Display device and its control method

Abstract

To provide a display device capable of achieving a longer lifespan by effectively suppressing degradation of display quality, and a control method thereof.SOLUTION: A display device 100 includes: a video display unit 14; a line-of-sight detection unit 20 that detects a user's line of sight; an area identification unit 11 that identifies the coordinates of the user's viewpoint and a gaze area, on the video display unit 14 based on the detected line of sight; and a video processing unit 13 that displays an image in normal display in the gaze area of the video display unit 14, and displays an image in inhibited display that inhibits degradation of display quality in non-gaze areas other than the gaze area of the video display unit 14. The area identification unit 11 changes the size of the gaze area so that the gaze area becomes smaller as a distance detected by the line-of-sight detection unit 20 becomes closer, and the video processing unit 13 increases the degree of inhibited display as the size of the gaze area becomes smaller.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a display device and a control method thereof.

Background Art

[0002] Self-emitting displays such as organic EL (Electro Luminescence) displays are adopted in various displays for reasons such as good image quality. However, on the other hand, there is no means to fundamentally solve the degradation of display quality (image quality) such as burn-in and unevenness of self-emitting displays, and extending the lifespan has become a major issue for self-emitting displays.

[0003] As related technologies, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 are known. Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for controlling the contrast ratio according to the brightness of external light incident on the display screen. Further, Patent Document 2 discloses a technique for controlling the luminance of pixels according to whether the displayed image is a moving image or a still image.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] As described above, Patent Documents 1 and 2 suppress the occurrence of burn-in and unevenness by controlling the contrast ratio and brightness. Other related technologies include processes that reduce brightness when the same screen is displayed for a long time, processes that prevent degradation from concentrating on specific pixels by periodically slightly changing the display position of the image, and processes that calculate the degree of degradation by calculating the light emission time for each pixel and correct the brightness. However, although these related technologies have some effect in extending lifespan, they have the problem of not being able to effectively suppress the deterioration of display quality and extend lifespan. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention provides a display device comprising: an image display unit; an eye-line detection unit that detects the user's line of sight and the distance between the user and the image display unit; an area identification unit that identifies the coordinates of the user's viewpoint and the gaze area on the image display unit based on the detected line of sight; and an image processing unit that displays an image in the gaze area on the image display unit using normal display and displays the image in non-gaze areas other than the gaze area on the image display unit using suppression display to suppress a decrease in display quality, wherein the area identification unit changes the size of the gaze area so that the gaze area becomes smaller the closer the distance detected by the eye-line detection unit is, and the image processing unit increases the degree of suppression display as the size of the gaze area decreases. Furthermore, the present invention provides a display device comprising: an image display unit; an eye-line detection unit that detects the user's line of sight and the distance between the user and the image display unit; an area identification unit that identifies the coordinates of the user's viewpoint and the gaze area on the image display unit based on the detected line of sight; and an image processing unit that displays an image in the gaze area on the image display unit using normal display and displays the image in non-gaze areas other than the gaze area on the image display unit using suppression display to suppress a decrease in display quality, wherein the area identification unit changes the size of the gaze area according to the magnitude of the eye movement within a predetermined time, making the gaze area larger the greater the eye movement, and the image processing unit strengthens the degree of suppression display the smaller the size of the gaze area.

