Image display control system and method allowing connection of various kinds of image displays to one supply source

• US 7,057,667 B1
• Filed: 02/24/2000
• Issued: 06/06/2006
• 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: Ando, Muneki, Abe, Naoto, Yamazaki, Tatsuro, Mori, Makiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor R.
• Application Number:
  US09/512,105
• Time in Patent Office: 2,294 Days
• Field of Search: 348/556, 348/558, 348/554, 348/445, 348/441, 348/581, 348/559, 725/133, 725/141, 725/153, 345/581, 345/603, 345/660, 345667-671, 345/690, 345/701, 345/723, 345/698, 345/699
• US Class Current: 348/554
• 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 21/4318 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 21/472 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

Abstract

This invention discloses an arrangement allowing connection of various kinds of image displays to one supply source in an image display control system having a supply source for transmitting a signal including at least a video signal, and an image display for receiving the signal and displaying a corresponding image. The supply source acquires characteristic data of the image display when it is powered on, determines a signal communication specification with the image display based on the acquired characteristic data, and communicates a signal including the video signal with the determined communication specification. The image display transmits characteristic data for specifying the characteristics of the image display to the supply source, and communicates the signal including the video signal in accordance with the determined communication specification. This invention also discloses an arrangement permitting changing the specifications and version of the control program of the image display.

Claims

1. An image display control system comprising a supply source for transmitting a signal including at least a video signal, and an image display for receiving the signal from said supply source and displaying a corresponding image,

said supply source including:

characteristic acquisition means for acquiring characteristic data of said image display when said supply source is powered on;

determination means for determining a signal communication specification with said image display on the basis of the characteristic data acquired by said characteristic acquisition means; and

communication means for communicating a signal including the video signal with the communication specification determined by said determination means, and

said image display including;

characteristic transmission means for transmitting characteristic data for specifying a characteristic of said image display to said supply source;

display communication means for communicating the signal including the video signal determined by said determination means of said supply source; and

connection request transmission means for transmitting a connection request to said supply source,

wherein said characteristic acquisition means includes detection means for detecting the connection request from said image display.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said characteristic acquisition means comprises:

characteristic request means for transmitting a characteristic data transmission request to said image display; and

characteristic detection means for detecting the characteristic data sent back from said image display,

wherein said characteristic transmission means transmits characteristic data of said image display in correspondence with a characteristic data transmission request from said supply source.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein said characteristic request means stops transmitting the characteristic data transmission request when no characteristic data is sent back from said image display even upon transmitting the characteristic data transmission request a predetermined number of times after said supply source is powered on.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein said connection request transmission means monitors detection of the characteristic data transmission request from said supply source when no characteristic data transmission request is sent back from said supply source even upon transmitting the connection request a predetermined number of times after said image display is powered on.

5. The system according to claim 2, wherein

the characteristic data transmission request from said characteristic request means includes a specification information transmission request of said image display, and

said image display sends back specification information of said image display in correspondence with the specification information transmission request.

6. The system according to claim 2, wherein

the characteristic data transmission request from said characteristic request means includes an adjustment information transmission request of said image display, and

said image display sends back adjustment information of said image display in correspondence with the adjustment information transmission request.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein said determination means specifies a display screen size of said image display from the characteristic data, obtains a video signal transmission speed in correspondence with the specified display screen size, and determines a signal communication specification.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the signal communication specification determined by said determination means includes a vertical synchronization period, a horizontal synchronization period, and a video signal transmission clock period for transmitting a video signal.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the characteristic data of said image display includes at least any one 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.

10. An image display system control method in an image display control system having a supply source for transmitting a signal including at least a video signal, and an image display for receiving the signal from the supply source and displaying a corresponding image, comprising:

a characteristic acquisition step of acquiring characteristic data of said the image display when the supply source is powered on;

a determination step of determining a signal communication specification with the image display on the basis of the characteristic data acquired in said characteristic acquisition step;

a communication step of communicating a signal including the video signal with the communication specification determined in said determination step, with said characteristic acquisition step, said determination step, and said communication step being executed in the supply source; and

a characteristic transmission step of transmitting characteristic data for specifying a characteristic of the image display to the supply source;

a display communication step of communicating the signal including the video signal determined in said determination step of the supply source, with said characteristic transmission step and said display communication step being executed in the image display;

a connection request transmission step of transmitting a connection request to the supply source,

a detection step of detecting the connection request from the image display.

11. A computer program product which operates on an image display control system having a supply source for transmitting a signal including at least a video signal, and an image display for receiving the signal from the supply source and displaying a corresponding image, comprising codes of:

a characteristic acquisition step of acquiring characteristic data of the image display when the supply source is powered on;

a determination step of determining a signal communication specification with the image display on the basis of the characteristic data acquired in said characteristic acquisition step;

a communication step of communicating a signal including the video signal with the communication specification determined in said determination step, with said characteristic acquisition step, said determination step, and said communication step being executed in the supply source;

a characteristic transmission step of transmitting characteristic data for specifying a characteristic of the image display to the supply source;

a display communication step of communicating the signal including the video signal determined in said determination step of the supply source, with said characteristic transmission step and said display communication step being executed in the image display;

a connection request transmission step of transmitting a connection request to the supply source,

a detection step of detecting the connection request from the image display.