Image quality correction circuit for video signals

• US 6,373,533 B1
• Filed: 03/04/1998
• Issued: 04/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Sugimoto, Hiroko, Kawabata, Minoru, Kageyama, Atsuhisa, Takeshima, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Trang U.
• Application Number:
  US09/034,851
• Time in Patent Office: 1,504 Days
• Field of Search: 348/671, 348/672, 348/674, 348/687, 348/645, 348/646, 382/168, 382/172, 382/169, 358/522, 358/521
• US Class Current: 348/672
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20012 Locally adaptive
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30201 Face
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/40 using histogram techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/92 based on global image properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/20 Circuitry for controlling amplitude response

Abstract

The tone of video signals is corrected without degrading the tone of certain image features, such as a human face. A gain controller operates and outputs an adjustment value using a histogram output produced by a histogram generator. An average value of picture levels on a screen is detected by an average picture level detector. A histogram correction circuit calculates a look-up table, and a video signal correction circuit corrects the tone of the video signals using the look-up table.

Claims

1. A correction circuit comprising:

histogram generation means for generating a first histogram from an input video signal;

gain control means for outputting a first adjustment value for correcting said first histogram;

histogram correction means for creating a corrected second histogram by altering each frequency in said first histogram based on said first adjustment value so that a sum of said frequencies in said first histogram is constant; and

video signal correction means for receiving said corrected second histogram from said histogram correction means and for correcting the input video signal based on said corrected second histogram.

2. A tone correction circuit as defined in claim 1, further comprising

average picture level detection means for detecting an average picture level of said input video signal and outputting said average picture level to said gain control means; and

wherein said gain control means alters said first adjustment value based on said average picture level.

3. A tone correction circuit as defined in claim 1, wherein said video signal correction means produces a cumulative and normalization function based on said corrected second histogram created by said histogram correction means, and alters the input video signal based on said cumulative and normalization function.

4. A tone correction circuit as defined in claim 1, wherein said first adjustment value is a constant value.

5. A tone correction circuit comprising:

histogram generation means for generating a first histogram from an input video signal;

gain control means for outputting a first adjustment value for correcting said first histogram;

histogram correction means for creating a corrected second histogram by altering each frequency in said first histogram based on said first adjustment value, so that a sum of said frequencies in said first histogram is constant;

video signal correction means for receiving said corrected second histogram from said histogram correction means and for correcting the input video signal based on said corrected second histogram; and

average picture level detection means for detecting an average picture level of said input video signal;

wherein said average picture level detection means outputs a second adjustment value if said average picture level is greater than a correction starting level, and outputs a third adjustment value if said average picture level is smaller than said correction starting level, and said gain control means alters said first adjustment value based on the output of said average picture level detection means.

6. A tone correction circuit comprising:

histogram generation means for generating a first histogram from an input video signal;

gain control means for outputting a first adjustment value for correcting said first histogram;

histogram correction means for creating a corrected second histogram by altering each frequency in said first histogram based on said first adjustment value so that a sum of said frequencies in said first histogram is constant;

video signal correction means for receiving said corrected second histogram from said histogram correction means and for correcting the input video signal based on said corrected second histogram, and average picture level detection means for detecting an average picture level of said input video signal;

wherein said video signal correction means produces a cumulative and normalization function based on said corrected second histogram created by said histogram correction means, and alters the input video signal based on said cumulative normalization function.

7. A tone correction circuit comprising:

histogram generation means for generating a first histogram from an input video signal;

gain control means for outputting a first adjustment value for correcting said first histogram;

histogram correction means for creating a corrected second histogram by altering each frequency in said first histogram based on said first adjustment value so that a sum of said frequencies in said first histogram is constant;

video signal correction means for receiving said corrected second histogram from said histogram correction means and for correcting the input video signal based on said corrected second histogram, and

average picture level detection means for detecting an average picture level of said input video signal;

wherein said average picture level detection means outputs a second adjustment value if said average picture level is greater than a correction starting level, and outputs a third adjustment value if said average picture level is smaller than said correction starting level, and said gain control means alters said first adjustment value based on the output of said average picture level detection means, and said first adjustment value is restricted by a limit level.

8. A tone correction circuit comprising:

histogram generation means for generating a first histogram from an input video signal;

gain control means for outputting a first adjustment value for correcting said first histogram;

histogram correction means for creating a corrected second histogram by altering each frequency in said first histogram based on said first adjustment value so that a sum of said frequencies in said first histogram is constant;

video signal correction means for receiving said corrected second histogram from said histogram correction means and for correcting the input video signal based on said corrected second histogram, and

average picture level detection means for detecting an average picture level of said input video signal;

wherein said video signal correction means produces a cumulative and normalization function based on said corrected second histogram created by said histogram correction means, and alters the input video signal based on said cumulative and normalization function, and said first adjustment value is restricted by a limit level.

9. A tone correction circuit comprising:

histogram generation means for generating a first histogram from an input video signal;

histogram correction means for creating a corrected second histogram by altering each frequency in said first histogram based on said first adjustment value;

video signal correction means for receiving said corrected second histogram from said histogram correction means and for correcting the input video signal based on said corrected second histogram;

average picture level detection means for detecting an average picture level of said input video signal; and

gain control means for outputting a first adjustment value for correcting said first histogram based on an output from said average picture level detection means.

10. A tone correction circuit as defined in claim 9, wherein said average picture level detection means outputs a second adjustment value if said average picture level is greater than a correction starting level, and outputs a third adjustment value if said average picture level is smaller than said correction starting level, and said gain control means alters said first adjustment value based on the output of said average picture level detection means.

11. A tone correction circuit as defined in claim 9, wherein said gain control means alters said first adjustment value based on said average picture level.

12. A tone correction circuit as defined in claim 9, wherein said video signal correction means produces a cumulative normalization function based on said corrected second histogram created by said histogram correction means, and alters the input video signal based on said cumulative and normalization function.

13. A tone correction circuit as defined in claim 9, wherein said first adjustment value is restricted by a limit level.