Image display apparatus control system and image display system control method

• US 6,924,843 B1
• Filed: 02/24/2000
• Issued: 08/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Abe, Naoto, Yamazaki, Tatsuro, Mori, Makiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DESIR, JEAN WICEL
• Application Number:
  US09/512,090
• Time in Patent Office: 1,986 Days
• Field of Search: 348/554, 348/552, 348/555, 348/423.1, 348/462, 348/484, 348/14.12, 348/14.07, 348/671, 348/674, 348/739, 348/515, 345/690, 345/698, 345/204, 345/205, 345/214, 345/213, 345/1.1, 345/1.2, 345/3.1, 345/10, 345/27, 345/717, 345/718, 345/719, 370/535, 370/537, 370/294, 370/542, 370/493, 386/98, 386/99, 382/232, 382/233, 382/235
• US Class Current: 348/423.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/04 Exchange of auxiliary data, i.e. other than image data, between monitor and graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/006 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42202 environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4318 by altering the content in the rendering process, e.g. blanking, blurring or masking an image region image enhancement or restoration in general G06T5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4363 Adapting the video stream to a specific local network, e.g. a Bluetooth® network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4396 by muting the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4398 involving reformatting operations of audio signals details of audio signal transcoding G10L19/173
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4402 involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display details of conversion of video standards at pixel level H04N7/01; video transcoding H04N19/40; adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal G09G5/005; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4621 Controlling the complexity of the content stream or additional data, e.g. lowering the resolution or bit-rate of the video stream for a mobile client with a small screen arrangements for using the results of monitoring on user's side in broadcast systems H04H60/65; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/46 for receiving on more than one standard at will deflecting circuits of multi-standard receivers H04N3/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/66 : Transforming electric information into light information scanning details H04N3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/12 : Picture reproducers H04N9/11 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/30 : using solid-state colour display devices

Abstract

An arrangement including a terminal for outputting at least a pair of video and acoustic signals, and a display for receiving the signals from the terminal and displaying a corresponding image, utilizes (1) a terminal modem including a multiplexer for time division multiplexing video and acoustic signals, and an input/output driver circuit for outputting the multiplexed signal, and (2) a display modem including an input/output driver circuit for inputting the multiplexed signal output from the terminal, and a demultiplexer for demultiplexing the input multiplexed signal into corresponding video and acoustic signals. The display can be connected to an optional device, and the optional device is also controlled by the terminal.

Claims

1. An image display control system comprising a controller and at least one image display connected to said controller,

wherein said controller includes:

output information output means for transmitting output information including video and acoustic signals to said image display; and

controller control information communication means for communicating control information to said image display,

said image display includes;

device connection means capable of connecting at least one optional device;

display control information communication means for communicating control information to said controller;

output information reception means for receiving output information from said controller; and

display output means capable of performing image display and acoustic output in accordance with the output information received by said output information reception means, said controller outputs information for said optional device to said image display using communication of control information by said controller control information communication means, and

said image display connected to said optional device receives the information for said optional device from said controller to control said optional device using said display control information communication means,

wherein said output information output means time division multiplexes at least the video and acoustic signals and outputs the video and acoustic signals to said image display.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said image display comprises storage means which can be used for an optional device capable of holding a predetermined amount of data output to said connected optional device.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said optional device comprises a video printer.

4. An image display control system comprising a controller and at least one image display connected to said controller,

wherein said controller includes:

output information output means for transmitting output information including video and acoustic signals to said image display; and

controller control information communication means for communicating control information to said image display,

said image display includes;

device connection means capable of connecting at least one optional device;

display control information communication means for communicating control information to said controller;

output information reception means for receiving output information from said controller; and

display output means capable of performing image display and acoustic output in accordance with the output information received by said output information reception means, said controller outputs information for said optional device to said image display using communication of control information by said controller control information communication means, and

said image display connected to said optional device receives the information for said optional device from said controller to control said optional device using said display control information communication means,

wherein the control information between said controller and said image display includes characteristic data of said image display, and

said output information output means determines a transmission signal format to said image display in accordance with the characteristic data of said image display acquired by communication of the control information.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein data is added to address information representing the type of optional device in data communication information between said controller and said optional device using control signal communication means between said controller and said image display.

6. The system according to claim 4, wherein the characteristic data of said image display includes at least anyone of

the number of pixels and pixel layout of a display device of said image display,

an emission characteristic of said display device of said image display,

a gray level characteristic of said image display (the number of gray levels and a gamma characteristic of said display device),

the type of image display (a screen size, an aspect ratio, and the type of device),

a specification of an audio playback system of said image display, and

a displayable frame frequency of said image display.

