Non-linear customer contrast control for a color television with autopix

• US 5,317,400 A
• Filed: 05/22/1992
• Issued: 05/31/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics Incorporated (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics Incorporated (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Lagoni, William A., Gurley, Thomas D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Groody, James J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harvey, David E.
• Application Number:
  US07/887,737
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 358/169, 358/168, 358/160, 358/171, 358/172, 358/27, 358/183
• US Class Current: 348/679
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/57 Control of contrast or brightness

Abstract

In a TV system which includes an autopix feedback loop limiting the range over which the contrast can be controlled, there is included means for generating a non-linear contrast control voltage as a function of customer control settings in order to extend the range over which the customer can control the contrast.

Claims

1. In a TV system which includes a contrast control section coupled to a brightness control section and wherein the contrast control and brightness control sections are responsive to red (r), green (g) and blue (b) color signal and wherein the TV system also includes means for combining outputs of the brightness control section to produce a "combined signal" representative of the luminance component of the image to be displayed, and wherein the "combined signal" is coupled via a control loop to the contrast control section for controlling its response to the r, g and b color signals, the improvement comprising:

non-linear contrast control means, coupled to the contrast control section, responsive to externally generated user control signals for controlling the gain of the contrast control section, said non-linear contrast control means for producing control signals which are a non-linear function of the user generated control signals.

2. In the TV system of claim 1, wherein said contrast control means includes a low pass filter whose charging time constant is not equal to its discharging time constant.

3. In the TV system of claim 2, wherein the charging time constant is greater than the discharging time constant.

4. In the TV system of claim 2, wherein said non-linear contrast control means includes:

a first amplifying means having an input responsive to said externally generated user control signals and having an output;

a second amplifying means having an input and an output; and

wherein said low pass filter whose charging time constant is not equal to its discharging time constant, is connected between the output of said first amplifying means and the input of said second amplifying means.

5. In the TV system of claim 4, wherein said low pass filter includes an RC network.

6. In the TV system of claim 5, wherein said low pass filter includes a resistor and a capacitor (RC) network and a diode connected across at least part of the resistor whereby said diode functions as a relatively low impedance shunt for one polarity of signals.

7. In the TV system of claim 1, wherein said non-linear contrast control means produces a control voltage applied to said contrast control section in response to said externally generated user control signals.

8. The combination as claimed in claim 7, wherein said externally generated control signals includes pulse width modulated rectangular pulses whose duty cycle is defined as TH/TP where TH is the length of time the pulse is relatively positive, TL is the length of time the pulse is relatively negative, and TP is equal to TH plus TL;

and wherein the amplitude of said control voltage is a non-linear function of TH/TP.

9. A TV system comprising:

a contrast control section and a brightness control section;

each one of said contrast and brightness control sections having inputs and outputs;

means coupling outputs of the contrast control section to inputs of the brightness control section;

means adapted to receive red (r), green (g) and blue (b) color signals including means for applying said r, g and b color signals to inputs of said contrast control section for processing said r, g and b color signals via said contrast and brightness control sections;

combining means coupled to outputs of the brightness control section for combining said outputs of said brightness control section and producing a combined signal;

a feedback loop responsive to said combined signal coupled between said combining means and said contrast control section; and

a non-linear contrast control voltage producing means, coupled to said contrast control section, responsive to customer control signals for producing and applying to said contrast control section a contrast control voltage which is a non linear function of the customer control signals.

10. The TV system of claim 9 wherein said non-linear contrast control voltage producing means includes means for producing a minimum contrast control voltage having a first value (V1), and for increasing the contrast control voltage (Vc) from said first value to a second value (V2) in X steps;

and wherein the incremental changes in Vc per each step is other than a constant value equal to (V2-V1)/X.

11. A TV system comprising:

first means responsive to customer contrast control settings for producing a pulse train whose duty cycle is indicative of a customer contrast control setting; and

amplifying means coupled to said first means, said amplifying means including a non-linear low pass filter whose charging time constant is substantially different than its discharging time constant for, in response to said pulse train, producing a direct current (dc) output voltage whose level is a non-linear function of the duty cycle of said pulse train.

12. The TV system of claim 11, wherein the duty cycle of said pulse train is varied by modulating the pulse width of the pulses in the pulse train, the width of the pulses being indicative of the customer contrast control setting.

13. The TV system of claim 12, wherein said charging time constant is substantially greater than said discharging time constant for, in response to said pulse width modulated pulse signals, producing a direct current (dc) output voltage whose level is a non-linear function of the pulse width of said pulse signals.

14. In a television system, apparatus comprising:

a source of an input video signal;

means for processing said input video signal to produce an output video signal;

said processing means including means for controlling the amplitude of said output video signal in response to a control signal;

means responsive to the amplitude of said output video signal for generating a first control signal;

means for generating a second control signal in response to manual adjustments made by a user;

said second control signal having a non-linear characteristic as a function of the user'"'"'s adjustment; and

means for coupling said first and second control signal to said amplitude controlling means so as to control the amplitude of said output video signal as a combined function of said first and second control signals.