Patents Examined by Michael H. Lee
  • Patent number: 7221405
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for portable and universal receipt of closed captioning services by a user are provided in accordance with the invention. The invention permits a user to receive closed captioning services wherever he or she may be viewing video content with an audio component in accordance with a video/audio content display system (e.g., television set, computer monitor, movie theater), regardless of whether the content display system provides closed captioning capabilities. Also, the invention permits a user to receive closed captioning services independent of the video/audio content display system that they are using to view the video content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Sara H. Basson, Dimitri Kanevsky
  • Patent number: 7221407
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for use with televisions having an internal Java engine are included among the embodiments. In exemplary systems, a PCMCIA port allows the Java engine to load and execute Java applets selected by the viewer. Provision is made for system-aware applets to run concurrently with platform-independent applets on different Java display planes that are merged for display. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2007
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Jon Arthur Fairhurst, Henry Y. Fang, Bryan Severt Hallberg, Mark Gregory Hanley, Vishnu Kumar Shivaj Rao, Jeffrey B. Sampsell
  • Patent number: 7218358
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for calibrating color temperature of color display devices aims to calibrate output bases of RGB three original color lights of a color display device so that different color display devices can radiate the same color temperature in the same color temperature settings. The method of the invention uses a colorimeter to obtain current chromaticity value radiated from the color display device in a standard color representation system and in the condition of known output bases of the current three original color light signals, and through calculation to obtain the proportional relationship of the current radiating color temperature and an objective color temperature in the same standard color representation system, and based on which to derive the output bases of the required three original color light signals corresponding to the objective color temperature to be calibrated. The results are written through the apparatus into a color profile of the color display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Coretronic Corporation
    Inventors: Yung-Chih Chen, Tun-Chiech Yang
  • Patent number: 7215361
    Abstract: A method for automatically measuring the modulation transfer function of an imager is disclosed. A opaque mask is placed over selected columns and rows of the imager during fabrication. In the course of an automated process, photons are uniformly shone over the image sensor. The amount of the input signal that flows from the unmasked pixel cells to the masked pixel cells can then be measured and the modulation transfer function can be determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2007
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin Duesman, Jeffrey Bruce, Peter P. Altice, Jr., Moshe Reuven, Donald E. Robinson, Ed Jenkins, Joey Shah
  • Patent number: 7215375
    Abstract: A method for line average de-interlacing decodes a picture to form macro blocks (MBs), calculates line average values to form a threshold, produces de-interlacing flags by comparing the line average values and the threshold, realizes Temporal Extension action and performs Devour action. The Temporal Extension action determines if the current de-interlace flag is set as WEAVE, determines if the flags in the same position in other flag buffers are set as BOB and sets the de-interlace flags as BOB2. The Devour action determines if the de-interlace flag is BOB. If positive, it calculates the amount of BOB data within a predetermined area around the current MB, determines if the result is smaller than the BOB threshold and sets the de-interlace flag as WEAVE. Otherwise, it calculates the amount of the WEAVE data, determines if the result is smaller than the WEAVE threshold and sets the de-interlace flag as BOB2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2007
    Assignee: Ali Corporation
    Inventors: Yueyong Chen, Jian Zhu
  • Patent number: 7215376
    Abstract: A digital image enhancer includes a deinterlacing processor receptive to an interlaced video stream. The deinterlacing processor includes a first deinterlacer and a second deinterlacer and provides a deinterlaced video stream. The digital image enhancer also includes a video output processor receptive to the output of the deinterlaced video stream to provide a scaled, deinterlaced video stream. A portable DVD player including the digital video enhancer has a generally thin prismatic enclosure having a first major surface, a second major surface separated from said first major surface, and side surfaces connecting the first major surface to the second major surface. At least a portion of the first major surface includes a video display, and the enclosure includes a DVD entry port such that a DVD can be inserted into the enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2007
    Assignee: Silicon Image, Inc.
