Method and apparatus for color calibration for reduced motion-induced color breakup

1. A display color calibration method, comprising:

calibrating a display panel to a target white point;

attenuating a maximum luminance value of the display panel from a first luminance value associated with the target white point to a second luminance value based on an attenuation factor, wherein the attenuation factor is determined based on an amount of acceptable brightness loss of the display panel and an amount of reduction in visibility of motion-induced color breakup artifacts, wherein the motion-induced color breakup artifacts are caused, at least in part, by imbalanced response times between the display panel's subpixel color channels, wherein the attenuation factor causes at least a partial rebalancing of the response times between the display panel's subpixel color channels, and wherein the second luminance value is equal to or lower than the first luminance value;

re-calibrating the display panel based on a chromaticity of the target white point and the second luminance value to generate calibration data; and

flashing the calibration data into memory associated with the display panel.

2. The display color calibration method according to claim 1 , wherein the attenuation factor is further determined as an optimum tradeoff between the amount of acceptable brightness loss of the display panel and the amount of reduction in visibility of motion-induced color breakup artifacts.

3. The display color calibration method according to claim 1 , wherein the attenuation factor is a function of the first luminance value, and wherein the attenuation factor is higher when the first luminance value is larger.

4. The display color calibration method according to claim 3 , wherein the function is selected based on empirical data.

5. The display color calibration method according to claim 1 , further comprising measuring a color shift of a selected pattern displayed on the display panel;

wherein the attenuation factor is further determined based on a degree of the color shift of the selected pattern.

6. The display color calibration method according to claim 5 , wherein measuring the color shift of the selected pattern comprises:

displaying the selected pattern on the display panel;

measuring an actual color response value of the selected pattern displayed on the display panel using a measurement instrument; and

determining a panel-specific ΔE value based on a comparison of the measured actual color response of the selected pattern with a predetermined reference value associated with the selected pattern;

wherein the attenuation factor is further determined based on a comparison of the panel-specific ΔE value and a threshold ΔE value.

7. The display color calibration method according to claim 6 , wherein the threshold ΔE value is predetermined based on a tolerable amount of perceptual color difference between two colors.

8. The display color calibration method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

adjusting the attenuation factor based on at least one of an ambient light level a user is perceptually adapted to, and a parameter input by a user; and

re-attenuating the maximum luminance value of the display panel from the second luminance value to a third luminance value based on the adjusted attenuation factor.

9. The display color calibration method according to claim 8 , wherein the attenuation factor is a function of the ambient light level the user is perceptually adapted to so that the attenuation factor is lower when the ambient light level is higher.

10. A display color calibration system, comprising:

a display panel;

a measurement unit;

memory; and

one or more processors operatively coupled to the display panel, the measurement unit, and the memory, wherein the memory comprises instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

calibrate a display panel to a target white point;

attenuate a maximum luminance value of the display panel from a first luminance value associated with the target white point to a second luminance value based on an attenuation factor, wherein the attenuation factor is determined based on an amount of acceptable brightness loss of the display panel and an amount of reduction in visibility of motion-induced color breakup artifacts, wherein the motion-induced color breakup artifacts are caused, at least in part, by imbalanced response times between the display panel's subpixel color channels, wherein the attenuation factor causes at least a partial rebalancing of the response times between the display panel's subpixel color channels, and wherein the second luminance value is equal to or lower than the first luminance value;

re-calibrate the display panel based on a chromaticity of the target white point and the second luminance value to generate calibration data; and

flash the calibration data into memory associated with the display panel.

11. The display color calibration system according to claim 10 , wherein the attenuation factor is further determined as an optimum tradeoff between the amount of acceptable brightness loss of the display panel and the amount of reduction in visibility of motion-induced color breakup artifacts.

12. The display color calibration system according to claim 10 , wherein the attenuation factor is a function of the first luminance value, wherein the attenuation factor is higher when the first luminance value is larger, and wherein the function is selected based on empirical data.

13. The display color calibration system according to claim 10 , wherein the memory further comprises instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to measure a color shift of a selected pattern displayed on the display panel;

wherein the attenuation factor is further determined based on a degree of the color shift of the selected pattern.

14. The display color calibration system according to claim 13 , wherein the instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to measure the color shift of the selected pattern comprise instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

display the selected pattern on the display panel;

measure an actual color response value of the selected pattern displayed on the display panel using a measurement instrument; and

determine a panel-specific ΔE value based on a comparison of the measured actual color response of the selected pattern with a predetermined reference value associated with the selected pattern;

wherein the attenuation factor is further determined based on a comparison of the panel-specific ΔE value and a threshold ΔE value.

15. The display color calibration system according to claim 14 , wherein the threshold ΔE value is predetermined based on a tolerable amount of perceptual color difference between two colors.

16. The display color calibration system according to claim 10 , wherein the memory further comprises instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

adjusting the attenuation factor based on at least one of an ambient light level a user is perceptually adapted to, and a parameter input by a user; and

re-attenuating the maximum luminance value of the display panel from the second luminance value to a third luminance value based on the adjusted attenuation factor;

wherein the maximum luminance value is re-attenuated dynamically, in real-time.

17. A non-transitory program storage device, readable by one or more programmable control devices and comprising instructions stored thereon to cause the one or more programmable control devices to:

calibrate a display panel to a target white point;

attenuate a maximum luminance value of the display panel from a first luminance value associated with the target white point to a second luminance value based on an attenuation factor, wherein the attenuation factor is determined based on an amount of acceptable brightness loss of the display panel and an amount of reduction in visibility of motion-induced color breakup artifacts, wherein the motion-induced color breakup artifacts are caused, at least in part, by imbalanced response times between the display panel's subpixel color channels, wherein the attenuation factor causes at least a partial rebalancing of the response times between the display panel's subpixel color channels, and wherein the second luminance value is equal to or lower than the first luminance value;

re-calibrate the display panel based on a chromaticity of the target white point and the second luminance value to generate calibration data; and

flash the calibration data into memory associated with the display panel.

18. The non-transitory program storage device of claim 17 , wherein the attenuation factor is further determined as an optimum tradeoff between the amount of acceptable brightness loss of the display panel and the amount of reduction in visibility of motion-induced color breakup artifacts.

19. The non-transitory program storage device of claim 17 , wherein the attenuation factor is a function of the first luminance value, wherein the attenuation factor is higher when the first luminance value is larger, and wherein the function is selected based on empirical data.

20. The non-transitory program storage device of claim 17 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more programmable control devices to measure a color shift of a selected pattern displayed on the display panel;

wherein the attenuation factor is further determined based on a degree of the color shift of the selected pattern.