Image display system and method

• US 20040027363A1
• Filed: 09/11/2002
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Allen, William
• Granted Patent: US 7,034,811 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/698
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/08 Fault-tolerant or redundant circuits, or circuits in which repair of defects is prepared
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/10 Dealing with defective pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0414 Vertical resolution change
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0421 Horizontal resolution change
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0435 Change or adaptation of the frame rate of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/002 to project the image of a two-dimensional display, such as an array of light emitting or modulating elements or a CRT
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/007 Use of pixel shift techniques, e.g. by mechanical shift of the physical pixels or by optical shift of the perceived pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/20 for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters

Abstract

A method of displaying an image with a display device including a plurality of display pixels includes receiving image data for the image, the image data including individual pixels of the image; buffering the image data and creating a frame of the image, the frame of the image including a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows of the pixels of the image; defining a first sub-frame and at least a second sub-frame for the frame of the image, image data of the second sub-frame being offset from image data of the first sub-frame by an offset distance of at least one pixel; and displaying the first sub-frame with a first plurality of the display pixels and displaying the second sub-frame with a second plurality of the display pixels offset from the first plurality of the display pixels by the offset distance.

Claims

1. A method of displaying an image with a display device including a plurality of display pixels, the method comprising:

receiving image data for the image, the image data including individual pixels of the image;

buffering the image data and creating a frame of the image, the frame of the image including a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows of the pixels of the image;

defining a first sub-frame and at least a second sub-frame for the frame of the image, image data of the second sub-frame being offset from image data of the first sub-frame by an offset distance of at least one pixel; and

displaying the first sub-frame with a first plurality of the display pixels and displaying the second sub-frame with a second plurality of the display pixels offset from the first plurality of the display pixels by the offset distance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the first sub-frame includes producing a first displayed image portion and displaying the second sub-frame includes producing a second displayed image portion, further comprising:

displaying the first displayed image portion in a display position; and

displaying the second displayed image portion in the display position, including displacing the second displayed image portion by the offset distance.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein image data of the second sub-frame is offset in a first direction from image data of the first sub-frame, and wherein displacing the second displayed image portion includes displacing the second displayed image portion in a second direction opposite the first direction.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the display pixels of the display device is included in both the first plurality of the display of pixels and the second plurality of the display of pixels.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the display pixels of the display device is a defective display pixel, wherein displaying the first sub-frame with the first plurality of the display pixels and displaying the second sub-frame with the second plurality of the display pixels includes diffusing an affect of the defective display pixel over the image.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the first sub-frame with the first plurality of the display pixels and displaying the second sub-frame with the second plurality of the display pixels includes displaying each pixel of the image with one of the first plurality of the display pixels and one of the second plurality of the display pixels.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the first sub-frame with the first plurality of the display pixels and displaying the second sub-frame with the second plurality of the display pixels includes displaying a pixel of the first sub-frame and a pixel of the second sub-frame with one of the display pixels of the display device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein at least one of the display pixels of the display device is a defective display pixel, wherein displaying the pixel of the first sub-frame and the pixel of the second sub-frame includes displaying the pixel of the first sub-frame and the pixel of the second sub-frame with the defective display pixel and diffusing an affect of the defective display pixel over the image.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein image data of the second sub-frame is offset from image data of the first sub-frame by n pixels, wherein n is a whole number.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein image data of the second sub-frame is offset from image data of the first sub-frame by n pixels, wherein n is greater than one and is a non-integer.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein image data of the second sub-frame is offset at least one of a vertical distance and a horizontal distance from image data of the first sub-frame.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein image data of the second sub-frame is offset a vertical distance and a horizontal distance from image data of the first sub-frame.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the vertical distance includes n pixels and the horizontal distance includes m pixels, wherein n equals m.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the vertical distance includes n pixels and the horizontal distance includes m pixels, wherein n does not equal m.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the frame of the image includes creating a first frame for a first image, and wherein defining the first sub-frame and the second sub-frame for the frame of the image includes defining a first set of image sub-frames for the first frame for the first image, and further comprising:

creating a second frame for a second image;

defining a second set of image sub-frames for the second frame for the second image; and

displaying the first set of image sub-frames for the first frame for the first image with a first set of the display pixels and displaying the second set of image sub-frames for the second frame for the second image with a second set of the display pixels offset from the first set of the display pixels.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein defining the second sub-frame further includes defining a third sub-frame and a fourth sub-frame for the frame of the image, image data of the third sub-frame being offset from image data of the second sub-frame by the offset distance and image data of the fourth sub-frame being offset from image data of the third sub-frame by the offset distance, and

