Methods for improved modulation of video signals

• US 7,586,542 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2006
• Issued: 09/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advocado, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Koplar Interactive Systems International, LLC
• Inventors: Barsoum, Yousri H., Koplar, Edward J., Reynolds, Michael C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ometz; David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Désir; Jean W
• Application Number:
  US11/383,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20060209209A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,212 Days
• Field of Search: 348/473, 348/460, 348/475, 348/461, 348/474, 348/724, 348/471, 348/472, 345/690, 345/694, 345/696, 345/695, 345/698, 345/63, 345/77, 725/136
• US Class Current: 348/473
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/025 Systems for the transmission of digital non-picture data, e.g. of text during the active part of a television frame transmission of digital non-picture data during the vertical blanking interval only H04N7/088
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/08 Systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal, e.g. additional information signals, the signals occupying wholly or partially the same frequency band , e.g. by time division H04N7/007 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for modulating a video signal. Frames of a plurality of frames are selected for modulation. A first magnitude alternation pattern is designated for each of a first area of a field of the selected frames. A second magnitude alternation pattern is designated for each of a second area of the field of the selected frames. The intensity of a plurality of pixels of a plurality of scan lines of the field of the selected frames is altered as designated by either the first magnitude alternation pattern or the second magnitude alternation pattern.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying a plurality of sub-areas of an encoding area of a frame and a transition area between the plurality of sub-areas of the encoding area;

designating a first magnitude alteration pattern for the plurality of sub-areas;

designating a second magnitude alteration pattern for the transition area, wherein the first magnitude alteration pattern is not the same pattern as the second magnitude alteration pattern and the second magnitude alteration pattern is selected to reduce transition line visibility between the plurality of subareas;

altering intensity of a plurality of pixels of the plurality of sub-areas as designated by the first magnitude alteration pattern; and

altering the intensity of the plurality of pixels of the transition area as designated by the second magnitude alteration pattern.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first magnitude alteration pattern includes altering the intensity of the pixels by a first magnitude adjustment and the second magnitude alteration pattern includes altering the intensity of the pixels by a second magnitude adjustment, wherein the first magnitude adjustment is less than the second magnitude adjustment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second magnitude alteration pattern includes a phased-in intensity alteration pattern.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second magnitude alteration pattern includes a phased-out intensity alteration pattern.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second magnitude alteration pattern includes a morphed pattern.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the encoding area includes a field.

7. The method of claim 1, farther comprising:

selecting a series of intensity multipliers, wherein the altering of the intensity of the plurality of pixels is in accordance with an intensity multiplier.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the encoding area is a field of the frame.

9. An encoding system comprising:

a source; and

an encoder configured to;

obtain a video signal from a source, the video signal comprising a plurality of frames,

identify a plurality of sub-areas of an encoding area of a particular frame of the video signal and a transition area between the plurality of sub-areas of the encoding area,

designate a first magnitude alteration pattern for the plurality of sub-areas,

designate a second magnitude alteration pattern for a transition area, wherein the first magnitude alteration pattern is not the same pattern as the second magnitude alteration pattern and the second magnitude alteration pattern is selected to reduce transition line visibility between the plurality of subareas,

alter the intensity of a plurality of pixels of the plurality of sub-areas as designated by the first magnitude alteration pattern; and

alter the intensity of the plurality of pixels of the transition area as designated by the second magnitude alteration pattern.

10. A method for modulating a video signal comprising:

selecting frames of a plurality of frames for modulation;

determining locations of edges in a plurality of scan lines of a field for each selected frame;

designating a first magnitude adjustment for the locations of edges;

designating a second magnitude adjustment for a remainder portion of the field for each selected frame, wherein the first magnitude adjustment is not the same value as the second magnitude adjustment; and

altering the intensity of the plurality of pixels of the plurality of scan lines of the field of the selected frames as designated by either the first magnitude adjustment or the second magnitude adjustment.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first magnitude adjustment is greater than the second magnitude adjustment.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the designating a first magnitude adjustment includes designating a higher magnitude adjustment for locations of edges having a sharp edge and designating a lower magnitude adjustment for locations of edges not having a sharp edge.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the field includes an interlaced field.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising selecting a series of intensity multiplies.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein altering intensity of a plurality of pixels includes for each intensity multiplier, altering the intensity of the plurality of pixels of the plurality of scan lines of the field of the selected frames as designated by either the first magnitude adjustment adjusted by the intensity multiplier or the second magnitude adjustment adjusted by the intensity multiplier.

16. An encoding system comprising:

a source; and

an encoder configured to;

obtain a video signal from a source, the video signal comprising a plurality of frames, each of the plurality of frames each comprising a plurality of scan lines, each of the plurality of scan lines comprising a plurality of pixels, each of the plurality of pixels comprising an intensity,

select frames of the plurality of frames for modulation;

determine locations of edges in the plurality of scan lines of a field for each selected frame,

designate a first magnitude adjustment for the locations of edges;

designate a second magnitude adjustment for a remainder portion of the field for each selected frame, wherein the first magnitude adjustment is not the same value as the second magnitude adjustment, and

alter the intensity of the plurality of pixels of the plurality of scan lines of the field of the selected frames as designated by either the first magnitude adjustment or the second magnitude adjustment.

17. A method for modulating a video signal comprising:

accessing a series of frame intensity multipliers, the series including a plurality of different intensity multipliers;

accessing frames of a plurality of frames for modulation;

associating each frame intensity multiplier of the series of intensity multipliers with one or more frames from the accessed frames; and

for each intensity multiplier, altering the intensity of the plurality of pixels of an encoding area of the accessed frames according to a magnitude alteration pattern that is adjusted by the associated frame intensity multiplier.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the series of frame intensity multipliers includes a first series of increasing frame intensity multipliers and a second series of decreasing frame intensity multipliers.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising applying the first series of increasing frame intensity multipliers to even scan lines of a plurality of scan lines of the encoding area.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising applying the second series of decreasing intensity multipliers to odd scan lines of a plurality of scan lines of the encoding area.

21. An encoding system comprising:

a source; and

an encoder configured to;

obtain a video signal from a source, the video signal comprising a plurality of frames,

access a series of frame intensity multipliers, the series including a plurality of different intensity multiplier,

access frames of the plurality of frames for modulation,

associate each frame intensity multiplier of the series of intensity multipliers with one or more frames from the accessed frames, and

for each intensity multiplier, altering the intensity of the plurality of pixels of the accessed frames according to a magnitude alteration pattern that is adjusted by the associated frame intensity multiplier.