Video monitor adjustment system

• US 6,400,377 B1
• Filed: 07/23/1997
• Issued: 06/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eizo Nanao Corporation (Eizo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nanao Corporation
• Inventors: Torii, Hajime, Hiraka, Tadahiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chanh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alphonse, Fritz
• Application Number:
  US08/875,108
• Time in Patent Office: 1,777 Days
• Field of Search: 345/347, 345/348, 345/146, 345/184, 345/156, 345/150, 345/810, 345/771, 345/835, 345/857, 345/716, 403/322, 348/552, 348/184, 348/189, 348/180, 348/734
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 1/165 Details of a display terminal using a CRT, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto details suitable for both CRT and flat panel G09G5/003; specific for a flat panel G09G3/2092
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0606 Manual adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/066 for control of contrast
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/08 Arrangements within a display terminal for setting, manually or automatically, display parameters of the display terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/04 for receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration

Abstract

Directed to an adjustment system for adjusting image quality of a video monitor by using a microprocessor, the present invention simplifies complicated operation in image quality adjustment and thereby eliminates the need for high-level operating skills. The adjustment system comprises an on-screen display controller circuit which can display a plurality of adjustment items in the form of icons together with a visual message, explaining the content of each icon, on a screen of the video monitor and an input device used for selecting a desired icon and setting a corresponding parameter, the input device being constructed of four-way input switches which are integrally combined into a single button to perform adjustment functions. This construction enables an operator to perform adjustment operations in an integrated manner which have thus far been made individually, providing savings in the period of time required for adjustment work and simplification thereof.

Claims

1. A video monitor adjustment system comprising:

an on-screen display controller circuit configured to display a plurality of adjustment items as icons on a display screen of a video monitor;

an input device including an operation member connected with a common operating switch panel, said common operating switch panel being configured to be moved in upward, downward, leftward and rightward directions to move the operation member in said upward, downward, leftward and rightward directions to provide corresponding switch outputs from directional input switches independently operated thereby; and

an image quality controller connected to receive the corresponding switch outputs and configured to select an adjustment item icon based thereon and to then adjust image quality adjustment parameters of said video monitor in accordance with further received corresponding switch outputs.

2. A video monitor adjustment system as recited in claim 1, further comprising an input confirmation switch that is configured to be operated by the operation member being moved by the common operating switch panel.

3. A video monitor adjustment system as recited in claim 2, wherein said on-screen display controller circuit is further configured to display a simultaneous visual message indicating the meaning of each displayed icon.

4. A video monitor adjustment system as recited in claim 2, wherein said directional input switches are divided into two groups, one group including switches configured to provide inputs to the image quality controller as said further received corresponding switch outputs to increment or decrement the setting of two parameters, and the other group being disabled.

5. A video monitor adjustment system as recited in claim 1, further comprising another operating member configured to operate an input confirmation switch.

6. A video monitor adjustment system as recited in claim 5, wherein said on-screen display controller circuit is further configured to display a simultaneous visual message indicating the meaning of each displayed icon.

7. A video monitor adjustment system as recited in claim 5, wherein said directional input switches are divided into two groups, one group including switches configured to provide inputs to the image quality controller as said further received corresponding switch outputs to increment or decrement the setting of two parameters, and the other group being disabled.

8. A video monitor adjustment system as recited in claim 1, wherein said on-screen display controller circuit is further configured to display a simultaneous visual message indicating the meaning of each displayed icon.

9. A video monitor adjustment system as recited in claim 8, wherein said directional input switches are divided into two groups, one group including switches configured to provide inputs to the image quality controller as said further received corresponding switch outputs to increment or decrement the setting of two parameters, and the other group being disabled.

10. The video monitor adjustment system as recited in claim 1, wherein said directional input switches are divided into two groups, one group including switches configured to provide inputs to the image quality controller as said further received corresponding switch outputs to increment or decrement the setting of two parameters, and the other group being disabled.

11. A video monitor adjustment system as recited in claim 10, wherein said image quality controller is further configured to cause said on-screen display controller circuit to display a plurality of icons used for parameter setting based on a time-division scheme.

