Method and apparatus for compensating luminance of display device

1. A method for compensating luminance of a display device, the method comprising:

capturing an image of the display device;

generating imaging data;

primarily mapping display pixels of the display device and the imaging data so that a unit mapping area corresponding to the display pixels comprises luminance values for image pixels of an imaging device;

setting an offset value of the imaging data with respect to the display pixels so that a maximum luminance value among the luminance values is positioned at a center of the unit mapping area;

secondarily mapping the imaging data according to the offset value with respect to the display pixels;

calculating a representative luminance value; and

setting a luminance correction value corresponding to the representative luminance value with respect to one of the display pixels.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the capturing the image of the display device comprises:

driving the display device to display a test image as the image; and

locating the imaging device in front of the display device so that the image pixels are aligned with respect to the display pixels.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating the imaging data comprises:

detecting the luminance values with the image pixels; and

aligning the luminance values according to a position code corresponding to the image pixels.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the primarily mapping the display pixels and the imaging data is based on position codes of the image pixels aligned with respect to the display pixels.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the setting the offset value of the imaging data comprises:

detecting the maximum luminance value and a horizontal position in a horizontal direction for luminance values of a horizontal line positioned at the center of the unit mapping area;

setting a horizontal offset value for the horizontal direction so that the maximum luminance value is positioned at the center of the horizontal line;

detecting the maximum luminance value and a vertical position in a vertical direction for luminance values of a vertical line positioned at the center of the unit mapping area; and

setting a vertical offset value for the vertical direction so that the maximum luminance value is positioned at the center of the vertical line.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the setting the offset value of the imaging data comprises:

detecting the maximum luminance value and a position for the luminance values arranged in the unit mapping area; and

setting the offset value for moving the luminance values of the imaging data so that the maximum luminance value is positioned at the center of the unit mapping area.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the secondarily mapping the imaging data according to the offset value with respect to the display pixels comprises realigning the luminance values of the imaging data for the unit mapping area by moving the luminance values of the imaging data according to the offset value.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the calculating the representative luminance value comprises calculating a sum or a weighted sum of the luminance values realigned in the unit mapping area.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the setting the luminance correction value comprises:

detecting a luminance deviation by comparing the representative luminance value with a reference value; and

setting the luminance correction value to compensate for the luminance deviation.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

storing the luminance correction value in a memory of the display device; and

generating compensation image data by converting input image data according to the luminance correction value.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

generating a data signal corresponding to the compensation image data; and

driving the display pixels in response to the data signal.

12. An apparatus for compensating luminance of a display device comprising:

an imaging device comprising image pixels, and configured to generate imaging data by capturing a test image displayed on the display device;

an image preprocessor configured to calculate respective representative luminance values for display pixels provided in the display device using the imaging data; and

a correction value generator configured to generate luminance correction values corresponding to the representative luminance values with respect to the display pixels, respectively,

wherein the image preprocessor is configured to primarily map the display pixels and the imaging data so that a unit mapping area corresponding to the display pixels comprises luminance values for the image pixels, and

wherein the image preprocessor is configured to calculate the representative luminance values by secondarily mapping the imaging data with respect to the display pixels so that a maximum luminance value among the luminance values is positioned at a center of the unit mapping area.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the image preprocessor comprises:

a first mapping circuit configured to primarily map the display pixels and the imaging data based on position codes of the image pixels;

a maximum luminance detector configured to detect a position of the maximum luminance value with respect to the unit mapping area;

an offset value setting circuit configured to set an offset value of the imaging data for moving the maximum luminance value to the center of the unit mapping area;

a second mapping circuit configured to secondarily map the imaging data with respect to the display pixels according to the offset value; and

a representative value calculator configured to calculate the representative luminance values based on the luminance values secondarily mapped to the unit mapping area.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the maximum luminance detector is configured to detect the maximum luminance value and a horizontal position in a horizontal direction for luminance values of a horizontal line positioned at the center of the unit mapping area, and

wherein the maximum luminance detector is configured to detect the maximum luminance value and a vertical position in a vertical direction for luminance values of a vertical line positioned at the center of the unit mapping area.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the maximum luminance detector is configured detect the maximum luminance value and the position for the luminance values positioned in the unit mapping area.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the imaging device is configured to detect the luminance values of the image pixels, and is configured to align the luminance values of the image pixels according to positions of the image pixels to generate the imaging data.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising a test image supply circuit configured to supply a test image signal to the display device.