Patents Examined by Victor R. Kostak
  • Patent number: 7502070
    Abstract: A reception control section 11 for receiving the information including data and its transmission format information from a memory or communication channel, a separating section 12 for analyzing and separating received information, a transmitting section 13 for transmitting information to a memory or transmission channel, a video extending section 14 for extending a video, and video-extension control section 15 control the processing state of said video extending section 14 for extending at least one or more videos and a video synthesizing apparatus constituted with a video synthesizing section 16 for synthesizing videos in accordance with extended information, an output section 17 for outputting a synthesized result, and a terminal control section 18 for controlling the above means makes it possible to synthesize a plurality of videos at the same time and correspond to a dynamic change of transmission format information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Takao Yamaguchi, Minoru Etoh, Hiroshi Arakawa
  • Patent number: 7499106
    Abstract: A method and system for synchronizing video information derived from an asynchronously sampled video signals provide a mechanism for using asynchronous sampling in the front-end of digital video capture systems. A ratio between the sampling clock frequency and the source video clock frequency is computed via an all digital phase-lock loop (ADPLL) and either a video clock is generated from the ratio by another PLL, a number to clock converter or the ratio is used directly to provide digital synchronization information to downstream processing blocks. A sample rate converter (SRC) is provided in an interpolator that either acts as a sample position corrector at the same line rate as the received video, or by introducing an offset in the ADPLL, the video data can be converted to another line rate via the SRC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Gudmunson, John Melanson, Rahul Singh, Ahsan Chowdhury
  • Patent number: 7499113
    Abstract: A television with a video reproducer includes a cabinet provided with a pair of first rail portions, a printed circuit board attached to the pair of first rail portions of the cabinet, an included mechanical part arranged on an upper side of the printed circuit board, and a holding member provided with a stay portion for supporting the included mechanical part for supporting the printed circuit board. The cabinet is provided with a pair of second rail portions for supporting the holding member, the holding member being integrally provided with a rail engaging portion engaged with the second rail portion of the cabinet. The first rail portion is integrally provided to the cabinet to be arranged at a position of a height greater than the second rail portion integrally provided to the cabinet, having a bottom face of the cabinet as a reference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Akira Yokawa
  • Patent number: 7495706
    Abstract: In a video signal setting device, first, a setting screen displaying section in a system controller displays a setting screen on a TV receiver by an interlace video signal. After that, a progressive outputting section outputs a progressive signal to the TV receiver for a predetermined time with progressive setting. Next, an interlace output returning section returns a present output setting to an output setting to output the interlace video signal. Then a user sets a progressive output setting when a condition of screen by the progressive signal is normal and the user sets an interlace output setting in the case of not being normal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takuya Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7492415
    Abstract: Methods and systems for data compression for storage of 3D comb filter data are disclosed. An incoming video signal may be band-limited during combing, where the incoming video signal may comprise a plurality of active and inactive video samples disposed within a plurality of video lines. The active video samples disposed within at least a portion of the plurality of video lines may be stored. The incoming video signal may be band-limited to 6.75 MHz, for example. Video samples utilized for eliminating edge effects may be stored. The number of video samples utilized for eliminating edge effects may be associated with an upsampling filter tap count. The active video samples may be combed. At least a portion of the plurality of video lines may be stored. The portion of the plurality of video lines may comprise active video lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2009
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Brad Delanghe, Aleksandr Movshovich
  • Patent number: 7489338
    Abstract: A system and method for automatically controlling color synchronization polarity during video decoding. Various aspects of the present invention may comprise at least one module that is adapted to monitor color synchronization polarity at a plurality of instances over a period of time. The at least one module may also, for example, be adapted to generate a sequence of signals indicative of the color synchronization polarity correctness at the plurality of instances. The at least one module may additionally, for example, be adapted to statistically analyze the sequence of signals. The at least one module may further, for example, be adapted to determine, based at least in part on the statistical analysis of the sequence of signals, whether color synchronization polarity is correct. The at least one module may still further, for example, be adapted to control color synchronization polarity based, at least in part, on the polarity correctness determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Wen Huang, Brad Delanghe, Aleksandr Movshovich
  • Patent number: 7489361
