Slow dither display

• US 20060139363A1
• Filed: 12/28/2004
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Stevenson, Paul E., Klinger, Richard A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,453,469 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/581
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0464 Positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/02 Graphics controller able to handle multiple formats, e.g. input or output formats
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide an image display mode for displays, such as a television, that do not use the entire display field for displaying an image. A user selectable modification of the image display is provided, where the image may be stepped a predefined column of pixels, or predefined row of pixels, depending on viewing format, at a time at a very slow rate. The image may be stepped a predefined column of pixels per predefined time period until it is entirely to one side of the display, at which point it may be slowly stepped back to the other side of the display.

Claims

1. A method for enabling viewing of a smaller format image on a larger format display, comprising:

determining image position on the display, display limits and a predefined step size;

moving the image across the display at intervals according to the predefined step size, wherein the image movement is imperceptible to viewers.

2. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein moving the image across the display at intervals according to the predefined step size, wherein the image movement is imperceptible to viewers further comprises:

stepping the image a predefined column of pixels, or predefined row of pixels, depending on viewing format, at a time at a predefined rate.

3. The method claimed in claim 2, wherein stepping the image a predefined column of pixels, or predefined row of pixels, depending on viewing format, at a time at a predefined rate further comprises:

stepping the image a predefined column of pixels per time period until it is entirely to one side of the display, at which point it may be slowly stepped back to the opposing side of the display and repeated until deactivated.

4. The method claimed in claim 3, wherein moving the image across the display at intervals according to the predefined step size further comprises:

moving the image across the display horizontally at intervals according to the predefined step size.

5. The method claimed in claim 3, wherein moving the image across the display at intervals according to the predefined step size further comprises:

moving the image across the display vertically at intervals according to the predefined step size.

6. A machine-accessible medium including instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to:

determine image position on the display, display limits and a predefined step size;

move the image across the display at intervals according to the predefined step size, wherein the image movement is imperceptible to viewers.

7. The machine-accessible medium claimed in claim 6, wherein instructions to move the image across the display at intervals according to the predefined step size, wherein the image movement is imperceptible to viewers further comprises instructions that, when executed, cause the machine to:

step the image a predefined column of pixels, or predefined row of pixels, depending on viewing format, at a time at a predefined rate.

8. The machine-accessible medium claimed in claim 7, wherein instructions to step the image a predefined column of pixels, or predefined row of pixels, depending on viewing format, at a time at a predefined rate further comprises instructions that, when executed, cause the machine to:

step the image a predefined column of pixels per time period until it is entirely to one side of the display, at which point it may be slowly stepped back to the opposing side of the display and repeated until deactivated.

9. The machine-accessible medium claimed in claim 8, wherein instructions to move the image across the display at intervals according to the predefined step size further comprises instructions that, when executed, cause the machine to:

move the image across the display horizontally at intervals according to the predefined step size.

10. The machine-accessible medium claimed in claim 8, wherein instructions to move the image across the display at intervals according to the predefined step size further comprises instructions that, when executed, cause the machine to:

move the image across the display vertically at intervals according to the predefined step size.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

a display device to determine image position on the display, display limits and a predefined step size and move the image across the display at intervals according to the predefined step size, wherein the image movement is imperceptible to viewers.

12. The apparatus claimed in claim 11, wherein the display device further steps the image a predefined column of pixels, or predefined row of pixels, depending on viewing format, at a time at a predefined rate.

13. The apparatus claimed in claim 12, wherein the display device steps the image a predefined column of pixels per time period until it is entirely to one side of the display, at which point it may be slowly stepped back to the opposing side of the display and repeated until deactivated.

14. A system comprising:

a memory;

a clock; and

a controller to determine image position on the display, display limits and a predefined step size and move the image across the display at intervals according to the predefined step size, wherein display parameters are stored in memory and step size is determined in accordance with the clock.

15. The system claimed in claim 14, wherein the controller further steps the image a predefined column of pixels, or predefined row of pixels, depending on viewing format, at a time at a predefined rate.

16. The system claimed in claim 15, wherein the controller steps the image a predefined column of pixels per time period until it is entirely to one side of the display, at which point it may be slowly stepped back to the opposing side of the display and repeated until deactivated.