System of absolute measurement for radiological image luminance control

• US 6,327,708 B1
• Filed: 09/15/1998
• Issued: 12/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: True Image, LLC
• Original Assignee: True Image, LLC
• Inventors: Monsees, Thomas L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Faile, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Srivastava, Vivek
• Application Number:
  US09/153,629
• Time in Patent Office: 1,176 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.900, H04/N.716, H04/N 1.700, H04/N 1.702, G09/G.106, G09/G.500, 348/180, 348/182, 348/189, 348/190, 348/602, 725/12, 725/9, 345/207, 345/10
• US Class Current: 725/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/58 in dependence upon ambient light

Abstract

An inconspicuous system is defined for measuring the absolute luminance of a CRT display and the actual effective luminance as would be measured from the viewer'"'"'s perspective due to additional reflected ambient illuminance in order to enable closed loop adjustment of the display device and to thereby enable luminance quality control, facilitate image perception, and ascertain fidelity of image presentation conveniently over time.

Claims

1. For use with a CRT display device having a glass envelope jug and a display face carrying internally of the display face phosphors in a phosphor layer backed internally of the glass envelope jug by a reflective, partially light-transmissive mask, a system for automatically measuring the absolute luminance of the CRT display device and the ambient illuminance produced by illumination at the face of the CRT, variations in luminance performance of the CRT and ambient illumination tending to interfere with the fidelity or facility of displayed image interpretation of images displayed by the CRT, the system comprising in combination a photosensor carried invisibly to a viewer of the CRT face while presented in intimate relation to the CRT such that a reproducibly measurable illuminance proportion of light resulting from the ambient lighting on the CRT face will be received indirectly by the photosensor in addition to another reproducibly measurable luminance proportion of the light generated by said phosphors of the CRT, the photosensor being positioned on the jug of the CRT at a location rearward of the display face of the CRT for receiving light emitted backward through the mask from said phosphors of the CRT, and for receiving light indirectly from ambient light impinging on the CRT display face, and so positioned that the output of the photosensor is the sum of two components, one of which is proportional to the absolute luminance of excited phosphors from the face of the CRT as said luminance is measured by the photosensor through the mask and the other of which is proportional to the ambient illuminance as received at the CRT face, and means responsive to the photosensor for determining said absolute luminance and illuminance.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein the photosensor means is a linearly responsive photocell affixed to jug of the CRT in such a continuous and intimate manner that no dust, oil, or other airborne contaminant can, cumulatively over time, effect a change to the optical coupling of the photocell and CRT.

3. A system according to claim 2 wherein the intimate photocell and CRT attachment includes an intervening light-trasmissive layer with spectral properties such that the wavelength response of the photocell matches the spectral sensitivity response of the human eye.

4. A system according to claim 1 wherein the photosensor is positioned proximate to the jug of the CRT at a location where the glass is not subject to electron browning.

10. A system according to claim 1 wherein the measurement of absolute luminance is the actual effective luminance which would be either observed measured by photometer from the normal perspective of a viewer of the CRT face due to the indistinguishable combination of both reflected ambient light and phosphor generated light.

11. A system according to claim 10 wherein the actual effective luminance of the CRT is determined by computing the sum of a phosphor generate luminance component with a reflected illuminance component determined by the multiplication of FA, a procedurally determined ambient component of the converted photosensor signal FS, by CE, a calibration constant with dimensions of luminance/Hz which is precomputed to match the particular CTR, photosensor, and current to frequency converter.

12. A system according to claim 1 wherein the wavelength response of the photocell is caused to match the spectral sensitivity response of the human eye.

5. For use with a CRT display device having a glass envelope jug a and a display face carrying internally of the display face phosphors, a system for a automatically measuring the absolute luminance of a CRT display device having a CRT and the ambient illumination at the face of the CRT, variations in luminance performance of the CRT and ambient illumination tending to interfere with the fidelity or facility of displayed image interpretation of images displayed by the CRT, the system comprising in combination a photosensor carried invisibly to a viewer of the CRT face while presented in intimate relation to the CRT such that a reproducibly measurable illuminance proportion of light resulting from the ambient lighting on the CRT face will be received indirectly by the photosensor in addition to another reproducibly measurable luminance proportion of the light generated by phosphors of the CRT and means responsive to the photosensor for determining said absolute luminance and illuminance, wherein the photosensor-responsive means comprises a current to frequency converter interconnected and closely associated with the photosensor means for integrating and converting the analog output of the photosensor means to a buffered binary signal with a dynamic range of at least 5 decades, and a microprocessor control to interpret the resulting binary signal and to effect with certainty the absolute blanking of the CRT as by sufficient reduction of the positive voltage at the G2 element of the CRT electron gun.

6. A system according to claim 5 wherein the microprocessor control is hardware triggered by the actual frame refresh signal of the CRT to ensure sensor signal integration over the minimum time to precisely capture the periodic phosphor generated luminance.

7. A system according to claim 5 wherein the microprocessor control includes a procedure for determining individual ambient FA and phosphor FP generated components of FS, the converted photosensor signal FS, with FS=FA+FP, such procedure fundamentally consisting of the following steps:

1) Force FP=0 by totally blanking the CRT display (G2 @CRT=0 volts or otherwise biased to cutoff)

2) Measure FS=FA and record the value of FA

3) Re-enable the display luminance (restore CRT bias)

4) Measure FS and subtract FA leaving FP.

8. A system according to claim 7 wherein the determining means provides a multiplication of FP, the procedurally determined component of the converted photosensor signal FS by CP, a calibration constant with dimensions of luminance/(Hz which is precomputed to match the particular CRT, photosensor, and current to frequency converter.

9. A system according to claim 8 wherein the determining means provides multiplication of FA, the procedurally determined ambient component of the converted photosensor signal FS by CA, a calibration constant with dimensions of illuminance/Hz which is precomputed to match the particular CRT, photosensor, and current to frequency converter.

13. A system according to claim 5 wherein the wavelength response of the photocell is caused to match the spectral sensitivity response of the human eye.