Electronic black matrix circuitry
AssigneeUnirad Corporation
InventorLeland B. Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electronic circuit is used to interrupt the video signal going to a T.V. monitor about 500 times per scan line. Each interruption causes a black spot in the display. The black lines between scan lines on the T.V. screen cooperate with the black spots in each scan line to form electronically a black matrix background for the T.V. picture. The black matrix enhances the picture quality making a sharper, clearer picture.
Claims28
The method of improving the clarity or apparent resolution of a video display in ultrasonic diagnostic equipment comprising the steps of:
- (a) electrically pulsing transducers in a transducer array causing them to produce an ultrasonic sound wave;
- (b) receiving ultrasonic echoes with transducers in the array and converting the echoes to an electrical signal whose amplitude varies in time with the amplitude of the echoes;
- (c) transforming the electrical signal into a video signal;
- (d) periodically blacking out the video signal only when said video signal is not transmitting synchronization data;
- and
- (e) displaying the video signal on a video monitor wherein unirradiated lines between adjoining video sweep lines and periodically blacked out portions in the video sweep lines coact to form a black matrix superimposed on the video display.
A method of improving a video display in ultrasonic diagnostic equipment with a black matrix formed by inherently unirradiated lines between adjoining video sweep lines and periodically blacked out portions of the video sweep lines commensurate in width and spacing with the width and spacing of the unirradiated lines, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) electrically pulsing transducers in a transducer array causing them to produce an ultrasonic sound wave;
- (b) receiving ultrasonic echoes with transducers in the array and converting the echoes to an analog electrical signal having an amplitude which varies in time with the strength of the echoes;
- (c) transforming the analog electrical signals into a sweep line of digital video signals.
- (d) periodically blacking out the digital video signal only when said video signals are not transmitting synchronization data;
- (e) repeating the pulsing and receiving steps to produce a plurality of sweep lines;
- and
- (f) displaying the plurality of sweep lines on a video monitor wherein the video display includes a matrix of blacked out regions.
A circuit for electronically superimposing a black matrix on a video display to improve the clarity or apparent resolution of the display, the circuit comprising input means for receiving a composite video signal, which composite video signal comprises an image portion for conveying image pixel intensity information and a synchronization portion for conveying synchronization information;
- means for blanking the image portion of the video signal periodically during each video sweep line without significantly disturbing the synchronization information conveying function of the synchronization portion;
- and
- output means operatively connected with said blanking means for providing the periodically blanked video signal to a video display, whereby unirradiated lines between adjoining video sweep lines and periodically blanked portions of the video sweep lines coact to form the black matrix on the video display.
A video circuit comprising input means for receiving a composite video signal, which composite video signal comprises an image portion for conveying image pixel intensity information and a synchronization portion for conveying synchronization information;
- analog-to-digital converting means for converting the video signal into a digital signal, said analog-to-digital converting means operatively connected with said input means, said analog-to-digital converting means having a plurality of ouput lines each line corresponding to one digit of the digital signal;
- means for blanking the image portion of the video signal periodically during each video sweep line without significantly disturbing the synchronization information conveying function of the synchronization portion, said blanking means comprising gate means operatively connected with said output lines for periodically passing and blocking the digits of the digital signal, said gate means being adapted to be connected with a video display.
A video circuit comprising:
- input means for receiving a video signal which video signal comprises a plurality of scan lines of data;
- switching means for periodically switching a reference onto the video signal, said reference having a magnitude to cause the video signal to indicate a black output, said switching means being operatively connected with said input means;
- inhibit means for inhibiting said switching means from switching said reference onto the video signal when said video signal is transmitting synchronization data, said inhibiting means being operatively connected with said switching means;
- and
- output means operatively connected with said switching means for providing an interrupted video output signal.
A video circuit comprising:
- an input for receiving a video signal which video signal is made up of a plurality of scan lines of analog data;
- analog-to-digital converting means for converting the analog data into a digital signal, said converting means operatively connected with said input means,
- blocking means for periodically blocking the passage of digital signals within one of the scan lines;
- output means operatively connected with the blocking means for providing an interrupted video signal.
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:
- an array of transducer elements for producing ultrasonic waves and producing signals upon receiving ultrasonic echoes;
- means for pulsing transducer elements of the array to cause an ultrasonic wave to be produced, said pulsing means operatively connected to said array;
- means for receiving signals from the array, said receiving means operatively connected to said array;
- video processing means operatively connected to the receiving means for converting said signals into a video signal;
- switching means for periodically switching a reference voltage onto the video signal, the reference voltage being of a magnitude to cause the video signal to indicate a black output, said switching being operatively connected with said video processing means;
- inhibit means for inhibiting the switching means from switching said refernce voltage onto the video signal when said video signal is transmitting synchronization data, said inhibiting means being operatively connected with said receiving means;
- and
- a video monitor for transforming the video signal into a visual image, said video monitor being operatively connected with said switching means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.