Selective Contrast Expander Patents (Class 348/28)
  • Patent number: 9787962
    Abstract: A 70,000-gate device and method which provide substantially real-time TV video images that are similar to pre-degradation original images by: setting luminance distribution of a degraded image and an estimated luminance distribution of initial values of a reconstructed image for one frame of TV video images; using a first PSF luminance distribution in a first-time iterative calculation, said first PSF luminance distribution having been specified in accordance with the degree of degradation of the degraded image; using a second PSF luminance distribution in a second-time iterative calculation; and while setting a reconstructed image estimated luminance distribution from the first-time iterative calculation as a second-time estimated luminance distribution of the initial values of the reconstructed image, performing the second-time iterative calculation in an image reconstructioner which determines, in the luminance distribution of the degraded image, the most likely estimated luminance distribution of the reco
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: Lightron International Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Mitsuo Eguchi
  • Patent number: 9330591
    Abstract: A low power display and a method for display in a display device having an Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diodes AMOLED panel are provided. A display window that includes content to be displayed on the AMOLED panel is determined. Luminance values of pixels constituting the display window are grasped. The pixels having luminance values that are to be adjusted are determined in accordance with a distribution degree of pixels having luminance values that are larger than a reference luminance value. The luminance values of the determined pixels are changed to the reference luminance value, and the display window is displayed on the AMOLED panel with the changed luminance values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Young-Min Jeong, Sung-Dae Cho
  • Patent number: 8477192
    Abstract: An optical detection system per motor-vehicles, suitable to detect the condition of the road surface on which the vehicle is travelling, comprising a photodetector unit composed of a camera having a matrix of pixels composed of photodetectors based on a photosensitive material suitable to detect both radiations in the visible and near infrared, i.e. having a wavelength comprised between 380 and 900 nanometres, and radiations in the short wavelength infrared, i.e. having a wavelength comprised between 900 and 1700 nanometres.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: C.R.F. Societa Consortile per Azioni
    Inventors: Davide Capello, Nereo Pallaro, Luca Liotti, Cosimo Carvignese
  • Patent number: 8204133
    Abstract: Provided is a method and apparatus for encoding and decoding multi-view video data. The encoding method includes: decomposing each view image of the multi-view video into an overlapped region and a non-overlapped region, the overlapped region being overlapped with other view image and the non-overlapped region not being overlapped with other view image; generating a stitched image by combining the non-overlapped region of each view image and a middle view image; encoding the stitched image using a first encoding algorithm; and encoding the overlapped region of each view image, using a second encoding algorithm. Further, the decomposing step includes the steps of estimating disparity information for each view image, based on a predetermined view image; and decomposing each view image into said overlapped region and said non-overlapped region using the estimated disparity information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignees: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation, Yonsei University
    Inventors: Suk Hee Cho, Kug Jin Yun, Dae Hee Kim, Chung Hyun Ahn, Soo In Lee, Kwang Hoon Sohn, Yong Tae Kim
  • Patent number: 7750947
    Abstract: Provided is an image sensor that can solve the limitation in expanding an output dynamic range, which is caused when a uniform gain contrast scheme is applied, and prevent the reduction of an input dynamic range, thereby stably adjusting the distribution of image brightness. The image sensor includes a contrast gain adjuster for adjusting a brightness distribution of an image detected from a pixel array by controlling a contrast gain of an inputted pixel data. The contrast gain adjuster calculates a minimum brightness value of a dark region and a maximum brightness value of a bright region from the image brightness distribution, the dark region and the bright region being divided according to a set reference value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Inventor: Hyun-Joo Ahn
  • Publication number: 20080068450
    Abstract: Provided are a method and apparatus for displaying a moving image using a plurality of contrast tones in a mobile communication terminal, which allow effective display of color moving image data. The method includes generating contrast tone moving image data represented by a plurality of contrast tones from color moving image data, wherein the contrast tones vary depending on an ambient brightness; and displaying an moving image using the generated contrast tone moving image data. The method and apparatus enable a moving image to be naturally rendered by making full use of contrast tones even when an input moving image screen is too bright or too dark.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2007
    Publication date: March 20, 2008
    Inventor: Chi Ho Choi
  • Patent number: 6259472
    Abstract: A histogram equalization apparatus for contrast enhancement of a moving image includes a CDF calculator for counting the number of pixels having a gray level from the minimum to the maximum or less with respect to an input image in a frame unit to calculate a cumulative distribution function (CDF) value of each gray level, and a look-up table for updating histogram-equalized level corresponding to each gray level of the input moving image in a frame unit based on the CDF value of each gray level, and outputting a corresponding histogram-equalized level according to a level of the input moving image. Therefore, the histogram equalization apparatus can perform real-time histogram equalization on a moving image with a simple hardware, without using a frame memory, a probability density function (PDF) calculator and dividers for a cumulative density function (CDF) calculation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2001
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yung-jun Park
  • Patent number: 6091442
