Adaptive RGBW conversion

1. An image display apparatus comprising:

a Red Green Blue White (RGBW) display that is configured to display images based at least in part upon RGBW image data;

one or more of a front light source or a back light source;

an ambient light sensor;

a user input device; and

an image processor comprising:

an RGBW converter that is configured to convert Red Green Blue (RGB) image data into the RGBW image data; and

an RGBW controller that is configured to control a contribution of a white subpixel component in the RGBW image data output by the RGBW converter based at least in part upon information from the ambient light sensor and information from the user input device to adjust a level of light output by one or more of the front light source or the back light source and to increase or decrease brightness of resulting images displayed.

2. The image display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the RGBW controller is further configured to control, based at least in part upon one or more of the information from the ambient light sensor or the user input device, a contribution of RGB subpixel components in the RGBW image data output by the RGBW converter.

3. The image display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the RGBW display is a reflective display;

when the ambient light sensor senses that an environment that includes the image display apparatus is well-lit, the RGBW controller decreases the contribution of the white subpixel component in the RGBW image data output by the RGBW converter; and

when the ambient light sensor senses that the environment that includes the image display apparatus is darker, the RGBW controller increases the contribution of the white subpixel component in the RGBW image data output by the RGBW converter.

4. The image display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the RGBW display is a transmissive display;

when the ambient light sensor senses that an environment that includes the image display apparatus is well-lit, the RGBW controller increases the contribution of the white subpixel component in the RGBW image data output by the RGBW converter; and

when the ambient light sensor senses that the environment that includes the image display apparatus is darker, the RGBW controller decreases the contribution of the white subpixel component in the RGBW image data output by the RGBW converter.

5. The image display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more of the front light source or the back light source is electronically coupled to the RGBW controller.

6. An image display apparatus comprising:

a Red Green Blue White (RGBW) display that is configured to display images based at least in part upon RGBW image data;

one or more of a front light source or a back light source;

an image processor comprising:

an RGBW converter that is configured to convert Red Green Blue (RGB) image data into the RGBW image data; and

an RGBW controller that is configured to control a contribution of a white subpixel component in the RGBW image data output by the RGBW converter based at least in part upon one or more inputs;

an ambient light sensor coupled to the RGBW controller; and

a user input device;

wherein the one or more inputs comprise information from the ambient light sensor and the user input device to adjust, by the RGBW controller, a level of light output by one or more of the front light source or the back light source and to increase or decrease brightness of resulting images displayed, and

wherein the one or more inputs are used by the RGBW controller for adjusting the contribution of the white subpixel component in the RGBW image data output by the RGBW converter.

7. The image display apparatus of claim 6 ,

wherein the RGBW display comprises one of a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an electrowetting display (EWD).

8. The image display apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the RGBW controller is further configured to increase the contribution of the white subpixel component in the RGBW image data output by the RGBW converter based at least in part upon the information from the ambient light sensor indicating that an environment that includes the image display apparatus is well-lit.

9. The image display apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the RGBW controller is further configured to control, based at least in part upon the information from the ambient light sensor and the user input device, a contribution of RGB subpixel components in the RGBW image data output by the RGBW converter.

10. The image display apparatus of claim 6 , wherein:

the RGBW display comprises a liquid crystal display (LCD); and

the one or more inputs comprise the information from ambient light sensor and the user input device for adjusting, by the RGBW controller, the contribution of the white subpixel component in the RGBW image data to thereby control a level of transparency in the RGBW image data output by the RGBW converter, wherein the level of transparency in the RGBW image data is with respect to a background image displayed by the LCD.

11. The image display apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the RGBW controller is coupled to the one or more of the front light source or the back light source and wherein the RGBW display is one of a reflective display or a transmissive display.

12. A method comprising:

accessing, by an image display apparatus, Red Green Blue (RGB) image data that corresponds to one or more images to be displayed by a Red Green Blue White (RGBW) display of the image display apparatus;

receiving, by the image display apparatus, one or more inputs comprising information from an ambient light sensor and information from a user input device;

converting the RGB image data into RGBW image data;

controlling a contribution of a white subpixel component in the RGBW image data based at least in part upon the information from the ambient light sensor and the information from the user input device to adjust, by the RGBW controller, a level of light output by one or more of a front light source or a back light source and to increase or decrease brightness of resulting images displayed, and during conversion of the RGB image data into the RGBW image data; and

displaying, by the RGBW display, the one or more images based at least in part upon the RGBW image data.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein:

the RGBW display comprises one of a liquid crystal display or an electrowetting display (EWD); and

controlling the contribution of the white subpixel component in the RGBW image data comprises, based at least in part upon at least the information from the ambient light sensor and the information from the user input device, adjusting the contribution of the white subpixel component in the RGBW image data.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein controlling the contribution of a white subpixel component in the RGBW image data comprises increasing the contribution of the white subpixel component based at least in part upon the information from the ambient light sensor indicating that an environment that includes the image display apparatus is well-lit.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein:

the RGBW display comprises a liquid crystal display (LCD); and

controlling the contribution of the white subpixel component in the RGBW image data comprises, based at least in part upon the information from the user input device, adjusting the contribution of the white subpixel component to thereby control a level of transparency in the RGBW image data, wherein the level of transparency in the RGBW image data is with respect to a background image displayed by the LCD.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein:

the RGBW display comprises a liquid crystal display (LCD); and

controlling the contribution of the white subpixel component in the RGBW image data comprises, based at least in part upon the information from the ambient light sensor, adjusting the contribution of the white subpixel component to thereby control a level of transparency in the RGBW image data, wherein the level of transparency in the RGBW image data is with respect to a background image displayed by the LCD.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the method further comprises:

based at least in part upon the information from the user input device, further adjusting a contribution of a white subpixel component to thereby further control the level of transparency in the RGBW image data.

18. The method of claim 12 , further comprising, based at least in part upon the information from the ambient light sensor and the information from the user input controlling a contribution of RGB subpixel components in the RGBW image data.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein:

the RGBW display comprises one of a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an electrowetting display (EWD); and controlling the contribution of the white subpixel component and controlling the contribution of the RGB subpixel components comprise, based at least in part upon the information from the ambient light sensor and the information the user input device, adjusting at least one of the contribution of the white subpixel component in the RGBW image data or the contribution of the RGB subpixel components in the RGBW image data.

20. The method of claim 12 , wherein the RGBW controller is electronically coupled to the one or more of the front light source or the back light source and wherein the RGBW display is a transflective display.