Visual display characterization

1. A method of characterizing a display having a plurality of color channels and unknown chromaticities of the color channels, the method implemented at least in part by a computer, and the method comprising the steps of:

a) visually characterizing the nonlinearities of the display;

b) visually determining luminance ratios of the color channels based at least upon input received from a user interface, heterochromatic photometry and the characterized nonlinearities;

c) visually determining the chromaticities of the color channels using a neutral identification process and the determined luminance ratios of the color channels;

d) calculating a colorimetric mixing matrix for the display, said calculating further comprising combining the luminance ratios of the color channels determined in step b with the chromaticities of the color channels determined in step c; and

e) generating a characterization of colorimetric properties of the display using the colorimetric mixing matrix.

2. The method claimed in claim 1 , wherein the heterochromatic photometry is heterochromatic brightness matching photometry.

3. The method claimed in claim 1 , wherein the heterochromatic photometry is heterochromatic flicker photometry.

4. The method claimed in claim 3 , wherein the heterochromatic flicker photometry includes a reference patch having a predefined color and test stimulus having adjustable pure channel colors and wherein the flicker is minimized by adjusting each pure channel color to have the same luminance as the reference color.

5. The method claimed in claim 3 , wherein the heterochromatic flicker photometry includes a reference patch having a predefined color and test stimulus having a constant predetermined base and adjustable pure channel colors and wherein the flicker is minimized by adjusting each pure channel color to have the same luminance as the reference color.

6. The method claimed in claim 3 , wherein the heterochromatic flicker photometry includes a reference patch having a predefined color and test stimulus having a constant predetermined base and adjustable mixed channel colors and wherein the flicker is minimized by adjusting each mixed channel color to have the same luminance as the reference color.

7. The method claimed in claim 3 , wherein the heterochromatic flicker photometry includes a reference patch having a constant pure channel color and test stimulus having a constant predetermined base and adjustable pure channel colors and wherein the flicker is minimized by adjusting the other pure channel colors to have the same luminance as the reference pure channel color.

8. The method claimed in claim 3 , wherein the process used to perform the heterochromatic photometry uses one of a direct binary search process and a method of adjustments process.

9. The method claimed in claim 1 , wherein the process used to visually characterize the nonlinearity of the display comprises the steps of:

a1) visually characterizing an offset of the display;

a2) visually characterizing a gamma value of the display using a spatially or temporally dithered target; and

a3) forming a display nonlinearity equation using the offset and gamma parameters obtained in steps a and b respectively.

10. The method claimed in claim 1 , wherein the process used to visually characterize the nonlinearity of the display comprises the steps of:

a1) creating a plurality of temporally dithered patches;

a2) matching the luminance of the temporally dithered patches to the luminance of non-temporally varying patches; and

a3) estimating the parameters of a display nonlinearity equation using a nonlinear optimization process.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said characterization is an ICC profile.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said generating further comprises using the characterized nonlinearities.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said characterizing step and said determining steps each further comprise: displaying one or more patches to a user; accepting one or more inputs from the user providing an adjustment of said one or more patches; and using the adjustment; and at least one of said characterizing and determining steps further comprises modifying said displaying responsive to each of the respective said inputs.

14. A method of characterizing a display having a plurality of color channels and unknown chromaticities of the color channels, the method implemented at least in part by a computer and comprising the steps of:

visually characterizing the nonlinearities of the display;

visually determining, based at least upon input received from a user interface, luminance ratios of the color channels using heterochromatic flicker photometry and the characterized nonlinearities, said photometry including a reference patch having a predetermined color and a test stimulus having a plurality of channel colors, and wherein the flicker is minimized by adjusting said channel colors to have the same luminance as the reference color;

visually determining the chromaticities of the color channels using a neutral identification process and the determined luminance ratios of the color channels;

calculating a colorimetric mixing matrix for the display by combining said determined luminance ratios of the color channels and said determined chromaticities of the color channels; and

generating a characterization of colorimetric properties of the display using the colorimetric mixing matrix.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said test stimulus has a constant predetermined base.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said test stimulus has one of adjustable pure channel colors and adjustable mixed channel colors.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein said test stimulus has adjustable pure channel colors.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein said photometry uses one of a binary search process and a method of adjustments process.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein said visually characterizing further comprises:

visually characterizing an offset of the display;

visually characterizing a gamma value of the display using a spatially or temporally dithered target; and

forming a display nonlinearity equation using said offset and said gamma value.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein said visually characterizing further comprises:

creating a plurality of temporally dithered patches;

matching the luminance of the temporally dithered patches to the luminance of non-temporally varying patches; and

estimating the parameters of a display nonlinearity equation using a nonlinear optimization process.