Method, program and arrangement for highlighting failing elements of a visual image

• US 8,782,558 B1
• Filed: 09/16/2013
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Testing Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Advanced Testing Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Biagiotti, William, Levi, Eli
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Matt
• Assistant Examiner(s): IPAKCHI, MARYAM M
• Application Number:
  US14/027,477
• Time in Patent Office: 302 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 715/823
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/321 Display for diagnostics, e.g. diagnostic result display, self-test user interface
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/12 Avionics applications
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/006 Electronic inspection or testing of displays and display drivers, e.g. of LED or LCD displays testing individual LED's G01R31/2635; testing lamps G01R31/44; testing of optical features of LCD displays G02F1/1309
• 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

Method, system and computer program for visually highlighting identified failing or erroneous pixel elements of a two-dimensional electronic image. Different visual highlighting techniques are stored in memory. A user selects one of the highlighting techniques using a user interface. A processor applies the selected technique(s) to the image and displays the image on a display with visual indications of the failing pixel elements. The techniques include coloring the pixels with a boundary box enclosing all of the erroneous pixels, enclosing separate irregular-shaped groupings of the pixels with a contour-type boundary line, and coloring pixels and enclosing each within a separate box. In the final technique, video lines with some failing pixels, but within allowable tolerances, will have those pixels colored differently and each pixel is enclosed within the same color box. In all cases, it is possible to convert the test image to black and white for display.

Claims

1. A method for visually highlighting identified failing pixel elements of a two-dimensional electronic image, comprising:

storing a plurality of different, computer-implemented visual highlighting techniques in at least one memory component, the step of storing the highlighting techniques including storing a first highlighting technique that is executable to change a color of each failing pixel element of a two-dimensional electronic image and individually highlight each of the color-changed failing pixel elements of the two-dimensional electronic image;

enabling a user to select at least one of the highlighting techniques from the at least one memory component using a user interface; and

retrieving the user-selected highlighting technique from the at least one memory component and executing the retrieved highlighting technique on the image to cause the image to be displayed on a display with a visual indication of the failing pixel elements.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the image is a color image and the first highlighting technique is to change the color of each of the failing pixel elements to a first color, display each of the color-changed failing pixels in the first color and to also display a boundary box enclosing all of the color-changed failing pixels in the first color.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the image is displayed in its original color and the first color is red.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising converting the color image to a black and white image, the black and white image being displayed with the color-changed failing pixel elements having the first color.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the image is a color image, the step of storing the highlighting techniques comprising storing a second highlighting technique that is executable to display separate groupings of the color-changed failing pixel elements within a boundary line of a first color.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the image is displayed in its original color and the first color is red.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising converting the color image to a black and white image, the black and white image being displayed with the boundary line around the color-changed failing pixel elements.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the image is a color image, the step of storing the highlighting techniques comprising storing a second highlighting technique that is executable to provide color to each of the failing pixel elements by changing them to a first color, enclose each of the color-changed failing pixel elements within a box of the first color, provide color to failing pixel elements in video lines by changing them to a second color and enclose each of the failing pixel elements in video lines within a box of the second color.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the image is displayed in its original color, the first color is red, and the second color is green.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising converting the color image to a black and white image, the black and white image being displayed with the color-changed failing pixel elements having the first color and the color-changed failing pixel elements having the second color.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the image is a video image.

11. A computer program embodied in non-transitory computer-readable media that visually highlights identified failing pixel elements of a two-dimensional electronic image, the computer program being configured to:

enable a user to select, using a user interface, at least one of a plurality of different, computer-implemented visual highlighting techniques stored in at least one memory component, at least one of the highlighting techniques being executable to change a color of each failing pixel element of a two-dimensional electronic image and individually highlight each of the color-changed failing pixel elements of the two-dimensional electronic image;

retrieve the selected highlighting technique from the at least one memory component;

execute the retrieved highlighting technique; and

cause the image to be displayed on a display with a visual indication of the failing pixel elements derived from the execution of the retrieved highlighting technique.

12. The computer program of claim 11, wherein the image is a color image and the first highlighting technique is to change the color of each of the failing pixel elements to a first color, display each of the color-changed failing pixels in the first color and to also display a boundary box enclosing all of the color-changed failing pixels in the first color.

13. The computer program of claim 12, wherein the image is displayed in its original color and the first color is red.

14. The computer program of claim 12, wherein the computer program is further configured to convert the color image to a black and white image, the black and white image being displayed with the color-changed failing pixel elements having the first color.

15. The computer program of claim 11, wherein the image is a color image and a second one of the highlighting techniques is executable to display separate groupings of the color-changed failing pixel elements within a boundary line of a first color.

16. The computer program of claim 15, wherein the image is displayed in its original color and the first color is red.

17. The computer program of claim 15, wherein the computer program is further configured to convert the color image to a black and white image, the black and white image being displayed with the boundary line around the color-changed failing pixel elements.

18. The computer program of claim 11, wherein the image is a color image and a third one of the highlighting techniques is executable to provide color to each of the failing pixel elements by changing them to a first color, enclose each of the color-changed failing pixel elements within a box of the first color, provide color to failing pixel elements in video lines by changing them to a second color and enclose each of the failing pixel elements in video lines within a box of the second color.

19. The computer program of claim 18, wherein the computer program is further configured to convert the color image to a black and white image, the black and white image being displayed with the failing pixel elements having the first color and the color-changed failing pixel elements having the second color.

22. The computer program of claim 11, wherein the computer program is configured to visually highlight identified failing pixel elements of a video image.

20. An arrangement for individually visually highlighting each of at least one identified failing pixel element of a two-dimensional electronic image, comprising:

at least one memory component containing a plurality of different visual highlighting techniques at least one of the highlighting techniques being executable to change a color of each failing pixel element of a two-dimensional electronic image and individually highlight each of the color-changed failing pixel elements of the two-dimensional electronic image;

a user interface configured to enable selection of each of the plurality of highlighting techniques from said at least one memory component;

a processor that converts the selection via said user interface into retrieval of the selected highlighting technique from said at least one memory component and executes the retrieved highlighting technique on the image; and

a display coupled to said processor and being directed by said processor to display the image with a visual indication of the failing pixel elements.

23. The arrangement of claim 20, wherein the image is a video image.