Simultaneous, multi-aspect ratio television display

• US 5,146,335 A
• Filed: 12/19/1990
• Issued: 09/08/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Jihn K., Hong, Chang W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Groody, James J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Powell, Mark R.
• Application Number:
  US07/630,203
• Time in Patent Office: 629 Days
• Field of Search: 358/22, 358/22 PIP, 358/183, 358/140
• US Class Current: 348/564
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0122 the input and the output signals having different aspect ratios

Abstract

A system for simultaneously achieving the complete display of a plurality of subscreens of television video signals together with a main screen of television video signal without any overlapping (i.e., picture-out-of-picture; tiled displays), and thereby offer the pleasure to a viewer, of watching various types of a TV screen displays which are made up of various combinations of the subscreens and the main screen. The apparatus for multipicture regeneration uses an HDTV system and includes horizontal and vertical synchronizing counters, a logic control matrix part, a plurality of signal sources, a switching part, a scan direction data transfer part and an image processor. All of the selected subscreens and the main screen simultaneously displayed completely each with an aspect ratio of 3:4, on a single HDTV screen having an aspect ratio of 9:16.

Claims

1. In an HDTV system having apparatus and a video display means for providing a display of video signals having a 9:

16 aspect ratio, a device for selectively simultaneously providing on said video display means a plurality of 3;

4 aspect ratio displays of video signals, each constituting a respective image, and all said images being substantially completely non-overlappingly tiled,

said device comprising;

a horizontal synchronizing counter for counting horizontal synchronizing signals associated with said first display of video signals having a 9;

16 aspect ratio;

a vertical synchronizing counter for counting vertical synchronizing signals associated with said first display of video signals having a 9;

16 aspect ratio;

a logic control matrix part operatively connected with said horizontal and vertical synchronizing counters, for providing control signals related to counts respectively provided by said counters;

a plurality of signal sources each arranged to provide, when selected, a respective set of video signals for a respective video display of a respective image having a 3;

4 aspect ratio;

a switching block effectively connected to said logic matrix part and to said logic control matrix part, for switching among said plurality of signal sources, depending upon said control signals, and thereby providing successively switched-to signal sources successively to an output means of said switching block;

a scan position data transfer part effectively connected to said output means of said switching block for transferring scan position data for said 3;

4 aspect ratio images to be displayed on said video display means of said HDTV system; and

an image processor effectively connected to said scan position data transfer part for processing said 3;

4 aspect ratio images, so that each is displayed on a distinct portion of said video display means with none of said 3;

4 aspect ratio images substantially overlapping one another.

2. A method for multi-image regeneration in a high definition television system, comprising:

(a) providing an HDTV system having a video display screen structure capable of displaying a set of video signals having a 9;

16 aspect ratio and apparatus which electronically repetitively paints the screen structure, horizontal row by horizontal row using an electronic painting structure, and the HDTV system also includes structures for providing signal outputs indicative of horizontal and vertical positioning of the moving interface between where the video display screen structure contains an image which is being replaced, and where the video display screen structure contains an image which is replacing the image which is being replaced;

(b) providing said HDTV system with a plurality of different sets of video signals each corresponding to a respective series of images having a 3;

4 aspect ratio;

(c) using said signal outputs to switchingly forward selected ones of said sets of video signals to said electronic painting structure depending upon horizontal and vertical location of said interface, so as to cause said video display screen structure to simultaneously display each of said selected ones of said sets of video signals each with a 3;

4 aspect ratio in a respective distinct area of said video display screen structure, with no substantial overlap by any of said sets of video signals of one another.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

said distinct areas are arranged on said video display screen structure in a pattern of at least one main area having a relative aspect ratio selected from the group consisting of 9;

12 and 6;

8, and at least three sub-areas each having a relative aspect ratio of 3;

4.