Wide screen television

• US 5,442,406 A
• Filed: 10/28/1992
• Issued: 08/15/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics Incorporated (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics Incorporated (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Altmanshofer, Robert D., Willis, Donald H., Ersoz, Nathaniel H., Rodriguez-Cavazos, Enrique, Canfield, Barth A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan J.
• Application Number:
  US07/941,435
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: 358/140, 358/11, 358/22, 358/22 PIP, 358/183, 358/180
• US Class Current: 348/588
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 3/223 Controlling dimensions by maintaining the cathode-ray tube high voltage constant H04N3/185
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 3/27 Circuits special to multi-standard receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/007 Systems with supplementary picture signal insertion during a portion of the active part of a television signal, e.g. during top and bottom lines in a HDTV letter-box system
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/01 Conversion of standards , e.g. involving analogue television standards or digital television standards processed at pixel level
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0105 using a storage device with different write and read speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0122 the input and the output signals having different aspect ratios
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/641 Multi-purpose receivers, e.g. for auxiliary information H04N9/642 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 348/913 Letterbox, e.g. display 16:9 aspect ratio image on 4:3 screen

Abstract

A video display has a first format display ratio. A mapping circuit maps an adjustable picture display are on the video display. A signal processor generates first and second video signals from input video signals having one of different format display ratios. A switching circuit selectively couples video signal sources as the input video signals. The signal processor can manipulate data from the input video signals by selective interpolation and cropping. A synchronizing circuit synchronizes the first and second signal processors with the mapping circuit. A selecting circuit selects as an output video signal between one of the first and second processed video signals and a combination of the first and second processed video signals. A control circuit controls the mapping circuit, the first and second signal processors and the selecting circuit to adjust in format display ratio and image aspect ratio each picture represented in the output video signal. One of the different format display ratios of the input video signals can be the same as the first format display ratio of the video display. The mapping circuit can comprise a raster generating circuit for a cathode ray tube or an address matrix generator for a liquid crystal display.

Claims

1. A display system, comprising:

display means having a first format display ratio;

means for mapping an output video signal onto said display means, said output video signal representing a picture which is dimensionally adjustable on said display means by operation of said mapping means;

a plurality of video signals, each of said video signals having one of different format display ratios;

means for processing at least two of said plurality of video signals, as necessary, to be compatible with one another and with said display means;

switching means for coupling first and second ones of said video signals as inputs to said processing means;

means for selecting, as said output video signal, between;

one of said first and second ones of said video signals as processed, such that said picture represented by said output video signal is a single picture display; and

, a combination of said first and second ones of said video signals as processed, such that said picture represented by said output video signal is a multiple picture display; and

,

means for controlling said mapping means, said processing means and said selecting means, to adjust each picture represented in said output video signal in format display ratio and image aspect ratio, during both said single and multiple picture displays.

2. The display system of claim 1, wherein said first format display ratio is a wide format display ratio.

3. The display system of claim 1, wherein one of said plurality of video signals has said first format display ratio of said display means.

4. The display system of claim 3, wherein said first format display ratio is a wide format display ratio.

5. The display system of claim 1, wherein one of said plurality of video signals has a format display ratio different from said first format display ratio of said display means.

6. The display system of claim 5, wherein said first format display ratio is a wide format display ratio.

7. The display system of claim 1, wherein two of said plurality of video signals have a format display ratio different from said first format display ratio of said display means.

8. The display system of claim 7, wherein said first format display ratio is a wide format display ratio.

9. The display system of claim 1, wherein one of said plurality of video signals has said first format display ratio of said display means and another one of said plurality of video signals has a format display ratio different from said first format display ratio of said display means.

10. The display system of claim 9, wherein said first format display ratio is a wide format display ratio.

11. The display system of claim 1, wherein said processing means comprises means for selectively cropping and means for selectively interpolating each of said first and second ones of said plurality of video signals.

12. The display system of claim 1, wherein said mapping means comprises means for generating a raster for a cathode ray tube.

13. The display system of claim 1, wherein said mapping means comprises means for generating an address matrix for a liquid crystal display.

14. The display system of claim 1, wherein said picture represented by said output video signal is independently adjustable in size in mutually perpendicular directions, said mapping means providing picture size adjustment in one of said directions and said processing means providing picture size adjustment in said other one of said directions.

15. The display system of claim 1, wherein said picture represented by said output video signal is independently adjustable in size in horizontal and vertical directions, said mapping means providing picture size adjustment in said vertical direction by controlling vertical deflection height and said processing means providing picture size adjustment in said horizontal direction by interpolation of video data samples.

16. The display system of claim 1, wherein said mapping means and said video display means are adapted for operation with noninterlaced video signals having a horizontal scanning rate of nf_H, where f_H is a conventional horizontal scanning rate and n is an integer, and further comprising means for converting video signals having an interlaced format and a horizontal scanning rate of f_H to video signals having a noninterlaced video format and said horizontal scanning rate of nf_H.

17. The display system of claim 1, further comprising second selecting means for selecting between said output video signal and an another input video signal which is coupled to said mapping means along a signal path which bypasses said processing means.

18. A display system, comprising:

display means having a generally wide format display ratio;

means for mapping an output video signal onto said display means, said output video signal representing a picture which is dimensionally adjustable on said display means by operation of said mapping means;

a plurality of video signals, each of said video signals having either a generally conventional format display ratio or said generally wide format display ratio of said display means;

first and second video processors, each including means for cropping and interpolating video signals, for respectively manipulating at least two of said plurality of video signals, as necessary;

switching means for coupling first and second ones of said video signals as inputs to said video processors;

means for selecting, as said output video signal, between;

one of said first and second ones of said video signals as processed, such that said picture represented by said output video signal is a single picture display; and

, a combination of said first and second ones of said video signals as processed, such that said picture represented by said output video signal is a multiple picture display; and

,

means for controlling said mapping means, said first and second video processors and said selecting means, to adjust each picture represented in said output video signal in format display ratio and image aspect ratio as necessary to selectively implement a plurality of multiple picture display formats on said video display means, some of said plurality of display formats being representative of various ones of said video signals having format display ratios which are different from one another and at least one of which is different from said first format display ratio of said video display means.

19. The display system of claim 18, wherein each picture in each of said plurality of display formats is substantially without image aspect ratio distortion.

20. The display system of claim 18, wherein said plurality of display formats comprises:

a wide format display ratio main picture and an overlaid auxiliary picture having a conventional format display ratio; and

,

a conventional format display ratio main picture and an overlaid auxiliary picture having a wide format display ratio.

21. The display system of claim 20, wherein each picture in each of said plurality of display formats is substantially without image aspect ratio distortion.