    Inventors: Dale R. Adams, Laurence A. Thompson, Jano D. Banks, David C. Buuck, Cheng Hwee Chee
  • Patent number: 7212246
    Abstract: An image signal format detection apparatus and method. The image signal format detection apparatus includes a first summed absolute difference (SAD) value calculation unit for calculating, from a previous field, a current field, and a next field of a time-consecutive image signal, a first SAD value with reference to pixel values of the current field and the previous field. A second SAD value calculation unit calculates a second SAD value with reference to pixel values of the current field and the next field. A pattern generation unit generates a detection pattern based on a result of a comparison of the first and second SAD values,; and a pattern analysis unit stores the detection pattern by field, compares the stored detection pattern of a series of fields with a predetermined verification pattern, and determines whether the image signal is an image signal produced in 2:2 pull-down.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: You-young Jung, Young-ho Lee, Seung-joon Yang
  • Patent number: 7212252
    Abstract: A method for transmitting data to a receiver comprises the steps of transmitting a pre-conditioning signal to the receiver, and beginning to transmit at least one data packet to the receiver within a given period after beginning transmission of the pre-conditioning signal. The preconditioning signal is separate from a leader of the data packet to be transmitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Sedna Patent Services, LLC
    Inventors: Sergei Kuznetsov, Whitney Blackmon
  • Patent number: 7206032
    Abstract: A CPU stores, when there is a difference between current channel information and new channel information obtained by a new channel search, the new channel information in a memory while holding a state where the current channel information is registered (contents stored in a non-volatile memory). The CPU displays on a screen the channel information between which the difference is presented using an OSD circuit, and changes the contents of the registration of the current channel information on the basis of the new channel information by a user operation on the screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2007
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Toru Shibusawa
  • Patent number: 7202911
    Abstract: An apparatus comprising a de-interlacer circuit, a rate converter circuit and a zoom circuit. The de-interlacer circuit may be configured to generate a first progressive signal having a first rate in response to an interlaced signal. The rate converter circuit may be configured to generate a second progressive signal having a second rate in response to the first progressive signal. The zoom circuit may be configured to generate an output video signal in response to the second progressive signal. The output video signal may represent a portion of the second progressive signal having a frame size equal to a frame size of the interlaced signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2007
    Assignee: LSI Logic Corporation
    Inventor: Herve Brelay
  • Patent number: 7202915
    Abstract: One aspect of the present invention relates to a system and method for selecting the sources of at least two shows capable of being received and displayed by an entertainment system. The user selects for viewing, a first show associated with a first channel from a first source. The first show is then displayed. The user also selects for viewing, a second show associated with a second channel from any one of the first and a second sources. The second show is then displayed. A second aspect of the present invention relates to a system and method for selecting the sources of at least two shows capable of being received and displayed by an entertainment system. The user selects for viewing, a first show associated with a first channel from a first source. The first show is displayed on a first portion of a display screen. The user also selects for viewing, a second show associated with a second channel from any one of the first and a second sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2007
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: David Alan Desch
  • Patent number: 7202908
    Abstract: A display processor integrated circuit includes a display processor portion and an on-chip programmable logic portion. The programmable logic portion can be configured to implement custom video and/or image enhancement functions. The display processor portion performs block-based motion detection. If no motion is detected for a given block of pixels, then interline gaps in the block are filled using temporal interpolation. If motion is detected, then interline gaps are filled using spatial interpolation. To maintain accuracy without unduly increasing computational complexity, a less complex high angle spatial interpolation method is employed where a low angle tilt condition is not detected. A more computationally intensive low angle spatial interpolation method can therefore be employed in low angle tilt conditions. Integrated circuit cost is reduced by employing pipelining to write parts of segment buffers at the same time that other parts are being read to perform the interpolation process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2007
    Inventors: Qinggang Zhou, Clyde H. Nagakura, Sheng-Fu Wu, Andrew K. Chan
  • Patent number: 7199819
    Abstract: Feature quantities of a transmitted picture and a received picture are extracted from a first and second block-by-block feature quantity extraction parts which are provided on a transmitting and receiving sides, respectively. The extracted feature quantities are transmitted to a block degradation calculation part which compares the transmitted feature quantities and finds the degree of picture quality degradation for each block. Next, a median filter replaces the degree of picture quality degradation for the each block with a median of the degrees of picture quality degradation among the neighboring blocks of the each block. Then, a degraded block detection part compares the median with a predetermined threshold and detects a degraded block. Finally, a degraded region detection part removes an isolated degraded block and detects a degraded region. According to the invention, local picture quality degradation in a frame caused by transmission failure can be automatically detected with high accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: KDDI Corporation
