Image processing apparatus, upgrade apparatus, display system including the same, and control method thereof

Abstract

An image processing apparatus, upgrade apparatus, display system and control method are provided. The image processing apparatus includes a signal input unit; a first image processing unit which processes an input signal input by the signal input unit to output a first output signal; an upgrade apparatus connection unit connected to an upgrade apparatus which includes a second image processing unit; and a first controller which controls at least one of the input signal processed by the first image processing unit and the first output signal to be transmitted to the upgrade apparatus and processed by the second image processing unit if the upgrade apparatus is connected to the upgrade apparatus connection unit

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An image processing apparatus comprising:
 a signal input unit;   a first image processing unit which processes an input signal input by the signal input unit to output a first output signal;   an upgrade apparatus connection unit connected to an upgrade apparatus comprising a second image processing unit; and   a first controller which controls at least one of the input signal processed by the first image processing unit and the first output signal to be transmitted to the upgrade apparatus and processed by the second image processing unit if the upgrade apparatus is connected to the upgrade apparatus connection unit.   
     
     
         2 . The image processing apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a display unit which displays at least one of a first image corresponding to the first output signal output by the first image processing unit and a second image corresponding to a second output signal processed and output by the second image processing unit of the upgrade apparatus. 
     
     
         3 . The image processing apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the upgrade apparatus connection unit transmits the first output signal to the display unit if the upgrade apparatus is not inserted into the upgrade apparatus connection unit, and transmits the second output signal output from the second image processing unit to the display apparatus if the upgrade apparatus is inserted into the upgrade apparatus connection unit. 
     
     
         4 . The image processing apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the upgrade apparatus connection unit comprises a first input signal terminal to which the first output signal is input; and a display unit output terminal selectively brought in contact with at least one of the first input signal terminal and a body connection unit of the upgrade apparatus based on whether the upgrade apparatus is connected, to output any one of the first output signal and the second output signal to the display unit. 
     
     
         5 . The image processing apparatus of  claim 4 , further comprising an elastic member which elastically biases at least one of the first input signal terminal and the display unit output terminal so that the first input signal terminal and the display unit output terminal are brought in contact if the upgrade apparatus is not connected to the upgrade apparatus connection unit. 
     
     
         6 . The image processing apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising a data selection unit which selects and outputs one of the first output signal output from the first image processing unit and the second output signal output from the upgrade apparatus connection unit to the display unit according to control of the first controller; and
 a data distribution unit which distributes the first output signal to the upgrade apparatus connection unit and the data selection unit according to control of the first controller.   
     
     
         7 . The image processing apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising an image signal switch which selectively transmits the first output signal output from the first image processing unit to the display unit,
 wherein the first image processing unit outputs the first output signal to the upgrade apparatus connection unit and the image signal switch, and the first controller controls the image signal switch to transmit the first output signal output by the first image processing unit to the display unit if the upgrade apparatus is not connected, and to transmit the second output signal processed by the upgrade apparatus to the display unit if the upgrade apparatus is connected.   
     
     
         8 . The image processing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first controller performs control to receive information about at least one upgraded function provided by the upgrade apparatus and performs control to perform the upgraded function based on the information about the upgraded function. 
     
     
         9 . The image processing apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one subsidiary module each accommodating firmware, wherein the first controller upgrades the firmware of the at least one subsidiary module based on corresponding upgraded firmware received from the upgrade apparatus. 
     
     
         10 . The image processing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first controller controls each of a plurality of image processing processes to process the image signal to be selectively performed by one of the first image processing unit and the second image processing unit. 
     
     
         11 . The image processing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first controller controls the upgrade apparatus connection unit to receive a three-dimensional (3D) image signal, converted from the first output signal, from the upgrade apparatus. 
     
     
         12 . An upgrade apparatus mounted on an image processing apparatus comprising a first image processing unit and a first controller, the upgrade apparatus comprising:
 a body connection unit which is connected to the image processing apparatus;   a second image processing unit which receives and processes a signal output from the image processing apparatus through the body connection unit; and   a second controller which controls the second image processing unit.   
     
     
         13 . The upgrade apparatus of  claim 12 , further comprising a display connection unit connected to a display unit in order to transmit the signal processed by the second image processing unit to the display unit. 
     
