Display Image Control for High Dynamic Range Artefact Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Displays face challenges in accurately rendering high dynamic range images due to differences between input signal gamuts and display gamuts, leading to limited color depth and range, and resulting in negative image characteristics such as color shifts and visible contrast artefacts.

Innovation Solution

The solution involves a method that includes linearization and boosting of image data, followed by color correction and gamut transformation to match the display's capabilities, using a look-up table or matrix operations to adjust pixel driving values, and introducing dithering to mitigate artefacts, ensuring the image data is within the display's gamut and optimized for high dynamic range display.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If image data is linearized and boosted to increase dynamic range and color depth, then the quality of high dynamic range images is improved, but visible contrast artefacts and color shifts are introduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecolor depthVSAvoidvisible contrast artefacts
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies gamma correction to transform the boosted image data back to a perceptually uniform color space. This parameter transformation resolves the contradiction by converting the linearized data with enhanced dynamic range into a format that matches human visual perception, thereby eliminating visible contrast artefacts and color shifts while preserving the improved color depth and dynamic range

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a gamma correction step as an intermediary process between the boosting operation and the final display output. This intermediary transformation acts as a bridge that translates the technologically enhanced but perceptually incorrect linear data into visually accurate image data, thus resolving the artefact problem while maintaining the benefits of boosting

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Illumination intensity

If image data is linearized and boosted to increase dynamic range, then the luminance range is expanded, but posterization effects occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveluminance rangeVSAvoidcolor smoothness
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies gamma correction to transform the boosted image data back to a perceptually uniform color space. This parameter transformation resolves the contradiction by converting the linearized data with enhanced dynamic range into a format that matches human visual perception, thereby eliminating visible contrast artefacts and color shifts while preserving the improved color depth and dynamic range

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a gamma correction step as an intermediary process between the boosting operation and the final display output. This intermediary transformation acts as a bridge that translates the technologically enhanced but perceptually incorrect linear data into visually accurate image data, thus resolving the artefact problem while maintaining the benefits of boosting

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Measurement precision

If gamut transformation is applied to match display capabilities, then color accuracy is improved, but the complexity of image processing increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecolor accuracyVSAvoidimage processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies gamma correction early in the processing pipeline, immediately after the boosting operation. This preliminary action establishes a perceptually uniform working space for subsequent gamut transformations, simplifying the overall processing complexity while ensuring color accuracy is achieved through a systematic, pre-planned sequence of operations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS9390660B2Image control for displays
Publication Date: 2016.07.12 DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORP
  • US9390660B2 patent drawing
  • US9390660B2 patent drawing
  • US9390660B2 patent drawing

AI summary

Displays such as televisions, computer monitors, and the like may boost (124) the dynamic range of input image data (121). Dithering (128) may be provided to mitigate artefacts made visible as a result of the boosting. Color correction (124) may be implemented. The color correction may compensate for differences between a color of a backlight and a desired white point.