Letterbox (e.g., Display 16:9 Aspect Ratio Image On 4:3 Screen) Patents (Class 348/913)
  • Patent number: 11605338
    Abstract: A driving controller includes: a logo determiner configured to determine whether or not input image data includes a logo; a logo grayscale value calculator configured to calculate a logo grayscale value of a logo area corresponding to the logo in response to the input image data including the logo; a light emitting element life expectancy determiner configured to determine a life expectancy of a light emitting element corresponding to the logo area; a compensation reference grayscale value generator configured to determine a compensation reference grayscale value according to the life expectancy of the light emitting element corresponding to the logo area; and a logo luminance compensator configured to compare the logo grayscale value to the compensation reference grayscale value to determine whether or not to compensate a luminance of the logo area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Eunjin Choi, Wonjin Seo, Kihyun Pyun
  • Patent number: 8035666
    Abstract: Embodiments of a system that includes one or more integrated circuits are described. During operation, the system receives a video image, that when displayed, includes a picture portion, a non-picture portion, and a subtitle which is superimposed on at least a subset of the non-picture portion, where the non-picture portion has an initial brightness value. Then, the system scales the brightness of pixels corresponding to a remainder of the non-picture portion of the video image to have a new brightness value that is greater than the initial brightness value to reduce user-perceived changes in the video image associated with backlighting of a display that displays the video image, where the remainder of the non-picture portion excludes the subset of the non-picture portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Ulrich T. Barnhoefer, Wei H. Yao, Wei Chen, Barry J. Corlett, Jean-Didier Allegrucci
  • Patent number: 7952645
    Abstract: A video processing apparatus includes a detector which detects whether pattern portions such as wallpaper portions having a pattern or the like or no-picture area portions having a single color are contained besides contents in a video signal input thereto, and a corrector which corrects the video signal. If the pattern portions are contained in the input video signal, the corrector is controlled so as not to correct the video signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kozo Masuda, Ikuya Arai, Masaaki Miyano
  • Patent number: 7538821
    Abstract: A display apparatus and a method of displaying an image using the display apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Won-seok Ahn, Young-ho Lee
  • Patent number: 7480011
    Abstract: A video processing chip capable of adjusting aspect ratio and a method of displaying an image thereby are provided. The video processing chip outputs an adjusted image signal according to a video signal to an LCD panel to display an image. The video processing chip includes a video processor, a ratio detector, a timing controller, and a multiplexer. The video processor generates an image signal according to the video signal. The ratio detector detects the aspect ratio of the video signal, and outputs a ratio control signal according to a ratio setting value. The timing controller outputs a vertical blanking signal, a horizontal blanking signal, and a blanking data in responding to the ratio control signal. The multiplexer selects the blanking data signal or the image signal as the adjusted image signal to be outputted, so that the displayed image has the aspect ratio corresponding to the ratio setting value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: Au Optronics Corp.
    Inventors: Min-Chien Kuo, Chi-Mao Hung
  • Patent number: 7450177
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method that controls a position of a caption. The apparatus includes: a caption processing unit, which identifies a non-signal area (B) including the caption using a control signal, identifies an image data area (A having the same size as the non-signal area (B), on a screen, and displays caption data of the non-signal area (B) on the image data area (A); a controller, which outputs a control signal positioning the captions to be lost in an enlarged presentation mode on the screen; and a signal processing unit, which performs image signal processing so that the caption data is displayed with predetermined images on the image data area (A).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Jang-woo Lee, Sang-hak Lee
  • Patent number: 7440033
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved interpolation based on motion compensation. In order to avoid interpolation artifacts in proximity to the image borders, in particular in letterbox type images, each motion compensated image data is subjected to a position validation in order to determine whether or not the motion compensated image data can be used for interpolation purposes. By comparing the position of the motion compensated image data in the referenced images with predefined borderlines, impermissible image data positions can be detected and interpolation based on such image data prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sven Salzer, Michael Grundmeyer
  • Patent number: 7262812
    Abstract: A system and method for fine tuned automatic zooming “in” and “out” a video content stream to adjust for Ratio Mismatches and changes in Pillar Bar size is disclosed. The present invention is particularly applicable to 4:3 video content delivered in a 16:9 video content stream. After the Initial Zoom In, the present invention repeatedly analyses the pixels in the Truncated Display for Pillar Bars and determines (i) if the Pillar Bars are still present, (ii) if the Pillar Bars have changed width/size, and (iii) if the amount of the Initial Zoom In (or subsequent zoom prior to an instant fine tune iteration) was correct (within a margin of error), and automatically fine tunes the zooming of the video content stream accordingly, e.g., gradual zooming in, gradual zooming out, or a full zoom out for a full pixel presentation if the Pillar Bars are no longer present.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2007
