Picture processing apparatus and picture processing method

• US 7,023,490 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2005
• Issued: 04/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Konuma, Yasushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Natnael, Paulos M.
• Application Number:
  US11/086,309
• Publication Number:
  US 20050168639A1
• Time in Patent Office: 377 Days
• Field of Search: 348/445, 348/468, 348/558, 348/556, 348/913, 348564-565
• US Class Current: 348/558
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440245 the reformatting operation being performed only on part of the stream, e.g. a region of the image or a time segment
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440272 for performing aspect ratio conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0122 the input and the output signals having different aspect ratios

Abstract

It is determined whether or not an input video signal is a side panel signal, a letter box signal, or a full line signal. If the input video signal is a side panel signal or a letter box signal, when a multiple-picture displaying process or a reduced picture displaying process is performed, only a signal of an effective picture area is extracted. With only the signal of the effective picture area, the picture sizes are adjusted and the pictures are combined. Thus, even if an input video signal is a side panel signal or a letter box signal, the picture does not become small. In addition, when the reduced picture displaying process is performed, since a wasteful picture portion is not processed, the utilization efficiency of the screen is improved.

Claims

1. A picture processing apparatus, comprising:

input means for inputting a plurality of input video signals;

determining means for determining whether each of said plurality of input video signal includes a non-picture portion added to the periphery of an effective picture area;

a picture memory for storing said plurality of input video signals; and

picture processing means for extracting a signal of the effective picture area from the plurality of input video signals, and when the result of said determining means represents that at least one of the input video signals includes a non-picture portion added to the periphery of the effective picture area, said picture processing means adjusts the picture size using the signal of the effective picture area of the at least one of the input video signals, by writing said input video signals to a picture memory, thinning out or interpolating video signals therein at proper timings, and reading the resultant video signal,

wherein said picture processing means performs a multiple-picture displaying process for simultaneously displaying pictures corresponding to the plurality of input video signals interpolated at proper timings so that desired picture sizes are obtained corresponding to display positions on a background screen.

2. The picture processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein said picture processing means performs a reduced picture displaying process for reducing the picture size of the plurality of input video signals and combining the reduced picture on the background screen.

3. The picture processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein said determining means determines whether at least one of the plurality of input video signals is a signal of which a non-picture portion is added to the periphery of the effective picture area corresponding to information of an interface to which the input video signal is input.

4. The picture processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein said determining means determines whether at least one of the plurality of input video signals is a signal of which a non-picture portion is added to the periphery of the effective picture area corresponding to information superimposed with or added to the at least one of the plurality of input video signals.

5. The picture processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein said determining means detects a non signal portion of at least one of the plurality of input video signals and determines whether or not the at least one of the plurality of input video signals is a signal of which a non-picture portion is added to the periphery of the effective picture area.

6. The picture processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein said determining means determines whether at least one of the plurality of input video signals is a signal of which a non-picture portion is added to the periphery of the effective picture area corresponding to information contained in a transport stream that is transmitted.

7. A picture processing method, comprising the steps of:

receiving a plurality of input video signal;

(a) determining whether each of said plurality of input video signals are a signal including a non-picture portion added to the periphery of an effective picture area;

(b) extracting a signal of the effective picture area from the plurality of input video signals, and

when the determined result at step (a) represents that at least one of the input video signal is a signal of which a non-picture portion is added to the periphery of the effective picture area,

adjusting the picture size of the at least one of the plurality of input video signals,

writing said plurality of input video signals to a picture memory thinning out, or interpolating video signals at their proper timings, and

reading the resultant video signal

wherein step (b) is performed by simultaneously displaying pictures corresponding to the plurality of input video signals of sources interpolated at proper timings so that desired picture sizes are obtained corresponding to display positions on a background screen.

8. The picture processing method as set forth in claim 7,

wherein step (b) is performed by reducing the picture size of the plurality of input video signals and combining the reduced pictures on the background screen.

9. The picture processing method as set forth in claim 7,

wherein step (a) is performed corresponding to information of an interface to which the plurality of input video signals are input.

10. The picture processing method as set forth in claim 7,

wherein step (a) is performed corresponding to information superimposed with or added to at least one of the plurality of input video signals.

11. The picture processing method as set forth in claim 7,

wherein step (a) is performed by detecting a non-signal portion of at least one of the plurality of input video signals and determining whether or not the at least one of the plurality of input video signals is a signal of which a non-picture portion is added to the periphery of the effective picture area.

12. The picture processing method as set forth in claim 7,

wherein step (a) is performed corresponding to information contained in a transport stream that is transmitted.