[0007] The present invention provides a control method for a display device equipped with an image display unit, which includes detecting the user's line of sight and the distance between the user and the image display unit, identifying the coordinates of the user's viewpoint and the gaze area on the image display unit based on the detected line of sight, displaying an image in the gaze area on the image display unit using normal display, displaying the image in non-gaze areas other than the gaze area on the image display unit using suppression display to suppress a decrease in display quality, changing the size of the gaze area in the identification of the gaze area such that the gaze area becomes smaller the closer the detected distance is, and increasing the degree of suppression display in the display of the image as the size of the gaze area decreases. Furthermore, the present invention provides a control method for a display device equipped with an image display unit, which includes detecting the user's line of sight and the distance between the user and the image display unit, identifying the coordinates of the user's viewpoint and the gaze area on the image display unit based on the detected line of sight, displaying an image in the gaze area on the image display unit using normal display, displaying the image in non-gaze areas other than the gaze area on the image display unit using suppression display to suppress a decrease in display quality, changing the size of the gaze area in the identification of the gaze area according to the magnitude of the movement of the line of sight within a predetermined time, making the gaze area larger the greater the movement of the line of sight, and increasing the degree of suppression display in the display of the image the smaller the size of the gaze area. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a display device and a control method thereof that can effectively suppress the deterioration of display quality and extend the lifespan of the device. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a configuration diagram showing an example of the configuration of a display device according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] This flowchart shows an example of the operation of the display device according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 3] This is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the display device according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 4] This is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the display device according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 5] This is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the display device according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 6] This is a configuration diagram showing an example of the configuration of a display device according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 7] This flowchart shows an example of the operation of the display device according to Embodiment 3. [Figure 8] This is a configuration diagram showing an example of the configuration of a display device according to Embodiment 4. [Figure 9]This is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the display device according to Embodiment 4. [Figure 10] This flowchart shows an example of the operation of the display device according to Embodiment 4. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted where necessary.

[0011] (Embodiment 1) First, Embodiment 1 will be described. As described above, for example, a self-emissive display displays an image by each pixel emitting light. Therefore, the light intensity and light emission time of each pixel differ depending on the content of the displayed image, resulting in variations in lifespan, which leads to a decrease in display quality such as burn-in and unevenness. In this embodiment, by equipping the display with an eye-tracking sensor to detect the area the user is looking at, the input image is displayed normally only within the range the user is looking at, and image processing such as filtering or degrading the gradation characteristics is applied to the areas not being looked at by the user, thereby reducing the difference in lifespan between pixels and extending the lifespan of the display.

[0012] Figure 1 shows an example of the configuration of the display device according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the display device 100 according to this embodiment includes a display unit 10 and a gaze detection unit 20.

[0013] The line-of-sight detection unit 20 is a line-of-sight sensor that detects the line of sight of a user who uses the display device 100. The line-of-sight detection unit 20 is installed at an arbitrary position of the display device 100. The line-of-sight detection unit 20 may be attached to the outside of the display unit 10 or may be built into the display unit 10. In addition, the line-of-sight detection unit 20 detects the distance of the user in addition to the line of sight of the user. The detected distance is the distance from the display device 100 to the user. When the user uses the display device 100 at a predetermined position in advance, a predetermined distance may be used without detecting the distance. In this case, the line-of-sight detection unit 20 detects only the line of sight of the user.

[0014] The line-of-sight detection unit 20 includes, for example, an infrared light-emitting unit 21, an imaging unit 22, and a calculation unit 23. Note that the line-of-sight detection unit 20 may have other configurations as long as it can detect the line of sight and distance of the user. The infrared light-emitting unit 21 is a light-emitting device that irradiates (emits) infrared light to the eyes of the user. The imaging unit 22 is an imaging device that images the eyes of the user, and is, for example, a luminance sensor for obtaining reflected light by the user's eyeballs.

[0015] The calculation unit 23 calculates (detects) the line of sight and distance of the user from the detection result of the imaging unit 22 and outputs the calculation result to the display unit 10 (region specifying unit 11). The calculation unit 23 detects the center of the user's pupil and the position of the corneal reflex from the image obtained by the imaging unit 22, and detects the line of sight of the user from that information. In this example, the line of sight is detected from the position of the pupil with respect to the position of the corneal reflex, but the line of sight may be detected by other methods such as detecting the line of sight from the position of the iris with respect to the position of the inner corner of the eye. Further, the calculation unit 23 calculates, for example, the distance between the display device 100 and the user from the image of the user's eyes obtained by the imaging unit 22. In the present embodiment, in order to specify the region on the display screen based on the line of sight, it is preferable to calculate the distance from the user's eyes to the video display unit 14 described later. Note that the distance of the user may be detected by other methods such as obtaining the distance from a stereo image captured by a stereo camera.

[0016] The display unit 10 includes, for example, a region specifying unit 11, a video input unit 12, a video processing unit 13, and a video display unit 14. Note that the display unit 10 may have other configurations as long as it can be displayed by the method according to this embodiment. For example, each unit of the display unit 10 may be realized by one device or by a plurality of devices.

