Methods and apparatuses for the automated display of visual effects

• US 20070195109A1
• Filed: 04/18/2007
• Published: 08/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael Paquette
• Original Assignee: Michael Paquette
• Inventors: Paquette, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,355,606 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/601
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/001 Texturing; Colouring; Generation of texture or colour inpainting G06T5/77
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0276 for the purpose of adaptation to the characteristics of a display device, i.e. gamma correction
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/04 Maintaining the quality of display appearance
• 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 2360/18 Use of a frame buffer in a display terminal, inclusive of the display panel
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/02 characterised by the way in which colour is displayed details of colour display specific for CRTs G09G1/28; specific for flat matrix panels other than liquid crystal displays G09G3/2003; specific for liquid crystal displays G09G3/3607
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/06 using colour palettes, e.g. look-up tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/202 Gamma control circuits for controlling camera response irrespective of the scene brightness H04N23/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/74 for obtaining special effects H04N9/65 - H04N9/73 take precedence

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for the generation of visual effects according to the elapsed time for real time display. One embodiment of the present invention provides an automated mechanism for displaying visual effects (e.g., fade to or from a target color) through adjusting color correction parameters (e.g., the look up table for gamma correction) without disturbing display color calibration settings for the current display device. Time-based adjustments are made in small steps in the beginning and end and large steps in the middle of the transition to provide perceptually smooth transition effect. In one embodiment, a operating system resource is provided to manage, synchronously or asynchronously, the visual effect on behalf of requesting applications, simplifying the coding of the application programs and providing consistency across application programs. In one embodiment, the operating system resource uses a reservation system to prevent conflict and interference between application programs.

Claims

1. A method to produce visual effect on a display, the method comprising:

receiving a first time length; and

adjusting, according to an elapsed time, color correction parameters a plurality of times during a time period of the first length.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein the color correction parameters comprise at least one look up table for gamma correction;

and wherein said elapsed time is measured by a real time clock which measures time during production of the visual effect.

3. A method as in claim 2, wherein the at least one look up table is adjusted to blend input color signals with a color;

and wherein the input color signals is blended with the color according to the elapsed time.

4. A method as in claim 3, wherein a weight on the color to blend the input color signals with the color changes faster near a middle of the time period than at one of:

a) a beginning of the time period; and

b) an end of the time period.

5. A method as in claim 4, wherein the weight is determined from a function of the elapsed time.

6. A method as in claim 1, further comprising:

performing color correction according to the color correction parameters.

7. A method as in claim 1, wherein said adjusting the color correction parameters comprises:

instructing a graphics processing unit (GPU) to adjust the color correction parameters according to the elapsed time.

8. A method as in claim 1, wherein a frequency for said adjusting the color correction parameters is determined according to a refreshing frequency for displaying, on the display, input color signals corrected by the color correction parameters.

9. A method as in claim 8, wherein the frequency for said adjusting the color correction parameters is substantially equal to the refreshing frequency.

10. A method as in claim 1, wherein said adjusting the color correction parameters comprises:

determining a first value of the elapsed time;

determining first values of the color correction parameters according to the first value of the elapsed time;

determining a second value of the elapsed time; and

determining second values of the color correction parameters according to the second value of the elapsed time.

11. A method as in claim 10, wherein said adjusting the color correction parameters is performed by an operating system of a data processing system according to a task scheduler in response to a request from an application program running on the data processing system.

12. A method as in claim 11, wherein the application program is allowed to execute operations during the time period.

13. A method as in claim 11, wherein the application program is not allowed to execute operations until the request is fulfilled.

14. A method as in claim 1, further comprising:

restoring, after the time period, the color correction parameters to values that the color correction parameters have before the time period.

15. A method as in claim 14, wherein said restoring is performed on expiration of a reservation time period, within which said adjusting the color correction parameters is performed.

16. A method as in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second time length from a second application program; and

adjusting, according to an elapsed time, the color correction parameters a plurality of times during a time period of the second length in response to a request from the second application program;

wherein the first time length is received from a first application program; and

wherein said adjusting the color correction parameters during the time period of the first length is in response to a request from the first application program.

17. A method as in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request for a reservation from a first application program; and

granting a first reservation to the first application program in response to a determination that there is no pending reservation;

wherein the first time length is received from the first application program; and

wherein said adjusting the color correction parameters is in response to a request from the first application program that is in possess of the first reservation.

18. A method as in claim 17, wherein said adjusting the color correction parameters is performed after a determination that the request from the first application program is received within a reservation time period for the first reservation.

19. A method as in claim 18, further comprising:

restoring, upon expiration of the reservation, the color correction parameters to values that the color correction parameters have before the reservation.

20. A machine readable medium containing executable computer program instructions which when executed by a data processing system cause said system to perform a method to produce visual effect on a display of the data processing system, the method comprising:

receiving a first time length; and

adjusting, according to an elapsed time, color correction parameters a plurality of times during a time period of the first length.

21. A medium as in claim 20, wherein the color correction parameters comprise at least one look up table for gamma correction;

and wherein said elapsed time is measured by a real time clock which measures time during production of the visual effect.

22. A medium as in claim 21, wherein the at least one look up table is adjusted to blend input color signals with a color;

and wherein the input color signals is blended with the color according to the elapsed time.

23. A medium as in claim 22, wherein a weight on the color to blend the input color signals with the color changes faster near a middle of the time period than at one of:

a) a beginning of the time period; and

b) an end of the time period.

24. A medium as in claim 23, wherein the weight is determined from a function of the elapsed time.

25. A medium as in claim 20, wherein the method further comprises:

performing color correction according to the color correction parameters.

