Brightness Control Patents (Class 348/687)
  • Publication number: 20090303391
    Abstract: A display apparatus includes: a display unit which displays an image; and a signal controller which determines a motion state of a current frame on the basis of a previous frame and the current frame input in sequence, generates a first sub-frame of which brightness is varied according to the motion state of the current frame, generates at least one second sub-frame to compensate the brightness of the first sub-frame on the basis of the first sub-frame and the current frame, and controls the first sub-frame and the second sub-frame to be displayed on the display unit in sequence.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2009
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jun-ho JUNG, Han-feng CHEN, Jun-ho SUNG, Tae-hyeun HA
  • Publication number: 20090290068
    Abstract: A signal processing device including: a color coordinate adjuster performing color coordinate adjustment processing for adjusting color coordinates of an image input signal according to a color reproduction range of a display device; a brightness adjuster performing brightness adjustment processing for adjusting a brightness component of the image input signal; and a coefficient controller controlling a color coordinate adjustment coefficient and a brightness adjustment coefficient. The coefficient controller controls the brightness adjustment coefficient so as to decrease the brightness component of the image input signal, when saturation of a pixel having a first hue is high, controls the brightness adjustment coefficient so as to increase the brightness component of the image input signal, when saturation of a pixel having a second hue is high, and decreases the brightness adjustment coefficient when increasing the color coordinate adjustment coefficient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2009
    Publication date: November 26, 2009
    Applicant: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takaaki ABE, Masutaka INOUE
  • Publication number: 20090290069
    Abstract: An operation mode adjustment device (309) for adjusting an operation mode of an electronic product (300) comprises a detection unit (303) for automatically detecting whether an environment in which an electronic product (300) connectable to the operation mode adjustment device (309) is currently located is a shop environment, and an adjusting unit (304) for automatically adjusting an operation mode of the electronic product (300) based on whether the detected environment in which the electronic product (300) connectable to the operation mode adjustment device is currently located is a shop environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2006
    Publication date: November 26, 2009
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS, N.V.
    Inventors: Adrianus Johannes De Vaan, Erik Lieuwen
  • Patent number: 7622697
    Abstract: A method of controlling the luminance of a luminaire on an individual frame basis, without affecting a slow acting color loop controlling the color temperature of the luminaire, the method comprising: receiving a reference value representative of a target color; receiving a luminance signal defining the luminance of the luminaire per frame; adjusting a modulated signal driving the luminaire directly responsive to the received luminance signal, thereby controlling the luminance of the luminaire per frame; sampling the optical output of the luminaire per frame; comparing a value responsive to the sampled optical output with a value responsive to the received reference value to output a difference signal; and further adjusting the modulated signal driving the luminaire responsive to the compared value so as to reduce the difference signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2009
    Assignee: Microsemi Corp. - Analog Mixed Signal Group Ltd.
    Inventors: Dror Korcharz, Arkadiy Peker, Alon Ferentz, Roni Blaut, Migel Jacubovski
  • Patent number: 7619691
    Abstract: In a method of picture signal enhancement, a picture signal is subjected (3, 7) to a histogram-based picture signal modification based on a luminance level distribution over a whole picture or a first part of the picture, and the histogram-based picture signal modification is locally adjusted (5) in dependence on locally measured picture signal properties other than contrast and brightness, the locally measured picture signal relating to second parts of the picture that are each substantially smaller than the whole picture or the first part of the picture, the second parts being within the whole picture or the first part of the picture. Preferably, the second parts are individual pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N. V.
