Process for producing shaded colored images using dithering techniques
First Claim
1. In a color display apparatus having an array of picture elements each including plural picture sub-elements each of a different color and each having more than two display states selected between using at least two input terminals, each of which has two possible inputs, an ON input and an OFF input, a method of simulating display colors in addition to a number of display colors otherwise available using said color display apparatus, comprising the steps of:
- modulating an ON/OFF duty cycle of a least significant one of said at least two input terminals of each picture sub-element of the array of picture elements during a multi-frame display sequence according to attribute information of respective picture element data to be displayed; and
coordinating the timing of ON/OFF and OFF/ON input transitions on said least significant input terminal of each picture sub-element within each of a plurality of predetermined display neighborhoods throughout the array of picture elements such that said input transitions cause state transitions of said picture sub-elements to occur substantially uniformly in space and time, within each display neighborhood, during the multi-frame display sequencewherein said color display apparatus is a thin-film transistor LCD display,wherein each picture element has at least eight display states selected between using at least three input terminals,wherein said multi-frame sequence is 64 frames long and is logically divided into four sub-sequences each 16 frames long,wherein 260 shades of each picture sub-element are realized by causing the ON/OFF duty cycle of said least significant input terminal of each picture sub-element to have a value within the set {0, 1/64, 2/64, . . . , 64/64}, andwherein the ON/OFF duty cycle of said least significant input terminal of each picture sub-element during each of said four 16-frame sub-sequences of said 64 frame sequence is caused to have a value within the set {0, 1/16, 2/16, . . . , 16/16}.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a flat-panel display device, the ON/OFF duty cycle of each picture element of the array of picture elements is modulated during a multi-frame display sequence according to attribute information of respective picture element data to be displayed. The timing of ON/OFF and OFF/ON state transitions (i.e., the modulations) of the picture elements are coordinated within predetermined neighborhoods throughout the array of picture elements such that the state transitions occur substantially uniformly in space and time within a display neighborhood during the multi-frame display sequence. Advantage is taken of the visual averaging property by causing state transitions to occur substantially uniformly in space and time within each neighborhood throughout the array of picture elements during a multi-frame display sequence. Individual state transitions, which by themselves constitute display noise, are not perceived; instead, a coherent pattern of state transitions blending is provided that effectively simulates non-monochrome image displays. Dithering techniques are applied to realize a greater number of display colors than would otherwise be possible using conventional color LCD displays.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. In a color display apparatus having an array of picture elements each including plural picture sub-elements each of a different color and each having more than two display states selected between using at least two input terminals, each of which has two possible inputs, an ON input and an OFF input, a method of simulating display colors in addition to a number of display colors otherwise available using said color display apparatus, comprising the steps of:
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modulating an ON/OFF duty cycle of a least significant one of said at least two input terminals of each picture sub-element of the array of picture elements during a multi-frame display sequence according to attribute information of respective picture element data to be displayed; and coordinating the timing of ON/OFF and OFF/ON input transitions on said least significant input terminal of each picture sub-element within each of a plurality of predetermined display neighborhoods throughout the array of picture elements such that said input transitions cause state transitions of said picture sub-elements to occur substantially uniformly in space and time, within each display neighborhood, during the multi-frame display sequence wherein said color display apparatus is a thin-film transistor LCD display, wherein each picture element has at least eight display states selected between using at least three input terminals, wherein said multi-frame sequence is 64 frames long and is logically divided into four sub-sequences each 16 frames long, wherein 260 shades of each picture sub-element are realized by causing the ON/OFF duty cycle of said least significant input terminal of each picture sub-element to have a value within the set {0, 1/64, 2/64, . . . , 64/64}, and wherein the ON/OFF duty cycle of said least significant input terminal of each picture sub-element during each of said four 16-frame sub-sequences of said 64 frame sequence is caused to have a value within the set {0, 1/16, 2/16, . . . , 16/16}. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. In a color display apparatus having an array of picture elements each including plural picture sub-elements each of a different color and each having more than two display states selected between using at least two input terminals, each of which has two possible inputs, an ON input and an OFF input, a method of simulating display colors in addition to a number of display colors otherwise available using said color display apparatus, comprising the steps of:
