Method and a device for converting a picture

• US 5,801,780 A
• Filed: 02/08/1996
• Issued: 09/01/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Barco NV
• Original Assignee: Barco NV
• Inventors: Candry, Patrick, Schaumont, Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael
• Application Number:
  US08/556,994
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 348/441, 348/443, 348/445, 348/446, 348/448, 348/451, 348/452, 348/458, 348/459, 348/561, 348/562
• US Class Current: 348/441
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/18 Timing circuits for raster scan displays specially adapted for television H04N ; synchronisation between the display unit and other display units, videodisc player G09G5/12
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/081 provided with an additional controlled phase shifter H03L7/0998 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/18 using a frequency divider or counter in the loop H03L7/20, H03L7/22 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3935 with modification of image resolution, i.e. determining the values of picture elements at new relative positions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/14 Picture signal circuitry for video frequency region cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors, or control thereof H04N23/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2628 Alteration of picture size, shape, position or orientation, e.g. zooming, rotation, rolling, perspective, translation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/01 Conversion of standards , e.g. involving analogue television standards or digital television standards processed at pixel level

Abstract

A method and a device for converting a first picture composed of M pixels towards a second substantially identical picture composed of L pixels (MεN, LεN, M≠L) which are destined for pixelwise representation, wherein each K^th first pixel value is weighed with a weight factor h(k,i) determined by means of projection of the second picture on the first picture and wherein before the second pixel value y(i) is determined a first transfer function component (T) is added to each k^th first pixel value and after determining the second pixel value y(i) a second transfer component (T'"'"') is added to that pixel value.

Claims

1. A method for converting a first picture composed of M (Mε

) pixels into a second picture composed of L pixels (Lε

, M≠

L), wherein the first picture and the second picture have corresponding content, said second picture having a pixel sequence to be displayed with an electronically controlled display provided for pixelwise display, said method comprising;

supplying for each j^th (O≦

j≦

M-1) pixel of said first picture a first pixel value x(j);

dividing a first picture surface covered by said first picture into M first picture segments;

dividing a second picture surface covered by said second picture into L second picture segments;

multiplying each i^th (O≦

i≦

L-1) second picture segment with a sharpness factor (W) in order to obtain each time a further i^th second picture segment;

mapping each further i^th second picture segment onto said first picture surface while maintaining the pixel sequence of the second picture, each mapped further i^th second picture segment thus forming a further first picture segment within said first picture, the further first picture segments being non overlapping;

identifying within each further first picture segment those first picture segments belonging to the considered further first picture segment in order to form for each further first picture segment a set of k first picture segments including the identified first picture segments for the considered further first picture segment;

assigning to each of the k first picture segments of each set a weight factor h(k,i) indicating each time the surface amount of the considered k^th first picture segment contributes to the further i^th second picture segment;

applying to each of the first pixel values x(j), a first transfer function component (T), wherein said first transfer function component is not a γ

correction function component;

determining each i^th second pixel value y(i) by summing the k first pixel values x(j) of the considered set weighed with the assigned weight factor h(k,i);

applying to each of said second pixel values y(i), a second transfer function component (T'"'"').

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second picture includes fewer pixels than said first picture (M>

L) and wherein said second pixel value y(i) is determined by;

##EQU21## and if h(k,i)<

0 then h(k,i)=0, and wherein W=wL and the sharpness factor w≠

1.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second picture includes more pixels than said first picture (M<

L) and wherein said second pixel value y(i) is determined by;

##EQU22## when n=0 and h'"'"' (k,i)=1-h(k,i) when n=1, and wherein W=wL and the sharpness factor w≠

1.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein in said first and second picture, said pixels are linewise aligned and wherein by a one-dimensional conversion for each considered line from said second picture a set of q equations is formed wherein q represents a number of pixels per line and wherein each time a same weight factor is assigned per set of q equations to said pixel values of said first picture belonging to a same line in said first picture.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a predetermined transfer function associated with a predetermined transfer pattern is selected as a first transfer function component and an inverse function of a transfer function of said display unit for display of said second picture is selected as second transfer function component.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein a transfer function of said display unit provided to display said first picture as applied as the first transfer function and the inverse transfer function of said display unit provided to display said second picture is applied as the second transfer function.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second picture is divided in fractions and for each fraction, each time, a dedicated second transfer function component is applied.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first pixel value is derived from a picture information signal including a picture content and a synchronization component, and a phase locked loop (PLL) is used for deriving a pixel clock from a synchronization component, wherein a first phase signal is associated with said picture content component, the first phase signal is compared with a second phase signal belonging to a pixel clock, a phase difference signal being determined therefrom, at the phase difference signal is used as a control signal to adjust a phase of said pixel clock with respect to said first phase signal.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein a high frequency signal is extracted from said picture content component and said first phase is associated with the high frequency signal.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein a pulse shaped signal having an intensity is derived from said pixel clock, a pulse width of said pulse shaped signal being equal to the period of said pixel clock, and said intensity being substantially half of an intensity of said pixel clock signal, and the phase difference signal is determined by subtracting said pulse shaped control signal from said first phase signal.

11. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said phase of said pixel clock is adjusted with respect to said first phase signal by an adjustment of a transfer amount of said picture synchronization component to the phased locked loop.

12. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein a variable delay line is controlled by said phase difference signal for adjusting said phase of said pixel clock at an output of said phase locked loop.

13. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said first picture is built linewise and said pixel clock is related to a number of pixels per line, and wherein a series of numbers is selected, each number from said series representing each time a possible number of pixels per pixel line of said first picture and wherein for each number of said series, said phase locked loop is each time set with that number and within a predetermined period, said phase of said pixel clock is continuously modified between two predetermined values and wherein it is checked to which extent said phase difference signal follows the modification of said phase of said pixel clock for said predetermined number and for said extent an evolution value being each time determined, and wherein thereafter that number from said series for which the evolution value is the largest is selected, and wherein said phase locked loop being adjusted on said latter number.

14. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said first picture is built linewise and said pixel clock is related to the number of pixels per line, wherein a first and a second set of first predetermined pixel values is formed by sampling said pixels with a first pixel clock and a second pixel clock, wherein said second pixel clock is phase-shifted with respect to said first pixel clock, and wherein said first and said second set of first pixel values are reciprocally checked with one another in order to detect a mutual difference in both sets and to verify whether the mutual differences show a periodic character, and wherein by establishing such periodic character said mutual difference being applied to correct the present number of pixels per line.

15. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said phase of said pixel clock is adjusted with respect to said first phase signal by an adjustment of a transfer moment of said picture synchronization component to said phase locked loop.

16. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said phase of said pixel clock is adjusted with respect to said first phase signal by an adjustment of a transfer moment of said picture synchronization component to said phase locked loop.

17. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein a variable delay line is controlled by said phase difference signal for adjusting said phase of said pixel clock at an output of said phase locked loop.

18. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein a variable delay is controlled by said phase difference signal for adjusting said phase of said pixel clock at an output of said phase locked loop.

19. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein in said first and second picture, said pixels are linewise aligned and wherein by a one-dimensional conversion for each p^th line from said second picture, a set of q equations is formed, wherein q represents the number of pixels per line and wherein, each time, a same weight factor is attributed per set of q equations to said pixel values of said first picture belonging to a same line in that first picture.

20. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein in said first and second picture, said pixels are linewise aligned and wherein by a one-dimensional conversion for each p^th line from said second picture, a set of q equations is formed, wherein q represents the number of pixels per line and wherein, each time, a same weight factor is attributed per set of q equations to said pixel values of said first picture belonging to a same line in that first picture.

21. A device for converting a first picture composed of M(Mε

) pixels into a second picture composed of L pixels (Lε

, M≠

L), wherein the first and second picture have corresponding content and wherein the pixels of said second picture are arranged according to a pixel sequence, said device comprising;

an input for receiving, for each first picture to be converted, a first series of M first pixel values x(j) (0≦

j≦

M-1);

dividing means for dividing a first picture surface covered by said first picture into M first picture segments and for dividing a second picture surface covered by said second picture into L second picture segments;

multiplying means for forming each time a further i^th second picture segment by multiplying each i^th (0≦

i≦

L-1) second picture segment with a sharpness factor (W);

mapping means for mapping each further i^th second picture segment onto said first picture surface while maintaining the pixel sequence of the second picture in order to form, for each mapped further i^th second picture segment, a further first picture segment within said first picture, the further first picture segments being non overlapping;

identifying means for identifying, within each further first picture segment, first picture segments belonging to the considered further first picture segment in order to form, for each first picture segment, a set of k first picture segments including the identified first picture segments for the considered further first picture segments;

assigning means for assigning, to each of the k first picture segments of each set, a weight factor h (k,i) indicating each time the surface amount of the considered k^th first picture segment contributes to the further i^th second picture segment;

determining means for summing, for i^th second pixel value y(i), the k first pixel values x(j) of the considered set weighed with their assigned weight factor h(k;

i); and

transfer function application means for applying, to each of said first pixel values x(j), a first transfer function (T), wherein said first transfer function component is not a γ

correction function component and for applying, to each of said second pixel values y(i), a second transfer function component (T'"'"').

22. A device as claimed in claim 21, wherein said input is provided for receiving a picture information signal including said first pixel values, said picture information signal having a synchronization component including a first phase signal and a picture content, said device further comprising a phase locked loop (PLL) having a signal input for receiving said synchronization component and being provided for deriving a pixel clock signal from said synchronization component, said device further comprising a phase difference determination unit provided for determining a phase difference between said first phase signal and a second phase signal belonging to said pixel clock and for adjusting, under control of said phase difference, said pixel clock with respect to said first phase signal.