    Inventors: Marina Marie Pierre Nicolas, Michel Wouter Nieuwenhuizen
  • Publication number: 20090262248
    Abstract: A detection unit which includes an image display panel, brightness averaging unit, scene changeover detection unit, and brightness suppression unit in order to provide an image display apparatus having an ABL that does not give the observer any visual sense of incompatibility without increasing the circuit scale determines the presence/absence of a scene changeover on the basis of the frame differential or second order differential of the average brightness. If a scene changeover takes place, the display brightness is changed quickly, and if no scene changeover occurs, changed slowly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2009
    Publication date: October 22, 2009
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: MAKIKO MORI, MUNEKI ANDO
  • Publication number: 20090256923
    Abstract: An image capturing device includes a capturing module, a numerical transform module, a brightness measuring module, and a processing module. The capturing module includes a lens unit and an image sensor. The lens unit forms an optical image onto the image sensor. The image sensor includes an effective pixel region and an optical black pixel region. The effective pixel region is configured for generating electrical image signals roughly corresponding to the optical image. The optical black pixel region is configured for generating dark currents corresponding to the electrical image signals. The numerical transform module is configured for transforming the dark currents into a first brightness value matrix. The brightness measuring module is configured for measuring a brightness component of the electrical image signals as a second brightness value matrix.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2008
    Publication date: October 15, 2009
    Applicant: HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: TSUN-HOU CHOU
  • Publication number: 20090256969
    Abstract: Specific image quality adjustment of an image is performed according to a setting made by a user, and contrast compensation is performed such that a brightness is kept unchanged at the center of a specific color region larger than a predetermined size, regardless of the setting of the image quality adjustment. The image quality adjustment is performed by selecting one of a plurality of filters with different frequency characteristics according to the setting of the image quality adjustment, and then performing filter processing on the image by using the selected filter. The contrast compensation is performed upon the image that has undergone the filter processing, by using a contrast compensation value related to the selected filter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2009
    Publication date: October 15, 2009
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kesatoshi TAKEUCHI
  • Patent number: 7602447
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for adjusting the contrast of an input image is disclosed. Brightness level data of the input image is filtered to obtain at least a low frequency component and a high frequency component. The high frequency component is amplified. The input image and the amplified high frequency component are summed to produce brightness level data of the output image. The filtering is carried out by at least one recursive infinite impulse response filter having a single delay coefficient that is adaptive to areas of high contrast in the input image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: Vestel Elecktronik Sanayi Ve
    Inventors: Tarik Arici, Toygar Akgun, Yucel Altunbasak
  • Patent number: 7593062
    Abstract: When showing a picture without trimming it while a video signal stored in a frame memory 26 has an aspect ratio different from that of a screen of a plasma display panel 29, with respect to video signals E2a and E2b in areas bordering on blank zones E1 and E3 containing no picture appearing in upper and lower or right and left ends of the screen of the plasma display panel 29, a video signal processor 23 reduces a luminance difference by lowering levels of overshoots 30a and 30b and undershoots 30c and 30d accompanying sharpness processing applied to cope with blurring in edge portions caused by bilinear interpolation, thereby suppresses burn-in of the video signals E2a and E2b in said areas bordering on the blank zones on the plasma display panel 29.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Norihiro Higashi
  • Publication number: 20090219443
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, an apparatus has a receiving module which receives a broadcast signal and obtains a receiving signal, a demodulating and signal processing module which demodulates and processes the receiving signal, and converts the signal to a displaying signal, a program table information processing module which obtains broadcast program information, and creates information for displaying a program table, and an on-air screen adjustment module which outputs first video setting information for video setting such as brightness and tone for the displaying signal of the on-air program signal output from the modulating and signal processing module, according to an operation input. The apparatus further has an independent program table screen adjustment module which performs video setting such as brightness and tone for the program table displaying signal output from the program information processing module, according to an operation input.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2008
    Publication date: September 3, 2009
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventor: Takahiro Kimura
  • Publication number: 20090219442
    Abstract: TV settings such as brightness can be established by sending from a TV signals from an ambient light sensor to a network server, with the network server establishing settings such as brightness in response for a program being played on the TV.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 29, 2008
    Publication date: September 3, 2009
    Inventors: Takashi Hironaka, Max Wu
  • Patent number: 7583325
    Abstract: Apparatuses and processes for generating images having increased brightness uniformity are disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignee: InFocus Corporation
    Inventor: Mark D. Peterson
  • Publication number: 20090207312
    Abstract: A video processing apparatus includes: a video processor configured to generate a video signal; an automatic image quality adjustment unit configured to determine a first image quality adjustment set value based on the video signal; a user image quality adjustment unit configured to determine a second image quality adjustment set value based on a user's operation; an image quality processor configured to perform an image quality adjustment on the video signal based on the first and second image quality adjustment set values; and a controller configured to: control the image quality processor to perform the image quality adjustment based on the first and the second image quality adjustment set values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2009
    Publication date: August 20, 2009
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Kohei Miyoshi
  • Patent number: 7570237
