Patent EP0651571A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0651571A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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A graphics data unit for a television receiver
Assignee: Texas Instruments Inc
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Filing: 1994-10-31
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2014-10-31
Abstract
Abstract A graphics data unit (17) for a digital television receiver (10) that uses a spatial light modulator (16). The graphics data unit (17) has a graphics processor (22), which offloads graphics processing tasks, such as for closed captioning and on-screen display, from a main processor (14). The graphics data unit (17) also has a character memory (24), which stores fonts for closed caption and on-screen display characters. A read-only memory (22a) stores graphics primitives. The character fonts and the graphics primitives may be adapted to compensate for staggered pixel layouts of the spatial light modulator (16). <IMAGE> <IMAGE>
Inventors
- 👤 Robert J. Gove
- 👤 Richard C. Meyer
- 👤 John R. Reder
- 👤 Scott D. Heimbuch
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 08:01
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N21/00; H04N21/40; H04N21/47; H04N21/488; H04N21/4884; H04N11/00; H04N11/04; H04N5/00; H04N5/74; H04N5/7416; H04N5/7458; H04N21/41; H04N21/426; H04N5/44; H04N5/445
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
114 words
A graphics data unit for a television receiver having a spatial light modulator with a staggered pixel layout, comprising: a detector for detecting a closed caption component of a television signal and for converting said signal to closed caption data; a graphics processor for receiving said closed caption data and for determining what characters are to be generated; a character generator in data communication with said graphics processor, for generating pixel data representing said characters; and a first memory in data communication with said character generator, for storing pixel patterns representing said characters, wherein said memory stores said characters in a form that compensates vertical lines for the effects of said staggered pixel layout.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
34 words
The graphics data unit of Claim 1, wherein said processor is in data communication with a second memory for storing vertical line drawing instructions that compensate for the effects of said staggered pixel array.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
48 words
The graphics data unit of Claim 2, further comprising an infrared detector for receiving infrared signals from a remote control unit and for decoding said infrared signals into a program for generating graphics images, and wherein said graphics processor executes said program, using said vertical line drawing instructions.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
49 words
The graphics data unit of Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein said graphics processor has an input/output port for electronically receiving data from an external source, and wherein a read-only memory stores programming to decode said image data and associate said image data with said vertical line drawing instructions.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
80 words
A graphics data unit for a television receiver having a spatial light modulator with a staggered pixel layout, comprising: an infrared detector for receiving infrared signals from a remote control unit, and for decoding said signals into a program for generating graphic images; an input/output unit for receiving a program for generating graphic images; and a processor for executing said programs, having a memory for storing vertical line drawing instructions that compensate for the effects of said staggered pixel array.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
The graphics data unit of Claim 5, wherein said vertical line drawing instructions include instructions for adding an extra pixel adjacent to alternating pixels of said vertical line.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
117 words
A television receiver for displaying both video and graphics data, comprising: a main processor for processing video data; a processor memory for storing said video data during processing; a graphics data unit having an input-output unit for receiving graphics programming from an external source, a graphics processor for executing said instructions, and a memory for storing graphics primitives; a display memory for receiving processed video data from said main processor and processed graphics data for said graphics processor, and for formatting said processed video data and said processed graphics data into bit-plane data; and a spatial light modulator for receiving said bit-plane data, and for generating images in accordance with said video data and said graphics data.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
24 words
The television receiver of Claim 7, wherein said graphics data unit has an infrared detector for receiving infrared signals from a remote control unit.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
19 words
The television receiver of Claim 7 or Claim 8, wherein said spatial light modulator has a staggered pixel layout.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
37 words
The television receiver of Claim 9, further comprising a character memory in data communication with said graphics processor for storing character fonts in a format that compensates vertical lines for the effects of said staggered pixel layout.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
29 words
The television receiver of Claim 9 or Claim 10, wherein said logic circuit for executing vertical line drawing instructions that compensate for the effects of said staggered pixel array.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
36 words
The television receiver of any of Claims 9 to 11, wherein said main processor has a logic circuit for executing edge detection instructions and instructions for compensating edges for the effects of said staggered pixel array.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
18 words
The television receiver of any of Claims 9 to 12, in the form of a digital television receiver.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
79 words
A method of using a television receiver to display vertical lines on a television display having staggered pixel elements, comprising the steps of: storing a set of fonts whose vertical lines are compensated for the vertical effect of said jagged pixel layout; receiving a closed caption signal; decoding said closed caption signal to determine what characters are to be displayed; accessing said characters to be displayed from said set of fonts; and displaying said characters in a compensated format.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of Claim 14, wherein said step of storing said set of fonts is performed by adding an extra pixel to alternating rows of said vertical lines.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of Claim 15, wherein said step of storing said set of fonts is further performed by varying the intensity of pixels of vertical lines on said alternating rows.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
54 words
The method of any of Claims 14 to 16, further comprising the steps of: storing a vertical line drawing instructions, which include instructions that compensate for the effects of said staggered pixel array; receiving graphics commands that call said vertical line drawing instructions; and displaying at least one vertical line in a compensated format.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of Claim 17, wherein said step of storing vertical line drawing instructions is performed by storing instructions for adding an extra pixel to alternating rows of said vertical line.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
59 words
The method of any of Claims 14 to 18, further comprising the steps of: storing a set of instructions for detecting edges of incoming video data; storing instructions for compensating said edges for the effect of said jagged pixel array; and displaying at least one vertical line of an image represented by said incoming video data in compensated format.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of Claim 19, wherein said step of storing instructions for compensating edges is performed by storing instructions for adding an extra pixel to alternating rows of said edge.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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