Illuminated Display Surround for Contrast Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current video display technologies face issues with elevated black levels reducing apparent contrast, and darkened ambient light conditions exacerbate this problem, particularly in large screen televisions and digital content viewing, due to the impact of ambient illumination on perceived contrast and chroma.
Innovation Solution
The surround light output of video displays is adjusted as an inverse function of ambient illumination to counteract these effects, using a combination of ambient light sensors and control logic to set the brightness and color of an electroluminescent surround, ensuring direct and uniform illumination adjacent to the display screen, thereby compensating for display limitations and ambient light variations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the black level of LCD display is elevated to reduce manufacturing costs, then manufacturing precision is improved, but apparent contrast deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
An illuminated surround acts as an intermediary element between the display and the viewer's environment. This surround provides controlled illumination that compensates for the elevated black level, thereby restoring apparent contrast without requiring changes to the display's manufacturing specifications.
Solution Approach 2:
The illumination parameters of the surround (intensity, color temperature) are dynamically adjusted based on ambient lighting conditions. By changing these parameters, the system compensates for the fixed elevated black level characteristic of the display, maintaining optimal apparent contrast across different viewing environments.
2Ease of operation
If ambient light level is reduced to improve viewing comfort for digital content, then ease of operation is improved, but apparent contrast deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The illuminated surround serves as a mediator that decouples the relationship between ambient light levels and apparent contrast. It provides supplemental illumination specifically targeted at the viewing area, allowing viewers to maintain low ambient light for comfort while the surround compensates for the contrast loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The surround illumination system dynamically adjusts its output based on real-time ambient light sensing. When ambient light decreases for viewing comfort, the surround automatically increases its illumination intensity to maintain apparent contrast, creating a dynamic compensation mechanism.
3Device complexity
If reflection from walls is used to create illuminated surround, then device complexity is reduced, but illumination uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than relying on passive reflection from surrounding walls, the system uses an active illuminated surround that generates its own light. This self-service approach ensures consistent illumination quality without being dependent on external environmental factors or complex optical paths.
4Ease of manufacture
If non-illuminated bezel is used to separate display from surround, then ease of manufacture is improved, but illumination effectiveness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The display system is segmented into distinct functional zones: the active display area and the illuminated surround area. This segmentation allows the surround to be positioned immediately adjacent to the screen without requiring a large non-illuminated bezel, thereby improving illumination effectiveness while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enhances the perceived contrast and chroma of images by providing a controlled and uniform illumination that matches the intended display characteristics and ambient conditions, reducing optical flare and stabilizing chromatic adaptation for the viewer.
Implementation Method 1
The display screen is surrounded with a flat electroluminescent area of material on three or four sides of the display screen
Implementation Method 2
The amount and chromaticity (chroma) of the illumination are controlled by the combination of an ambient light sensor and a control process
Data Source
AI summary
In a video or other screen display apparatus, a surround to the actual screen is provided whose light output is variable in order to compensate for the effect of ambient (room) illumination on apparent contrast and chroma of the displayed image. The relationship between ambient light level and the surround illumination is an inverse power function. This provides the effect of making the viewer perceive that the entire room is brighter than it actually is, resulting in a desirable change in his perception of brightness. Thereby, the chromaticity of the surround is variable to allow a match to the calibrated white point of the video display. The apparatus includes an ambient light sensor whose output signal is provided to a control system driving the illuminated surround.