Image Acquisition and Display System and Method Using Information Derived from an Area of Interest in a Video Image Implementing System Synchronized Brightness Control and Use of Metadata

• US 20150161953A1
• Filed: 02/13/2015
• Published: 06/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fergason Licensing LLC
• Original Assignee: Fergason Patent Properties
• Inventors: Fergason, James L., Fergason, John D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,443,479 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0233 Improving the luminance or brightness uniformity across the screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0242 Compensation of deficiencies in the appearance of colours
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0271 Adjustment of the gradation levels within the range of the gradation scale, e.g. by redistribution or clipping
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0646 Modulation of illumination source brightness and image signal correlated to each other
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/16 Calculation or use of calculated indices related to luminance levels in display data
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/04 Exchange of auxiliary data, i.e. other than image data, between monitor and graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3406 Control of illumination source illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3413 Details of control of colour illumination sources
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3611 Control of matrices with row and column drivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/20 Circuitry for controlling amplitude response

Abstract

Method and apparatus for preparing and displaying images uses image characteristics of an area of interest of images to optimize or otherwise determine image characteristics of the entire image to be displayed. The area of interest information may be used in computing a System Synchronized Backlight Control (“SSBC”) profile tor the area of interest, and the SSBC profile may be used to adjust the image signal to provide an image in which the image characteristics, e.g.. are optimized for the image at the area of interest. The image characteristics and/or SSBC profile information may be provided as metadata included in a video signal data stream. The area of interest may be selected where the image is obtained, where the image is shown or elsewhere, e.g., in an image storage device, image player, etc.

Claims

1. A method of display, comprising steps of that

a computing device in an image source which is separated from a display defines an area of interest in an image, and

the computing device in the image source uses information pertaining to such area of interest to calculate and determine a System Synchronized Backlight Control (SSBC) profile of the image and

the computing device in the image source provides the SSBC profile of the image pertaining to the area of interest in a video signal stream or the computing device in the image source provides the SSBC profile of the image of the area of interest as metadata, wherein said SSBC profile means system synchronized brightness control which is a means of simultaneously adjusting backlight brightness and gray levels of LCD pixels in real time based on the content of the input image.

2. The method of claim 1, said defining comprising defining the area of interest at the image receiver.

3. The method of claim 1, said defining comprising defining at the camera that senses the image.

4. The method of claim 1, said defining comprising defining the area of interest while editing the image.

5. The method of claim 1, said defining comprising defining the area of interest at a display for displaying the image.

6. The method of claim 1, said defining comprising defining the area of interest at an image player.

7. The method of claim 1, said defining comprising defining the area of interest ax a video recorder.

8. The method of anyone of claim 1, wherein said defining is carried out by a person selecting an area of interest.

9. The method of anyone of claim 1, wherein said defining is carried out automatically using an algorithm.

10. The method of anyone of claim 1, said using information comprising providing for brightness adjustment.

11. The method of anyone of claim 1, said using information comprising providing for adjustment of shades of gray (gray scale).

12. The method of claim 11, said providing for adjustment of shades of gray comprising stretching the range of shades of gray of an input image to extend over a wider range of shades of gray,

13. The method of claim 12, said stretching comprising interpolating.

14. The method of claim 1, said providing information comprising encoding the image information pertaining to the area of interest and providing the encoded information in the video signal stream.

15. The method of claim 1, said providing metadata comprising providing the metadata in unused space of a video signal stream.

16. The method of claim 1, said providing metadata comprising providing area of interest information in a video signal stream separate from the video imagery in the video signal stream.

17. The method of anyone of claim 1, further comprising a step that the computing device provides information pertaining to such area of interest as metadata for use in effecting adjustment of the image for display.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the SSBC profile is prepared where the image is obtained.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the SSBC profile is prepared where the image is prepared or provided for displaying.

20. Apparatus which is separated from a display for preparing a signal for display, comprising means for determining an area of interest of an image, and a processor adapted to adjust an image signal based, on the image characteristics of the area of interest, wherein said processor being adapted to compute for the image signal a System Synchronized Backlight Control (SSBC) profile for the image based on the image characteristics of the area of interest, said processor being adapted to combine the SSBC profile as metadata with the image signal or said processor being adapted to provide in an image signal stream the SSBC profile of the area of interest and said processor being adapted to provide the SSBC profile as encoded information in the image signal stream wherein said SSBC means system synchronized brightness control which is a means of simultaneously adjusting backlight brightness and gray levels of LCD pixels in real time based on the content of the input image.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, said processor comprising a computer.