Method of fast processing image data for improving visibility of image

• US 6,958,761 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2003
• Issued: 10/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Inventors: Yim, Sang-Hoon, Cho, Yoon-Hyoung, Chae, Su-Yong, Woo, Dong-Ju
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala, Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHENG, TOM V
• Application Number:
  US10/405,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20040085333A1
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 345/698
• US Class Current: 345/698
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0666 for control of colour parameters, e.g. colour temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2074 using sub-pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/22 using controlled light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/28 using luminous gas-discharge panels, e.g. plasma panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/04 using circuits for interfacing with colour displays

Abstract

A method of processing image data to generate output image data for driving a display panel is provided. In the method, a new resolution for input image data is set according to a resolution of the display panel. A first virtual screen is divided into a plurality of pixel areas according to the new resolution set for the input image data. A second virtual screen having a sub-pixel array structure of the display panel is superimposed on the first virtual screen. A mask wider than a sub-pixel area on the superimposed second virtual screen is laid on each sub-pixel area. An area ratio of the area of each pixel portion on the first virtual screen included in each mask to the area of the mask is obtained and set. The new resolution and the area ratios are applied to a driving device of the display panel. The input image data having an original resolution is transformed into image data having the new resolution. The sum of the results of multiplying an area ratio of the area of each pixel portion on the first virtual screen included in each mask by the transformed image data of the pixel areas, respectively, is generated as output image data of a sub-pixel corresponding to the mask.

Claims

1. A method of processing image data to generate output image data for driving a display panel, the method comprising:

setting a new resolution for input image data according to a resolution of said display panel;

dividing a first virtual screen into a plurality of pixel areas according to said new resolution set for said input image data;

superimposing a second virtual screen including a sub-pixel array structure of said display panel on said first virtual screen;

laying a mask wider than a sub-pixel area on the superimposed second virtual screen on each sub-pixel area;

obtaining and setting an area ratio of the area of each pixel portion on said first virtual screen included in each mask to an area of said mask; and

applying said new resolution and the area ratios to a driving device of said display panel, transforming said input image data having an original resolution into image data having said new resolution, and generating a sum of the results of multiplying area ratios of pixel portions on the first virtual screen in each mask by the transformed image data of the pixel areas, respectively, as output image data of the sub-pixel corresponding to said mask.

2. The method of claim 1, with the new resolution for the input image data being set to maximize the number of masks having the same area ratio structures.

3. The method of claim 2, with the setting of said new resolution comprising:

setting a new horizontal resolution for said input image data according to a horizontal resolution of said display panel; and

setting a new vertical resolution for said input image data according to a vertical resolution of said display panel.

4. The method of claim 3, with said new horizontal resolution being set to accommodate a ratio of said new horizontal resolution for the input image data to said horizontal resolution of said display panel being one among 1:

1, 1.5;

1, and 2;

1.

5. The method of claim 3, with said new vertical resolution being set to accommodate said new vertical resolution for said input image data to said vertical resolution of said display panel being one among 1:

1, 1.2;

1, 1.5;

1, 1.6;

1, and 2;

1.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprised of said laying of said mask not including a next same color sub-pixel.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprised of the sub-pixel array structure being a delta structure.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprised of when said second virtual screen is superimposed on said first virtual screen, the central line of each pixel area on said first virtual screen not being the central line of each sub-pixel area on said second virtual screen.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprised of a shape of said masks being the same as said sub-pixels of said display panel.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprised of a shape of said masks being one among a quadrilateral, a hexagon, and a circle.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprised of a shape of said masks being one among a quadrilateral and a hexagon.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprised of when said second virtual screen is superimposed on said first virtual screen, the central line of each pixel area on said first virtual screen not being the central line of each sub-pixel area on said second virtual screen.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprised of the sub-pixel array structure including a delta structure.