    Assignee: General Instrument Corporation
    Inventor: Lawrence A. Burke
  • Patent number: 7262811
    Abstract: A system and method for automatically zooming “in” and “out” a video content stream to adjust for Ratio Mismatches is disclosed. The present invention is particularly applicable to 4:3 video content delivered in a 16:9 video content stream. The present invention scans for the presence of Pillar Bars. When Pillar Bars are detected by the present invention, after waiting a pre-determined period to confirm the presence and size of the Pillar Bars, the present invention initiates a slow stretching the video content stream to eliminate the Pillar Bars. When the video content stream changes back to without Pillar Bars, the present invention initiates a slow zooming out to a full pixel representation of the video content stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2007
    Assignee: General Instrument Corporation
    Inventor: Lawrence A. Burke
  • Patent number: 7239354
    Abstract: A ratio between an aspect ratio of a digital image signal and an aspect ratio of a display device is converted and a presence image part 2 of digital image data decoded by a digital image signal demodulating part is compressed laterally and is shifted to the center of an image area 1 made of the aspect ratio of the digital image signal and then an absence image part 3 is used as side panels 4 and digital image data made of the aspect ratio of the digital image signal is formed and outputted. Thus, even when the display device converts an image by a lateral uniform expansion method, a display image without lateral expansion can be outputted on a display screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shuji Moritani
  • Patent number: 7224401
    Abstract: A system for dynamically placing textual elements adjacent a video content, based on aspect ratios, includes means for detecting the aspect ratio of the media player content and the aspect ratio of the display device and determining if there are unused positions of the video content when displayed on the display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan Ackley, Christopher T. Carey, Bennet S. Carr, Kathleen S. Poole
  • Patent number: 7129992
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for displaying a video composed of images each comprising a predetermined number M of lines and, a predetermined number N of pixels in each line. Values of a predetermined number P of reference pixels for each line of a current image of the video are stored in memory, where P is less than N. For each line of the current image, the value of a parameter associated with the line is determined, with the parameter corresponding to the number of the reference pixels of the line that are black according to a first predetermined criterion. A first nonblack line and a last nonblack line of the current image are determined to serve as a basis for an automatic reframing of the images of the video before display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: STMicroelectroniccs SA
    Inventor: Christophe Barnichon
  • Patent number: 7084924
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system for displaying widescreen video images on a stand video display is disclosed. Letterboxing, which occurs when a widescreen image is displayed in its entirety on a standard video display, is removed by enlarging the widescreen image and panning the enlarged widescreen image responsive to a multi-channel audio signal corresponding to the widescreen image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Robert J. Topper, Lee R. Dischert
  • Patent number: 7079192
    Abstract: A blackener for letter box lines associated with a HDTV/conventional-analog hybrid television transmission where the blackener counts horizontal sync pulses contained in the HDTV/conventional-analog hybrid television transmission and determines when the HDTV/conventional-analog hybrid television transmission is in letter-box lines: if it is, then the blackener sends substitute black signal to an output; and if it is not, then the blackener sends the HDTV/conventional-analog hybrid television transmission to the output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Frederick J. Wysocki, George H. Nickel
  • Patent number: 7057640
    Abstract: The present invention provides improved burnout imprinting prevention by slowly moving the position of screen content to ensure that no one area of the guns is unused for a long period of time. Optical and/or mechanical elements are provided to redirect the projected image to the center of the screen. As the image moves on the projection guns the optical elements are positioned accordingly to shift the projected image such that the viewable image is fixed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas Alexander Bellwood, Leugim A. Bustelo, Julio Eloy Ruano, Matthew Francis Rutkowski
  • Publication number: 20040212736
    Abstract: A television receiver having the function of displaying a plurality of types of television program videos which differ in the aspect ratio comprises means for judging, when channels are switched, whether or not a letter box is displayed on the previous channel and is also displayed on the new channel, and means for moving, when it is judged that the letter box is displayed on the previous channel and is also displayed on the new channel, the position of the letter box displayed on the new channel from the position of the letter box displayed on the previous channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2004
    Publication date: October 28, 2004
    Applicant: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tatsuya Hosomi
