lower luminous efficiency, this effect would have considerably intensified repercussions on the power consumption of plasma screens. The invention is based on the object of providing a simplified method for regulating the picture power in a television receiver. The method according to the invention is distinguished by the following steps. The power consumption of the picture power is obtained by the video voltage R, G, B. The video voltage is converted into an information item which is then a measure of the picture power. This information item is subsequently fed to two regulating loops.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2004
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing S.A.
    Inventors: GĂ©rard Rilly, Hossein Ahmari, Hans Guenter Bicheler, Stefan Kimmelmann
  • Patent number: 6768518
    Abstract: A wavelet domain filtering technique is disclosed that removes or at least minimizes checkerboard-like noise artifacts that result from capturing a composite NTSC video signal. A Haar basis filter bank is used to obtain a two-level wavelet decomposition. Low-pass filtering is performed on the high-high (HH) and the high-low (HL) bands of the wavelet decomposition since the checkerboard-like noise artifact is primarily visible on the vertical and the diagonal edges of the captured composite NTSC video frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2004
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Gozde Bozdagi
  • Patent number: 6769128
    Abstract: An electronic program schedule system with access to both stored television program schedule information and data feeds containing status information for live programs such as sporting events. The system includes a data processor for receiving program schedule information for a plurality of programs and data feeds containing status information for certain of the programs, and a video display generator for generating a display signal simultaneously comprising information from both the stored schedule information and the received data feed. The system is further provided with user control means such as a remote controller for generating user control commands and transmitting signals to the data processor in response thereto so as to control the content of the display signal. The display signal may be displayed on a display apparatus such as a television receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2004
    Assignee: United Video Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Alan Knee, Anthony R. Favia, Bruce Davis, Larry Miller
  • Patent number: 6768517
    Abstract: DTV signals transmitted over the air with a symbol rate of around 10.76 million samples per second include echo-cancellation reference (ECR) signals each of which includes or essentially consists of a repetitive-PN1023 sequence with baud-rate symbols, which repetitive-PN1023 sequence incorporates a number of consecutive data-segment synchronization signals. Receivers for these DTV signals respond to these ECR signals to generate initial weighting coefficients for adaptive filters used for channel equalization and echo suppression. The initial weighting coefficients are calculated from a cepstrum extracted from the repetitive-PN1023 sequence ECR signal by DFT methods or with a PN1023 auto-correlation match filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2004
    Inventors: Allen Le Roy Limberg, James Douglas McDonald, Chandrakant Bhailalbhai Patel
  • Patent number: 6765623
    Abstract: A method and apparatus that identifies the degree of correlation between a demodulated in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) signal that represents phase imbalance between the in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) signal and corrects the imbalance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Assignee: Conexant Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Jonathan Parker
  • Patent number: 6765628
    Abstract: A method for searching a predetermined satellite channel by making use of information available from the satellite. The method comprises three steps. The first step is searching for a service channel from the satellite, if found than the user look up table is updated with this information. A second step is updating the user look up table by using the receiver look up table, which is implemented in the satellite receiver. The third step is the conventionally search through the entire band till the predetermined channel is found.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Wilhelmus J. Van Houtum, Peter J. H. Rutten
  • Patent number: 6765621
    Abstract: A color system discriminator is provided with a frequency detector, a vertical-synchronizing frequency detector, a plurality of color demodulators, a demodulating switch, and a controller. The type of the color system of a received signal is determined with reference not only to the burst lock frequency indicated in the tuner detection signal and the phase of the R-Y color difference signal of the image signal, but also to the frequency of the sound carrier signal and the vertical synchronizing frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Masao Okada
  • Patent number: 6766528
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for displaying additional information on a TV program is disclosed. In the present invention, both a detail information included in the additional information transmitted by a broadcasting station or detail information obtained from an external source such as the Internet may be displayed to a user, it requested.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Jae Ryong Kim, Mun Youl Lee, Sung A Cho, Sang Won Chung, Se Jung Sohn
  • Patent number: 6762800
    Abstract: The circuit takes into account whether the image on a screen is too bright, whether more than one specific number of pixels have a luminance value that is greater than a given peak value and whether this condition is met in more than one specific number of lines in a picture and in more than one specific number of successive images with one such number of lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Assignee: Micronas GmbH
    Inventors: Xiaoning Nie, Dirk Wendel, Maik Brett
  • Patent number: 6762798
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for creating and manipulating a video window on a display associated with a television are disclosed. A set of parameters identifying a source region and a destination location in a source coordinate system are obtained where the source coordinate system includes a source origin at a location of the source coordinate system. A destination origin is set at a location of a destination coordinate system. The source region is then translated to a location within the destination coordinate system equivalent to the destination location in the source coordinate system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventors: Keith L. Messer, Jesus David Rivas, James Van Loo, Tao Ye
  • Patent number: 6762799
    Abstract: One frame of an image having 1312 pixels in the horizontal direction thereof is divided into 192 pixels at a time in the horizontal direction to obtain a plurality of image areas. The one frame of image data is subjected to synchronization processing repeatedly using a line memory that is capable of storing 192 pixels of data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenkichi Hayashi
  • Patent number: 6760078
    Abstract: In a radio receiver for digital television signals a digital filter supplies the in-phase synchrodyning circuitry a shaped spectral response to the digitized I-F signal. The amplitude-versus-frequency response of the digital filter rolls off through the carrier region, so that there is substantially no boost of the amplitudes of lower frequency components of the baseband symbol coding recovered by the in-phase synchrodyning circuitry, with respect to the amplitudes of higher frequency components of the baseband symbol coding such circuitry recovers. When the DTV receiver is initially tuned to a channel, the adaptation of the adaptive channel equalizer proceeds without having initially to compensate for the low-end boost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Allen LeRoy Limberg
  • Patent number: 6760076
    Abstract: There is disclosed a system and method for recovering a recurring data segment synchronization pattern in the presence of an arbitrary phase rotation of a pilot carrier by detecting and compensating for the amount of the phase rotation. The system comprises a first synchronization pattern detector capable of receiving a real component of a complex signal and detecting a data segment synchronization pattern on the real component, and a second synchronization pattern detector capable of receiving an imaginary component of a complex signal and detecting a data segment synchronization pattern on the imaginary component. There is also disclosed a method for compensating a pilot carrier phase rotation comprising the steps of determining the angle of pilot carrier phase rotation present in a complex signal and rotating the pilot carrier signal through the same angle in the opposite direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventor: Karl R. Wittig