Wireless remote control and zoom system for a video display apparatus

• US 5,302,968 A
• Filed: 03/12/1992
• Issued: 04/12/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Deutsche ITT Industries GmbH (TDK Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Deutsche ITT Industries GmbH (TDK Corporation)
• Inventors: Heberle, Klaus
• Primary Examiner(s): Brier, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): AU, AMELIA MEGAN
• Application Number:
  US07/850,473
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: 340/706, 340/709, 340/710, 340/712, 340/731, 358/194.1, 358/180, 359/142, 359/159, 345/157, 345/158, 345/166, 345/180, 345/181, 345/156, 345/127, 345/128, 345/129, 345/130, 345/145, 345/146
• US Class Current: 345/671
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 2200/22 Remote control device controlling cursor and/or including a cursor detecting device
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 9/06 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. light
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications

Abstract

A zoom system for enlarging a portion of a video image chosen on a display screen by a cursor wherein the cursor is controlled by a remote position-dependent transmitter. An electrooptical arrangement receives positional signals from the remote transmitter causing the cursor to move on the display screen in relation to the movement of the remote transmitter. The cursor is used to select a portion of the displayed video image to be enlarged. Once chosen by the cursor, the selected portion of the video image is enlarged in a zoom circuit and shown on the display screen in place and stead of the original image.

Claims

1. In a remotely controlled video display apparatus having a screen for displaying at least one video signal, a zoom system for enlarging a selected portion of said video signal on said screen, comprising:

a remote transmitter means for transmitting positional signals with intensities indicative of said transmitter, wherein an unsteady motion of said transmitter creates a high frequency component in each of said positional signals;

an electrooptical control means, responsive to said positional signals, for controlling the position of a cursor on said screen in response to the motion of said transmitter means, whereby said cursor is used to determine said selected portion of said video signal on said screen to be enlarged, said control means receiving said digitizing said positional signals, filtering said high frequency component from each of said positional signals, resolving said positional signals into coordinate values indicative of the position of said cursor on said screen and displaying said cursor on said screen; and

a zoom means for enlarging said selected portion of said video signal chosen by an operator on said screen by said cursor, said zoom means including a picture interpolation means for interpolating a video frame from said selected portion of said video signal.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said zoom means includes a memory means for storing at least one frame of said video signal, and a readout means for reading, from said memory means, said selected portion of said video signal to be enlarged.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said picture interpolation means reads said video frame from said selected portion of said video signal from said memory means.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said cursor is a substantially rectangular frame where said selected portion of said video signal to be enlarged is defined by the edges of said substantially rectangular frame.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein said video signal includes a picture-in-picture display whereby a smaller video image is displayed atop a larger video image and wherein said smaller video image can be chosen as said selected portion of said video signal by said cursor.

6. The system of claim 3 wherein said video signal is transmitted in a format smaller than said screen and wherein said zoom means has a first enlargement factor that enlarges the displayed video signal to a size producing a full display on said screen.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said video signal is transmitted in a wide screen format whereby said zoom means has enlarges said video signal by a predetermined factor that enlarges the displayed video signal to a number of lines that produce full display on said screen.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein said video signal does not have a 4:

3 aspect ratio but contains a standard number of lines and said zoom means has a second enlargement factor equal to unity.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said memory means stores one of said lines, in said video signal, at a time.

10. The system of claim 6 wherein said video signal does not have a 4:

3 aspect ratio and wherein said zoom means has an enlargement factor which enlarges the displayed video signal, to a number of lines producing a full display on said screen.

17. The system of claim 2, wherein said zoom means further includes a first and second address generator for generating modified horizontal and vertical start addresses to said memory means, respectively, for said selected portion of said video signal.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said first address generator is responsive to a system clock signal, a horizontal clock signal and a modified horizontal coordinate value to provide said modified horizontal start address;

and

said second address generator is responsive to said system clock signal, a vertical clock signal and a modified vertical coordinate value to provide said modified vertical start address.

11. A zoom system for remotely controlling a video display apparatus having a screen for displaying at least one video signal, said system comprising:

transmitter means for transmitting a plurality of signals having intensities indicative of the motion of said transmitter means, and for transmitting an electromagnetic command signal containing at least one coded command, wherein an unsteady motion of said transmitter means creates a high frequency component in each one of said plurality of positional signals;

electrooptical means responsive to said transmitted electromagnetic positional signals for controlling said video display apparatus by moving a cursor on said screen in response to the motion of said transmitter means, said electrooptical means including;

receiving means for receiving said command signal and said plurality of positional signals;

digitizing means, responsive to said receiving means, for digitizing said command signal and each one of said positional signals, the digital value of each one of said digitized positional signals being indicative of the intensity of said corresponding one positional signal;

adaptive filter means, responsive to said digitizing means, for filtering out said high frequency component from each one of said digitized positional signals;

resolving means, responsive to said adaptive filter means, for resolving said plurality of filtered digitized positional signals into coordinate values indicative of the position of the cursor on the screen;

menu controller means for processing said command signal and, in accordance with said coordinate values determined by said resolving means, for displaying the position of the cursor on the screen and for controlling said video display apparatus; and

a zoom means for enlarging a portion of said video signal on said screen, wherein said portion is selected by said cursor.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said zoom means includes a memory means for storing at least one frame of said video signal and a readout means for reading said portion of said video signal from said memory means.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said zoom means further includes a picture interpolation means for interpolating a video frame from said portion of said video signal read from said memory means.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said zoom means automatically enlarges said video signal to fit on said screen if said video signal is transmitted in a format that does not match the size of said screen.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said video signal is transmitted in a wide screen format and said zoom means has a first enlargement factor that enlarges said video signal to a number of lines providing a full display on said screen.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein said video signal does not have a 4:

3 aspect ratio but contains a standard number of lines, and wherein said zoom means has a second enlargement factor equal to unity for providing a full display on said screen.