  • Patent number: 6678009
    Abstract: A method of generating an adjustable video display window from an on screen display (OSD) bitmap is provided. The adjustable video display window masks undesirable video artifacts from a video display. The method includes generating an image pattern, the image pattern being produced by a video display processor of the video display. Parameters of the video display processor are adjusted to vary the dimension of the generated image pattern to redefine the periphery of an active region of the video display so that users of the video display are not able to view undesirable artifacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Michael Kahn
  • Patent number: 6593939
    Abstract: An image display device includes a display panel having predetermined numbers of pixels defined in horizontal and vertical directions, respectively, and an interpolated-data generation circuit whereby an expanded image data is produced in such a manner that when the number of pixels in the horizontal direction of the display panel is greater than the number of pixels in the horizontal direction of a given image signal, the interpolated-data generation circuit directly stores a plurality of image data A, B, C, D, E of the original image signal along one horizontal line at data storage locations closest to the original locations, and data at data storage locations remaining after storing all original data are given the results X, Y, and Z obtained by calculation from two original image data at locations adjacent to the respective remaining data storage locations thereby expanding the original image signal to have a resolution well matched to the resolution of the display panel without causing a reduction in con
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2003
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukimitsu Yamada, Ken Kawahata, Hiroyuki Hebiguchi, Tatsumi Fujiyoshi, Junichi Saito
  • Patent number: 6504706
    Abstract: The invention relates to a portable presentation device (1) comprising a container having a lid (3) and a base (4), a first display device (7) and a controller (10) for driving the first display device (7). The portable presentation device is in the form of a briefcase, with the first display device (7) built into the lid (3) of the briefcase. With the lid (3) opened so that the first display device (7) is perpendicular to the base, presentations may be conveniently given to a small group of viewers with the first display device (7) being manipulable by means of the controller (10). The controller (10) may also have its own display (11) so that the operator may easily view and control the presentation himself.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2003
    Assignee: ICE 21 Limited
    Inventor: Steven John Stewart
  • Patent number: 6384864
    Abstract: A letter-box filtering circuit and a method of using the same that includes a preprocessing filter circuit and a filtering circuit to reduce or correct the round-off errors generated when displaying an image of 16:9 on a screen of 4:3 in a digital image processing. The letter-box filtering circuit can display the down sampled image based on the 16:9 image without any distortion or reduced distortion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2002
    Assignee: Hyundai Electronics Industries Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Young-No Kim
  • Patent number: 6340992
    Abstract: A method and system for processing video signal. The method and system provide for automatically detecting letterboxing in an input video signal, and scaling a desired portion of the video signal to match a given display device, as well as detecting subtitles in the input video signal and selectively including the subtitles in the desired portion of the video signal. A signal processor (202) receives video image data, calculates image data statistics for each line of the video image, locates at least one desired portion of the video image, scales the desired portion of the video image for display on a display device (116) having a pre-determined aspect ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2002
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Vishal Markandey
  • Patent number: 6331862
    Abstract: An image display device includes a display panel having predetermined numbers of pixels defined in horizontal and vertical directions, respectively, and an interpolated-data generation circuit whereby an expanded image data is produced in such a manner that when the number of pixels in the horizontal direction of the display panel is greater than the number of pixels in the horizontal direction of a given image signal, the interpolated-data generation circuit directly stores a plurality of image data A, B, C, D, E of the original image signal along one horizontal line at data storage locations closest to the original locations, and data at data storage locations remaining after storing all original data are given the results X, Y, and Z obtained by calculation from two original image data at locations adjacent to the respective remaining data storage locations thereby expanding the original image signal to have a resolution well matched to the resolution of the display panel without causing a reduction in con
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2001
    Assignees: LG Philips LCD Co., Ltd., Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukimitsu Yamada, Ken Kawahata, Hiroyuki Hebiguchi, Tatsumi Fujiyoshi, Junichi Saito
  • Patent number: 6330037
    Abstract: A picture signal processing method is provided for processing a picture signal containing information including main picture portion and non-picture portions. This method comprises: detecting boundary portions existing between the main picture portion and the non-picture portions of the picture signal; performing inter-field interpolation treatment to produce an interpolation scanning signal; and using the interpolation scanning signal to perform inter-field interpolation treatment on boundary portions between the main picture portion and the non-picture portions of the picture signal, so as to ensure a clearly visible display of the boundary portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2001
