Display device having function of controlling luminance based on average picture level and luminance control method thereof

• US 9,589,499 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2013
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Park, Sungjin
• Primary Examiner(s): Park, Sanghyuk
• Application Number:
  US14/143,643
• Publication Number:
  US 20150062187A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,163 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/04 Maintaining the quality of display appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0606 Manual adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/103 Detection of image changes, e.g. determination of an index representative of the image change
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/106 Determination of movement vectors or equivalent parameters within the image
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/16 Calculation or use of calculated indices related to luminance levels in display data
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3225 using an active matrix
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3413 Details of control of colour illumination sources

Abstract

A display device and a method for controlling a luminance of the display device are disclosed. The display device includes an average picture level (APL) calculator which calculates an APL of an input image and outputs the APL of the input image and an APL curve data, a luminance adjuster which includes at least two luminance adjusting units enabled in response to a user input through a user interface and reduces a luminance of an APL section equal to or less than a predetermined reference value, a data modulator modulating data of the input image using a luminance defined in the APL curve data, and a display panel driving circuit which writes data from the data modulator on a display panel and reproduces the input image on the display panel.

Claims

1. A display device comprising:

an average picture level (APL) calculator configured to calculate an APL of an input image and output the APL of the input image and an APL curve data;

a luminance adjuster including at least two luminance adjusting units that are enabled in response to a user input through a user interface;

a data modulator configured to modulate a digital data of the input image using a luminance defined in the APL curve data adjusted by the luminance adjuster;

a display panel driving circuit configured to write the digital data modulated by the data modulator on a display panel and reproduce the input image on the display panel,

a host system calculating the average picture level in each frame of the input image using the average picture level calculator, selecting the APL curve data depending on the user input, performing at least one of the luminance adjusting units selected through the user interface, and adjusting a selected APL curve data using the at least one of the luminance adjusting units; and

a timing controller modulating the digital data of the input image using the data modulator and transmitting the digital data modulated by data modulator to the display panel driving circuit, and generating timing control signals for controlling operation timing of the display panel driving circuit,

wherein any one of the at least two luminance adjusting units decides a motion of the input image to adjust a luminance of an APL section based on the motion of the input image,

wherein the APL curve data includes only N APL points on an APL curve, where N is a positive integer between 2 and 20,

wherein the N APL points are points positioned at boundaries between neighboring sections when the APL curve is equally divided into N sections,

wherein the host system transmits an adjusted APL curve data outputted from the luminance adjuster to the timing controller in a vertical blank period of each frame period,

wherein the luminance adjuster multiplies the luminance of the APL curve data by a weight value to adjust the selected APL curve data, and then transmits the adjusted APL curve data to the timing controller.

2. The display device of claim 1, wherein the luminance adjuster multiplies the APL points by a weight value generated from the luminance adjusting unit and adjusts the APL points.

3. The display device of claim 2, further comprising an interpolator configured to produce luminance data connecting luminances corresponding to the APL points through a linear interpolation method and output the APL curve data defining a maximum luminance of a display image reproduced on the display panel on the APL curve to the data modulator.

4. The display device of claim 3, wherein the luminance adjuster includes:

a first luminance adjusting unit configured to generate a first weight value that reduces a luminance of an APL section equal to or less than a first reference APL on an input APL curve and increases a luminance of an APL section greater than the first reference APL; and

a first multiplier configured to multiply luminances of the APL points of the input APL curve by the first weight value.

5. The display device of claim 4, wherein the luminance adjuster includes:

a second luminance adjusting unit configured to generate a second weight value that reduces the maximum luminance of the display image as the motion of the input image increases; and

a second multiplier configured to multiply the APL points of the input APL curve or the luminances of the APL points from the first multiplier by the second weight value.

6. The display device of claim 5, wherein as the APL curve data is reduced, the second luminance adjusting unit reduces the second weight value and reduces the maximum luminance of the display image.

7. The display device of claim 6, wherein the luminance adjuster includes:

a third luminance adjusting unit configured to generate a third weight value that reduces a luminance of an APL section equal to or less than a second reference APL on the input APL curve and maintains a luminance of an APL section greater than the second reference APL; and

a third multiplier configured to multiply the luminances of the APL points of the input APL curve by the third weight value.

8. The display device of claim 1, wherein the timing controller transmits a luminance data of the APL points to the average picture level calculator, and modulates a gray level of the digital data based on the adjusted APL curve data.

9. The display device of claim 1, wherein the host system receives the APL curve data from the timing controller and supplies the adjusted APL curve data to the timing controller.

10. The display device of claim 1, wherein the display panel driving circuit includes:

a data driving circuit to convert the digital data modulated by the data modulator received from the timing controller into analog gamma compensation voltage to generate a data voltage to be supplied to data lines of the display panel; and

a gate driving circuit to supply a gate pulse synchronized with the data voltage outputted from the data driving circuit to gate lines of the display panel under a control of the timing controller.

11. A method for controlling a luminance of a display device comprising:

calculating an average picture level (APL) of an input image and outputting the APL of the input image and an APL curve data;

reducing a luminance of an APL section in the APL curve data in response to a user input through a user interface;

deciding a motion of the input image to adjust a luminance of the APL section based on the motion of the input image;

modulating a digital data of the input image based on a luminance defined by the APL curve data, in which the luminance of the APL section is adjusted; and

writing the digital data modulated by the APL curve data, in which the luminance of the APL section is adjusted on a display panel,

wherein the APL curve data includes only N APL points on an APL curve, where N is a positive integer between 2 and 20,

wherein the N APL points are points positioned at boundaries between neighboring sections when the APL curve is equally divided into N sections,

wherein the reducing of the luminance of the APL section includes multiplying the APL points by a weight value to adjust the APL points,

wherein the method for controlling the luminance of the display device further comprises;

producing luminance data connecting luminances corresponding to the APL points through a linear interpolation method,

generating a first weight value that reduces a luminance of an APL section equal to or less than a first reference APL on the input APL curve and increases a luminance of an APL section greater than the first reference APL; and

multiplying luminances of the APL points of the input APL curve by the first weight value.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating a second weight value that reduces a maximum luminance of the display image as the motion of the input image increases; and

multiplying the APL points of the input APL curve or the luminances of the APL points by the second weight value.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the second weight value is reduced as the APL curve data is reduced.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

generating a third weight value that reduces a luminance of an APL section equal to or less than a second reference APL on the input APL curve and maintains a luminance of an APL section greater than the second reference APL; and

multiplying the luminances of the APL points of the input APL curve by the third weight value.