[0017] Based on the line of sight and distance of the user detected by the line-of-sight detection unit 20, the region specifying unit 11 specifies the user's viewpoint and the fixation region in the video display unit 14. The user's viewpoint is specified as the intersection of the user's line of sight and the video display unit 14. The fixation region is the region in the video display unit 14 that the user fixates on, and is a predetermined region centered on the user's viewpoint in the video display unit 14. In this embodiment, the fixation region is the region where the image is normally displayed. Note that since the non-fixation region other than the fixation region is also specified by specifying the fixation region, it can be said that the region specifying unit 11 specifies the non-fixation region together with the fixation region. The region specifying unit 11 specifies a fixation region having a predetermined shape with a size corresponding to the user's distance, centered on the coordinates of the user's viewpoint, from the specified coordinates of the user's viewpoint and the obtained distance between the user and the display device 100. For example, the shape of the fixation region may be a horizontally long ellipse corresponding to the distance and inclination between the user's two eyes, but other shapes such as a circle or an arbitrary polygon may also be used.

[0018] The video input unit 12 is an input device that inputs (acquires) the video to be displayed on the video display unit 14. The video input unit 12 may acquire the video input from the outside, or may acquire the video previously stored in the storage unit (not shown) of the display device 100.

[0019] The video processing unit 13 is a display control device that controls the video (image) displayed on the video display unit 14 based on the user's gaze area identified by the area identification unit 11. The video processing unit 13 draws the gaze area of ​​the identified size and shape, displays the video within that area normally (normal display), and controls the display of video with image processing such as filtering or reduction of gradation characteristics applied to non-gaze areas. Image processing such as filtering and reduction of gradation characteristics is an example of quality degradation suppression display that suppresses the deterioration of display quality of the display screen (video display unit 14), such as burn-in or unevenness. In other words, the video processing unit 13 controls the video in non-gaze areas to display with quality degradation suppression. Quality degradation suppression display may be achieved by performing image processing on the image to be displayed, or by controlling the light emission (display) of pixels on the display screen (video display unit 14). For non-gaze areas, in addition to image processing such as filtering and reduction of gradation characteristics, the brightness of the video (pixels) may also be reduced. For example, by reducing the brightness in addition to image processing of non-focused areas, the lifespan of the display device can be further extended. Alternatively, the video processing unit 13 may be controlled to display the image within the focused area normally (normally displayed) without rendering the focused area, and to display the image in non-focused areas with image processing such as filtering or degradation of gradation characteristics applied.

[0020] The video display unit 14 displays the video processed by the video processing unit 13. The video display unit 14 is, for example, a self-emissive display in which multiple images emit light on their own, such as an organic EL display. However, it is not limited to a self-emissive display; other displays including multiple pixels, such as a liquid crystal display, may also be used. For example, the video display unit 14 is preferably a flat panel display, but a non-flat display may also be used as long as the viewing area can be identified.

[0021] Figure 2 shows an example of the operation (control method) of the display device according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 2, first, the display device 100 detects the user's line of sight (S101). The infrared light emitting unit 21 irradiates the user's eyes with infrared light, and the imaging unit 22 captures an image including the reflected light. Figure 3 shows the captured image of the user's eyes. As shown in Figure 3, reflected light is obtained from the cornea of ​​the user's eyeball in response to the irradiated infrared light. The calculation unit 23 recognizes the user's pupil from the captured image and obtains the coordinates of the center of the pupil. The calculation unit 23 detects the user's line of sight from the obtained corneal reflection position and the center of the pupil.

[0022] Next, the display device 100 measures the distance to the user (S102). The calculation unit 23 recognizes the user's two irises from the image of the user's eyes captured by the imaging unit 22, and calculates the distance between the video display unit 14 and the user from the size of the recognized irises and the distance between the two irises.

[0023] Next, the display device 100 determines whether or not a gaze has been detected (S103). If a gaze has been detected (S103 / Yes), the display device 100 counts the number of detected gazes and determines whether or not the gazes of multiple users have been detected (S104). If the gaze of only one user has been detected and not multiple users (S104 / No), the display device 100 identifies the user's gaze area (S105).