    Assignees: Pioneer Corporation, Pioneer Video Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Nakajima, Hiroshi Otaki
  • Patent number: 6262772
    Abstract: When viewing a 4:3 aspect ratio image on a widescreen display, disturbing black bands appear to the left and right of the displayed image. Similarly, when viewing a letterbox image on a 4:3 aspect ratio display, disturbing black bands appear above and below the displayed image. These black bands result in uneven ageing of the phosphors in the display screen. An apparatus is provided which detects these black bands and automatically expands the image in the appropriate direction such that these black bands are automatically eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2001
    Assignee: Philips Electronics North America Corporation
    Inventors: Richard C. Shen, Alan Cavallerano
  • Patent number: 6262779
    Abstract: A display apparatus for a television or computer terminal having a cathode ray tube with a deflection coil. The display apparatus includes a signal processing circuit which compresses a display period in a horizontal scanning period of an input video signal and which expands a blanking interval of the horizontal scanning period of the video signal, the signal processing circuit providing an output of the video signal to the cathode ray tube, and a horizontal retrace interval expansion circuit which expands a horizontal retrace line interval of a horizontal deflection current for the deflection coil of the cathode ray tube in accordance with the blanking period expanded by the signal processing circuit. The cathode ray tube displays the input video signal in accordance with the output of the signal processing circuit and the output of the horizontal retrace interval expansion circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2001
    Assignee: Hitachi, LTD
    Inventors: Masato Sugiyama, Makoto Onozawa, Kazuhiro Kaizaki, Mitsuo Nakajima, Yuzo Nishinaka, Junji Motoshima
  • Patent number: 6259479
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for changing the number of scan lines in a frame of video data to produce an image represented by the video data that corresponds to a desired aspect ratio. The apparatus includes a pair of finite impulse response filters for processing the decoded chrominance and luminance pixel values stored in memory. The filters permit a plurality of scan lines of chrominance and luminance data to be read and filtered on a continuous basis with any scan line of data being read only once. Thus, the filters provide a very efficient method of providing a frame of a number of output scan lines of chrominance and luminance pixel values that are different from the number of scan lines of chrominance and luminance pixel values in a frame of video data stored in memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2001
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Shirish C. Gadre, Taner Ozcelik
  • Patent number: 6226046
    Abstract: A discrimination about a standard screen or a wide screen is performed by a discriminating circuit in accordance with the presence or absence of upper and lower black stripes of a wide screen video signal. A video signal transmitted through a low pass filter is supplied to the discriminating circuit, the presence or absence of the upper and lower black stripes of the video signal is detected and the discrimination about the standard screen or the wide screen is performed by the discriminating circuit. A noise level of the video signal is detected by an S/N ratio detecting circuit. Characteristics of the low pass filter are set in accordance with an output of the S/N ratio discriminating circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2001
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yamagata, Yoshinobu Tsunetomi
  • Patent number: 6208385
    Abstract: A letterbox image detection apparatus for detecting a letterbox image by detecting a boundary of an image area and a non-image area, so as to display the image area on a full screen according to the detection result but not to display the non-image area. The apparatus includes timing pulse generator for generating a timing pulse for splitting one screen image into N columns (N is an integer of 2 or more), image property calculator for calculating the image property of the N horizontal sections (hereinafter referred to as columns) split by the timing pulse generator, inter-line difference calculator for calculating the inter-line difference of the N image properties, edge detector for comparing the inter-line difference with a predetermined upper first threshold th1 and for detecting the edge, and edge position data holder for holding the vertical position data of the in-column edge detected by the edge determinator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2001
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kazuo Konishi, Naoki Akamatsu, Kohichi Satoh
  • Patent number: 6188449
    Abstract: A semiwide-screen television receiver which can provide a horizontally extended picture on a screen. The receiver receives and displays on a cathode ray tube (CRT) an image signal having a 12:9 screen aspect ratio (AR), and includes a cathode ray tube having a horizontal dimension which is larger than that of a conventional CRT having a 4:3 screen aspect ratio. A deflection unit including an inductance variation device for adjusting the inductance value of a horizontal deflection coil is provided, so as to minimize an inductance dispersion of the deflection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2001
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chang-Wan Hong, Chel-Woon Youn, Sung-Pyo Hong
