Abstract: When the observation point on a PDP screen moves, artifacts will be introduced which are commonly described as “dynamic false contour”. A simple way to reduce this effect requires the use of more sub-fields at the expense of panel brightness. A first idea called Bit-Line-Repeat (BLR) makes it possible to exchange vertical resolution with addressing time in order to dispose of more sub-fields for the same brightness. Nevertheless, such a solution introduces some vertical artifacts mostly during movement. Therefore, before the step of sub-field encoding a vertically filtering of the picture divided into pixel blocks is performed, wherein each block includes at least one pixel in horizontal direction and a number of pixels corresponding to the number of common lines in vertical direction. The effect of the pre-filtering step is that the difference of brightness values within each pixel block is limited to a predetermined value.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing video pictures for dynamic false contour effect compensation is provided wherein the video picture consists of pixels having at least one color component (RGB) the color component values being digitally coded with a digital code word, hereinafter called sub-field code word (SF-R, SF-G, F-B). To each bit of a sub-field code word (SF-R, SF-G, SF-B) a certain duration is assigned hereinafter called a sub-field, during which a color component of the pixel can be activated for light generation. The digital code words have n bits, characterized in that among a set p possible video levels for the at least one color component (RGB) a sub-set of m video levels with n<m<p is selected, which is used for light generation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for processing video pictures especially for dynamic false contour effect and dithering noise compensation. The main idea of this invention is to divide the picture to be displayed in areas of at least two types, for example low video gradient areas and high video gradient areas, to allocate a different set of GCC (for Gravity Center Coding) code words to each type of area, the set allocated to a type of area being dedicated to reduce false contours and dithering noise in the area of this type, and to encode the video levels of each area of the picture to be displayed with the allocated set of GCC code words. In this manner, the reduction of false contour effects and dithering noise in the picture is optimized area by area.

Abstract: An illumination assembly includes a light source having one or more light generating elements, preferably light emitting diodes (LED), connected to a power supply. A mounting assembly connected to the light source and power supply is structured to removably dispose the one or more LED's in any one of a plurality of orientations which best facilitates the illumination of a work area of the device. The light source, power supply and mounting assembly may assume a variety of different structural configurations so as to be adaptable to different devices. The power supply and any one or more of the LED's may be removed, replaced and repaired, wherein the versatility of the illumination assembly is such as to be usable with any of a large variety of instruments, mechanical tools or a variety of other utilitarian devices in order to achieve an adequately illuminate the work area thereof.

Abstract: The present invention is directed towards a computer monitor utility assembly to be used with a standard computer monitor. The computer monitor utility assembly includes primarily a universal mount base which is structured and disposed to be removably, yet securely attached to the top surface of the monitor, and to a generally rigid top panel having a width generally equivalent to a width of a screen of the monitor. The top panel is adjustably secured to the mount base in overlying relation atop the monitor and so as to be able to slide forward and backward relative to the mount base, thereby selectively overhanging beyond the front surface of the monitor and providing shade to the monitor screen from light and glare. Further, the improved computer monitor utility assembly includes a utility console.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for optimizing brightness in a display device having a plurality of luminous elements corresponding to the pixels of a picture, wherein the time duration of a video frame or video field is divided into a plurality of sub fields during which the luminous elements can be activated for light emission with sustain pulses corresponding to a sub field code word which is used for brightness control, the total number of sustain pulses being determined in view of a selected power mode function of picture load the method including the following steps:

Abstract: Plasma Display Panels (PDP) are becoming more and more interesting for TV technology. Due to the larger size of PDPs, with larger viewing angle the large area flicker effect will become more serious in the future, in particular when handling 50 Hz video standards.

Abstract: The invention proposes a novel technique for coding video for a plasma display panel, which aims to improve the use of rotating code. The method forming the subject of the invention carries out a coding of the highest grey level V1 over the entirety of the subscans while favouring the subscans whose illumination time is the lowest. The coding of the lowest grey level V2 is achieved using the common value COMMAX which results from the coding of the value V1 if the specific value SPEMAX is greater than the difference D of the grey levels. If SPEMAX is greater than the difference D, then the coding of the common value COMMIN corresponds to the lowest value V2.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for displaying pictures with an improved grey scale portrayal shall be provided. Therefore, the quantization steps of the digitized signals for a plasma panel display have to be reduced. To achieve such reduction of quantization steps of the light output of a cell of the plasma display panel, the energy of the addressing impulse for addressing those luminous elements which have to be activated for a complete frame period or a part of it is used. Consequently, the light output of the luminous elements can be controlled by the usual sustain impulses and additionally by the addressing impulses thus reducing the quantization steps.

Abstract: The invention is related to a new kind of dithering method for plasma display panels. In a former Europena Patent Application a dithering method for the plasma display technology has been presented that utilizes a 3-dimensional dither pattern for the repeated use in a video sequence. A first dimension corresponds to a number of video frames, a second dimension corresponds to a number of video lines, and a third dimension corresponds to a number of cells or pixels in a video line. It has been found that this dither pattern has for some video levels the drawback of a generating a noticeable pattern in homogenous surfaces on the screen that reduces the picture quality. In order to overcome this drawback the invention proposes a new degree of freedom for the dither pattern. Different dither patterns are provided for different entries in a number of least significant bits of the data word representing the input video level.

