System and method for environmental adaptation of display characteristics
View Patent ↗A system and method for altering the characteristics of a display based on environmental data is disclosed. Exemplary embodiments provide a light sensor, an environmental processing unit which is adapted to receive electrical signals from the light sensor and generate an environmentally-reactive control signal (S a ), an image signal processor which accepts S a and an encoded image signal (S e ) and generates a pre-decoding image signal (S p ), and an image signal decoder which accepts Sp and generates a decoded image signal for the display. The environmentally-reactive control signal (S a ) may contain the instantaneous value of the desired display black level S b . Alternatively or additionally, the environmentally-reactive control signal (S a ) may contain a signal linearity modification value.
1. A system for altering characteristics of a display based on environmental data, the system comprising:
a light sensor;
an environmental processing unit which is adapted to receive electrical signals from the light sensor and determine a desired display black level based on said electrical signals;
an image signal processor adapted to accept the desired display black level and an encoded image signal (S e ) and generate pre-decoding image signal (S p ); and
an image signal decoder adapted to accept S p and generate a decoded image signal for the display;
wherein the image signal processor is adapted to set S p equal to zero when S e is below a gray level turn-off point(S o );
wherein the image signal processor is adaptd to determine S p based on a linear relationship when S e is between S o and a gray level threshold (S t ); and
wherein the image signal processor is adapted to determine S p based at least partially on a linearity modifier exponent βwhen S e is above S t .
2. The system of claim 1 wherein:
the environmental processing unit is further adapted to receive programmable instructions for altering the environmental processing depending on time of day.
3. The system of claim 1 wherein:
the environmental processing unit is further adapted to receive programmable instructions for altering the environmental processing depending on display content.
4. The system of claim 1 wherein:
the gray level threshold (S t ) is an environmentally-reactive variable determined by the environmental processing unit.
5. The system of claim 1 wherein:
the gray level threshold (S t ) is determined by a time of day.
6. The system of claim 1 wherein:
the gray level threshold (S t ) is determined by display content.
7. A method for altering characteristics of a display based on environmental data, the method comprising steps of:
accepting environmental data from a light sensor;
generating a desired display black level from the environmental data;
generating a pre-decoding image signal (S p ) based on incoming encoded image data (S e ) and the desired display black level; and
decoding S p into a decoded image signal (S d );
wherein the step of generating a pre-decoding image signal (S p ) comprises the steps of:
setting S p equal to zero when S e is below a gray level turn-off point (S o );
determining S p based on a linear relationship when S e is between S o and a gray level threshold (S t ); and
determining S p based at least partially on a linearity modifier exponent βwhen S e is above S t .
8. A system for altering characteristics of a display based on environmental data, the system comprising:
a light sensor;
an environmental processing unit which is adapted to receive electrical signals from the light sensor and determine a desired display black level based on said electrical signals;
an image signal processor adapted to accept the desired display black level and an encoded image signal (S e ) and generate a pre-decoding image signal (S p ); and
an image signal decoder adapted to accept S p and generate a decoded image signal for the display;
wherein the image signal processor is adapted to set S p equal to zero when S e is below a gray level turn-off point (S o );
wherein the image signal processor is adapted to determine a p based on a sine curve when Se is between So and a gray level threshold (S t ); and
wherein the image signal processor is adapted to determine S p based at least partially on a linearity modifier exponent βwhen S e is above S t .
9. The system of claim 8 wherein:
the environmental processing unit is further adapted to receive programmable instructions for altering the environmental processing depending on time of day.
10. The system of claim 8 wherein:
the environmental processing unit is further adapted to receive programmable instructions for altering the environmental processing depending on display content.
11. The system of claim 8 wherein:
the gray level threshold (S t ) is an environmentally-reactive variable determined by the environmental processing unit.
12. The system of claim 8 wherein:
the gray level threshold (S t ) is determined by a time of day.
13. The system of claim 8 wherein:
the gray level threshold (S t ) is determined by display content.