  • Patent number: 6157410
    Abstract: To display an image based on image file data generated from moving images, the number of pixels is changed in the horizontal or vertical direction of a display screen by a signal processing operation. Various television broadcast standards and display modes are supported. For example, in the NTSC system, a signal processing operation subjects frame data (720 by 480 pixels) to 8:9 pixel count conversion for converting the number of pixels in the horizontal direction from 720 to 640. An image based on the image file data (i.e., still picture) is therefore displayed on the computer screen with the correct aspect ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2000
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuaki Izumi, Shinichi Fukushima, Junichi Tsukamoto
  • Patent number: 6157414
    Abstract: An image display obtains a high quality enlarged or reduced image, by making the output image almost the same level of the inputted image. An inputted image signal is transmitted to a discrete cosine transformer and transformed to frequency band information. The image information transformed to the frequency band is transmitted to a memory controller and stored in a frame buffer. Image information read out from the memory controller is implemented enlargement/reduction interpolation at an enlargement/reduction interpolation section. The image information enlarged or reduced is transmitted to a reverse discrete cosine transformer and restored to image information and then outputted. In this image display, even the image is enlarged or reduced, the part of frequency of the image is kept as it is, the deterioration of the image quality is decreased largely.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2000
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Susumu Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 6115072
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for converting a digital video image to a higher aspect ratio format at a decoder by line dropping. For example, conversion from a 4:3 to a 16:9 letterbox format may be achieved. Line dropping for non-anchor pictures (e.g., B-pictures) occurs on a decoding-side of the decoder, prior to storage in memory. Line dropping for anchor pictures (e.g., I- and P-pictures) occurs on a display-side of the decoder, after being retrieved from the memory, and prior to display. Additional memory space is freed to allow storage of additional decoded data, thus compensating for the decrease in display processing time caused by a reduced number of active video lines that are processed with the letter box format.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2000
    Assignees: Motorola, Inc., General Instrument Corporation
    Inventors: Bao Vuong, Candace Anderson
  • Patent number: 6084637
    Abstract: In a decoding/displaying device, the memory capacity or mapping to B pictures is set in consideration of a decoding waiting period, thereby avoiding the competition between a write-in operation and a read-out operation for a memory. Therefore, the decoding operation of coded picture data can be performed with no decoding waiting period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2000
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masuo Oku, Yukitoshi Tsuboi
  • Patent number: 6064444
    Abstract: A picture processing apparatus and method for enlarging and reducing a picture wherein when a picture is reduced, horizontally adjacent pixel data is supplied from a delaying device to a horizontally interpolating circuit. With the pixel data, a coefficient p and a 1's complement (1-p) thereof supplied from an interpolation coefficient circuit, an interpolating process in the horizontal direction is performed. In addition, a pixel at the position of p=1 is thinned out. Pixel data that has been interpolated in the horizontal and vertical directions and that has been thinned out is written to a memory. When a picture is enlarged, pixel data that is read from a memory is delayed by two line memories and two adjacent pixels are properly selected by a switch circuit. A vertically interpolating circuit performs an interpolating process in the vertical direction. When pixel data is read from the memory, particular pixel data is read twice depending on a magnification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2000
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichiro Miyazaki, Akira Shirahama, Takeshi Ono, Nobuo Ueki
  • Patent number: 5973749
    Abstract: The DC level of the low-frequency component of a horizontal frequency is detected from a video signal by a horizontal low pass filter (LPF) 16d and a DC value detection circuit. In addition, the high-frequency component of the horizontal frequency is detected from the video signal by a horizontal band pass filter (BPF) and a nonlinear circuit. Furthermore, a high-frequency component in the vertical direction is detected from the video signal by a vertical BPF 16i and a nonlinear circuit 16i. On the basis of three detection results, the presence/absence of a non-image portion of the video signal is determined by a determination circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1999
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Satoyuki Ishii, Tsutomu Fujishima
  • Patent number: 5949494
    Abstract: An aspect ratio discrimination apparatus and an image display apparatus which prevent a malfunction in discrimination of a first video signal for exhibition of a normal image and a second video signal for exhibition of a horizontally elongated image. An upper-lower portion average brightness calculation section receives an input video signal to form an image and calculates an average brightness of upper and lower portions (black band portions) of the image. An upper-lower portion brightness difference calculation section calculates differences between the average brightness and brightness levels of the black portions of the image. A high brightness difference rate detection section discriminates whether or not the rate of the area of portions in the black portions in which the brightness differences are higher than a predetermined level is higher than a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 7, 1999
