Image apparatus with zoom-in magnifying function

• US 20040105654A1
• Filed: 07/11/2003
• Published: 06/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Tsugutaro Ozawa, Yuzuru Takahashi
• Inventors: Takahashi, Yuzuru, Ozawa, Tsugutaro
• Granted Patent: US 7,327,932 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/46
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/045 Zooming at least part of an image, i.e. enlarging it or shrinking it
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42212 Specific keyboard arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440263 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for displaying on a connected PDA
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/14 Picture signal circuitry for video frequency region cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors, or control thereof H04N23/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/91 Television signal processing therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems

Abstract

A picture to be reproduced and displayed on a television monitor (10) is discerned as a plurality of partitioned areas in correspondence to keys labeled “1” to “9” disposed on a remote control unit (R). After having zoomed in a picture in a partitioned center area by operating a zoom key disposed on the remote control unit, a partial picture in a partitioned area corresponding to a given one of the keys “1” to “9” is zoomed in with a desired magnification factor in response to operation of the given key. Position of the zoomed-in partial picture on a full screen and the magnification factor thereof can be visually recognized by displaying cursors correspondingly.

Claims

1. A video apparatus equipped with facility for reading out first video data from a recording medium and processing said first video data to thereby derive therefrom second video data for generating a zoomed-in picture by magnifying a partial area of a picture based on said first video data,

said video apparatus comprising:

a zoom key and a plurality of zoom-in area designating keys disposed at least on either one of a main body of said video apparatus or a remote control unit therefor;

a storage storing correspondence relations between said plurality of zoom-in area designating keys and areas of the picture based on said first video data, respectively; and

a video data processor generating said second video data in response to operation of said zoom key and generating second video data for a zoom-in area corresponding to a given one of said zoom-in area designating keys in response to operation of said given one zoom-in area designating key.

2. A video apparatus according to claim 1,

further comprising:

a memory storing graphic data indicating to which of the areas of the picture based on said first video data as arrayed in horizontal and vertical directions said zoomed-in picture generated for display on the basis of said second video data belongs,

wherein said video data processor is designed to combine together said second video data and said graphic data read out from said memory device to thereby generate synthesized data.

3. A video apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said plurality of zoom-in area designating keys disposed at least on either one of the main body of the video apparatus or said remote control unit are arrayed orderly such that the array of said plurality of zoom-in area designating keys can be visually associated with a plurality of specific partial areas of a picture based on said first video data.

4. A video apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein said plurality of zoom-in area designating keys are used for designating a location to be zoomed in when said zoom key has been previously operated while being used for other purposes than the designation of the location for zoom-in unless said zoom key has not been operated in precedence, said zoom-in area designating keys including keys labeled “

1”

to “

9”

, respectively, and disposed in a three-row-by-three-column (3×

3) array.

5. A video apparatus equipped with facility for reading out first video data from a recording medium and processing said first video data to thereby derive therefrom second video data for generating a zoomed-in picture by magnifying a partial area of a picture based on said first video data,

said video apparatus comprising:

a zoom key and a plurality of zoom-in area designating keys disposed at least on either one of a main body of said video apparatus or a remote control unit therefor;

a storage storing correspondence relations between said plurality of zoom-in area designating keys and areas of the picture based on said first video data, respectively; and

a video data processor set to a state for generating said second video data upon operation of said zoom-in area designating key in dependence on operation of said zoom key for thereby generating second video data for a zoom-in area corresponding to a given one of said zoom-in area designating keys in response to operation of said given one zoom-in area designating key.

6. A video apparatus according to claim 5,

further comprising:

a memory storing graphic data indicating to which of the areas of the picture based on said first video data as arrayed in horizontal and vertical directions said zoomed-in picture generated for display on the basis of said second video data belongs, wherein said video data processor is designed to combine together said second video data and said graphic data read out from said memory device to thereby generate synthesized data.

7. A video apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein said plurality of zoom-in area designating keys disposed at least on either one of the main body of the video apparatus or said remote control unit are arrayed orderly such that the array of said plurality of zoom-in area designating keys can be visually associated with a plurality of specific partial areas of a picture based on said first video data.

