DUAL SOURCE BACKLIGHT UNIT FOR USE WITH A DISPLAY, A DISPLAY SYSTEM AND METHOD
First Claim
1. A lighting unit for a passive display, comprisinga first light configured to illuminate a passive display,a second light configured to illuminate the passive display, andwherein the first light and second light are independently controllable.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A display system, method and backlight unit for use with a display. The backlight unit includes a first light source and a second light source, wherein the first light source and the second light source are controllable independently of each other. The sum of light produced by the light sources illuminates the display to achieve illumination brightness capability of a higher intensity capable single light source. Changes in spectral characteristics and/or brightness characteristics due to aging or the like may be compensated. The first light source may provide a base line illumination level for the display and the second light source may be modulated to dynamically increase contrast and/or contrast ratio characteristics of the image being shown on the display to a viewer.
31 Citations
102 Claims
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1. A lighting unit for a passive display, comprising
a first light configured to illuminate a passive display, a second light configured to illuminate the passive display, and wherein the first light and second light are independently controllable.
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20. A display device for displaying an image, the display device comprising:
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a passive display panel; a backlight unit configured to illuminate the display panel; and at least one control operatively coupled to the passive display panel and the backlight unit; wherein the backlight unit comprises a first independently controllable light source and a second independently controllable light source, wherein the first light source is controlled to provide substantially constant light output and the second light source is controlled to provide modulated light output. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A display system comprising:
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a display for producing an output image representative of an image signal; a backlight unit configured to illuminate the display and including a first light source and a second light source, wherein the first light source and the second light source are controllable independently of each other; and a controller operatively coupled to the display and the backlight unit, wherein the controller is configured to dynamically increase output image contrast while adjusting the light level of the second light source for at least one of dim images or bright images while the light level of the first light source is relatively constant. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A display device for displaying an image, the display device comprising:
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a passive display panel; a backlight unit configured to illuminate the display panel; and at least one control operatively coupled to the passive display panel and the backlight unit; wherein the backlight unit comprises a first independently controllable light source and a second independently controllable light source, wherein the first light source is controlled to provide substantially constant light output and the second light source is controlled to provide modulated light output. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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53. A backlight unit comprising:
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a first light source; a second light source, wherein the first light source and the second light source are controllable independently of each other; and a frame configured to secure the first light source and the second light source, wherein the frame has a quadrilateral shape with a first side and a second side forming a width of the quadrilateral and a third side and a fourth side forming a length of the quadrilateral. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64)
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67. A display device for displaying an image, the display device comprising:
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a passive display panel; a backlight unit; and at least one control operatively coupled to the passive display panel and the backlight unit; wherein the backlight unit comprises a first independently controllable light source and a second independently controllable light source, wherein the first light source is controlled to provide substantially constant light output and the second light source is controlled to provide modulated light output. - View Dependent Claims (68, 69, 70, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78)
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79. A method of controlling contrast of a display image on a display apparatus capable of displaying color within a predetermined gray range having a predetermined number of discrete shades of gray, the display apparatus including a first light source, a second light source and a computer control, the method comprising:
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processing brightness information and color information of the input image signal, wherein if an input image signal uses a first number of discrete shades of gray that is less than the predetermined number of discrete shades of gray of the display apparatus in a range less than the predetermined gray range, the first number of discrete shades of gray is changed to a second number of discrete shades of gray greater than the first number of discrete shades of gray by holding the amount of light emitted by the first illuminating source substantially constant and adjusting the amount of light emitted from the second illuminating source, wherein the adjusting comprises; decreasing the amount of light emitted from the second illuminating source if the image corresponding to the input signal is a dim image; and
increasing the amount of light emitted from the second illuminating source if the if the image corresponding to the input signal is a bright image. - View Dependent Claims (80, 81, 82)
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83. A display device for displaying an image, comprising:
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a display apparatus capable of displaying color within a predetermined gray range having a predetermined number of discrete shades of gray; a first illuminating light source and a second illuminating light source, wherein the first illuminating light source and the second illuminating light source are independent of each other; and a computer control, wherein the computer control is operable to receive an input signal including brightness and color information using a first number of discrete shades of gray that is less than the predetermined number of discrete shades of gray of the display apparatus in a range that is less than the predetermined gray range;
change the first number of discrete shades of gray to a second number of discrete shades of gray used to display an image on the display while adjusting an amount of light from the second illuminating light source by increasing an amount of light from the second illuminating light source if the brightness is high and decreasing an amount of light from the second illuminating light source if the brightness is low and maintaining a substantially constant amount of light output from the first illuminating source. - View Dependent Claims (84, 85, 86, 87)
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88. A method of controlling contrast of a display image of a display apparatus including a first illuminating light source, a second illuminating light source and a computer control, the method comprising:
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processing brightness information and determining brightness and a range of gray levels used for an input signal; and increasing the range of gray levels for displaying an image corresponding to the input signal and substantially maintaining output of light emitted from the first illuminating light source and adjusting the amount of light emitted by the second illuminating light source if the image corresponding to the input signal is a dim image. - View Dependent Claims (89, 90, 91, 92, 93)
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94. The method of controlling contrast of a display image on a display, wherein the display apparatus is capable of displaying a color image, comprising:
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providing light from a first illuminating light source and a second illuminating light source, wherein the first illuminating light source is held substantially constant and the second illuminating light source includes at least three independently controllable colors to illuminate a display of the display apparatus to display an image; and wherein the computer control is used for controlling contrast of the display image such that the processing comprises processing brightness information and color information and determining brightness and a range of gray levels for each color used for an input signal; and the increasing and adjusting steps, respectively, comprise independently by color component increasing the range of gray levels for displaying an image corresponding to the input signal, and, in addition, independently by color component decreasing the amount of light emitted by the second illuminating source if the image corresponding to the input signal is a dim image or independently by color component increasing the amount of light emitted by the second illuminating source if the image corresponding to the input signal is a bright image.
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95. A method of controlling contrast of a display image of a display apparatus capable of displaying color within a predetermined range of gray shade levels, the display apparatus including a first illuminating light source, a second illuminating source and a computer control, the method comprising:
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processing brightness information of the input image signal to determine a range of gray levels in the input image and determine whether the image corresponding to the input image signal is a bright image that would provide a high intensity low contrast or a dim image that would provide a low intensity low contrast; and controlling contrast by changing the range of gray levels to a second range of gray levels greater than the first mentioned range of gray levels if the image corresponding to the input signal is a dim image or a bright image, and while maintaining light output from the first illuminating source adjusting the amount of light emitted from the second illuminating light source by decreasing the amount of light if the image corresponding to the input signal is a dim image or increasing the amount of light if the image corresponding to the input signal is a bright image.
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96. A display device for displaying an image, comprising:
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a display; a first illuminating light source and a second illuminating light source, wherein the first illuminating light source and the second illuminating light source are independent of each other; and a computer control, wherein the computer control receives an input signal including brightness and color information, determines a range of gray levels used for the input signal and increases the range of gray levels for displaying an image on the display corresponding to the input signal, and while maintaining light output from the first illuminating light source and increasing an amount of light from the second illuminating light source if the brightness is high or decreasing an amount of light from the second illuminating light source if the brightness is low. - View Dependent Claims (97, 98, 99, 100, 101)
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Specification