    Abstract: Specific image quality adjustment of an image is performed according to a setting made by a user, and contrast compensation is performed such that a brightness is kept unchanged at the center of a specific color region larger than a predetermined size, regardless of the setting of the image quality adjustment. The image quality adjustment is performed by selecting one of a plurality of filters with different frequency characteristics according to the setting of the image quality adjustment, and then performing filter processing on the image by using the selected filter. The contrast compensation is performed upon the image that has undergone the filter processing, by using a contrast compensation value related to the selected filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kesatoshi Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 7567301
    Abstract: According to the invention, performing torn curb correction processing by referring to plural correction tables 113a to 113c for plural display areas A, B, C, D, E, and P makes it possible to obtain an output image meeting user's requirements. Particularly, since tone curve correction processing can be performed by referring to different correction tables selected from the correction tables 113a to 113c for a main screen to be displayed in the display areas A, B, C, D, and E and for a subscreen to be displayed in a sub-display area P, discomfort to a viewer attributable to a difference in brightness between the main screen and the subscreen can be prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2009
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Norihiro Higashi
  • Publication number: 20090174636
    Abstract: It is possible to perform an optimal video expression in accordance with a change of a feature quantity of a video signal without lowering the display quality and reduce power consumption. As the video feature quantity, for example, APL is used. When the feature quantity is greater than a first predetermined value p1, as the feature quantity increases, the emission brightness of a light source is made smaller. Moreover, in the region where the feature quantity is smaller than the predetermined value p1, as the feature quantity decreases, the emission brightness of the light source is made smaller. Moreover, when the feature quantity is equal to the predetermined value p1, the emission brightness of the light source is made maximum. Moreover, when the feature quantity is greater than a second predetermined value p2, as the feature quantity increases, the ratio of decrease of the emission brightness of the light source is made greater.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2007
    Publication date: July 9, 2009
    Inventors: Seiji Kohashikawa, Yuhya Sekiguchi, Yuhichiro Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20090167957
    Abstract: Disclosed is a video signal processing device and a method of processing gradation capable of improving the contrast ratio and the user satisfaction of a plasma display device. The video signal processing device includes a position detecting unit for detecting positions of pixels to be displayed in a frame, a sub region detecting unit for detecting a central region including a reference point formed of at least one pixel in the frame and sub regions surrounding the central region, and a compensating unit for differently compensating brightness of pixels positioned in the sub regions and brightness of pixels positioned in the central unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2008
    Publication date: July 2, 2009
    Inventors: Mi-Young Joo, Jong-Ho Park
  • Publication number: 20090167669
    Abstract: In certain medical systems, such as modalities, it is not desirable to install a program for adjusting an image reproduction characteristic curve with respect to a reference characteristic curve. An arrangement which comprises a mobile telephone, an LCD display module and a look-up table to facilitate said adjustment is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2006
    Publication date: July 2, 2009
    Applicant: EIZO GMBH
    Inventors: Achim Breunig, Uwe Nagel
  • Publication number: 20090153741
    Abstract: A video processor includes a video filter and a calculation circuit. The video filter performs a low-pass filtering operation on first frame data to obtain brightness distribution data. The calculation circuit obtains difference data between the brightness distribution data and second frame data. The calculation circuit multiplies the difference data and a weighting parameter together to obtain a product, and then summates the product and the second frame data together to generate processed frame data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2009
    Publication date: June 18, 2009
    Applicant: NOVATEK MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventors: Chun-Hung Lien, Dong-Yang Lin
  • Patent number: 7538790
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling a video signal processing apparatus having a browser feature to protect a display device associated with the apparatus against the premature aging effects of screen burn due to an idle display when the browser feature is activated. The method includes the steps of detecting a first user input to a video apparatus, determining whether the first user input activates a browser feature of the video apparatus, and controlling the operation of the apparatus to reduce the screen burn. The operation can include setting a display parameter for the video apparatus to a first predetermined level responsive to determining that the first user input activates the browser feature, or determining an idle time and inactivating the browser feature if the idle time exceeds a predetermined period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventors: Carlton Jethro Simmons, Jr., Richard Allen Zemer, Mark Gilmore Mears, Chad Andrew Lefevre, Aaron Hal Dinwiddie
  • Patent number: 7535516
    Abstract: There is provided a data reproduction apparatus reproducing an image and sound as based on data recorded in a storage medium. In the apparatus if an input device has received predetermined information and data selected to be reproduced is data excluding image data an image reproduction device is controlled to have a lower level of brightness for reproducing an image than when data including image data is reproduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshiyuki Kunita
  • Publication number: 20090115905
    Abstract: High definition media content processing techniques are described in which enhanced media content rendering techniques may be performed to output high definition media content. In an implementation, luma keying may be provided to define clear pixels in a composite output using an optimum set of graphics processing instructions. In another implementation, techniques are described which may provide clear rectangles in a composite output of one or more video streams. Clear rectangles to appear in the composite output are configured by a media playback application. A texture is arrived at to represent a union of each of the clear rectangles and is applied to form the clear rectangles in the composite output. In another implementation, capture techniques are described in which an image to capture is resolved as strips to an intermediate texture and then from the texture to a capture buffer in system memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2007
    Publication date: May 7, 2009
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Stephen Estrop, Matthew C. Howard
  • Publication number: 20090091661
    Abstract: A method for enhancing a video includes applying a linear histogram stretch, a gamma correction, and sigma row, column, and temporal filters to the video.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2008
    Publication date: April 9, 2009
    Applicant: ARCSOFT, INC.
