Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Samsung Display Co., Ltd.

Sarah Sunyoung Hwang

Anthony Botzas

Candice Hellen Brown Elliott

Michael Francis Higgins

Seok-Jin Han

MoonHwan Im

Bai-Shuh Hsu

Moon-Hwan Im

A module processes image data to provide gray level signals to be used for displaying an image. The module may include a scale value control member for determining a first scale value. The module may further include a brightness control member for determining a controlled brightness value using a requested brightness value, a brightness control parameter, and a baseline brightness value. The module may further include a modification member for determining a modified scale value using the first scale value and the controlled brightness value. The module may further include a scaler for generating the gray level signals using the image data and at least one of the modified scale value and a damped scale value, the damped scale value being determined using the modified scale value. The module may further include hardware circuitry for implementing at least one of the aforementioned components.

Devices and methods for processing image data

A display system and method for displaying an image on the display system are provided. The display system includes a display panel and a backlight for illuminating the display panel, the backlight including one or more light emitting zones that each emit light in response to a backlight drive value. The display system further includes a backlight selection module for selecting the backlight drive value for each light emitting zone from image data, an effective backlight module that generates effective backlight signals using light spread information for the backlight and the backlight drive values, and a module for modulating the image data according to the effective backlight signal and providing the modulated image data to the display panel. The light spread information includes information representing the contribution of light from each light emitting zone over the display panel.

Local dimming display architecture which accommodates irregular backlights

A method and apparatus for adaptively controlling the backlight to reduce flicker in a display is provided. The apparatus includes a display, a backlight providing illumination for said display, a backlight control module for providing backlight control signals to said backlight, and an adaptive transition rate module. The module calculates an adaptive parameter based on a magnitude of change between backlight requirements for two frames, determining a smoothing function based on the adaptive parameter, and using said smoothing function to modify said backlight control signals. Techniques for adaptively controlling the illumination of the backlight according to the difference in the illumination levels of two different sets of image data are also disclosed.

Adaptive smoothing of backlight to reduce flicker

A display system () has a subpixel array () and a light source (). In normal mode, image data () are processed by the display system to generate subpixel values () for the subpixels () and to generate a light source control value (BL) for the light source (). In bypass mode suitable for testing new types of image-data processing, the subpixel values and the light source control value are generated by an external system () and are provided to the display system which is operated in bypass mode. The light source control value is not provided separately from the subpixel values but is encoded into some bits of the subpixel values for compatibility with older interfaces. The light source control value is encoded into the subpixel values' MSBs in case the subpixel values could be truncated. Other features are also provided.

Generation of subpixel values and light source control values for digital image processing

Display systems that employ input gamma dithering and dynamic backlight control. Embodiments relate to disabling input gamma dithering during periods when there is a change in the scale value by which image data is scaled due to dynamic backlight control. In this manner, input gamma dithering is selectively applied only during those times when data scaling due to dynamic backlight control is constant.

Method and apparatus for selectively applying input gamma dithering

Display systems and methods for adjusting backlight illumination are disclosed for selecting a backlight illumination level that is low enough to reduce backlight power consumption while maintaining a desired level of image quality. The method 1) determines the peak illumination level requested by a frame to satisfy all pixels in a frame, 2) determines a histogram-based statistical illumination value for the frame, and 3) selects the lower of the two values. The histogram-based statistical illumination value is calculated using an error function for different ranges of illumination levels, wherein the error function correlates with luminance error introduced by selecting next lower range of illumination levels.

Backlight level selection for display devices

Displays systems and methods for adjusting backlight illumination are disclosed wherein backlight illumination may be set low enough according to an error threshold amount in order to reduce backlight power consumption while maintaining a level of image quality. In one embodiment, image data is evaluated within a given frame and partitioned into histogram bins depending on the amount of backlight illumination requested or required by the image data. The histogram is traversed to provide an accumulative error measure. The error measure is compared against the error threshold and, if exceeded, the final backlight illumination may be set as a function of various illumination levels considered and possibly the first and a second threshold.

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Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Sarah Sunyoung Hwang