Contrast adjusting circuit

• US 6,924,825 B1
• Filed: 08/08/2000
• Issued: 08/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu General Company Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Bannai, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Chow, Dennis-Doon
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kumar, Srilakshmi K.
• Application Number:
  US10/181,158
• Time in Patent Office: 1,820 Days
• Field of Search: 345/617, 345/690, 345/76, 345/77, 345/89
• US Class Current: 345/690
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0238 Improving the black level
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0606 Manual adjustment
• 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 2360/16 Calculation or use of calculated indices related to luminance levels in display data
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2051 with use of a spatial dither pattern
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/28 using luminous gas-discharge panels, e.g. plasma panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/10 Intensity circuits

Abstract

A contrast adjusting circuit used in a PDP display prevents the image from being whitish by suppressing the rise of the luminance at a low level when the contrast is heightened and optimally adjusts the contrast of the images always varying with time. The circuit contains an average luminance calculating section (12), an LUT (14), and an output video data calculating section (16), wherein the average luminance calculating section (12) determines the average luminance level APL for n frame images from the input video data X (X>=0) on the X-Y coordinate system, the LUT (14) determines central value data Xc, Yc from the APL, and the output video data calculating section (16) determines the output video data Y (Y>=0) collected after the contrast is adjusted according to the calculation formula Y=A·X+Yc−A·Xc where A (A>0) is the slope variably set for contrast adjustment, whereby the rise of the luminance at a low level when A is increased and the contrast is heightened, is suppressed to adjust the contrast corresponding to the APL for frame images.

Claims

1. A contrast adjusting circuit comprising a video data calculating section comprising a subtraction circuit for subtracting central point data Xc from input video data X, a multiplying circuit for multiplying output data from the subtraction circuit by a slope A and an adding circuit for adding central point data Yc to output data from the multiplying circuit to obtain output video data, designed for obtaining output video data Y by substituting the input video data X, the slope A and the central point data Xc and Yc in a calculation formula, Y=A·

X+Yc−

A−

Xc, where the input video data is given as X, X_>

=_—

0;

the output video data after contrast adjustment as Y, Y_>

=_—

0;

the slope variably set for contrast adjustment as A, A_>

_—

0;

the central point data as Xc and Yc, Xc_>

_—

0 and Yc_>

_—

0, an average luminance calculating section for obtaining the average luminance level of an image during an n-frame period, n being an integer of 1 or more, and a data converting section comprising a look-up table that outputs the corresponding central point data, Xc and Yc, by using the average luminance, obtained by the average luminance calculating section, as an address, for converting the average luminance level obtained by the average luminance calculating section to the corresponding central point data, out of a plurality of predetermined central point data, wherein the central point data Xc and Yc to be outputted from the data converting section are used as the central point data to be inputted to the video data calculating section.

2. A contrast adjusting circuit comprising a video data calculating section designed for obtaining output video data Y by substituting input video data X, slope A and central point data Xc and Yc in a calculation formula, Y=A·

X+Yc−

A·

Xc, where the input video data is given as X, X_>

=_—

0;

the output video data after contrast adjustment as Y, Y_>

=_—

0;

the slope variably set for contrast adjustment as A, A_>

_—

0;

the central point data as Xc and Yc, Xc_>

_—

0 and Yc_>

_—

0, wherein the video data calculation section is designed to obtain the output video data Y by a calculation formula Y=A·

X+Xc·

(1−

A), which is introduced from the calculation formula Y=A·

X+Yc−

A·

Xc by setting Yc=Xc.

3. The contrast adjusting circuit according to claim 2, comprising an average luminance calculating section for obtaining the average luminance level of an image during an n-frame period, n being an integer of 1 or more, based on the input video data X and a data converting section for converting the average luminance level, obtained by the average luminance level calculating section, to corresponding central point data Xc and Yc out of a plurality of predetermined central point data so that the central point data, outputted from the data converting section, is used as the central point data to be processed by the video data calculating section.

4. The contrast adjusting circuit according to claim 3, wherein the video data calculating section comprises a first multiplication circuit for multiplying the input video data X by the slope A, a subtracting circuit for subtracting the slope A from the constant 1, a second multiplication circuit for multiplying the output data of the subtracting circuit by the central point data Xc and an adding circuit for adding the output data of the first multiplication circuit to the output data of the second multiplication circuit to thereby obtain the output video data.

5. The contrast adjusting circuit according to claim 3, wherein the data converting section comprises a look-up table for outputting corresponding central point data by using the average luminance obtained by the average luminance calculating section as an address.

6. The contrast adjusting circuit according to claim 4, wherein the data converting section comprises a look-up table for outputting corresponding central point data Xc by using the average luminance obtained by the average luminance calculating section as an address.