Display apparatus and method for controlling same

• US 10,049,610 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2015
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ikeda, Takeshi, Kanai, Izumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Caschera, Antonio A
• Application Number:
  US14/943,501
• Publication Number:
  US 20160155372A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,001 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0233 Improving the luminance or brightness uniformity across the screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/062 Adjustment of illumination source parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0646 Modulation of illumination source brightness and image signal correlated to each other
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/066 for control of contrast
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0686 with two or more screen areas displaying information with different brightness or colours
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/14 Solving problems related to the presentation of information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/16 Calculation or use of calculated indices related to luminance levels in display data
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/08 Biomedical applications
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2092 Details of a display terminals using a flat panel, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto suitable for both CRT and flat panel G09G5/003; specific for a CRT G09G1/165
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/342 using several illumination sources separately controlled corresponding to different display panel areas, e.g. along one dimension such as lines
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3426 the different display panel areas being distributed in two dimensions, e.g. matrix
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3648 using an active matrix G09G3/367 - G09G3/3696 take precedence

Abstract

A display apparatus including: a display panel; a light emitting unit having a plurality of light sources; an acquiring unit acquiring feature values of an input image for divided regions respectively corresponding to the light sources; and a control unit configured to control, wherein in a case where the input image is a second image not including the predetermined object image, the control unit does not implement control operation of controlling the brightness of the light sources corresponding to the dark divided regions lower than the brightness of the light sources corresponding to the other divided regions.

Claims

1. A display apparatus comprising:

a display panel;

a light emitting unit having a plurality of light sources, brightness of the respective light sources being separately adjustable;

an acquiring unit configured to acquire feature values of an input image for divided regions respectively corresponding to the plurality of light sources; and

a control unit configured to implement, in a case where the input image is a first image including a predetermined object image, a control operation of controlling brightness of light sources corresponding to divided regions determined to be dark regions based on the feature values of the respective divided regions lower than brightness of light sources corresponding to other divided regions, wherein

the control unit determines, based on gradation values of pixels constituting the divided regions, whether the respective divided regions are flat regions in which the number of levels of gradation values of pixels constituting the divided regions is a first threshold or less, and determines that the input image is a second image not including the predetermined object image in a case where the number of divided regions determined to be the flat regions is a predetermined number or more, and in a case where the input image is the second image, the control unit does not implement the control operation of controlling the brightness of the light sources corresponding to the divided regions determined to be the dark regions lower than the brightness of the light sources corresponding to the other divided regions.

2. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

in a case where the input image is the second image not including the predetermined object image, the control unit implements a control operation of controlling the brightness of the light sources corresponding to the divided regions determined to be the dark regions same as the brightness of the light sources corresponding to the other divided regions.

3. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit determines whether the input image is the first image or the second image based on the feature values of the plurality of divided regions.

4. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the acquiring unit acquires maximum values and average values of the gradation values of the pixels constituting the divided regions as the feature values of the respective divided regions, and

the control unit determines that a divided region, in which magnitude of difference between the maximum value and the average value of the gradation values is the first threshold or less, is the flat region.

5. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the acquiring unit acquires histograms of the gradation values of the pixels constituting the divided regions as the feature values of the respective divided regions, and

the control unit determines that a divided region, in which frequency centers on a specific gradation value in the histograms of the gradation values, is the flat region.

6. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit determines whether the input image is the first image or not based on information indicating an image type added to the input image as metadata.

7. The display apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the control unit determines that the input image is the first image in a case where information indicating that the image is a medical image is added to the input image as the metadata.

8. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the first image is a medical image for interpretation including an image of an object, which is taken by radiation or ultrasonic waves, as the predetermined object image.

9. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the second image is an image constituted by a graphic and a text.

10. A display apparatus comprising:

a display panel;

a light emitting unit having a plurality of light sources and separately adjusting brightness of the respective light sources;

an acquiring unit configured to acquire a feature value of an input image for divided regions respectively corresponding to the plurality of light sources; and

a control unit configured to implement, in a case where the input image is a first image including a predetermined object image, a control operation of controlling brightness of light sources corresponding to divided regions determined to be dark regions based on the feature values of the respective divided regions lower than brightness of light sources corresponding to other divided regions, wherein the control unit determines whether the respective divided regions are dark flat regions in which each gradation value of pixels constituting the divided regions is a third threshold or less and the number of levels of the gradation values of the pixels constituting the divided regions is a fourth threshold or less, and determines that the input image is a second image not including the predetermined object image in a case where the number of divided regions determined to be the dark flat regions is a fifth threshold or more, and in a case where the input image is the second image, the control unit does not implement the control operation of controlling the brightness of the light sources corresponding to the divided regions determined to be the dark regions lower than the brightness of the light sources corresponding to the other divided regions.

