TECHNIQUES FOR IMAGE ENHANCEMENT USING A TACTILE DISPLAY

• US 20150279010A1
• Filed: 03/25/2014
• Published: 10/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Cianfrone, Joseph A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,490,167 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0242 Compensation of deficiencies in the appearance of colours
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/066 for control of contrast
• 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 3/3433 using light modulating elements actuated by an electric field and being other than liquid crystal devices and electrochromic devices using liquid crystal devices G09G3/36; using electrochromic devices G09G3/38
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3493 using light modulating elements actuated by a piezoelectric effect
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/003 Details of a display terminal, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto specific for a CRT G09G1/165; for a flat panel G09G3/2092
• 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 5/363 Graphics controllers

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for enhancing the quality of a displayed image using a tactile or other texture display. In particular, the disclosed techniques leverage active-texture display technology to enhance the quality of graphics by providing, for example, outlining and/or shading when presenting a given image, so as to create the effect of increased contrast and image quality and/or to reduce observable glare. These effects can be present even at high viewing angles and in environments of high light reflection. To these ends, one or more graphics processes, such as edge-detection and/or shading, may be applied to an image to be displayed. In turn, an actuator element (e.g., microelectromechanical systems, or MEMS, devices) of the tactile display may be manipulated (e.g., in Z-height) to provide fine-grain adjustment of image attributes such as: pixel brightness/intensity; pixel color; edge highlighting; object outlining; effective shading; image contrast; and/or viewing angle.

Claims

1. A method of using a tactile display to display an image, the method comprising:

analyzing the image to be displayed by the tactile display; and

utilizing data from the analysis, adjusting an actuator element of the tactile display so that an image displayed by the tactile display exhibits an enhanced image attribute as compared to the image initially to be displayed by the tactile display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the image to be displayed by the tactile display comprises:

detecting object edges within the image to be displayed.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the image to be displayed by the tactile display comprises:

converting the image to be displayed to a black and white image;

inverting the resultant black and white image; and

calculating darkness intensity values across the resultant black and white, inverted image.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the actuator element of the tactile display comprises:

adjusting a Z-height of the actuator element with respect to a display surface of the tactile display.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein adjusting the actuator element of the tactile display further comprises:

adjusting the actuator element in at least one of an X-dimension and/or Y-dimension with respect to the display surface of the tactile display.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the actuator element of the tactile display comprises:

adjusting a Z-height of the actuator element with respect to a display surface of the tactile display from a first thickness at which the actuator element exhibits a first optical transparency to a second thickness at which the actuator element exhibits a second optical transparency different from the first optical transparency.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the enhanced image attribute pertains to at least one of pixel brightness/intensity, pixel color, edge highlighting, object outlining, effective shading, image contrast, and/or viewing angle.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, causes a process for using a tactile display to display an image to be carried out, the process comprising:

analyzing the image to be displayed by the tactile display; and

utilizing data from the analysis, adjusting an actuator element of the tactile display so that an image displayed by the tactile display exhibits an enhanced image attribute as compared to the image initially to be displayed by the tactile display.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein analyzing the image to be displayed by the tactile display comprises:

detecting object edges within the image to be displayed.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein analyzing the image to be displayed by the tactile display comprises:

converting the image to be displayed to a black and white image;

inverting the resultant black and white image; and

calculating darkness intensity values across the resultant black and white, inverted image.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein adjusting the actuator element of the tactile display comprises:

adjusting a Z-height of the actuator element with respect to a display surface of the tactile display.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein adjusting the actuator element of the tactile display further comprises:

adjusting the actuator element in at least one of an X-dimension and/or Y-dimension with respect to the display surface of the tactile display.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein adjusting the actuator element of the tactile display comprises:

adjusting a Z-height of the actuator element with respect to a display surface of the tactile display from a first thickness at which the actuator element exhibits a first optical transparency to a second thickness at which the actuator element exhibits a second optical transparency different from the first optical transparency.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the enhanced image attribute pertains to at least one of pixel brightness/intensity, pixel color, edge highlighting, object outlining, effective shading, image contrast, and/or viewing angle.

15. A device comprising:

an image analysis module configured to analyze an image to be displayed by a tactile display; and

a controller configured to adjust an actuator element of the tactile display based on image analysis data provided by the image analysis module so that an image displayed by the tactile display exhibits an enhanced image attribute as compared to the image initially to be displayed by the tactile display.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein in response to the image analysis data, the controller adjusts a Z-height of the actuator element with respect to a display surface of the tactile display.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein in response to the image analysis data, the controller also adjusts the actuator element in at least one of an X-dimension and/or Y-dimension with respect to the display surface of the tactile display.

18. The device of claim 15, wherein in response to the image analysis data, the controller adjusts a Z-height of the actuator element with respect to a display surface of the tactile display from a first thickness at which the actuator element exhibits a first optical transparency to a second thickness at which the actuator element exhibits a second optical transparency different from the first optical transparency.

19. The device of claim 15, wherein the enhanced image attribute pertains to at least one of pixel brightness/intensity, pixel color, edge highlighting, object outlining, effective shading, image contrast, and/or viewing angle.

20. A system comprising:

a tactile display comprising;

a display surface; and

an actuator element operatively coupled with the display surface;

a controller configured to control the actuator element; and

an image analysis module configured to output image analysis data to the controller;

wherein in response to the image analysis data, the controller adjusts a Z-height of the actuator element so as to enhance an image attribute of an image to be displayed by the tactile display.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the actuator element comprises at least one of a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device, an electrically switched light modulator, and/or an interferometric modulator element.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the actuator element comprises at least one of a ceramic piezoelectric material, lead zirconium titanate (Pb(Zr_xTi_1-x)O₃), zinc oxide (ZnO), and/or an electroactive polymer (EAP) material.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the actuator element is associated with a single pixel of the tactile display.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the actuator element is optically transparent.

25. The system of claim 20, wherein the enhanced image attribute pertains to at least one of pixel brightness/intensity, pixel color, edge highlighting, object outlining, effective shading, image contrast, and/or viewing angle.