8. A video apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein said plurality of zoom-in area designating keys are used for designating a location to be zoomed in when said zoom key has been previously operated while being used for other purposes than the designation of the location for zoom-in unless said zoom key has not been operated in precedence, said zoom-in area designating keys including keys labeled “

1”

to “

9”

, respectively, and disposed in a three-row-by-three-column (3×

3) array.

9. A video apparatus equipped with facility for reading out first video data from a recording medium and processing said first video data to thereby derive therefrom second video data for generating a zoomed-in picture by magnifying a partial area of a picture based on said first video data,

said video apparatus comprising:

a plurality of zoom-in area designating keys disposed at least on either one of a main body of said video apparatus or a remote control unit therefor;

a storage storing correspondence relations between said plurality of zoom-in area designating keys and areas of the picture based on said first video data, respectively; and

a video data processor generating second video data for a zoom-in area corresponding to a given one of said zoom-in area designating keys in response to operation of said given one zoom-in area designating key.

10. A video apparatus according to claim 9,

further comprising:

a memory storing graphic data indicating to which of the areas of the picture based on said first video data as arrayed in horizontal and vertical directions said zoomed-in picture generated for display on the basis of said second video data belongs, wherein said video data processor unit is designed to combine together said second video data and said graphic data read out from said memory device to thereby generate synthesized data.

11. A video apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein said plurality of zoom-in area designating keys disposed at least on either one of the main body of the video apparatus or said remote control unit are arrayed orderly such that the array of said plurality of zoom-in area designating keys can be visually associated with a plurality of specific partial areas of a picture based on said first video data.

12. A video apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein said plurality of zoom-in area designating keys are used for designating a location to be zoomed in when said zoom key is singly operated while being used for other purposes than the designation of the location for zoom-in after another key is operated in precedence, said zoom-in area designating keys including keys labeled “

1”

to “

9”

, respectively, and disposed in a three-row-by-three-column (3×

3) array.

13. A video apparatus equipped with facility for reading out video data from a recording medium and displaying a zoomed-in magnified picture on a screen of a picture displaying unit on the basis of said video data,

said video apparatus comprising:

a plurality of zoom-in area designating keys disposed at least on either one of a main body of said video apparatus or a remote control unit therefor;

a storage storing correspondence relations, respectively, between said plurality of zoom-in area designating keys and zoom-in areas resulting from partition of a picture being displayed on said screen on the basis of said video data into a plurality of picture areas; and

a video data processor displaying on said screen a zoomed-in picture of a zoom-in area corresponding to a given one of said zoom-in area designating keys in response to operation of said given one zoom-in area designating key.

14. A video apparatus equipped with facility for reading out video data from a recording medium and displaying a zoomed-in magnified picture on a screen of a picture displaying unit on the basis of said video data,

said video apparatus comprising:

a plurality of zoom-in area designating keys disposed at least on either one of a main body of said video apparatus or a remote control unit therefor;

a storage storing correspondence relations, respectively, between said plurality of zoom-in area designating keys and zoom-in areas resulting from partition of a picture being displayed on'"'"'said screen on the basis of said video data into a plurality of picture areas; and

a video data processor designed such that when a second given one of said zoom-in area designating keys is operated in a state where a zoomed-in picture (first zoom-in magnified picture) of a zoom-in area corresponding to a first given one of said zoom-in area designating keys is being displayed, said second given one zoom-in area designating key differing from said first given zoom-in area designating key, a third zoomed-in picture is displayed which differs from said first zoomed-in picture and a second zoomed-in picture of a zoom-in area corresponding to said second given zoom-in area designating key in precedence to displaying on said screen said second zoomed-in picture of the zoom-in area corresponding to said second zoom-in area designating key operated.

15. A video apparatus equipped with facility for reading out first video data from a recording medium and processing said first video data to thereby derive therefrom second video data for generating a zoomed-in picture by magnifying a partial area of a picture based on said first video data,

said video apparatus comprising:

a video data processor; and

a memory storing graphic data indicating to which of the areas of the picture based on said first video data as arrayed in horizontal and vertical directions said zoomed-in picture generated for display on the basis of said second video data belongs,

wherein said video data processor is designed to combine together said second video data and said graphic data read out from said memory device to thereby generate synthesized data.