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modulating an ON/OFF duty cycle of a least significant one of said at least two input terminals of each picture sub-element of the array of picture elements during a multi-frame display sequence according to attribute information of respective picture element data to be displayed; and coordinating the timing of ON/OFF and OFF/ON input transitions on said feast significant input terminal of each picture sub-element within each of a plurality of predetermined display neighborhoods throughout the array of picture elements such that said input transitions cause state transitions of said picture sub-elements to occur substantially uniformly in space and time, within each display neighborhood, during the multi-frame display sequence wherein said color display apparatus is a thin-film transistor LCD display, wherein each picture element has at least eight display states selected between using at least three input terminals, wherein said multi-frame sequence is M×
N frames long, M and N being integers, and is logically divided into M sub-sequences each N frames long,wherein M×
N+1 shades of each picture sub-element are realized by causing the ON/OFF duty cycle of said least significant input terminal of each picture sub-element to have a value within the set {0, 1/M×
N, 2/M×
N, M×
N/M×
N}, andwherein the ON/OFF duty cycle of said least significant input terminal of each picture sub-element during each of said M N-frame sub-sequences of said M×
N frame sequence is caused to have a value within the set {0, 1/N, 2/N, . . . , N/N}. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
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7. A method of simulating display colors in addition to a number of display colors otherwise available using a color display device that has an array of picture elements each including plural picture sub-elements each of a different color and each having only two display states, an ON state and an OFF state, comprising the steps of:
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modulating an ON/OFF duty cycle of each picture sub-element of the array of picture elements during a multi-frame display sequence according to attribute information of respective picture element data to be displayed; and coordinating the timing of ON/OFF and OFF/ON state transitions of picture sub-elements within each of a plurality of predetermined display neighborhoods throughout the array of picture elements such that the state transitions occur substantially uniformly in space and time, within each display neighborhood, during the multi-frame display sequence wherein said multi-frame sequence is sixty-four frames long, wherein said multi-frame sequence sixty-four frames long is logically divided into four sub-sequences each sixteen frames long, wherein sixty-five display shades of each picture sub-element are realized by causing the ON/OFF duty cycle of each picture element to have a value within the set {0, 1/64, 2/64, . . . , 64/64}, and wherein the ON/OFF duty cycle of each picture sub-element during each of said four sixteen-frame sub-sequences of said sixty-four-frame sequence is caused to have a value within the set {0, 1/16, 2/16, . . . , 16/16}. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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10. A method of simulating display colors in addition to a number of display colors otherwise available using a color display device that has an array of picture elements each including plural picture sub-elements each of a different color and each having only two display states, an ON state and an OFF state, comprising the steps of:
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modulating an ON/OFF duty cycle of each picture sub-element of the array of picture elements during a multi-frame display sequence according to attribute information of respective picture element data to be displayed; and coordinating the timing of ON/OFF and OFF/ON state transitions of picture sub-elements within each of a plurality of predetermined display neighborhoods throughout the array of picture elements such that the state transitions occur substantially uniformly in space and time, within each display neighborhood, during the multi-frame display sequence wherein said multi-frame sequence is M×
N frames long, M and N being integers, and is logically divided into M sub-sequences each N frames long,wherein M×
N+1 display shades of each picture sub-element are realized by causing the ON/OFF duty cycle of each picture sub-element to have a value within the set {0, 1/M×
N, 2/M×
N, . . . , M×
N/M×
N}, andwherein the ON/OFF duty cycle of each picture sub-element during each of said M N-frame sub-sequences of said M×
N frame sequence is caused to-have a value within the set {0, 1/N, 2/N, . . . , N/N}. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. A color display apparatus having an array of picture elements each including plural picture sub-elements each of a different color and each having more than two display states selected between using at least two input terminals, each of which has two possible inputs, an ON input and an OFF input, said apparatus comprising:
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modulating means for modulating an ON/OFF duty cycle of a least significant one of said at least two input terminals of each picture sub-element of the array of picture elements during a multi-frame display sequence according to attribute information of respective picture element data to be displayed; and coordinating means for coordinating the timing of ON/OFF and OFF/ON input transitions on said least significant input terminal of each picture sub-element within each of a plurality of predetermined display neighborhoods throughout the array of picture elements such that said input transitions cause state transitions of said picture sub-elements to occur substantially uniformly in space and time, within each display neighborhood, during the multi-frame display sequence whereby said color display apparatus simulates display colors in addition to a number of display colors that would otherwise be available using said color display apparatus wherein said color display apparatus has a thin-film transistor LCD display, wherein each picture element has at least eight display states selected between using at least three input terminals, wherein said multi-frame sequence is 64 frames long and is logically divided into four sub-sequences each 16 frames long, wherein 260 shades of each picture sub-element are realized by causing the ON/OFF duty cycle of said least significant input terminal of each picture sub-element to have a value within the set {0, 1/64, 2/64, . . . , 64/64}, wherein the ON/OFF duty cycle of said least significant input terminal of each picture sub-element during each of said four 16-frame sub-sequences of said 64 frame sequence is caused to have a value within the set {0, 1/16, 2/16, . . . , 16/16}. