Patents Examined by Paulos Natnael
  • Patent number: 8115872
    Abstract: A method of capturing digital broadcast images in a digital broadcast terminal is provided. Upon request for output of digital broadcasting from a user, video frames of received digital broadcast frames are decoded. Upon request for a multi-capture function from the user, digital broadcast images of the decoded video frames are captured at a predetermined number of shots per unit time and stored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., LTD
    Inventors: Kang-Wook Kim, Jong-Kerl Lee
  • Patent number: 8107012
    Abstract: The image processing apparatus 100 acquires the image signal F1 and includes a steepening amount calculation unit 110, a contour shift amount calculation unit 120, an integration correction amount calculation 130 and an image generation unit 140, which generate a corrected image signal F9 in such a way that there is an intersection between waveforms, and that there are two regions with different areas bordered by the waveforms which overlap at the intersection point, the waveforms expressing changes in each value in image spaces displayed by the image signal and the corrected image signal respectively, when a waveform which expresses changes in the differential values of the image signal relative to the image spaces is symmetrical in a contour region of the image shown by the image signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Shuichi Ojima, Bunpei Toji
  • Patent number: 8107011
    Abstract: Described herein is a method and system for video sequence evaluation in the presence of cross-chroma interference. When the luma and chroma components in an analog video sequence are separated, the luma component may add interference to the chroma component. This is called cross-chroma interference. In the evaluation of the video sequence, the cross-chroma interference may be interpreted as motion, noise, or other artifacts. By reducing the cross-chroma interference during the evaluation, motion and noise can be identified with greater probability. The proper identification can aid motion estimators used in video coding and motion compensated temporal filtering, and it can aid video filters that do not utilize motion compensation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Alexander MacInnis
  • Patent number: 8107019
    Abstract: A diaphragm control angle calculating portion 2 calculates an angle at which a diaphragm is controlled to control an amount of light that reaches from a lamp 6 to a display device 10 according to distribution information of an input video signal, such as the maximum value, the minimum value, the average value and the histogram of the signal, and the control angle is inputted to a fan control signal generating portion 3 and a diaphragm driving portion 8 as control angle information. The diaphragm driving portion 8 controls the angle of the diaphragm 9 based on the control angle information. Light from the lamp 6 driven by a lamp driving portion 5 enters the diaphragm 9, and the amount of light according to the angle of the diaphragm 9 enters the display device 10. The fan control signal generating portion 3 controls the rotation speed of a cooling fan 4 according to a combination of the control angle information and the temperature detected by a temperature sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Tetsuro Shiota
  • Patent number: 8107010
    Abstract: Media content is received in a windows management application. The media content is from a set of content including zero or more television signal content and zero or more application content. The media content is incorporated into a television signal containing a window configuration. The television signal is then sent from the windows management application to a television where it is displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Rovi Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel Putterman, Brad Dietrich, Gregory Peters, Richard Bullwinkle
  • Patent number: 8098327
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, when an input image signal is to be enlarged, a moving image frame rate converting apparatus performs, by a first image processing device for performing scaling and color format conversion on the input image signal before frame rate conversion, the color format conversion without performing the scaling, and performs, by a second image processing device for performing scaling on a post-conversion image signal after the frame rate conversion, the scaling so as to generate an output image signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Himio Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 8098334
    Abstract: A video image processing system is described that generates the interpolated video images with sharp and jaggedness-free edges. A method of video image processing is also described that interpolates video images to generate the video images with sharp and jaggedness-free edges. The video image processing system receives and makes input image data available for further processing; analyzes the local features of the input image data; filters the input image data before performing interpolation process; modifies the phase value adaptive to the local edge distance; rescales the input image data in horizontal interpolation using the modified phase value; and rescales the horizontally interpolated image data in vertical interpolation using modified phase value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignees: STMicroelectronics SA, STMicroelectronics Asia Pacific Pte., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yong Huang, Fritz Lebowsky, Haiyun Wang, Lucas Hui
