Hybrid image decomposition and projection

• US 9,305,384 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2012
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IMAX Theatres International Limited (IMAX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Imax EMEA Limited (IMAX Corporation)
• Inventors: Tan, Weining, Read, Steven Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Buttram, Todd
• Application Number:
  US14/238,585
• Publication Number:
  US 20140192076A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,330 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/001 Texturing; Colouring; Generation of texture or colour inpainting G06T5/77
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/18 Image warping, e.g. rearranging pixels individually
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/70 Denoising; Smoothing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/90 Dynamic range modification of images or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3147 Multi-projection systems displays in general H04N9/12; video walls G06F3/1446, G09G2300/026
• 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 9/3185 Geometric adjustment, e.g. keystone or convergence optical or mechanical adjustment of convergence H04N9/317; using scanning means H04N3/22; optical or mechanical adjustments of projectors not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/14

Abstract

Hybrid image projection systems and methods can superimpose image components of an input image. An input image can be divided into smaller regions and at least one parameter of each region can be determined. The input image can be decomposed based on the parameter of each region into multiple, less correlated, orthogonal or quasi-orthogonal image components. Each projector can display respective image components so that the images projected may be optically superimposed on a screen. The superposition of orthogonal or quasi-orthogonal image components can result in superposition of images in an existing multi-projector image systems being more insensitive to inter-projector image misalignment. Superimposing orthogonal or quasi-orthogonal images can be used to avoid visible image degradation, and provide more robust image quality in a multiple projector system implementation.

Claims

1. A method for converting input image data for a hybrid image projection system, the input image data representing a two-dimensional (2D) input image, the method comprising:

dividing the input image data by region decomposition into at least two image regions based on analysis of content of the input image, each of the at least two image regions being smaller than the input image data;

determining parameters for the at least two image regions, at least one parameter being an image decomposition parameter determined for each of the at least two image regions and representing optimal adaptation to local image content;

producing a first image component and a second image component by decomposing the input image based on the parameters, the first image component being orthogonal or quasi-orthogonal with the second image component;

displaying the first image component by a first display device; and

displaying the second image component by a second display device, the second image component being superimposed on the first image component to produce a final superimposed 2D version of the 2D input image with the same or better image quality as the 2D input image and that is brighter than the 2D input image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein dividing the input image data by region decomposition into at least two image regions based on analysis of content of the input image comprises dividing the input image data into the at least two image regions based on image area texture detail within the input image.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least two image regions comprises a first image region and a second image region having a different size than the first image region.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein producing the first image component and the second image component by decomposing the input image based on the parameters comprises decomposing the input image by:

interpolating the parameters to produce the first image component; and

computing a difference between a multiple of the input image and the first image component to produce the second image component.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the multiple of the input image is based on a number of projectors comprising at least the first display device and the second display device that superimpose at least the first image component and the second image component.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the final image comprises a brightness that is at least twice as bright as the input image displayed by a single projector system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameters comprise:

a first parameter that is a brightness balancing factor; and

a second parameter that is a minima of each of the at least two image regions,

wherein producing the first image component comprises;

modifying the minima of each of the at least two image regions with the first parameter; and

interpolating the second parameter of each of the at least two image regions into a lower bounding surface using a linear or non-linear process.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining that the first image component is to be modified by analyzing the second image component with respect to predefined limits; and

responsive to determining that the first image component is to be modified, modifying the first image component and the second image component and computing a difference between the multiple of the input image and a modified first image component.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the predefined limits are based on brightness.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the predefined limits are based on preserving original hue.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying the method to each color of the input image data independent of other colors of the input image data.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the color comprises red, green, and blue.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

producing image data by applying a degamma process to the input image data.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to displaying the first image component and displaying the second image component,

applying a High Dynamic Range rounding function to the first image component and the second image component;

applying warping to the first image component or the second image component;

or

applying gamma correction to the first image component and the second image component.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying values of at least one of the first image component or the second image component that are negative or greater than a maximum brightness that the first display device or the second display device is configured to project; and

reducing visual image artifacts in the at least one of the first image component or the second image component by modifying the values.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein producing the first image component and the second image component by decomposing the input image based on the parameters comprises:

decomposing the input image using decomposition filters; and

adjusting the decomposition filters based on content of the input image for each of the at least two image regions.

17. A multiple projector system, comprising:

an input configured for receiving input image data representing a two-dimensional (2D) image;

a processor configured for processing the input image data and for outputting a first image component and a second image component based on the input image data by dividing the 2D image, by region decomposition, into image regions based on analysis of image content, determining parameters for the image regions, and decomposing the 2D image into the first image component and into the second image component that is orthogonal or quasi-orthogonal to the first image component, each image region of the image regions being smaller than the input image data, the parameters including an image decomposition parameter determined for each image region of the image regions;

a system function module configured for modifying the first image component and for modifying the second image component;

a first projector configured to display the modified first image component; and

a second projector configured to display the modified second image component superimposed on the modified first image component to produce a final superimposed 2D version of the 2D image with the same or better image quality as the 2D image and that is brighter than the 2D image.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the processor is configured to apply a degamma process to the input image data.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the system function module is configured to apply to at least one of the first image component or the second image component, prior to the first image component and the second image component being displayed,

High Dynamic Range rounding;

gamma correction;

or

warping.