11. The display apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the acquiring unit acquires maximum values and average values of the gradation values of the pixels constituting the divided regions as the feature values of the respective divided regions, and

the control unit determines that a divided region, in which magnitude of difference between the maximum value and the average value of the gradation values is the fourth threshold or less and magnitude of the average value is the third threshold or less, is the dark flat region.

12. The display apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the acquiring unit acquires histograms of the gradation values of the pixels constituting the divided regions as the feature values of the respective divided regions, and

the control unit determines that a divided region, in which frequency centers on a specific gradation value of the third threshold or less in the histogram of the gradation values, is the dark flat region.

13. A display apparatus comprising:

a display panel;

a light emitting unit having a plurality of light sources and separately adjusting brightness of the respective light sources;

an acquiring unit configured to acquire a feature value of an input image for divided regions respectively corresponding to the plurality of light sources; and

a control unit configured to implement, in a case where the input image is a first image including a predetermined object image, a control operation of controlling brightness of light sources corresponding to divided regions determined to be dark regions based on the feature values of the respective divided regions lower than brightness of light sources corresponding to other divided regions, wherein

the control unit determines whether the respective divided regions are flat regions in which the number of levels of gradation values of pixels constituting the divided regions is a first threshold or less while determining whether the respective divided regions are dark flat regions in which each gradation value of the pixels constituting the divided regions is a third threshold or less and the number of levels of the gradation values of the pixels constituting the divided regions is a fourth threshold or less, and determines that the input image is a second image not including the predetermined object image in a case where at least any of a condition under which the number of divided regions determined to be the flat regions is a second threshold or more and a condition under which the number of divided regions determined to be the dark flat regions is a fifth threshold or more is satisfied, and in a case where the input image is the second image, the control unit does not implement the control operation of controlling the brightness of the light sources corresponding to the divided regions determined to be the dark regions lower than the brightness of the light sources corresponding to the other divided regions.

14. The display apparatus according to claim 13, wherein

the fifth threshold is larger than the second threshold.

15. A display apparatus comprising:

a display panel;

a light emitting unit having a plurality of light sources and separately adjusting brightness of the respective light sources;

an acquiring unit configured to acquire a feature value of an input image for divided regions respectively corresponding to the plurality of light sources; and

a control unit configured to control, in a case where the input image is a first image including a predetermined object image, brightness of light sources corresponding to divided regions determined to be dark regions based on the feature values of the respective divided regions lower than brightness of light sources corresponding to other divided regions, wherein,

in a case where the input image is the first image, the control unit assigns attributes of background regions indicating a background of the predetermined object image to the divided regions determined to be the dark regions, assigns attributes of object regions in which the predetermined object image exists to the other divided regions, and reduces brightness of light sources corresponding to the divided regions, to which the attributes of the background regions are assigned, based on the feature values of the divided regions while setting a specific brightness to light sources corresponding to the divided regions, to which the attributes of the object regions are assigned.

16. The display apparatus according to claim 15, wherein

the acquiring unit acquires, as the feature values of the respective divided regions, bright area values indicating the number of pixels having a gradation value of a sixth threshold or more among pixels constituting the divided regions, and

the control unit assigns the attribute of the object region to a divided region having a bright area value larger than a seventh threshold and assigns the attribute of the background region to a divided region having a bright area value of the seventh threshold or less.

17. The display apparatus according to claim 15, wherein

the acquiring unit acquires, as the feature values of the respective divided regions, maximum values of gradation values of pixels constituting the divided regions, and

the control unit assigns the attribute of the object region to a divided region having a maximum gradation value larger than an eighth threshold and assigns the attribute of the background region to a divided region having a maximum gradation value of the eighth threshold or less.

