Color Television Processing Patents (Class 348/630)
  • Patent number: 7932940
    Abstract: A viewfinder configured to display a captured image includes: an edge correction signal generation unit configured to generate a peaking signal corresponding to an edge enhancement correction target hue that is a hue for which edge enhancement correction will be performed from three primary color signals generated from an input video signal; a signal adding unit configured to add the peaking signal generated by the edge correction signal generation unit to each of the three primary color signals generated from the input video signal; and a driving signal generation unit configured to generate a driving signal for a display device from the three primary color signals to each of which the peaking signal has been added by the signal adding unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshimasa Kawamura, Yoshihiro Date
  • Patent number: 7932936
    Abstract: A system that automatically adjusts a threshold value of cross color suppression and a method thereof are disclosed. The system includes a cross color suppression unit, a statistical unit and an adjustment unit. The cross color suppression unit is for receiving input video data and searching a plurality of cross color dots thereof. According to a threshold value, the cross color suppression unit determines whether the cross color dot is static or dynamic, suppresses the static cross color dot and then generates an output video data. The method used by the present invention is, the statistical unit calculates residual cross color amount of the output video data that has been suppressed. Then, the adjustment unit compares the cross color amount of the output video data with a reference value so as to send a corresponding adjustment signal to the cross color suppression unit to adjust the threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
    Inventors: Bing-Jhe Chen, Po-Wei Chao
  • Patent number: 7924292
    Abstract: A circuit and method for reducing artifacts in decoded color video and images are disclosed. The circuit includes a buffer for receiving an input pixel in a first color-space, and a detector for determining after transformation into a second color-space, if at least one component of the transformed pixel would fall outside a predetermined range. The determination may be made by comparing components of the input pixel, to corresponding ranges in the first color-space. Upon determining that at least one component of the transformed pixel would be outside a corresponding predetermined bound in the second color-space, the detector causes the circuit to output a pixel in the first color-space, with at least one predetermined component. The output of the circuit may subsequently be converted to the second color-space by an external color-space converter and displayed onto a color display. The method reduces visible artifacts caused by clipping during color-space conversion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Broadcom Corportion
    Inventors: Eric Bujold, Robert Grant
  • Patent number: 7907215
    Abstract: In accordance with the teachings described herein, systems and methods are provided for enhancing the image quality of video. One or more filters may be used to filter a received video signal to generate a vertical filtered output, a horizontal filtered output and a diagonal filtered output. One or more amplification components may be used to apply separate gains to each of the vertical, horizontal and diagonal filtered outputs to generate a vertical enhancement signal, a horizontal enhancement signal and a diagonal enhancement signal. One or more summation components may be used to combine the vertical, horizontal and diagonal enhancement signals with the video signal to generate an enhanced video signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: Sigma Designs, Inc.
    Inventor: Stanley Fok
  • Patent number: 7894001
    Abstract: The present invention provides a hue control system for adjusting a hue of a specified color. The system includes a hue determining circuit and a hue adjusting circuit. The hue determining circuit receives a plurality of color signals of the specified color and a plurality of hue adjusting values each corresponding to one color. The hue determining circuit generates a target hue value according to the color signals and the hue adjusting values. The hue adjusting circuit is coupled to the hue determining circuit. The hue adjusting circuit receives the color signals and the target hue value, and adjusts the hue of the color signals according to the target hue value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: MStar Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Wei-Kuo Lee, Yi-Fan Chen
  • Patent number: 7889280
    Abstract: Chroma correction is executed in consideration of the area effect of colors. To this end, an input image is segmented into a plurality of regions as sets of pixels having similar feature amounts, and a size evaluation value of the each segmented regions is calculated based on the number of pixels and a shape of the each segmented region. Chroma correction is applied to the input image to weaken correction as the region has a larger size evaluation value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Seiji Osawa
  • Patent number: 7813003
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus of color-space conversion are provided herein. When adjustment of saturation and/or hue is performed on a RGB color signal, pixel luminance will be influenced to some extent. In the conversion method of the present invention, luminance compensation will be performed after global or local adjustment to keep the pixel luminance from being influenced by the color-space conversion. The luminance compensation method is to adjust a compensation value according to a ratio of an adjusted pixel luminance to an original pixel luminance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Novatek Microelectronics Corp.