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yamagata, Kenji Watanabe
  • Patent number: 5881205
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for video signal processing of sequences of digitized images originating from video (10) or film. A field grabber (12) receives the digitized images from the input and identifies the separate fields thereof. An image manipulation stage (14) combines fields as required and reduces the number of pixels per line and pixel lines in each image by applying horizontal and vertical compression; this stage also provides filtering and resizing of the image as required. Following encoding (16) of the compressed images, the encoded data stream may then be processed (18) into a form for recording onto, for example, an optical disc. By appropriate choice of the number of lines to which the image manipulation stage (14) reduces the image, discs playable on either PAL or NTSC standard equipment may be produced from a single image source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1999
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventors: Derek Andrew, Ian S. Fagg
  • Patent number: 5844624
    Abstract: A television receiver includes a picture-display-region discriminating means for discriminating whether or not any picture is displayed on a specific region on a screen of the television receiver, by utilizing a luminance signal of a composite video signal which is received by the television receiver and corresponds to the specific region. A signal in a frequency band which is unnecessary for the video signal is eliminated, and then it is discriminated whether or not any picture is displayed on the specific region, by utilizing the luminance signal and a carrier chrominance signal contained in the video signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1998
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kenzo Nakai, Yukihiko Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 5825427
    Abstract: The present invention addresses problems of dealing with video formats in both 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios by providing an image display system having an aspect ratio between the 4:3 aspect ratio of the standard National Television System Committee (NTSC) and the soon to be implemented 16:9 aspect ratio of High Definition TV (HDTV). In a first embodiment, the apparatus utilizes a video screen having a substantially rectangular configuration having an aspect ratio being between 1.4:1 and 1.7:1. In a more preferred embodiment, the image display system includes a video screen having an aspect ratio being between 1.5:1 and 1.6:1. In an even more preferred embodiment, the video screen of the image display system optimally has an aspect ratio of (square root of 64/27):1.0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1998
    Inventor: Kenneth J. MacLeod
  • Patent number: 5805234
    Abstract: A wide display scream television receiver having a plurality of video display modes, the optimum display mode is automatically selected depending on a kind of material of an input video signal includes a display control for displaying a picture corresponding to the input video signal on the display screen in a plurality of display modes by controllably changing a size of the picture in the horizontal direction and/or vertical direction. The number of horizontal lines from the heading line of each field of the input video signal is counted up with a counter. A detection region setting circuit respectively sets, in the upper and lower regions and the center region of the display screen, the detection region in the predetermined range designated by a single line to a plurality of lines for each field of the input video signal on the basis of the counted value of the counter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1998
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Katsuji Matsuura
  • Patent number: 5760837
    Abstract: A video signal compression apparatus extracts a specific value written in a read only memory at every system clock pulse. The specific value can be varied at every clock pulse. Therefore, for example, only the center cart of a picture can be horizontally compressed A FIFO memory may be used. It is possible to select a mode with a fixed compression ratio or a mode in which a compression ratio varies at every clock pulse. Further, the fixed compression ratio can be set from the outside. Display position or the picture can also be changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yosuke Izawa, Masahiro Tani, Naoji Okumura, Yutaka Nio, Toshichika Sato
  • Patent number: 5754243
    Abstract: A read control circuit reads image data, which are stored in a decoding image memory, at a read speed m/n times a display speed. These image data are written to line memories by a write control circuit. A read-address control circuit reads the image data from the line memories at a display speed, and line data for a letter-box image are generated by multipliers and an adder. Specifically, the line data of m lines which are read from the decoding image memory are transformed to n lines so that a letter-box display is made possible. Thus, letter-box transformation processing is performed with less memory capacity without the use of a field memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1998
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kouichi Kurihara, Shuji Abe, Takeshi Inagaki, Shinji Yoda
  • Patent number: 5734434