26. A medium as in claim 20, wherein said adjusting the color correction parameters comprises:

instructing a graphics processing unit (GPU) to adjust the color correction parameters according to the elapsed time.

27. A medium as in claim 20, wherein a frequency for said adjusting the color correction parameters is determined according to a refreshing frequency for displaying, on the display, input color signals corrected by the color correction parameters.

28. A medium as in claim 27, wherein the frequency for said adjusting the color correction parameters is substantially equal to the refreshing frequency.

29. A medium as in claim 20, wherein said adjusting the color correction parameters comprises:

determining a first value of the elapsed time;

determining first values of the color correction parameters according to the first value of the elapsed time;

determining a second value of the elapsed time; and

determining second values of the color correction parameters according to the second value of the elapsed time.

30. A medium as in claim 29, wherein said adjusting the color correction parameters is performed by an operating system of a data processing system according to a task scheduler in response to a request from an application program running on the data processing system.

31. A medium as in claim 30, wherein the application program is allowed to execute operations during the time period.

32. A medium as in claim 30, wherein the application program is not allowed to execute operations until the request is fulfilled.

33. A medium as in claim 20, wherein the method further comprises:

restoring, after the time period, the color correction parameters to values that the color correction parameters have before the time period.

34. A medium as in claim 33, wherein said restoring is performed on expiration of a reservation time period, within which said adjusting the color correction parameters is performed.

35. A medium as in claim 20, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a second time length from a second application program; and

adjusting, according to an elapsed time, the color correction parameters a plurality of times during a time period of the second length in response to a request from the second application program;

wherein the first time length is received from a first application program; and

wherein said adjusting the color correction parameters during the time period of the first length is in response to a request from the first application program.

36. A medium as in claim 20, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a request for a reservation from a first application program; and

granting a first reservation to the first application program in response to a determination that there is no pending reservation;

wherein the first time length is received from the first application program; and

wherein said adjusting the color correction parameters is in response to a request from the first application program that is in possess of the first reservation.

37. A medium as in claim 36, wherein said adjusting the color correction parameters is performed after a determination that the request from the first application program is received within a reservation time period for the first reservation.

38. A medium as in claim 37, wherein the method further comprises:

restoring, upon expiration of the reservation, the color correction parameters to values that the color correction parameters have before the reservation.

39. A data processing system to produce visual effect on a display device, the data processing system comprising:

means for receiving a first time length; and

means for adjusting, according to an elapsed time, color correction parameters a plurality of times during a time period of the first length.

40. A data processing system as in claim 39, wherein the color correction parameters comprise at least one look up table for gamma correction;

and wherein said elapsed time is measured by a real time clock which measures time during production of the visual effect.

41. A data processing system as in claim 40, wherein the at least one look up table is adjusted to blend input color signals with a color;

and wherein the input color signals is blended with the color according to the elapsed time.

42. A data processing system as in claim 41, wherein a weight on the color to blend the input color signals with the color changes faster near a middle of the time period than at one of:

a) a beginning of the time period; and

b) an end of the time period.

43. A data processing system as in claim 42, wherein the weight is determined from a function of the elapsed time.

44. A data processing system as in claim 39, further comprising:

means for performing color correction according to the color correction parameters.

45. A data processing system as in claim 39, wherein said means for adjusting the color correction parameters comprises:

means for instructing a graphics processing unit (GPU) to adjust the color correction parameters according to the elapsed time.

46. A data processing system as in claim 39, wherein a frequency for adjusting the color correction parameters is determined according to a refreshing frequency for displaying, on the display device, input color signals corrected by the color correction parameters.

47. A data processing system as in claim 46, wherein the frequency for adjusting the color correction parameters is substantially equal to the refreshing frequency.

48. A data processing system as in claim 39, wherein said means for adjusting the color correction parameters comprises:

means for determining a first value of the elapsed time;

means for determining first values of the color correction parameters according to the first value of the elapsed time;

means for determining a second value of the elapsed time; and

means for determining second values of the color correction parameters according to the second value of the elapsed time.

49. A data processing system as in claim 48, wherein the color correction parameters are adjusted by an operating system of a data processing system according to a task scheduler in response to a request from an application program running on the data processing system.

50. A data processing system as in claim 49, wherein the application program is allowed to execute operations during the time period.

51. A data processing system as in claim 49, wherein the application program is not allowed to execute operations until the request is fulfilled.

52. A data processing system as in claim 39, further comprising:

means for restoring, after the time period, the color correction parameters to values that the color correction parameters have before the time period.

53. A data processing system as in claim 52, wherein the color correction parameters are restored on expiration of a reservation time period, within which said adjusting the color correction parameters is performed.

54. A data processing system as in claim 39, further comprising:

means for receiving a second time length from a second application program; and

means for adjusting, according to an elapsed time, the color correction parameters a plurality of times during a time period of the second length in response to a request from the second application program;

wherein the first time length is received from a first application program; and

wherein the color correction parameters are adjusted during the time period of the first length in response to a request from the first application program.

55. A data processing system as in claim 39, further comprising:

means for receiving a request for a reservation from a first application program; and

means for granting a first reservation to the first application program in response to a determination that there is no pending reservation;

wherein the first time length is received from the first application program; and

wherein the color correction parameters are adjusted in response to a request from the first application program that is in possess of the first reservation.

56. A data processing system as in claim 55, wherein the color correction parameters are adjusted after a determination that the request from the first application program is received within a reservation time period for the first reservation.

57. A data processing system as in claim 56, further comprising:

means for restoring, upon expiration of the reservation, the color correction parameters to values that the color correction parameters have before the reservation.