Television – Basic receiver with additional function – For display of additional information
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-14
2001-10-30
Harvey, David E. (Department: 2614)
Television
Basic receiver with additional function
For display of additional information
C348S565000, C348S581000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06310656
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to a television apparatus for displaying picture-in-picture or picture-and-picture in which a first picture plane and a second picture plane can be displayed, a display method of such a television apparatus, and picture plane control apparatus and method.
BACKGROUND ART
FIG. 8
shows a block diagram for performing what is called a picture-in-picture (hereinafter, referred to as a PinP) in which a slave picture plane is displayed in a conventional master picture plane. In the block diagram shown in
FIG. 8
, a scaling and a display position of the slave picture plane are set through a field memory
134
. Parameters of a writing range (HAct, VAct) and a reading range (HSize, VSize) are supplied to a divider
131
. The writing range (HAct, VAct) is a fixed value. In the divider
131
, a ratio of magnification or reduction is set. In a horizontal interpolating circuit
132
and a vertical interpolating circuit
133
, when the reduction ratio is supplied from the divider
131
, an interpolation in the horizontal and vertical directions is performed to an image inputted on the basis of the ratio.
The image supplied from the vertical interpolating circuit
133
is written into the field memory
134
on the basis of a control signal which is supplied from a write memory control circuit
137
. A horizontal sync signal, a vertical sync signal, and parameters of a write start position (HPhase, VPhase) and the writing range (HAct, VAct) of a fixed value are supplied to the write memory control circuit
137
. Those parameters have a relation shown in FIG.
9
. An image surrounded by the writing range (HAct, VAct) of the fixed value is written into the field memory
134
.
The written image is read out from the field memory
134
on the basis of a control signal which is supplied from a read memory control circuit
138
. The horizontal sync signal, the vertical sync signal, and parameters of a read start position (HPosition, VPosition) and the reading range (HSize, VSize) are supplied to the read memory control circuit
138
. Those parameters have a relation shown in FIG.
10
. The image written in the field memory
134
is read out so as to be displayed in a range surrounded by the reading range (HSize, VSize).
In a horizontal interpolating circuit
135
and a vertical interpolating circuit
136
, when the magnification ratio is supplied from the divider
131
, an interpolation in the horizontal and vertical directions is performed to an image supplied on the basis of such a ratio.
It is a feature of PinP that the writing range (HAct, VAct) which is set to the field memory
134
is set to a fixed value on the assumption that the operation to magnify or reduce the whole picture plane is performed. A display picture plane size is determined by only the setting of the reading range (HSize, VSize).
FIGS. 9 and 10
show relations between the parameters for the write memory control circuit
137
, read memory control circuit
138
, and divider
131
and the horizontal and vertical sync signals. As shown in
FIG. 9
, upon writing, only the write start position (HPhase, VPhase) becomes the parameter. Upon reading shown in
FIG. 10
, the position and size are set by the parameters of the read start position (HPosition, VPosition) and the reading range (HSize, VSize). An actual display picture plane of PinP is shown in FIG.
11
. As shown in
FIG. 11
, in the conventional PinP, a slave picture plane
142
obtained by reducing an almost whole picture plane of a program on a different channel is displayed in the master picture plane
141
.
However, in case of PinP, since almost whole picture plane is reduced and displayed as a slave picture plane, there is a problem such that small characters cannot be discriminated or a small person cannot be recognized. For example, when a relay of a baseball game or a soccer game is displayed on the slave picture plane, a problem such that the score cannot be discriminated occurs.
Further, in case of what is called a picture-and-picture (hereinafter, referred to as a P&P) in which a picture plane
146
is displayed adjacently to a picture plane
145
shown in
FIG. 12
, when a letter box signal is displayed, there is a problem such that upper and lower black edges are displayed in a frame of the picture plane
146
. This is a problem such that the frame which does not correspond to the inherent aspect ratio is displayed in the picture plane.
It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a television apparatus in which in a display of PinP or P&P, the portion of an image of an arbitrary size at an arbitrary position in an image of a program on a different channel or an image of another input signal is displayed in the second picture plane, a display method of such a television apparatus, and picture plane control apparatus and method.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
According to the invention, there is provided a television apparatus for displaying a first picture plane and a second picture plane onto a same picture plane, characterized in that the apparatus has signal processing means for magnifying or reducing an input signal of a program on a different channel or an input signal other than a signal displayed at present on the first picture plane and the magnified or reduced input signal is displayed in the second picture plane.
According to the invention, there is provided a display method of a television apparatus for displaying a first picture plane and a second picture plane onto a same picture plane, characterized by comprising the steps of: magnifying or reducing an input signal of a program on a different channel or an input signal other than a signal displayed at present on the first picture plane; and displaying the magnified or reduced input signal onto the second picture plane.
According to the invention, there is provided a picture plane control apparatus for displaying an inputted signal onto a picture plane, characterized by comprising: dividing means for discriminating a magnification or a reduction of the signal; a memory into/from which the signal can be written and read out; write control means for writing a desired area of the signal into the memory; and read control means for allowing the signal written in the memory to be displayed at a desired position.
According to the invention, there is provided a picture plane control method of displaying an inputted signal onto a picture plane, characterized by comprising the steps of: discriminating a magnification or a reduction of the signal by dividing means; writing a desired area of the signal into a memory; and allowing the signal written in the memory to be displayed at a desired position on the picture plane.
When the inputted image is written into a field memory, a writing range (HAct, VAct) can be varied. Thus, in a slave picture plane of PinP, by displaying only necessary information of an arbitrary portion of the image such as small characters, small person, or the like which cannot be discriminated, it can be discriminated. In the first and/or the second picture plane of P&P, the upper and lower black edge portions of a letter box signal are removed and the image can be displayed at an inherent aspect ratio.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5963221 (1999-10-01), Shimizu et al.
patent: 0258803 (1988-03-01), None
Miyazaki Shinichiro
Shirahama Akira
Tsunetomi Yoshinobu
Frommer William S.
Frommer Lawrence & Haug LLP.
Harvey David E.
Shallenburger Joe H.
Sony Corporation
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