    Inventors: Donghui Wu, Min Cheng, Wenhua Zhao, Yiqing Jin
  • Publication number: 20090086091
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, top- and bottom-field picture signals in an interlaced picture signal are stored in sequence into a frame memory. A top-field brightness conversion unit reads a top-field picture signal from the frame memory, divides an interval in which that top-field picture signal is used into four subintervals, and produces in the subintervals top-field picture signals obtained by changing the brightness of the top-field picture signal. A bottom-field brightness conversion unit reads a bottom-field picture signal from the frame memory, divides an interval in which that bottom-field picture signal is used into four subintervals, and produces in the subintervals bottom-field picture signals obtained by changing the brightness of the bottom-field picture signal. A combining unit combines the brightness changed top-field picture signals and the brightness-changed bottom-field picture signals into a frame picture signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2008
    Publication date: April 2, 2009
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Hiroaki Komaki
  • Patent number: 7511724
    Abstract: A control of gobos defend by records in the gobo. The gobos are formed by menued shapes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2009
    Assignee: Production Resource Group, LLC
    Inventor: Mark A. Hunt
  • Patent number: 7505085
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for displaying an image. A process of human color recognition and a process of human color response are analyzed to find a reference brightness value of an image such that a dark region of the image can be correctly detected. A brightness of the image is adjusted such that a specific region is not excessively bright or dark. Accordingly, a user can recognize the image. The apparatus and method can be applied to an image display device having a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), such as a portable wireless terminal having a small-sized LCD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2009
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jung-Hoon Park
  • Patent number: 7502077
    Abstract: A video signal-processing device that can improve the apparent contrast of the luminance signal at a television receiving set includes a quantity of black expansion computing section for computationally determining the quantity of black expansion when the luminance component of the input video signal is not higher than a first luminance level, a gain controller for regulating the quantity of black expansion as computationally determined by the quantity of black expansion computing section, a quantity of black expansion adding section for generating an output video signal by adding the quantity of black expansion regulated by the gain controller to the luminance component of the input video signal, and a vertical span adding block for integrating the luminance component of the output video signal not higher than a second luminance level for a field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Miura, Takatomo Nagamine, Yumiko Mito, Jun Ueshima
  • Publication number: 20090059079
    Abstract: An image processing device corrects a color of a specific area in a target image into an appropriate color. A representative brightness value represents the specific area in a first color space that has a brightness index value. Representative color component values represent the specific area in a second color space that has no brightness index value and a plurality of color component values. The color of the specific area is corrected based on the representative brightness and color component values. The brightness of the specific area is corrected by modifying the brightness index value in the first color space and the color component values in the second color space. First and second brightness correction degrees are set on the basis of the representative brightness value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2008
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takayuki ENJUJI
  • Patent number: 7486837
    Abstract: A plurality of parameters included in a predetermined illumination equation which defines a brightness are acquired for each pixel of an image. For each of the parameters, a homogeneous region including pixels which are similar in value of the parameter is specified. In each of the specified homogeneous region, each of the parameters is converted according to details of the predetermined image conversion. The brightness of each pixel of a second image is determined using the values of the parameters obtained after the conversion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2009
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hideto Motomura, Katsuhiro Kanamori, Kenji Kondo, Satoshi Sato
  • Patent number: 7483084
    Abstract: In an image display apparatus, a video signal is divided for each field into a plurality of sub-fields, each of which is weighted according to the duration of time or number of pulses. The plurality of sub-fields are temporally superimposed for display, so that a grayscale representation is provided. A video signal for the current field is delayed by one field, and output as a video signal for the previous field. Based on the video signal for the current field and the video signal for the previous field, a luminance gradient of an image is detected. A difference between the video signal for the current field and the video signal for the previous field is calculated. Based on the calculated difference and the detected gradient, the amount of motion of the image is calculated by a detecting circuit. Based on the calculated amount of motion of the image, dynamic false contours are reduced by an image data processing circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2009
