Image processing unit with black-and-white line segment pattern detection, image processing method, image display device using such image processing unit, and electronic apparatus using such image display device

1. An image display device, comprising:

a processor;

a display panel operatively connected to the processor, the display panel having a plurality of pixels, wherein each of said pixels has a plurality of color sub-pixels; and

a memory device storing instructions which when executed by the processor, cause the processor, in cooperation with the display panel, to:

(a) receive image data;

(b) determine whether the received image data includes:

(i) black-and-white image data; or

(ii) color image data;

(c) in response to the received image data being black-and-white image data:

(i) determine whether received image data matches at least one of a plurality of predetermined line segment patterns which each have separate values;

(ii) in response to the received image data matching the at least one predetermined line segment pattern, for a black-and-white image corresponding to the matched line segment pattern:

(A) substitute the received image data with the values of the matched line segment pattern;

wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

(1) determine whether each sub-pixel in each data unit of the received image data is a white sub-pixel or a black sub-pixel based on luminance values of the sub-pixels in said data unit;

(2) compare the pattern of the white and the black sub-pixels contained in said data unit with the predetermined line segment patterns; and

(3) in response to the pattern of the white and the black sub-pixels matching one of the predetermined line segment patterns, generate color signals for a black-and-white image corresponding to the matched line segment pattern; and

(B) cause the display panel to display data based on the substituted values of the matched line segment pattern;

(iii) in response to the received image data not matching any of the plurality of predetermined line segment patterns, for a first color image:

(A) generate first color signals; and

(B) cause the display panel to display data based on the generated first color signals;

(d) in response to said received image data being color image data for a second color image:

(i) generate second color signals; and

(ii) cause the display panel to display data based on the generated second color signals.

2. The image display device of claim 1 , wherein:

(a) the plurality of color sub-pixels in each of said pixels are arranged in a vertical direction so as to form said pixel as a vertical pixel; and

(b) the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate signals for a black-and-white image representing white or black in one pixel unit in the vertical direction.

3. The image display device of claim 1 , wherein:

(a) the plurality of color sub-pixels in each of said pixels are arranged in a horizontal direction so as to form said pixel as a horizontal pixel; and

(b) the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor generate signals for a black-and-white image representing white or black in one pixel unit in the horizontal direction.

4. The image display device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

(a) convert the received image data into a luminance signal and a color difference signal;

(b) determine that the image data is black-and-white image data when the color difference signal is less than a predetermined value; and

(c) determine that the image data is color image data when the color difference signal is not less than the predetermined value.

5. The image display device of claim 1 , wherein:

(a) the input image signal has a number of pixels which is twice the number of pixels of the display unit; and

(b) the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate a color value for each sub-pixel based on color values of a plurality of sub-pixels that have the same color as said sub-pixel and are adjacent to said sub-pixel.

6. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

the image display device of claim 1 .

7. The image display device of claim 1 , wherein each said data unit comprises image data corresponding to more than one pixel of the display panel.

8. The image display device according to of claim 1 , wherein:

(a) the received image data includes, for each sub-pixel of the display panel, image data of more than one color; and

(b) the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

(i) determine whether the image data of more than one color inputted for each said sub-pixel represents a black sub-pixel or a white sub-pixel or a color sub-pixel of a color other than black and white;

(ii) determine that the data unit is color image data if at least one of the sub-pixels of the data unit is a color sub-pixel; and

(iii) determine that the data unit is black-and-white image data if every sub-pixel of the data unit is a black sub-pixel or a white sub-pixel.

9. The image display device of claim 1 , wherein:

(a) each pixel includes four sub-pixels; and

(b) the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate the black-and-white image data by combining (i) two sub-pixels of said one of the pixels and (ii) two sub-pixels of the adjacent pixel into the new pixel.