    Inventor: Hsin-I Lin
  • Patent number: 7808558
    Abstract: A superior Color Transient Improvement technique is adaptive to the local image features, so that more natural color edge transition improvement can be accomplished. A gain control function is provided that depends on the local image feature so that different regions of the image can be treated differently. Further, a correction signal is controlled in such a way (by the local image feature) that neither undershoot nor overshoot occurs, eliminating the need for post-processing for undershoot/overshoot removal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Peng Lin, Yeong-Taeg Kim
  • Patent number: 7738044
    Abstract: A composite video signal has a chrominance signal (14) and a luminance signal (10). A method and apparatus are disclosed for adjusting the chrominance signal (14) to obtain an enhanced chrominance signal (15) in which at least some transitions in the enhanced chrominance signal (15) align more closely with edges in the luminance signal (10) than transitions in the original chrominance signal (14) align with edges in the luminance signal (10). An edge in the luminance signal (10) of the composite video signal is detected (11). The position of the edge relative to a current pixel is detected (11). The chrominance of the current pixel is adjusted (13) in accordance with at least the position of said current pixel relative to the edge to obtain an enhanced chrominance signal (15).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Vestel Elektronik Sanayi Ve Ticaret A.S.
    Inventors: Tarik Arici, Yucel Altunbasak
  • Publication number: 20100053448
    Abstract: Systems and methods for effectively and naturally enhancing the appearance of human faces in television pictures carried by a program signal. The appearance of the detected face is enhanced by adjusting the color hue to a natural looking color and sharpening the edges of the eyes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2009
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Inventor: Masafumi D. Naka
  • Patent number: 7639263
    Abstract: The values of each possible component output R, G, and B may be pre-computed for all values of each possible component input Y, U, and V. Each contribution of Y, U, and V input may then be loaded into a register and added in parallel, without overflow, resulting in a computationally inexpensive RGB output from a YUV input. In one embodiment, contributions of Y, U, and V to each of R, G, and B are retrieved from pre-computed tables. The YUV contributions for each value of R, G, and B are packed into three data elements and added together in parallel, resulting in a value for an RGB output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2009
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Donald Karlov, Gilles Khouzam
  • Patent number: 7593066
    Abstract: A color saturation control unit and method for increasing the color saturation of an image is presented. A scaled saturation enhancement factor calculation unit generates a scaled saturation enhancement factor using a base saturation enhancement factor. A multiplier generates a saturation enhanced U chrominance value and a saturation enhanced V chrominance for the current pixel by multiplying the scaled saturation enhancement factor multiplied with the current chrominance values. The ratio of the saturation enhanced chrominance values should be equal to the ratio of the current chrominance values. A lookup table contains tabled saturation enhancement factors that can be used as the scaled saturation enhancement factor when the base saturation enhancement factor would cause the saturation enhanced U chrominance value or the saturation enhanced V chrominance value to exceed a valid range of chrominance values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: Huaya Microelectronics, Ltd.
