COMPENSATION DEVICE FOR NON-UNIFORM REGIONS IN FLAT PANEL DISPLAY AND METHOD THEREOF

• US 20070132895A1
• Filed: 11/08/2006
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Novatek Microelectronics Corporation (Novatek Microelectronics Corp Limited)
• Original Assignee: Novatek Microelectronics Corporation (Novatek Microelectronics Corp Limited)
• Inventors: Shen, Yu-Chuan
• Granted Patent: US 7,911,498 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 349/1
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0233 Improving the luminance or brightness uniformity across the screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0285 using tables for spatial correction of display data
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2007 Display of intermediate tones

Abstract

Disclosed is a digital signal processing architecture for a flat panel display having non-uniform regions, which is not by means of materials, optical films or fabrication processes. Therefore, the manufacturing cost and complexity of the flat panel display are not negatively affected. In the digital signal processing architecture, a test is performed on the panel for identifying all pixel locations in non-uniform regions and non-uniform types. Then, input video signals are compared with data about the relative non-uniform regions for determining whether the video signal falls in a normal-region pixel or a non-uniform region pixel. Then the non-uniform compensation on the video signal falling in the non-uniform region pixel is based on the non-uniform type, so that the video signals displayed on the panel are not negatively affected.

Claims

1. A compensation device for non-uniform regions, used in a flat panel display for eliminating the negative impact of non-uniform regions in a panel on display of an video signal, the compensation device for non-uniform regions comprising:

a database, for storing a location information of non-uniform regions obtained according to a test result;

a non-uniform-region determining unit, for determining whether the video signal falls in a non-uniform region pixel or a normal-region pixel according to the location information of non-uniform regions in the database; and

a digital non-uniform-region processing circuit, comprising a non-uniform-region compensation unit, wherein according to a determination result of the non-uniform-region determining unit, the non-uniform-region compensation unit in the digital non-uniform-region processing circuit properly compensates the video signal through digital processing.

2. The compensation device for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 1, wherein the database stores a type information of non-uniform regions obtained according to the test result, the non-uniform-region determining unit performs determination according to the type information of non-uniform regions, and if the video signal is determined to be falling in the non-uniform region pixel, the non-uniform-region determining unit further determines the non-uniform region type of the non-uniform region pixel.

3. The compensation device for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 2, wherein the digital non-uniform-region processing circuit further comprises a non-uniform-region type switch units for switching the video signal determined to be falling in the non-uniform region pixel to the non-uniform-region compensation unit according to the output non-uniform region type.

4. The compensation device for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 3, wherein the digital non-uniform-region processing circuit comprises a delay/bypass unit for receiving the video signal determined to be falling in the normal-region pixel delivered from the non-uniform-region determining unit and delaying or bypassing the video signal, and a path switch unit for switching and outputting the video signal delivered from the delay/bypass unit and/or the compensated video signal delivered from the non-uniform-region compensation unit, thus ensuring the display sequence of the video signal.

5. The compensation device for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 1, wherein the Non-uniform-region compensation unit comprises a mathematical operation unit through which the non-uniform-region compensation unit performs compensation on the video signal.

6. The compensation device for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 1, wherein the non-uniform-region compensation unit comprises a logic operation unit through which the non-uniform-region compensation unit performs compensation on the video signal.

7. The compensation device for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 1, wherein the Non-uniform-region compensation unit comprises a direct mapping unit through which the non-uniform-region compensation unit performs compensation on the video signal.

8. The compensation device for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 1, wherein the non-uniform-region compensation unit comprises a dynamic operation unit for performing compensation on the video signal according to the weighting value of each pixel of the panel.

9. The compensation device for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 8, wherein the weighting value of each pixel of the panel is a location function.

10. The compensation device for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 8, wherein the weighting value of each pixel of the panel scales up from a normal region to a non-uniform region.

11. The compensation device for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 8, wherein the weighting value of each pixel of the panel scales down from a normal region to a non-uniform region.

12. The compensation device for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 8, wherein the weighting value of each pixel of the panel is a gray scale related function.

13. The compensation device for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 8, wherein the weighting value of each pixel of the panel scales up according to the gray scale value.

14. The compensation device for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 8, wherein the weighting value of each pixel of the panel scales down according to the gray scale value.

15. The compensation device for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 1, wherein the compensation device for non-uniform regions compensates the video signal through digital processing, and inputs the video signal to a light emitting diode (LED) power supply driver to control an LED backlight module plate.

16. The compensation device for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 1, wherein the panel is a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel.

17. The compensation device for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 1, wherein the panel is an LED plate of backlight module.

18. A compensation method for non-uniform regions, used in a flat panel display for eliminating the negative impact of non-uniform regions in a panel on display of a video signal, the compensation method comprising:

according to a test result of the panel, determining whether the video signal falls in a normal-region pixel or a non-uniform region pixel through operation, wherein the test result of the panel comprises a location information of non-uniform regions and a type information of non-uniform regions; and

when the video signal is determined to be falling in the non-uniform region pixel, compensating the video signal through digital processing.

19. The compensation method for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 18, further comprising determining the non-uniform region type of the video signal falling in the non-uniform region pixel according to the type information of non-uniform regions.

20. The compensation method for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 19, further comprising compensating the video signal through digital processing according to the non-uniform region type of the non-uniform region pixel.

21. The compensation method for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 20, further comprising:

delaying or bypassing the video signal determined to be falling in the normal-region pixel; and

sequentially switching and outputting the video signal determined to be falling in the normal-region pixel and/or the compensated video signal, thus ensuring the display sequence of the video signal.

