Adaptive image display

• US 20040008288A1
• Filed: 03/14/2003
• Published: 01/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Allen, William J., Pate, Michael A., Dixon, Brian S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,460,179 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/742
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/008 in the form of devices for effecting sequential colour changes, e.g. colour wheels
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3114 by using a sequential colour filter producing one colour at a time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3155 for controlling the light source light source control per se H05B35/00 – H05B47/00; control of an illumination source for displays in general G09G3/3406
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3182 Colour adjustment, e.g. white balance, shading or gamut white balance per se H04N9/73; control of amplitude of colour signals H04N9/68; colour control circuits for displays in general G09G5/02, G09G3/2003, G09G3/3607
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/73 Colour balance circuits, e.g. white balance circuits or colour temperature control camera processing pipelines for colour balance H04N23/88

Abstract

A display system may include an identifier configured to identify an image display condition associated with the display of an image produced by the display system, an apparatus configured to produce a plurality of differently colored images, and a display device. The images have color characteristics based on image information and the identified display condition. Differently colored images may be directed along associated portions of an optical path. The display device may be coupled to the apparatus and may be configured to display a color image formed of the differently colored images.

Claims

1. A display system comprising:

an identifier configured to identify an image display condition associated with the display of an image produced by the display system; and

apparatus configured to produce a plurality of differently colored images having color characteristics based on image information and the identified display condition, with differently colored images directed along associated portions of an optical path; and

a display device coupled to the apparatus and configured to display a color image formed of the differently colored images.

2. The display system of claim 1 wherein the identifier includes at least one of a selectable-gamut selector, an ambient-light sensor, an image-content analyzer, and a display-appearance analyzer.

3. The display system of claim 2, wherein the identifier includes a selectable-gamut selector, and the identified display condition is a gamut selection selected from a range of selectable values and the apparatus produces a plurality of colored images based on the selected value.

4. The display system of claim 3, wherein the gamut of the image is varied linearly with the selectable value.

5. The display system of claim 2, wherein the identifier includes an image-content analyzer configured to identify at least one of an image-source type, a number of unique colors, a frequency of unique colors, an average pixel intensity, and a frame-to-frame image-content change.

6. The display system of claim 5, wherein the image-content analyzer is configured to identify an image-source type that is at least one of graphics, video, still photos, broadcast television and video games.

7. The display system of claim 1, wherein the apparatus includes a source of differently colored light and is configured to apply different levels of energy to the light source during the production of differently colored light based on the identified display condition.

8. The display system of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further includes a color filter that, when in the optical path, changes a color characteristic of the displayed color image, the apparatus being configured to be selectively operable between a first filter state in which the optical path impinges the filter and a second filter state in which the optical path does not impinge the filter, the apparatus being further configured to change the filter state in response to the identified display condition.

9. The display system of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further includes a source of differently colored lights and at least one light modulator, the at least one light modulator being configured to modulate the differently colored lights to form differently colored images based on the identified display condition,

10. The display system of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further includes a light source configured to direct light along the optical path;

a sequential color producer disposed in the optical path and configured to produce, selectively, light of sequentially different colors, with different colors directed along the associated portions of the optical path; and

a spatial light modulator for modulating the light of different colors according to the received image information, and wherein the apparatus is further configured to produce the sequential different colors based on the identified display condition.

11. The display system of claim 10, wherein the color producer includes first and second color wheels having differently colored filter regions that, when rotated successively through the optical path, produce the sequentially different colors, and wherein the apparatus is configured to operate selectively at least one of the first and second color wheels based on the identified display condition.

12. The display system of claim 11, wherein the first color wheel is configured to be selectively operable between a first color-wheel state in which the optical path impinges the first color wheel and a second color-wheel state in which the optical path does not impinge the first color-wheel, and wherein the apparatus is further configured to change the color-wheel state in response to the identified display condition.

13. The display system of claim 12, wherein the second color wheel is in a fixed position in the optical path.

14. The display system of claim 12, wherein the optical path does not impinge the second color wheel when the first color wheel is in the first color-wheel state and the optical path does impinge the second color wheel when the first color wheel is in the second color-wheel state.

15. The display system of claim 11 operable in a state in which the first and second color wheels are positioned in the optical path with one color wheel in a selectable orientation relative to the other color wheel.

16. The display system of claim 15, wherein the colored filter regions of the first and second color wheels include, in circumferential sequential order, a red region, a white region, a green region, a white region, a blue region, and a white region.

17. The display system of claim 16, further operable in a state in which the red, green and blue regions of each color wheel are each axially aligned, during rotation, with a corresponding white region of the other color wheel.

