Display unit for displaying an image based on a video signal received from a personal computer which is connected to an input device

Abstract

An image display apparatus capable of adjusting a display picture by an input unit through a computer body is disclosed. When the user inputs a control instruction for adjusting the display picture of the display unit by the input unit connected to the computer body, a control signal addition circuit prepares a control signal Sc corresponding to the control instruction and adds the control signal to a video signal R, G or B or a synchronizing signal Hs or Vs produced by a display control circuit during a vertical retrace period. A control signal separation circuit separates the added control signal Sc from the video signal R, G or B or the synchronizing signal Hs or Vs produced by the control signal addition circuit. A display control circuit produces adjustment signals Sa and Sb on the basis of the control signal from the control signal separation circuit to adjust a video circuit and a deflection circuit. Thus, the user can adjust the display picture by the input unit near at hand without extending the hands to adjustment switches of the display unit.

1 . An image display apparatus including an input unit, a computer body and a display unit, wherein said computer body comprises addition means for preparing a control signal Sc on the basis of an control instruction inputted by said input unit for adjusting a display picture of said display unit and for adding said control signal to a video signal R, G or B or a synchronizing signal Hs or Vs produced separately for driving said display unit to be produced to said display unit, and said display unit comprises separation means for separating said added control signal from said video signal or said synchronizing signal produced by said addition means and display control means for producing an adjustment signal on the basis of said control signal produced from said separation means to adjust display drive means in said display unit.  
     
     
         2 . An image display apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said computer body comprises a CPU and signal generation means for producing said video signal and producing a horizontal synchronizing signal Hs and a vertical synchronizing signal Vs as said synchronizing signal, and said addition means comprises a hold circuit for holding said control instruction inputted by said input unit and supplied through said CPU, a shift register circuit for taking in contents of said hold circuit with said vertical synchronizing signal Vs as a reference, a counter circuit for counting said horizontal synchronizing signal Hs by a predetermined value with said vertical synchronizing signal Vs as a reference, a gate circuit for supplying said horizontal synchronizing signal as a reading clock of said shift register circuit until said counter circuit counts by the predetermined value with said vertical synchronizing signal Vs as the reference, a level conversion circuit for converting a level of a signal read out from said shift register circuit into a level of said video signal produced by said signal generation means, and a selection circuit for selecting an output of said level conversion circuit during an output period of said gate circuit and selecting said video signal during other period.  
     
     
         3 . An image display apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said display unit comprises a video circuit and a deflection circuit, and said control means comprises a plurality of digital-to-analog conversion circuits, whereby a predetermined digital-to-analog conversion circuit is selected from said plurality of digital-to-analog conversion circuits on the basis of address information included in said control signal Sc produced by said separation means and control data included in said control signal Sc is converted into an adjustment voltage or current as said adjustment signal by said digital-to-analog conversion circuit to adjust said video circuit and said deflection circuit.  
     
     
         4 . An image display apparatus according to claim  1 , wherein said display unit comprises a video circuit and a deflection circuit, and said control means comprises a microcomputer, a nonvolatile memory and a plurality of digital-to-analog conversion circuits, wherein when a power supply of said display unit is turned on, control information stored in said non-volatile memory is read out by said microcomputer to be supplied to a predetermined circuit of said plurality of digital-to-analog conversion circuits so that said video circuit and said deflection circuit are adjusted by an output of said digital-to-analog circuit, and when said control signal Sc is produced by said separation means, said control signal is processed by said microcomputer to be supplied to a predetermined circuit of said plurality of digital-to-analog conversion circuits so that said video circuit and said deflection circuit are adjusted by an output of said digital-to-analog conversion circuit and said control signal is written in said nonvolatile memory as said information.  
     
     
         5 . An image display apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said addition means adds said prepared control signal Sc to said separately produced video signal R, G or B during a vertical blanking period.  
     
     
         6 . An image display apparatus including an input unit, a computer body and a display unit, wherein said computer body comprises preparation means for preparing a control signal Sc on the basis of an control instruction inputted by said input unit for adjusting a display picture of said display unit to produce said control signal to said display unit, and said display unit comprises control means for producing an adjustment signal on the basis of said control signal produced by said preparation means to adjust display drive means in said display unit.  
     
     
         7 . An image display unit according to  claim 6 , wherein delivery of said control signal Sc from said computer body and said preparation means to said control means in said display unit is made by means of a general-purpose interface, said preparation means comprising signal input means, said control means comprising signal output means, information relative to operation situation of said display unit capable of being transmitted through said interface from said display unit to said computer body.  
     
     
         8 . An image display apparatus including an input unit, a computer body and a display unit, wherein said computer body comprises display processing means for preparing a control signal Sc on the basis of an control instruction inputted by said input unit for adjusting a display picture of said display unit to produce said control signal to said display unit together with image data produced separately for displaying an image in said display unit, and said display unit comprises control means for preparing video signals R, G and B and synchronizing signals Hs and Vs on the basis of said image data produced by said display processing means and for producing an adjustment signal on the basis of said control signal produced by said display processing means to adjust display drive means in said display unit.  
     
     
         9 . An image display apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein said control means controls said display drive means in said display unit to set said display unit to be a non-display state or a state near said non-display state when said image data produced by said display processing means is not updated during a predetermined time.  
     
     
         10 . An image display apparatus including an input unit, a computer body and a display unit, wherein said computer body comprises modulation means for preparing a control signal Sc on the basis of an control instruction inputted by said input unit for adjusting a display picture of said display unit and modulating said control signal to add said control signal to an AC power supply PL, and said display unit comprises demodulation means for separating said added control signal Sc from said AC power supply PL to demodulate said control signal and control means for producing an adjustment signal on the basis of said control signal Sc produced by said demodulation means to adjust display drive means, in said display unit.  
     
     
         11 . An image display apparatus including a second input unit, a computer body and a display unit, wherein said computer body and said display unit are supplied with a part or all of instructions inputted by said second input unit, and said display unit comprises preparation means for preparing a control signal Sc on the basis of said control instruction to produce it when an instruction inputted by said input unit is a control instruction for adjusting a display picture of said display unit and control means for producing an adjustment signal on the basis of said control signal Sc produced by said preparation means to adjust display drive means in said display unit.  
     
     
         12 . An image display apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein said second input unit includes an exclusive input portion for inputting said control signal exclusively, and an instruction inputted by said exclusive input portion is supplied to at least said display unit.  
     
     
         13 . An image display apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein transmission of said instruction from said second input unit to said display unit is made by means of infrared rays or radio waves to thereby reduce the number of connection lines between said input unit and said display unit.  
     
     
         14 . An image display apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said input unit includes a keyboard., a mouse and a pen for unit.  
     
     
         15 . An image display apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein said input unit includes a keyboard, a mouse and a pen for unit.