    Abstract: The invention provides a pixel interpolating method including a step of discriminating, based on an input image signal, a similarity of a discrimination block constituted of plural pixels, and a reference block constituted of plural pixels, positioned close to the discrimination block and shifted upwards or downwards to a position by at least a line with respect to the discrimination block, and a step of outputting, as pixel information of an interpolation pixel positioned between a discrimination block and a reference block having a high similarity, pixel information based on pixel information of a pixel of the discrimination block and/or the reference block having the high similarity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Eiichi Matsuzaki, Kenji Inoue
  • Patent number: 7486309
    Abstract: A test system for digital camera modules used in consumer electronics, e.g. cellular phones and PDA's is shown. The test system comprises of a tester and a module handler that is aimed at reducing test time by an order of magnitude. The Test system has an image-processing unit that uses N-parallel processor to reduce the computation time on a test image by approximately the number of parallel processors. The handler is controlled by the tester to select, focus and test small digital camera modules. There are two test stations in the handler, where a first test station performs tests on a first camera module while a second test station is loaded with a second camera module, thus burying the loading time within the test time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2009
    Assignee: Digital Imaging Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Horst Knoedgen, Dirk Huettmann
  • Patent number: 7479981
    Abstract: A vertical blanking interval (VBI) signal testing tool captures, isolates, and analyzes a VBI signal to determine the quality of the VBI signal or signal source. A digitized VBI signal is received and analyzed according to industry standards. The VBI signal is first examined using thresholds, threshold points, and other points as a way of discerning waveforms in the signal and their individual characteristics. Thereafter, deviations of the VBI signal from industry standards are logged or displayed for review.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Percy A Tierney, Tuan D Le, Anand Ganesh, Adrian Mircea Sima
  • Patent number: 7477321
    Abstract: There is provided a video display system in which when supplying a video signal from a base station (200) to a plurality of display units (transportable one 100 and large-screen one 300), an operation instruction generator generates a screen select instruction corresponding to the direction of the user's touch on a touch panel (121) provided on the display screen of the transportable display unit (100) that displays an image corresponding to a video signal supplied from the base station (200) and transmits the operation instruction from the transportable display unit (100) to the base station (200), and a controller included in the base station (200) controls the channel selecting operation of two turning means included in the base station (200) correspondingly to the supplied operation instruction. Stroking the surface of the touch panel (121) on the display screen of the transportable display unit (100), the user can transfer an image between the plurality of display units (100, 300).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2009
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tatsuya Yokoyama, Yuka Ohashi, Jin Sato, Ayumi Mizobuchi, Yushi Sayama, Mami Uchida, Tatsushi Nashida, Goro Takaki, Kirihito Ogawa
  • Patent number: 7477329
    Abstract: To fix a TV 10 (electrical apparatus to be mounted) having a power cord 12 (insulated electric wire) to a DVD player 20 (mounting object) when the TV 10 is placed on the DVD player 20, the DVD player 20 is provided with a hook member 23 around which the power cord 12 can be securely wound. Accordingly, the TV 10 can be easily fixed to the DVD 20 by utilizing the power cord 12 of the TV 10, without requiring an additional member such as a belt, for thereby effectively preventing the TV 10 from falling down in the event of an accident such as an earthquake.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2009
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasuo Horiuchi
  • Patent number: 7477319
    Abstract: A method for rendering an object on a display screen, comprising the steps of (A) buffering a plurality of pixels in a plurality of line buffers, (B) determining a boundary of the object based on the buffered pixels, (C) determining a direction of the boundary, (D) testing if a pixel in the line buffers is in motion and applying one of a plurality of filter coefficients if the pixel is in motion, where the plurality of filter coefficients define a modified median filter having a predetermined threshold and (E) interpolating a new pixel in the direction of the boundary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2009
    Assignee: LSI Corporation
    Inventors: Hsi-Chen Wang, Shi-Chang Wang
  • Patent number: 7474354
    Abstract: A binarizer binarizes a video signal input from an A/D converter and a video signal output from a line memory using an average luminance value provided from a detection window video signal processor as a threshold value, and outputs a binary pattern. A reference pattern generator generates a plurality of reference patterns. An angle detector compares the binary pattern with each of the plurality of reference patterns, and outputs the angle of a matched reference pattern as angle information. An arc shape detector outputs the edge angle information of a picture based on a combination of the angle information of an interpolation scanning line including an object interpolation pixel and the angle information of interpolation scanning lines above and below the interpolation scanning line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2009
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hideaki Kawamura, Mitsuhiro Kasahara, Tomoaki Daigi
  • Patent number: 7471340
