Image display device and image adjustment method

• US 8,581,921 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2010
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Katahira, Toru
• Primary Examiner(s): Sajous, Wesner
• Application Number:
  US12/872,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20110050663A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,169 Days
• Field of Search: 345/581, 345589-590, 345/593, 345600-601, 345548-549, 345/204, 345/207, 345/690, 345/22, 345/45, 345/48, 345/63, 345 76- 77, 345/84, 345 87- 88, 345/606, 348 68- 71, 348/179, 348/180, 348/196, 348/552, 348/708, 348/739, 348/744, 358/504, 358509-510, 358/518, 358523-525, 358/448, 382/162, 382/167, 382/274, 382/276, 382/254, 382/305, 382/312, 382/300, 711/100, 711/205, 711/208, 711/221, 349/5, 349 7- 8, 353/28, 353/49, 359/443, 359/577, 359/601
• US Class Current: 345/589
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/142 Adjusting of projection optics
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0666 for control of colour parameters, e.g. colour temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/34 by control of light from an independent source
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42202 environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes
• 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 5/58 in dependence upon ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3182 Colour adjustment, e.g. white balance, shading or gamut white balance per se H04N9/73; control of amplitude of colour signals H04N9/68; colour control circuits for displays in general G09G5/02, G09G3/2003, G09G3/3607
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3194 including sensor feedback

Abstract

An image display device includes: an external light measurement unit measuring the illuminance of an external light a plurality of times, and generating a measurement value indicating the illuminance; a storage unit storing history data which shows the measurement values, and color mode data which shows a correspondence between the illuminance and a color mode; a determination unit, based on the history data, determining whether or not it is a changed condition wherein the illuminance changes upward or downward, or the illuminance fluctuates; and an adjustment unit, in the event that it is not the changed condition, determining the color mode to be applied based on the measurement values and the color mode data, and adjusting the color or brightness of an image in accordance with the color mode, and in the event that it is the changed condition, continuing the adjustment currently being applied as the image adjustment.

Claims

1. An image display device comprising:

an external light measurement unit that measures the illuminance of an external light a plurality of times, and generates a measurement value indicating the illuminance;

a storage unit that stores history data showing a plurality of the measurement values, and color mode data showing a correspondence between the illuminance and a color mode;

a determination unit that, based on the history data, determines whether or not it is a changed condition indicating a condition wherein the illuminance changes upward or downward, or a condition wherein the illuminance fluctuates; and

an adjustment unit that, in the event that it is not the changed condition, determines the color mode to be applied based on the measurement values and the color mode data, and adjusts the color or brightness of an image in accordance with the color mode, and in the event that it is the changed condition, continues the adjustment currently being applied as the image adjustment.

2. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein

the storage unit stores hysteresis data showing a change value that, after a color mode to be applied has once been determined, changes a minimum value or maximum value of the illuminance corresponding to the color mode;

and

the adjustment unit, based on the color mode data and hysteresis data, determines the color mode to be applied in a condition in which the change value is reflected after a color mode to be applied has once been determined, and adjusts the color and brightness of an image in accordance with the color mode.

3. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein

the determination unit determines in a case in which the value of a difference between a minimum value and maximum value of the measurement values in the predetermined number of measurements is equal to or higher than a first predetermined value that it is a condition wherein the illuminance upward or downward changes.

4. The image display device according to claim 3, comprising:

an update unit, wherein

the storage unit stores setting data showing the number of measurements and the first predetermined value,

the update unit, based on request information indicating a request to change the number of measurements or first predetermined value, updates the setting data and

the determination unit, based on the setting data, determines whether or not it is a condition wherein the illuminance upward or downward changes.

5. The image display device according to claim 1, comprising:

an operating unit, wherein

the external light measurement unit is disposed adjacent to the operating unit.

6. An image adjustment method comprising:

allowing a computer included in an image display device to

cause an illuminance sensor to measure the illuminance of an external light a plurality of times, and generate a measurement value indicating the illuminance;

store history data showing a plurality of the measurement values, and color mode data showing a correspondence between the illuminance and a color mode;

determine, based on the history data, whether or not it is a changed condition indicating a condition wherein the illuminance changes upward or downward, or a condition wherein the illuminance fluctuates; and

in the event that it is not the changed condition, determine the color mode to be applied based on the measurement values and the color mode data, and adjust the color or brightness of an image in accordance with the color mode, and in the event that it is the changed condition, continue the adjustment currently being applied as the image adjustment.

7. An image adjustment method comprising:

allowing a computer included in an image display device to

cause an illuminance sensor to measure the illuminance of an external light a plurality of times, and generate a measurement value indicating the illuminance;

store color mode data showing a correspondence between the illuminance and a color mode of an image, and hysteresis data showing a change value that, after a color mode to be applied has once been determined, changes a minimum value or maximum value of the illuminance corresponding to the color mode; and

based on the color mode data and hysteresis data, determine the color mode to be applied in a condition in which the change value is reflected after a color mode to be applied has once been determined, and adjust the color or brightness of an image in accordance with the color mode.