Caption VCR and method of displaying a caption signal in the caption VCR

• US 5,299,006 A
• Filed: 11/27/1991
• Issued: 03/29/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Goldstar Jewellery LLC
• Original Assignee: Goldstar Jewellery LLC
• Inventors: Kim, Seung K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Groody, James J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Murrell, Jeffrey S.
• Application Number:
  US07/798,760
• Time in Patent Office: 853 Days
• Field of Search: 358/142, 358/147, 358/183, 358/22, 358/188, 358/21 R, 358/181
• US Class Current: 348/571
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/065 Combinations of audio and video presentations, e.g. videotapes, videodiscs, television systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4884 for displaying subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9207 for teletext
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0885 for the transmission of subtitles

Abstract

A caption VCR having a caption decoder, therein, for detecting a caption signal from a broadcasting signal or detecting a caption signal recorded on a VCR tape. The caption VCR normally operates to display a video signal having no caption signal. However, if the caption signal including character and screen data is detected by the caption decoder, the caption VCR displays the caption signal including the character and screen data. Also, a method of displaying the caption signal from the caption decoder together with an audio signal and a video signal in the caption VCR is provided. Therefore, it is convenient for the deaf person or foreign language learner to watch a desired image containing the caption signal on the screen utilizing the caption decoder.

Claims

1. A caption display apparatus for a VCR, comprising:

programmable controlling means for providing a plurality of control signals necessary to the VCR under control of a user;

radio frequency converting means for receiving an external broadcasting signal and outputting the received broadcasting signal or a desired signal under control of said programmable controlling means;

tuning mean for tuning an output signal from said radio frequency converting means to a broadcasting channel required by the user under control of said programmable controlling means, demodulating the tuned signal to divide it into a video signal and an audio signal and outputting the divided video signal and audio signal;

first switching means for selectively outputting the video signal from said tuning means or an external video signal under control of said programmable controlling means;

luminance/chrominance processing means for video-processing an output signal from said first switching means or a self-video signal to be placed back under control of said programmable controlling means;

luminance/chrominance detecting means for outputting a desired control signal to said programmable controlling means according to whether an output signal from said luminance/chrominance processing means is present and separating vertical and horizontal synchronous signals form the output signal from said luminance/chrominance processing means if the output signal from said luminance/chrominance processing means is present;

clamping means for clamping the output signal from said luminance/chrominance processing means at a constant voltage level;

noise attenuating means for attenuating a noise containing int he output signal form said luminance/chrominance processing means for the purpose of easiness of decoding of a caption signal form the output signal form said luminance/chrominance processing means;

caption decoding means receiving an output signal form said noise attenuating means and detecting the caption signal containing screen data and character data from the output signal from said noise attenuating means under control of said programmable controlling means;

second switching means for selectively outputting on of an output signal form said clamping means and an output signal form a DC voltage supplying means for supplying a desired DC voltage to said second switching means,

wherein said second switching means is under control of said caption decoding means and wherein said DC voltage supplying means supplies a desired DC voltage to said second switching means only when the caption signal from said caption decoding means is applied to said second switching means;

on-screen displaying means for displaying an output signal from said second switching means under said vertical and horizontal synchronous signals of said programmable controlling means and a control of said luminance/chrominance detecting means; and

third switching means for blocking the output signal from said caption decoding means to said second switching means under control of said programmable controlling means.

2. A caption display apparatus for a VCR, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said attenuating means includes:

buffering means for buffering the output signal from said luminance/chrominance processing means;

color and noise removing means for removing the color and noise contained in an output signal from said buffering means to prevent generation of an error character due to the color and noise upon decoding of the caption signal; and

clamping and synchronization correcting means for clamping an output signal from said color and noise removing means at a constant voltage level and then correcting a synchronization of the clamped signal to suppress a horizontal vibration of a character of the caption signal to be decoded.

3. A caption display apparatus for a VCR, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said second switching means includes:

a first switch for selectively outputting one of the output signal from said clamping means and the screen data of the caption signal from said caption decoding means under the control of said caption decoding means; and

a second switch for selectively outputting one of an output signal from said first switch and the character data of the caption signal from said caption decoding means under the control of said caption decoding means.

4. A caption display apparatus for a VCR, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said third switching means includes:

a third switch for blocking the character data of the caption signal from said caption decoding means to said second switch in said second switching means under the control of said programmable controlling means; and

a fourth switch for blocking the screen data of the caption signal from said caption decoding means to said first switch in said second switching means under the control of said programmable controlling means.

5. A caption display apparatus for a VCR, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said DC voltage supplying means includes:

a first DC voltage supplying unit for supplying a desired DC voltage to said first switch in said second switching means only when the screen data of the caption signal from said caption decoding means is applied to said first switch; and

a second DC voltage supplying unit for supplying a desired DC voltage to said second switch in said second switching means only when the character data of the caption signal form said caption decoding means is applied to said second switch.

6. A caption display apparatus for a VCR, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

reverse voltage preventing means for preventing the occurrence of reverse voltages of caption control signals form said programmable controlling means.

7. A method carried out within a VCR of displaying along with a video signal a caption signal representing conversation and other audible sounds associated with the video signal in a caption VCR, comprising the steps of:

(a) luminance/chrominance-processing for video-processing a video signal inputted to the VCR;

(b) clamping the luminance/chrominance-processed video signal at a constant voltage level, then transmitting the clamped video signal to a display unit and continuously displaying the clamped video signal int eh display unit;

(c) simultaneously with the clamping of the luminance/chrominance-processed video signal, continuously decoding the luminance/chrominance-processed video signal to detect a caption signal form the luminance/chrominance-processed video signal and separating a screen data signal and a character data signal present in a detected caption signal; and

(d) when screen data of a caption signal which identifies a caption area on a screen is detected, displaying the screen data of the caption signal along with the video signal in the display unit, and when the character data of a caption signal is detected, displaying the character data within the caption area.

8. A method of displaying a caption signal in a caption VCR, as set forth in claim 7, wherein said step (a) includes the step of:

selecting one of a demodulated broadcasting signal, an external video signal and a self-video signal to be played back and then luminance/chrominance-processing the selected video signal.

9. A method of displaying a caption signal in a caption VCR, as set forth in claim 7, wherein said step (d) includes the step of:

returning to said step (b) if no screen data and character data of the caption signal is detected.

10. A method of displaying a caption signal in a caption VCR, as set forth in claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

(e) adjusting a synchronization of the luminance/chrominance-processed video signal after performing said step (a); and

(f) if said step (e) is not performed, adjusting the synchronization of the luminance/chrominance-processed video signal when the luminance/chrominance-processed video signal is displayed.