High resolution display of image data using pixel sub-components

• US 6,693,615 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2003
• Issued: 02/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Hitchcock, Gregory C., Duggan, Michael, Keely, Leroy B. Jr., Hill, William, Whitted, J. Turner
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US10/430,724
• Publication Number:
  US 20030193515A1
• Time in Patent Office: 287 Days
• Field of Search: 345/87, 345/88, 345/89, 345/90, 345/432, 345/439, 348/473, 348/589, 348/600, 348/751
• US Class Current: 345/89
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133514 Colour filters
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133516 Methods for their manufacture, e.g. printing, electro-deposition or photolithography
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4015 Image demosaicing, e.g. colour filter arrays [CFA] or Bayer patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/02 Composition of display devices
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0439 Pixel structures
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0452 Details of colour pixel setup, e.g. pixel composed of a red, a blue and two green components
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0235 Field-sequential colour display
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0276 for the purpose of adaptation to the characteristics of a display device, i.e. gamma correction
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0457 Improvement of perceived resolution by subpixel rendering
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2011 by amplitude modulation
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2074 using sub-pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3607 for displaying colours or for displaying grey scales with a specific pixel layout, e.g. using sub-pixels display of colours in flat matrix panels other than liquid crystal displays G09G3/2003; grey scales specific for television H04N3/127
• 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 5/20 Function-generator circuits, e.g. circle generators line or curve smoothing circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/24 Generation of individual character patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/28 for enhancement of character form, e.g. smoothing

Abstract

Displaying image data with sub-pixel precision on display devices having pixels with separately controllable pixel sub-components, such as those used in liquid crystal display devices. Samples of the image data are obtained, and spatially different sets of one or more of the samples are mapped to individual pixel sub-components as opposed to mapping sets of samples to entire pixels. Luminous intensity values based on the mapped sets of samples are generated and used to control the operation of the separately controllable pixel sub-components. The image is thereby displayed on the display device, with different portions of the image being represented by different pixel sub-components, resulting an image with sub-pixel resolution. The image data can represent a text character, in which case the stem width of a stem of the text character can have a value that is not an integer multiple of the width of a full pixel.

Claims

1. In a computer system including a processing unit and a display device for displaying an image, the display device having a plurality of pixels, each including at least three pixel sub-components each of a different color, a method for displaying an image on the display device with sub-pixel precision, comprising:

obtaining samples of information representing an image;

mapping different sets of one or more of the samples to individual pixel sub-components of the plurality of pixels of the display device, the individual pixel sub-components being separately controllable; and

using the different sets of one or more of the samples, displaying the image on the display device, such that each of the pixel sub-components of the plurality of pixels represent different portions of the image, thereby displaying the image on the display device with sub-pixel precision.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pixel sub-components are arranged to form stripes on the display device of same-colored pixel sub-components.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising scaling the information representing the image in the direction perpendicular to the stripes by a factor greater than in the direction parallel to the strips, the samples being obtained from the scaled information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the different sets of one or more of the samples mapped to pixel sub-components include some samples that are common to the samples included in the sets of samples that are mapped to adjacent pixel sub-components.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a separate luminous intensity value for each of the pixel sub-components of the plurality of pixels based on the different set of one or more of the samples mapped to the particular pixel sub-component, as opposed to generating luminous intensity values that for full pixels.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein generating a separate luminous intensity value comprises selecting an off or on luminous intensity value.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein generating a separate luminous intensity value comprises selecting gray scale luminous intensity values between completely off and completely on for at least some of the pixel sub-components.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the different samples mapped to the at least three pixel sub-components of a particular pixel include different numbers of samples, such that each of said at least three pixel sub-components of the particular pixel has mapped thereto a different number of samples.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the information representing the image includes an outline of the image and has associated therewith a foreground color and a background color.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the display device is a liquid crystal display device having an arrangement of pixel sub-components that forms stripes on the liquid crystal display device of same-colored pixel sub-components;

the image includes a text character; and

the different sets of the samples are mapped to the individual pixel sub-components of the plurality of pixels of the display device such that a stem of the text character is displayed having a stem width that is not an integer multiple of the width of a full pixel.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein at least some of the pixel sub-components on which at least a portion of the stem of the text character is displayed have gray scale luminous intensity values between completely off and completely on.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the sets of one or more of the samples are spatially different one from another.

12. In a computer system including a processing unit and a display device for displaying an image, the display device having a plurality of pixels, each including at least three pixel sub-components each of a different color, a method for displaying a text character on the display device with sub-pixel precision, comprising:

obtaining samples of information representing a text character;

mapping different sets of one or more of the samples to individual pixel sub-components of the plurality of pixels of the display device, the individual pixel sub-components being separately controllable; and

using the different sets of one or more of the samples, displaying the text character on the display device, such that each of the pixel sub-components of the plurality of pixels represent different portions of the image, thereby displaying the text character on the display device with sub-pixel precision, the displayed text character having a stem with a stem width that is not an integer multiple of the width of a full pixel.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the display device is a liquid crystal display device having an arrangement of pixel sub-components that forms stripes on the liquid crystal display device of same-colored pixel sub-components.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the information representing the text character includes an outline of the text character and has associated therewith a foreground color and a background color.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising generating a separate luminous intensity value for each of the pixel sub-components of the plurality of pixels based on the different set of one or more of the samples mapped to the particular pixel sub-component, as opposed to generating luminous intensity values that for full pixels.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the different samples mapped to the at least three pixel sub-components of a particular pixel include different numbers of samples, such that each of said at least three pixel sub-components of the particular pixel has mapped thereto a different number of samples.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein at least some of the pixel sub-components on which at least a portion of the stem of the text character is displayed have gray scale luminous intensity values between completely off and completely on.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the gray scale luminous intensity value of each of said at least some of the pixel sub-components is generated as a function of the portion of a body of the character that is included within an area represented by the different set of one or more of the samples that is mapped to the particular pixel sub-component.

23. The method of claim 12, wherein the sets of one or more of the samples are spatially different one from another.

19. A computer program product for implementing, in a computer system including a processing unit and a display device for displaying an image, the display device having a plurality of pixels, each including at least three pixel sub-components each of a different color, a method for displaying an image on the display device with sub-pixel precision, the computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable medium carrying computer-executable instructions for performing the method, wherein the method includes;

obtaining samples of information representing an image;

mapping different sets of one or more of the samples to individual pixel sub-components of the plurality of pixels of the display device, the individual pixel sub-components being separately controllable; and

using the different sets of one or more of the samples, displaying the image on the display device, such that each of the pixel sub-components of the plurality of pixels represent different portions of the image, thereby displaying the image on the display device with sub-pixel precision.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein:

the display device is a liquid crystal display device having an arrangement of pixel sub-components that forms stripes on the liquid crystal display device of same-colored pixel sub-components;

the image includes a text character; and

the different sets of the samples are mapped to the individual pixel sub-components of the plurality of pixels of the display device such that a stem of the text character is displayed having a stem width that is not an integer multiple of the width of a full pixel.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein at least some of the pixel sub-components on which at least a portion of the stem of the text character is displayed have gray scale luminous intensity values between completely off and completely on.

24. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the sets of one or more of the samples are spatially different one from another.