Display method, display controller, and display apparatus

• US 7,397,470 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2004
• Issued: 07/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kiuchi, Shinya, Hirashima, Tsuyoshi, Hata, Ryouta, Ojima, Shuichi, Ikeda, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): DHARIA, PRABODH M
• Application Number:
  US10/790,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20040207609A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,588 Days
• Field of Search: 345/102, 345/204, 345/9, 345/207, 345/75.2, 345/99, 345/92, 345/76, 345/87, 345/74.3, 345/1.1, 345/103, 345/100, 345/63, 345/90, 345/8, 345/84, 345/88, 345/89, 345/690, 345/211, 345/643, 315/169.3, 382/100, 382/284, 349/115, 349/1, 355/61, 359/487
• US Class Current: 345/204
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/08 Details of timing specific for flat panels, other than clock recovery
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/04 Maintaining the quality of display appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/041 Temperature compensation
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0646 Modulation of illumination source brightness and image signal correlated to each other
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/16 Calculation or use of calculated indices related to luminance levels in display data
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3406 Control of illumination source illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3611 Control of matrices with row and column drivers

Abstract

A display controller includes a video signal-analyzing unit, a video signal-adjusting unit operable to receive a video signal, to adjust the video signal in accordance with adjustment parameter information, and to feed the adjusted video signal into a display device, and a light source-controlling unit operable to feed a light source-controlling signal into a light source in accordance with light source light-emitting amount information. The video signal-analyzing unit allows timing in which the display device displays a picture in accordance with the adjusted video signal from the video signal-adjusting unit to be synchronized with timing in which the light source changes a light-emitting amount in response to the light source-controlling signal from the light source-controlling unit.

Claims

1. A display method for use with a light source and a display device operable to display pictures in accordance with a video signal, said method comprising:

displaying pictures on the display device according to a display timing;

illuminating the display device with light from the light source in response to a light source-controlling signal;

regulating an amount of light emitted from the light source in accordance with a value of maximum luminance of the video signal, wherein the regulated amount of light includes 0%, 100% and a value therebetween;

changing the regulated amount of light emitted from the light source according to a light-change timing;

synchronizing the display timing with the light-change timing; and

adjusting transmissivity of the display device in accordance with the regulated amount of light in a manner such that the transmissivity of the display device increases and the regulated amount of the light decreases.

2. A display method according to claim 1, wherein the light-change timing is matched with a timing at which the display device renews half of an image plane.

3. A display method according to claim 1, wherein said synchronizing is performed in response to a Vsync-signal from the display device.

4. A display method according to claim 1, wherein said synchronizing is adjusted in timing in accordance with at least one of a period of time in which the video signal is transferred to the display device and a period of time in which the display device responds to the video signal.

5. A display method according to claim 3, for use with a temperature sensor operable to detect temperature, wherein said synchronizing is adjusted in timing in accordance with the temperature detected by the temperature sensor, and

wherein an interval from the Vsync-signal to when the amount of light begins to be changed changes in accordance with the temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

6. A display method according to claim 1, further comprising:

extracting a feature parameter of the video signal,

wherein said synchronizing is adjusted in timing in accordance with the feature parameter.

7. A display controller for use with a display device and a light source, said display controller comprising:

a video signal-analyzing unit operable to receive and analyze a video signal, and to generate adjustment parameter information and light source light-emitting amount information;

a video signal-adjusting unit operable to receive the video signal, adjust the video signal in accordance with the adjustment parameter information from said video signal-analyzing unit, and to feed the adjusted video signal into the display device; and

a light source-controlling unit operable to regulate a light-emitting amount of the light source in accordance with a value of maximum luminance of the video signal, and to feed a light source-controlling signal into the light source in accordance with the light source light-emitting amount information from said video signal-analyzing unit, the regulated light-emitting amount including 0%, 100% and a value therebetween,

wherein said video signal-analyzing unit synchronizes a timing at which the display device is to display a picture based on the adjusted video signal from said video signal-adjusting unit, with a timing at which the light source is to change the regulated light-emitting amount in response to the light source-controlling signal from said light source-controlling unit, and

wherein said video signal-adjusting unit adjusts transmissivity of the display device in accordance with the regulated light-emitting amount in a manner such that the transmissivity of the display device increases and the regulated light-emitting amount decreases.

8. A display controller according to claim 7, wherein said video signal-analyzing unit matches the timing at which the light source is to change the light-emitting amount with a timing at which the display device is to renew half of an image plane.

9. A display controller according to claim 7, wherein said video signal-analyzing unit synchronizes, in response to a Vsync-signal from the display device, the timing at which the display device is to display the picture with the timing at which the light source is to change the light-emitting amount.

10. A display controller according to claim 7, wherein said video-signal-analyzing unit adjusts synchronous timing in accordance with at least one of a period of time in which the video signal is transferred to the display device from said video signal-adjusting unit and a period of time in which the display device responds to the video signal.

11. A display controller according to claim 9, further comprising:

a temperature sensor operable to detect temperature,

wherein said video signal-analyzing unit adjusts synchronous timing in accordance with the temperature detected by said temperature sensor, and

wherein an interval from the Vsync-signal to when said light source controlling unit begins to change the amount of light changes in accordance with the temperature detected by said temperature sensor.

12. A display apparatus comprising:

a display device;

a light source; and

a display controller comprising;

a video signal-analyzing unit operable to receive and analyze a video signal, and to generate adjustment parameter information and light source light-emitting amount information;

a video signal-adjusting unit operable to receive the video signal, adjust the video signal in accordance with the adjustment parameter information from said video signal-analyzing unit, and to feed the adjusted video signal into said display device; and

a light source-controlling unit operable to regulate a light-emitting amount of the light source in accordance with a value of maximum luminance of the video signal, and to feed a light source-controlling signal into said light source in accordance with the light source light-emitting amount information from said video signal-analyzing unit, the regulated light-emitting amount including 0%, 100% and a value therebetween,

wherein said video signal-analyzing unit synchronizes a timing at which said display device displays a picture based on the adjusted video signal from said video signal-adjusting unit, with a timing at which said light source changes the regulated light-emitting amount in response to the light source-controlling signal from said light source-controlling unit;

wherein said video signal-adjusting unit adjusts transmissivity of said display device in accordance with the regulated light-emitting amount in a manner such that the transmissivity of the display device increases and the regulated light-emitting amount decreases;

wherein said display device is operable to display a picture in accordance with the adjusted video signal that is fed from said video signal-adjusting unit of said display controller; and

wherein said light source is operable to illuminate said display device with light in accordance with the light source-controlling signal that is fed from said light source-controlling unit of said display controller.

13. A display apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said video signal-analyzing unit matches the timing at which said light source changes the light-emitting amount with a timing at which said display device renews half of an image plane.

14. A display apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said video signal-analyzing unit synchronizes, in response to a Vsync-signal from said display device, the timing at which said display device displays the picture with the timing at which said light source changes the light-emitting amount.

15. A display apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said video-signal-analyzing unit adjusts synchronous timing in accordance with at least one of a period of time in which the video signal is transferred to said display device from said video signal-adjusting unit and a period of time in which said display device responds to the video signal.

16. A display apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising:

a temperature sensor operable to detect temperature,

wherein said video signal-analyzing unit adjusts synchronous timing in accordance with the temperature detected by said temperature sensor, and

wherein an interval from the Vsync-signal to when said light source-controlling unit begins to change the amount of light changes in accordance with the temperature detected by said temperature sensor.