High dynamic range displays using filterless LCD(s) for increasing contrast and resolution

• US 10,571,762 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2017
• Issued: 02/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation (Dolby Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation (Dolby Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gilbert, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Howard, Ryan D
• Application Number:
  US15/699,657
• Publication Number:
  US 20180011365A1
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1323 Arrangements for providing a switchable viewing angle
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13318 Circuits comprising a photodetector
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133504 Diffusing, scattering, diffracting elements associated to illuminating devices G02F1/133606
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133528 Polarisers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133536 Reflective polarizers G02F1/13362 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133601 for spatial active dimming
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133606 including a specially adapted diffusing, scattering or light controlling members
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133609 including means for improving the color mixing, e.g. white
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133611 including means for improving the brightness uniformity
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133622 Colour sequential illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134345 Subdivided pixels, e.g. for grey scale or redundancy
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13471 in which all the liquid crystal cells or layers remain transparent, e.g. FLC, ECB, DAP, HAN, TN, STN, SBE-LC cells G02F1/13475 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/30 Gray scale
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/34 Colour display without the use of colour mosaic filters
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/023 Display panel composed of stacked panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0238 Improving the black level
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0242 Compensation of deficiencies in the appearance of colours
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0646 Modulation of illumination source brightness and image signal correlated to each other
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0457 Improvement of perceived resolution by subpixel rendering
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/145 the light originating from the display screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/16 : Calculation or use of calculated indices related to luminance levels in display data
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/003 : to produce spatial visual effects
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3426 : the different display panel areas being distributed in two dimensions, e.g. matrix
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3607 : for displaying colours or for displaying grey scales with a specific pixel layout, e.g. using sub-pixels display of colours in flat matrix panels other than liquid crystal displays G09G3/2003; grey scales specific for television H04N3/127
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3611 : Control of matrices with row and column drivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/324 : Colour aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/332 : Displays for viewing with the aid of special glasses or head-mounted displays [HMD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/337 : using polarisation multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/351 : for displaying simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/356 : having separate monoscopic and stereoscopic modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/361 : Reproducing mixed stereoscopic images; Reproducing mixed monoscopic and stereoscopic images, e.g. a stereoscopic image overlay window on a monoscopic image background

Abstract

A display provides increased contrast and resolution via first LCD panel energized to generate an image and a second LCD panel configured to increase contrast of the image. The second panel is an LCD panel without color filters and is configured to increase contrast by decreasing black levels of dark portions of images using polarization rotation and filtration. The second LCD panel may have higher resolution than the first LCD panel. A half wave plate and/or film is placed in between the first and the second panel. The panels may be directly illuminated or edge lit, and may be globally or locally dimmed lights that may also include individual control of color intensities for each image or frame displayed.

Claims

1. A multi-modulation display system, comprising:

a light source;

a first controllable panel illuminated by the light source;

a second controllable panel illuminated by the first controllable panel;

a controller configured to receive image data and energize the first and second controllable panels in a manner to produce a desired image and wherein the image from the first controllable panel configured to be intentionally blurred under control of the controller;

wherein the first controllable panel is configured as a brightness modulator and is configured to steer light toward highest luminance areas in an image produced by the first controllable panel;

wherein the second controllable panel is configured to further modulate the image produced by the first controllable panel so as to produce the desired image.

2. The multi-modulation display system according to claim 1, further comprising a light field simulation module configured to determine a light field incident on the second controllable modulator.

3. The multi-modulation display system according to claim 2, wherein the light field simulation takes into account a scale of modulation prior to illumination of the second controllable panel.

4. The multi-modulation display system according to claim 2, wherein the light field simulation takes into account a scale of diffusion prior to illumination of the second controllable panel.

5. The multi-modulation display system according to claim 1, wherein the controller energizes the second controllable panel according to the image data and steered light from the first controllable panel.

6. The multi-modulation display system according to claim 1, wherein the energization is based in part on sensor information for any of brightness, spectrum, polarization of light at various points in the display, or ambient viewing conditions.

7. The multi-modulation display system according to claim 1, wherein the energization is based in part on ambient viewing conditions.

8. The multi-modulation display system according to claim 1, wherein the energization is produced exclusively from the image data.

9. The multi-modulation display system according to claim 1, wherein the energization takes into consideration of local dimming that occurs prior to the second controllable panel.

10. The multi-modulation display system according to claim 1 wherein the first controllable panel comprises a liquid crystal based modulator.

11. The multi-modulation display system according to claim 1, wherein the first modulation panel does not alter brightness at the first controllable panel but does alter brightness illuminating the second controllable panel.

12. The multi-modulation display system according to claim 1 wherein the first controllable panel comprises a liquid crystal device, and the second controllable panel is illuminated by an image that includes steered light.

13. The multi-modulation display system according to claim 1, wherein “

pixels”

of the first controllable panel are different from those of the second controllable panel.

14. A display device comprising liquid crystal panel comprising a controllable liquid crystal layer configured to steer light to a second panel comprising a modulator, a controller configured to energize the liquid crystal panel according to image data and to energize the modulator according to image data and a light field illuminating the modulator, wherein the light field illuminating the modulator comprises an illumination profile that is intentionally blurred, wherein the intentionally blurred illumination profile is produced using capabilities of the liquid crystal panel.

15. The display according to claim 14, further comprising a high resolution diffuser configured to smooth uncontrolled features of the light illuminating the modulator.

16. The display according to claim 14, wherein the intentional blurring comprises blurring of individual elements of the liquid crystal panel.

17. The display according to claim 14, wherein the liquid crystal panel is configured to alter non-brightness characteristics of light effecting a steerage of light toward the modulator.

18. The display according to claim 17, wherein the display comprises a display of 3D images alongside 2D images.

19. The display according to claim 14, wherein the light is steered on a per-pixel basis.

20. The display according to claim 14, wherein not every pixel is steered.