Methods and systems for display source light management with variable delay

• US 8,223,113 B2
• Filed: 12/26/2007
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• 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: Kerofsky, Louis J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-Yi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sadio, Insa
• Application Number:
  US11/964,695
• Publication Number:
  US 20090167673A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,665 Days
• Field of Search: 345/102, 345/204, 345/30, 345/55, 345 76- 84, 345/87, 345/205, 345/206, 315/169.3, 313/463
• 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 2320/0646 Modulation of illumination source brightness and image signal correlated to each other
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0653 Controlling or limiting the speed of brightness adjustment of the illumination source
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0673 for control of gamma adjustment, e.g. selecting another gamma curve
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0435 Change or adaptation of the frame rate of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/16 Calculation or use of calculated indices related to luminance levels in display data
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2003 Display of colours specific for liquid crystal displays G09G3/3607
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3413 Details of control of colour illumination sources

Abstract

Elements of the present invention relate to systems and methods for synchronizing a source light illumination level signal with an image compensation process with a delay process on the source light illumination level signal.

Claims

1. A method for synchronizing a source light illumination level signal with optional image processing in an image compensation pipeline, said method comprising:

a) creating an image histogram and an error vector to select a source light illumination level;

b) sending said selected source light illumination level to a delay process capable of selectively delaying transmission of said selected source light illumination level;

c) sending said selected source light illumination level to an image compensation process;

d) determining whether an additional image processing procedure has been selected;

e) transmitting an additional-process signal to said delay process when said additional process has been selected; and

f) delaying transmission of said selected source light illumination level from said delay process to a display source light when said additional process has been selected and not delaying transmission of said selected source light illumination level from said delay process to a display source light when said additional process has not been selected.

2. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said additional process is a post-compensation process.

3. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said additional process is a frame rate conversion process.

4. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said source light illumination level selection is based on said image.

5. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said delay process is a buffer.

6. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said selecting a source light illumination level comprises generating a display model.

7. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said selecting a source light illumination level comprises weighting said image histogram with said error vector.

8. A method for synchronizing a source light illumination level signal with optional image processing in an image compensation pipeline, said method comprising:

a) creating an image histogram and an error vector for an input image;

b) generating a display model for said image based on said image histogram;

c) determining a performance metric for a plurality of source light illumination levels with said display model;

d) selecting a source light illumination level based on said performance metric;

e) sending said selected source light illumination level to a delay process capable of selectively delaying transmission of said selected source light illumination level;

f) sending said selected source light illumination level to an image compensation process;

g) compensating said image for said source light illumination level with said image compensation process;

h) determining whether an additional image processing procedure has been selected;

i) transmitting an additional-process signal to said delay process when said additional process has been selected; and

j) delaying transmission of said selected source light illumination level from said delay process to a display source light when said additional-process signal is received at said delay process and not delaying transmission of said selected source light illumination level from said delay process to a display source light when said additional-process signal has not been received.

9. A method as described in claim 8 wherein said additional process is a post-compensation process.

10. A method as described in claim 8 wherein said additional process is a frame rate conversion process.

11. A method as described in claim 8 wherein said source light illumination level selection is based on said image.

12. A method as described in claim 8 wherein said delay process is a buffer.

13. A method as described in claim 8 wherein said selecting a source light illumination level comprises generating a display model.

14. A method as described in claim 8 wherein said selecting a source light illumination level comprises weighting said image histogram with said error vector.

15. A method for synchronizing a source light illumination level signal with optional image processing in an image compensation pipeline, said method comprising:

a) generating an image histogram for an image to be displayed on a display device;

b) receiving image histogram data at a mapping module that associates an image characteristic to a display model attribute;

c) determining an image characteristic based on said histogram data;

d) determining a display model attribute that is associated with said image characteristic using a map and said mapping module;

e) generating a display model based on said display model attribute;

f) calculating model clipping limits for said display model;

g) calculating a display error vector for each of a plurality of source light illumination levels;

h) combining said display error vectors with said histogram data to determine distortion values for said plurality of source light illumination levels; and

i) selecting a source light illumination level based on said distortion values;

j) sending said selected source light illumination level to a delay process capable of selectively delaying transmission of said selected source light illumination level;

k) sending said selected source light illumination level to an image compensation process;

l) compensating said image for said source light illumination level with said image compensation process;

m) determining whether an additional image processing procedure has been selected;

n) transmitting an additional-process signal to said delay process when said additional process has been selected; and

o) delaying transmission of said selected source light illumination level from said delay process to a display source light when said additional-process signal is received at said delay process and not delaying transmission of said selected source light illumination level from said delay process to a display source light when said additional-process signal has not been received.

16. A method as described in claim 15 wherein said additional process is a post-compensation process.

17. A method as described in claim 15 wherein said additional process is a frame rate conversion process.

18. A method as described in claim 15 wherein said delay process is a buffer.