18. A method for controlling a display apparatus having a display panel and a light emitting unit having a plurality of light sources, brightness of the respective light sources being separately adjustable, the method comprising:

acquiring, by an acquiring unit, feature values of an input image for divided regions respectively corresponding to the plurality of light sources; and

implementing, by a control unit, in a case where the input image is a first image including a predetermined object image, a control operation of controlling brightness of light sources corresponding to divided regions determined to be dark regions based on the feature values of the respective divided regions lower than brightness of light sources corresponding to other divided regions, wherein

in the control operation, whether the respective divided regions are flat regions in which the number of levels of gradation values of pixels constituting the divided regions is a first threshold or less is determined based on gradation values of pixels constituting the divided regions, and it is determined that the input image is a second image not including the predetermined object image in a case where the number of divided regions determined to be the flat regions is a predetermined number or more, and in a case where the input image is the second image, the control operation of controlling the brightness of the light sources corresponding to the divided regions determined to be the dark regions lower than the brightness of the light sources corresponding to the other divided regions is not implemented.

19. A method for controlling a display apparatus having a display panel and a light emitting unit having a plurality of light sources and separately adjusting brightness of the respective light sources, the method comprising:

acquiring, by an acquiring unit, feature values of an input image for divided regions respectively corresponding to the plurality of light sources; and

implementing, by a control unit, in a case where the input image is a first image including a predetermined object image, a control operation of controlling brightness of light sources corresponding to divided regions determined to be dark regions based on the feature values of the respective divided regions lower than brightness of light sources corresponding to other divided regions, wherein

in the control operation, whether the respective divided regions are dark flat regions in which each gradation value of pixels constituting the divided regions is a third threshold or less and the number of levels of the gradation values of the pixels constituting the divided regions is a fourth threshold or less is determined, and it is determined that the input image is a second image not including the predetermined object image in a case where the number of divided regions determined to be the dark flat regions is a fifth threshold or more, and in a case where the input image is the second image, the control operation of controlling the brightness of the light sources corresponding to the divided regions determined to be the dark regions lower than the brightness of the light sources corresponding to the other divided regions is not implemented.

20. A method for controlling a display apparatus having a display panel and a light emitting unit having a plurality of light sources and separately adjusting brightness of the respective light sources, the method comprising:

acquiring, by an acquiring unit, feature values of an input image for divided regions respectively corresponding to the plurality of light sources; and

implementing, by a control unit, in a case where the input image is a first image including a predetermined object image, a control operation of controlling brightness of light sources corresponding to divided regions determined to be dark regions based on the feature values of the respective divided regions lower than brightness of light sources corresponding to other divided regions, wherein

in the control operation, whether the respective divided regions are flat regions in which the number of levels of gradation values of pixels constituting the divided regions is a first threshold or less is determined while whether the respective divided regions are dark flat regions in which each gradation value of the pixels constituting the divided regions is a third threshold or less and the number of levels of the gradation values of the pixels constituting the divided regions is a fourth threshold or less is determined, and it is determined that the input image is a second image not including the predetermined object image in a case where at least any of a condition under which the number of divided regions determined to be the flat regions is a second threshold or more and a condition under which the number of divided regions determined to be the dark flat regions is a fifth threshold or more is satisfied, and in a case where the input image is the second image, the control unit does not implement the control operation of controlling the brightness of the light sources corresponding to the divided regions determined to be the dark regions lower than the brightness of the light sources corresponding to the other divided regions is not implemented.

21. A method for controlling a display apparatus having a display panel and a light emitting unit having a plurality of light sources and separately adjusting brightness of the respective light sources, the method comprising:

acquiring, by an acquiring unit, feature values of an input image for divided regions respectively corresponding to the plurality of light sources; and

implementing, by a control unit, in a case where the input image is a first image including a predetermined object image, a control operation of controlling brightness of light sources corresponding to divided regions determined to be dark regions based on the feature values of the respective divided regions lower than brightness of light sources corresponding to other divided regions, wherein

in the control operation, in a case where the input image is the first image, attributes of background regions indicating a background of the predetermined object image are assigned to the divided regions determined to be the dark regions, attributes of object regions in which the predetermined object image exists are assigned to the other divided regions, and brightness of light sources corresponding to the divided regions, to which the attributes of the background regions are assigned, is reduced based on the feature values of the divided regions while a specific brightness is set to light sources corresponding to the divided regions, to which the attributes of the object regions are assigned.