7. An image display system control method in an image display control system having a controller and at least one image display connected to the controller, comprising:

the output information output step of transmitting output information including video and acoustic signals to the image display;

the controller control information communication step of communicating control information to the image display, the output information output step and the controller control information communication step being executed in the controller;

the device connection step capable of connecting at least one optional device;

the display control information communication step of communicating control information to the controller;

the output information reception step of receiving output information from the controller; and

the display output step capable of performing image display and acoustic output in accordance with the output information received in the output information reception step, the device connection step, the display control information communication step, the output information reception step, and the display output step being executed in the image display,

wherein the controller outputs information for the optional device to the image display using communication of control information in the controller control information communication step, and

the image display connected to the optional device receives the information for the optional device from the controller to control the optional device using the display control information communication step,

wherein the output information output step comprises time division multiplexing at least the video and acoustic signals and outputting the video and acoustic signals to the image display.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the image display comprises the storage step which can be used for an optional device capable of holding a predetermined amount of data output to the connected optional device.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the optional device comprises a video printer.

10. An image display system control method in an image display control system having a controller and at least one image display connected to the controller, comprising:

the output information output step of transmitting output information including video and acoustic signals to the image display;

the controller control information communication step of communicating control information to the image display, the output information output step and the controller control information communication step being executed in the controller;

the device connection step capable of connecting at least one optional device;

the display control information communication step of communicating control information to the controller;

the output information reception step of receiving output information from the controller; and

the display output step capable of performing image display and acoustic output in accordance with the output information received in the output information reception step, the device connection step, the display control information communication step, the output information reception step, and the display output step being executed in the image display,

wherein the controller outputs information for the optional device to the image display using communication of control information in the controller control information communication step, and

the image display connected to the optional device receives the information for the optional device from the controller to control the optional device using the display control information communication step,

wherein the control information between the controller and the image display includes characteristic data of the image display, and

the output information output step comprises determining a transmission signal format to the image display in accordance with the characteristic data of the image display acquired by communication of the control information.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein data is added to address information representing the type of optional device in data communication information between the controller and the optional device using the control signal communication step between the controller and the image display.

12. The system according to claim 10, wherein the characteristic data of said image display includes at least anyone of

the number of pixels and pixel layout of a display device of said image display,

an emission characteristic of said display device of said image display,

a gray level characteristic of said image display (the number of gray levels and a gamma characteristic of said display device),

the type of image display (a screen size, an aspect ratio, and the type of device),

a specification of an audio playback system of said image display, and

a displayable frame frequency of said image display.

13. A computer program product which operates on an image display control system having a controller and at least one image display connected to the controller, comprising codes of:

the output information output step of transmitting output information including video and acoustic signals to the image display;

the controller control information communication step of communicating control information to the image display, the output information output step and the controller control information communication step being executed in the controller;

the device connection step capable of connecting at least one optional device;

the display control information communication step of communicating control information to the controller;

the output information reception step of receiving output information from the controller; and

the display output step capable of performing image display and acoustic output in accordance with the output information received in the output information reception step, the device connection step, the display control information communication step, the output information reception step, and the display output step being executed in the image display,

wherein the controller outputs information for the optional device to the image display using communication of control information in the controller control information communication step,

the image display connected to the optional device receives the information for the optional device from the controller to control the optional device using the display control information communication step, and

the output information output step comprises time division multiplexing at least the video and acoustic signals and outputting the video and acoustic signals to the image display.

14. A computer-readable storage medium which stores a computer program operating on an image display control system having a controller and at least one image display connected to the controller, the computer program comprising codes of:

the output information output step of transmitting output information including video and acoustic signals to the image display;

the controller control information communication step of communicating control information to the image display, the output information output step and the controller control information communication step being executed in the controller;

the device connection step capable of connecting at least one optional device;

the display control information communication step of communicating control information to the controller;

the output information reception step of receiving output information from the controller; and

the display output step capable of performing image display and acoustic output in accordance with the output information received in the output information reception step, the device connection step, the display control information communication step, the output information reception step, and the display output step being executed in the image display,

wherein the controller control information communication step executes processing of;

causing the controller to output information for the optional device to the image display using communication of control information in the controller control information communication step;

causing the image display connected to the optional device to receive the information for the optional device from the controller and control the optional device using the display control information communication step, and

causing the output information output step to time division multiplex at least the video and acoustic signals and output the video and acoustic signals to the image display.