14. The method of claim 1, with said display panel being a plasma display panel.

15. A method of processing image data to generate output image data for driving a display panel, the method comprising:

setting a new resolution for input image data according to a resolution of said display panel;

dividing a first virtual screen into a plurality of pixel areas according to said new resolution set for said input image data;

superimposing a second virtual screen including a sub-pixel array structure of said display panel on said first virtual screen;

laying a mask wider than a sub-pixel area on the superimposed second virtual screen on each sub-pixel area, said mask not covering any portion of a next same color sub-pixel area;

obtaining and setting an area ratio of the area of each pixel portion on said first virtual screen included in each mask to an area of said mask; and

applying said new resolution and the area ratios to a driving device of said display panel, transforming said input image data having an original resolution into image data having said new resolution, and generating a sum of the results of multiplying area ratios of pixel portions on the first virtual screen in each mask by the transformed image data of the pixel areas, respectively, as output image data of the sub-pixel corresponding to said mask.

16. The method of claim 15, with the output image data of a certain sub-pixel generated according to:

$\frac{\underset{y=1}{\overset{z}{\sum <br><br>}}<br><br>A_y·<br><br>b_y}{\underset{y=1}{\overset{z}{\sum <br><br>}}<br><br>A_y}$

where A is an area of a portion of said mask,

where z is the number of portions of said mask, and

where b is the image data of a pixel area including the area A on the first virtual screen.

17. The method of claim 16, with the new resolution for the input image data being set to maximize the number of masks having the same area ratio structures.

18. The method of claim 17, with the setting of said new resolution comprising:

setting a new horizontal resolution for said input image data according to a horizontal resolution of said display panel; and

setting a new vertical resolution for said input image data according to a vertical resolution of said display panel.

19. The method of claim 18, with said new horizontal resolution being set to accommodate a ratio of said new horizontal resolution for the input image data to said horizontal resolution of said display panel being one among 1:

1, 1.5;

1, and 2;

1.

20. The method of claim 18, with said new vertical resolution being set to accommodate said new vertical resolution for said input image data to said vertical resolution of said display panel being one among 1:

1, 1.2;

1, 1.5;

1, 1.6;

1, and 2;

1.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprised of when said second virtual screen is superimposed on said first virtual screen, the central line of each pixel area on said first virtual screen not being the central line of each sub-pixel area on said second virtual screen.

22. The method of claim 16, further comprised of a shape of said mask being the same as said sub-pixels of said display panel.

23. The method of claim 16, further comprised of a shape of said masks being one among a quadrilateral, a hexagon, and a circle.

24. The method of claim 16, further comprised of a shape of said masks being one among a quadrilateral and a hexagon.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprised of when said second virtual screen is superimposed on said first virtual screen, the central line of each pixel area on said first virtual screen not being the central line of each sub-pixel area on said second virtual screen.

26. The method of claim 16, further comprised of the sub-pixel array structure being a delta structure.

27. The method of claim 15, with said display panel being a plasma display panel.

28. A system for processing image data to generate output image data for driving a display panel, comprising:

a computer processor unit processing the image data;

a computer readable medium storing the image data;

a first unit initializing said computer readable medium;

a second unit setting a new resolution for input image data according to a resolution of said display panel;

a third unit dividing a first virtual screen into a plurality of pixel areas according to said new resolution set for said input image data;

a fourth unit superimposing a second virtual screen including a sub-pixel array structure of said display panel on said first virtual screen;

a fifth unit laying a mask wider than a sub-pixel area on the superimposed second virtual screen on each sub-pixel area;

a sixth unit obtaining and setting an area ratio of the area of each pixel portion on said first virtual screen included in each mask to an area of said mask; and

a seventh unit applying said new resolution and the area ratios to a driving device of said display panel, transforming said input image data having an original resolution into image data having said new resolution, and generating a sum of the results of multiplying area ratios of pixel portions on the first virtual screen in each mask by the transformed image data of the pixel areas, respectively, as output image data of the sub-pixel corresponding to said mask.