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hideaki Kawamura, Haruko Terai, Junta Asano, Mitsuhiro Kasahara
  • Patent number: 7483083
    Abstract: A method for enhancing video or other multimedia in order to achieve a closer-to-movie theater viewing experience. The enhancement method can be applied to YUV or other video formats which are used for TV or digital media. The method provides a curve with at least one inflection point such that at least one region has a concave upward arc and another region has a concave downward arc. The improved curve provides relatively less contrast in relatively dark regions and relatively more contrast in relatively bright regions. By taking into account the visual sensitivity to various luminance levels, a neutral point is selected to be located at a relatively dark point. To the darker side of the neutral point, luminance is suppressed. To the brighter side of the neutral point, luminance is enhanced. This luminance-mapping curve is applied to the luminance (Y) signal so as to enhance both brightness and contrast.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2009
    Assignee: Intervideo, Inc.
    Inventors: Wei Li, Chung-Tao Chu, Andy Chao Hung
  • Publication number: 20090002565
    Abstract: Embodiments of a system that includes one or more integrated circuits are described. During operation, the system receives a video image, that when displayed, includes a picture portion, a non-picture portion, and a subtitle which is superimposed on at least a subset of the non-picture portion, where the non-picture portion has an initial brightness value. Then, the system scales the brightness of pixels corresponding to a remainder of the non-picture portion of the video image to have a new brightness value that is greater than the initial brightness value to reduce user-perceived changes in the video image associated with backlighting of a display that displays the video image, where the remainder of the non-picture portion excludes the subset of the non-picture portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2008
    Publication date: January 1, 2009
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Ulrich T. Barnhoefer, Wei H. Yao, Wei Chen, Barry J. Corlett, Jean-Didier Allegrucci
  • Publication number: 20090002560
    Abstract: Embodiments of a system that includes one or more integrated circuits are described. During operation, the system receives a sequence of video images, which include a video image, and predicts an increase in an intensity setting of a light source (which is configured to illuminate a display) when the video image is to be displayed based on the color saturation. Then, the system selectively adjusts pixels in the video image associated with a white color filter based on a color saturation of at least a portion of the video image, where the display configured to display the video image includes pixels associated with one or more additional color filters and pixels associated with the white color filter. Next, the system incrementally applies the increase in the intensity setting across at least a subset of the sequence of video images.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2008
    Publication date: January 1, 2009
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Ulrich T. Barnhoefer, Wei H. Yao, Wei Chen
  • Publication number: 20090002566
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image processing apparatus includes a reception unit for selectively receiving a signal, a signal processing unit for processing the signal that is output from the reception unit, and outputting the signal to a display unit, and control unit for controlling the signal processing unit, wherein the control unit includes a determination unit for determining whether the display unit is powered on, and the signal processing unit includes correction unit for correcting brightness of an image, which is displayed on the display unit, for a predetermined time from when the determination unit determines that the display unit is powered on.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2008
    Publication date: January 1, 2009
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventor: Kenichi NAGAI
  • Publication number: 20090002561
    Abstract: Embodiments of a system that includes one or more integrated circuits are described. During operation, the system receives a video image. Then, the system jointly modifies brightness values of pixels in at least a portion of the video image and an intensity setting of a light source to maintain light output from a display while reducing power consumption by the light source, where the light source is configured to illuminate the display that is configured to display video images. Next, the system adjusts color content in the video image to correct for a dependence of a spectrum of the light source on the intensity setting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2008
    Publication date: January 1, 2009
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Ulrich T. Barnhoefer, Wei H. Yao, Wei Chen, Barry J. Corlett
  • Publication number: 20090002564
    Abstract: Embodiments of a system that includes one or more integrated circuits are described. During operation, the system receives a sequence of video images, and calculates brightness metrics associated with the video images in the sequence of video images. Then, the system determines an intensity setting of a light source, which illuminates a display that is configured to display the sequence of video images, and scales brightness values of a given video image in the sequence of video images based on a given brightness metric associated with the given video image. Next, the system changes the intensity setting and scaling the brightness values when there is a discontinuity in the brightness metrics between two adjacent video images in the sequence of video images.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2008