18. The display system of claim 17 further operable in a first state in which color regions of the first and second color wheels having the same color pass through the optical path sequentially, and in a second state in which only color regions of the first and second color wheels having different colors pass through the optical path sequentially.

19. An image projector comprising:

an identifier configured to identify an image display condition associated with the display of an image produced by the image projector;

apparatus configured to produce a plurality of differently colored images having color characteristics based on image information and the identified display condition, with differently colored images directed along associated portions of an optical path; and

a display device coupled to the apparatus and configured to project the produced differently colored images along the optical path to produce, when displayed, a color image formed of the differently colored images.

20. The projector of claim 19 wherein the identifier includes at least one of a selectable-gamut selector, an ambient-light sensor, an image-content analyzer, and a display-appearance analyzer.

21. The projector of claim 20, wherein the identifier includes a selectable-gamut selector, and wherein the identified display condition is a gamut selection selected from a range of selectable values, and wherein the apparatus produces a displayed image in response to the selected value.

22. The projector of claim 21, wherein the gamut of the image is varied as a function of the selectable value.

23. The projector of claim 20, wherein the identifier includes an image-content analyzer configured to identify at least one of an image-source type, a number of unique colors, a frequency of the unique colors, an average pixel intensity, and a frame-to-frame image-content change.

24. The projector of claim 23, wherein the image-content analyzer is configured to identify an image-source type that is at least one of graphics, video, still photos, broadcast television and video games.

25. The projector of claim 19, wherein the apparatus includes a source of differently colored light and is configured to apply different levels of energy to the source during the production of differently colored lights based on the identified display condition.

26. The projector of claim 19, wherein the apparatus includes a color filter that, when in the optical path, changes a color characteristic of the displayed color image, the apparatus being configured to be selectively operable between a first filter state in which the optical path impinges the filter and a second filter state in which the optical path does not impinge the filter, the apparatus being further configured to change the filter state in response to the identified display condition.

27. The projector of claim 19, wherein the apparatus includes a source of differently colored lights and at least one light modulator, the at least one light modulator configured to modulate the differently colored lights to form differently colored images based on the identified display condition.

28. The projector of claim 19, wherein the apparatus includes a light source configured to direct light along the optical path;

a sequential color producer disposed in the optical path and configured to produce, selectively, light of sequentially different colors, with different colors directed along the associated portion of the optical path; and

a spatial light modulator for modulating the light of different colors according to the received image information, the apparatus being further configured to produce the sequential different colors based on the identified display condition.

29. The projector of claim 28, wherein the color producer includes first and second color wheels having differently colored filter regions that, when rotated successively through the optical path, produce the sequentially different colors, the apparatus being further configured to operate selectively at least one of the first and second color wheels based on the identified display condition.

30. The projector of claim 29, wherein the first color wheel is configured to be selectively operable between a first color-wheel state in which the optical path impinges the first color wheel and a second color-wheel state in which the optical path does not impinge the first color-wheel, and wherein the apparatus is further configured to change the color-wheel state in response to the identified display condition.

31. The projector of claim 30, wherein the second color wheel is in a fixed position in the optical path.

32. The projector of claim 30, wherein the optical path does not impinge the second color wheel when the first color wheel is in the first color-wheel state and the optical path does impinge the second color wheel when the first color wheel is in the second color-wheel state.

33. A method of producing a displayed image comprising:

receiving image information representing an image to be displayed;

identifying a display condition associated with display of an image produced from the received image information;

producing, from the received image information, a plurality of differently colored images representative of a composite image having color characteristics based on the identified display condition, in which producing includes directing light along an optical path;

directing differently colored images along associated portions of the optical path; and

displaying the differently colored images.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein identifying includes at least one of detecting a gamut setting, detecting an ambient-light characteristic, analyzing the image information to determine one or more image attributes, and analyzing the displayed image to identify one or more appearance attributes of the displayed image.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein analyzing the image information includes identifying at least one of a number of unique colors, a frequency of a unique color, an average pixel intensity, a frame-to-frame image content change, and an image source type.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein producing includes producing white light, and varying the amount of white light produced based on the identified display condition.

37. The method of claim 33, wherein producing includes modifying the image information based on at least one of a color matrix, an exponential relationship, and a look-up table.

