Three-to-Four Color Image Conversion for Display Luminance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for converting three-color-component image signals to four-or-more-color-component signals for displays with sub-pixels emitting four or more colors introduce significant color errors or require additional hardware, failing to achieve peak display luminance higher than the combined peak luminance of red, green, and blue light-emitting elements without increasing power consumption or degrading image quality.
Innovation Solution
A method that converts a red, green, and blue color component image signal to a red, green, blue, and white color component image signal by determining residual differences, calculating a common scale factor, and multiplying panel intensity values to produce a scaled image output signal, allowing for increased luminance without introducing noticeable color errors or requiring additional electronics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If existing conversion methods are used to convert three-color-component image signals to four-or-more-color-component signals, then the display can drive four sub-pixel colors, but significant color errors are introduced and the image quality is degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the image signal through mathematical operations including converting from sRGB code values to panel intensity values, calculating residual differences, and applying scale factors. These parameter transformations enable the conversion from three-color-component to four-color-component signals while maintaining color accuracy by systematically adjusting signal parameters rather than using simple interpolation methods
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces hardware-based color conversion mechanisms with a software/mathematical processing system. Instead of using additional electronics or optical components to convert colors, the invention uses algorithmic processing of image signals to achieve the same effect, thereby avoiding hardware complexity while maintaining color fidelity
2Illumination intensity
If the white sub-pixel is driven simultaneously with red, green, and blue sub-pixels to produce higher luminance, then the brightness is increased, but the resulting image becomes desaturated and color quality is degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by selectively adding white luminance only where it does not cause color saturation loss. Through the scale factor calculation and residual difference methodology, the invention determines the optimal amount of white sub-pixel activation that increases overall luminance while maintaining color fidelity in regions where saturation is critical
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic adjustment of the white sub-pixel contribution based on local image characteristics. The scale factor is calculated based on the specific pixel values and their residual differences, allowing the system to adaptively control the degree of white luminance addition rather than applying a fixed enhancement ratio across the entire image
3Productivity
If a common scale factor is calculated and applied to panel intensity values, then the dynamic range is enhanced and luminance is increased, but the conversion complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves universality by creating a common scale factor that can be applied across all color channels and all pixels in the image. This single calculated parameter serves multiple functions: it scales the panel intensity values, controls the white sub-pixel contribution, and maintains color relationships across the entire image, thereby managing complexity through a unified approach rather than separate processing for each channel
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A method of converting a three-or-more-color-component image input signal to an image output signal includes acquiring an input signal having a plurality of pixel signals, each pixel signal having three, or more, color components (105); determining a residual difference for each color component of each pixel signal (110); determining a limit value of the residual differences (115); calculating a common scale factor for each of the color components based upon the limit value (120); and applying the common scale factor to the image input signal to produce the image output signal.