    Inventor: Ge Zhu
  • Patent number: 7589739
    Abstract: There is provided a color evaluating method of an image display device, which evaluates colors displayed by the image display device, including: displaying an image evaluation image, in which a plurality of color regions corresponding to a pixel or a plurality of pixels of the image display device and each having one of a plurality of colors is included and, among the plurality of color regions, at least one color region and at least one other color region having a color similar to that of the one color region are arranged to be adjacent to each other, on the image display device; and evaluating the colors displayed by the image display device based on picked-up image data obtained by picking up the color evaluation image displayed by the image display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 7583322
    Abstract: A pedestal level of each of the R-Y and B-Y signals (color-difference signals) in a horizontal synchronization time T1 of a horizontal synchronizing signal is detected, and a pedestal level adjustment value for adjustment of the pedestal level of each of the R-Y and B-Y signals is determined based on the pedestal level determined in such a manner that a difference in pedestal level of each of the R-Y and B-Y signals between in the horizontal synchronization time T1 and in a horizontal scanning time T2 of the horizontal synchronizing signal is lessen. The pedestal level adjustment value determined is stored and video amplification-chroma circuit 130 adjusts the pedestal level of each of the R-Y signal and the B-Y signal in the horizontal synchronization time T1 of the horizontal synchronizing signal by an amount of adjustment value stored in.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Keigo Shibata
  • Patent number: 7561209
    Abstract: An image enhancement unit and method for enhancing the image quality of a video stream is presented. The image enhancement unit combines a contour enhancement unit, a luminance contrast stretching unit, a color transient improvement unit, and a color saturation control unit to enhance both the luminance and chrominance values in the video stream. Specifically, the contour enhancement unit processes the luminance values to improve the contours of the images in the video steam. The luminance contrast stretching unit further improves the luminance by enhancing the contrast in the images. The color transient improvement unit processes the chrominance values to remove blurring around along the edges of color transitions and the color saturation control unit increases the color saturation to improve the appearance of the images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: Huaya Microelectronics, Ltd.
    Inventor: Ge Zhu
  • Patent number: 7554603
    Abstract: A video-signal-processing device configured to externally transmit at least one brightness signal and at least one color-difference signal is provided. A single frame of the color-difference signal is assigned to a plurality of frames of the brightness signal so that a first frame frequency of the color-difference signal is lower than a second frame frequency of the brightness signal, where the first frame frequency is 24 Hz or higher. The brightness signal and the color-difference signal are transmitted so that a first center value on a first time base generated by the single frame of the color-difference signal becomes closest to a second center value on a second time base generated by the plurality of frames of the brightness signal corresponding to the color-difference signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2009
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Tomohiro Nishi
  • Publication number: 20090128703
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus configured to perform a process to reduce a color blur in a color motion picture image utilizing a first frame image and a second frame image that has been obtained after the first frame image includes a memory configured to store a first color blur reduction amount used for the process to the first frame image, an estimator configured to calculate a color blur estimation amount in the second frame image through a spatial operation to the second frame image, and a determination part configured to calculate a second color blur reduction amount used for the process to the second frame image so that a difference between the first color blur reduction amount and the color blur estimation amount can fall within a predetermined range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2008
    Publication date: May 21, 2009
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinzo Uchiyama, Yasuhiro Sawada
  • Patent number: 7535515
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for distinguishing false motion from true motion, in a video signal that is received by a television set. The video signal is received at the television set. The video signal includes a luma component and a chroma component. A motion detection operation is performed for each of the chroma component and the luma component in several frequency regions of the received video signal. Each frequency region has a unique, adjustable threshold value for distinguishing false motion from true motion, that is dynamically adjustable based on the incoming video signal, and as a result the motion detection accuracy is improved and image artifacts are minimized in an image that is described by the video signal and is to be displayed on the television set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Inventors: Ravi Ananthapur Bacche, Xu Dong
  • Patent number: 7532255
    Abstract: A color transient improvement unit and method for improving color transients to remove blurring along the edges of color transitions is presented. A transient characterization unit calculates various transient characterization values for a color transient detection window surrounding a current pixel. A transient threshold unit analyzes the transient characterization values to determine whether the color transient detection window contains a color transition. If a color transition exists, a transient correction unit generates an improved U chrominance value and an improved V chrominance value for the current pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2009
    Assignee: Huaya Microelectronics, Ltd.