16. For a video apparatus equipped with facility for reading out first video data from a recording medium and processing said first video data to thereby derive therefrom second video data for generating a zoomed-in picture by magnifying a partial area of a picture based on said first video data,

a zoom location displaying method comprising the steps of:

detecting the zoom location of the zoomed-in picture on a display screen; and

displaying at a location of said display screen corresponding to the detected zoom location of zoomed-in picture, graphic data indicating to a memory storing graphic data indicating to which of the areas of the picture based on said first video data as arrayed in horizontal and vertical directions said zoomed-in picture generated for display on the basis of said second video data belongs.

17. For a video apparatus equipped with facility for reading out first video data from a recording medium and processing said first video data to thereby derive therefrom second video data for generating a zoomed-in picture by magnifying a partial area of a picture based on said first video data, said video apparatus including a zoom key and a plurality of zoom-in area designating keys disposed at least on either one of a main body of said video apparatus or a remote control unit therefor;

a zoom-processing method comprising the steps of;

storing correspondence relations between said plurality of zoom-in area designating keys and areas of the picture based on said first video data, respectively; and

generating said second video data in response to operation of said zoom key and generating second video data for a zoom-in area corresponding to a given one of said zoom-in area designating keys in response to operation of said given one zoom-in area designating key.

18. For a video apparatus equipped with facility for reading out first video data from a recording medium and processing said first video data to thereby derive therefrom second video data for generating a zoomed-in picture by magnifying a partial area of a picture based on said first video data, said video apparatus including a zoom key and a plurality of zoom-in area designating keys disposed at least on either one of a main body of said video apparatus or a remote control unit therefor;

a zoom processing method comprising the steps of;

providing correspondence relations between said plurality of zoom-in area designating keys and areas of the picture based on said first video data, respectively; and

generating said second video data upon operation of said zoom-in area designating key in dependence on operation of said zoom key for thereby generating second video data for a zoom-in area corresponding to a given one of said zoom-in area designating keys in response to operation of said given one zoom-in area designating key.

19. For a video apparatus equipped with facility for reading out first video data from a recording medium and processing said first video data to thereby derive therefrom second video data for generating a zoomed-in picture by magnifying a partial area of a picture based on said first video data, said video apparatus including a plurality of zoom-in area designating keys disposed at least on either one of a main body of said video apparatus or a remote control unit therefor,

a zoom processing method comprising the steps of;

providing correspondence relations between said plurality of zoom-in area designating keys and areas of the picture based on said first video data, respectively; and

generating second video data for a zoom-in area corresponding to a given one of said zoom-in area designating keys in response to operation of said given one zoom-in area designating key.

20. For a video apparatus equipped with facility for reading out video data from a recording medium and displaying a zoomed-in magnified picture on a screen of a picture displaying unit on the basis of said video data, said video apparatus including a plurality of zoom-in area designating keys disposed at least on either one of a main body of said video apparatus or a remote control unit therefor,

a zoom processing method comprising the steps of;

holding correspondence relations, respectively, between said plurality of zoom-in area designating keys and zoom-in areas resulting from partition of a picture being displayed on said screen on the basis of said video data into a plurality of picture areas; and

displaying on said screen a zoomed-in picture of a zoom-in area corresponding to a given one of said zoom-in area designating keys in response to operation of said given one zoom-in area designating key.

21. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer executable instructions to perform for processing zoom display in a video apparatus equipped with means for reading out first video data from a recording medium and processing said first video data to thereby derive therefrom second video data for generating a zoomed-in picture by magnifying a partial area of a picture based on said first video data, said method comprising the steps of:

detecting the zoom location of the zoomed-in picture on a display screen; and

displaying at a location of said display screen corresponding to the detected zoom location of zoomed-in picture, graphic data indicating to a memory storing graphic data indicating to which of the areas of the picture based on said first video data as arrayed in horizontal and vertical directions said zoomed-in picture generated for display on the basis of said second video data belongs.