This application claims the priority benefit of Taiwan application serial no. 100102729, filed Jan. 25, 2011. The entirety of the above-mentioned patent application is hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of this specification.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a composite sync signal processing technology, and more particularly, to an apparatus and a method for separating a vertical sync signal from a composite sync signal.
2. Description of Related Art
A color coding system such as Y (Luminance signal), UV (Chrominance signal) or R (Red), G (Green), B (Blue) is often used in image transmission for HDTV. In other words, the HDTV often transforms an image into a luminance signal (referred to as Y) and two chrominance signals (referred to as U, V), or into a red signal R, a green signal G, and a blue signal B. A composite sync signal is mixed in the luminance signal Y or green signal G.
The composite sync signal consists of a horizontal sync signal, a vertical sync signal, a blank signal or other signals such as an image signal, an audio signal, depending upon the standard of the composite sync signal. Upon receiving the composite sync signal, an image receiving terminal (Rx) performs signal separation to obtain the horizontal and vertical sync signals, such that a display can perform image scan operations according to the horizontal sync signal and the vertical sync signal.
Many techniques can be used to separate the vertical sync signal from the composite sync signal. However, because different image standard has different time characteristics, many separation techniques can only apply for signals of a specific standard, and cannot separate the vertical sync signal from all standard and non-standard composite sync signals. In addition, in some techniques, a reference signal embedded in the composite sync signal can be received and compared in advance to determine whether this sync signal is of a known standard. However, when the sync signal is non-standard, these techniques cannot reliably separate the vertical sync signal. What is needed, therefore, is a separation technique that can apply for all standard and non-standard composite sync signals to reliably separate the desired vertical sync signal therefrom.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a vertical sync signal separation apparatus which can support all high and low frequencies, different polarities and non-standard composite sync signal and correctly separates the vertical sync signal.
The present invention is also directed to a vertical sync signal separation method which can support all high and low frequencies, different polarities and non-standard composite sync signal and correctly separates the vertical sync signal.
The present invention provides a vertical sync signal separation apparatus including a parameter detecting unit, a threshold generating unit and a vertical sync signal generating unit. The parameter detecting unit receives and measures a composite sync signal to obtain a maximum positive pulse width, a second maximum positive pulse width, a maximum negative pulse width, and a second maximum negative pulse width of the composite sync signal. The threshold generating unit is coupled to the parameter detecting unit to output a positive pulse threshold based on the maximum positive pulse width and the second maximum positive pulse width, and to output a negative pulse threshold based on the maximum negative pulse width and the second maximum negative pulse width. The vertical sync signal generating unit outputs a vertical sync signal by comparing the composite sync signal against the positive pulse threshold and the negative pulse threshold.
In one embodiment, the positive pulse threshold falls in between the maximum positive pulse width and the second maximum positive pulse width, and the negative pulse threshold falls in between the maximum negative pulse width and the second maximum negative pulse width.
In one embodiment, when the vertical sync signal generating unit senses a positive edge of the composite sync signal, a positive edge counter returns to zero and starts counting. In addition, the vertical sync signal generating unit enables the vertical sync signal when the counted time reaches the positive pulse threshold. Similarly, when the vertical sync signal generating unit senses a negative edge of the composite sync signal, a negative edge counter returns to zero and starts counting. In addition, the vertical sync signal disables the vertical sync signal when the counted time reaches the negative pulse threshold.
In one embodiment, when the maximum negative pulse width is greater than the maximum positive pulse width, the maximum positive pulse width is equal to the second maximum positive pulse width, and the second maximum positive pulse width is greater than the second maximum negative pulse width, the negative pulse threshold is greater than and close to the second maximum negative pulse width.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a vertical sync signal separation method. In this method, a composite sync signal is received and measured to obtain a maximum positive pulse width, a second maximum positive pulse width, a maximum negative pulse width, and a second maximum negative pulse width of the composite sync signal. A positive pulse threshold is outputted based on the maximum positive pulse width and the second maximum positive pulse width, and a negative pulse threshold is outputted based on the maximum negative pulse width and the second maximum negative pulse width. A vertical sync signal is outputted by comparing the composite sync signal against the positive pulse threshold and the negative pulse threshold.
In view of the foregoing, embodiments of the present invention sets the positive pulse and negative pulse thresholds based on the positive pulse width and the negative pulse width of the composite sync signal, and use these thresholds to identify the vertical sync signal from the composite sync signal. As such, the vertical sync signal separation apparatus of the above embodiment can support all existing standard and non-standard composite sync signals of different frequencies and different polarities, and correctly separate the vertical sync signal, thus increasing its application scope and performance.