wherein displaying the first sub-frame and displaying the second sub-frame further includes displaying the third sub-frame with a third plurality of the display pixels offset from the second plurality of the display pixels by the offset distance and displaying the fourth sub-frame with a fourth plurality of the display pixels offset from the third plurality of the display pixels by the offset distance.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the display pixels of the display device is a defective display pixel, and further comprising:

compensating for the defective display pixel, including adjusting image data of at least one of the first sub-frame and the second sub-frame corresponding to a location of the defective display pixel in the image.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein adjusting the image data includes increasing an intensity of the image data of the at least one of the first sub-frame and the second sub-frame corresponding to the location of the defective display pixel in the image.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein adjusting the image data includes decreasing an intensity of the image data of the at least one of the first sub-frame and the second sub-frame corresponding to the location of the defective display pixel in the image.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

spatially and temporally displaying the first sub-frame in a first position and the second sub-frame in a second position relative to the first position.

21. A system for displaying an image, the system comprising:

a buffer adapted to receive image data for the image and buffer the image data to create a frame of the image, the image data including individual pixels of the image and the frame of the image including a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows of the pixels of the image;

an image processing unit adapted to define a first sub-frame and at least a second sub-frame for the frame of the image, the first sub-frame and the second sub-frame each including a plurality of pixels and image data of the second sub-frame being offset from image data of the first sub-frame by an offset distance of at least one pixel; and

a display device including a plurality of display pixels and adapted to temporally display the first sub-frame with a first plurality of the display pixels and display the second sub-frame with a second plurality of the display pixels offset from the first plurality of the display pixels by the offset distance.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the display device is adapted to produce a first displayed image portion with the first sub-frame and produce a second displayed image portion with the second sub-frame, wherein the display device is adapted to display the first displayed image portion in a display position and displace the second displayed image portion by the offset distance to display the second displayed image portion in the display position.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein image data of the second sub-frame is offset in a first direction from image data of the first sub-frame, and wherein the display device is adapted to displace the second displayed image portion in a second direction opposite the first direction.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein at least one of the display pixels of the display device is included in both the first plurality of the display pixels and the second plurality of the display pixels.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein at least one of the display pixels of the display device is a defective display pixel, wherein the display device is adapted to diffuse an affect of the defective display pixel over the image.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the display device is adapted to display each pixel of the image with one of the first plurality of the display pixels and one of the second plurality of the display pixels.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein the display device is adapted to display a pixel of the first sub-frame and a pixel of the second sub-frame with one of the display pixels.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein at least one of the display pixels of the display device is a defective display pixel, wherein the display device is adapted to display the pixel of the first sub-frame and the pixel of the second sub-frame with the defective display pixel and diffuse an affect of the defective display pixel over the image.

29. The system of claim 21, wherein image data of the second sub-frame is offset from image data of the first sub-frame by n pixels, wherein n is a whole number.

30. The system of claim 21, wherein image data of the second sub-frame is offset from image data of the first sub-frame by n pixels, wherein n is greater than one and is a non-integer.

31. The system of claim 21, wherein image data of the second sub-frame is offset at least one of a vertical distance and a horizontal distance from image data of the first sub-frame.

32. The system of claim 21, wherein image data of the second sub-frame is offset a vertical distance and a horizontal distance from image data of the first sub-frame.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the vertical distance includes n pixels and the horizontal distance includes m pixels, wherein n equals m.

34. The system of claim 32, wherein the vertical distance includes n pixels and the horizontal distance includes m pixels, wherein n does not equal m.

35. The system of claim 21, wherein the frame of the image includes a first frame for a first image, and wherein the first sub-frame and the second sub-frame define a first set of image sub-frames for the first frame for the first image,

wherein the buffer is adapted to create a second frame for a second image, and wherein the image processing unit is adapted to define a second set of image sub-frames for the second frame for the second image, and

wherein the display device is adapted to display the first set of image sub-frames for the first frame for the first image with a first set of the display pixels and display the second set of image sub-frames for the second frame for the second image with a second set of the display pixels offset from the first set of the display pixels.

