IMAGE FORMATION IN A SEGMENTED DISPLAY

1 . An apparatus comprising:

a plurality of backlight segments, each backlight segment being capable of illuminating a respective display region of a plurality of display regions; and

a controller configured to:

receive image data associated with an image frame;

decompose the image data into a plurality of frame segments, each frame segment to be displayed on a respective display region of the plurality of display regions;

determine a separate frame segment specific contributing color (FSSCC) for each frame segment based on:

content of the respective frame segment; and

a criterion limiting the color difference between a pair of FSSCCs based on the spatial proximity of the respective display regions; and

display the image frame according to the determined FSSCCs.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein determining the FSSCC, the controller is further configured to:

calculate for each frame segment one or more parameters indicative of content of the frame segment;

identify a FSSCC for each frame segment based on the respective one or more parameters; and

adjust the identified FSSCCs based on color differences between pairs of the identified FSSCCs associated with corresponding frame segments.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein adjusting the FSSCCs, the controller is further configured to:

compare color differences between pairs of identified FSSCCs to one or more thresholds; and

adjust at least one FSSCC associated with a color difference exceeding a threshold of the one or more thresholds.

4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the color differences are computed based on the identified FSSCCs or based on computed perceived values of the FSSCCs.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the computed perceived values of the FSSCCs are determined using a Retinex-based relative reflectance model.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein determining the FSSCC is further based on a criterion limiting color difference between a pair of FSSCCs associated with temporally consecutive image frames for a single frame segment.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein determining the FSSCC, the controller is further configured to enforce the color difference between the pair of FSSCCs associated with temporally consecutive image frames for a single frame segment to be smaller than a threshold.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein determining the FSSCCs, the controller is further configured to:

calculate for each frame segment one or more parameters indicative of content of the frame segment; and

select an FSSCC for each frame segment based on the respective one or more parameters from a lookup table.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine a dimming value for a light source of multiple light sources associated with a backlight segment of the plurality of backlight segments.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine a light source chromaticity associated with the determined light source dimming value based on a lookup table;

map pixel values of the frame segment associated with the backlight segment to color values in a gamut defined based on the determined light source chromaticity; and

use the mapped pixel values to display the image data segment.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein causing the image frame to be displayed includes causing the light source to be illuminated according to the determined light source dimming value.

12 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a display including the plurality of display regions, each of the plurality of display regions including a plurality of display elements, the controller including a processor capable of communicating with the display, the processor being capable of processing image data; and a memory device capable of communicating with the processor.

13 . The apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising:

a driver circuit capable of sending at least one signal to the display, the controller being capable of sending at least a portion of the image data to the driver circuit.

14 . The apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising:

an image source module capable of sending the image data to the processor, wherein the image source module includes at least one of a receiver, transceiver, and transmitter.

15 . The apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising:

an input device capable of receiving input data and communicating the input data to the processor.

16 . A non-transitory computer readable medium with computer code instructions stored thereon, which when executed cause a processor to:

receive image data associated with an image frame;

decompose the image data into a plurality of frame segments, each frame segment to be displayed on a respective display region of a plurality of display regions, each display region illuminated by a separate backlight segment of a plurality of backlight segments;

determine a separate frame segment specific contributing color (FSSCC) for each frame segment based on content of the respective frame segment and a criterion limiting the color difference between a pair of FSSCCs based on the spatial proximity of the respective display regions; and

display the image frame according to the plurality of determined FSSCCs.

17 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein determining the FSSCC includes:

calculating for each frame segment one or more parameters indicative of content of the frame segment;

identifying an FSSCC for each frame segment based on the respective one or more parameters; and

adjusting the identified FSSCCs based on color differences between pairs of the identified FSSCCs associated with corresponding frame segments.

18 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein adjusting the FSSCCs includes:

comparing color differences between pairs of identified FSSCCs to one or more thresholds; and

adjusting at least one FSSCC associated with a color difference exceeding a threshold of the one or more thresholds.

19 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the color differences are determined based on the identified FSSCCs or based on computed perceived values of the FSSCCs.

20 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the computed perceived values of the FSSCCs are determined using a Retinex-based relative reflectance model.

21 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the computer code instructions when executed by the processor are further configured to:

determine a dimming value for a light source of multiple light sources associated with a backlight segment of the plurality of backlight segments.

22 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21 , wherein the computer code instructions when executed by the processor are further configured to:

determine a light source chromaticity associated with the determined light source dimming value based on a lookup table;

map pixel values of the frame segment associated with the backlight segment to color values in a gamut defined based on the determined light source chromaticity; and

display the image data segment using the mapped pixel values.

23 . An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving image data associated with an image frame;

means for decomposing the image data into a plurality of frame segments, each frame segment to be displayed on a respective display region of the plurality of display regions, each display region illuminated by a separate illumination means segment of a plurality of illumination means segments;

means for determining a separate frame segment specific contributing color (FSSCC) for each frame segment based on content of the respective frame segment and a criterion limiting the color difference between a pair of FSSCCs based on the spatial proximity of the respective display regions; and

means for displaying the image frame according to the plurality of determined FSSCCs.

24 . The apparatus of claim 23 , wherein means for determining the FSSCC include:

means for calculating for each frame segment one or more parameters indicative of content of the frame segment;

means for identifying an FSSCC for each frame segment based on the respective one or more parameters; and

means for adjusting the identified FSSCCs based on color differences between pairs of the identified FSSCCs associated with corresponding frame segments.

25 . The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the means for adjusting the FSSCCs include:

means for comparing color differences between pairs of identified FSSCCs to one or more thresholds; and

means for adjusting at least one FSSCC associated with a color difference exceeding a threshold of the one or more thresholds.

26 . The apparatus of claim 25 further comprising:

means for determining a dimming value for a light source of multiple light sources associated with an illumination means segment of the plurality of illumination means segments.