Image processing system, projector, program, information storage medium and image processing method

• US 20050078227A1
• Filed: 01/15/2004
• Published: 04/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Wada, Osamu, Kobayashi, Masanobu
• Granted Patent: US 7,310,449 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/745
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/20 Circuitry for controlling amplitude response
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/57 Control of contrast or brightness
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/74 Projection arrangements for image reproduction, e.g. using eidophor
• 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 9/3194 including sensor feedback

Abstract

An image processing system enabling luminance regulation depending on displayed images is provided by a projector, the projector including: a signal input section which input an image signal; a signal output section which outputs a corrected image signal; an image projecting section; a correction table storage section which stores a correction table showing the relationship between a correction amount and a position in an image; an instruction input section which inputs instruction information representing a correction instruction from a user; and a luminance regulating section which corrects a luminance value of the input image signal to make a luminance value in a central portion of an image lower than the current luminance value of the center portion when uniformity improvement of luminance values in central and marginal portions of the image is desired, or corrects that to make a luminance value in a marginal portion of an image lower than the current luminance value of the marginal portion when emphasis of a central portion of the image is desired, based on the correction table and the instruction information.

Claims

1. An image processing system comprising:

signal input means for inputting an image signal;

luminance regulating means for regulating a luminance value of an image by correcting the inputted image signal;

signal output means for outputting the corrected image signal; and

instruction input means for inputting instruction information which represents a correction instruction from a user,

wherein the luminance regulating means corrects the image signal to lower a luminance value in a central portion of an image when uniformity improvement of luminance values in central and marginal portions of the image is instructed, or corrects the image signal to lower a luminance value in a marginal portion of an image when emphasis of a central portion of the image is instructed, based on the instruction information and a correction table showing the relationship between a correction amount and a position in an image.

2. An image processing system comprising:

signal input means for inputting an image signal;

luminance regulating means for regulating a luminance value of an image by correcting the inputted image signal;

signal output means for outputting the corrected image signal; and

luminance measurement means for measuring a luminance value of an image and outputting luminance information,

wherein the luminance regulating means corrects the image signal to equalize luminance values in central and marginal portions of an image when the luminance value in the central portion is higher than the luminance value in the marginal portion, based on the luminance information and a correction table showing the relationship between a correction amount and a position in an image.

3. The image processing system as defined in claim 2,

wherein the correction table includes data showing the correction amount based on a value obtained by dividing a differential value between a darkroom reference luminance value at a given position in an image and the minimum luminance value of the image by a differential value between the maximum and minimum luminance values of the image.

4. The image processing system as defined in claim 3,

wherein the correction amount is obtained by:

{the darkroom reference luminance value−

the minimum luminance value}/the darkroom reference luminance value)/{(the maximum luminance value−

the minimum luminance value)/the maximum luminance value}.

5. An image processing system comprising:

signal input section which inputs an image signal;

luminance regulating section which regulates a luminance value of an image by correcting the inputted image signal;

signal output section which outputs the corrected image signal; and

instruction input section which inputs instruction information which represents a correction instruction from a user,

wherein the luminance regulating section corrects the image signal to equalize luminance values in central and marginal portions of an image when the luminance value in the central portion is higher than the luminance value in the marginal portion, based on the instruction information and a correction table showing the relationship between a correction amount and a position in an image.

6. A projector comprising:

signal input means for inputting an image signal;

luminance regulating means for regulating a luminance value of an image by correcting the inputted image signal;

signal output means for outputting the corrected image signal;

instruction input means for inputting instruction information which represents a correction instruction from a user; and

image projecting means for projecting an image based on the image signal output from the signal output means,

wherein the luminance regulating means corrects the image signal to lower a luminance value in a central portion of an image when uniformity improvement of luminance values in central and marginal portions of the image is instructed, or corrects the image signal to lower a luminance value in a marginal portion of an image when emphasis of a central portion of the image is instructed, based on the instruction information and a correction table showing the relationship between a correction amount and a position in an image.

7. A projector comprising:

signal input means for inputting an image signal;

luminance regulating means for regulating a luminance value of an image by correcting the inputted image signal;

signal output means for outputting the corrected image signal;

luminance measurement means for measuring a luminance value of an image and outputting luminance information; and

image projecting means for projecting an image based on the image signal output from the signal output means,

wherein the luminance regulating means corrects the image signal to equalize luminance values in central and marginal portions of an image when the luminance value in the central portion is higher than the luminance value in the marginal portion, based on the luminance information and a correction table showing the relationship between a correction amount and a position in an image.

8. A projector comprising:

signal input section which inputs an image signal;

luminance regulating section which regulates a luminance value of an image by correcting the inputted image signal;

signal output section which outputs the corrected image signal;

instruction input section which inputs instruction information which represents a correction instruction from a user; and

image projecting section which projects an image based on the image signal output from the signal output section,

wherein the luminance regulating section corrects the image signal to equalize luminance values in central and marginal portions of an image when the luminance value in the central portion is higher than the luminance value in the marginal portion, based on the instruction information and a correction table showing the relationship between a correction amount and a position in an image.

9. A computer-readable program causing a computer to function as:

signal input means for inputting an image signal;

luminance regulating means for regulating a luminance value of an image by correcting the inputted image signal;

signal output means for outputting the corrected image signal; and

instruction input means for inputting instruction information which represents a correction instruction from a user,

wherein the luminance regulating means corrects the image signal to lower a luminance value in a central portion of an image when uniformity improvement of luminance values in central and marginal portions of the image is instructed, or corrects the image signal to lower a luminance value in a marginal portion of an image when emphasis of a central portion of the image is instructed, based on the instruction information and a correction table showing the relationship between a correction amount and a position in an image.

11. A computer-readable information storage medium storing the program as defined in claim 9.

10. A computer-readable program causing a computer to function as:

signal input means for inputting an image signal;

luminance regulating means for regulating a luminance value of an image by correcting the inputted image signal;

signal output means for outputting the corrected image signal; and

luminance measurement means for measuring a luminance value of an image and outputting luminance information,

wherein the luminance regulating means corrects the image signal to equalize luminance values in central and marginal portions of an image when the luminance value in the central portion is higher than the luminance value in the marginal portion, based on the luminance information and a correction table showing the relationship between a correction amount and a position in an image.

12. An image processing method comprising:

inputting instruction information representing a correction instruction from a user;

inputting an image signal;

correcting the image signal to lower a luminance value in a central portion of an image when uniformity improvement of luminance values in central and marginal portions of the image is instructed, or correcting the image signal to lower a luminance value in a marginal portion of an image when emphasis of the central portion of the image is instructed, based on the instruction information and a correction table showing the relationship between a correction amount and a position in an image; and

outputting the corrected image signal.

13. An image processing method comprising:

measuring a luminance value of a displayed image and outputting luminance information;

inputting an image signal;

correcting the image signal to equalize luminance values in central and marginal portions of an image when the luminance value in the central portion is higher than the luminance value in the marginal portion, based on the luminance information and a correction table showing the relationship between a correction amount and a position in an image; and

outputting the corrected image signal.