Method and apparatus for automatic clock synchronization of an analog signal to a digital display

1. A method of determining a true horizontal resolution of a video signal, comprising:

oversampling the video signal by an oversampling factor n thereby resolving each pixel into n subpixels, wherein n is a positive, non-zero integer and is equal to the number of sub-pixels of a pixel;

providing an estimated horizontal resolution;

detecting a rising feature edge;

determining a cumulated sum pattern of the detected rising feature edge;

determining a temporal spacing of the detected feature edge based upon the cumulated sum pattern; and if the temporal spacing is approximately equal to n, then the estimated horizontal resolution is the true horizontal resolution, otherwise,

calculating a second estimated horizontal resolution.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the detecting a rising feature edge comprises:

for two immediately adjacent pixels having pixel values P x and P x+1 associated with a coordinate x and a coordinate x+1, respectively, calculating a difference value as (P +1−P x ); and if the difference value is greater than a positive predetermined value, then

identifying the detected feature edge as the rising feature edge.

3. A method as recited in claim 2 , wherein determining the cumulated sum pattern comprises;

latching the n subpixel values for each of the two immediately adjacent pixels;

for each of the immediately adjacent pixels, subtracting pixel values for each of the respective n subpixels; and

cumulating the results of the subtracting for each of the n subpixels.

4. A method as recited in claim 3 , wherein the determining the temporal spacing comprises:

determining an average temporal spacing by comparing the cumulated difference values.

5. A method as recited in claim 4 , wherein when the estimated horizontal resolution is not the true resolution, then calculating the second estimated horizontal resolution is equal to {average temporal spacing/n} times true horizontal resolution.

6. Computer program product for determining a true horizontal resolution of a video signal, comprising:

computer code for oversampling the video signal by an oversampling factor n thereby resolving each pixel into n subpixels, wherein n is a positive, non-zero integer and is equal to the number of sub-pixels of a pixel;

computer code for providing an estimated horizontal resolution;

computer code for detecting a rising feature edge;

computer code for determining a cumulated sum pattern of the detected rising feature edge;

computer code for determining a temporal spacing of the detected feature edge based upon the cumulated sum pattern; and if the temporal spacing is approximately equal to n, then the estimated horizontal test resolution is the true horizontal resolution, otherwise,

computer code for calculating a second estimated horizontal resolution; and

computer readable medium for storing the computer code.

7. Computer program product as recited in claim 6 , wherein the detecting a rising feature edge comprises:

computer code for calculating a difference value as (P +1−P x ) for two immediately adjacent pixels having pixel values P x and P +1 associated with a coordinate x and a coordinate. x+1, respectively;

computer code for determining if the difference value is greater than a positive predetermined value; and

computer code for identifying the detected feature edge as the rising feature edge.

8. Computer program product as recited in claim 7 , wherein determining the cumulated sum pattern comprises;

computer code for latching the n subpixel values for each of the two immediately adjacent pixels;

computer code for subtracting pixel values for each of the respective n subpixels for each of the immediately adjacent pixels; and

computer code for cumulating the results of the subtracting for each of the n subpixels.

9. Computer program product as recited in claim 8 , wherein the determining the temporal spacing comprises:

computer code for determining an average temporal spacing by comparing the cumulated difference values.

10. Computer program product as recited in claim 9 , computer code for calculating the second estimated horizontal resolution is equal to {avenge temporal spacing/n} times true horizontal resolution when the estimated horizontal resolution is not the true resolution.

11. An apparatus for determining a true horizontal resolution of a video signal, comprising:

an oversampler arranged to oversample the video signal by an oversampling factor n, wherein n is a positive, non-zero integer and is equal to the number of sub-pixels of a pixel;

a difference generator for calculating a difference pixel value for two row-wise immediately adjacent pixels;

a comparator for comparing the difference pixel value to a predetermined threshold;

an accumulator for accumulating the difference pixel values; and

a timing slot space calculator for evaluating a temporal spacing pattern associated with the accumulated difference pixel values.