ENVIRONMENTAL ADJUSTMENTS TO PERCEIVE TRUE CONTENT

• US 20150089551A1
• Filed: 09/20/2013
• Published: 03/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Bruhn, Christopher William, Nguyen, Phuc H.
• Granted Patent: US 9,432,612 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/80
• 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 2340/14 Solving problems related to the presentation of information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/16 Calculation or use of calculated indices related to luminance levels in display data
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T
• 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 5/10 Intensity circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/004 for digital television systems
• 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 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4854 for modifying image parameters, e.g. image brightness, contrast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/58 in dependence upon ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution
• 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

Methods and systems to evaluate the ambient light in a local viewing environment where video content is being displayed, and to make adjustments to the ambient light, video display device, and/or video content to cause the perception of the color and brightness of the video content to the viewer to be true to what the video content producer intended the viewer to perceive.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a video content stream for display on a display device, the display device being in a local viewing environment;

analyzing the video content stream for brightness and color values;

measuring ambient light values for the local viewing environment, the ambient light values including brightness;

determining adjustments to the ambient light values of the local viewing environment that will cause viewing of the content stream on the display device to appear truer to the brightness and color of the video content stream;

identifying an adjustment device in proximity to the local viewing environment that can adjust the ambient light values within the local viewing environment, the ambient light values including brightness;

activating the adjustment device in synchronization with the content stream displayed on the display device to cause viewed content to appear truer to the brightness and color values of the video content stream.

2. A method comprising:

receiving a video content stream for display on a display device, the display device being in a local viewing environment;

analyzing the video content stream for brightness and color values;

measuring ambient light values for the local viewing environment, the ambient light values including brightness and color values;

determining adjustments to the ambient light values of the local viewing environment that will cause viewing of the content stream on the display device to appear truer to the brightness and color of the video content stream;

identifying an adjustment device in proximity to the local viewing environment that can adjust the ambient light values within the local viewing environment, the ambient light values including brightness and color values;

activating one or more light-adjustment devices in synchronization with the content stream displayed on the display device to cause viewed content to appear truer to the brightness and color values of the video content stream.

3. A method as in claim 2 wherein:

the adjustment device modifies the brightness of lights within the local viewing environment.

4. A method as in claim 2 wherein:

the adjustment device modifies the position of window coverings in the local viewing environment.

5. A method as in claim 2 wherein:

the adjustment device modifies the color saturation in the local viewing environment.

6. A method as in claim 2 wherein:

determining adjustment to the ambient light values further comprises measuring a viewer'"'"'s night-vision threshold.

7. A method as in claim 2, further comprising:

wherein the adjustment device modifies the content stream before display; and

adjusting the color represented in the video content stream to cause viewed content to appear truer to the brightness and color values of the original content stream.

8. A system comprising:

an input configured to receive a video content stream for display on a display device within a local viewing environment;

an input configured to receive ambient lighting information for the local viewing environment, the ambient light values including brightness and color values;

a device database identifying controllable devices within the local viewing area that are able to adjust ambient light values within the local viewing environment;

an analysis module configured to

receive the video content stream,

to analyze the content stream to determine brightness and color values, and

to output the brightness and color values;

an adjustment device that can communicate with the controllable devices identified within the device database to adjust the ambient light values within the local viewing environment; and

a processing module configured to

receive the brightness and color values of the video content from the analysis module,

analyze the received ambient lighting information for the local viewing environment;

determine, using the brightness and color values of the analyzed video content stream, the received ambient lighting information, and the list of controllable devices in the device database used to adjust ambient light, the commands to be sent to the adjustment device to adjust ambient lighting, and

send commands to the adjustment device for content displayed on the display device to appear truer to the brightness and color values of the video content stream.

9. A system as in claim 8 wherein:

adjust ambient lighting further comprises add full-spectrum white light to the local viewing environment.

10. A system as in claim 8 wherein:

adjust ambient lighting further comprises modify the position of exterior window coverings in the local viewing environment.

11. A system as in claim 8 wherein:

adjust ambient lighting further comprises modify the color saturation in the local viewing environment.

12. A system as in claim 8 further comprising:

an input configured to receive a measure of a viewer'"'"'s night vision threshold; and

wherein the processing module is further configured to

determine, using the received measure of a viewer'"'"'s night vision threshold, commands to be sent to the adjustment device to adjust ambient lighting.

13. A system as in claim 8, further comprising:

wherein the adjustment device is able to modify the content stream before display;

wherein the processing module is further configured to

determine, using the brightness and color values of the analyzed video content stream and the received ambient lighting information, commands to be sent to the adjustment device to modify the content stream before display.

14. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processing system in a receiving device, cause the processing system to:

receive a video content stream for display on a display device, the display device being in a local viewing environment;

analyze the video content stream for brightness and color values;

measure ambient light values for the local viewing environment, the ambient light values including brightness;

determine adjustments to the ambient light values of the local viewing environment that will cause viewing of the content stream on the display device to appear truer to the brightness and color of the video content stream;

identify an adjustment device in proximity to the local viewing environment that can adjust the ambient light values within the local viewing environment, the ambient light values including brightness;

activate the adjustment device in synchronization with the content stream displayed on the display device to cause viewed content to appear truer to the brightness and color values of the video content stream.