Display system with resolution conversion

• US 6,266,042 B1
• Filed: 10/13/1998
• Issued: 07/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Aratani, Shuntaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAVAN, THU THAO
• Application Number:
  US09/169,976
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• Field of Search: 345/132, 345/127, 345/428, 345/3, 345/114, 345/115, 382/232, 382/284, 358/298, 358/13, 358/401, 358/1.13, 358/537, 358/453
• US Class Current: 345/698
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1438 using more than one graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0414 Vertical resolution change
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0421 Horizontal resolution change
• 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 3/3629 using liquid crystals having memory effects, e.g. ferroelectric liquid crystals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/41 Bandwidth or redundancy reduction by scanning H04N1/17 ; methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/00

Abstract

A display system includes a display apparatus having a display panel capable of displaying an image having a first resolution, and a transmission apparatus for transmitting first image data representing the image having the first resolution and second image data representing an image having a second resolution lower than the first resolution to the display apparatus. The system has a first mode in which the transmission apparatus transmits the first image data to the display apparatus by dividing the first image data into a plurality of sub-areas so that a resolution in one sub-area is lower than a predetermined resolution, and the display device synthesizes image data for the sub-areas into a synthesized first image with the first resolution, and a second mode in which the transmission apparatus transmits the second image data, and the display apparatus converts the resolution of the second image data transmitted from the transmission apparatus into the first resolution and displays an image represented by the second image data with the first resolution.

Claims

1. A display system comprising:

a display apparatus having

receiving means for receiving second image data having a second resolution,

resolution conversion means for converting the second image data having the second resolution to first image data having a first resolution,

a memory capable of storing the first image data having the first resolution, and

a display panel capable of displaying an image corresponding to the first image data at the first resolution, said display system further comprising;

a transmission apparatus for transmitting the first image data representing the image having the first resolution and second image data representing the image having the second resolution lower than the first resolution to said display apparatus,

wherein said system has a first mode in which said transmission apparatus divides the first image data into a plurality of sub-areas so that a resolution in one sub-area is lower than a predetermined resolution and transmits image data for each of the sub-areas to said display apparatus in sequence, and said display apparatus regenerates the first image data by combining the image data for each of the sub-areas transmitted from said transmission apparatus, using said memory, and displays the image having the first resolution represented by the regenerated first image data, and a second mode in which said transmission apparatus transmits the second image data, and said display apparatus converts the resolution of the second image data transmitted from said transmission apparatus into first resolution data using said resolution conversion means and displays the image having the first resolution using the display panel, based on the first resolution data.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said transmission apparatus transmits control data indicating a display position of each of the plurality of sub-areas together with the image data for each of the plurality of sub-areas, and wherein said display apparatus synthesizes the first image data in accordance with the control signal.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein said display apparatus further comprises control means for writing the synthesized first image data in accordance with the control data.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein said control means also controls resolution conversion processing by said resolution conversion means in accordance with the control data.

5. A system according to claim 2, wherein said transmission apparatus converts a part of the first image data into the control data and transmits the resulting control data.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein said transmission apparatus includes a computer for transmitting the first and second image data in accordance with a program.

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein said computer transmits the first and second image data in accordance with driver software capable of processing the image data having the second resolution.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein said transmission apparatus transmits the first image data and the second image data through different transmission channels.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein said display apparatus further comprises combining means for combining the first image data transmitted through a first transmission channel, and the second image data transmitted through a second transmission channel and subjected to the resolution conversion processing.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein said combining means detects image data representing a specific image in the second image data transmitted through the second transmission channel, and combines the first image data and the second image data in accordance with a result of the detection.

11. A system according to claim 1, wherein said transmission apparatus transmits the first image data and the second image data through a common transmission channel.

12. A system according to claim 1, wherein said system further has a third mode in which said transmission apparatus converts the resolution of the second image data into the first resolution, divides the second image data whose resolution has been converted into a plurality of sub-areas so that a resolution in one sub-area is lower than the predetermined resolution, and transmits image data for the sub-areas to said display apparatus, and said display apparatus combines the image data for the sub-areas using said memory and displays the image having the first resolution.