[0024] The area identification unit 11 calculates the coordinates of the user's viewpoint on the video display unit 14 based on the user's line of sight. The area identification unit 11 also identifies the size and shape of the gaze area based on the user's distance. For example, it identifies an elliptical area with the calculated viewpoint coordinates as the center and an axis size corresponding to the distance. In other words, the area identification unit 11 changes the size of the gaze area displayed according to the user's distance. For example, the closer the user is to the video display unit 14, the smaller the gaze area displayed, and the further the user is from the video display unit 14, the larger the gaze area displayed.

[0025] Next, the display device 100 performs image processing on the non-focused area and displays the processed image (S106). The video processing unit 13 applies predetermined image processing to the non-focused area other than the focused area in the input video, and the video display unit 14 displays the processed image. For example, as an example of display that suppresses quality degradation, the image in the non-focused area may be blurred by filtering, or the gradation characteristics may be reduced.

[0026] Figure 4 shows the display image of the video display unit 14 without image processing, and Figure 5 shows the display image of the video display unit 14 with image processing applied to the non-focused area. That is, for a normally displayed image like in Figure 4, an elliptical focus area centered on the user's viewpoint is drawn as shown in Figure 5. The position of the viewpoint may or may not be displayed on the video display unit 14. Inside the elliptical focus area, which is sized according to the distance, the input video is displayed normally without image processing, while in the non-focused area outside the focus area, the input video is displayed with blurring or other effects applied. The level (degree) of blurring or reduction of gradation characteristics may be a predetermined level, or it may be changed according to the size of the focus area (user's distance), etc. For example, the smaller the focus area, the stronger the level of blurring in the non-focused area may be.

[0027] On the other hand, in Figure 2, if gaze is not detected (S103 / No), the display device 100 performs image processing on the entire area and displays the processed image on the entire video display unit 14 (S107). The video processing unit 13 determines that the user is not looking at the video display unit 14 if gaze cannot be detected, applies image processing to the entire image, and displays the processed image on the video display unit 14. The image processing at this time may be the same blurring or degradation of gradation characteristics as when gaze is detected, or it may be a different level of blurring or degradation of gradation characteristics. In addition, quality degradation suppression display may be performed by different methods such as reducing brightness.

[0028] Furthermore, if the gaze of multiple users is detected (S104 / Yes), the display device 100 displays the input video across the entire video display unit 14 (S108). When the gaze of multiple people is detected, the video processing unit 13 cannot determine the area to apply image processing to, so as shown in Figure 4, it does not apply image processing to the input video and displays the entire video as is on the video display unit 14.

[0029] As described above, in this embodiment, a display device such as an organic EL display or a liquid crystal display is equipped with a sensor that detects the user's gaze, so that the area the user is looking at is constantly observed, and the image is displayed normally only in the area the user is looking at, while image processing such as filtering or degradation of gradation characteristics is applied to the other non-focused areas. This reduces variations in the lifespan of each pixel, suppressing the deterioration of display quality such as burn-in and unevenness in self-emissive displays, and enabling a longer lifespan for the display device. Furthermore, if the non-focused areas are not displayed, there is a risk that it will be difficult to determine what is being displayed. For this reason, an image processed image or the like is displayed in the non-displayed area to suppress quality degradation. This suppresses the deterioration of the display while allowing the user to grasp the overall image and follow the area they want to see with their eyes.

[0030] (Embodiment 2) Next, Embodiment 2 will be described. This embodiment is an example in which the display device of Embodiment 1 is further equipped with a human presence sensor. Figure 6 shows an example of the configuration of the display device according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 6, the display device 100 according to this embodiment is equipped with a display unit 10 and a gaze detection unit 20, similar to Embodiment 1, and is further equipped with a human presence sensor 30. The human presence sensor 30 detects the user in front of the display device 100 and measures the distance between the display device 100 and the user. In addition to the human presence sensor, a distance measuring sensor capable of measuring distance with high precision may also be provided. For example, if the human presence sensor 30 cannot detect a user, the video processing unit 13 may hide the entire video on the video display unit 14. In addition to hiding the video, a quality degradation suppression display may be performed, similar to Embodiment 1.