Abstract: An improved addressing scheme for plasma display panel control comprises partitioning the panel into a number of sections and splitting the addressing period into correspondingly small addressing periods for each section. By varying the time distance between successive addressing periods of the sections from one sub-field to the other, at least for the sub-fields with higher weights, a better spread of the energy input and output of the plasma display panel is achieved and the power supply circuit for the display panel may be constructed with less expensive components.

Abstract: The number of available sub-fields for stereoscopic displaying on plasma display panels is not high enough to insure a good grey-scale portrayal as well as a good false contour behaviour. Thus, the number of sub-fields is artificially increased by commonly addressing the sub-fields of two or more pixel lines so that the addressing time of the panel may be decreased for each sub-field.

Abstract: With the new plasma display panel technology new kinds of artifacts can occur in video pictures due to the principle that brightness control is done with a modulation of small lighting pulses in a number of periods called sub-fields. These artifacts are commonly described as ‘dynamic false contour effect’. A technique called bit line repeat coding has been developed for reducing the false contour effect. According to this technique sub-field coding is done with common (CSF) and normal sub-fields (SF) where for the common sub-fields (CSF) identical entries in the sub-field code words of two or more corresponding pixels on two or more pixel lines are used. In this specific sub-field coding method some cases will occur in which an error has to be made due to the reduced flexibility in encoding produced by the need to have the same code on common sub-fields (CSF).

Abstract: Plasma Display Panels (PDP) are becoming more and more interesting for TV technology. One important criterion for picture quality is the Peak White Enhancement Factor (PWEF). From a previous patent application of the applicant it is known to have a table of power level modes in a control unit for the display device. The average picture power value is measured and a corresponding power level mode will be selected from the table for sub-field coding.

Abstract: Plasma Display Panels (PDP) are becoming more and more interesting for TV technology. Due to the larger size of PDPs, with larger viewing angle the large area flicker effect will become more serious in the future, in particular when handling 50 Hz video standards. This invention proposes a different sub-field organisation, with different coding, which reduces large area flicker artefact, and which includes grouping of sub-fields in two sub-field groups wherein the two sub-field groups are identical in terms of the most significant sub-fields and different in terms of the least significant sub-fields, and a sub-field coding process that distributes luminance weight symmetrically over the two sub-field groups so as to minimize the large area flicker luminance component.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for processing data of video pictures for displaying the pictures on a display device like a Plasma Display Panel. The existing false contour effect compensation methods which make a false contour compensation based on shifting sub-field code word entries along the direction of the motion vector of a current pixel, produce an artifact in the pictures, in case of object crossings. In the appearing area there is a lack of light generation.

Abstract: In many cases it is not possible to reproduce enough video levels on a PDP due to timing issues or a specific solution against the false contour effect. In such cases dithering is used to render all required levels. In order to reduce the visibility of the dithering noise there is performed a common change of the sub-field organization together with a modification of the input video data through an appropriate transformation curve based on the human visual system luminance sensitivity (Weber-Fechner law).

Abstract: The invention deals with the large area flicker effect reduction in display devices like plasma display panels, in which the light output is controlled by small pulses over a whole frame period and the amount of small pulses determine the brightness of the light output. The invention proposes an adaptation of the known principle of sub-field grouping for large area flicker reduction for the specific sub-field coding process called incremental sub-field coding, in which only those sub-field code words are taken for display driving having the characteristic that there is never a sub-field inactivated between two activated sub-fields or never a sub-field is activated between two inactivated sub-fields.

Abstract: A method for power level control in a Plasma Display Panel with which the Peak White Enhancement Factor can be increased. The method includes the provision of a set of power level modes for the sub-field coding. To each power level mode a characteristic sub-field organization belongs. The sub-field organization is variable in respect to one or more of the following characteristics: the number of sub-fields the sub-field type the sub-field positioning the sub-field weight the sub-field pre-scaling a factor for the sub-field weights which is used to vary the amount of small pulses generated during each sub-field. The method includes the steps of determining a value which is characteristic for the power level of a video picture and selecting a corresponding power level mode for sub-field coding.

Abstract: In the field of video displaying the low video levels do not generate large area flicker. For displaying video sources with higher frame rate, it is therefore the idea of the invention, to extract from two corresponding pixels of two successive video frames a common portion (VX) that will be displayed at a sub-frequency fv/2 while the individual portions (V1′, V2′) of the corresponding pixels video are displayed at the correct high frequency fv. The time period for displaying two frames is divided into three sub-groups. Two groups of sub-fields with similar sizes, for displaying the individual portions (V1′, V2′) and one group of sub-fields, called extra-codes, for displaying the common portion (VX). This enables to eliminate large area flicker artifacts from PDPs, when displaying 50 Hz based video norms by using upconverted 100 Hz video sequences and to display real high frequency video on the PDP (ca. up to 120 Hz) without frame dropping.