    Abstract: A video quality adaptive variable-rate buffering method and system for stabilizing a sampled video signal reduces the buffer size required to compensate for line-to-line variations in an unstable video source. A video signal is sampled at a predetermined rate and decimated by a selectable decimation factor prior to buffering. By selecting different decimation factors, the effective length of the buffer is changed from short duration for stable input signals and to longer duration for unstable input signals. A video signal quality detector is employed to provide a selection input that adjusts the decimation factor and also the loop bandwidth of a clock generator that provides the output clock for the buffer, which is generated from the input signal via a phase-lock loop (PLL). The operation of the system automatically varies from highly responsive for stable video input signals to less responsive for unstable video input signals, providing improved stability in the video output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventors: Ahsan Chowdhury, Rahul Singh, John L. Melanson, James A. Antone
  • Patent number: 7466361
    Abstract: A system and method that determine the motion of an absent pixel in a video image. The method may comprise determining the spatial motion and the temporal motion of the absent pixel. The method may also comprise selecting the stronger of the two determined motions. Determining the spatial motion may comprise selecting one of two methods for determining spatial motion. Determining the temporal motion may comprise selecting one of three methods for determining temporal motion. Selection of the methods used may be determined by a user of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2008
    Inventor: Richard H. Wyman
  • Patent number: 7463310
    Abstract: An integrated digital BTSC encoder with an improved pilot signal generator substantially implemented on a single CMOS integrated circuit is described. By digitally generating a sinusoid that is frequency locked to a two-state input reference signal using a high rate internal clock, a hardware-efficient BTSC pilot signal generator is provided with good acquisition and tracking performance. Implemented efficiently as a simple phase detector, a low-complexity loop filter, a pilot frequency offset adder, a phase accumulator and a sinusoidal generator, the invention enables lower-rate post-processing of the pilot tone without a costly variable interpolator decimator structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2008
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Erik Berg, Gopal Venkatesan, Hosahalli Srinivas, Amy Hundhausen
  • Patent number: 7463309
    Abstract: A data slicer of the present invention comprises a reference voltage generation circuit and a comparator. The reference voltage generation circuit comprises a plurality of capacitances which area connected in parallel to one another, holding electrical charges on the basis of an input signal, a plurality of first switches which are connected to the plurality of capacitances with first nodes, respectively, for controlling the inflow of the input signal to the plurality of capacitances and a plurality of second switches which are connected to the plurality of capacitances with the first nodes, respectively, for controlling the connection among the plurality of capacitances. The plurality of first switches are controlled with predetermined timing where these first switches are individually brought into an ON state, and the plurality of second switches are controlled with predetermined timing where all the second switches are brought into an ON state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2008
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Rie Matsuo, Kazuo Nomura
  • Patent number: 7460180
    Abstract: A false-color suppression method corrects a pixel value of a pixel in a target location of a target frame while de-interlacing video data. The video data includes consecutive first, second and third fields, and the target frame corresponds to the third field. The method records an interpolation type of a first pixel with respect to the target location of a previous frame corresponding to the second field, and corrects the pixel value of the pixel in the target location of the target frame using a pixel value of a reference pixel if the interpolation type of the first pixel is an inter-field interpolation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2008
    Assignee: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
    Inventor: Po-Wei Chao
  • Patent number: 7460184
    Abstract: In a digital TV broadcast signal receiver connected to a multi-directional antenna called smart antenna, when a TV broadcast signal of an optional channel becomes unreceivable for any reason, it makes possible to restart displaying an image on a screen of a monitor display device, quickly. The digital TV broadcast signal receiver previously sets a plurality of optimum signal receiving direction with respect to each receivable channel with an order of priority, and switches an effective signal receiving direction of a multi-directional antenna connected thereto to one of the optimum signal receiving directions of a channel chosen by a user corresponding to the order of priority, when the TV broadcast signal of the channel is unreceivable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2008
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Naoki Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7460183
    Abstract: In a digital TV broadcast signal receiver connected to a multi-directional antenna called smart antenna, having a first number, for example, sixteen of signal receiving directions defined in a technical standard such as EIA-909, a simplified multi-directional antenna having a second number, for example, four or eight signal receiving directions smaller than the first number is connectable. When a multi-directional antenna is connected, an initial processing is performed for confirming a number of signal receiving directions of the multi-directional antenna. When the multi-directional antenna is simplified one, the digital TV broadcast signal receiver treats the signal receiving directions more than two showing substantially the same signal sensing conditions as the same direction. Therefore, a number of times for switching the effective signal receiving direction of the multi-directional antenna can be reduced without switching indistinctive signal receiving directions in practice.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2008
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshihiro Takagi, Masanori Kawai, Naoki Yamamoto