Display device and control method thereof

Abstract

A control method for a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of: detecting the location of a user using at least one sensor; displaying information inquiring whether to execute a viewing angle compensation algorithm when the user is detected to be in a preset specific area; and executing the viewing angle compensation algorithm based on at least one command received through a remote control.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to various display devices, and more specifically, for example, is directly or indirectly related to a technology that adaptively implements a viewing angle compensation algorithm. Background Technology

[0002] LCD panels applied to display devices (e.g., TVs, etc.) based on conventional technology are typically classified into VA (Vertical Alignment) and IPS (In Plane Switching) depending on the liquid crystal arrangement method.

[0003] VA and IPS each have their own advantages and disadvantages due to structural differences. While the VA method offers high contrast, its viewing angle characteristics are relatively poor, such as color fading depending on the angle at which the user views it.

[0004] For these reasons, the VA panel applies a viewing angle compensation function to compensate for video viewing from the side.

[0005] However, according to conventional technology, field of view compensation is applied by default, so it is applied even to unnecessary user situations.

[0006] However, applying the viewing angle compensation algorithm at all times resulted in increased panel power consumption and temperature compared to the existing method. Additionally, it was observed that the resolution deteriorated in a jagged manner when a user viewed the panel from a close distance. The problem to be solved

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned problems, one embodiment of the present invention aims to implement a real-time viewing angle compensation processing system based on the viewer's position by placing a human body detection sensor module at the top or bottom of a display device (e.g., a TV).

[0008] For example, by analyzing and determining data regarding the side and front of the sensor data area while a user is watching TV, the field of view compensation function can be selectively triggered if the user is included in the side area.

[0009] The technical problems to be solved through the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned technical problems may be considered by those skilled in the art from the various embodiments described below. means of solving the problem

[0010] A control method for a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention, devised to solve the above-mentioned problems, comprises the steps of: detecting the location of a user using at least one sensor; displaying information inquiring whether to execute a viewing angle compensation algorithm when the user is detected to be in a preset specific area; and executing the viewing angle compensation algorithm based on at least one command received via a remote control.

[0011] Furthermore, a control method for a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention further includes the step of monitoring the position of the user's face or eyes when it is detected that the user exists in overlapping at least two or more areas, and the step of displaying information inquiring whether to execute the field of view compensation algorithm only when the position of the user's face or eyes exists in the preset specific area.

[0012] And, the above-mentioned displaying step further includes the step of displaying a first option for selecting a gradation range requiring adjustment.

[0013] Additionally, the above-mentioned displaying step further includes the step of displaying an image displayed from the side in a first area, and the step of displaying level-related options for displaying the image differently in a second area.

[0014] The above-described viewing angle compensation algorithm selectively applies a low-gradation lookup table (LUT) or a high-gradation lookup table (LUT) to each subpixel based on data stored in memory, for example.

[0015] And, a display device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes at least one sensor for detecting the location of a user, a display for displaying information inquiring whether to execute a viewing angle compensation algorithm when the user is detected to be in a preset specific area, and a controller for executing the viewing angle compensation algorithm based on at least one command received through a remote control. Effects of the invention

[0016] According to one embodiment of the present invention, compared to the aforementioned prior art (where the viewing angle compensation algorithm is always on), the viewing angle compensation algorithm can be selectively applied only under side conditions depending on the viewer's position. In addition, the intensity for each gradation range can be set according to the needs of the viewer.

[0017] According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is no need to unnecessarily compensate for the viewing angle, and there is an advantage that it is possible to view the image at its original resolution.

[0018] In addition, according to one embodiment of the present invention, by providing real-time viewing angle compensation based on the viewer's position, the internal circuit driving of the panel is reduced relatively, thereby reducing the overall power consumption of the TV and lowering the component temperature, which has the technical effect of maximizing the expected lifespan of the panel.

