Display Brightness Control via Psycho-Visual Area Segmentation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current display technologies fail to effectively improve image quality and reduce power consumption by controlling brightness, as they do not consider the psycho-visual characteristics of users, leading to undesired results.

Innovation Solution

A display apparatus and method that separates attentive and inattentive areas of an image based on psycho-visual characteristics, adjusting the brightness of inattentive areas only if the user cannot recognize the change, using image information such as frequency, contrast, and edge characteristics, and controlling the backlight or image gray scale to achieve this.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If the brightness of the image is controlled to improve image quality, then the image quality is improved, but the power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimage qualityVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by dividing the image into attentive and inattentive areas, and applying different brightness control strategies to each region. The inattentive areas receive brightness adjustment while attentive areas maintain original brightness, optimizing both image quality and power consumption locally rather than globally

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The image is segmented into multiple regions based on user attention probability, with attentive areas and inattentive areas treated differently. This segmentation allows selective brightness control to be applied only where necessary, reducing overall power consumption while maintaining perceived image quality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Use of energy by moving object

If the brightness of the image is controlled to reduce power consumption, then the power consumption is reduced, but the image quality deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidimage quality

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

Different brightness control strategies are applied to different regions: inattentive areas receive brightness reduction for power savings, while attentive areas maintain original brightness to preserve image quality. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by ensuring quality is maintained where users look

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediate processing stage that analyzes image content and user attention patterns to determine which areas deserve full brightness. This intermediary analysis layer enables intelligent decision-making about where to reduce brightness without compromising overall perceived image quality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Illumination intensity

If the brightness of the entire image is adjusted, then the overall brightness is controlled, but the user can recognize the brightness change and perceive image quality degradation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebrightness controlVSAvoidperceived image quality

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

Brightness adjustment is applied selectively only to inattentive areas while attentive areas maintain original brightness levels. This local application prevents users from noticing brightness changes, as adjustments occur only in regions where users are not focusing their attention

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts and identifies inattentive areas from the full image, isolating them for separate brightness control. By taking out the inattentive regions and applying brightness control only there, the system avoids affecting the overall perceived image quality that users experience

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Illumination intensity

If various methods are used to compensate for reduced brightness level, then the brightness is maintained, but various undesired results occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebrightness levelVSAvoidundesired results

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the potentially harmful effect of brightness reduction into a benefit by using psycho-visual characteristics to determine where brightness can be reduced without affecting perceived quality. What would normally be a degradation (brightness reduction) becomes beneficial (power savings) when applied strategically to inattentive areas

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Data Source

PatentUS8791964B2Display apparatus and method of controlling the same

Publication Date: 2014.07.29 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD

AI summary

A display apparatus and method of controlling the same are disclosed, the display apparatus including: a display unit; an image processor configured to process an image and display the processed image on the display unit; and a controller configured to control the image processor to adjust a brightness of an inattentive area of the image displayed on the display unit depending on whether a user is able to recognize a corresponding brightness change, determined based on image information, such that the controller controls the image processor to adjust the brightness of the inattentive area if the controller determines, based on the image information, that the user is not able to recognize the corresponding brightness change.