    Inventors: Osamu Sugimoto, Ryoichi Kawada, Atsushi Koike, Masahiro Wada
  • Patent number: 7193662
    Abstract: A projector employing a linear array of light-emitting sources forms a super pixel in the form of a plurality of beams that are focused onto scanning optics that cause the beams to move across a viewing surface on a first axis for defining image lines along the first axis and on a second axis such that super pixel overwrites every addressable spot on the viewing surface thereby producing interleaved and staggered scan patterns that hide the effect of burned out, misdirected, or marginally operating light-emitting sources that would otherwise result in a degraded projected image. An alignment system that includes alignment electronics that is responsive to a charge-coupled device facilitate adjusting the scanning optics to allow precise alignment of individual ones of the light-emitting sources and to detect burnt out individual ones of the light-emitting sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Inventor: Winthrop D. Childers
  • Patent number: 7193658
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of managing an image display apparatus of the present invention. The method includes the steps of: (a) obtaining a first information on a predetermined output image format; (b) obtaining a second information on an input image format and a data broadcasting contents format; (c) comparing the first information on the predetermined output image format with the second information on the input image format and the data broadcasting contents format; (d) controlling output modes of the input image format and the data broadcasting contents format according to the predetermined output image format based on a comparison result of the output image format, the input image and the data broadcasting contents format performed by the comparing unit; and (e) outputting on image display unit the input image and the data broadcasting contents output modes of which are processed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Min Seok Jang
  • Patent number: 7193656
    Abstract: Presented herein is a line address computer for providing chroma coefficients to a chroma filter. At each horizontal synchronization pulse, the line address computer provides a set of interpolation weights to a chroma filter. The chroma filter uses the provided set of weights to interpolate pixels in chroma pixel positions in a display format from chroma pixels in another format.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Mallinath Hatti, Lakshmanan Ramakrishnan
  • Patent number: 7190411
    Abstract: An image processing system includes a frame store, a processing means and a monitor. The frame store stores a sequence of images from a film or video clip that will eventually be transferred to film for viewing in a theater. The image sequence is processed and possibly combined with other clips, resulting in changes to the color balance, intensity and contrast of the output clip. The image processing system, the monitor and the process of eventual transfer to film, have non-linear transfer characteristics, including gamma characteristics. These are combined in a single look-up table in a graphics card, so that images displayed on the monitor have an appearance matching that of the same images when viewed in the theater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2007
    Assignee: Autodesk Canada Co.
    Inventor: Laurence Cloutier
  • Patent number: 7190413
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for storing image data comprising a first storage device and a second storage device. The first storage device may be configured to store at least one first pixel from a first field of a frame of the image at a first physical address in the first storage device. The second storage device may be configured to store a second pixel from a second field of the frame of the image at a second physical address in the second storage device. The first and second physical addresses may have the same relative position in an address space of the respective storage devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2007
    Assignee: LSI Logic Corporation
    Inventors: Elliot N. Linzer, Ho-Ming Leung
  • Patent number: 7187420
    Abstract: An image display system comprises a first liquid crystal projector which projects a counterclockwise-rotating, circularly polarized light beam to form an image containing specific visual information on a screen and a second liquid crystal projector which projects a clockwise-rotating, circularly polarized light beam to form a white image on the same screen. When viewed with the naked eye, a combination of the two images projected on the screen appears totally white. A viewer wearing a dedicated viewing device equipped with an optical filter which allows counterclockwise-rotating, circularly polarized light to pass through can selectively see the image projected by the first liquid crystal projector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Yoshiharu Hirakata, Jun Koyama, Satoshi Teramoto
  • Patent number: 7187418
    Abstract: T Systems and methods for providing picture-in-picture, or other multi-picture displays. Some of the systems include two or more video and/or data signals that are coupled to a transmission device. In addition, a selector signal is coupled to the transmission device. The transmission device also includes a video output that, based at least in part on the selector signal, provides a derivative of one of the video and/or data signals at a first compression and bandwidth, and the other video and/or data signal at a second compression and bandwidth. Various of the methods include utilize the systems to transmit two or more video outputs based at least in part on a selector signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Qwest Communications International, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce A. Phillips, Steven M. Casey, Kurt A. Campbell, Donald Brodigan