10. An image processing unit, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device storing instructions which when executed by the processor, cause the processor, in cooperation with the display panel, to:

(a) receive image data;

(b) determine whether the received image data includes:

(i) black-and-white image data; or

(ii) color image data;

(c) in response to the received image data being black-and-white image data:

(i) determine whether received image data matches at least one of a plurality of predetermined line segment patterns which each have separate values:

(ii) in response to the received image data matching the at least one predetermined line segment pattern, for a black-and-white image corresponding to the matched line segment pattern:

(A) substitute the received image data with the values of the matched line segment pattern;

wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

(1) determine whether each sub-pixel in each data unit of the received image data is a white sub-pixel or a black sub-pixel based on luminance values of the sub-pixels in said data unit; and

(2) compare the pattern of the white and the black sub-pixels contained in said data unit with the predetermined stored line segment patterns; and

(3) in response to the pattern of the white and the black sub-pixels matching one of the predetermined line segment patterns, generate color signals for a black-and-white image corresponding to the matched line segment pattern; and

(B) cause the display panel to display data based on the substituted values of the matched line segment pattern;

(iii) in response to the received image data not matching any of the plurality of predetermined line segment patterns, for a first color image:

(A) generate first color signals; and

(B) cause the display panel to display data based on the generated first color signals;

(d) in response to said received image data being color image data, for a second color image:

(i) generate second color signals; and

(ii) cause the display panel to display data based on the generated second color signals.

11. The image processing unit of claim 10 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

(a) convert the received image data into a luminance signal and a color difference signal;

(b) determine that the image data is black-and-white image data when the color difference signal is less than a predetermined value; and

(c) determine that the image data is color image data when the color difference signal is not less than a predetermined value.

12. The image processing unit of claim 10 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate a color value for each sub-pixel based on color values of a plurality of sub-pixels that have the same color as said sub-pixel and are adjacent to said sub-pixel.

13. The image processing unit of claim 10 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

(a) determine whether each sub-pixel in each data unit of the input image signal is a white sub-pixel or a black sub-pixel;

(b) compare a pattern of white and black sub-pixels contained in said data unit with the predetermined line segment patterns; and

(c) in response to the pattern of white and black sub-pixels in said data unit matching one of the predetermined line segment patterns, substitute color data of each sub-pixel of the data unit with the corresponding white or black sub-pixel value of the matched predetermined line segment pattern.

14. A method of operating an image processing unit, the method comprising:

causing a processor of the image processing unit to execute instructions to cause the image processing unit to:

(a) receive image data;

(b) determine whether the received image data includes:

(i) black-and-white image data; or

(ii) color image data;

(c) in response to the received image data being black-and-white image data:

(i) determine whether received image data matches at least one of a plurality of predetermined line segment patterns which each have separate values;

(ii) in response to the received image data matching the at least one predetermined line segment pattern, for a black-and-white image corresponding to the matched line segment pattern:

(A) substitute the received image data with the values of the matched line segment pattern;

which includes causing the processor of the image processing unit to execute the instructions to cause the image processing unit to:

(1) determine whether each sub-pixel in each data unit of the received image is a white sub-pixel or a black sub-pixel based on luminance values of the sub-pixels in said data unit;

(2) compare the pattern of the white and the black sub-pixels contained in said data unit with the predetermined line segment patterns; and

(3) in response to the pattern of the white and the black sub-pixels matching one of the predetermined line segment patterns, generate color signals for a black-and-white image corresponding to the matched line segment pattern; and

(B) cause the display panel to display data based on the substituted values of the matched line segment pattern;

(iii) in response to the received image data not matching any of the plurality of predetermined line segment patterns, for a first color image:

(A) generate first color signals; and

(B) cause the display panel to display data based on the generated first color signals;

(d) in response to said received image data being color image data, for a second color image:

(i) generate second color signals; and

(ii) cause the display panel to display data based on the generated second color signals.

15. The method of claim 14 , which includes causing the processor of the image processing unit to execute the instructions to cause the image processing unit to:

(a) convert the received image data into a luminance signal and a color difference signal;

(b) determine that the image data is black-and-white image data when the color difference signal is less than a predetermined value; and

(c) determine that the image data is color image data when the color difference signal is not less than the predetermined value.

16. The method of claim 14 , which includes causing the processor of the image processing unit to execute the instructions to cause the image processing unit to generate a color value for each sub-pixel on the basis of color values of a plurality of sub-pixels that have the same color as said sub-pixel and are adjacent to said sub-pixel.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein each of the predetermined line segment patterns includes a plurality of adjacent sub-pixels each being either a white sub-pixel or a black sub-pixel.