Method and apparatus for selectively reducing color values

1. A method of displaying an image with reduced color values on the display of a display system, comprising:

said display having a pixel comprising red, green, blue, and white sub-pixels, receiving data for an image, the image data comprising a first red value corresponding to a brightness of the red sub-pixel, a first green value corresponding to a brightness of the green sub-pixel, a first blue value corresponding to a brightness of the blue sub-pixel, and a first white value corresponding to a brightness of the white sub-pixel;

if the first blue value is less than either the first red value or the first green value, setting a brightness value of the blue sub-pixel substantially equal to the first blue value divided by a larger of the first red value and the first green value;

if the first green value is less than either the first red value or the first blue value, setting a brightness value of the green sub-pixel substantially equal to the first green value divided by a larger of the first red value and the first blue value; and

if the first red value is less than either the first blue value or the first green value, setting a brightness value of the red sub-pixel substantially equal to the first red value divided by a larger of the first blue value and the first green value.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the pixel further comprises a cyan sub-pixel;

the receiving further comprises receiving a first cyan value corresponding to a brightness of the cyan sub-pixel;

if the first blue value is less than either the first red value or the first green value, the setting a brightness value of the blue sub-pixel further comprises setting a brightness value of the cyan sub-pixel substantially equal to the first blue value divided by the larger of the first red value and the first green value; and

the method further comprises, if the brightness value of the green sub-pixel is less than the brightness value of the cyan sub-pixel, setting the brightness value of the cyan sub-pixel substantially equal to the brightness value of the green sub-pixel.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising displaying the image from the sub-pixels, the image being displayed with at least one of the brightness value of the red sub-pixel, the brightness value of the green sub-pixel, the brightness value of the blue sub-pixel, and the brightness value of the cyan sub-pixel.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the white sub-pixel is a clear sub-pixel.

5. A method of displaying an image with reduced color values on the display of a display system, comprising:

said display having a pixel comprising red, green, blue, and white sub-pixels, receiving data for an image, the image data comprising a first red value corresponding to a brightness of the red sub-pixel, a first green value corresponding to a brightness of the green sub-pixel, a first blue value corresponding to a brightness of the blue sub-pixel, and a first white value corresponding to a brightness of the white sub-pixel;

determining a maximum value from among the first red value, the first green value, and the first blue value; and

setting brightnesses corresponding to the values other than the maximum value at quantities generally inversely proportional to the maximum value.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the determining and the setting collectively further comprise:

if the first blue value is less than either the first red value or the first green value, setting a brightness of the blue sub-pixel substantially equal to the first blue value divided by a larger of the first red value and the first green value;

if the first green value is less than either the first red value or the first blue value, setting a brightness of the green sub-pixel substantially equal to the first green value divided by a larger of the first red value and the first blue value; and

if the first red value is less than either the first blue value or the first green value, setting a brightness of the red sub-pixel substantially equal to the first red value divided by a larger of the first blue value and the first green value.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein:

the pixel further comprises a cyan sub-pixel;

the receiving further comprises receiving a first cyan value corresponding to a brightness of the cyan sub-pixel; and

the determining further comprises determining a maximum value from among the first red value, the first green value, and the first blue value, and the first cyan value.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the determining and the setting collectively further comprise:

if the first blue value is less than either the first red value or the first green value, setting a brightness of the blue sub-pixel and a brightness of the cyan sub-pixel substantially equal to the first blue value divided by a larger of the first red value and the first green value;

if the first green value is less than either the first red value or the first blue value, setting a brightness of the green sub-pixel substantially equal to the first green value divided by a larger of the first red value and the first blue value; and

if the first red value is less than either the first blue value or the first green value, setting a brightness of the red sub-pixel substantially equal to the first red value divided by a larger of the first blue value and the first green value.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the determining and the setting collectively further comprise, if the brightness of the green sub-pixel is less than a brightness of the cyan sub-pixel, setting the brightness of the cyan sub-pixel substantially equal to the brightness of the green sub-pixel.

10. The method of claim 5 , wherein the white sub-pixel is a clear sub-pixel.

11. A display system, comprising:

a display having a pixel comprising red, green, blue, and white sub-pixels, the display configured to receive data for an image, the image data comprising a first red value corresponding to a brightness of the red sub-pixel, a first green value corresponding to a brightness of the green sub-pixel, a first blue value corresponding to a brightness of the blue sub-pixel, and a first white value corresponding to a brightness of the white sub-pixel; and

an image processing module configured to determine a maximum value from among the first red value, the first green value, and the first blue value, and to set brightnesses corresponding to the values other than the maximum value at quantities generally inversely proportional to the maximum value.

12. The display system of claim 11 , wherein the image processing module is further configured to:

set a brightness of the blue sub-pixel substantially equal to the first blue value divided by a larger of the first red value and the first green value, if the first blue value is less than either the first red value or the first green value;

set a brightness of the green sub-pixel substantially equal to the first green value divided by a larger of the first red value and the first blue value, if the first green value is less than either the first red value or the first blue value; and

set a brightness of the red sub-pixel substantially equal to the first red value divided by a larger of the first blue value and the first green value, if the first red value is less than either the first blue value or the first green value.

13. The display system of claim 11 , Wherein:

the pixel further comprises a cyan sub-pixel;

the display is further configured to receive a first cyan value corresponding to a brightness of the cyan sub-pixel; and

the image processing module is further configured to determine a maximum value from among the first red value, the first green value, and the first blue value, and the first cyan value.

14. The display system of claim 13 , wherein the image processing module is further configured to:

set a brightness of the blue sub-pixel and a brightness of the cyan sub-pixel substantially equal to the first blue value divided by a larger of the first red value and the first green value, if the first blue value is less than either the first red value or the first green value;

set a brightness of the green sub-pixel substantially equal to the first green value divided by a larger of the first red value and the first blue value, if the first green value is less than either the first red value or the first blue value; and

set a brightness of the red sub-pixel substantially equal to the first red value divided by a larger of the first blue value and the first green value, if the first red value is less than either the first blue value or the first green value.

15. The display system of claim 14 , wherein the image processing module is further configured to set the brightness of the cyan sub-pixel substantially equal to the brightness of the green sub-pixel if the brightness of the green sub-pixel is less than a brightness of the cyan sub-pixel.

16. The display system of claim 11 , wherein the white sub-pixel is a clear sub-pixel.