    Inventor: Ge Zhu
  • Patent number: 7518660
    Abstract: A field delay circuit aligns the phases of two field signals. An average value calculation circuit generates an average value signal of the two field signals. This average value signal can be regarded as a signal that has undergone a one-dimensional low-pass filter process in the row direction in which the number of taps for a progressive signal is 2 and the filter coefficient for each tap is 0.5 and that has then been thinned to one-half the data. A two-dimensional LPF circuit subjects this average value signal to a low-pass filter process and eliminates the high-frequency components (edge components). A subtraction circuit subtracts the average value signal that has undergone the LPF process from each field signal and thus extracts the edge components of each field signal. An amplification circuit multiplies the edge components of each field signal by a prescribed factor. An addition circuit adds the resulting amplified edge components to each field signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: NEC Viewtechnology, Ltd.
    Inventors: Michio Kobayashi, Eifu Nezu
  • Patent number: 7505084
    Abstract: An average value signal of the G two-phase input signal is generated by means of an average value calculation circuit. This average value signal is regarded as a signal in which a one-dimensional low-pass filter process, in which the number of taps is 2 and the filter coefficient for each tap is 0.5, has been carried out for a single-phase signal and the number of items of data then thinned to one half. A two-dimensional LPF circuit next subjects this average value signal to a low-pass filter process to eliminate the high-frequency component (edge component). The average value signal that has undergone the low-pass filter process is then subtracted from the input signal of each phase to extract the edge component of the input signal of each phase. An amplification circuit then multiplies the edge component of the input signal of each phase by a prescribed factor, and an addition circuit next adds this multiplied edge component to the input signal of each phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2009
    Assignee: NEC Viewtechnology, Ltd.
    Inventors: Michio Kobayashi, Eifu Nezu, Reiichi Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 7483081
    Abstract: An edge compensated feature detector includes a local difference unit receiving an incoming video signal and calculating a local difference value according to a component difference in a local area of a video frame formed by the incoming video signal; an adjustment unit coupled to the local difference unit for mapping the local difference value onto an edge gain value; a feature extraction unit for extracting a particular feature of the incoming video signal; and a multiplier coupled to the adjustment unit and the feature extraction unit for multiplying feature data corresponding to the output of the feature extraction unit with the edge gain value to thereby generate an edge compensated feature component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2009
    Assignee: MediaTek Inc.
    Inventor: Jen-Shi Wu
  • Patent number: 7483082
    Abstract: A method for automatically adjusting chrominance data of an input pixel from a color video signal includes receiving and temporarily storing the chrominance data of the input pixel in a transmission format comprising a color difference representation and converting the chrominance data from the color difference representation in Cartesian coordinates to color hue and color saturation representation in polar coordinates such that color attributes of the input pixel can be analyzed according to hue and saturation values. The method also includes determining a hue adjustment value and a saturation adjustment value based on the color hue value and color saturation value associated with the chrominance data, applying the hue adjustment and the saturation adjustment directly to the chrominance data in its transmission format, and outputting the adjusted chrominance data to an output color video signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2009
    Assignee: Kolorific, Inc.