Other objectives, features and advantages of the present invention will be further understood from the further technological features disclosed by the embodiments of the present invention wherein there are shown and described preferred embodiments of this invention, simply by way of illustration of modes best suited to carry out the invention.
Reference will now be made in detail to the present embodiments of the disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.
The vertical sync signal separation apparatus 120 then separates a vertical sync signal 122 from the composite sync signal 112 and outputs the vertical sync signal 122 to the clock generator 130. It is well known to those skilled in the art that the clock generator 130 will then perform image scanning operations to display the image signals on the displaying unit 140 according to the vertical sync signal 122. In addition, it should be understood that the signal limiter 110 would not be necessary if the composite sync signal 112 to be inputted to the vertical sync signal separation apparatus 122 could be directly separated or separated in another manner from the image carrying signal 102.
In this regard, the key point of the present embodiment is that the vertical sync signal separation apparatus 120 can support all existing standard and non-standard composite sync signal 112 of different frequencies and different polarities and can correctly separate the vertical sync signal 122, thus increasing the application scope and performance of the vertical sync signal separation apparatus 120. Functional architecture and operation manner of an exemplary vertical sync signal separation apparatus 120 will be described below in detail with reference to
Referring to
At step S320, the threshold generating unit 220 generates a positive pulse threshold TUP based on the maximum positive pulse width MPPW and the second maximum positive pulse width SPPW, and generates a negative pulse threshold TDN based on the maximum negative pulse width MNPW and the second maximum negative pulse width SNPW. In the present embodiment, people skilled in the art may adjust the positive pulse threshold TUP and the negative pulse threshold TDN, such that the positive pulse threshold TUP falls in between the maximum positive pulse width MPPW and the second maximum positive pulse width SPPW, and the negative pulse threshold TDN falls in between the maximum negative pulse width MNPW and the second maximum negative pulse width SNPW, depending upon actual requirements and the standard of the composite sync signal 412. In
The vertical sync signal generating unit 230 then receives the positive pulse threshold TUP and the negative pulse threshold TDN and outputs the vertical sync signal 422 by comparing the composite sync signal 412 against the positive pulse threshold TUP and the negative pulse threshold TDN. Specifically, in the present embodiment, the vertical sync signal generating unit 230 also includes a positive edge counter PC and a negative edge counter NC (not shown). At step S320, when the vertical sync signal generating unit 230 senses a positive edge of the composite sync signal 412, i.e. when the positive edge counter PC of the vertical sync signal generating unit 230 is triggered by a positive edge of the composite sync signal 412 (for example, at time points A, B, C and D in
On the other hand, when the positive edge counter PC receives a negative edge of the composite sync signal 412 before the counted time of the positive edge counter PC reaches the positive pulse threshold TUP, i.e. when the positive edge counter PC and the negative edge counter PC of the vertical sync signal generating unit 230 are triggered by a negative edge of the composite sync signal 412 (for example, at time points B′ and C′), the method proceeds from step S350 back to step S330 to make the positive edge counter PC stop counting, and proceeds from step S370 to step S380 such that the negative edge counter NC returns to zero and then starts counting again (for example, at time points E, F, G and H). When the counted time of the negative time counter NC reaches the negative pulse threshold TDN (for example, at time points F′ and G′), the method proceeds from step S390 to step S395 such that the vertical sync signal generating unit 230 disables the vertical sync signal 422. To this end, in the present embodiment, the vertical sync signal generating unit 230 sets the vertical sync signal 422 to logic 0 to disable the vertical sync signal. However, this is for the purpose of illustration only and should not be regarded as limiting. In other words, in various other embodiments, the vertical sync signal 422 can also be set to logic 1 to become disabled.
Likewise, when the negative edge counter NC receives a positive edge of the composite sync signal 412 before the counted time of the negative edge counter NC reaches the negative pulse threshold TDN, i.e. when the positive edge counter PC and the negative edge counter NC of the vertical sync signal generating unit 230 are triggered by the positive edge of the composite sync signal 412 (for example, at the time points E′ and H′), the method proceeds from step S390 back to step S330 to make the negative edge counter NC stop counting, and proceeds to step S340 such that the positive edge counter PC returns to zero and then starts counting again.
