Television – Special applications – Object or scene measurement
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-01
2001-07-17
Garber, Wendy R. (Department: 2712)
Television
Special applications
Object or scene measurement
C348S136000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06262763
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to imaging techniques, and more particularly to displaying images in actual size.
2. Background of the Related Art
Images of people, animals, objects and so forth may be displayed on a display screen (such as a television screen, a movie screen, a computer monitor and the like) are in sizes which may be either smaller than or larger than their actual size. For example, a relatively large or small person, animal or object (such as a tall basketball player, an elephant, an ant, an integrated circuit (IC) chip and so forth) may appear on such screen or monitor to be larger or smaller than the actual size thereof. This reduction or enlargement may be done in order to let viewers see the details of those images if they are small, or to fit those images in their entirety on the screen if the sizes of the images exceed the screen dimensions. However, a person viewing a particular image on a television screen, a computer monitor or the like may be unaware of the actual size of the viewed image.
In the above-described situations, since the image on the screen may not be indicative of the size or dimensions of the person, animal, or object, the viewer may not be able to determine the actual size thereof unless the viewer has prior knowledge pertaining to such actual size. Some the actual size thereof unless the viewer has prior knowledge pertaining to such actual size. Some viewers, such as certain adult viewers, may have such prior knowledge and may use it when viewing the displayed images. In other words, these adults may draw from their mental “databases” which may have numerous facts, statistics and real life experiences; and subconsciously they may perceive people, animals, objects and so forth in their actual size when looking at them on the screen of a movie theater, projection television, and so forth. As a result, such adults viewing a 7′1″ basketball player on such screen may realize that the basketball player is quite tall in comparison with other people, and may approximately envision the size of that basketball player. However, other viewers such as young children may not have vast “databases” of knowledge, and may be confused as to the actual size of a displayed image. For example, a child viewing an ant on a displayed screen whose displayed size is several times its actual size may be confused as to the ant's actual size.
Accordingly, it may be desirable to have a video system wherein a viewer may be able to view an image of a desired person, animal, object and so forth on a display screen in its actual size.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides methods, systems and apparatus which enable the display of an image such as a person, animal, object and so forth in actual size on a display screen of a display unit.
In certain embodiments, an actual size signal representative of the actual size of the image is determined in accordance with a ratio that defines the size of the image relative to the size of the display screen. A display unit supplies information pertaining to the size of its display screen, such that the image can then be displayed in actual size on the display screen. This might be accomplished by activating a predetermined function key on a remote control device used with the video system.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a video apparatus is provided which comprises a device for receiving a number of fields or frames of image data, screen size information indicative of a size of a display screen of a display unit, and image size information indicative of a size of a number of images; and a device for producing an actual size signal representative of an actual size of a desired person, animal, object and so forth of a respective field or frame in accordance with the screen size and image size information; wherein the actual size signal is adaptable for supply to the display unit so as to enable an image of the desired person, animal object and so forth to be displayed thereon in actual size.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a video system is provided which comprises a video camera for recording image data on a recording medium, for determining image size information indicative of a size of an image, and for recording the image size information on the recording medium; a display unit having a display screen; and a reproducing device having a device for reproducing the recorded image data and image size information from the recording medium, a device for receiving screen size information indicative of a size of the display screen, and a device for producing an actual size signal representative of an actual size of a desired object of the image in accordance with the screen size and image size information and for supplying the actual size signal to the display unit so as to enable the desired object of the image or a portion thereof to be displayed on the display screen in actual size.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4396944 (1983-08-01), McKenney et al.
patent: 4980763 (1990-12-01), Lia
patent: 5331419 (1994-07-01), Yamada et al.
patent: 5937213 (1999-08-01), Wakabayashi et al.
Kitsukawa Tadamasa
Totsuka Keiichi
Garber Wendy R.
Liberchuk Larry
Sony Corporation
Tobin Chris
White Mitchell
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