[0019] The effects obtainable from the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned effects can be clearly derived and understood by those skilled in the art based on the following detailed description. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0020] The accompanying drawings, included as part of the detailed description to aid in understanding the embodiments of the present invention, provide various embodiments and explain the technical features of the various embodiments together with the detailed description. FIG. 1 illustrates the location of a display device and a surrounding user according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 illustrates a case where color fading occurs in an image output by a display device depending on the user's position. FIG. 3 illustrates a case in which a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention inquires whether to execute a viewing angle compensation algorithm under measurement conditions. FIG. 4 illustrates a case in which a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention executes a viewing angle compensation algorithm. FIG. 5 illustrates a case in which a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention displays a first option for selecting a grayscale range that requires adjustment. FIG. 6 illustrates a case where a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention provides a feedback function. FIG. 7 illustrates an image in which a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention resolves the color fading phenomenon. FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a control method for a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Also, FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating the components of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0021] Best form for carrying out the invention

[0022] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, it should be noted that in assigning reference numerals to the components of each drawing, the same components are given the same reference numeral as much as possible, even if they are shown in different drawings.

[0023] Furthermore, in describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of related known components or functions may obscure the essence of the invention, such detailed description is omitted. Additionally, while preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below, it is understood that the technical concept of the present invention is not limited thereto and can be modified and implemented in various ways by those skilled in the art.

[0024] FIG. 1 illustrates the location of a display device and a surrounding user according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] The display device (100) illustrated in FIG. 1 may be, for example, a VA type LCD panel. However, the present invention is not limited thereto and can be applied to all types of display devices that exhibit color fading when viewed from the side.

[0026] At least one sensor (110) is attached to the upper or lower part of a display device (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention. Here, the sensor may be a camera of various types.

[0027] The maximum angle and distance that can be accommodated by at least one sensor (110) described above are determined.

[0028] A display device (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention analyzes location data of a surrounding user (120) using a sensor (110).

[0029] Furthermore, the display device (100) determines whether the user (120) is in the side area (131, 133) or in the front area (132) by using the analyzed location data of the surrounding user (120).

[0030] For example, an area that is open by more than 60 degrees relative to the display device (100) can be defined as a side area (131, 133), and an area that is open by less than 60 degrees can be defined as a front area (132).

[0031] And, the display device (100) sets conditions for each case (front view, side view, front / side simultaneous view).

[0032] However, the viewing angle compensation algorithm is designed to be executed only when the user (120) is present only in the side area (131), or when multiple viewers are present in both the side area (131) and the front area (132).

[0033] More specifically, for example, the display device (100) accumulates 3 minutes in 0.1-second increments to determine the location data of the user (120) and outputs a GUI for the on / off of the viewing angle compensation function.

[0034] More specific embodiments related to this will be described in more detail below in FIG. 3.

[0035] Meanwhile, one feature of the present invention is that, unlike the prior art, the field of view compensation algorithm is deactivated when the user is only in the frontal area.

[0036] The reason for implementing it in this way will be described in more detail below in Fig. 2.

[0037] Figure 2 illustrates a case where color fading occurs in an image output by a display device depending on the user's position.

[0038] As shown in Figure 2(b), color fading does not occur when a user views any display device. Therefore, in this case, it is important to design it so as not to unnecessarily activate the viewing angle compensation algorithm.

[0039] However, as described above, when a user views a TV composed of a VA-type LCD panel from the side, a problem of color fading occurs, as shown in FIG. 2 (a) and (c). Therefore, one feature of the present invention is to selectively activate a viewing angle compensation algorithm by detecting only such special situations.

[0040] FIG. 3 illustrates a case in which a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention inquires whether to execute a viewing angle compensation algorithm under measurement conditions.

[0041] For example, as shown in FIG. 2 (a) or (c), when a sensor detects that a user is viewing from the side, as shown in FIG. 3, the display device (310) according to one embodiment of the present invention is designed to output a menu popup (311).

[0042] The menu popup (311) here includes, for example, a message “Would you like to run the function to compensate for the side viewing video?”, a “Run” option to select it, and a “No” option to reject it.

[0043] If the “Execute” option included in the menu popup (311) is selected using the remote control (320), then the display device (310) according to an embodiment of the present invention executes the viewing angle compensation algorithm. An embodiment related to this will be described in more detail below in FIG. 4.

[0044] FIG. 4 illustrates a case in which a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention executes a viewing angle compensation algorithm.

[0045] A viewing angle compensation algorithm according to one embodiment of the present invention selectively applies a low-gradation lookup table (LUT) or a high-gradation lookup table (LUT) to each subpixel based on data stored in memory.

[0046] First, in FIG. 4(a), a low-gradation lookup table (Low LUT) and a high-gradation lookup table (High LUT) are illustrated.

[0047] And, in Fig. 4(b), a pattern is shown indicating which lookup table to use for each subpixel.

