US 7952645

Concise Summary of US Patent 7952645

• Title: Video processing apparatus and mobile terminal apparatus
• Assignee: Maxell Ltd (Current Assignee, as of 2018-01-25 reassignment) (Previously Hitachi Ltd and Hitachi Maxell, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kozo Masuda, Ikuya Arai, Masaaki Miyano
• Filing Date: 2006-11-22
• Issue Date: 2011-05-31
• Abstract: A video processing apparatus includes a detector which detects whether pattern portions such as wallpaper portions having a pattern or the like or no-picture area portions having a single color are contained besides contents in a video signal input thereto, and a corrector which corrects the video signal. If the pattern portions are contained in the input video signal, the corrector is controlled so as not to correct the video signal.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Claim 1: This claim describes a video processing device that enhances picture quality. It includes:

  • A component that converts an input video signal (like RGB) into a luminance (brightness) signal and color-difference signals.
  • A detector that analyzes the luminance signal to find its characteristics, such as minimum, maximum, and average levels, and how often different brightness levels appear (a histogram).
  • A controller (CPU) that, when an interruption signal is received (e.g., indicating a scene change), reads these luminance characteristics and decides how to adjust the picture.
  • A modulator that applies these adjustments to the luminance signal to improve its quality, such as adjusting contrast or brightness based on the detected characteristics.
  • A circuit that converts the adjusted luminance and color-difference signals back into a display format (like RGB) for output.
  • A selector that can choose to output either the original video signal or the enhanced video signal, and can switch between these based on factors like battery level or the type of content being displayed.

• Claim 9: This claim describes a mobile terminal (like a phone) equipped with the video processing apparatus of claim 1. It adds:

  • A photo sensor that measures the ambient light (illuminance) around the device.
  • The CPU uses this ambient light information to determine additional correction data.
  • An RGB gain adjuster applies this additional correction data to the video signal to adjust its red, green, and blue components. This helps improve image visibility in different lighting conditions by emphasizing certain gradations (e.g., making dark areas more visible in bright sunlight) or adjusting color balance to counteract ambient light color casts.

• Claim 10: This claim further specifies the mobile terminal of claim 9, where:

  • The photo sensor has separate detection elements for red, green, and blue light.
  • The CPU calculates the ratios of these RGB components in the ambient light.
  • The RGB gain adjuster then uses these ratios to specifically decrease the correction for colors that are more prevalent in the ambient light. For example, if the surroundings are reddish (like evening sun), it reduces the red correction to prevent the display from appearing overly red.

• Claim 11: This claim describes a mobile terminal that includes a video processing apparatus similar to Claim 1, but with a different mechanism for handling "pattern portions" (like decorative borders or single-color side panels) in the video signal. It features:

  • A detector that specifically checks if such pattern portions are present in the input video signal.
  • If pattern portions are detected, the system controls the corrector (modulator) to either stop or weaken the video signal correction. This prevents unwanted changes in the luminance or color of static pattern areas, which could otherwise be distracting or make the content harder to view.

• Claim 12: This claim is similar to Claim 11 but focuses on "no-picture area portions" (e.g., black bars) which have a single color, instead of general pattern portions. It includes:

  • A detector that determines if these single-color no-picture area portions are present in the input video signal.
  • If these no-picture area portions are detected, the system adjusts the area where the picture quality enhancement is applied to exclude these no-picture areas. This means the luminance and color characteristic data (like histograms and average values) are calculated only from the actual content, leading to more accurate and appropriate picture quality corrections for the main video.

CAFC 2026 Dockets:
A search of CAFC 2026 dockets did not return any specific litigation cases for US patent 7952645 as of April 26, 2026. General CAFC docket information for 2026 was found, but no direct matches for this patent number were identified.