Television – Modular image display system
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-29
2004-06-22
Lee, Michael H. (Department: 2614)
Television
Modular image display system
C348S745000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06753923
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to video projecting systems, and more particularly to video projecting systems for projecting an image which is generated from a video signal.
2. Description of the Background Art
There is a class of video projecting systems which project on a screen a number of partial images that are generated from a plurality of video projectors, so that a single stitched image is obtained on the screen. As shown in
FIG. 12
, a video projecting system of this kind typically includes video projectors
121
and
122
which are disposed side by side along the horizontal direction.
The video projector
121
includes a selector
1211
, a scaling processing circuit
1212
, a display device
1213
, and an optical system
1214
. The video projector
122
includes a selector
1221
, a scaling processing circuit
1222
, a display device
1223
, and an optical system
1224
.
Each of the selectors
1211
and
1221
includes a number of terminals (not shown). In the exemplary structure shown in
FIG. 12
, a first luminance adjustment circuit
123
and a third luminance adjustment circuit
125
are coupled to the respective terminals of the selector
1211
. A second luminance adjustment circuit
124
and a fourth luminance adjustment circuit
126
are coupled to the respective terminals of the selector
1221
.
Each of the scaling processing circuits
1212
and
1222
performs a scaling process as described below.
The display device
1213
includes on its display surface a number of pixels as specified by a given standard. The display devices
1213
and
1223
are usually produced so as to conform to the same standard or specifications.
The optical systems
1214
and
1224
, each of which may be composed of a number of lenses, are disposed at a distance from the respective display surfaces of the display devices
1213
and
1223
.
A screen
127
is disposed externally to the video projecting system, at a position away from the optical systems
1214
and
1224
.
Now, an operation of the video projecting system will be described. First, a first video signal LFVS for the left-hand side and a first video signal RFVS for the right-hand side are supplied to the first luminance adjustment circuit
123
and the second luminance adjustment circuit
124
, respectively. The first video signals LFVS and RFVS are generated from a first video signal FVS which represents a first image FV to be displayed.
The first video signal LFVS represents a first left partial image FLV, which defines a left-hand portion of the first image FV. The first video signal RFVS represents a first right partial image FRV, which defines a right-hand portion of the first image FV. When projecting the first image FV on the screen
127
, the first left partial image FLV and the first right partial image FRV are employed in such a manner that the right vertical edge of first left partial image FLV and the left vertical edge of first right partial image FRV overlap each other, thereby obscuring the junction between the two partial images FLV and FRV.
The first video signal LFVS is received by the first luminance adjustment circuit
123
. The first luminance adjustment circuit
123
attenuates a portion of the received first video signal LFVS, i.e., lowers the luminance of the overlapping region of the first left partial image FLV. It should be noted that the luminance of the non-overlapping region of the first left partial image FLV is not lowered. Thus, the first luminance adjustment circuit
123
transfers the processed first video signal LFVS to the selector
1211
as a first adjusted video signal ALFVS.
The second video signal RFVS is received by the second luminance adjustment circuit
124
. The second luminance adjustment circuit
124
attenuates a portion of the received second video signal RFVS, i.e., lowers the luminance of only the overlapping region of the first right partial image FRV. The second luminance adjustment circuit
124
transfers the processed first video signal RFVS to the selector
1221
as the first adjusted video signal ARFVS.
The selector
1211
selects either the first luminance adjustment circuit
123
or the third luminance adjustment circuit
125
. Assuming that the first luminance adjustment circuit
123
is being selected by the selector
1211
, the first adjusted video signal ALFVS is passed through to the scaling processing circuit
1212
.
The selector
1221
selects either the second luminance adjustment circuit
124
or the fourth luminance adjustment circuit
126
. Note that when the first luminance adjustment circuit
123
is being selected by the selector
1211
, the selector
1221
selects the second luminance adjustment circuit
124
. In this case, the first adjusted video signal ALFVS is passed through to the scaling processing circuit
1222
.
The scaling processing circuit
1212
applies a scaling process to the incoming first adjusted video signal ALFVS. The scaling process is performed because the first adjusted video signal ALFVS may not necessarily be of a signal format which conforms to the standard under which the display device
1213
is enabled to perform a display function. Accordingly, the scaling process is performed in order to convert the first adjusted video signal ALFVS so as to have a signal format which is displayable by the display device
1213
. Typically, the original size (or the number of pixels contained) of the first left partial image FLV is converted to a size (or a number of pixels) which can be suitably displayed by the display device
1213
. The first adjusted video signal ALFVS having been subjected to the scaling process is outputted to the display device
1213
as a first scaled video signal SLFVS.
The scaling processing circuit
1222
applies a scaling process (which is similar to that performed by the scaling processing circuit
1212
) to the adjusted video signal ARFVS outputted from the selector
1221
so as to generate a first scaled video signal SRFVS to be displayed by the display device
1223
, which is outputted to the display device
1223
.
In accordance with the incoming first scaled video signal SLFVS, the display device
1213
generates the first left partial image FLV on the display surface. The generated first left partial image FLV is projected onto the screen
107
via the optical system
1214
.
Similarly, in accordance with the incoming first scaled video signal SRFVS, the display device
1223
generates the first right partial image FRV. The generated first right partial image FRV is projected onto the screen
107
via the optical system
1224
.
As a result of the aforementioned processes, the first left partial image FLV and the first right partial image FRV are projected on the screen
107
with a partial overlap therebetween. Thus, a viewer will perceive the first image FV, typically in an “landscape” shape, i.e., with greater horizontal length than vertical height. Furthermore, since the first luminance adjustment circuit
123
and the second luminance adjustment circuit
124
function to lower the luminance of the respective overlapping regions of the first left partial image FLV and the first right partial image FRV in the aforementioned manner, the overlapping region in the first image FV does not appear excessively bright as compared to the other regions. Thus, the conventional video projecting system displays the first image FV in a manner which appears substantially natural to the viewer despite the use of right and left partial images.
On the other hand, in the case where the video projecting system is employed to process a second video signal SVS which is of a signal format different from that of the first video signal FVS, and project a second image SV, the following sequence of processes is performed.
First, a second video signal LSVS for the left-hand side and a second video signal RSVS for the right-hand side, which are generated from the second video signal SVS representing the second image SV, are supplied to the third luminance adjustment circuit
12
Lee Michael H.
Wenderoth , Lind & Ponack, L.L.P.
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