    Abstract: An adaptation of an aspect ratio of a picture signal is effected by providing (1) a second derivative (D2) of an expansion factor (EF) in response to at least one constant value (C1, C2), by providing (3-13) a first derivative (D1) of the expansion factor (EF) in response to the second derivative (D2), by providing (14-21) the expansion factor (EF) in response to the first derivative (D1), and by expanding the picture signal in dependence upon the expansion factor (EF) to adapt the aspect ratio of the picture signal, whereby use of an expansion factor (EF) less than one results in a compression of said picture signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1998
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventor: Jeroen M. Kettenis
  • Patent number: 5719636
    Abstract: The DC level of the low-frequency component of a horizontal frequency is detected from a video signal by a horizontal LPF 16d and a DC value detection circuit 16g. In addition, the high-frequency component of the horizontal frequency is detected from the video signal by a horizontal BPF 16e and a nonlinear circuit 16h. Furthermore, a high-frequency component in the vertical direction is detected from the video signal by a vertical BPF 16f and a nonlinear circuit 16i. On the basis of three detection results, the presence/absence of a non-image portion of the video signal is determined by a determination circuit 16j.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 17, 1998
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Satoyuki Ishii, Tsutomu Fujishima, Shigeki Kamimura
  • Patent number: 5715010
    Abstract: A video signal compression apparatus extracts a specific value written in a read only memory at every system clock pulse. The specific value can be varied at every clock pulse. Therefore, for example, only the center part of a picture can be horizontally compressed. A FIFO memory may be used. It is possible to select a mode with a fixed compression ratio or a mode in which a compression ratio varies at every clock pulse. Further, the fixed compression ratio can be set from the outside. Display position of the picture can also be changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 3, 1998
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yosuke Izawa, Masahiro Tani, Naoji Okumura, Yutaka Nio, Toshichika Sato
  • Patent number: 5703653
    Abstract: A video signal compression apparatus extracts a specific value written in a read only memory at every system clock pulse. The specific value can be varied at every clock pulse. Therefore, for example, only the center part of a picture can be horizontally compressed. A FIFO memory may be used. It is possible to select a mode with a fixed compression ratio or a mode in which a compression ratio varies at every clock pulse. Further, the fixed compression ratio can be set from the outside. Display position of the picture can also be changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 30, 1997
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yosuke Izawa, Masahiro Tani, Maoji Okumura, Yutaka Nio, Toshichika Sato
  • Patent number: 5699123
    Abstract: A television receiver has a main body and a remote-control transmitter. A display having an aspect ratio of 16:9 visualizes an incoming video signal. A picture analysis circuit is operative for analyzing the incoming video signal. An aspect converting circuit is operative for changing an aspect condition of indication of the incoming video signal on the display. A button is provided on one of the main body and the remote-control transmitter for commanding automatic aspect conversion when being operated. A decision is made as to whether or not the button is operated to command automatic aspect conversion. When the button is decided to be operated, the picture analysis circuit is activated to analyze the incoming video signal and the aspect converting circuit is controlled to automatically control the aspect condition of indication of the incoming video signal on the display in response to a result of the analysis by the picture analysis circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 16, 1997
    Assignee: Victor Company of Japan, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuyuki Ebihara, Kiyoshi Fujiwara, Izuru Shirai
  • Patent number: 5686970
    Abstract: A high precision aspect ratio auto-discrimination apparatus used for display apparatuses and television receivers comprising: an apparatus for detecting the upper edge and lower edge of a letter box picture through detecting the average luminance of every horizontal scan period; an apparatus for detecting respective average luminance levels in a plurality of specific regions in one field picture controlled by a horizontal synchronous signal and a vertical synchronous signal; and, an aspect ratio discrimination section to which the outputs of said both apparatuses are input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 11, 1997
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Tani, Naoji Okumura
  • Patent number: 5657082
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus capable of outputting video signals in a plurality of formats is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 12, 1997
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiaki Harada, Eiji Yamada, Tetsuo Iwaki
  • Patent number: RE36456
    Abstract: The present invention provides a video signal conversion method for displaying a video signal having a 4:3 aspect ratio on a screen having a 16:9 aspect ratio by using a single clock. The video signal conversion comprises the steps of inserting two zero pixels between two pixels of the 4:3 video signal, .[.band.]. .Iadd.low .Iaddend.pass filtering the two pixels of the 4:3 video signal, such that .[.3/4 of the bandwidth of the pixels is passed and upper and lower parts of pixels are not passed,.]. .Iadd.the 3/4 band of the upper part and the lower part of the spectrum are respectively passed, .Iaddend.and sampling the filtered pixels by every fourth transition of a clock signal, and then displaying the sampled pixels on the 16:9 screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 21, 1999
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jeong-Hoon Kim