  • Patent number: 8094237
    Abstract: A signal separation apparatus applied in an image transmission system for extracting a chrominance signal from an analog composite video signal and a related method are disclosed. The signal separation apparatus includes an analog-to-digital converter for generating a digital composite video signal by sampling the analog composite video signal; a median filter, coupled to the analog to digital converter, for generating a reference luminance signal according to the digital composite video signal; and a subtractor, coupled to the analog to digital converter and the median filter, for generating the chrominance signal according to a difference between the digital composite video signal and the reference luminance signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
    Inventor: Chia-Hao Hsiung
  • Patent number: 8085345
    Abstract: A double rate processing part generates, at a double rate, a non-interlaced image signal every frame to twice generate a double-rate non-interlaced signal which has identical information duplicately. An interlace part, after a predetermined process is carried out on the double-rate non-interlaced signal twice generated by the double rate processing part, extracts an odd scan lines from one of the twice generated double-rate non-interlaced signal to generate an odd scan line image signal, extracts an even scan lines from the other of the twice generated double-rate non-interlaced signal to generate an even scan line image signal, so as to obtain an interlaced image signal for one frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Yamauchi, Takahiro Fujimoto
  • Patent number: 8081255
    Abstract: An image converting apparatus includes a memory which can store frame information of an image to be played, and an image processing section which can read frame information from the memory and convert the frame rate to a predetermined frame rate in response to a predetermined state and in accordance with the play state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Mikio Koshimizu, Yasushi Sato, Takeo Tsumura, Yosihiro Minami
  • Patent number: 8077258
    Abstract: An image display apparatus includes the following elements. An IP converter performs signal conversion processing for converting an interlace signal into a progressive signal including information on interpolated pixels. A frame controller temporally divides an input image frame to generate a plurality of sub-frames. A high-frequency-enhanced sub-frame generator and a high-frequency-suppressed sub-frame generator perform filtering processing on the sub-frames to generate high-frequency-enhanced sub-frames and high-frequency-suppressed sub-frames, respectively. A first output controller alternately outputs the high-frequency-enhanced sub-frames and the high-frequency-suppressed sub-frames. A gain controller adjusts an output level of the sub-frames.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Take, Shoji Kosuge
  • Patent number: 8077260
    Abstract: A receiver processes a received signal for determining the presence of a co-channel interfering signal by (a) measuring a power level of a first signal in a first narrowband frequency region of a wideband frequency channel; (b) measuring power levels of signals in narrowband frequency regions adjacent to the first narrowband frequency region; and (c) determining if the first signal is an interfering signal in the wideband frequency channel as a function of the measured power levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventor: Aaron Reel Bouillet
  • Patent number: 8072543
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus includes a communication module which conducts communications with a plurality of external apparatuses, a storage module which stores an address list correlating a logical address and a physical address of each of the external apparatuses, a determination module which transmits a power-on signal to the external apparatus and thereafter determines a power state of the external apparatus, and an acquisition module which performs switching of input by the communication module after the determination module determines that the external apparatus has been powered on, and acquires apparatus information including the physical address of the external apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Masahiro Kamida
  • Patent number: 8068173
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an IP converter converts an interlaced color difference signal, in which the number of pixels in a vertical direction of a color difference signal is half that of a luminance signal, into a progressive color difference signal. A diagonal correlation detector detects a diagonal correlation of the progressive color difference signal, and obtains a correlative direction detected signal. A controller outputs a field selection signal to determine whether the progressive color difference signal is a signal in a top or bottom field. And a pixel generator changes a ratio between pixels of an nth and an n+1th line of the progressive color difference signal according to the field selection signal, when generating a new pixel by using corresponding pixels of the nth and n+1th lines based on the correlative direction detected signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Toshiyuki Namioka
  • Patent number: 8068185