36. The system of claim 21, wherein the image processing unit is adapted to further define a third sub-frame and a fourth sub-frame for the frame of the image, the third sub-frame and the fourth sub-frame each including a plurality of pixels and image data of the third sub-frame being offset from image data of the second sub-frame by the offset distance and image data of the fourth sub-frame being offset from image data of the third sub-frame by the offset distance, and

wherein the display device is adapted to display the third sub-frame with a third plurality of the display pixels offset from the second plurality of the display pixels by the offset distance and display the fourth sub-frame with a fourth plurality of the display pixels offset from the third plurality of the display pixels by the offset distance.

37. The system of claim 21, wherein at least one of the display pixels of the display device is a defective display pixel, and wherein the image processing unit is adapted to adjust image data of at least one of the first sub-frame and the second sub-frame corresponding to a location of the defective display pixel in the image to compensate for the defective display pixel.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the image processing unit is adapted to increase an intensity of the image data of the at least one of the first sub-frame and the second sub-frame corresponding to the location of the defective display pixel in the image.

39. The system of claim 37, wherein the image processing unit is adapted to decrease an intensity of the image data of the at least one of the first sub-frame and the second sub-frame corresponding to the location of the defective display pixel in the image.

40. The system of claim 21, wherein the display device is adapted to temporally display the first sub-frame in a first position and the second sub-frame in a second position spatially offset from the first position.

41. A system for displaying an image, the system comprising:

means for receiving image data for the image and creating a frame of the image;

means for defining a first sub-frame and at least a second sub-frame for the frame of the image, image data of the second sub-frame being offset from image data of the first sub-frame by an offset distance of at least one pixel; and

means for temporally displaying the first sub-frame with a first plurality of display pixels and displaying the second sub-frame with a second plurality of display pixels offset from the first plurality of the display pixels by the offset distance.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein means for temporally displaying the first sub-frame and displaying the second sub-frame includes means for producing a first displayed image portion with the first sub-frame and producing a second displayed image portion with the second sub-frame, and includes means for displaying the first displayed image portion in a display position and displacing the second displayed image portion by the offset distance to display the second displayed image portion in the display position.

43. The system of claim 41, wherein means for temporally displaying the first sub-frame and displaying the second sub-frame includes means for diffusing an affect of a defective display pixel over the image.

44. The system of claim 41, wherein means for temporally displaying the first sub-frame and displaying the second sub-frame includes means for displaying each pixel of the image with one of the first plurality of display pixels and one of the second plurality of display pixels.

45. The system of claim 41, wherein means for temporally displaying the first sub-frame and displaying the second sub-frame includes means for displaying a pixel of the first sub-frame and a pixel of the second sub-frame with one display pixel.

46. The system of claim 41, further comprising:

means for adjusting image data of at least one of the first sub-frame and the second sub-frame to compensate for a defective display pixel.

47. The system of claim 41, wherein means for temporally displaying the first sub-frame and displaying the second sub-frame includes means for temporally displaying the first sub-frame in a first position and displaying the second sub-frame in a second position spatially offset from the first position.

48. A method of displaying an image with a display device including a plurality of display pixels, the method comprising:

receiving image data for the image, the image data including individual pixels of the image;

creating a first frame and a second frame of the image, the first frame and the second frame each including a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows of the pixels of the image; and

displaying the first frame with a first plurality of the display pixels and displaying the second frame with a second plurality of the display pixels offset from the first plurality of the display pixels by at least one pixel.

49. The method of claim 48, further comprising:

defining a first set of sub-frames for the first frame of the image and defining a second set of sub-frames for the second frame of the image,

wherein displaying the first frame and displaying the second frame includes displaying the first set of sub-frames with the first plurality of the display pixels and displaying the second set of sub-frames with the second plurality of the display pixels.

50. A method for displaying image data with a display device having an array of pixels, the method comprising:

creating multiple frames from the image data;

positioning each of the multiple frames on the display device, including offsetting each of the multiple frames from one another by at least one pixel in at least one direction; and

displaying each of the multiple frames with the display device, including aligning the multiple frames with each other to display the image data.

51. A display device for displaying an image having a first array of pixels, the display device comprising:

means for modulating light with a second array of pixels; and

means for temporally and spatially adjusting the first array of pixels such that each pixel of the image is formed with more than one pixel of the second array of pixels.

52. A display device for displaying an image having a first array of pixels, the display device comprising:

a light modulator having a second array of pixels; and

an image shifter adapted to temporally and spatially adjust the first array of pixels such that each pixel of the image is formed with more than one pixel of the second array of pixels.