Image display devices and methods of displaying image

• US 8,675,020 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2011
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lim, Euicheol
• Primary Examiner(s): Yang, Ryan R
• Application Number:
  US13/076,654
• Publication Number:
  US 20110242131A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• Field of Search: 345620-641, 345/589, 345/592
• US Class Current: 345/634
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/10 Mixing of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of an operation, e.g. adding, on the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/397 Arrangements specially adapted for transferring the contents of two or more bit-mapped memories to the screen simultaneously, e.g. for mixing or overlay G09G5/02 takes precedence

Abstract

Provided are an image display method and an image display device. The method includes: reading first layer data; reading partial data of second layer data; and blending the read first layer data and the read partial data of the second layer data and displaying the blended data. The image display device includes: a processing unit generating first and second layer data and storing the generated first and second layer data in a storage unit; and a display unit reading the first layer data and partial data of the second layer data from the storage unit, blending the read first layer data and the read partial data of the second layer data, and displaying the blended data.

Claims

1. A method of displaying image data, the method comprising:

reading first layer data;

reading partial data of second layer data;

blending the first layer data and the partial data of the second layer data to generate blended data; and

displaying the blended data,

wherein the second layer data comprises valid data and invalid data,

wherein reading the partial data of the second layer data comprises reading the valid data of the second layer data not the invalid data of the second layer data, and

wherein the second layer data is divided into a plurality of data blocks, each block being validated or invalidated independently.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating the second layer data; and

when the second layer data are updated, reading the first layer data, the updated second layer data and the partial data of the third layer, blending the first layer data, the read second layer data and the partial data of the third layer to generate the blended data.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising, after updating the second layer data, detecting valid data in the updated second layer data.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising, after detecting the valid data in the updated second layer data, reading the first layer data, reading valid data in the updated second layer data, blending the read first layer data, the read valid data of the second layer data, and displaying the blended data.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein detecting the valid data comprises:

detecting data of at least one data block of the plurality of data blocks that includes a valid pixel value as valid data.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein an invalid pixel value corresponds to a specific chroma-key value.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein an invalid pixel value corresponds to a specific alpha value.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein reading the first layer data comprises reading partial data of the first layer data.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reading partial data of third layer data; and

blending the first layer data, the partial data of the second layer data and the partial data of third layer data to generate the blended data.

10. A method of displaying an image, the method comprising:

reading first layer data and second layer data from an image display device data storage unit;

detecting invalid data in the second layer data;

storing, in a display buffer, information corresponding to the invalid data in the second layer data;

adjusting the second layer data responsive to the invalid data of the second layer data not the first layer data;

generating a display frame by blending the first layer data and adjusted second layer data; and

displaying the display frame generated by blending the first layer data and the adjusted second layer data.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the second layer data comprises valid data and the invalid data;

and

wherein reading the data of the second layer data comprises reading the valid data of the second layer data.

12. An image display device comprising:

a processing unit that is configured to generate first layer data and second layer data and to store the generated first layer data and the generated second layer data in a storage unit; and

a display unit that is configured to read the first layer data and partial data of the second layer data from the storage unit, to blend the first layer data and the partial data of the second layer data to generate blended data, and to display the blended data,

wherein the display unit comprises a display buffer that is configured to store information about valid data and invalid data in the second layer data and to read the valid data in the second layer data from the storage unit based on the information stored in the display buffer without reading the invalid data in the second layer data,

wherein the second layer data is divided into a plurality of data blocks;

the plurality of data blocks correspond to a plurality of bits of the display buffer, respectively; and

according to whether a specific data block among the plurality of data blocks includes a valid pixel value or not, setting a corresponding bit of the plurality of bits of the display buffer as a first logic value or a second logic value, and

wherein, when the second layer data are updated, the processing unit is configured to activate a reset signal and the display unit is configured to reset the plurality of bits of the display buffer as the first logic value in response to the activated reset signal.

13. The image display device of claim 12, wherein the display unit is configured to read data of at least one data block of the plurality of data blocks of the second layer data corresponding to bits having the first logic value among the plurality of bits of the display buffer.

14. An image display device comprising:

a processing unit that is configured to generate first layer data and second layer data and to store the generated first layer data and the generated second layer data in a storage unit; and

a display unit that is configured to read the first layer data and partial data of the second layer data from the storage unit, to blend the first layer data and the partial data of the second layer data to generate blended data, and to display the blended data,

wherein the processing unit is further configured to store third layer data in the storage unit,

wherein the display unit is further configured to read the first layer data, the partial data of the second layer data, and partial data of the third layer data from the storage unit, to blend the first layer data, the partial data of the second layer data, and the partial data of the third layer data, and to display the blended data,

wherein the display unit comprises;

a first display buffer that is configured to store information about valid data and invalid data in the second layer data; and

a second display buffer that is configured to store information about valid data and invalid data in the third layer data,

wherein the display unit is configured to read valid data in the second layer data from the storage unit based on the information stored in the first display buffer and to read valid data in the third layer data from the storage unit based on the information stored in the second display buffer.

15. The image display device of claim 14, wherein the first and second buffers respectively correspond to first and second storage regions in one buffer.