As described above, the vertical sync signal separation apparatus 120 determines and separates the vertical sync signal 422 based on related parameters of the inputted composite sync signal 412. Therefore, the vertical sync signal separation apparatus 120 can support composite sync signals of multiple standards and different frequencies. Because the manner of determining the positive pulse and negative pulse of the vertical sync signal separation apparatus 120 of the present embodiment does not vary with the polarity of the composite sync signal, i.e. the transposition of high and low voltage level of the positive pulse and negative pulse does not affect the generation of the vertical sync signal. Therefore, the vertical sync signal separation apparatus of the present embodiment can also support composite sync signals of different polarities (at least including composite sync signals of the standards such as 720p23, 720p24, 720p25, SERR, SERR 0.5H, H EOR V and H+V).
In addition, the positive edge counter PC and the negative edge counter NC of the above vertical sync signal generating unit 230 are different counters. In another embodiment, the positive edge counter PC and the negative edge counter NC may also be the same counter. This counter returns to zero and then starts counting upon being triggered by the positive edge or negative edge of the composite sync signal 412. When triggered by the positive edge of the composite sync signal 412, the counter determines whether to enable the vertical sync signal by determining whether the counted time reaches the positive pulse threshold TUP. Similarly, when triggered by the negative edge of the composite sync signal, the counter determines whether to disable the vertical sync signal by determining whether the counted time reaches the negative pulse threshold TDN. Other operations and procedures of the counter are similar to those of the positive edge counter PC and the negative edge counter NC as described above and, therefore, explanation thereof is not repeated herein.
On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the parameter detecting unit 210 continuously measures and updates the related parameters of the composite sync signal 412, such that the threshold generating unit 220 can automatically and dynamically adjust the positive pulse threshold TUP and the negative pulse threshold TDN. This way the vertical sync signal generating unit 230 can continuously output correct vertical sync signal.
Another embodiment of the present invention is described below by way of example using a composite sync signal of another standard. As shown in
Accordingly, a second embodiment of the present invention is provided with reference to the functional architecture of
Referring to
When the conditions of step S710 are satisfied, it indicates that the composite sync signal 812 is of H+V standard. Therefore, the method proceeds to step S720, where the negative pulse threshold TDN generated by the threshold generating unit 220 should be approximately equal to the second maximum negative pulse width SNPW but slightly greater than the second maximum negative pulse width SNPW (i.e. TDN≈SNPW and TDN>SNPW). In addition, at step S720, the generation and determining manner of the positive pulse threshold TUP are the same as in the first embodiment. On the contrary, if the conditions of step S710 are not satisfied, it indicates that the composite sync signal 812 is of another standard. Therefore, the method can proceed according to the operation procedure of the first embodiment. As such, in the vertical sync signal 822 of
In summary, embodiments of the present invention sets the positive pulse and negative pulse thresholds based on the positive pulse width and the negative pulse width of the composite sync signal, and use these thresholds to identify the vertical sync signal from the composite sync signal. As such, the vertical sync signal separation apparatus 120 of the above embodiment can support all existing standard and non-standard composite sync signal of different frequencies and different polarities, and correctly separate the vertical sync signal, thus increasing its application scope and performance. It should be understood that, if the composite sync signal of H+V standard is processed in the manner described in the first embodiment, the vertical sync signal can also be separated and the above technical results can also be achieved. Besides, the second embodiment incorporates the determining of the composite sync signal of H+V standard to address the clock error problem caused by over-short disabling period of the vertical sync signal.
The foregoing description of the preferred embodiments of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form or to exemplary embodiments disclosed. Accordingly, the foregoing description should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Obviously, many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in this art. The embodiments are chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its best mode practical application, thereby to enable persons skilled in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use or implementation contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto and their equivalents in which all terms are meant in their broadest reasonable sense unless otherwise indicated. Therefore, the term “the invention”, “the present invention” or the like does not necessarily limit the claim scope to a specific embodiment, and the reference to particularly preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention does not imply a limitation on the invention, and no such limitation is to be inferred. The invention is limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims. The abstract of the disclosure is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract, which will allow a searcher to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure of any patent issued from this disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. Any advantages and benefits described may not apply to all embodiments of the invention. It should be appreciated that variations may be made in the embodiments described by persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims. Moreover, no element and component in the present disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether the element or component is explicitly recited in the following claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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100102729 | Jan 2011 | TW | national |