Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America, Inc.

Mitsubishi Electric Visual Solutions America, Inc.

Mitsubishi Digital Electronics

James E Hicks

Brian Maxson

Jeffrey Whitelaw

Luan Chi Chen

A remote control unit for an entertainment system comprising a television or other display device, and a plurality of peripheral devices connected to the televisions. The remote control unit is adapted to send and receive information signals to and from the television and to the peripheral devices to control the devices. The television and remote control unit both preferably includes a receiver and transmitter and appropriate memory and logic coupled to the transmitter and receiver. Alternatively, the remote control unit preferably includes a receiver and transmitter and a repeater coupled to the receiver and the transmitter. In operation, the remote control unit sends commands to the television, which responds by sending information or a specific command back to the remote control unit. The remote control unit then retrieves and sends a specific command or repeats and sends the command received from the television to the appropriate peripheral device.

Smart remote control

Systems and methods are provided that facilitate automatic convergence and geometry alignment in projection systems. Preferably, an optical element such as a lens array is coupled to all areas of the projection system's screen and to a detector element such as a photocell array. In operation, each lens of the lens array is adapted to map an individual portion or region of the screen onto the photocell array. A microprocessor, controller or the like uses the data output from the photocells to instruct an alignment controller to center or steer the beams to compensate for convergence error at a particular location. In a center alignment mode, four (4) or more beacon dots located about the periphery of the screen are detected to determine screen size and position, which is used to center the video image and the centers of the mapped regions on the screen.

Automatic convergence for image projection systems

An apparatus and methods that facilitate efficient and easy installation of a display screen and protective shield onto a cabinet of a display unit such as a projection TV (PTV) and the like. Preferably, a screen frame and bezel clip system includes a bezel clip having a latch arm releaseably coupleable to catch arm extending from or attached to a cabinet side wall of a display unit. The bezel clip further includes one or more receptacles sized and shaped to receive and retain a side or edge portion of one or more screens. The catch arm is preferably deformable under pressure and returns to a pre-stressed orientation when the pressure is removed. Alternatively, a screen frame and bezel mount system includes a stiffener member adapted to couple a bezel member to a cabinet side wall of a display unit. The bezel member includes one or more receptacles sized and shaped to receive and retain a side or edge portion of one or more screens.

Screen frame and bezel clip system

Systems and methods that facilitate automatic convergence and geometry alignment in projection systems such as a PTV. The automatic convergence system (ACS) preferably includes a CCD camera mounted inside the PTV and focused on the entire inside of a projection screen Fresnel lens. Alternatively, the ACS may include a deployable reflective sheet, preferably in the form of a roll up screen. In operation, signals from the CCD camera corresponding to test patterns projected onto the Fresnel lens or reflective sheet are analyzed and used to align, center or steer raster patterns to compensate for convergence error at a particular location. In a convergence mode, the video is blanked and then successive monochrome video test patterns are projected on the screen. The images captured by the CCD camera are used to memorize the location of landing points of one color test pattern from one of the projection units and then to align the other color patterns from the other projection units to the same landing points as the first color pattern. In a geometry alignment mode, the difference in brightness between an image striking the Fresnel screen and the over scanned area of the PTV cabinet is used to determine the border of the screen. This information is then used to provide reference marks for all geometrical adjustments done automatically using a similar process of successive test patterns and analysis.

Automatic image convergence for projection television systems

Methods and apparatus are provided for equally aging a cathode ray tube (CRT). In the preferred embodiment, a standard CRT having a 4:3 aspect ratio is provided. An external video terminal is coupled to the CRT and receives any number of external video signals, one or more of which may be non-standard external video signals having a 16:9 aspect ratio. In response to a non-standard external video signal, the CRT is illuminated with a mismatched illumination ratio, i.e., a primary CRT region is illuminated and a secondary CRT region is not illuminated, resulting in an unequally aged CRT. A video pattern generator is coupled to the CRT and generates an internal video signal, such that the secondary CRT region is illuminated in response to the internal video signal. Control circuitry is provided for monitoring one or more CRT aging indicators, such as an amount of time and/or CRT luminous intensity, during receipt of the non-standard external video signal, and/or the luminous intensities at the primary CRT region and secondary CRT region, during the generation of a uniform internal video signal. The control circuitry also calculates a desired CRT age equalizing time based on the CRT aging indicators. The desired CRT age equalizing time represents the period of time the secondary CRT region should be illuminated to equalize the unequal CRT aging. The control circuitry is coupled to the video pattern generator to direct the video pattern generator to generate the internal video signal for a period of time equal to the desired CRT age equalizing time.

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Laguna Beach, CA, United States of America

James E Hicks