Image display apparatus for controlling luminance and the luminance controlling method thereof

• US 20070159478A1
• Filed: 08/07/2006
• Published: 07/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Sang-jin, Kim, Moon-cheol, Choi, Dong-bum
• Application Number:
  US11/499,676
• Publication Number:
  US 20070159478A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/426
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T

Abstract

An image display apparatus capable of controlling a luminance and a luminance controlling method are provided. The image display apparatus includes a luminance sensor to measure a surrounding luminance, a luminance change sensor to sense a change of the surrounding luminance using the measured surrounding luminance, a luminance energy comparator to compare the sensed change of the surrounding luminance with a preset threshold and to compare a maximal eye adaptation in the measured surrounding luminance with a maximal luminance energy of a display, and a luminance adjustment controller to adjust a luminance of the display according to the eye adaptation using the comparison result of the luminance energy comparator.

Claims

1. An image display apparatus comprising:

a luminance sensor which measures a surrounding luminance;

a luminance change sensor which senses a change of the surrounding luminance based on the measured surrounding luminance;

a luminance energy comparator which compares the sensed change of the surrounding luminance with a preset threshold; and

a luminance adjustment controller which adjusts a luminance of a display according to an eye adaptation using a result of the comparison of the sensed change of the surrounding luminance with the preset threshold by the luminance energy comparator.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the luminance adjustment controller maintains the luminance of the display if the sensed change of the surrounding luminance is less than the preset threshold.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the luminance energy comparator compares a maximal eye adaptation in the measured surrounding luminance with a maximal luminance energy of the display if the sensed change of the surrounding luminance is greater than the preset threshold, and the luminance adjustment controller adjusts the luminance of the display according to a result of the comparison of the maximal eye adaptation in the measured surrounding luminance with the maximal luminance energy of the display.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the luminance adjustment controller maintains the luminance of the display if the maximal eye adaptation in the measured surrounding luminance is greater than the maximal luminance energy of the display, and reduces the luminance of the display if the maximal eye adaptation in the measured surrounding luminance is less than the maximal luminance energy of the display.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein, in a range where the luminance energy bandwidth that can be sensed by an eye becomes wide if the surrounding luminance is changed, the luminance adjustment controller maintains the luminance of the display to expand the luminance energy bandwidth the eye.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the luminance adjustment controller adjusts the luminance of the display according to the eye adaptation from a time when the luminance energy of the display becomes maximal according to the change of the surrounding luminance.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the eye adaptation is an adaptability degree of the eye for the change of surrounding luminance based on a time that a luminance energy is incident on the eyes.

8. A luminance controlling method of an image display apparatus, the method comprising:

measuring a surrounding luminance;

sensing a change of the surrounding luminance based on the measured surrounding luminance;

comparing the sensed change of the surrounding luminance with a preset threshold; and

adjusting a luminance of a display according to a result of the comparing the sensed change of the surrounding luminance with the preset threshold.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein if it is determined that the sensed changed of the surrounding luminance is less than the preset threshold, the adjusting the luminance of the display comprises maintaining the luminance of the display.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising comparing a maximal eye adaptation in the measured surrounding luminance with a maximal luminance energy of the display if the sensed change of the surrounding luminance is greater than the preset threshold, wherein the adjusting luminance of the display comprises adjusting the luminance of the display according to a result of the comparing the maximal eye adaptation in the measured surrounding luminance with the maximal luminance of the display.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the adjusting the luminance maintains the luminance of the display if the maximal eye adaptation in the measured surrounding luminance is greater than the maximal luminance energy of the display, and reduces the luminance of the display if the maximal eye adaptation in the measured surrounding luminance is less than the maximal luminance energy of the display.

12. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein, in a range where the luminance energy bandwidth that can be sensed by an eye becomes wide if the surrounding luminance is changed, the operation of adjusting the luminance maintains the luminance of the display to expand the luminance energy bandwidth of the eye.

13. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the operation of adjusting the luminance adjusts the luminance of the display according to the eye adaptation from a time when the luminance energy of the display becomes maximal according to the change of the surrounding luminance.

14. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the eye adaptation is an adaptability degree of the eye for the change of the surrounding luminance based on a time that a luminance energy is incident on the eyes.

15. An image display system comprising:

means for measuring surrounding luminance;

means for sensing a change of the surrounding luminance based on the measured surrounding luminance;

means for comparing the sensed change of the surrounding luminance with a preset threshold; and

means for adjusting luminance of a display according to an eye adaptation using a result of the comparison of the sensed change of the surrounding luminance with the preset threshold by the means for comparing.

16. The system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the luminance adjustment means maintains the luminance of the display if the sensed change of the surrounding luminance is less than the preset threshold.

17. The system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the luminance energy comparing means compares the maximal eye adaptation in the measured surrounding luminance with the maximal luminance energy of the display if the sensed change of the surrounding luminance is greater than the preset threshold and the luminance adjustment means adjusts the luminance of the display according to a result of the comparison of the maximal eye adaptation in the measured surrounding luminance with the maximal luminance energy of the display.

18. The system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the luminance adjusting means maintains the luminance of the display if the maximal eye adaptation in the measured surrounding luminance is greater than the maximal luminance energy of the display, and reduces the luminance of the display if the maximal eye adaptation in the measured surrounding luminance is less than the maximal luminance energy of the display.

19. The system as claimed in claim 17, wherein, in a range where the luminance energy bandwidth that can be sensed by an eye becomes wide if the surrounding luminance is changed, the luminance adjusting means maintains the luminance of the display to expand the luminance energy bandwidth the eye.

20. The system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the luminance adjusting means adjusts the luminance of the display according to the eye adaptation from a time when the luminance energy of the display becomes maximal according to the change of the surrounding luminance.

21. The system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the eye adaptation is an adaptability degree of the eye for the change of surrounding luminance based on a time that a luminance energy is incident on the eyes.