     
         14 . The upgrade apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the second controller performs control to transmit information about at least one upgraded function provided to the image processing apparatus to the image processing apparatus and to perform the upgraded function. 
     
     
         15 . The upgrade apparatus of  claim 12 , further comprising a signal input unit to input an external input signal, wherein the second controller transmits the external input signal to the image processing apparatus and controls the image processing apparatus to display an image based on the transmitted external input signal. 
     
     
         16 . The upgrade apparatus of  claim 12 , further comprising a signal output unit, wherein the second controller performs control to receive the signal output from the image processing apparatus and to output the signal to outside of the upgrade apparatus through the signal output unit. 
     
     
         17 . The upgrade apparatus of  claim 12 , further comprising a storage unit storing upgraded firmware corresponding to a subsidiary module of the image processing apparatus, wherein the second controller comprises a controller which performs control to upgrade firmware of the at least one subsidiary module based on the upgraded firmware. 
     
     
         18 . The upgrade apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the second controller controls the second image processing unit to generate a three-dimensional (3D) image signal by converting the signal output from the image processing apparatus and controls the connection unit to transmit the 3D image signal to the image processing apparatus. 
     
     
         19 . A control method of an image processing apparatus on which an upgrade apparatus is mounted, the control method comprising:
 processing an input signal to output an output signal;   transmitting at least one of the input signal and the output signal to the upgrade apparatus if the upgrade apparatus is connected to the image processing apparatus;   receiving an image signal based on at least one of the input signal and the output signal from the upgrade apparatus; and   processing the image signal to be displayed as an image.   
     
     
         20 . The control method of  claim 19 , further comprising receiving information about at least one upgraded function provided by the upgrade apparatus, and wherein the processing the image signal comprises performing the upgraded function based on the information about the upgraded function. 
     
     
         21 . The control method of  claim 19 , further comprising receiving upgraded firmware from the upgrade apparatus; and upgrading firmware of at least one subsidiary module included in the image processing apparatus based on the received upgraded firmware. 
     
     
         22 . The control method of  claim 19 , wherein each of a plurality of image processing processes to process the image signal is performed selectively by one of the image processing apparatus and the upgrade apparatus. 
     
     
         23 . The control method of  claim 19 , wherein the receiving comprises receiving a three-dimensional (3D) image signal, converted from at least one of the input signal and the output signal, from the upgrade apparatus. 
     
     
         24 . A control method of an upgrade apparatus mounted on an image processing apparatus, the control method comprising:
 receiving a first image signal processed from the image processing apparatus if the upgrade apparatus is connected to the image processing apparatus;   processing at least one upgraded function of the image processing apparatus on the first image signal; and   transmitting a second image signal, obtained by processing the at least one upgraded function, to the image processing apparatus.   
     
     
         25 . The control method of  claim 24 , further comprising transmitting information about the at least one upgraded function provided to the image processing apparatus. 
     
     
         26 . The control method of  claim 24 , further comprising transmitting, to the upgrade apparatus, upgraded firmware to upgrade firmware of at least one subsidiary module included in the image processing apparatus. 
     
     
         27 . The control method of  claim 24 , wherein the processing comprises generating a three-dimensional (3D) image signal by converting the first image signal received from the image processing apparatus, and wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting the 3D image signal to the image processing apparatus. 
     
     
         28 . A display system comprising an image processing apparatus and an upgrade apparatus mounted on the image processing apparatus, comprising:
 the image processing apparatus comprising:
 a first image processing unit which processes a first input signal to output a first output signal; 
 a first controller which controls the first image processing unit; and 
 an upgrade apparatus connection unit which is connected to the upgrade apparatus, 
   the upgrade apparatus comprising:
 a second image processing unit which processes a second input signal to output a second output signal; 
 a second controller which controls the second image processing unit; and 
 a body connection unit which is connected to the upgrade apparatus connection unit, and 
   wherein at least one of the first input signal processed by the first image processing unit and the first output signal is transmitted to the upgrade apparatus and processed by the second image processing unit if the upgrade apparatus is connected to the upgrade apparatus connection unit.   
     
     
         29 . The image processing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the upgrade apparatus is configured to perform a new function which cannot be executed by the first image processing unit. 
     
     
         30 . The image processing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the upgrade apparatus is configured to perform a function upgraded from a pre-existing function of the image processing unit.