29. The system of claim 28, with the output image data of a certain sub-pixel generated according to:

$\frac{\underset{y=1}{\overset{z}{\sum <br><br>}}<br><br>A_y·<br><br>b_y}{\underset{y=1}{\overset{z}{\sum <br><br>}}<br><br>A_y}$

where A is an area of a portion of said mask,

where z is the number of portions of said mask, and

where b is the image data of a pixel area including the area A on the first virtual screen.

30. The system of claim 29, with the new resolution for the input image data being set to maximize the number of masks having the same area ratio structures.

31. The system of claim 30, with said second unit setting of said new resolution comprising:

setting a new horizontal resolution for said input image data according to a horizontal resolution of said display panel; and

setting a new vertical resolution for said input image data according to a vertical resolution of said display panel.

32. The system of claim 31, with said new horizontal resolution being set to accommodate a ratio of said new horizontal resolution for the input image data to said horizontal resolution of said display panel being one among 1:

1, 1.5;

1, and 2;

1.

33. The system of claim 32, with said new vertical resolution being set to accommodate said new vertical resolution for said input image data to said vertical resolution of said display panel being one among 1:

1, 1.2;

1, 1.5;

1, 1.6;

1, and 2;

1.

34. The system of claim 33, further comprised of said fourth unit including when said second virtual screen is superimposed on said first virtual screen, the central line of each pixel area on said first virtual screen not being the central line of each sub-pixel area on said second virtual screen.

35. The system of claim 34, further comprised of a shape of said masks being the same as said sub-pixels of said display panel.

36. The system of claim 34, further comprised of a shape of said masks being one among a quadrilateral, a hexagon, and a circle.

37. The system of claim 34, further comprised of a shape of said masks being one among a quadrilateral and a hexagon.

38. The system of claim 37, further comprised of when said second virtual screen is superimposed on said first virtual screen, the central line of each pixel area on said first virtual screen not being the central line of each sub-pixel area on said second virtual screen.

39. The system of claim 28, further comprised of the sub-pixel array structure being a delta structure.

40. The system of claim 28, with said display panel being a plasma display panel.

41. The system of claim 28, further comprised of said laying of said mask not including a next same color sub-pixel.

42. A system for processing image data to generate output image data for driving a display panel, comprising:

a computer readable medium;

a processor connected to said computer readable medium, said processor programmed to;

setting a new resolution for input image data according to a resolution of said display panel;

dividing a first virtual screen into a plurality of pixel areas according to said new resolution set for said input image data;

superimposing a second virtual screen including a sub-pixel array structure of said display panel on said first virtual screen;

laying a mask wider than a sub-pixel area on the superimposed second virtual screen on each sub-pixel area;

obtaining and setting an area ratio of the area of each pixel portion on said first virtual screen included in each mask to an area of said mask; and

applying said new resolution and the area ratios to a driving device of said display panel, transforming said input image data having an original resolution into image data having said new resolution, and generating a sum of the results of multiplying area ratios of pixel portions on the first virtual screen in each mask by the transformed image data of the pixel areas, respectively, as output image data of the sub-pixel corresponding to said mask.

43. The system of claim 42, with the new resolution for the input image data being set to maximize the number of masks having the same area ratio structures.

44. The system of claim 43, with the setting of said new resolution comprising:

setting a new horizontal resolution for said input image data according to a horizontal resolution of said display panel; and

setting a new vertical resolution for said input image data according to a vertical resolution of said display panel.

45. The system of claim 42, with said new horizontal resolution being set to accommodate a ratio of said new horizontal resolution for the input image data to said horizontal resolution of said display panel being one among 1:

1, 1.5;

1, and 2;

1.

46. The system of claim 45, with said new vertical resolution being set to accommodate said new vertical resolution for said input image data to said vertical resolution of said display panel being one among 1:

1, 1.2;

1, 1.5;

1, 1.6;

1, and 2;

1.

47. The system of claim 42, further comprised of when said second virtual screen is superimposed on said first virtual screen, the central line of each pixel area on said first virtual screen not being the central line of each sub-pixel area on said second virtual screen.

