Display Tone and Color Mapping for Creative Intent Preservation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing video content may appear differently on various displays due to varying display capabilities and viewing environments, deviating from the creator's intended appearance.

Innovation Solution

A display management unit that performs tone and color mapping on video signals based on input from ambient conditions, display capabilities, and creative intent metadata, adjusting the video content to match the target display and viewing environment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If video content is displayed without modification on different displays, then the display can show its native capabilities, but the creative intent of the video content is lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay capability utilizationVSAvoidcreative intent
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system changes video signal parameters (tone mapping, color gamut, brightness, contrast) based on the target display's characteristics and the creator's specified creative intent parameters, transforming the video content to preserve its intended appearance across different display technologies

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The video content is pre-processed during production with embedded creative intent metadata and color grading information, so that when the content is distributed and displayed on different devices, the original creative vision is automatically preserved without requiring real-time adjustment

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If video content is adapted for legacy displays with lower capabilities, then compatibility is improved, but the visual quality and creator's intent may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay compatibilityVSAvoidvisual quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system adjusts video signal parameters (color gamut compression, tone mapping curves, brightness/contrast levels) to match the specific capabilities of legacy displays while maintaining the creator's intended visual appearance as specified in the embedded metadata

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Manufacturing precision

If video content is optimized for high-performance displays, then visual quality is improved, but it may not be compatible with displays having lower capabilities

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevisual qualityVSAvoiddisplay compatibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple versions of video content are pre-encoded at different quality levels during production, with each version optimized for specific display capability ranges. The appropriate version is automatically selected based on the target display's characteristics

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts video signal parameters in real-time based on the detected or specified display capabilities, transforming high-quality video content into formats suitable for various display types while preserving the creator's intent

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

4Loss of information

If multiple separate color grading versions are created for different displays, then creative intent is preserved on each display type, but the complexity of video distribution increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecreative intent preservationVSAvoidvideo distribution system
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A single video distribution system handles multiple display types by embedding display characteristic data and creative intent metadata in the video stream, allowing one system to automatically adapt content for different displays without requiring separate grading workflows

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3869494B1Display management server
Publication Date: 2026.01.28 DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORP
  • EP3869494B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3869494B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2C
  • EP3869494B1 patent drawingFigure 2D~2F

AI summary

A display management unit configured to provide a modified video signal for display on a target display over an electronic distribution network. The unit may access information regarding the target display and at least one input. The unit comprises a database interface configured to retrieve display characteristics corresponding to the information regarding the target display from a characteristics database, and a mapping unit configured to map at least one of tone and color values from the at least one input to corresponding mapped values based at least in part on the retrieved display characteristics to produce the modified video signal.