Stereo Display Crosstalk Reduction via Cyclic Masking
Solution Overview
Problem
The 'crosstalk' phenomenon occurs when different video images are mixed during the display of stereoscopic video on LCD television sets, causing viewer discomfort, especially when multiple users share the same screen using shutter glasses.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that cyclically replace pixels in video images with a single color using a mask pattern, ensuring that the pattern differs from the previous image, thereby reducing crosstalk by spatially removing pixels and minimizing image mixing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If stereoscopic video images are displayed using LCD television sets with multiple users sharing the screen, then multiple users can view different video images simultaneously, but crosstalk occurs where different video images are mixed causing viewer discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The display screen is segmented into multiple independent display regions using mask patterns. Each region is assigned to a specific user and displays only that user's video image. The mask pattern selectively masks (replaces with single-color pixels) portions of video images that would otherwise appear in wrong regions, preventing crosstalk between multiple users viewing different content simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
Different mask patterns are applied to different spatial regions of the display screen according to user positions. The mask determination unit selects appropriate mask patterns based on which user is viewing which region. This ensures that each local region of the screen has optimized quality for its assigned user, eliminating crosstalk in that specific location while maintaining multi-user capability.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If mask patterns are used to reduce crosstalk by replacing pixels with single color, then image mixing is minimized, but the processing complexity increases due to cyclic acquisition and pattern selection
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses cyclic acquisition of video images combined with periodic application of different mask patterns. The mask determination unit cycles through a set of predefined mask patterns, selecting different patterns for different video images in the cycle. This periodic approach reduces crosstalk while maintaining manageable processing complexity through predictable, repeating operations.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple mask patterns are pre-defined and stored before actual video display. The mask determination unit simply selects from these pre-prepared patterns based on the current video image and user configuration, rather than generating complex mask patterns in real-time. This preliminary preparation significantly reduces processing complexity during active display operation.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If pixels are replaced with single color to mask video images, then crosstalk is reduced, but the visual quality and detail of the video image deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The mask pattern replaces only a portion of the pixels in each video image with single-color pixels, rather than replacing all pixels. This partial masking is sufficient to eliminate crosstalk at the boundaries between user regions while preserving the visual quality and detail of the majority of the video image content that falls within the correct display region.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a masked version of the video image as a copy, where only specific pixels are replaced with single-color values according to the mask pattern. This copied masked image is then displayed instead of the original, allowing crosstalk prevention without permanently degrading the source video quality. The mask pattern acts as a selective filter that can be applied and removed.
Data Source
AI summary
A video-image selection unit cyclically acquires at least two types of video images. A replacing mask determination unit selects, for each acquired video image, a mask pattern for masking a video image acquired by the video-image selection unit by replacing some pixels composing the video image with pixels of a single color such that said some pixels are spatially removed. Based on the mask pattern, the video-image replacing unit replaces said some pixels composing the video image with the pixels of a single color. A video-image output unit outputs the video image for which the replacement was performed. When selecting a mask pattern, the replacing mask determination unit selects a mask pattern that is different from a mask pattern used for the last video image, the mask pattern being different in the position of pixels not to be replaced with pixels of a single color.