[0031] As in this embodiment, the display device of Embodiment 1 may further measure the user's distance using a human presence sensor or a distance measuring sensor. This allows for accurate measurement of the user's distance and precise identification of the gaze area where the display is normally shown. Furthermore, the lifespan of the display device can be extended by hiding the image when the human presence sensor cannot detect a user in front of the display device.

[0032] (Embodiment 3) Next, Embodiment 3 will be described. This embodiment is an example of improving the gaze detection method in the display device of Embodiment 1 or 2. The configuration of the display device is the same as in Embodiment 1 or 2, so its description will be omitted.

[0033] Figure 7 shows an example of the operation (control method) of the display device according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 7, in this embodiment, the display device 100 performs gaze detection (S101) and distance measurement (S102) of the user, similar to Embodiment 1, and repeats these processes for a predetermined period (S112). That is, the display device 100 repeats gaze detection (S101) and distance measurement (S102) until a predetermined period has elapsed (S112 / No), and after the predetermined period has elapsed (S112 / Yes), performs averaging processing (S113). For example, the calculation unit 23 performs gaze detection by accumulating while time-decomposing data into several tens of frames per second, and calculates the position of the user's viewpoint and the distance between the display device 100 and the user from the average value of the data over several frames. In other words, the calculation unit 23 obtains the coordinates and distance of the viewpoint for each image from images continuously captured for a predetermined period, and uses the average value of the obtained coordinates and distance of the viewpoint as the detection result (measurement result). Subsequently, the same process as in Embodiment 1 is performed from S103 onwards, and based on the result of averaging the viewpoints and distances detected within a predetermined time, the gaze area is identified (S114), and the image is displayed on the video display unit 14 (S106). This prevents the user's blinking, etc., from being immediately reflected on the display screen.

[0034] Furthermore, while gaze detection (S101) and distance measurement (S102) are repeated, it is determined whether the movement of the gaze is greater than a predetermined value (S111). If the movement of the gaze is less than or equal to the predetermined value (S111 / No), the repetition of gaze detection and distance measurement continues. If the movement of the gaze is greater than the predetermined value (S111 / Yes), the repetition of gaze detection and distance measurement is stopped. For example, if the coordinates of the gaze (or viewpoint) change significantly, the cumulative averaging process is stopped, and the processing from S103 onwards is performed as in Embodiment 1 to identify the gaze area based on the current viewpoint and distance (S114), and the image is displayed on the video display unit 14 (S106). This immediately reflects the current viewpoint position in the display position on the display screen.

[0035] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the region identification unit 11 identifies the gaze region by considering the movement of the gaze (S114). For example, the region identification unit 11 constantly calculates a movement vector, which is the magnitude and direction of the movement of the gaze (or viewpoint), and controls the size of the gaze region according to the magnitude of the gaze movement vector over a predetermined time. For example, the gaze region is enlarged as the gaze movement vector increases, and the gaze region is reduced as the gaze movement vector decreases. Alternatively, the gaze region may be identified by predicting the destination region from the gaze movement vector. For example, the gaze region may be identified to include the predicted destination region while the gaze movement is ongoing, that is, before the gaze movement is completed (ended). In this case, the gaze region may be defined to include the destination region, or it may be defined to have a shape that extends in the direction of the destination.

[0036] As described above, in the display device of Embodiment 1 or 2, the user's viewpoint and distance may be determined from the average value of detection results within a predetermined period. This prevents the display from immediately tracking the user when they briefly close their eyes. Furthermore, by stopping the averaging process when the gaze moves significantly, it is possible to prevent delays in tracking the gaze area of ​​the screen when the gaze movement is large.

[0037] (Embodiment 4) Next, Embodiment 4 will be described. This embodiment is an example in which, when performing quality degradation suppression display such as image processing in the display device of Embodiments 1 to 3, brightness is controlled according to pixel degradation information.