[0048] However, when the viewing angle compensation algorithm according to one embodiment of the present invention is executed, the screen is black-muted.

[0049] Meanwhile, when applying the default lookup table shown in FIG. 4(a), there is a possibility that the clarity of the image viewed from the side may not be satisfactory depending on the user. Therefore, an additional embodiment to compensate for this will be described in more detail below in FIG. 5.

[0050] FIG. 5 illustrates a case in which a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention displays a first option for selecting a grayscale range that requires adjustment.

[0051] As illustrated in FIG. 5, a display device (510) according to one embodiment of the present invention additionally provides an option (511) for selecting a grayscale range that requires adjustment.

[0052] Here, gradation refers, for example, to the stepwise representation of differences in color intensity. In other words, it refers to the degree to which the range from the brightest to the darkest parts is divided into steps.

[0053] More specifically, for example, the purpose is to adjust the LUT by selecting the gradation range of the x-axis shown in FIG. 4 (a). However, adjusting the intensity of how much the graph is adjusted is related to the embodiment of FIG. 6 below.

[0054] In FIG. 5, it is assumed that among the multiple grayscale intervals, interval 2 is selected via a remote control. Subsequently, an additional option is provided to adjust the intensity in the selected grayscale interval and check the feedback result. This will be described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 6.

[0055] FIG. 6 illustrates a case where a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention provides a feedback function.

[0056] As illustrated in FIG. 6, a display device (610) according to one embodiment of the present invention displays an image displayed from the side in a first area (611) and displays a level-related option for displaying the image differently in a second area (612).

[0057] Accordingly, by using the remote control to select any one of the level-related options displayed in the second area (612) (e.g., strong / medium / weak, etc.), the image displayed in the first area (611) is displayed differently.

[0058] More specifically, for example, if you select “Strong” among the level-related options, the two LUTs shown in Fig. 4 (a) become more spread apart. On the other hand, if you select “Weak” among the level-related options, the two LUTs shown in Fig. 4 (a) become closer together.

[0059] And, as a result, the clarity or color fading of the image displayed in the first area (611) changes, and there is a technical effect that allows the user to arbitrarily select the optimal intensity.

[0060] FIG. 7 illustrates an image in which a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention resolves the color fading phenomenon.

[0061] As illustrated in FIG. 7, regarding the image output by the display device according to one embodiment of the present invention, there is no difference between when the viewer views it from the side (Fig. 7 (a) and (c)) and when the viewer views it from the front (Fig. 7 (b)). In other words, there is a technical effect of solving the problem of color fading in the image when viewed from the side, which was an issue in the prior art.

[0062] Furthermore, as mentioned above, since the viewing angle compensation algorithm operates only under specific conditions, it has the advantage of fundamentally eliminating the problem of increased panel power consumption and temperature.

[0063] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a control method for a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0064] As illustrated in FIG. 8, a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention is designed to detect the location of a user using at least one sensor (S810). Here, the sensor may be attached to the upper or lower side of the display device as described above in FIG. 1, but is not necessarily limited thereto.

[0065] Furthermore, when the above user is detected to be present in a specific area that has been pre-set, the display device according to one embodiment of the present invention displays information inquiring whether to execute a viewing angle compensation algorithm (S820). An embodiment related thereto can be repeated by those skilled in the art, as described above in FIG. 3.

[0066] And, based on at least one command received through a remote control, a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention executes the viewing angle compensation algorithm (S830).

[0067] However, it is not clear whether it is desirable to necessarily execute the viewing angle compensation algorithm when the user is detected to be present in at least two or more areas (e.g., the front area and the side area shown in FIG. 1).

[0068] To solve such problems, a display device according to one embodiment of the present invention is designed to additionally monitor the position of the user's face or eyes.

[0069] And, information is displayed to inquire whether to execute the field of view compensation algorithm only when the position of the user's face or eyes is in a specific area (side shown in FIG. 1) that is pre-set.

[0070] Designing in this way has the technical effect of solving the problem of a user watching a display device while lying down.

[0071] For example, when the user is lying at an angle with a significant portion of the body positioned to the side but the face or eyes positioned in front, there is no need to execute the field of view compensation algorithm.

[0072] Furthermore, a display device according to one embodiment of the present invention displays a first option for selecting a grayscale range that requires adjustment. An embodiment related thereto can be repeated by those skilled in the art, as described in detail in FIG. 5 above.

