LED Video Wall Blanking Control for Black Belt Prevention

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Solution Overview

Problem

In virtual production using LED displays, black belts (band-shaped luminance unevenness) occur due to non-correspondence between the exposure time of the camera and the light emission cycle of the LED display, which existing methods struggle to prevent effectively.

Innovation Solution

An information processing system that controls the vertical blanking period of the video displayed on the LED display based on the exposure time of the imaging unit to synchronize the exposure and light emission cycles, thereby preventing the occurrence of black belts.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If the light emission cycle of the LED display is shortened to increase the number of light emissions during exposure, then the visibility of black belts is reduced, but the black belt itself cannot be prevented from occurring

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevisibility of black beltVSAvoidprevention of black belt occurrence
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary synchronization by adjusting the vertical blanking period before image capture begins. The control unit calculates the appropriate vertical blanking period based on the camera's exposure time and configures the LED display's light emission cycle in advance, ensuring that the exposure period aligns with complete light emission cycles. This preliminary configuration prevents black belts from occurring in the first place, rather than merely reducing their visibility after they form.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically changes the vertical blanking period parameter of the LED display based on the camera's exposure time. By adjusting this timing parameter, the system ensures that the exposure period corresponds to an integer multiple of the light emission cycle, thereby preventing luminance unevenness across different rows of the image sensor.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Manufacturing precision

If the exposure time of the camera and light emission cycle of the LED display do not correspond, then black belts occur due to non-uniform number of light emissions in different rows, but increasing the light emission frequency complicates the system control

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuniformity of light emissions across rowsVSAvoidsystem control complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The control unit receives information about the camera's exposure time and uses this feedback to automatically calculate and adjust the vertical blanking period of the LED display. This closed-loop control ensures that the light emission cycle is synchronized with the exposure time without requiring manual configuration or complex user intervention, thereby maintaining uniformity across rows while keeping system control simple.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The control unit serves multiple functions: it manages the vertical blanking period of the LED display, synchronizes the light emission cycle with the camera's exposure time, and prevents black belt formation. By consolidating these control functions into a single unit that automatically adjusts parameters based on exposure time, the system achieves precise uniformity without increasing overall control complexity.

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

3Manufacturing precision

If the vertical blanking period is not controlled based on exposure time, then black belts occur due to misalignment between exposure and light emission cycles, but adding control mechanisms increases system complexity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesynchronization of exposure and light emissionVSAvoidcontrol mechanism complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system changes the vertical blanking period parameter based on the camera's exposure time to achieve synchronization. By dynamically adjusting this single timing parameter, the system ensures that the exposure period aligns with complete light emission cycles, preventing black belts without requiring complex control mechanisms. The control unit simply calculates and applies the appropriate vertical blanking period based on the given exposure time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP4414974B1Information processing system
Publication Date: 2026.03.25 SONY GROUP CORP
  • EP4414974B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4414974B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4414974B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present technology relates to an information processing system and an information processing method capable of preventing a black belt from occurring in a case of imaging a display section. A control unit of a vertical blanking period control unit controls a vertical blanking period of a video displayed on a video wall on the basis of the exposure time of a video camera that captures the video wall. The present technology can be applied to, for example, a re-imaging system used in virtual production in which a video displayed on an LED display is re-imaged as a background, and a PC, a video wall controller, a video wall, a video camera, and the like constituting the re-imaging system or.