Format conversion circuit and television receiver provided therewith and method of converting video signals

A format converter comprising:

• a frame memory capable of storing a video signal for both progressive scanning and interlaced scanning and having one of a plurality of video data sizes and one of a plurality of frame rates;
• a frame rate controller controlling reading of the video signal out of said frame memory and controlling writing of the video signal into said frame memory thereby controlling a frame rate of the video signal;
• and
• a conversion filter for converting a video data size of the video signal;
• said frame rate controller and said frame memory increasing the frame rate of the video signal in response to a control signal;
• said frame rate controller and said frame memory decreasing the frame rate of the video signal in response to the control signal;
• wherein the same said frame memory and the same said frame rate controller are used for both increasing and decreasing the frame rate of the video signal,
• said conversion filter including:
• an input terminal operatively connected to said frame memory and receiving the video signal from said frame memory;
• an output terminal for outputting a converted video signal;
• a horizontal filter bank converting a number of pixels per scanning line;
• a vertical filter bank converting a number of scanning lines per picture;
• a switch device operatively connected to said input terminal, said output terminal, said horizontal filter bank and said vertical filter bank,
• said switch device selectively supplying a signal at said input terminal or a signal at an output of said vertical filter bank to an input of said horizontal filter bank;
• said switch device selectively connecting said input terminal or an output of said horizontal filter bank to an input of said vertical filter bank;
• said switch device selectively connecting the output of said horizontal filter bank, the output of said vertical filter bank, or the input to said output terminal;
• and
• a select signal generator having an input operatively connected to a second input terminal receiving format information and having control signal outputs operatively connected to said switch device, said select signal generator generating control signals to control said switch device to provide a desired video data size according to the format information.