12. A video monitor adjustment system as recited in claim 10, wherein said image quality controller is further configured to display a plurality of icons used for parameter setting all together for each adjustment item.

13. A video monitor adjustment system as recited in claim 1, wherein the operation member comprises a moveable shaft connected to said common operating switch panel to independently operate said directional input switches.

14. A video monitor adjustment system comprising:

an on-screen display controller circuit configured to display a plurality of adjustment items as icons that provide pictorial information representative of the corresponding adjustment items on a display screen of a video monitor;

an input device including an operating element configured to move in upward, downward, leftward and rightward directions to independently operate corresponding directional input switches to provide directional switch outputs and to operate an input confirmation switch integrally incorporated therewith; and

an image quality controller configured to identify a selected adjustment item icon based upon said directional switch outputs and to adjust image quality adjustment parameters of said video monitor in accordance with a parameter setting operation in which two directional switch outputs are used by the image quality controller to increment and decrement a setting of two corresponding parameters, said image quality controller being further configured to control the display of a plurality of icons used for parameter setting all together for each adjustment item, the icons displayed together individually corresponding in position to corresponding positions of said directional input switches, an icon selected from the icons displayed together being emphasized in appearance for ease of identification.

15. A video monitor adjustment system comprising:

an on-screen display controller circuit configured to display a plurality of adjustment items as icons on a display screen of a video monitor;

an input device including directional input switches configured to specify four individual direction indicating outputs based upon an operating member thereof moving in each of an upward, downward, leftward and rightward direction in accordance with corresponding movement of an operation member by a common operating switch panel;

an input confirmation switch configured to provide a confirmation output; and

an image quality controller configured to receive the four individual direction indicating outputs to select an adjustment item icon and to set image quality adjustment parameters of said video monitor in accordance with a parameter setting operation further using the confirmation output to confirm the setting of the image quality adjustment parameters, said image quality controller being further configured to control the providing of a plurality of adjustment icons, with each adjustment icon position corresponding to a respective direction of one of said directional input switches, and each adjustment icon being used for adjusting parameters for each adjustment item.

16. A video monitor adjustment system, comprising:

an on-screen display controller circuit configured to display a plurality of adjustment items as icons on a display screen of a video monitor, each of said icons having a pictorial information representing an image quality adjustment parameter;

an input device including an operation member configured to move in upward, downward, leftward, and rightward directions to provide corresponding directional switch outputs from directional input switches activated thereby and an input confirmation switch integrally incorporated with the operation member and configured to respond to an independent movement direction of said operation member not corresponding to said upward, downward, leftward and rightward directions to provide a confirmation output; and

an image quality controller configured to receive the corresponding directional switch outputs and the confirmation output and to use the directional switch outputs to identify a selected adjustment item icon and to then adjust corresponding image quality adjustment parameters of said video monitor.

17. A video monitor adjustment system comprising:

an on-screen display controller circuit configured to display a plurality of adjustment items as icons on a display screen of a video monitor, each of said icons having a pictorial information representing an image quality adjustment parameter;

an input device including an operation member configured to move in upward, downward, leftward, and rightward directions to provide corresponding directional switch outputs from directional input switches operated thereby and an input confirmation switch integrally incorporated with the operation member and configured to provide a confirmation output; and

an image quality controller configured to receive the directional switch outputs and the confirmation output and to use said corresponding directional switch outputs to select one of plural icons displayed at top, bottom, left and right positions on the display screen and to then set image quality adjustment parameters of said video monitor.

18. A video monitor adjustment system comprising:

an on-screen display controller circuit configured to display a plurality of adjustment items as icons on a display screen of a video monitor, each of said icons having a pictorial information representing an image quality adjustment parameter;

an input device including an operation member configured to move in upward, downward, leftward, and rightward directions to provide corresponding directional switch outputs from directional input switches operated thereby, and an input confirmation switch configured to respond to an independent movement direction of the operation member not corresponding to said upward, downward, leftward and rightward directions to provide a confirmation output; and

an image quality controller configured to receive the directional outputs and the confirmation output and to use said corresponding directional switch outputs to select one of plural icons displayed at top, bottom, left and right positions on the display screen and to then set image quality adjustment parameters of