Image processing device for correcting an image to be displayed on a display by detecting dark sub-pixels between two bright sub-pixels

1. An image processing device configured to process a video signal to be displayed on a display having pixels each including sub-pixels having different colors, the sub-pixels being arranged in a shape of stripes, the image processing device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing a program,

wherein the program, when executed by the processor, configures the processor to have:

a pixel scan section configured to analyze the video signal by two pixels adjacent in a direction orthogonal to the stripes and detect, in the two pixels in each of which at least one sub-pixel is lit, dark sub-pixels continuing by a number equivalent to one pixel or more between two bright sub-pixels each of which has a largest value in each of the two pixels;

a correction target determination section configured to determine at least one sub-pixel in the dark sub-pixels to be a correction target;

a correction value computation section configured to compute a correction value of the correction-target sub-pixel based on values of the sub-pixels included in the two pixels; and

a sub-pixel correction section configured to increase a value of the correction target sub-pixel by the correction value.

2. The image processing device of claim 1 , wherein

the correction target determination section determines at least one sub-pixel in the dark sub-pixels except for sub-pixels at both ends within the dark sub-pixels to be the correction target.

3. The image processing device of claim 1 , wherein the pixel scan section detects the sub-pixel being lit and having the largest value from each of the two pixels as the two bright sub-pixels, and, if sub-pixels having a value smaller than a threshold value continue by a number equivalent to one pixel or more between the two detected sub-pixels, detects such sub-pixels as the dark sub-pixels.

4. The image processing device of claim 2 , wherein the pixel scan section detects the sub-pixel being lit and having the largest value from each of the two pixels as the two bright sub-pixels, and, if sub-pixels having a value smaller than a threshold value continue by a number equivalent to one pixel or more between the two detected sub-pixels, detects such sub-pixels as the dark sub-pixels.

5. The image processing device of claim 1 , wherein

the pixel scan section detects the dark sub-pixels by selecting one arbitrary sub-pixel from each of the two pixels, and re-selecting a sub-pixel until the two selected sub-pixels correspond to the two bright sub-pixels and sub-pixels between the two selected sub-pixels correspond to the dark sub-pixels.

6. The image processing device of claim 2 , wherein

the pixel scan section detects the dark sub-pixels by selecting one arbitrary sub-pixel from each of the two pixels, and re-selecting a sub-pixel until the two selected sub-pixels correspond to the two bright sub-pixels and sub-pixels between the two selected sub-pixels correspond to the dark sub-pixels.

7. The image processing device of claim 1 , wherein

the pixel scan section detects the dark sub-pixels by performing pattern matching for the two pixels using a pattern constituted by two bright sub-pixels and dark sub-pixels continuing by a number equivalent to one pixel or more between the bright sub-pixels.

8. The image processing device of claim 2 , wherein

the pixel scan section detects the dark sub-pixels by performing pattern matching for the two pixels using a pattern constituted by two bright sub-pixels and dark sub-pixels continuing by a number equivalent to one pixel or more between the bright sub-pixels.

9. The image processing device of claim 1 , wherein

the pixel scan section detects in-between sub-pixels, which are sub-pixels between the two bright sub-pixels, as the dark sub-pixels, if the in-between sub-pixels continue by a number equivalent to one pixel or more and a total value of the in-between sub-pixels is less than a given value.

10. The image processing device of claim 2 , wherein

the pixel scan section detects in-between sub-pixels, which are sub-pixels between the two bright sub-pixels, as the dark sub-pixels, if the in-between sub-pixels continue by a number equivalent to one pixel or more and a total value of the in-between sub-pixels is less than a given value.

11. The image processing device of claim 1 , wherein

the pixel scan section detects in-between sub-pixels, which are sub-pixels between the two bright sub-pixels, as the dark sub-pixels, if the in-between sub-pixels continue by a number equivalent to one pixel or more and an average value of the in-between sub-pixels is less than a given value.

12. The image processing device of claim 2 , wherein

the pixel scan section detects in-between sub-pixels, which are sub-pixels between the two bright sub-pixels, as the dark sub-pixels, if the in-between sub-pixels continue by a number equivalent to one pixel or more and an average value of the in-between sub-pixels is less than a given value.

13. The image processing device of claim 1 , wherein the pixel scan section detects in-between sub-pixels, which are sub-pixels between the two bright sub-pixels, as the dark sub-pixels, if the in-between sub-pixels continue by a number equivalent to one pixel or more and a difference between a value of each of the in-between subpixels and the largest value of the two bright sub-pixels is equal to or more than a given value.

14. The image processing device of claim 2 , wherein the pixel scan section detects in-between sub-pixels, which are sub-pixels between the two bright sub-pixels, as the dark sub-pixels, if the in-between sub-pixels continue by a number equivalent to one pixel or more and a difference between a value of each of the in-between subpixels and the largest value of the two bright sub-pixels is equal to or more than a given value.

15. An image display apparatus, comprising:

the image processing device of claim 1 ; and

a display configured to display the video signal processed by the image processing device.

16. An image processing device configured to process a video signal displayed on a display having pixels each including sub-pixels having different colors, the subpixels being arranged in a shape of stripes, the image processing device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing a program,

wherein the program, when executed by the processor, configures the processor to:

analyze the video signal by two pixels adjacent in a direction orthogonal to the stripes and detect, in the two pixels in each of which at least one sub-pixel is lit, dark sub-pixels continuing by a number equivalent to one pixel or more between two bright sub-pixels each of which has a largest value in each of the two pixels;

determine at least one sub-pixel in the dark sub-pixels to be a correction target;

compute a correction value of the correction-target sub-pixel based on values of the sub-pixels included in the two pixels; and

increase a value of the correction-target sub-pixel by the correction value.

17. An image processing method for processing a video signal displayed on a display having pixels each including sub-pixels having different colors, the subpixels being arranged in a shape of stripes, the method comprising steps of:

analyzing, scanning the video signal by two pixels adjacent in a direction orthogonal to the stripes and detecting, in the two pixels in each of which at least one sub-pixel is lit, dark subpixels continuing by a number equivalent to one pixel or more between two bright sub-pixels each of which has a largest value in each of the two pixels, performed by a pixel scan section in a processor;

determining at least one sub-pixel in the dark sub-pixels to be a correction target, performed by a correction target determination section in the processor;

computing a correction value of the correction-target sub-pixel based on values of the sub-pixels included in the two pixels, performed by a correction value computation section in the processor; and

increasing a value of the correction-target sub-pixel by the correction value, performed by a sub-pixel correction section in the processor.