Image display apparatus and method, program and recording media

• US 8,212,796 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2006
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ito, Masaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Nitin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shapiro, Leonid
• Application Number:
  US11/534,727
• Publication Number:
  US 20070070247A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,108 Days
• Field of Search: 345/204, 345/55, 345/690
• US Class Current: 345/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30168 Image quality inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0002 Inspection of images, e.g. flaw detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4318 by altering the content in the rendering process, e.g. blanking, blurring or masking an image region image enhancement or restoration in general G06T5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/144 Movement detection for video coding H04N19/503; analysis of motion in general G06T7/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/20 Circuitry for controlling amplitude response
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/57 Control of contrast or brightness

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an image display apparatus for displaying an image corresponding to a signal selected by a user from among a plurality of images corresponding to a plurality of input signals. The apparatus includes: a selection outputter for outputting a signal selected from among the plurality of signals on the basis of the selection; a feature quantity calculator for calculating a feature quantity indicative of a status of an image corresponding to the signal outputted by the selection outputter; a status determiner for determining the status of the image on the basis of the feature quantity calculated by the feature quantity calculator; and an image quality changer for changing a parameter for identifying an image quality of the image on the basis of the signal outputted by the selection outputter and a determination result obtained by the status determiner.

Claims

1. An image display apparatus for displaying an image corresponding to a signal selected by a user from among a plurality of images corresponding to a plurality of input signals, comprising:

selection output means configured to output a signal selected from among said plurality of signals on the basis of the selection;

feature quantity calculation means configured to calculate a feature quantity indicative of a status of an image corresponding to said signal outputted by said selection output means, divide said image into a plurality of partitions, identify a plurality of measuring points associated with pixels within each of the plurality of partitions, determine RGB values for each of said plurality of measuring points, and compare RGB values for each of said plurality of measuring points against previously determined RGB values for each of said plurality of portions to determine color differences associated with said feature quantity for the image display;

status determination means configured to determine said status of said image on the basis of the feature quantity calculated by said feature quantity calculation means, said status includes a plurality of change levels associated with said color differences, said plurality of change levels include at least low, medium, and high, and said plurality of change levels are separated by threshold values distinguishing said color differences; and

image quality change means configured to change a parameter for identifying an image quality of said image on the basis of said signal outputted by said selection output means and a determination result obtained by said status determination means.

2. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

display control means configured to control display of said image corresponding to said signal outputted by said selection output means, said image having been processed by said image quality change means.

3. The image display apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, if said signal outputted by said selection output means is switched, said display control means blanks display of said image.

4. The image display apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said display control means blanks display of said image during a period of time from said selection by the user up to the switching of said signal outputted by said selection output means.

5. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said status determination means determines said one of said plurality of change levels of said image on the basis of said feature quantity calculated by said feature quantity calculation means, and

said image quality change means, if said change level of said image is greater than a predetermined threshold value, changes said parameter for identifying the image quality of said image to a value that is determined on the basis of said signal outputted by said selection output means.

6. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said status determination means determines said one of said plurality of change levels of said image on the basis of said feature quantity calculated by said feature quantity calculation means, and

said image quality change means, if said change level of said image is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, changes said parameter for identifying the image quality of said image to a value between a value to be determined on the basis of said signal outputted by said selection output means and a currently set value.

7. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of change levels include at least low, medium, and high, the plurality of change levels are separated by threshold values distinguishing said color differences.

8. An image display method for an image display apparatus for displaying an image corresponding to a signal selected by user from among a plurality of images corresponding to a plurality of input signals, comprising the steps of:

outputting a signal selected from among said plurality of signals on the basis of the selection;

calculating a feature quantity indicative of a status of an image corresponding to said signal outputted in the selection outputting step, during said calculating said image is divided into a plurality of partitions, a plurality of measuring points within each of the plurality of partitions identify a position of pixels at a time interval, RGB values are determined for each of said plurality of measuring points, and each of said plurality of measuring points are compared against previous measuring points for each of said plurality of portions to determine color differences associated with said feature quantity for the image display;

determining said status of said image on the basis of the feature quantity calculated in the feature quantity calculating step, said status includes of a plurality of change levels associated with said color differences, said plurality of change levels include at least low, medium, and high, and said plurality of change levels are separated by threshold values distinguishing said color differences; and

changing a parameter for identifying an image quality of said image on the basis of said signal outputted on the selection outputting step and a determination result obtained in the status determining step.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions for displaying, via an image display apparatus, an image corresponding to a signal selected by a user from among a plurality of images corresponding to a plurality of input signals, said instructions comprising:

outputting a signal selected from among said plurality of signals on the basis of the selection;

calculating a feature quantity indicative of a status of an image corresponding to said signal outputted in the selection outputting step, during said calculating (a) said image is divided into a plurality of partitions, (b) a plurality of measuring points within each of the plurality of partitions identify a position of pixels at a time interval, (c) RGB values are determined for each of said plurality of measuring points, and (d) each of said plurality of measuring points are compared against previous measuring points for each of said plurality of portions to determine color differences associated with said feature quantity for the image display;

determining said status of said image on the basis of the feature quantity calculated in the feature quantity calculating step, said status includes of a plurality of change levels associated with said color differences, said plurality of change levels include at least low, medium, and high, and said plurality of change levels are separated by threshold values distinguishing said color differences; and

changing a parameter for identifying an image quality of said image on the basis of said signal outputted the selection outputting step and a determination result obtained in the status determining step.

10. An image display apparatus for displaying an image corresponding to a signal selected by a user from among a plurality of images corresponding to a plurality of input signals, comprising:

a selection outputter configured to output a signal selected from among said plurality of signals on the basis of the selection;

a feature quantity calculator configured to calculate a feature quantity indicative of a status of an image corresponding to said signal outputted by said selection outputter, said feature quantity calculator is further configured to divide said image into a plurality of partitions, identify a plurality of measuring points associated with pixels within each of the plurality of partitions, determine RGB values for each of said plurality of measuring points, and compare RGB values for each of said plurality of measuring points against previously determined RGB values for each of said plurality of portions to determine color differences associated with said feature quantity for the image display;

a status determiner configured to determine said status of said image on the basis of the feature quantity calculated by said feature quantity calculator, said status includes a plurality of change levels associated with said color differences, said plurality of change levels include at least low, medium, and high, and said plurality of change levels are separated by threshold values distinguishing said color differences; and

an image quality changer configured to change a parameter for identifying an image quality of said image on the basis of said signal outputted by said selection outputter and a determination result obtained by said status determiner.