Liquid crystal display with adaptive width

• US 7,777,714 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2004
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Daly, Scott J., Feng, Xiao-fan
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Chanh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Snyder; Adam J
• Application Number:
  US10/966,209
• Publication Number:
  US 20050248591A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,132 Days
• Field of Search: 345/102, 345 87-107, 345/46, 345/531, 345/691, 349/61
• US Class Current: 345/102
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0271 Adjustment of the gradation levels within the range of the gradation scale, e.g. by redistribution or clipping
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/062 Adjustment of illumination source parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0633 by amplitude modulation of the brightness of the illumination source
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/064 by time modulation of the brightness of the illumination source
• 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 3/3426 the different display panel areas being distributed in two dimensions, e.g. matrix

Abstract

A backlit display with improved dynamic range. The disclosed display illuminates a pixel of the display at respective non-zero illumination levels during each of a first frame and a second frame and decreases the illumination level of the pixel during the interval between the first frame and the second frame.

Claims

1. A method for displaying an image on a liquid crystal display, said method comprising:

(a) illuminating a first display pixel at a first non-zero illumination level during an initial frame;

(b) illuminating said first display pixel at a second non-zero illumination level during a subsequent frame, wherein said subsequent frame is temporally later than said initial frame;

(c) wherein said first display pixel is selectively decreased in illumination to another illumination level, based upon an estimation of movement in said image between said initial frame and said subsequent frame, where said estimation is made by comparing at least one image pixel within a first region of a selected one of said initial frame and said subsequent frame of said image to at least one image pixel within a second region of said selected one of said initial frame and said subsequent frame, after illuminating said first display pixel during said initial frame and before illuminating said first display pixel during said subsequent frame, where said display is free from including a temporal frame buffer having a capacity greater than 50% of the size of the displayed said image, and where said estimation of movement in said image between said initial frame and said subsequent frame, upon which said another illumination level is based, is made without comparing said at least one image pixel within either of said first region and said second region of said selected one of said initial frame and said subsequent frame to any pixel of the one of said initial frame and said subsequent frame not selected.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said another illumination level is less than that which said first pixel is otherwise illuminated to achieve said second illumination level.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said another illumination level is substantially zero.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said liquid crystal display includes a plurality of addressable light emitting elements.