[0038] Figure 8 shows an example configuration of a display device according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 8, the display device 100 according to this embodiment includes a display unit 10 and a gaze detection unit 20, similar to Embodiment 1, and further includes a degradation information storage unit 15 in the display unit 10. The degradation information storage unit 15 stores degradation information of pixels in the video display unit 14. Specifically, for each block of pixels constituting the video display unit 14 (display screen), it stores degradation information indicating the degree of pixel degradation based on the image display history. For example, the degradation information is information obtained by integrating the video signal level displayed on the pixel and the display time. The video processing unit 13 may calculate the degradation information for each block from the video to be displayed and store it in the degradation information storage unit 15.

[0039] Furthermore, the video processing unit 13 controls the brightness of pixels in each block of the video display unit 14 based on the stored degradation information. For example, as shown in Figure 9, degradation information is stored for each block, and the brightness of pixels in each block is adjusted so that the degree of degradation is balanced across blocks in the area where image processing is being applied. Blocks with a high degree of degradation relative to the average degradation rate of the display have their brightness reduced, while blocks with a low degree of degradation have their brightness increased, so that there is no difference in the overall degree of degradation. For example, if a pixel contains RGB (red, green, blue) subpixels and there is a difference in the degree of degradation for each RGB subpixel, the brightness may be controlled for each RGB color. However, if there is a risk of the white balance changing, the brightness may be controlled so that the degree of degradation of RGB is balanced.

[0040] Figure 10 shows an example of the operation (control method) of the display device according to this embodiment. Figure 10 shows the process of further controlling the brightness when displaying an image processed with image processing, etc., in a non-gaze area other than the gaze area in Embodiments 1 to 3 (S106 in Figure 2 and S114 in Figure 7).

[0041] As shown in Figure 10, the video processing unit 13 obtains degradation information for blocks in the non-focused area from the degradation information storage unit 15 (S201). The video processing unit 13 determines whether the degree of degradation of a block is high or low (S202), and if there are blocks in the non-focused area whose degree of degradation is higher than a predetermined value (S202 / Yes), it lowers the brightness of the corresponding block (S203). For example, it lowers the brightness to a level corresponding to the degree to which the degradation has progressed beyond the predetermined value. If there are no blocks whose degree of degradation is higher than the predetermined value (S202 / No), it proceeds to the next process. Next, the video processing unit 13 determines whether the degree of degradation of a block is low or low (S204), and if there are blocks in the non-focused area whose degree of degradation is lower than a predetermined value (S204 / Yes), it increases the brightness of the corresponding block (S205). For example, it increases the brightness to a level corresponding to the degree to which the degradation has slowed down beyond the predetermined value. If there are no blocks whose degree of degradation is lower than the predetermined value (S204 / No), it terminates the process. The predetermined values ​​used in S202 and S205 to determine the degree of deterioration may be a pre-set average value, or an average value obtained from the deterioration information of all blocks. Furthermore, the predetermined values ​​in S202 and S205 may be the same or different. For example, a range may be provided between the two, with the second predetermined value used to determine a small degree of deterioration being smaller than the first predetermined value used to determine a large degree of deterioration.

[0042] As described above, in the display devices of Embodiments 1 to 3, when displaying a non-focused area by image processing, the brightness of each block is controlled to adjust the degree of degradation based on the degradation information of each block of the area to be image processed. This makes it possible to suppress differences in degradation across the entire area and extend the lifespan.

[0043] Furthermore, the brightness of each block may be controlled according to degradation information, as in this embodiment, not only in non-gaze areas identified in response to gaze detection, but also in predetermined areas where quality degradation prevention displays are performed. For example, not limited to gaze detection, if a user is not detected by a motion sensor, or if the user does not operate the device for a predetermined period of time, image processing such as blurring may be performed, and the brightness may be controlled in the area where this image processing is performed, as in this embodiment.

[0044] (Embodiment 5) Next, Embodiment 5 will be described. This embodiment is an example of controlling the display color of pixels when performing quality degradation suppression display such as image processing in the display device of Embodiments 1 to 4. If the pixels of the video display unit 14 (display screen) include multiple subpixels that each display a different color, the video processing unit 13 may display only the subpixels of any selected color from among the multiple subpixels of the pixel in the non-focused area (a predetermined area where quality degradation suppression display is performed). For example, if a pixel is composed of four subpixels of white, red, green, and blue, when applying image processing to the non-focused area, only the white subpixel may be lit to display in monochrome. This makes it possible to extend the lifespan of the red, green, and blue subpixels.