    Inventor: Chih-Hsien Chou
  • Patent number: 7460133
    Abstract: A technique for the modification of sub-pixels to hide defects for defective sub-pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2008
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Dean Messing, Louis Joseph Kerofsky
  • Patent number: 7450183
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for compensating for the luminance of a color signal. The luminance compensation method includes obtaining an allowable luminance ratio of a color signal, obtaining a luminance enhancing ratio of a color signal using the allowable luminance ratio, and compensating for the luminance of the color signal using the luminance enhancing ratio. The luminance ratio is the ratio of a luminance according to saturation when a color signal is represented by four or more multiple primary colors, to a luminance according to saturation when the color signal is represented by three colors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seongdeok Lee, Changyeong Kim
  • Patent number: 7420623
    Abstract: The structure of an image-signal processing apparatus for performing gamma correction and edge enhancement of a image signal is simplified. An edge-correction-gain generation circuit generates a gain signal according to the level of a image signal that has passed through an A-LPF on the basis of a preset transfer characteristic function. An edge-signal generation circuit generates an edge signal corresponding to the edge of the image according to the quadratic differential signal of the image signal. The edge signal is multiplied by the gain signal in a multiplying circuit. An edge-enhanced-signal generation circuit outputs it as an edge enhanced signal. The image signal is subjected to gamma correction by a gamma correction circuit in a different system from the edge-enhanced-signal generation circuit. A combining circuit combines the gamma-corrected image signal with the edge enhanced signal from the edge-enhanced-signal generation circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: Sanyo Electrical Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshio Nakakuki
  • Patent number: 7404645
    Abstract: Image processing enhances display quality by controlling both the image modulator and the light sources. The image processing system utilizes a combination of user inputs, system configuration, design information, sensor feedback, pixel modulation information, and lighting control information to characterize the display environment on a per pixel basis. This per pixel characterization information is combined with one or more frames of the incoming real time display data. The image processing system processes each incoming pixel and produces a modified corresponding output pixel. Each pixel of each frame is processed accordingly. The image processing system also produces control information for the light sources. The light source control information can control individual lamps, tubes or LEDs, or can control a block or subset of the light sources. The resulting display has improved image consistency, enhanced color gamut, higher dynamic range and is better able to portray high motion content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2008
    Assignee: Digital Display Innovations, LLC
    Inventor: Neal D. Margulis
  • Publication number: 20080122980
    Abstract: Presented herein are a system and method for sharpening edges in a region. In one embodiment, there is presented a method for sharpening edges. The method comprises measuring differences between at least a value associated with a first pixel and a value associated with a second pixel of a plurality of pixels, and applying a sharpening mask to the plurality of pixels. The sharpening mask is a function of at least one of the measured differences, a first value associated with any one of the plurality of pixels, and a second value associated with any other of the pixels, thereby resulting in sharpened pixels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2006
    Publication date: May 29, 2008
    Inventor: Brian Schoner
  • Patent number: 7369181
    Abstract: Provided is a method of removing noise from digital moving picture data reducing the number of frames used in a temporal filtering operation and able to detect motion between frames easily. The method comprises a method of spatial filtering, a method of temporal filtering, and a method of performing the spatial filtering and the temporal filtering sequentially. The spatial filtering method applies a spatial filtering in a YCbCr color space, preserving a contour/edge in the image in the spatial domain, and generating a weight that is adaptive to the noise for discriminating the contour/edge in the temporal filtering operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Moon-Gi Kang, Sung-Cheol Park
  • Patent number: 7321401
    Abstract: A contour emphasizing circuit which comprises a contour pick-up unit 10 for picking up a contour component HE from an input luminance signal Y, a level judging unit 15 for judging the luminance level of the input luminance signal Y, a coefficient control unit 17 for changing the coefficient in a plurality of steps depending upon a judgment signal and multiplying the contour component HE by the coefficient to output the product, and an adder 14 for adding the contour component outputted from the coefficient control unit 17 to the input luminance signal Y to output an emphasized-contour luminance signal. The coefficient to be multiplied by the contour component HE is changed in a plurality of steps depending upon the luminance level of the input luminance signal Y, and the contour component HE to be added to the input luminance signal Y is controlled to have a magnitude appropriate to the luminance level of the input luminance signal Y.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2008
