Abstract: A digital keystone correction process locates image points in a corrected image from image points in a distorted image that was produced by misalignment of the axis of a sensor such as a camera. The correction process locates corrected image points by constructing intercept points that are the intersections of the extended sides of a quadrilateral in the distorted image plane that is constructed from a known rectangular feature in the subject plane. Reference points are located by drawing a line through each intercept point and the distorted image point. Distances are found from the intercept points to the image points and the reference points. The distances are scaled and corrected with an offset to locate the coordinates of the image points in the corrected image plane. This process can correct alignment errors of pitch, yaw, and roll between the subject plane and an image plane such as photographic film.

Abstract: A vehicle seat assembly having a lower seat assembly with a lower sitting surface and a seatback with a seatback sitting surface. At least one of the lower seat assembly and the seatback is adapted for movement. The seat assembly also includes at least one bolster adapted for movement to thereby change curvature of at least one of the lower sitting surface and the seatback sitting surface. The bolster automatically moves due to movement of at least one of the lower seat assembly and the seatback.

Abstract: A method of detecting both linear and non linear noise in video data. Linear noise is detected on a line-by-line basis, by blocks within each line. Non linear noise is detected during horizontal blanking periods. The method provides a noise floor value for linear noise and an impulse noise flag for non linear noise, both of which are delivered to a noise reduction filter.

Abstract: System and method for processing image data containing motion for display on a display device. A preferred embodiment comprises applying a filter to an input image, determining a presence of motion in the input image, and generating an output image from the input image and the filtered image based upon motion in the input image. The detection of motion in the input image permits the use of filtered image data in portions of the image containing motion, thereby taking advantage of aliasing reduction provided by the filter while allowing the use of unfiltered image data in portions not containing motion. This helps to preserve image quality since filtering softens the image.

Abstract: A digital circuit, system, and method for keystone correction of a projected image utilize a digital keystone correction engine to resize a raster-scanned input image prior to projection. An image keystone correction engine uses coordinates of the corners of the image on the display device that are modified to produce a resized image for projection onto a screen. Scaling factors are generated at the corners of the image to represent image scaling along two image axes that span the area of the image to form a resized image on the display device by repositioning pixels from an uncorrected or previously resized image. The variation of the scaling factors across the image can be assumed to be linear.

Abstract: According to teachings of the present invention, a system and method for a sharpness filter for picture-smoothing architectures are provided. In one embodiment, the method includes applying a finite impulse response filter to a brightness channel of an image prior to applying a picture-smoothing algorithm to the image, determining a local variance estimate for the image, and varying a gain of the finite impulse response filter based upon the local variance estimate, wherein the finite impulse response filter is an inverse of a filter that approximates the picture-smoothing algorithm.

Abstract: A digital circuit, system, and method for keystone correction of a projected image utilize a digital compensation engine to resize a digital image prior to projection. Preferred embodiments of the present invention utilize a compensation engine with a separable architecture in which the two-dimensional image-resizing task is partitioned to use two engines. Horizontal image resizing is performed first, followed by vertical image resizing. Two large polyphase, anti-aliasing, finite impulse response (“FIR”) filters are used to resize the data. A 639-tap filter is used for horizontal resizing, and a 383-tap filter for vertical resizing. Pixels in the corrected image can be positioned with arbitrary accuracy to avoid forming stair-stepped lines in the corrected image. The coefficients for the FIR filters can be stored with 10-bit precision to provide a resized image without loss of visible quality. The compensation engine can be readily configured with an ASIC device or in software.

Abstract: A method and system for performing spatial temporal multiplexing using a multi-threshold mask. A mask generator (404) outputs a threshold value for each pixel of a display. The mask generator typically creates a blue noise mask for a given pixel array that is replicated over the face of the entire display. The blue noise mask generator (404) typically is implemented as a memory lookup table. An index generator (402) provides an offset into the memory lookup table that allows the table to be shifted from time to time. The output of the blue noise mask generator (404), which may be the threshold value itself or a signal representing which threshold is being used, is an input to a selective inverter (406). The selective inverter (406) provides the option of inverting the blue noise mask. To reduce artifacts, the mask is periodically shifted and/or inverted. The value from the mask generator (404), whether inverted or not, is compared to the LSBs of the input data word to yield the fractional bit values.

Abstract: In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a system and method for local value adjustment are provided. In one embodiment, the method includes identifying a hue, saturation, and brightness value for each pixel of an image, determining whether the hue and saturation for each pixel fall within a first predetermined set of hue and saturation combinations, determining whether the brightness value for each pixel of the image falls within a predetermined set of brightness values, and selectively applying a gain to the saturation of each pixel based upon the determination of whether the hue and saturation value of the pixel falls within the first predetermined set of hue and saturation combinations and the determination of whether the brightness value of the pixel falls within the predetermined set of brightness values.

Abstract: In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a system and method for local saturation adjustment are provided. In one embodiment, the method includes identifying a hue, saturation, and brightness value of each pixel of an image, determining whether the hue and saturation of each pixel fall within a predetermined set of hue and saturation combinations, determining whether the brightness value of each pixel falls within a predetermined set of brightness values, and selectively applying a gain to the saturation of each pixel based upon the determination of whether the hue and saturation of the pixel fall within the predetermined set of hue and saturation combinations, and whether the brightness value of pixel falls within the predetermined set of brightness values.

Abstract: Methods for improving video images by making real-time gamma correction adjustments to such images are described. More particularly, gamma correction adjustments may be optimized for each individual frame of a video image by first segregating the pixels of an image according to brightness. The segregated pixels may then be used in computing weighting calculations, which modify the transfer functions used for image display. In some embodiments, the video signal may be conditioned between the standard gamma curve and the S-shaped gamma curve used in mapping video signal input to intensity output. In this manner, frame-to-frame gamma correction adjustments can be made, thereby optimizing the resulting image. Related systems for making frame-to-frame gamma correction adjustments are also described.

