Image processing apparatus and method

• US 20060053463A1
• Filed: 07/26/2005
• Published: 03/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Advanced Digital Chips, Inc. (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Digital Chips, Inc. (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Choi, In Chul
• Application Number:
  US11/189,480
• Publication Number:
  US 20060053463A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/131
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/10 Arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or the distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4182 for identification purposes, e.g. storing user identification data, preferences, personal settings or data restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code in combination with an additional device, e.g. dongle or smart card G06F21/123
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4402 involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display details of conversion of video standards at pixel level H04N7/01; video transcoding H04N19/40; adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal G09G5/005; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440281 by altering the temporal resolution, e.g. by frame skipping television signal recording using magnetic recording on tape for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate H04N5/783
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4621 Controlling the complexity of the content stream or additional data, e.g. lowering the resolution or bit-rate of the video stream for a mobile client with a small screen arrangements for using the results of monitoring on user's side in broadcast systems H04H60/65; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/4448 for frame-grabbing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/46 for receiving on more than one standard at will deflecting circuits of multi-standard receivers H04N3/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/641 Multi-purpose receivers, e.g. for auxiliary information H04N9/642 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/642 Multi-standard receivers

Abstract

The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and method capable of capturing, storing, and replaying incoming image data and outputting currently-incoming image data or the captured image data on a display apparatus such as a monitor and a TV set.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus for receiving incoming image data and outputting the image data to a display apparatus, comprising:

a control unit for selectively capturing the received incoming image data;

a storing unit for storing the captured image data;

a control signal inputting unit for inputting a selection control signal; and

a selecting/outputting unit for selecting one of currently-incoming image data and the captured image data stored in the storing unit and outputting the selected image data to the display apparatus.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an image data compressing unit for compressing the captured image data and transmitting the compressed image data to the storing unit.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display apparatus is a monitor for displaying one of a SDTV image signal, a PC image signal, and an HDTV image signal.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, the display apparatus is a TV set for displaying a TV signal.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit periodically captures the incoming image data input to the display apparatus.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the selecting/outputting unit selects the image data in accordance with the selection control signal input from the control signal inputting unit and outputs the selected image data.

7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when there is no currently-incoming image data, the selecting/outputting unit outputs the image data stored in the storing unit to the display apparatus.

8. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control signal inputting unit further comprises verification means for verifying a right to output the captured image data stored in the storing unit.

23. The image processing apparatus according to one of claims 1, 9 and 19, further comprising a usage time setting unit for automatically turning on and off the display apparatus in accordance with a set usage time thereof.

24. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image processing apparatus is provided outside the display apparatus.

9. An image processing apparatus for receiving an incoming image signal including a PC image signal, an SDTV image signal, or an HDTV image signal output from a video card of a computer and outputting the image signal to a display apparatus, comprising:

an incoming image signal processing module for performing a predetermined a digital image signal process on the incoming image signal based on characteristics of thereof;

a main processing module for selectively capturing and storing the incoming image signal output from the incoming image signal processing module; and

an output signal processing module for selecting one of the incoming image signal output from the incoming image signal processing module and the captured image signal stored in the main processing module and outputting the selected image signal.

10. The image processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the incoming image signal processing module comprises:

an LVDS receiving unit for converting a standard low voltage differential signal (LVDS) of the incoming image signal into a digital RGB image signal;

a first multiplexer for selecting one of the digital RGB image signal of the incoming image signal and the digital RGB image signal output from the LVDS receiving unit and outputting the selected digital RGB image signal;

a video decoder for converting an analog CVBS image signal of the incoming image signal to a digital YUV image signal;

a color space conversion unit for converting the digital RGB image signal output from the first multiplexer to a digital YUV image signal; and

a second multiplexer for selecting one of the digital YUV image signal output from the color space conversion unit and the digital YUV image signal output from the video decoder.

11. The image processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the incoming image signal processing module further comprise a synchronization detecting unit for detecting a synchronization signal from the digital RGB image signal of the incoming image signal, the digital RGB image signal output from he LVDS receiving unit and the digital YUV image signal output from the video decoder to determine whether or not the incoming image signal is valid.

12. The image processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the main processing module comprises:

a down scaler for down-scaling the incoming image signal output from the incoming image signal processing module in size suitable to be stored in a memory;

an image data compressing unit for compressing the down-scaled image signal output from the down scaler;

a flash ROM for storing the compressed image signal;

a up scaler for recovering and up-scaling the stored compressed image in size suitable for a display resolution; and

a memory controller for controlling timings of the flash ROM and the image data compressing unit.

13. The image processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the main processing unit comprises:

a color conversion unit for converting the digital YUV image signal output from the up scaler to a digital RGB image signal; and

a digital-to-analog converter for the digital RGB image signal output from the color conversion unit to an analog RGB image signal.

14. The image processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the main processing module further comprises a video decoder for converting the digital YUV image signal output from the up scaler to an analog CVBS image signal.

15. The image processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the output signal processing module comprises:

a multiplexer for selecting one of the incoming image signal output from the incoming image signal processing module and the captured image signal stored in the main processing module and outputting the selected image signal;

a switching unit for performing an on/off operation to output the digital RGB image signal output from the incoming image signal processing module in response to a predetermined output control signal; and

an LVDS transmitter for converting the digital RGB image signal output from the incoming image signal processing module to a digital LVDS signal.

16. The image processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the predetermined output control signal is generated by a control signal inputting unit in accordance with a user'"'"'s input.

17. The image processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the multiplexer selects the captured image signal stored in the main processing module when there is no incoming image signal output from the incoming image signal processing module.

18. The image processing apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising verification module for verifying a right to output the captured image signal stored in the main processing module to the output signal processing module.

19. An image processing apparatus for receiving an incoming analog CVBS image signal input from a TV receiving tuner and outputting the image signal to a display apparatus, comprising:

an image storing/processing unit for selectively capturing the incoming analog CVBS image signal;

a flash ROM for storing the captured image signal output from the image storing/processing unit; and

a multiplexer for selecting one of the incoming analog CVBS image signal and the captured image signal stored in the flash ROM and outputting the selected image signal.

20. The image processing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the image storing/processing unit comprises an image data compressing unit for compressing the captured image signal.

21. The image processing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the image storing/processing unit comprises a digital-to-analog conversion unit for converting the incoming analog CVBS image signal input to the image storing/processing unit to a digital image signal.

22. The image processing apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising verification module for verifying a right to output the captured image signal stored in the flash ROM to the multiplexer.

25. An image processing method of receiving incoming image data and outputting the image data to a display apparatus, comprising steps of:

selectively capturing the received incoming image data;

storing the captured image data; and

selecting one of currently-incoming image data and the captured image data stored in a storing unit and outputting the selected image data to the display apparatus.

26. The image processing method according to claim 25, further comprising, after the step of capturing, a step of compressing the captured image data.

27. The image processing method according to claim 25, wherein the display apparatus is a monitor for displaying one of a SDTV image signal, a PC image signal, and an HDTV image signal.

28. The image processing method according to claim 25, wherein the display apparatus is a TV set for displaying a TV signal.

29. The image processing method according to claim 25, wherein, in the step of capturing, the incoming image data input to the display apparatus is periodically captured.

30. The image processing method according to claim 25, wherein, in the step of selecting and outputting, the image data is selected in accordance with a selection control signal input by a control signal inputting unit.

31. The image processing method according to claim 25, wherein, in the step of selecting and outputting, the image data stored in the storing unit is output to the display apparatus when there is no currently-incoming image data.

32. The image processing method according to claim 25, wherein the step of selecting and outputting further comprises a step of verifying a right to output the captured image data.