Image display apparatus capable of combining image displayed with high resolution and image displayed with low resolution

• US 5,696,531 A
• Filed: 04/12/1994
• Issued: 12/09/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mintola Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Suzuki, Katsunori, Kumon, Toshihiko, Ikenoue, Yoshikazu
• Primary Examiner(s): WU, XIAO MIN
• Application Number:
  US08/226,411
• Time in Patent Office: 1,337 Days
• Field of Search: 345/132, 345/127, 345/128, 345/129, 345/130, 345/131, 345/138, 345/147, 345/149, 345/152, 345/173, 345/179, 345/145, 345/146, 345/163, 345/202, 345/115, 345/118, 345/119, 395/128, 382/299
• US Class Current: 345/698
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/047 Fisheye or wide-angle transformations
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/40 Scaling of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. expanding or contracting
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 1/167 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a CRT details suitable for both CRT and flat panel G09G5/006, specific for a flat panel G09G3/2096
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/12 Overlay of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of switching between the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/04 Display device controller operating with a plurality of display units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/08 Cursor circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/391 Resolution modifying circuits, e.g. variable screen formats
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/397 Arrangements specially adapted for transferring the contents of two or more bit-mapped memories to the screen simultaneously, e.g. for mixing or overlay G09G5/02 takes precedence

Abstract

An image display apparatus according to the present invention includes an image data memory for storing image data to be displayed, an image plane for displaying an image, a low resolution image display unit for displaying an image based on image data on the image plane with low resolution, a mouse for designating a position in a particular region in the image plane, and a high resolution image display unit for displaying an image based on image data of the particular region designated by the mouse on the image plane with high resolution of a resolution level higher than the resolution level of the low resolution.

Claims

1. An image display system, comprising:

an image plane on which an image is displayed, said image plane being capable of displaying images at a variety of image pixel densities,

primary means for displaying said image on said image plane,

said primary displaying means including first means for displaying a part of said image with a predetermined resolution in a predetermined image pixel density, and second means for displaying another part of said image with a resolution of a level higher than the level of said predetermined resolution in an image pixel density higher than the predetermined image pixel density without magnifying the another part.

2. The image display system according to claim 1, wherein said image plane includes a Cathode-Ray Tube.

3. The image display system according to claim 1, wherein said image plane includes a liquid crystal display panel.

4. The image display system according to claim 1, further comprising means for designating resolution of said image by using a mouse.

5. The image display system according to claim 1, further comprising means for designating resolution of said image by using a keyboard.

6. The image display system according to claim 1, further comprising means for changing the resolution level of the high level resolution.

7. The image display system according to claim 1, wherein the image plane is capable of displaying images at a variety of image pixel densities at a constant level of magnification.

8. An image display apparatus, comprising:

image data storing means for storing image data to be displayed;

an image plane provided for displaying an image, said image plane being capable of displaying images at a variety of image pixel densities;

low resolution image display means for displaying an image based on said image data on said image plane with low resolution in a first image pixel density;

position designating means for designating a particular region in said image plane; and

high resolution image display means for displaying an image based on said image data in the particular region designated by said position designating means on said image plane with a resolution level higher than the resolution level of said low resolution in a second image pixel density higher than the first image pixel density without magnifying it.

9. The image display apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the resolution level of said high resolution is changeable.

10. The image display apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the number of pixels of an image displayed with said low resolution and the number of pixels of an image displayed with said high resolution are substantially equal.

11. The image display apparatus according to claim 10, wherein as the range of said particular region becomes smaller, the resolution level of said high resolution becomes higher.

12. The image display apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said image plane includes a Cathode-Ray Tube.

13. The image display apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said image plane includes a liquid crystal display panel.

14. The image display apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said position designating means includes a mouse.

15. The image display apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said position designating means includes a keyboard.

16. The image display system according to claim 8, wherein the image plane is capable of displaying images at a variety of image pixel densities at a constant level of magnification.

17. An image display apparatus, comprising:

an image plane provided for displaying an image, said image plane being capable of displaying images at a variety of image pixel densities;

low resolution image display means for displaying an image on said image plane with low resolution in a first image pixel density;

high resolution image display means for displaying an image in a particular region in said image plane with a resolution level higher than the resolution level of said low resolution in a second image pixel density higher than the first image pixel density; and

brightness changing means for changing the ratio of the average brightness of an image displayed with said high resolution to the average brightness of an image displayed with said low resolution.

18. The image display apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the number of pixels of the image displayed with said low resolution and the number of pixels of the image displayed with said high resolution are equal.

19. The image display apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said image plane includes a cathode ray tube.

20. The image display apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said image plane includes a liquid crystal display panel.

