Apparatus and method for processing image, and an image processing program

• US 20030076443A1
• Filed: 10/11/2002
• Published: 04/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Takatori, Yuji
• Granted Patent: US 6,956,618 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/536
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/125 wherein one of the images is motion video
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/12 Synchronisation between the display unit and other units, e.g. other display units, video-disc players
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4302 Content synchronisation processes, e.g. decoder synchronisation
• 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 5/04 Synchronising for television systems using pulse code modulation H04N7/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/073 for mutually locking plural sources of synchronising signals, e.g. studios or relay stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44504 Circuit details of the additional information generator, e.g. details of the character or graphics signal generator, overlay mixing circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen

Abstract

An image processing apparatus, which displays an image corresponding to a synchronizing frequency change-image signal, which is obtained by changing a frequency of a synchronizing signal of an image signal, and an other image corresponding to an other image signal on a same display screen. The apparatus comprises a monitoring device and a synchronizing control device. The monitoring device monitors temporal relationship between the synchronizing signal of the synchronizing frequency change-image signal and a synchronizing signal of the other image signal. The synchronizing control device performs frequency regulation for the synchronizing frequency change-image signal based on the monitoring results from the monitoring device so as to prevent one of the synchronizing frequency change-image signal and the other image signal from passing the other thereof on the display screen.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus, which controls a display screen to display a first image corresponding to a first image signal and a second image corresponding to a second image signal, said apparatus comprising:

a monitoring device for monitoring temporal relationship between a first synchronizing signal of a change-image signal, which is obtained by changing a frequency of said first synchronizing signal of said first image signal, and a second synchronizing signal of said second image signal; and

a synchronizing control device for performing frequency regulation for said change-image signal based on monitoring results from said monitoring device so as to prevent one of said change-image signal and said second image signal from passing an other thereof on said display screen.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said synchronizing control device performs said frequency regulation so as to reverse a frequency relationship between said first synchronizing signal and said second synchronizing signal.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said synchronizing control device performs said frequency regulation by increasing or decreasing a number of lines of said change-image signal to regulate a frequency of a vertical synchronizing signal of said change-image signal.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a disabling device for disabling said synchronizing control device from performing further said frequency regulation when a difference in period between said first synchronizing signal and said second synchronizing signal is within a predetermined range.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said apparatus makes said display screen display said first image and said second image at a same time by dividing said screen display into a first area for displaying said first image and a second area for displaying said second image.

6. An image processing method, which displays an image corresponding to a synchronizing frequency change-image signal, which is obtained by changing a frequency of a synchronizing signal of an image signal, and an other image corresponding to an other image signal on a same display screen, said method comprising:

a monitoring step for monitoring temporal relationship between the synchronizing signal of said synchronizing frequency change-image signal and a synchronizing signal of said other image signal; and

a synchronizing control step for performing frequency regulation for said synchronizing frequency change-image signal based on monitoring results from said monitoring device so as to prevent one of said synchronizing frequency change-image signal and said other image signal from passing an other thereof on said display screen.

7. An image processing program, which causes a computer included in an image processing apparatus, which displays an image corresponding to a synchronizing frequency change-image signal, which is obtained by changing a frequency of a synchronizing signal of an image signal, and an other image corresponding to an other image signal on a same display screen, to function as:

a monitoring device for monitoring temporal relationship between the synchronizing signal of said synchronizing frequency change-image signal and a synchronizing signal of said other image signal; and

a synchronizing control device for performing frequency regulation for said synchronizing frequency change-image signal based on monitoring results from said monitoring device so as to prevent one of said synchronizing frequency change-image signal and said other image signal from passing an other thereof on said display screen.