Video Aspect Ratio Conversion with Dynamic Zone Scaling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for converting 4:3 aspect ratio video to 16:9 aspect ratio, such as linear and non-linear scaling, distort horizontally scrolling text and images, leading to uneven speed and character width issues, which are visually undesirable.
Innovation Solution
A video processing system that automatically detects horizontally scrolling text (HST) sections and applies linear horizontal scaling to these sections while applying non-linear scaling to the main picture sections, ensuring consistent speed and appearance by segmenting the image into different scaling areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If linear horizontal scaling is applied to convert 4:3 video to 16:9, then the entire screen is filled with original image content, but the image is distorted by 33% causing narrow images to look wider and thin people to look fatter
Solution Approach 1:
The video image is divided into multiple horizontal zones (e.g., top zone, middle zone, bottom zone) with different scaling factors applied to each zone. The middle zone maintains 1:1 scaling to preserve geometric accuracy of important content, while top and bottom zones are scaled more aggressively to fill the 16:9 screen area.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the image are assigned different quality characteristics through zone-based scaling. Critical regions (middle zone containing main action) preserve original aspect ratio for geometric accuracy, while less critical regions (top/bottom zones) accept greater distortion to maximize screen utilization.
2Manufacturing precision
If non-linear scaling is applied to keep the middle portion unchanged, then picture quality in the center is preserved, but the left and right portions are increasingly deteriorated with distortion
Solution Approach 1:
The image is segmented into multiple horizontal zones where the middle zone applies 1:1 scaling to preserve central image quality, while top and bottom zones apply progressive scaling to fill the 16:9 format, accepting edge distortion as a trade-off.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of applying uniform scaling across the entire image, partial scaling is applied only to specific zones (top and bottom) while the critical middle zone receives no scaling, accepting that edge portions will be distorted to preserve central quality.
3Area of stationary object
If non-linear horizontal scaling is applied to convert 4:3 to 16:9, then the aspect ratio conversion is achieved with acceptable central quality, but horizontally scrolling text is distorted with uneven speed and character width
Solution Approach 1:
The image is divided into zones with different scaling characteristics. When horizontally scrolling text is detected in a zone, that zone is switched to linear scaling mode to preserve text uniformity, while other zones continue with non-linear scaling to maintain 16:9 aspect ratio.
Solution Approach 2:
The scaling mode for each zone is dynamically adjusted based on content detection. If horizontally scrolling text is detected in a zone, the scaling factor for that zone is changed from non-linear to linear to prevent text distortion, creating a dynamic adaptation to content requirements.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
A method of converting video images, comprising: receiving first video images having a first aspect ratio (e.g. 4:3); converting the first video images to second video images, the second video images having a second aspect ratio (16:9), different from the first aspect ratio; and outputting the second video images. The conversion includes detecting the presence in the first video images of horizontally scrolling text (HST) and/or image elements (such as news headlines, tickers or other horizontally moving elements); and performing a conversion operation on a first section of the first video images that contains the sliding text and/or image elements that is different from the conversion operation performed on one or more remaining sections (including the main picture area) of the first video images. Thus, the main picture can undergo non-linear scaling, resulting in a pleasing image, while the HST is undergoes linear scaling and is not distorted. A video processing system, video adaptor and TV system incorporating the techniques are also disclosed.