22. The compensation method for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 18, wherein the compensation step comprises performing a mathematical operation to compensate the video signal.

23. The compensation method for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 18, wherein the compensation step comprises performing a logic operation to compensate the video signal.

24. The compensation method for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 18, wherein the compensation step comprises performing a direct mapping operation to compensate the video signal.

25. The compensation method for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 18, wherein the compensation step comprises performing a dynamic operation to compensate the video signal according to the weighting value of each pixel of the panel.

26. The compensation method for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 25, wherein the dynamic operation step comprises determining the weighting value of each pixel of the panel according to the location of each pixel of the panel.

27. The compensation method for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 25, wherein the weighting value of each pixel of the panel scales up from a normal region to a non-uniform region.

28. The compensation method for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 25, wherein the weighting value of each pixel of the panel scales down from a normal region to a non-uniform region.

29. The compensation method for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 25, wherein the weighting value of each pixel of the panel is a gray scale related function.

30. The compensation method for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 25, wherein the weighting value of each pixel of the panel scales up according to the gray scale value.

31. The compensation method for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 25, wherein the weighting value of each pixel of the panel scales down according to the gray scale value.

32. The compensation method for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 18, further comprising compensating the video signal through digital processing, and inputting the video signal to an LED power supply driver to control an LED plate of backlight module.

33. The compensation method for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 18, wherein the panel is an LCD panel.

34. The compensation method for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 18, wherein the panel is an LED plate of backlight module.

35. A compensation device for non-uniform regions, used in a flat panel display for eliminating the negative impact of non-uniform regions in a panel on display of a video signal, the compensation device for non-uniform regions comprising:

a database, for storing a location information of non-uniform regions obtained according to a test result;

a digital non-uniform-region compensation circuit, comprising a digital non-uniform-region compensation unit, wherein according to the location information of non-uniform regions of the panel, the non-uniform-region compensation unit in the digital non-uniform-region processing circuit properly compensates the video signal through digital processing.

36. The compensation device for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 35, wherein the non-uniform-region compensation unit further comprises a data processor used for processing the location information of non-uniform regions.

37. The compensation device for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 35, wherein the non-uniform-region compensation unit further comprises a limiting processor used for limiting the magnitude of the video signal.

38. The compensation device for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 35, further comprising an input line buffer for receiving the video signal.

39. The compensation device for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 35, further comprising an output line buffer for outputting the video signal.

40. The compensation device for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 35, wherein the database is a dynamic random access memory (DRAM).

41. The compensation device for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 35, wherein the database further stores a variation amount information of the panel.

42. The compensation device for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 41, wherein the non-uniform-region compensation unit further comprises a gray scale fader performing gray scale fading of different weighting values on the variation amount information of non-uniform regions stored in the database according to the magnitude of the video signal.

43. The compensation device for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 35, wherein the non-uniform-region compensation unit further comprises a gray scale fader performing gray scale fading of different weighting values on the variation amount information of non-uniform regions stored in the database according to the magnitude of the video signal.

44. The compensation device for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 35, wherein the non-uniform-region compensation unit comprises a mathematical operation unit through which the non-uniform-region compensation unit performs compensation on the video signal.

45. The compensation device for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 35, wherein the non-uniform-region compensation unit comprises a logic operation unit through which the non-uniform-region compensation unit performs compensation on the video signal.

46. The compensation device for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 35, wherein the non-uniform-region compensation unit comprises a direct mapping unit through which the non-uniform-region compensation unit performs compensation on the video signal.

47. The compensation device for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 35, wherein the compensation device for non-uniform regions compensates the video signal through digital processing, and inputs the video signal to an LED power supply driver to control an LED plate of backlight module.

48. The compensation device for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 35, wherein the panel is an LCD panel.

49. The compensation device for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 35, wherein the panel is an LED plate of backlight module.

50. A compensation method for non-uniform regions, used in a flat panel display for eliminating the negative impact of non-uniform regions in a panel on display of a video signal, the compensation method comprising:

according to a test result of the panel, determining whether the video signal falls in a normal-region pixel or a non-uniform region pixel, wherein the test result of the panel comprises a location information of non-uniform regions; and

when the video signal is determined to be falling in the non-uniform region pixel, compensating the video signal through digital processing.

51. The compensation method for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 50, further comprising using a data processor to process the location information of non-uniform regions.

52. The compensation method for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 50, further comprising using a limiting processor to limit the size of the video signal.

53. The compensation method for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 50, further comprising using an input line buffer to receive the video signal.

54. The compensation method for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 50, further comprising using an output line buffer to output the video signal.

55. The compensation method for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 50, further comprising using a database to store the location information of non-uniform regions.

56. The compensation method for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 55, wherein the database is a DRAM.

57. The compensation method for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 50, further comprising storing a variation amount information of the panel.

58. The compensation method for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 50, further comprising using a gray scale fader for performing a gray scale fading operation to compensate the video signal

59. The compensation method for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 50, wherein the compensation step comprises performing a mathematical operation to compensate the video signal.

60. The compensation method for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 50, wherein the compensation step comprises performing a logic operation to compensate the video signal.

61. The compensation method for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 50, wherein the compensation step comprises performing a direct mapping operation to compensate the video signal.

62. The compensation method for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 50, further comprising compensating the video signal through digital processing, and inputting the video signal to an LED power supply driver to control an LED plate of backlight module.

63. The compensation method for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 50, wherein the panel is an LCD panel.

64. The compensation method for non-uniform regions as claimed in claim 50, wherein the panel is an LED plate of backlight module.