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. A color display apparatus having an array of picture elements each including plural picture sub-elements each of a different color and each having more than two display states selected between using at least two input terminals, each of which has two possible inputs, an ON input and an OFF input, said apparatus comprising:
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modulating means for modulating an ON/OFF duty cycle of a least significant one of said at least two input terminals of each picture sub-element of the array of picture elements during a multi-frame display sequence according to attribute information of respective picture element data to be displayed; and coordinating means for coordinating the timing of ON/OFF and OFF/ON input transitions on said least significant input terminal of each picture sub-element within each of a plurality of predetermined display neighborhoods throughout the array of picture elements such that said input transitions cause state transitions of said picture sub-elements to occur substantially uniformly in space and time, within each display neighborhood, during the multi-frame display sequence whereby said color display apparatus simulates display colors in addition to a number of display colors that would otherwise be available using said color display apparatus wherein said color display apparatus has a thin-film transistor LCD display, wherein each picture element has at least eight display states selected between using at least three input terminals, wherein said multi-frame sequence is M×
N frames long, M and N being integers, and is logically divided into M sub-sequences each N frames long,wherein M×
N+1 shades of each picture sub-element are realized by causing the ON/OFF duty cycle of said least significant input terminal of each picture sub-element to have a value within the set {0, 1/M×
N, 2/M×
N, M×
N/M×
N},wherein the ON/OFF duty cycle of said least significant input terminal of each picture sub-element during each of said M N-frame sub-sequences of said M×
N frame sequence is caused to have a value within the set {0, 1/N, 2/N, . . . , N/N}. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. A color display apparatus having an array of picture elements each including plural picture sub-elements each of a different color and each having only two display states, an ON state and an OFF state, comprising:
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modulating means for modulating an ON/OFF duty cycle of each picture sub-element of the array of picture elements during a multi-frame display sequence according to attribute information of respective picture element data to be displayed; and coordinating means for coordinating the timing of ON/OFF and OFF/ON state transitions of picture sub-elements within each of a plurality of predetermined display neighborhoods throughout the array of picture elements such that the state transitions occur substantially uniformly in space and time, within each display neighborhood, during the multi-frame display sequence whereby said color display apparatus simulates display colors in addition to a number of display colors otherwise available using said color display apparatus wherein said multi-frame sequence is sixty-four frames long and is logically divided into four sub-sequences each sixteen frames long, wherein sixty-five display shades of each picture sub-element are realized by causing the ON/OFF duty cycle of each picture element to have a value within the set {0, 1/64, 2/64, . . . , 64/64}, and wherein the ON/OFF duty cycle of each picture sub-element during each of said four sixteen-frame sub-sequences of said sixty-four-frame sequence is caused to have a value within the set {0, 1/16, 2/16, . . . , 16/16}. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. A color display apparatus having an array of picture elements each including plural picture sub-elements each of a different color and each having only two display states, an ON state and an OFF state, comprising:
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modulating means for modulating an ON/OFF duty cycle of each picture sub-element of the array of picture elements during a multi-frame display sequence according to attribute information of respective picture element data to be displayed; and coordinating means for coordinating the timing of ON/OFF and OFF/ON state transitions of picture sub-elements within each of a plurality of predetermined display neighborhoods throughout the array of picture elements such that the state transitions occur substantially uniformly in space and time, within each display neighborhood, during the multi-frame display sequence whereby said color display apparatus simulates display colors in addition to a number of display colors otherwise available using said color display apparatus wherein said multi-frame sequence is M×
N frames long, M and N being integers, and is logically divided into M sub-sequences each N frames long,wherein M×
N+1 display shades of each picture sub-element are realized by causing the ON/OFF duty cycle of each picture sub-element to have a value within the set {0, 1/M×
N, 2/M×
N, . . . , M×
N/M×
n}, andwherein the ON/OFF duty cycle of each picture sub-element during each of said M N-frame sub-sequences of said M×
N frame sequence is caused to-have a value within the set {0, 1/N, 2/N, . . . , N/N}. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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Specification