The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 25, 2001
Filed:
Jul. 23, 1999
Minoru Kawabata, Osaka, JP;
Atsuhisa Kageyama, Osaka, JP;
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Osaka, JP;
Abstract
In a video signal character converting device, a sampling window signal generator generates a signal for sampling an input video signal “a”. A video scene amplitude discrimination circuit samples the video signal in response to the sampling signal, detects a change in image level either field by field or frame by frame based on an integrated value for every duration of vertical scanning, and outputs a resetting pulse when the change in picture level exceeds a predetermined level. A video scene periodicity discrimination circuit measures a time interval between two successive resetting pulses, and outputs a control signal if the time interval is shorter than a predetermined period. A video scene conversion circuit converts a video scene in response to the control signal. The video signal character detecting device of the present invention determines as to whether or not the input video signal has video images that present an adverse effect mentally and physically to viewers, by observing an image level and periodicity of the video signal in this manner. The device is thus able to output video images by converting them into a harmless level with a process of reducing contrast or blanking, if it determines the video images harmful.