13. A system according to claim 12, wherein the predetermined resolution is the first resolution.

14. A system according to claim 1, wherein each of said sub-areas is rectangular.

15. A system according to claim 1, wherein all of said sub-areas have the same size.

16. An apparatus for transmitting image data to a display apparatus capable of displaying an image having a first resolution, comprising:

division means for dividing image data representing a first image having the first resolution into a plurality of sub-areas, each of said sub-areas having a second resolution lower than the first resolution; and

transmission means for transmitting the image data for each of the plurality of sub-areas generated by said division means to said display apparatus in sequence, wherein said display apparatus regenerates the first image having the first resolution by combining the image data for each of the plurality of sub-areas transmitted from said transmission means.

17. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said transmission means also transmits second image data having the second resolution to said display apparatus.

18. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said display apparatus converts the resolution of the second image data transmitted by said transmission means into the first resolution, and displays an image having the first resolution represented by the second image data whose resolution has been converted.

19. An apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising:

resolution conversion means for converting the resolution of the second image data into the first resolution.

20. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said division means also divides the second image data whose resolution has been converted by said resolution conversion means into the plurality of sub-areas.

21. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said transmission means transmits the first image data and the second image data through different transmission channels.

22. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said display apparatus combines the first image data transmitted through a first transmission channel and the second image data transmitted through a second transmission channel.

23. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said transmission means transmits the first image data and the second image data through a common transmission channel.

24. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said transmission means transmits control data indicating a display position of each of the plurality of sub-areas together with each of the plurality of sub-areas, and wherein said display apparatus synthesizes image data representing the plurality of sub-areas in accordance with the control data.

25. An apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said transmission means converts a part of the first image data into the control data and transmits the resulting control data.

26. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein each of said sub-areas is rectangular.

27. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein all of said sub-areas have the same size.

28. A display apparatus for displaying an image represented by an image at a first resolution, wherein said display apparatus inputs second resolution image data for each of a plurality of sub-areas generated by dividing first resolution image data into the plurality of sub-areas, in sequence, said second resolution being lower than the first resolution, and regenerates the first resolution image data by combining the second resolution image data for the plurality of sub-areas, and displays an image represented by the regenerated first resolution image data.

29. An apparatus according to claim 28, wherein a second image data having a second resolution lower than the first resolution is also input, wherein the resolution of the second image data is converted into the first resolution, and wherein an image represented by the second image data whose resolution has been converted is displayed with the first resolution.

30. An apparatus according to claim 28, wherein control data indicating a display position of each sub-area is also input, and wherein image signals representing the respective sub-areas are combined in accordance with the control data.

31. A transmission apparatus for transmitting an image signal to a display apparatus capable of displaying an image having a first resolution,

wherein said transmission apparatus divides first image data having the first resolution into a plurality of sub-areas so that a resolution in one sub-area is lower than a predetermined resolution, and transmits the first image data divided into the plurality of sub-areas to the display apparatus in sub-area units, and

wherein said display apparatus regenerates the first image data having the first resolution by combining the first image data transmitted to the display apparatus after being divided into sub-areas.

32. An apparatus according to claim 31, wherein second image data having a second resolution lower than the first resolution is also transmitted to the display apparatus, and wherein the display apparatus converts the resolution of the transmitted second image data into the first resolution, and displays an image represented by the second image data whose resolution has been converted, with the first resolution.

33. An apparatus according to claim 31, wherein said transmission apparatus includes a computer for transmitting the first image data in accordance with a program.

34. An apparatus according to claim 33, wherein said computer transmits the first image data in accordance with driver software capable of processing image data having the predetermined resolution.

35. A display apparatus comprising:

input means for inputting a first image signal representing a first image of a first resolution, additional information including display position information indicating a display position of the first image and a second image signal representing a second image of a second resolution different from the first resolution, the first image signal, the additional information and the second image signal being transmitted from a transmission apparatus;

resolution changing means for changing the resolution of the second image signal of the second resolution into the first resolution;

multiplexing means for multiplexing the second image signal which resolution is changed by said resolution changing means and the first image signal according to the display position information; and

displaying means for displaying an image represented by the image signal output from said multiplexing means.

