Compact flat panel color calibration system

• US 20050157298A1
• Filed: 02/07/2005
• Published: 07/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Silicon Graphics Incorporated (Graphics Properties Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Evanicky, Daniel, Meng, Alice T., Ingulsrud, Joel, Granger, Ed
• Granted Patent: US 7,068,263 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/416
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0606 Manual adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0666 for control of colour parameters, e.g. colour temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0673 for control of gamma adjustment, e.g. selecting another gamma curve
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0693 Calibration of display systems
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/145 the light originating from the display screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/006 Electronic inspection or testing of displays and display drivers, e.g. of LED or LCD displays testing individual LED's G01R31/2635; testing lamps G01R31/44; testing of optical features of LCD displays G02F1/1309
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3648 using an active matrix G09G3/367 - G09G3/3696 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/005 Adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/006 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/02 for colour television signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/04 for receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/30 using solid-state colour display devices

Abstract

A compact flat panel color calibration system includes a lens prism optic able to pass a narrow, perpendicular, and uniform cone angle of incoming light to a spectrally non-selective photodetector. The calibration system also includes a microprocessor operable to determine the luminance of the display based upon the information gathered by the photodetector. A software module included in the calibration system is then operable to process the luminance information in order to adjust the flat panel display.

Claims

1. A system for calibrating a display, comprising:

a lens operable to receive incoming light emitted by a display device;

a photodetector operable to detect properties of the incoming light regardless of the location of the lens in relation to the display device;

a microprocessor operable to generate a luminance value of the display device in response to the properties of the incoming light detected by the photodetector, the microprocessor operable to provide the luminance value in order to adjust display parameters for the display device, the microprocessor operable to generate the lunminance value whether or not the incoming light includes ambient light.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the lens is operable to pass light in the manner of a total internal reflection 45-degree mirror.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a color filter operable to filter light before it passes to the photodetector.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the color filter is operable to equalize the incoming light for calibration in a Green spectral region.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the photodetector is spectrally non-selective.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the photodetector is a linear silicon photodetector.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a software application resident on a host computer associated with the display device;

the software application operable to accept input from a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface operable to be displayed on the display device.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an elastomeric cushion operable to position the lens above the display at a distance without affecting accuracy.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a filter circuit operable to perform an anti-aliasing function on the properties of the incoming light detected by the photodetector.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the filter circuit is operable to stabilize the properties of the incoming light detected by the photodetector and preserve the corresponding wave shape.

11. A compact flat panel color calibration system, comprising:

means for detecting incoming light emitted from a display;

means for determining the color temperature of the light;

means for determining the luminance of the light; and

means for adjusting emissions from the display in accordance with the determinations of color temperature and luminance regardless of whether or not the incoming light includes ambient light.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

means for emulating a green channel of the display.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

means for providing chromatic sensitivity;

means for setting a proper luminance signal range.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

means for tuning a signal range of the incoming light.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the means for detecting the incoming light is placed without regard to any distance requirements from the display.

16. A method of calibrating a display, comprising:

receiving incoming light emitted by a display;

generating signals corresponding to the incoming light;

determining a luminance associated with the signals;

adjusting emissions from the display in response to the luminance regardless of whether or not the incoming light includes ambient light.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

filtering the incoming light to emulate a green channel of the display.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

filtering the signals to remove frequencies above a threshold level.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

tuning the signal range of the signals.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining a color temperature associated with the signals;

adjusting emissions from the display in response to the color temperature.