Illuminated surround and method for operating same for video and other displays

• US 20080186707A1
• Filed: 02/05/2007
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DreamWorks Animation LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: DreamWorks Animation LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Egstad, Jonathan, Rasche, Karl, Ku, Hans, Hanashiro, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,026,908 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/253
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/0052 Audio or video equipment, e.g. televisions, telephones, cameras or computers; Remote control devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0666 for control of colour parameters, e.g. colour temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• 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: H04N 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42202 environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/58 in dependence upon ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/73 Colour balance circuits, e.g. white balance circuits or colour temperature control camera processing pipelines for colour balance H04N23/88
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/105 in response to determined parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

In a video or other screen display apparatus, a surround to the actual screen is provided whose light output is variable in order to compensate for the effect of ambient (room) illumination on apparent contrast and chroma of the displayed image. The relationship between ambient light level and the surround illumination is an inverse power function. This provides the effect of making the viewer perceive that the entire room is brighter than it actually is, resulting in a desirable change in his perception of brightness. Thereby, the chromaticity of the surround is variable to allow a match to the calibrated white point of the video display. The apparatus includes an ambient light sensor whose output signal is provided to a control system driving the illuminated surround.

Claims

1. A display apparatus comprising:

a screen adapted to display an image;

an illuminated surround adjacent at least one edge of the screen;

an ambient light sensor located near the screen; and

a control coupled to the sensor and to the surround, to control a brightness and/or chromaticity of the surround responsive to the sensed ambient light level.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the screen is one of an LCD, SED, OLED, plasma, rear projection, front projection, or cathode ray tube.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the surround includes an illuminated panel.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control responds to a change in the sensed ambient light level over a time of at least two seconds.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control responds to a change in the ambient light level in a time-averaged fashion.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the surround includes at least three portions, each adjacent one edge of the screen and each portion subtends at least 1/14 of a viewer'"'"'s field of view of the screen.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein illumination of the surround is also a function of a white point of the display.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor includes two spaced apart sensor elements, each located behind the screen relative to a viewer of the screen, and at or near a top of the screen.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control sets the brightness of the surround as an inverse relation to the sensed level of ambient light.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the relation is a power function.

12. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the panel includes a source of red, green, and blue illumination and a diffuser.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control is also responsive to a black point of the the display.

4. The apparatus of Claim I, wherein a portion of the surround which is illuminated is spaced apart from the screen.

14. A method comprising the acts of:

displaying an image on a screen;

providing an illuminated area adjacent at least one edge of the screen;

sensing a level of ambient light near the screen; and

controlling a brightness or chromaticity of the illuminated area responsive to the sensed ambient light level.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the screen is an LCD, SED, OLED, plasma, rear projection, front projection, or cathode ray tube.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the illuminated area includes an illuminated panel.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the illuminated area is spaced apart from the screen.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the controlling responds to a change in the sensed ambient light level over a time of at least two seconds.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the controlling responds to a change in the ambient light level in a time-averaged fashion.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the illuminated area includes at least three portions, each adjacent one edge of the screen and each portion subtends at least 1/14 of a viewer'"'"'s field of view of the screen.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the controlling is also a function of a white point of the screen.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the sensing includes providing two spaced apart sensor elements, each located behind the screen relative to a viewer of the screen, and at or near a top of the screen.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein the controlling sets the brightness of the surround as an inverse relation to the sensed level of ambient light.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the relation is a power function.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the illuminated panel includes a source of red, green, and blue illumination and a diffuser.

26. The method of claim 14, wherein the controlling is also responsive to a black point of the screen.

27. Apparatus for use with a screen adapted to display an image, the apparatus comprising:

an illuminated surround adapted to be mounted adjacent to at least three edges of the screen;

an ambient light sensor located near the screen; and

a control coupled to the sensor and to the surround, to control a brightness or chromaticity of the surround responsive to the sensed ambient light level.