Display Pixel Grey Scale Reduction via Histogram Segmentation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Display technologies face challenges in maintaining image contrast when reducing pixel grey scales to lower illumination levels, leading to reduced image definition in dark environments.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus that acquire pixel data, generate a histogram to identify target grey scales with high pixel numbers, select corresponding pixels, and perform color inversion to improve contrast, specifically targeting background and character pixels to reduce grey scales while preserving image definition.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If the terminal device reduces the pixel grey scales of the image to reduce illumination, then the illumination of the image is reduced, but the contrast of the image is reduced and the definition level is affected

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveillumination of the imageVSAvoidcontrast and definition level of the image
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the image processing into two distinct parts: background pixels and character pixels. By identifying and separately processing these two types of pixels through histogram analysis and threshold segmentation, the patent applies different grey scale adjustments to each segment, thereby maintaining contrast while reducing overall illumination.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different grey scale adjustment strategies to different regions of the image. Background pixels and character pixels receive different treatment - background pixels have their grey scales reduced more aggressively while character pixels maintain higher grey scales to preserve definition and contrast in the displayed content.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the terminal device reduces the grey scales of all pixels to protect user's eyes in dark environment, then the illumination is reduced, but the difference between different pixel grey scales is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveeye protection in dark environmentVSAvoidcontrast information of the image
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the traditional approach of uniformly reducing all pixel grey scales. Instead, it identifies background pixels and applies greater grey scale reduction to them while preserving the grey scales of character pixels, thereby inverting the conventional wisdom and achieving both eye protection and contrast preservation simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentEP3333844B1Display operation method and apparatus, computer program and recording medium
Publication Date: 2021.04.28 BEIJING XIAOMI MOBILE SOFTWARE CO LTD
  • EP3333844B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3333844B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3333844B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An display operation method and apparatus, a computer program and a recording medium are provided in the technical field of display. The method may include: acquiring pixel data of an image to be processed; acquiring a histogram of the image according to the pixel data, the histogram indicating a pixel number under each grey scale; obtaining a target grey scale set by using in the histogram a grey scale whose pixel number exceeds a preset pixel number; selecting, from the image, at least one target pixel whose grey scale belongs to the target grey scale set from the image; and performing a color inversion operation to the at least one target pixel. The inventive color inversion operation is performed to the background pixels and character pixels. Thus, the image grey scales may be reduced while maintaining the contrast of the image, and influence to the image definition by the grey scales is reduced.