[0073] In addition, a display device according to one embodiment of the present invention displays an image displayed from the side in a first area and displays level-related options for displaying the image differently in a second area. An embodiment related thereto can be repeated by those skilled in the art, as described above in FIG. 6.

[0074] In addition, the viewing angle compensation algorithm selectively applies a low-gradation lookup table (LUT) or a high-gradation lookup table (LUT) to each subpixel based on data stored in memory. An embodiment related to this can be repeated by a person skilled in the art, as described in detail in FIG. 5 above.

[0075] FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating the components of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0076] A display device (910) according to an embodiment of the present invention includes at least one sensor (911) for detecting the location of a user, a display (912) for displaying information inquiring whether to execute a viewing angle compensation algorithm when the user is detected to be in a preset specific area, and a controller (913) for executing the viewing angle compensation algorithm based on at least one command received through a remote control (920).

[0077] However, it is possible to delete, add, or change some modules as needed by those skilled in the art, and it is obvious that the scope of the present invention should be determined according to the matters described in the claims.

[0078] The controller (913) monitors the position of the user's face or eyes when it is detected that the user is present in at least two or more overlapping areas, and the display (9120) displays information inquiring whether to execute the field of view compensation algorithm only when the position of the user's face or eyes is present in the preset specific area.

[0079] The display (912) displays a first option for selecting a gradation range that requires adjustment. Furthermore, the display (912) displays an image displayed from the side in a first area, and displays a level-related option for displaying the image differently in a second area.

[0080] The foregoing description is merely an illustrative explanation of the technical concept of the present invention, and those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains will be able to make various modifications, changes, and substitutions within the scope of the essential characteristics of the present invention. Accordingly, the embodiments disclosed in the present invention and the accompanying drawings are intended to explain, not limit, the technical concept of the present invention, and the scope of the technical concept of the present invention is not limited by such embodiments and accompanying drawings. The scope of protection of the present invention shall be interpreted by the claims below, and all technical concepts within an equivalent scope shall be interpreted as being included within the scope of rights of the present invention.

[0081] Form for carrying out the invention

[0082] Various embodiments for implementing the present invention have been described in detail in the previous section. Industrial applicability

[0083] Since the present invention is applicable to various display devices such as TVs, its industrial applicability is recognized.

Claims

Claim 1 A method for controlling a display device, comprising: a step of detecting the location of a user using at least one sensor; a step of displaying information inquiring whether to execute a viewing angle compensation algorithm when the user is detected to be in a preset specific area; and a step of executing the viewing angle compensation algorithm based on at least one command received through a remote control. Claim 2 A method for controlling a display device according to claim 1, further comprising: a step of monitoring the position of the user's face or eyes when the user is detected to be present in overlapping at least two or more areas; and a step of displaying information inquiring whether to execute the field of view compensation algorithm only when the position of the user's face or eyes is present in the preset specific area. Claim 3 A control method for a display device according to claim 1, wherein the displaying step further includes the step of displaying a first option for selecting a grayscale range requiring adjustment. Claim 4 A method for controlling a display device according to claim 1, wherein the displaying step further comprises: a step of displaying an image displayed from the side in a first area; and a step of displaying a level-related option for displaying the image differently in a second area. Claim 5 A control method for a display device according to claim 1, wherein the viewing angle compensation algorithm selectively applies a low-gradation lookup table (LUT) or a high-gradation lookup table (LUT) to each subpixel based on data stored in memory. Claim 6 A display device comprising: at least one sensor for detecting the location of a user; a display for displaying information inquiring whether to execute a viewing angle compensation algorithm when the user is detected to be present in a preset specific area; and a controller for executing the viewing angle compensation algorithm based on at least one command received via a remote control. Claim 7 A display device according to claim 6, wherein the controller monitors the position of the user's face or eyes when it is detected that the user is present in at least two or more overlapping areas, and the display displays information inquiring whether to execute the field of view compensation algorithm only when the position of the user's face or eyes is present in the preset specific area. Claim 8 In claim 6, the display device is characterized in that the display displays a first option for selecting a grayscale range requiring adjustment. Claim 9 A display device according to claim 6, wherein the display displays an image displayed from the side in a first area and displays level-related options for displaying the image differently in a second area. Claim 10 A display device according to claim 6, wherein the viewing angle compensation algorithm selectively applies a low-gradation lookup table (LUT) or a high-gradation lookup table (LUT) to each subpixel based on data stored in memory.

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