Image Display Apparatus Dynamic Range Adaptation

Solution Overview

Problem

Image display apparatuses often face limitations in dynamic range, leading to compression processing that deteriorates image quality and visibility, especially when displaying high dynamic range image data, as existing techniques either alter gradation characteristics or fail to display images dot by dot accurately.

Innovation Solution

An image display apparatus and method that acquire range information for both input and display dynamic ranges, performing image processing to adjust gradation values and maintain characteristics closer to the original within the display range, ensuring minimal quality deterioration and high visibility.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If compression processing is performed to narrow the dynamic range from the photographing range to the display range, then the dynamic range is reduced to match the display capability, but the gradation characteristics change and image quality deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedisplay range adaptabilityVSAvoidgradation characteristic accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by differentiating the treatment of different brightness regions. The compression processing is applied selectively: the high brightness region undergoes compression to fit the display range, while other regions maintain their original gradation characteristics. This is achieved by dividing the image into multiple regions based on brightness levels and applying different processing strategies to each region, thereby preserving local gradation accuracy where needed while achieving overall dynamic range adaptation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the image data based on brightness regions, separating the high brightness region from other regions. This segmentation allows independent processing of each region - the high brightness region is compressed to fit the display range while other regions are preserved. The segmented approach enables the system to achieve display range adaptability without uniformly degrading the gradation characteristics across the entire image.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If compression processing is applied to fit the display range, then the dynamic range limitation is overcome, but the general brightness drops and visibility deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedisplay range compatibilityVSAvoiddisplay image brightness

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by differentiating the treatment of different brightness regions. The compression processing is applied selectively: the high brightness region undergoes compression to fit the display range, while other regions maintain their original gradation characteristics. This is achieved by dividing the image into multiple regions based on brightness levels and applying different processing strategies to each region, thereby preserving local gradation accuracy where needed while achieving overall dynamic range adaptation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple types of compression processing with different control parameters are applied, then the dynamic range is adjusted, but a plurality of image data must be simultaneously displayed which deteriorates image quality

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompression parameter flexibilityVSAvoidimage data display accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the conventional approach by not creating multiple compressed image data sets for comparison, but instead processing the single input image data once with a specifically designed compression function that inherently preserves gradation characteristics. The inversion lies in moving from a multi-data-comparison paradigm to a single-data-preservative-processing paradigm, where the compression function itself is designed to maintain accuracy rather than relying on post-processing selection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentUS10565913B2Image display apparatus and control method thereof

Publication Date: 2020.02.18 CANON KK

AI summary

An image display apparatus includes a first acquiring unit configured to acquire first range information representing a first range for input image, a second acquiring unit configured to acquire second range information representing a second range for image display, a processing unit configured to generate processed image from the input image by image processing based on the first and second range information, and a display unit configured to display the processed image. By the image processing, a characteristic closer to a gradation characteristic of the input image is acquired as a gradation characteristic of the processed image in the second range, compared with a range outside the second range, within a range of brightness-related values of the input image.