Systems and methods for reducing desaturation of images rendered on high brightness displays

• US 8,259,127 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2007
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Im, MoonHwan, Credelle, Thomas Lloyd
• Primary Examiner(s): Chauhan, Ulka
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zalalee, Sultana M
• Application Number:
  US12/443,679
• Publication Number:
  US 20100026705A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,806 Days
• Field of Search: 345/589
• US Class Current: 345/589
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/02 characterised by the way in which colour is displayed details of colour display specific for CRTs G09G1/28; specific for flat matrix panels other than liquid crystal displays G09G3/2003; specific for liquid crystal displays G09G3/3607

Abstract

In one embodiment of the display system, the display system comprises an image pipeline that accepts input color image data of one color gamut to be rendered on a display having high brightness subpixel layouts. In one embodiment, the system comprises a boost function that maps the input color data onto another color gamut that boosts the luminance of colors that might appear dark if rendered against a white or very light background.

Claims

1. An image processing method comprising:

receiving input color image data representing an initial color of a to-be-rendered pixel where the received color image data comprises at least first, second and third primary color data values defining an initial to-be-rendered color of the pixel;

determining if the initial to-be-rendered color has a minimum one among the received at least a first, second and third primary color data values and larger others of the primary color data values and, if so, identifying the minimum one color data value of said received at least first, second and third primary color data values; and

computing a substitute and higher color data value for said minimum one color data value;

wherein the image processing method computes said substitute and higher color data value as a function of two or more variable gain values, where a first of the variable gain values decreases as the value of the identified minimum one color data value increases and where a second of the variable gain values increases as the value of a corresponding received and larger color data value of a corresponding one of the larger others of the primary color data values increases.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein a mixed color is comprised of color data values that are not equal to or less than the minimum one color data value.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein said first, second and third primary colors data values are red, green and blue respectively.

4. The method as recited in claim 3 wherein said mixed color comprises one of a group, said group comprising near-to or at cyan, near-to or at magenta and near-to or at yellow.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein:

the initial to-be-rendered color is to-be-rendered adjacent to one or more other pixels that define a relatively bright background whereby the initial to-be-rendered color will be perceived as overly dark relative to the bright background, where said overly dark condition is called a simultaneous contrast condition; and

said boosting of the identified minimum one color data value reduces the amount of simultaneous contrast of said mixed color.

6. A display system comprising:

a receiver configured for receiving an input image data signal representing initial and respective colors of a to-be-rendered pixels;

a display, said display having a display area populated by a subpixel repeating group, said repeating group comprising at least one high brightness light emitter that can output a light of relatively high brightness;

a gamut mapping unit, said gamut mapping unit being configured to map said input image data onto high brightness image data, said high brightness image data being associated with said subpixel repeating group comprising said at least one high brightness light emitter; and

a boost unit, said boost unit being configured to carry out a selective brightness boosting process for certain ones of to-be-rendered color spots, the selective brightness boosting process comprising;

determining if an initial to-be-rendered color spot is a mixed color spot having a minimum one among at least three primary color data values and if so identifying the minimum one color data value;

computing a substitute and higher color data value for said minimum one color data value,

wherein the computed substitute and higher color data value is a function of two or more variable gain values, where a first of the variable gain values decreases as the value of the identified minimum one color data value increases and where a second of the variable gain values increases as the value of a corresponding other and larger color data value of a corresponding color spot increases.

7. The display system as recited in claim 6 wherein said mixed color comprises at least one of a group, said group comprising near-to or at cyan, near-to or at magenta and near-to or at yellow.

8. The display system as recited in claim 6 wherein said at least one high brightness light emitter is configured to emit a light that is one of a group, said group comprising:

white, cyan, yellow, magenta.