    Abstract: An apparatus for improving the visibility of an image to be displayed is provided in an image signal processor such as a TV or VCR. The image visibility improvement apparatus compares levels of an input image signal with predetermined individual high-level or low-level reference values and outputs the compared result signals. The visibility improvement apparatus increases the level of the image signal if the level of the input image signal is higher than the high-level reference value and decreases the level of the image signal if the input signal is lower than the low-level reference value, according to the results of the comparison. The apparatus thereby further distinguishes the level of the signal of a brighter region from that of a darker region. Thus, the image displayed on a screen can be viewed more easily.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2000
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chang-Hyeon Lee
  • Patent number: 5909249
    Abstract: The effects of noise in a video processing system are reduced, resulting in improved image quality. A digital video signal containing a luminance component in Y color space is processed by increasing the amplitude of the luminance data in accordance with a nonlinear transfer function. As a result, low-amplitude components of the luminance signal are reduced. Subsequent quantization errors in transform coefficients produced by a spatial compression routine in a video encoder are consequently reduced. Inverse operations are performed at a video decoder to recover the original luminance data. The invention reduces quantization noise which is manifested particularly as dust-like variations in luminance intensity in an otherwise darkened region of a video image. A decoder apparatus is also presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 1, 1999
    Assignee: General Instrument Corporation
    Inventors: Vinay Sathe, Woo H. Paik
  • Patent number: 5748257
    Abstract: A picture information detecting apparatus includes a picture area signal output circuit to detect a picture area excluding black band portions from the input video signal to produce a picture area signal to designate the picture area from which picture information is detected. Also included is a picture information detecting circuit for detecting picture information from the input video signal in the designated area. A picture quality compensating circuit is also provided for compensating the video input signal using the detected picture information to produce the gradation compensated video signal. An EDTV 2 discriminating circuit may also be included to determine if the video input signal is an EDTV 2 signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1998
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Minoru Kawabata, Atsuhisa Kageyama
  • Patent number: 5604545
    Abstract: An image enhancement system that efficiently enhances gray scale images, wherein an analog scene is captured and a resulting analog signal is digitized to a raw gray scale image S. Image S is divided into M disjoint non-empty regions R.sub.1 . . . R.sub.M, where S.sub.i identifies region R.sub.i of S. The raw digitized signal S.sub.i is processed in accordance with an enhancement algorithm to obtain a set of enhancement parameters (offsets P.sub.i =(s.sub.ai, s.sub.bi) and weights (w.sub.i)). Digital offsets P.sub.i =(s.sub.ai, s.sub.bi) are converted to analog offsets Q.sub.i =(v.sub.ai, v.sub.bi). The analog signal is stretched and clipped and converted to a digital signal that is an enhanced image signal T.sub.i. The enhanced image signal is multiplied by weight w.sub.i to obtain the final enhanced image U.sub.i. Image U.sub.i forms the region R.sub.i of a final enhanced image U. The multiplied signals are summed to produce an enhanced summed image of the scene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 18, 1997
    Assignee: Purdue Research Foundation
    Inventors: Chanchal Chatterjee, Vwani P. Roychowdhurry
  • Patent number: 5540097
    Abstract: In an ultrasonic microscope apparatus, an ultrasonic pulse transmitter-receiver emits an ultrasonic wave irradiated on a sample, receives an echo from the sample, and emits an electric output signal in accordance with the received echo. A scanner is provided for scanning the sample by relatively moving the ultrasonic pulse transmitter/receiver and the sample, and, a detection circuit is provided for detecting an echo component included in the output signal from the ultrasonic pulse transmitter-receiver and for emitting a detected signal. A picture quality adjuster receives the detected signal, adjusts brightness and contrast of the detected signal, and outputs the adjusted signal as an image signal. An adjustment controller adjusts the adjustment amount of brightness and contrast in the picture quality adjuster in accordance with the brightness and contrast values of the image signal output from the picture quality adjuster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 30, 1996
    Assignee: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Nahoko Hisata
  • Patent number: 5517242
    Abstract: An image sensing device is provided with an expanded dynamic range when it photographs a moving object. A first gray value D1 of first picture taken with first exposure time is read in the first time interval and a second gray value D2 of second picture taken with second exposure time is read in the second time interval. Two function values f(D2) and g(D2) are calculated with respect to the second gray value D2. Then, a weight coefficient with respect to the function f(D2) is multiplied by the first gray value D1 and a weight coefficient with respect to the function g(D2) is multiplied by the second gray value D2. Those multiplied gray values are summed up. Such calculation of multiplying and summing up is carried out in each picture element of the first picture and the second picture, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 14, 1996
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho
    Inventors: Keiichi Yamada, Tomoaki Nakano, Shin Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 5432550
    Abstract: A camcorder equipped with a function for correcting a brightness on sides of the camcorder screen which automatically compensates the brightness on the sides of screen is described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 11, 1995
    Assignee: Daewoo Electronic Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hyun-Koo Kwon
  • Patent number: 5428402
    Abstract: Tint detection circuit for automatically selecting a desired tint in a video signal, including a limit signal generator coupled to receive first (R), second (G) and third (R) color signals in order to generate first and second limit signals (CRITR, CRITB); a color-difference generator coupled to receive the first (R), second (G) and third (B) color signals in order to generate first and second color difference signals (G-R, G-B); and a window comparator coupled to the limit signal generator and to the color-difference generator in order to determine whether the first and second color difference signals (G-R, G-B) are within the windows determined by the first and second limit signals (CRITR, CRITB) so as to supply a tint detection signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 27, 1995
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventor: Johannes H. J. M. Van Rooij