Abstract: A method and system for performing spatial temporal multiplexing using a multi-threshold mask. A mask generator (404) outputs a threshold value for each pixel of a display. The mask generator typically creates a blue noise mask for a given pixel array that is replicated over the face of the entire display. The blue noise mask generator (404) typically is implemented as a memory lookup table. An index generator (402) provides an offset into the memory lookup table that allows the table to be shifted from time to time. The output of the blue noise mask generator (404), which may be the threshold value itself or a signal representing which threshold is being used, is an input to a selective inverter (406). The selective inverter (406) provides the option of inverting the blue noise mask. To reduce artifacts, the mask is periodically shifted and/or inverted. The value from the mask generator (404), whether inverted or not, is compared to the LSBs of the input data word to yield the fractional bit values.

Abstract: A method for displaying an image using a digital micromirror device having a plurality of mirrors operable to assume a plurality of positions is provided. The method includes receiving a plurality of numbers representing a respective plurality of pixels that form a plurality of dither patterns. Each dither pattern is a particular portion of the image to be displayed and each pixel is represented by a particular number. The method also includes assigning, to each number, an address identifying a particular one of the plurality of mirrors in a particular position. The address is unique among the addresses assigned to each of the plurality of numbers. The method also includes displaying the dither patterns one after another in a predetermined frame time period using the digital micromirror device. The dither patterns are displayed by showing each pixel on a display according to the number representing the pixel.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method for compensating for inadequate bit resolution in a light processing system includes receiving a plurality of values each indicative of an intensity level for a pixel to be displayed. Each of the values is represented by a plurality of bits of data. The method also includes determining a quantization step size for the plurality of bits of data. For at least one particular pixel of the pixels, a set of consecutive pixels including the particular pixel is selected. The method also includes determining a difference between the value associated with the particular pixel in the set and each value associated with the other pixels in the set, and also determining that all of the determined differences are less than or equal to the quantization step size. In response, a filtered value for the particular pixel in the set is generated based at least on some of the pixels in the set in addition to the particular pixel.

Abstract: An accessory strip for a vehicle having a bracket secured to a track at select locations. The bracket includes a cam on an inner end that is received by a cam lock bar. The cam is movable within the track to selected positions where it may be locked in place. The bracket may include a dovetail socket to which articles may be secured by means of a dovetail plug and also may include a hook on which articles may be hung by means of flexible handles, or the like. The accessory strip assembly may be attached to an interior wall or may be formed as an integral track on an interior wall or seat back of a vehicle.

Abstract: A method of detecting both linear and non linear noise in video data. Linear noise is detected on a line-by-line basis, by blocks within each line. Non linear noise is detected during horizontal blanking periods. The method provides a noise floor value for linear noise and an impulse noise flag for non linear noise, both of which are delivered to a noise reduction filter.

Abstract: A method of reducing ringing artifacts in image data that has been filtered with a high frequency emphasis filter. For each filtered data value, a local variance is calculated from data values at neighboring filter taps. This variance is compared to a threshold, and if the threshold is exceeded, the filtered data value is limited between local minimum and maximum values. A method of reducing noise, also using the local variance, is also described.

Abstract: A content-dependent scan rate converter with adaptive noise reduction that provides a highly integrated, implementation efficient de-interlacer. By identifying and using redundant information from the image (motion values and edge directions), this scan rate converter is able to perform the tasks of film-mode detection, motion-adaptive scan rate conversion, and content-dependent video noise reduction. Adaptive video noise reduction is incorporated in the process where temporal noise reduction is performed on the still parts of the image, thus preserving high detail spatial information, and data-adaptive spatial noise reduction is performed on the moving parts of the image. A low-pass filter is used in flat fields to smooth out Gaussian noise and a direction-dependent median filter is used in the presence of impulsive noise or an edge. Therefore, the selected spatial filter is optimized for the particular pixel that is being processed to maintain crisp edges.

Abstract: An error diffusion method and system to ameliorate the effects of data quantization. The error diffusion method is especially well-suited to display systems that process groups of pixels in a given row (318) simultaneously. Errors generated when processing pixels in one row (318) of a first group (314) cannot be propagated to other pixels in the same row (318) of the same group (314) since the other pixels are processed by the time the error signal is available. The method and system pass errors from most of the pixels (302) in the group (314) to pixels below and to the right in the next row (320) of the same group (314). Errors from the last pixel (304) in the group (314) are passed to the pixel (308) in the following row (320) beneath the last pixel (304) and to the first pixel (310) in the next group (316) of pixels in the same row (318). To avoid creation of structured visual patterns, a white noise signal is added to the error signals.

Abstract: A method and system for performing spatial temporal multiplexing using a multi-threshold mask. A mask generator (404) outputs a threshold value for each pixel of a display. The mask generator typically creates a blue noise mask for a given pixel array that is replicated over the face of the entire display. The blue noise mask generator (404) typically is implemented as a memory lookup table. An index generator (402) provides an offset into the memory lookup table that allows the table to be shifted from time to time. The output of the blue noise mask generator (404), which may be the threshold value itself or a signal representing which threshold is being used, is an input to a selective inverter (406). The selective inverter (406) provides the option of inverting the blue noise mask. To reduce artifacts, the mask is periodically shifted and/or inverted. The value from the mask generator (404), whether inverted or not, is compared to the LSBs of the input data word to yield the fractional bit values.