Smoothing brightness transition during channel change

• US 9,875,694 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2015
• Issued: 01/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Shintani, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Kent
• Assistant Examiner(s): BRITTINGHAM, NATHANIEL P
• Application Number:
  US14/855,567
• Publication Number:
  US 20170076673A1
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/90 Dynamic range modification of images or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0233 Improving the luminance or brightness uniformity across the screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/06 Adjustment of display parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0653 Controlling or limiting the speed of brightness adjustment of the illumination source
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/022 Centralised management of display operation, e.g. in a server instead of locally
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/06 Consumer Electronics Control, i.e. control of another device by a display or vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3406 Control of illumination source illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336

Abstract

First and second brightness metadata pertaining to respective first and second contents are accessed, and responsive to receiving a command to change presentation from the first content to the second content, a composite brightness is established using the first and second metadata. At least one of the contents using the composite brightness at a start time of a transition period. During the transition period, video is presented using a changing brightness that starts at the composite brightness at the start time of the transition period and ends at the second brightness at an end time of the transition period. Subsequent to the end time of the transition period, the second content is presented using the second metadata and not using the first metadata.

Claims

1. A computer memory that is not a transitory signal and that comprises instructions executable by at least one processor to:

access first and second brightness metadata pertaining to respective s and second contents;

responsive to receiving a command to change presentation from the first content to the second content, establish a composite brightness using the first and second metadata;

present at least one of the contents using the composite brightness at a start time of a transition period;

during the transition period, present video using a changing brightness that starts at the composite brightness at the start time of the transition period and ends at the second brightness at an end time of the transition period; and

subsequent to the end time of the transition period, present the second content using the second metadata and not using the first metadata, wherein the first and second brightness metadata include respective first and second peak and average brightness values, and the composite brightness includes a composite peak brightness value derived from the first and second peak brightness values.

2. The computer memory of claim 1, wherein the presentation brightness changes continuously from the start time to the end time of the transition period.

3. The computer memory of claim 2, wherein the presentation brightness changes continuously from the start time to the end time of the transition period such that the presentation brightness during the transition period is characterized by at least three successive, different brightnesses.

6. The computer memory of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable to present only the first content during the transition period and to change presentation from the first content to the second content at the end time of the transition period.

7. The computer memory of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable to present only the second content during the transition period and to change presentation from the first content to the second content at the start time of the transition period.

8. The computer memory of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable to present both the first content and the second content during the transition period and to change presentation from the first content to the second content during the transition period, between the start time and the end time thereof.

4. A computer memory that is not a transitory signal and that comprises instructions executable by at least one processor to:

access first and second brightness metadata pertaining to respective first and second contents;

responsive to receiving a command to change presentation from the first content to the second content, establish a composite brightness using the first and second metadata;

present at least one of the contents using the composite brightness at a start time transition period;

during the transition period, present video using a changing brightness that starts at the composite brightness at the start time of the transition period and ends at the second brightness at an end time of the transition period; and

subsequent to the end time of the transition period, present the second content using the second metadata and not using the first metadata, wherein the composite brightness is an average of the first and second brightness metadata.

5. A computer memory that is not a transitory signal and that comprises instructions executable by at least one processor to:

access first and second brightness metadata pertaining to respective first and second contents;

responsive to receiving a command to change presentation from the first content to the second content, establish a composite brightness using the first and second metadata;

present at least one of the contents using the composite brightness at a start time of a transition period;

during the transition period, present video using a changing brightness that starts at the composite brightness at the start time of the transition period and ends at the second brightness at an end time of the transition period; and

subsequent to the end time of the transition period, present the second content using the second metadata and not using the first metadata, wherein the first and second brightness metadata include respective first and second peak and average brightness values, and the composite brightness includes an average brightness value derived from the first and second average brightness values, wherein the composite brightness further includes a composite peak brightness value derived from the first and second peak brightness values.

9. An assembly, comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one video display configured to be controlled by the processor; and

at least one computer memory with instructions executable by the at least one processor to;

receive a command to change presentation of video from a first content to a second content;

responsive to the content change command, present video on the display using a continuously variable brightness during a transition period;

access first and second brightness metadata in respective first and second contents;

responsive to receiving the command, establish a composite brightness using the first and second metadata;

present at least one of the contents using the composite brightness at a start time of the transition period;

during the transition period, present video using the continuously variable brightness that starts at the composite brightness at the start time of the transition period and ends at the second brightness at an end time of the transition period; and

subsequent to the end time of the transition period, present the second content using the second metadata and not using the first metadata, wherein the first and second brightness metadata include respective first and second peak and average brightness values, and the composite brightness includes a composite peak brightness value derived from the first and second peak brightness values.

10. The assembly of claim 9, wherein the composite brightness is an average of the first and second brightness metadata.

15. The assembly of claim 9, wherein the instructions are curable to present both the first content and the second content during the transition period and to change presentation from the first content to the second content during the transition period, between the start time and the end time thereof.

11. An assembly, comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one video display configured to be controlled by the processor; and

at least one computer memory with instructions executable by the at least one processor to;

receive a command to change presentation of video from a first content to a second content;

access first and second brightness metadata in respective first and second contents;

responsive to receiving the command to change presentation, establish a composite brightness using the first and second metadata;

present at least one of the contents using the composite brightness at a start time of the transition period;

during the transition period, present video using the continuously variable brightness that starts at the composite brightness at the start time of the transition period and ends at the second brightness at an end time of the transition period; and

subsequent to the end time of the transition period, present the second content using the second metadata and not using the first metadata, wherein the first and second brightness metadata include respective first and second peak and average brightness values, and the composite brightness includes an average brightness value derived from the first and second average brightness values.

12. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the composite brightness further includes a composite peak brightness value derived from the first and second peak brightness values.

13. An assembly, comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one video display configured to be controlled by the processor; and

at least one computer memory with instructions executable by the at least one processor to;

receive a command to change presentation of video from a first content to a second content;

responsive to the content change command, present video on the display using a continuously variable brightness during a transition period, wherein the instructions are executable to present only the first content during the transition period and to change presentation from the first content to the second content at the end time of the transition period.

14. An assembly, comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one video display configured to be controlled by the processor; and

at least one computer memory with instructions executable by the at least one processor to;

receive a command to change presentation of video from a first content to a second content;

responsive to the content change command, present video on the display using a continuously variable brightness during a transition period, wherein the instructions are executable to present only the second content during the transition period and to change presentation from the first content to the second content at the start time of the transition period.

16. A method, comprising:

accessing first and second brightness metadata pertaining to respective first and second contents;

responsive to receiving a command to change presentation from the first content to the second content, establishing a composite brightness using the first and second metadata;

presenting at least one of the contents using the composite brightness at a start time of a transition period;

during the transition period, presenting video using a changing brightness that starts at the composite brightness at the start time of the transition period and ends at the second brightness at an end time of the transition period; and

subsequent to the end time of the transition period, presenting the second content using the second metadata and not using the first metadata.