36. An apparatus according to claim 35, wherein said input means receives the first image signal and the additional information through a first transmission path, and wherein said input means receives the second image signal through a second transmission path different from the first transmission path.

37. An apparatus according to claim 35, wherein said multiplexing means includes a memory for storing the first image signal and reading means for reading the first image signal from said memory, and wherein said multiplexing means multiplexes the second image signal which resolution is changed by said resolution changing means and the first image signal read out from said memory.

38. An apparatus according to claim 37, wherein said multiplexing means controls a reading timing of the first image signal by said reading means according to the display position information.

39. An apparatus according to claim 35, wherein said second image signal has a key-color area into which the first image signal is to be multiplexed.

40. An apparatus according to claim 39, wherein said multiplexing means includes detecting means for detecting the key-color area of the second image signal, and wherein said multiplexing means multiplexes the second image signal whose resolution is changed by said resolution changing means and the first image signal according to a detection result of the detecting means and the display position information.

41. An apparatus according to claim 40, wherein the additional information includes key-color information representing the key-color.

42. An image processing apparatus comprising:

input means for inputting a first image signal representing a first image of a first resolution, additional information including display position information indicating a display position of the first image and a second image signal representing a second image of a second resolution different from the first resolution, the first image signal, the additional information and the second image signal being transmitted from a transmission apparatus;

resolution changing means for changing the resolution of the second image signal of the second resolution into the first resolution;

multiplexing means for multiplexing the second image signal which resolution is changed by said resolution changing means and the first image signal according to the display position information; and

output means for outputting the image signal output from said multiplexing means to a display device.

43. An apparatus according to claim 42, wherein said input means receives the first image signal and the additional information through a first transmission path, and wherein said input means receives the second image signal through a second transmission path different from the first transmission path.

44. An apparatus according to claim 42, wherein said multiplexing means includes a memory for storing the first image signal and reading means for reading the first image signal from said memory, and wherein said multiplexing means multiplexes the second image signal which resolution is changed by said resolution changing means and the first image signal read out from said memory.

45. An apparatus according to claim 44, wherein said multiplexing means controls a reading timing of the first image signal by said reading means according to the display position information.

46. An apparatus according to claim 42, wherein said second image signal has a key-color area into which the first image signal is to be multiplexed.

47. An apparatus according to claim 46, wherein said multiplexing means includes detecting means for detecting the key-color area of the second image signal, and wherein said multiplexing means multiplexes the second image signal which resolution is changed by said resolution changing means and the first image signal according to a detection result of the detecting means and the display position information.

48. An apparatus according to claim 47, wherein the additional information includes key-color information representing the key color.

49. A display apparatus comprising:

input means for inputting a first image signal representing a first image of a first resolution, additional information including display position information indicating a display position of the first image and a second image signal representing a second image of a second resolution different from the first resolution, the second image signal having a key-color area into which the first image signal is to be multiplexed;

resolution changing means for changing the resolution of the second image signal of the second resolution into the first resolution;

multiplexing means for detecting the key-color area of the second image signal input by said input means and for multiplexing the second image signal which resolution is changed by said resolution changing means and the first image signal according to the detection result and the display position information; and

displaying means for displaying an image represented by the image signal output from said multiplexing means.

50. An image processing apparatus for multiplexing a first image signal representing a first image of a first resolution and a second image signal representing a second image of a second resolution different from the first resolution using a chromakey process, said apparatus comprising:

input means for inputting a first image signal representing a first image of a first resolution and a second image signal representing a second image of a second resolution different from the first resolution;

key-color detecting means for detecting a key color in the second image signal input by said input means;

indication signal generating means for generating an indication signal indicating an area in which the first image is to be displayed;

resolution changing means for changing the resolution of the second image signal input by said input means into the first resolution; and

multiplexing means for multiplexing the second image signal which resolution is changed by said resolution changing means and the first image signal according to the detection result of the key color detecting means and the indication signal.