Image display method and image display apparatus for displaying a gradation by a subfield method

1. An image display method for displaying a gradation by a subfield method, wherein,

a plurality of gradation levels are adopted as display-use gradation levels, each display-use gradation level including a non-emitted subfield having a luminance weight smaller than that of an emitted subfield having the maximum luminance weight, the non-emitted subfield not lying next to another non-emitted subfield within the respective display-use gradation level;

for a first display region in which a first image does not move or a gradation level thereof does not change monotonously, a gradation level to be displayed for the first display region is converted to a display-use gradation level for displaying first image;

for a second display region in which a second image moves and also a gradation level thereof changes monotonously, after a gradation level to be displayed for the second display region is converted to a first gradation level, which is an average of n (where n is an integer of two or greater) levels of display-use gradations selected from the plurality of display-use gradation levels, a first diffusion process, in which the first gradation level is averaged by using the n levels of display-use gradations spatially and/or chronologically, is performed for displaying the second image.

2. An image display method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the n levels of display-use gradations includes a different non-emitted subfield having the maximum luminance weight among non-emitted subfields having a luminance weight smaller than the maximum luminance weight in emitted subfields.

3. An image display method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the first diffusion process includes a matrix adding process, in which a matrix with k pixels by j lines (where k and j are positive integers holding k*j=n), having the differences between the n levels of gradations used for calculating the first gradation level, and the first gradation level, is added to an image converted to the first gradation.

4. An image display method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein a second diffusion process, in which the gradation difference between before and after conversion of a gradation level of an arbitrary pixel in a display region, to the display-use gradation or the first gradation, is calculated, and then the difference is diffused to a pixel surrounding the pixel with a predetermined ratio, is performed.

5. An image display method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein for m (m is an integer of two or greater) pixels continuously arranged horizontally or vertically, a case with gradation levels increasing or decreasing monotonously, is regarded as a display region in which the gradation levels change monotonously, and also the m pixels arranged continuously range between 3 mm and 15 mm inclusive in length or width on a display screen.

6. An image display method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein for m (m is an integer of two or greater) pixels continuously arranged horizontally or vertically, a case with gradation levels increasing or decreasing monotonously, is regarded as a display region in which the gradation levels change monotonously, and also the m pixels arranged continuously range between 0.3% and 1.5% inclusive in breadth on a display screen.

7. An image display apparatus for displaying a gradation by a subfield method, comprising:

a gradation converter; wherein

a plurality of gradation levels are adopted as display-use gradation levels, each display use gradation level including a non-emitted subfield having a luminance weight smaller than that of an emitted subfield having the maximum luminance weight, the non-emitted subfield not lying next to another non-emitted subfield within the respective display-use gradation,

for a first display region in which first image does not move or gradation levels do not change monotonously, a gradation level to be displayed for the first display region is converted to a display-use gradation level for displaying the first image, and

for a second display region in which second image moves and also gradation levels change monotonously, after a gradation level to be displayed for the second display region is converted to a first gradation level, which is an average of n (where n is an integer of two or greater) levels of display-use gradations selected from the plurality of display-use gradation levels; and

a first diffusion circuit, in which the first gradation output from the gradation converter is averaged spatially and/or chronologically by using the n levels of display-use gradations.

8. An image display apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , wherein at least one of the n levels of display-use gradations includes a different non-emitted subfield having the maximum luminance weight among non-emitted subfields having a luminance weight smaller than the maximum luminance weight in emitted subfields.

9. An image display apparatus as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the first diffusion process includes a matrix adder for adding a matrix with k pixels by j lines (where k and j are positive integers holding k*j=n), having the differences between the n levels of gradations used for calculating the first gradation level, and the first gradation level, to an image converted to the first gradation level.

10. An image display apparatus as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising a second diffusion circuit for calculating the gradation difference between before and after conversion of the gradation level of an arbitrary pixel in a display region, to the display-use gradation level or the first gradation level, and for diffusing the difference to a pixel surrounding the pixel with a predetermined ratio.

11. An image display apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , wherein for m (m is an integer of two or greater) pixels continuously arranged horizontally or vertically, a case with gradation levels increasing or decreasing monotonously, is regarded as a display region in which the gradation levels change monotonously, and also the m pixels arranged continuously range between 3 mm and 15 mm inclusive in length or width on a display screen.

12. An image display apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , wherein for m (m is an integer of two or greater) pixels continuously arranged horizontally or vertically, a case with gradation levels increasing or decreasing monotonously, is regarded as a display region in which the gradation levels change monotonously, and also the m pixels arranged continuously range between 0.3% and 1.5% inclusive in breadth on a display screen.