38. The method of claim 33, wherein producing includes one or more of:

producing differently colored light with a light source and applying different levels of energy to the light source during the producing of differently colored light based on the identified display condition;

selectively operating in a first filter state in which the optical path impinges a filter that when in the optical path changes a color characteristic of the displayed color image, and a second filter state in which the optical path does not impinge the filter, and changing the filter state in response to the identified display condition;

producing differently colored lights and modulating the differently colored lights to form differently colored images based on the identified display condition; and

producing, selectively, light of sequentially different colors based on the identified display condition, with different colors directed along associated portions of the optical path, and modulating the light of different colors according to the received image information.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein producing differently colored images includes producing light of sequentially different colors, and wherein producing light of sequentially different colors includes selectively rotating at least one of first and second color wheels having differently colored filter regions successively through the optical path, based on the identified display condition.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein selectively rotating includes selectively operating in a first color-wheel state in which the optical path impinges colored filter regions of the first color wheel and in a second color-wheel state in which the optical path does not impinge colored filter regions of the first color-wheel, and changing the color-wheel state in response to the identified display condition.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein selectively rotating includes directing light through the second color wheel when the first color wheel is in the first and second color-wheel states.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein selectively rotating operating such that the optical path does not impinge colored filter regions of the second color wheel when the first color wheel is in the first color-wheel state and the optical path does impinge colored filter regions of the second color wheel when the first color wheel is in the second color-wheel state.

43. An article comprising:

a storage medium having a plurality of machine-readable instructions, wherein, when the instructions are executed, the instructions provide for;

receiving image information associated with an image to be displayed;

identifying an image display condition associated with display of an image produced from the received image information;

producing, from the received image information, a plurality of differently colored images representative of a composite image, and having color characteristics based on the identified display condition;

directing differently colored images along associated portions of an optical path; and

displaying the differently colored images.

44. The article of claim 43, wherein the instructions providing for producing a plurality of differentially colored images further provide for varying an amount of white light generated.

45. The article of claim 43, wherein the instructions providing for identifying an image display condition further provide for at least one of detecting a gamut setting, chromaticity, or white point, detecting an ambient-light characteristic, analyzing the image information to determine one or more image attributes, and analyzing the displayed image to identify one or more appearance attributes of the displayed image.

46. The article of claim 45, wherein the instructions providing for analyzing the image information further provide for determining at least one of a number of unique colors, a spatial frequency analysis of the unique colors, average pixel intensity, frame to frame image content change, and image source type.

47. The article of claim 46, wherein the instructions providing for producing a plurality of differentially colored images further provide for varying an amount of white light generated.

48. The article of claim 43, wherein the instructions providing for producing a plurality of differentially colored images further provide for one or more of:

producing differently colored light with a light source and applying different levels of energy to the light source, during the producing differently colored light, based on the identified display condition;

selectively operating in a first filter state in which the optical path impinges a filter that when in the optical path changes a color characteristic of the displayed color image, and a second filter state in which the optical path does not impinge the filter, and changing the filter state in response to the identified display condition;

producing differently colored lights and modulating the differently colored lights to form differently colored images based on the identified display condition; and

producing, selectively, light of sequentially different colors based on the identified display condition, with different colors directed along associated portions of the optical path, and modulating the light of different colors according to the received image information.

49. The article of claim 48, wherein the instructions providing for producing light of sequentially different colors includes selectively rotating at least one of first and second color wheels having differently colored filter regions successively through the optical path, based on the identified display condition.

50. The article of claim 49, wherein the instructions providing for selectively rotating at least one of first and second color wheels further provide for selectively operating in a first color-wheel state in which the optical path impinges colored filter regions of the first color wheel and in a second color-wheel state in which the optical path does not impinge colored filter regions of the first color-wheel, and changing the color-wheel state in response to the identified display condition.

51. The article of claim 50, wherein the instructions providing for selectively rotating at least one of first and second color wheels further provide for directing light through the second color wheel when the first color wheel is in the first and second color-wheel states.

52. The article of claim 50, wherein the instructions providing for selectively rotating at least one of first and second color wheels further provide for operating such that the optical path does not impinge colored filter regions of the second color wheel when the first color wheel is in the first color-wheel state and the optical path does impinge colored filter regions of the second color wheel when the first color wheel is in the second color-wheel state.

53. An image display system comprising:

means for identifying an image display condition associated with the display of an image produced from received image information; and

means for producing a plurality of differently colored images having color characteristics based on image information and the identified display condition, and directing differently colored images along associated portions of an optical path for displaying the differently colored images.

54. The system of claim 53, wherein the means for identifying is further for at least one of detecting a gamut setting, detecting an ambient-light characteristic, analyzing the image information to determine one or more image attributes, and analyzing the displayed image to identify one or more appearance attributes of the displayed image.

55. The system of claim 54, wherein the means for identifying is further for identifying at least one of a number of unique colors, a frequency of a unique color, an average pixel intensity, a frame-to-frame image content change, and an image source type.

56. The system of claim 53, wherein the means for producing is further for producing white light, and varying the amount of white light produced based on the identified display condition.