48. The system of claim 42, further comprised of a shape of said masks being the same as said sub-pixels of said display panel.

49. The system of claim 42, further comprised of a shape of said masks being one among a quadrilateral, a hexagon, and a circle.

50. The system of claim 42, further comprised of a shape of said masks being one among a quadrilateral and a hexagon.

51. The system of claim 50, further comprised of when said second virtual screen is superimposed on said first virtual screen, the central line of each pixel area on said first virtual screen not being the central line of each sub-pixel area on said second virtual screen.

52. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method, comprising:

setting a new resolution for input image data according to a resolution of said display panel;

dividing a first virtual screen into a plurality of pixel areas according to said new resolution set for said input image data;

superimposing a second virtual screen including a sub-pixel array structure of said display panel on said first virtual screen;

laying a mask on the superimposed second virtual screen on each sub-pixel area;

obtaining and setting an area ratio of the area of each pixel portion on said first virtual screen included in each mask to an area of said mask; and

applying said new resolution and the area ratios to a driving device of said display panel, transforming said input image data having an original resolution into image data having said new resolution, and generating a sum of the results of multiplying area ratios of pixel portions on the first virtual screen in each mask by the transformed image data of the pixel areas, respectively, as output image data of the sub-pixel corresponding to said mask.

53. The computer-readable medium of claim 52, with the output image data of a certain sub-pixel generated according to:

$\frac{\underset{y=1}{\overset{z}{\sum <br><br>}}<br><br>A_y·<br><br>b_y}{\underset{y=1}{\overset{z}{\sum <br><br>}}<br><br>A_y}$

where A is an area of a portion of said mask,

where z is the number of portions of said mask, and

where b is the image data of a pixel area including the area A on the first virtual screen.

54. The computer-readable medium of claim 53, with the new resolution for the input image data being set to maximize the number of masks having the same area ratio structures.

55. The computer-readable medium of claim 54, with said second unit setting of said new resolution comprising:

setting a new horizontal resolution for said input image data according to a horizontal resolution of said display panel; and

setting a new vertical resolution for said input image data according to a vertical resolution of said display panel.

56. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a data structure comprising:

a first field containing data representing a new resolution for input image data according to a resolution of a plasma display panel;

a second field containing data representing a dividing of a first virtual screen into a plurality of pixel areas according to said new resolution set for said input image data;

a third field containing data representing a superimposing of a second virtual screen including a sub-pixel array structure of said plasma display panel on said first virtual screen;

a fourth field containing data representing laying a mask on the superimposed second virtual screen on each sub-pixel area, said mask not covering any portion of a next same color sub-pixel area;

a fifth field containing data representing obtaining and setting an area ratio of the area of each pixel portion on said first virtual screen included in each mask to an area of said mask; and

a sixth field containing data representing applying said new resolution and the area ratios to a driving device of said plasma display panel, transforming said input image data having an original resolution into image data having said new resolution, and generating a sum of the results of multiplying area ratios of pixel portions on the first virtual screen in each mask by the transformed image data of the pixel areas, respectively, as output image data of the sub-pixel corresponding to said mask.

57. A method of processing image data to generate output image data for driving a plasma display panel, the method comprising:

dividing a first virtual screen into a plurality of pixel areas according to a new resolution generated from an original resolution for said input image data;

superimposing a second virtual screen including a delta type sub-pixel array structure of said plasma display panel on said first virtual screen;

laying a mask wider than a sub-pixel area on the superimposed second virtual screen on each sub-pixel area, said mask not covering a portion of a next same color sub-pixel area;

setting an area ratio of the area of each pixel portion on said first virtual screen included in each mask to an area of said mask; and

applying said new resolution and the area ratios to a driving device of said plasma display panel, transforming said input image data having an original resolution into image data having said new resolution, and generating a sum of the results of multiplying area ratios of pixel portions on the first virtual screen in each mask by the transformed image data of the pixel areas, respectively, as output image data of the sub-pixel corresponding to said mask.