Image Visibility Enhancement via Dynamic Luminance-Contrast Adjustment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Small-sized digital devices face challenges in maintaining optimal image brightness, contrast, and saturation under varying external luminance conditions, as existing technologies fail to effectively adjust these parameters in response to changes in ambient light.

Innovation Solution

An image processing apparatus and method that includes a model setting unit, luminance sensor, luminance calculation unit, contrast calculation unit, luminance-contrast adjustment unit, and saturation adjustment unit, which dynamically adjusts image luminance, contrast, and saturation based on external luminance data to enhance visibility.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If the brightness and contrast of the displayed image are increased to maintain visibility under high external luminance, then the visibility of the image is improved, but the power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimage brightnessVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts image brightness and contrast parameters based on real-time detection of external luminance conditions. The luminance sensor continuously monitors ambient light levels, and the control unit automatically modifies display parameters to maintain optimal visibility while adapting to changing environmental conditions, thereby avoiding unnecessary power consumption at fixed high settings

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes multiple image parameters (brightness, contrast, saturation) simultaneously based on external luminance levels. By adjusting these parameters dynamically rather than maintaining fixed high values, the system achieves good visibility under various lighting conditions while optimizing power consumption to match actual display needs

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Illumination intensity

If the brightness and contrast of the displayed image are increased to maintain visibility under high external luminance, then the visibility of the image is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimage brightnessVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The control unit serves multiple functions: it detects external luminance levels, calculates optimal brightness and contrast values, adjusts saturation, and manages overall display parameter optimization. By consolidating these functions into a single control unit rather than separate dedicated components for each function, the system achieves comprehensive image optimization without proportionally increasing device complexity

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

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses its own luminance sensor and control unit to automatically detect and adjust display parameters without requiring external intervention or complex user interfaces. The control unit self-manages the optimization process by continuously monitoring external luminance and automatically adjusting brightness, contrast, and saturation, thereby simplifying the overall device architecture

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Device complexity

If simple luminance-based contrast adjustment is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the image quality deteriorates because saturation is not considered

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice complexityVSAvoidimage quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent simultaneously adjusts three key image parameters: brightness, contrast, and saturation. By modifying all three parameters based on external luminance conditions rather than simply adjusting contrast based on luminance alone, the system achieves superior image quality that maintains natural colors and proper saturation levels while still using a relatively simple control architecture

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP1873714B1Image processing apparatus and method of enhancing visibility of displayed image
Publication Date: 2015.06.24 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP1873714B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP1873714B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP1873714B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

An image processing apparatus and method to reduce the deterioration of visibility of an image displayed on an image display device occurring under various lighting conditions when the brightness of ambient light is brighter than that of the image display device, and includes a sensor to sense the brightness of an external light, a unit to store a luminance-contrast model curve representing an optimal contrast value for a particular luminance for each brightness of the external light, a unit to determine a target luminance value according to the sensed brightness of the external light, to obtain a contrast value corresponding to the target luminance value with reference to the luminance-contrast model curve corresponding to the sensed brightness, and to adjust an input image to have the target luminance value and the obtained contrast value, and a unit to adjust the saturation of the adjusted input image according to the target luminance value and the obtained contrast value.