    Publication date: January 1, 2009
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Ulrich T. Barnhoefer, Wei H. Yao, Wei Chen
  • Publication number: 20090002311
    Abstract: Embodiments of a system that includes one or more integrated circuits are described. During operation, the system receives a video image, that when displayed, includes a picture portion and the non-picture portion, where the non-picture portion has a first brightness value. Then, the system scales the non-picture portion to have a second brightness value that is greater than the first brightness value to reduce user-perceived changes in the video image associated with backlighting of a display that displays the video image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2008
    Publication date: January 1, 2009
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Ulrich T. Barnhoefer, Wei H. Yao, Wei Chen, Barry J. Corlett, Victor E. Alessi
  • Publication number: 20090002555
    Abstract: Embodiments of a system that includes one or more integrated circuits are described. During operation, the system transforms the video image from an initial brightness domain to a linear brightness domain, which includes a range of brightness values corresponding to substantially equidistant adjacent radiant-power values in a displayed video image. In this linear brightness domain, the system may determine an intensity setting of the light source based on at least a portion of the transformed video image, such as the portion of the transformed video image that includes spatially varying visual information in the video image. Moreover, the system may modify the transformed video image so that a product of the intensity setting and a transmittance associated with the modified video image approximately equals a product of a previous intensity setting and a transmittance associated with the video image. For example, the modification may include changing brightness values in the transformed video image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2008
    Publication date: January 1, 2009
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Ulrich T. Barnhoefer, Wei H. Yao, Wei Chen, Barry J. Corlett, Jean-Didier Allegrucci
  • Patent number: 7468759
    Abstract: The sense of contrast perceived by a viewer of an image is quantified and adequate image processing is carried out on image data based on the sense of contrast. Contrast-sense quantification means generates unsharp image data of the image data and then generates a histogram of the unsharp image data. Since the histogram of the image data includes lightness information of details of the image, a distribution width thereof does not represent the contrast perceived by the viewer of the image as a whole. However, since the histogram of the unsharp image data excludes information of the details, a distribution width of the unsharp image data represents the contrast of the overall image. The distribution width of the histogram of the unsharp image data is found as the sense of contrast and input to processing means. In the processing means, tone conversion processing is carried out on the image data by changing a tone conversion LUT based on the sense of contrast, and processed image data are obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2008
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Mino
  • Patent number: 7454137
    Abstract: A scene adaptive power control device using a plurality of input images as consecutive input images and controlling a power level of a light source used in displaying the third input image. The scene adaptive power control device including a histogram analysis unit to analyze the second input image and detect a first maximum brightness value of the second input image, a determination unit to detect brightness values matching a first threshold as a predetermined frequency value in the generated histogram and determining a second maximum brightness value, a generation unit generating a power control signal to control the power level of the light source by a value obtained by dividing the second maximum brightness value by the first maximum brightness value, and a compensation unit increasing a brightness of the third input image inversely proportional to the power level of the light source reduced by the power control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sang-jin Lee, Moon-cheol Kim
  • Patent number: 7452085
    Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method for a fold-mirror assembly with a dynamically adjustable mirror element for use in a projection device are disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: Infocus Corporation
    Inventors: Karl Andersen, Michael Försth
  • Publication number: 20080278632
    Abstract: A brightness converting unit obtains brightness of each of the pixels. The low-resolution brightness image generating unit divides an image based on the input image signal into a plurality of domains, and obtains an average brightness of each of the domains, on the basis of the brightness obtained by the brightness converting unit. A high-resolution brightness image generating unit obtains brightness of each of the pixels included in the image based on the input image signal by weighting the average brightness obtained for each of the domains by a distance from a central portion of the domain. On the basis of the obtained brightness, the corrected gain lookup table determines a corrected gain, and the correcting unit corrects the input image signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2008
    Publication date: November 13, 2008
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventor: Masami Morimoto
  • Patent number: 7447351
