Automatic precision video monitor alignment system
First Claim
1. A system for calibration of a video monitor having a digital control circuit for controlling the display characteristics of a display on a cathode ray tube in response to an input signal comprising:
- means for transmitting a signal indicative of a test pattern to said video monitor thereby causing an image of said test pattern to be displayed on said cathode ray tube;
a video camera for receiving said test pattern image from said cathode ray tube, wherein said test pattern image is processed as a non-color-separated image after said receiving thereof; and
means, responsive to said test pattern image received by said video camera, for transmitting, to said digital control circuit, control data necessary to cause said test pattern image to conform to a predetermined image.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An automatic precision video monitor alignment and calibration system is described which functions to precisely align all of the adjustable display characteristics of a video monitor to a high degree of precision. This alignment system can function in an automated calibration mode wherein it is independent of human input and automatically performs a series of alignment/calibration operations to precisely adjust all of the display characteristics of the video monitor in a fraction of the time required by a person to manually align the video monitor. The alignment system includes a digital control circuit located within the video monitor to precisely set and maintain each of the monitor display characteristics. The values maintained by this control circuit can be input by a person, or set automatically by a computer controlled display alignment system. The system of the present invention uses a single camera and a color analyzer to make all the measurements necessary to automatically align and calibrate a video monitor. The measurements are then used to make the adjustments, via the digital control circuit, necessary for alignment and/or calibration. A calibration computer coupled with a video coprocessor subsystem accomplish all adjustments to the monitor automatically, without the need for human intervention.
242 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A system for calibration of a video monitor having a digital control circuit for controlling the display characteristics of a display on a cathode ray tube in response to an input signal comprising:
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means for transmitting a signal indicative of a test pattern to said video monitor thereby causing an image of said test pattern to be displayed on said cathode ray tube; a video camera for receiving said test pattern image from said cathode ray tube, wherein said test pattern image is processed as a non-color-separated image after said receiving thereof; and means, responsive to said test pattern image received by said video camera, for transmitting, to said digital control circuit, control data necessary to cause said test pattern image to conform to a predetermined image. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A digital control circuit for controlling the display characteristics of a video monitor, said monitor having a CRT, said digital control circuit comprising:
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means for generating a pulse width modulated waveform; means for storing indicia of an effective voltage of said pulse width, each of said indicia corresponding to a target value of said pulse width at the start of a given time interval, said time interval being one of a predetermined number of said time intervals in a cycle equal to a synchronization interval of said CRT; means for varying said pulse width of said waveform, in response to said indicia stored by said storing means, at said start of each of said time intervals; and means for synchronizing said waveform with said synchronization interval of said CRT. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
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9. A system for calibration of a video monitor, said system having a pattern generator connected to said video monitor for generating a displayed image of a predefined pattern on a cathode ray tube of said monitor, said monitor having a digital control circuit for controlling visual characteristics of said displayed image on said cathode ray tube in response to a control signal comprising:
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means for controlling said pattern generator; means for receiving a said displayed image from said video monitor, wherein said displayed image is processed as a non-color-separated image after said receiving thereof, and wherein each pixel in said non-color-separated image has value corresponding to a grey scale level; and means responsive to said received image, for transmitting a said control signal to said digital control circuit in order to cause said displayed image to conform, within predetermined tolerances, to a desired image.
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10. A system for calibration of a video monitor having a cathode ray tube, said cathode ray tube having a virtual bezel circumscribing a display aperture of said cathode ray tube comprising:
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means for determining a position of said virtual bezel relative to an image thereof captured by a single video camera; first control means for adjusting a raster displayed on said cathode ray tube to within a predetermined set of tolerances relative to said virtual bezel; means for generating a test pattern, said test pattern having a plurality of rectangles disposed therein; means for transmitting said test pattern to said video monitor; means for displaying an image of said test pattern on said cathode ray tube of said video monitor; means for receiving said image of said test pattern via a single video camera; means for digitizing said received image of said test pattern; means for storing said digitized image of said test pattern; means for determining a size of each of said rectangles in said image of said test pattern; and second control means for adjusting, in response to said determined size of each of said rectangles in said image of said test pattern, a linearity of each of said rectangles, thereby causing said linearity of each of said rectangles to approximate, within predetermined tolerances, a predetermined linearity.
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11. A method for controlling the display characteristics of a video monitor, said monitor having a CRT comprising the steps of:
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storing indicia of an effective voltage of a pulse width modulated waveform, each of said indicia corresponding to a target value of said pulse width at the start of a given time interval, said time interval being one of a predetermined number of said time intervals in a cycle equal to a synchronization interval of said CRT; generating, in response to said indicia stored by said storing means, said pulse width modulated waveform, at said start of each of said time intervals; and synchronizing said waveform with said synchronization interval of said CRT. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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13. A method for calibration of a video monitor having a cathode ray tube, said cathode ray tube displaying a raster, and having a virtual bezel circumscribing a display aperture of said cathode ray tube comprising the steps of:
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(a) determining a position of said virtual bezel relative to an image thereof captured by a single video camera; (b) generating a test pattern, said test pattern having a plurality of rectangles disposed therein; (c) transmitting said test pattern to said video monitor; (d) displaying an image of said test pattern on said cathode ray tube of said video monitor; (e) receiving said image of said test pattern via a single video camera; (f) adjusting, in response to said received image, a location of at least one of said rectangles in said test pattern to within predetermined tolerances relative to said virtual bezel; and (g) adjusting, in response to said received image, a linearity of at least one of said rectangles in said test pattern to a predetermined linearity, within predetermined tolerances. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method for calibration of a video monitor having a cathode ray tube, said video monitor having stored therein a plurality of values for controlling certain characteristics of a display on said cathode ray tube, said cathode ray tube displaying a raster, and having a virtual bezel circumscribing a display aperture of said cathode ray tube comprising the steps of:
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(a) determining a position of said virtual bezel relative to an image thereof captured by a single video camera; (b) generating a test pattern, said test pattern having a plurality of rectangles disposed therein; (c) transmitting said test pattern to said video monitor; (d) displaying an image of said test pattern on said cathode ray tube of said video monitor; (e) receiving said image of said test pattern via single video camera; (f) calibrating at least one of said stored values in response to said received image, thereby adjusting a linearity of at least one of said rectangles in said test pattern to within predetermined tolerances relative to said virtual bezel; and (g) calibrating at least one of said stored values in response to said received image, thereby adjusting the linearity of at least one of said rectangles in said test pattern to a linearity within predetermined tolerances. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
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Specification