    Abstract: While a user of a digital television gives a command to switch from a first channel to a second channel, a comparison between a first remembered volume of the first channel and a second remembered volume of the second channel is provided. According to the result of the comparison, a currently-used volume of the second channel may be adjusted from the first remembered volume to the second remembered volume iteratively and by step volumes so that the adjustment of the currently-used volume of the later channel is not annoying for the user. Moreover, the user is also allowed in determining a preferred volume to be the currently-used volume of the second channel. While the user of the digital television flips between channels, unnecessary updates in a volume setting of the second channel are abandoned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: ALI Corporation
    Inventor: Yue-Yong Chen
  • Patent number: 8068174
    Abstract: Devices and methods are disclosed for managing an output of an output stream. One embodiment relates to a method of tracking an output of an A/V decoder. In this embodiment, indication of an output stream time reference and a location of at least one output sample are received. The received time reference is compared to the output sample and the output sample rate of the A/V decoder is adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Brian Schoner
  • Patent number: 8068179
    Abstract: An on-screen display (OSD) device includes a memory, a processing unit, a buffer, a buffer controller, a decompression engine and an OSD video processing engine. The memory stores an OSD data to be played or processed. The processing unit reads the OSD data from the memory and produces a compressed OSD image data and OSD information. The buffer temporarily stores the compressed OSD image data for display. The decompression engine decompresses the compressed OSD image data temporarily stored in the buffer into an OSD image data and stores the OSD image data in the buffer. The OSD video processing engine receives the OSD information outputted from the processing unit through the buffer controller and produces an OSD image display data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Sunplus Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shih-Ting Liao, Yuan-Chih Peng
  • Patent number: 8068176
    Abstract: In order to create a noise elimination device for the detection of the vertical sync pulse in video signals, which has a very fast locking behavior and in which additional components can be integrated easily, which components can measure fundamental parameters of the underlying composite video signal, it is proposed that the device comprises a vertical pulse detector (12), which detects successive vertical sync pulses in the composite video signal and a VPLL (vertical phase locked loop), which comprises at least a phase detector (18) that produces a phase error, at least a loop filter (20), at least an oscillator (16) on which the output signal of the vertical pulse detector is present as an input signal and which oscillator produces a clock signal phase-synchronized with the input signal, whereas the oscillator (16) is a counter which counts with an approximately constant clock frequency, while the length of an oscillation period of the oscillator (16) is determined by the change in its count due to a correc
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Trident Microsystems (Far East) Ltd.
    Inventors: Gerhard Pletz-Kirsch, Siegfried Boehme, Hartmut Hackmann
  • Patent number: 8063987
    Abstract: A method used in a digital photo frame (DPF) with television (TV) tuning function is provided. The method includes: receiving search parameters input by users during a DPF mode of the DPF; searching in a pre-stored TV program schedule to find TV programs matched the search parameters; determining whether any of the TV programs matched the search parameters is on or about to start at the current time; displaying a program list showing information at least on the “currently on” or “about to start” TV programs among the matched TV programs; switching the DPF from the DPF mode to a TV mode if a “currently on” or “about to start” TV program is selected to play; and receiving and playing the selected TV program. A related DPF is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignees: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd., Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chia-Yu Cheng, Li-Hua Hu, Kuan-Hong Hsieh, Zai-An Pan, Han-Che Wang, Shin-Hong Chung
  • Patent number: 8059213
    Abstract: A method for automated channel installation comprises the following steps. In step (A), a frequency scanning operation is executed to lock on to a frequency. In step (B), it is determined whether the frequency scanning operation is complete, if so, the process proceeds to step (F), otherwise, to step (C). In step (C), it is determined whether the locked frequency corresponds to a reserved channel number, if so, the process proceeds to step (D), otherwise, to step (E). In step (D) the corresponding reserved channel number is assigned to the locked frequency, and then proceeds to step (A). In step (E), the locked frequency not corresponding to the reserved channel number is stored in a caching table, and then proceeds to step (A). In step (F), an unused channel number is assigned to the frequency stored, if any, in the caching table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: AU Optronics Corp.
    Inventors: Chih-Cheng Chang, Ming-Che Tan