[0045] Furthermore, it is not limited to white; only some of the multiple colors (for example, one color, two colors, etc.) may be displayed (lit). In this case, the selected colors to be displayed may be switched depending on the display time or timing, and may even be rotated. For example, the colors may be displayed in the order of white, red, blue, and green. This helps to suppress pixel degradation and prevent uneven degradation.

[0046] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0047] Each configuration in the above-described embodiment is comprised of hardware, software, or both, and may consist of one piece of hardware or software, or multiple pieces of hardware or software. The functions (processing) of each device may be realized by a computer having a CPU, memory, etc. For example, a program for performing the method in the embodiment (e.g., a control method) may be stored in a storage device, and each function may be realized by executing the program stored in the storage device with the CPU.

[0048] These programs can be stored and supplied to a computer using various types of non-transitory computer-readable medium. Non-transitory computer-readable medium includes various types of tangible storage medium. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable medium include magnetic storage media (e.g., flexible disks, magnetic tapes, hard disk drives), magneto-optical storage media (e.g., magneto-optical disks), CD-ROMs (Read Only Memory), CD-Rs, CD-R / Ws, and semiconductor memory (e.g., mask ROMs, PROMs (Programmable ROMs), EPROMs (Erasable PROMs), flash ROMs, RAMs (random access memory)). Programs may also be supplied to a computer using various types of transient computer-readable medium. Examples of transient computer-readable medium include electrical signals, optical signals, and electromagnetic waves. Transitory computer-readable medium can be supplied to a computer via wired communication channels such as electric wires and optical fibers, or via wireless communication channels. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0049] 10 Display section 11 Area identification part 12 Video Input Section 13. Video Processing Section 14. Video display unit 15 Deterioration information storage section 20 Eye-line detection unit 21 Infrared light emitter 22 Imaging Department 23 Calculation Section 30-person motion sensor 100 display device

Claims

1. Video display unit, A gaze detection unit that detects the user's line of sight and the distance between the user and the video display unit, The size of the fixation area is changed according to the aforementioned distance, and the fixation area becomes smaller as the distance decreases. A region identification unit, In the aforementioned gaze area, the input image is displayed normally, and in non-gaze areas outside the gaze area, the display quality is... The image is displayed with a suppression display that prevents a decrease in the gaze area, and the smaller the gaze area, the more the suppression display A video processing unit that enhances the degree of, The aforementioned video display unit is divided into multiple blocks, and degradation information indicating the degree of degradation of each block is provided. A storage unit for degraded information that stores information, Based on the aforementioned degradation information, the pixel brightness of each block in the non-focused area is adjusted between blocks. A brightness control unit that controls the degree of degradation so that it becomes equilibrium, Equipped with, Display device.

2. The gaze detection unit continuously detects the user's gaze, The aforementioned region identification unit changes the size of the gaze area according to the amount of eye movement within a predetermined time. The greater the movement, the larger the area of ​​focus. The display device according to claim 1.

3. If the gaze detection unit does not detect a gaze, The video processing unit performs the suppressed display on the entire video display unit. The display device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A method for controlling a display device, The system detects the user's line of sight and the distance between the user and the video display unit of the display device. Top and, The steps include identifying a gaze area according to the aforementioned distance, and reducing the gaze area as the distance decreases. 、 In the gaze area, the input image is displayed normally, while in the non-gaze area, a suppression table is used to prevent a decrease in display quality. A step in which an image is displayed by indication, and the degree of suppression of the display increases as the area of ​​focus decreases. and, The steps include dividing the video display unit into blocks and storing degradation information, Based on this degradation information, the brightness of each block in the non-focused area is adjusted to determine the degree of degradation between blocks. A step to control the balance, including, A method for controlling a display device.

5. A step of changing the size of the gaze area according to the amount of eye movement within a predetermined time. including, A method for controlling a display device according to claim 4.

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