    Assignee: Fujitsu General Limited
    Inventors: Toru Aida, Seiji Matsunaga, Junichi Onodera
  • Patent number: 7289163
    Abstract: An improved method for color transient enhancement in an input video frame of pixels. The luminance value of a current pixel is compared to that of neighboring pixels. A correction value is determined and the chrominance value of the current pixel is “pushed” towards the neighboring pixel that has a luminance value closest to that of the current pixel, by adding the correction value to the current pixel's chrominance value. The original video frame is also separately processed using a CTI method, and the current pixel's corrected chrominance value is combined with the corresponding pixel in the output of the CTI processing by soft switching unit to generate an output video frame that is an enhanced version of the input video frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Peng Lin, Yeong-Taeg Kim
  • Patent number: 7271851
    Abstract: A superior Color Transient Improvement technique is adaptive to the local image features, so that more natural color edge transition improvement can be accomplished. A gain control function is provided that depends on the local image feature so that different regions of the image can be treated differently. Further, a correction signal is controlled in such a way (by the local image feature) that neither undershoot nor overshoot occurs, eliminating the need for post-processing for undershoot/overshoot removal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Peng Lin, Yeong-Taeg Kim
  • Publication number: 20070206121
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for adjusting an image are provided, which enable to adjust an image quality easily so as to attain a desired image for a user when the image quality of the image displayed on a television and so on is to be adjusted. An adjustment image suited to an image quality to be adjusted is stored in a memory in advance, and upon the adjustment, a plurality of adjustment display images having different image quality parameter values from each other are formed with regard to the adjustment image and displayed on a monitor, and one image having a desired image quality is selected from a plurality of the adjustment display images in an operating section, so that an image quality parameter value to be adjusted in an image quality adjusting section is determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2007
    Publication date: September 6, 2007
    Applicant: PIONEER CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Yoshida
  • Patent number: 7224406
    Abstract: A digital signal processing system and method applied for chroma transition, wherein the method has the acts of: performing a difference process on an original chroma signal C to obtain a first difference signal C?; calculating an absolute value |C?| of the first difference signal C?; performing a difference process on the absolute value |C?| to obtain a second difference signal Ca?; determining whether the second difference signal Ca? is a positive signal or a negative signal; wherein based on a determined result, an optimized chroma signal is generated by either mixing the original input chroma signal C with a k-delayed chroma signal, or mixing the k-delayed chroma signal C[n?k] with a 2k-delayed chroma signal C[n?2k], where k is a constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Assignee: VXIS Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Ming-Hsiu Lee, Yuan-Hao Huang
  • Patent number: 7190409
    Abstract: An electro-optical device and a method for displaying an image are disclosed. A clear image with a clear profile can be displayed therein by processing input image data, for example input image data of TV broadcasting received by the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2007
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunepi Yamazaki, Akira Mase, Masaaki Hiroki, Yasuhiko Takemura
  • Patent number: 7176983
    Abstract: A processor for enhancing an input luminance signal including: a circuit for calculating a chroma edge value associated with the input luminance signal; a circuit for measuring a luminance gradient associated with the input luminance signal; a peaking filter for processing the input luminance signal; a gain adjustment circuit having a gain function that is adjustable relative to the calculated chroma edge value, the gain adjustment circuit being operable to adjust the magnitude of the output of the peaking filter wherein: in a first range of luminance gradients, the output is an attenuated version of the input; in a second range of luminance gradients the output is directly proportional to the input; in a third range of luminance gradients, the output is inversely proportional to the input; wherein the enhanced luminance signal is the sum of the input and output of the peaking filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Patricia Wei Yin Chiang, Lucas Y. W. Hui
  • Patent number: 7088399
    Abstract: A dot detection section of a dot-interference detection section detects a portion where pixels are arranged as “dark-bright-dark” or “bright-dark-bright” in the horizontal direction, within a Y signal containing dot interference, separated by a YC separation process, and outputs the detection result as dot values to a horizontal array checking section and a vertical array checking section. The horizontal array checking section detects whether or not dot values of a predetermined number of pixels arranged horizontally in such a manner as to contain a subject pixel, have the same value. The vertical array checking section detects whether or not dot values of a predetermined number of pixels arranged vertically in such a manner as to contain a subject pixel, are alternately generated as 1 and 2. An enhancement processing section performs an enhancement process on the Y signal of portions other than the portions where dot interference occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichiro Gomi, Kazuhiko Ueda