57. The system of claim 53, wherein the means for producing is further for modifying the image information based on at least one of a color matrix, an exponential relationship, and a look-up table.

58. The system of claim 53, wherein the means for producing a plurality of differently colored images is further for one or more of:

producing differently colored light with a light source and applying different levels of energy to the light source during the producing of differently colored light based on the identified display condition;

selectively operating in a first filter state in which the optical path impinges a filter that when in the optical path changes a color characteristic of the displayed color image, and a second filter state in which the optical path does not impinge the filter, and changing the filter state in response to the identified display condition;

producing differently colored lights and modulating the differently colored lights to form differently colored images based on the identified display condition; and

producing selectively light of sequentially different colors based on the identified display condition, with different colors directed along associated portions of the optical path, and modulating the light of different colors according to the received image information.

59. The system of claim 58, wherein the means for producing differently colored images is further for producing light of sequentially different colors by selectively rotating at least one of first and second color wheels having differently colored filter regions successively through the optical path, based on the identified display condition.

60. The system of claim 59, wherein the means for producing differently colored images is further for selectively operating the first color wheel in a first color-wheel state in which the optical path impinges colored filter regions of the first color wheel and in a second color-wheel state in which the optical path does not impinges colored filter regions of the first color-wheel, and changing the color-wheel state in response to the identified display condition.

61. The system of claim 60, wherein the means for producing differently colored images directs light through the second color wheel when the first color wheel is in the first and second color-wheel states.

62. The system of claim 60, wherein the means for producing differently colored images further includes operating the second color wheel such that the optical path does not impinge colored filter regions of the second color wheel when the first color wheel is in the first color-wheel state and the optical path does impinge colored filter regions of the second color wheel when the first color wheel is in the second color-wheel state.

63. An image projector comprising:

means for identifying an image display condition associated with the display of an image by the image projector; and

means for producing a plurality of differently colored images having color characteristics based on image information and the identified display condition, with differently colored images directed along associated portions of an optical path; and

means coupled to the means for producing for projecting the produced differently colored images along the optical path to produce, when displayed, a color image formed of the differently colored images.

64. The projector of claim 63 wherein the means for identifying is further for at least one of selecting a selectable-gamut, sensing ambient light, analyzing the content of an image, and analyzing the appearance of a display.

65. The projector of claim 64 wherein the means for identifying is for sensing ambient light and is further for determining an intensity of ambient light in an environment in which the image projector is operating, and for providing an indication of that intensity of ambient light to the means for producing.

66. The projector of claim 64 wherein the means for identifying is for analyzing image content and the identified display condition is an image-content attribute, the identifying means is further for identifying one or more image-content attributes, and for providing an indication of the one or more attributes to the means for producing.

67. The projector of claim 63, wherein the means for producing is further for modifying the image information based on a color matrix selected, prior to the image being generated, based on the identified display condition.

68. The projector of claim 63, wherein the means for producing is further for modifying the image information, prior to the image being generated, based on an exponential relationship selected based on the identified display condition.

69. The projector of claim 63, wherein the means for producing a plurality of differently colored images is further for one or more of:

producing differently colored light with a light source and applying different levels of energy to the light source during the producing of differently colored light based on the identified display condition;

selectively operating in a first filter state in which the optical path impinges a filter that when in the optical path changes a color characteristic of the displayed color image, and a second filter state in which the optical path does not impinge the filter, and changing the filter state in response to the identified display condition;

producing differently colored lights and modulating the differently colored lights to form differently colored images based on the identified display condition; and

producing selectively light of sequentially different colors based on the identified display condition, with different colors directed along associated portions of the optical path, and modulating the light of different colors according to the received image information.

70. The projector of claim 69, wherein the means for producing differently colored images is further for producing light of sequentially different colors by selectively rotating at least one of first and second color wheels having differently colored filter regions successively through the optical path, based on the identified display condition.

71. The projector of claim 70, wherein the means for producing differently colored images is further for selectively operating the first color wheel in a first color-wheel state in which the optical path impinges colored filter regions of the first color wheel and in a second color-wheel state in which the optical path does not impinges colored filter regions of the first color-wheel, and changing the color-wheel state in response to the identified display condition.

72. The projector of claim 71, wherein the means for producing differently colored images directs light through the second color wheel when the first color wheel is in the first and second color-wheel states.

73. The projector of claim 71, wherein the means for producing differently colored images further includes operating the second color wheel such that the optical path does not impinge colored filter regions of the second color wheel when the first color wheel is in the first color-wheel state and the optical path does impinge colored filter regions of the second color wheel when the first color wheel is in the second color-wheel state.