    Abstract: A graphical user interface for performing color correction and methods for implementing the color correction are disclosed. The graphical user interface allows a user to adjust the colorspace of the pixels in the image. In one embodiment, a user feedback system graphically informs the user if pixels near or exceed certain threshold values. For example, the graphical user interface may be placed into a luminance test mode. When in the luminance test mode, the color correction system tests the all the pixels in an image to determine if the luminance of each pixel is close to or above an acceptable luminance threshold value. If the luminance value is close to or above the threshold value then an alert is displayed on the graphical image. In one embodiment, the alert is an icon and area of the image that exceeds the luminance threshold is highlighted with zebra striping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Randy Ubillos
  • Patent number: 7439984
    Abstract: An image signal processing method for performing nonlinear compensation on an image signal to be fed into a display device (103). The characteristics of nonlinear compensation are changed according to the brightness of a place in which the display device (103) is installed. This method can make the characteristics of brightness of human beings feel linear with respect to an image signal, even when the display luminance of the display device (103) is uniformly increased by the influence of ambient light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Yamada
  • Publication number: 20080252666
    Abstract: A display apparatus and a method for adjusting brightness thereof are provided. The display apparatus includes a panel unit which displays a video signal, a light emitting unit which provides the panel unit with a ray of light and causes the video signal to be visualized, a light emission control unit which controls the light emitting unit so that the ray of light is provided to each of local areas of the panel unit, and a panel control unit which compensates pixels of the video signal in each of local areas, to remove an artifact which is generated due to the ray of light provided to local areas of the panel unit. Because brightness of a screen is adjusted in each of local areas, contrast ratio is enhanced, and improved image quality is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2008
    Publication date: October 16, 2008
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Han Feng CHEN, Yung-jun PARK, Jun-ho SUNG, Hoon CHOI, Jun-ho JUNG
  • Publication number: 20080231754
    Abstract: In a rear projection microdisplay TV with dynamic iris control, sensed average picture level (APL) or other sensed brightness level is used to dynamically establish microdisplay driver offsets including white balance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2007
    Publication date: September 25, 2008
    Inventors: Orlando Arreola, Vincent V. Du, Eiji Kono, Tuan pham, Yoshiaki Shimizu, Khoua Vang, Jesus Villalpando
  • Patent number: 7428021
    Abstract: An image processing method aims to optimally improve a brightness distribution with respect to brightness of a face being a main subject of a person image. Thus, the method consists of: a brightness component extraction step of extracting a brightness component from image data; a low-frequency brightness component extraction step of extracting a low-frequency component signal of the brightness component as a low-frequency brightness component; a color adjustment step of performing color adjustment to the image data by using the brightness component and the low-frequency brightness component; a first parameter determination step of determining a first parameter; and a second parameter determination step of determining a second parameter in accordance with a distribution of brightness component values in a second area in the image data, wherein the color adjustment step causes processing a degree of the color adjustment according to the first and second parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasuo Fukuda
  • Publication number: 20080174701
    Abstract: An image-signal processing unit comprising a first and second luminance calculation block, a correction-value calculation block, and a subtraction block, is provided. The first luminance calculation block calculates a first luminance corresponding to the sum of a plurality of primary color light components. Each of them is multiplied by a coefficient from a first coefficient combination. The second luminance calculation block calculates a second luminance corresponding to the sum of a plurality of the primary color light components. Each of them is multiplied by a coefficient from a second coefficient combination. The correction-value calculation block calculates a luminance correction value according to the second luminance if the first luminance is greater than a threshold value. The subtraction block calculates a corrected luminance by subtracting the luminance correction value from the first luminance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2008
    Publication date: July 24, 2008
    Applicant: PENTAX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kohei IKETANI, Go MATSUI
  • Patent number: 7400363
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus for performing image processes corresponding to input signals of multiple types, includes a luminance correcting unit that performs correction process on an input signal so as to correct for display luminance, a luminance decreasing unit that multiplies the input signal with a gain smaller than “1”, and a gamma correcting unit that performs gamma correction with a gamma value smaller than “1” on the input signal. The luminance decreasing unit and the gamma correcting unit are combined together to execute a first correction process that decreases a luminance of a highlight portion of an image while maintaining or increasing the luminance of a halftoned portion of the image, and the luminance decreasing unit executes a second correction process that decreases the luminance for substantially overall tone levels of the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazumi Suga, Kenji Inoue