21. The image display apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said brightness changing means includes manual setting means for manually setting the ratio of the average brightness, automatic setting means for automatically setting the ratio of the average brightness, and selecting means for selecting either said manual setting means or said automatic setting means.

22. The image display system according to claim 17, wherein the image plane is capable of displaying images at a variety of image pixel densities at a constant level of magnification.

23. An image display apparatus comprising:

an image plane provided for displaying an image, said image plane being capable of displaying images at a variety of image pixel densities,

low resolution image display means for displaying an image on said image plane with low resolution in a first image pixel density; and

high resolution image display means for displaying an image of a particular region in said image plane with a resolution level higher than the resolution level of said low resolution in a second image pixel density higher than the first image pixel density, wherein,

on said image plane, a first quantity of light irradiated from a part corresponding to one pixel of the image displayed by said low resolution image display means differs from a second quantity of light irradiated from a part corresponding to one pixel of the image displayed by said high resolution image display means.

24. The image display apparatus according to claim 23, wherein a quantity of light obtained by multiplying the number of pixels, which are displayed by said low resolution image display means included in an image plane having an area, by said first quantity of light is equal to a quantity of light obtained by multiplying the number of pixels, which are displayed by said high resolution image display means included in an image plane having the same area as said area, by said second quantity of light.

25. The image display system according to claim 23, wherein the image plane is capable of displaying images at a variety of image pixel densities at a constant level of magnification.

26. An image display apparatus, comprising:

an image plane provided for displaying an image, said image plane being capable of displaying images at a variety of image pixel densities,

low resolution image display means for displaying an image on said image plane with low resolution in a first image pixel density; and

high resolution image display means for displaying an image of a particular region in said image plane with a resolution level higher than the resolution level of said low resolution in a second image pixel density higher than the first image pixel density, wherein

the average brightness of the image displayed with said high resolution differs from the average brightness of the image displayed with said low resolution.

27. The image display system according to claim 26, wherein the image plane is capable of displaying images at a variety of image pixel densities at a constant level of magnification.

28. An image display apparatus, comprising:

first output means for outputting first image data;

second output means for outputting second image data;

image display means for displaying a first image corresponding to said outputted first image data and a second image corresponding to said outputted second image data simultaneously in one image plane, said image display means being capable of displaying images at a variety of image pixel densities; and

brightness control means for controlling said image display means so that the average brightness of said first image displayed by said image display means differs from the average brightness of said second image displayed by said image display means.

29. The image display system according to claim 28, wherein the image plane is capable of displaying images at a variety of image pixel densities at a constant level of magnification.

30. An image display apparatus, comprising:

first output means for outputting first image data;

second output means for outputting second image data;

image display means for displaying a first image corresponding to said outputted first image data and a second image corresponding to said outputted second image data simultaneously in one plane, said image display means being capable of displaying images at a variety of image pixel densities; and

brightness adjusting means for changing the ratio of the average brightness of said first image displayed by said image display means to the average brightness of said second image displayed by said image display means.

31. The image display system according to claim 30, wherein the image plane is capable of displaying images at a variety of image pixel densities at a constant level of magnification.

32. Image display apparatus, comprising:

image display means for displaying an image on the basis of image data, said image display means being capable of displaying images at a variety of image pixel densities;

region designating means for designating an arbitrary region included in the image displayed by said image display means; and

brightness control means for controlling said image display means so that the average brightness of said displayed image in the region designated by said region designating means differs from the average brightness of said displayed image in another region.

33. The image display apparatus according to claim 32, wherein said brightness control means controls said image display means so that the average brightness of said designated region is higher than the average brightness of said another region.

34. The image display system according to claim 32, wherein the image plane is capable of displaying images at a variety of image pixel densities at a constant level of magnification.

35. A method of displaying an image on an image plane, said image plane being capable of displaying images at a variety of image pixel densities, comprising the steps of:

displaying a first part of said image on said image plane with a predetermined resolution with a predetermined image pixel density; and

displaying a second part of said image on said image plane with a level of resolution that is higher than said predetermined resolution with an image pixel density higher than the predetermined image pixel density without magnifying it.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising the steps of designating the first and second parts of said image.

37. An image display system, comprising:

an image plane on which an image is displayed, said image plane being capable of displaying images at a variety of image pixel densities;

first memory for storing image data inputted from an external device;

compressing means for compressing image data stored in said first memory;

second memory for storing image data compressed by said compressing means;

first display means for displaying an image based on image data stored in said second memory on said image plane in a predetermined image pixel density;

designating means for designating a region in the image displayed by said first display means; and

second display means for displaying an image in the region designated by said designating means in an image pixel density higher than the predetermined image pixel density based on image data which is stored in said first memory and corresponds to the region.

38. The image display system according to claim 37, wherein the image plane is capable of displaying images at a variety of image pixel densities at a constant level of magnification.