  • Patent number: 7084906
    Abstract: A method of reducing color aliasing artifacts from a color digital image having color pixels including providing luminance and chrominance signals from the color digital image; downsampling the luminance and chrominance signals; using such downsampled luminance and chrominance signals to separate the image into textured and nontextured regions having boundaries; cleaning the downsampled chrominance signals in the textured regions in response to the boundaries of the textured region and the downsampled chrominance signals; cleaning the downsampled chrominance signals in the nontextured regions in response to the downsampled chrominance signals; upsampling the downsampled noise-cleaned chrominance signals; and using the luminance and upsampled noise-cleaned chrominance signals to provide a color digital image having reduced color aliasing artifacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: James E. Adams, Jr., John F. Hamilton, Jr., Craig M. Smith
  • Patent number: 7057671
    Abstract: The values of the primary color space components of an image signal, such as the components of RGB video signal, are maintained within their allowed range by modifying the signal in a different color space, such as YUV space. Specifically, the U and V chrominance components are attenuated by an attenuation factor g while the luminance component Y is not modified. The value of g is the largest possible value less than 1 that will cause all primary color space components that would otherwise be outside the allowed range to be within that range. A high quality of the displayed image is maintained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: AT & T Corp
    Inventors: Adriana Dumitras, Barin Geoffry Haskell
  • Patent number: 7023487
    Abstract: An interlaced to progressive scan video converter which identifies object edges and directions, and calculates new pixel values based on the edge information. Source image data from a single video field is analyzed to detect object edges and the orientation of those edges. A 2-dimensional array of image elements surrounding each pixel location in the field is high-pass filtered along a number of different rotational vectors, and a null or minimum in the set of filtered data indicates a candidate object edge as well as the direction of that edge. A 2-dimensional array of edge candidates surrounding each pixel location is characterized to invalidate false edges by determining the number of similar and dissimilar edge orientations in the array, and then disqualifying locations which have too many dissimilar or too few similar surrounding edge candidates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: Silicon Image, Inc.
    Inventor: Dale R. Adams
  • Patent number: 6958784
    Abstract: A video signal processing apparatus for processing a video signal containing first and second color difference signals so as to adjust colors of an image represented by the video signal is disclosed. The apparatus includes a plurality of gain setting sections for setting respective ones of gain conversion characteristics. The gain conversion characteristics are relevant to saturations indicated by color difference signals. First and second conversion sections are included for converting gains of the color difference signals based on input values of respective color difference signals and the pain conversion characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Itani, Keiichi Kuroda
  • Patent number: 6947098
    Abstract: A control signal (k_lum) derived from the luminance component (Y) of a video signal is used to adaptively control a temporal noise reduction filter (10) according to the level of motion in a video image. To compress the control signal for storage in a memory (30), the control signal is averaged over each 2×2 pixel area, and then a non-linear compression function is applied. The non-linear compression function preferably selects quantization values of the control signal which correspond to a perceptually substantially linear response in the noise reduction factor (NRF) of the noise filter (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Christian Hentschel, Robert Jan Schutten, Abraham Karel Riemens
  • Patent number: 6903782
    Abstract: There is disclosed an apparatus for performing segmentation-based enhancements of a video image. The apparatus comprises: 1) an input buffer for storing video frames of an incoming video signal; 2) a segmentation controller capable of segmenting a first stored frame into a plurality of segments, each of the plurality of segments comprising a plurality of pixels having at least one common property; 3) an image processor capable of calculating a probability function associated with at least one pixel in the first stored frame, the probability function indicating a probability that the at least one pixel belongs within a first selected one of the plurality of segments; and 4) an enhancement controller capable of enhancing a parameter of the at least one pixel as a function of the probability function of the at least one pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2005
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Stephen Herman, Johan G. Janssen
  • Patent number: 6873373
    Abstract: An image emphasizing apparatus includes: an outline component extraction section; a threshold value calculation section for calculating first and second threshold values; and an outline correction section for generating an outline emphasizing signal from the outline component based on the first and second threshold values, and adding the outline emphasizing signal to the input video signal, thereby generating an output video signal, wherein the outline correction section includes: an emphasizing signal generation section for generating the outline emphasizing signal, which is generated while limiting an absolute value of the outline component so as to be equal to or smaller than the first threshold value when the absolute value of the outline component is equal to or smaller than the second threshold value; and a signal addition section for adding the outline compensation signal generated based on the outline emphasizing signal to the input video signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenichiro Yamaki
  • Patent number: 6859536
    Abstract: A video-signal output apparatus performs scrambling, and a video-signal input apparatus performs descrambling. The scrambling and the descrambling are performed so that signal lines are shifted for each period corresponding to one horizontal scanning interval of analog component video signals which corresponds to a horizontal scanning period or for each period which is n times one horizontal scanning period (where n represents a natural number not less than 2). The signal lines are also shifted with timing in a horizontal blanking period of the analog component video signals. When authorization is established as a result of mutual communication between the output apparatus and the input apparatus, scramble and descramble patterns each are determined based on mutually obtained information in the mutual communication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2005
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Teruhiko Kori
  • Patent number: 6795083
    Abstract: A method and system enhances the color of an image by manipulating the chrominance and/or luminance signals of the image. Specifically, a color enhancement system sharpens color changes for better picture quality on digital display systems. In one embodiment of the present invention, color changes are detected by a color change detection unit. If the color changes are significant, a color change sharpening unit sharpens the color change to enhance the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: SmartASIC, Inc.
    Inventors: Chunliang Bao, Jin Ji
  • Patent number: 6690429
    Abstract: A device and method for processing a color signal which can improve the sharpness of a color signal is disclosed. In the present invention, an edge of an image is detected and the detected edge is improved by making a sharp transition without over shoot or under shoot. Particularly, the color signal is delayed, and either a maximum or minimum value of the delayed signal is selectively output if the input signal is determined to be for a position at the edge region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2004
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Sang Yeon Kim
  • Patent number: 6670999
    Abstract: A contour emphasizing circuit and a contour emphasizing method, in which an image having sharpness and a clear image can be obtained, are provided. The contour emphasizing circuit provides a contour emphasizing signal generating means which outputs a delayed video signal, a contour emphasizing signal, and a plurality of differential signals by processing an inputted video signal, a signal level difference detecting means to which the plurality of differential signals outputted from the contour emphasizing signal generating means are inputted and which outputs a signal selecting control signal, and a signal selecting means to which the delayed video signal, the contour emphasizing signal, and the signal selecting control signal are inputted and which mixes the delayed video signal with the contour emphasizing signal in an arbitrary ratio and outputs a video output signal or which selects the delayed video signal or the contour emphasizing signal and outputs the selected signal as a video output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2003
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Shigeru Fujino
  • Publication number: 20030210354
    Abstract: Since the phosphor lag effect results from the slowness of the green and red phosphors and since it is not possible to make these phosphors faster, the blue one has to be made slower in order to reduce the color trail effect. Therefore, a part of the blue component is artificially delayed. Only a certain percentage of the blue component of the actual frame is transmitted during the actual frame, whereas the rest of the blue component will be transmitted during the next frames. The dynamic false contour effect introduced by this video processing may be compensated by subfield shifting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2003
    Publication date: November 13, 2003
    Inventors: Cedric Thebault, Sebastien Weitbruch, Herbert Hoelzemann
  • Patent number: 6614489
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus operates to process input signal samples representative of at least part of a color video image to produce legal color signal samples representative of a legal color version of the image. The apparatus comprises an adjustment factor generator, which operates to generate a plurality of adjustment factors which when combined with the input signal samples have an effect of converting illegal color pixels of the color image into legal color pixels, an adjustment factor biasing processor coupled to the adjustment factor generator, which operates to change the adjustment factors by combining each of the adjustment factors with a biasing constant, and a color legalizer coupled to the biasing processor, which operates to combine the biased adjustment factors with the input signal samples to produce the legalized color signal samples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2003
    Assignee: Sony United Kingdom Limited
    Inventor: James Hendrie McIntyre