Picture adjustment methods and apparatus for image display device
Described are methods, devices, and systems for optimizing presentation of an image-bearing signal on a display device equipped with at least one adjustable picture control variable. The methods utilize, and the devices include, a picture control setting generator for determining different picture control settings, and an on-screen display generator for producing an on-screen display including multiple image cells (e.g., a mosaic). Each cell displays the same received image-bearing signal tuned according to a respective one of the different picture control settings. An end user selects among the different cells, choosing a cell that provides a preferred picture quality. In some embodiments, the picture control setting generator determines new picture control settings in response to the selected cell. Again, the on-screen display generator produces an on-screen display including multiple cells according to the new picture control settings, with the end user selecting one of the cells providing a preferred picture quality.
1 . A method of optimizing presentation of an image on a display device equipped with at least one adjustable picture control variable, comprising:
receiving an image-bearing signal;
determining a first plurality of picture control settings, each representing a different configuration of the at least one adjustable picture control variable;
generating an on-screen display image having a plurality of image cells, each image cell displaying a representation of the received image-bearing signal tuned according to a respective one of the first plurality of picture control settings;
accepting a user selection of a preferred one of the plurality of image cells; and
adjusting the at least one adjustable picture control variable to the picture control setting of the preferred one of the plurality of image cells.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the steps of generating an on-screen display image and accepting a user selection comprise:
generating a first on-screen display image having a first plurality of image cells, each image cell displaying a representation of the received image-bearing signal tuned according to a respective one of the first plurality of picture control settings;
accepting a user selection of a preferred one of the first plurality of image cells;
determining a second plurality of picture control settings in response to the accepted user selection;
generating a second on-screen display image having a second plurality of image cells, each image cell displaying a representation of the received image-bearing signal tuned according to a respective one of the second plurality of picture control settings; and
accepting a user selection of a preferred one of the second plurality of image cells.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the second plurality of picture control settings converges toward a user-preferred picture setting based on the preferred one of the first plurality of image cells.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the image-bearing signal comprises receiving a video signal.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the video signal is a digital video signal.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one adjustable picture control variable is selected from the group consisting of: contrast; contrast ratio; white level; brightness; luminance; black level; gray scale; sharpness; detail; chrominance; color; tint; hue; saturation; individual color level; geometry; gamma; and backlight level.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the on-screen display image includes a respective reference indicator associated with each of the plurality of image cells, acceptance of the user selection comprising acceptance of the respective reference indicator.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the picture control settings comprises using a plurality of preset picture control settings.
9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of receiving a sensor signal, wherein the first plurality of picture control settings are determined responsive to the received sensor signal.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the sensor signal is indicative of ambient lighting.
11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the sensor signal is indicative of the received image-bearing signal.
12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of receiving the sensor signal comprises extracting metadata from the received image-bearing signal.
13 . An apparatus for optimizing presentation of an image-bearing signal on a display device equipped with at least one adjustable picture control variable, comprising:
a processor configured to receive the image-bearing signal, the processor having:
a picture control setting generator configured to determine a plurality of picture control settings each representing a different configuration of the at least one adjustable picture control variable; and
an on-screen display generator configured to generate a first on-screen display image having a plurality of image cells, each image cell displaying a representation of the received image-bearing signal tuned according to a respective one of the plurality of picture control settings;
a memory in communication with the processor and configured to store at least one of the plurality of picture control settings; and
a display device in communication with the processor configured to display the first on-screen display.
14 . The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising a user interface in communication with the processor and configured to accept a user selection of a preferred one of the plurality of image cells.
15 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the received image-bearing signal comprises a video signal.
16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the video signal is a digital video signal.
17 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the video signal is a motion video signal, each image cell displaying a representation of the motion video signal.
18 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the at least one adjustable picture control variable is selected from the group consisting of: contrast; contrast ratio; white level; brightness; luminance; black level; gray scale; sharpness; detail; chrominance; color; tint; hue; saturation; individual color level; geometry; gamma; and backlight level.
19 . The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising a sensor coupled to the processor, the picture control setting generator receiving a sensor signal from the sensor and determining the plurality of picture control settings in response to the received sensor signal.
20 . The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the sensor is a light sensor providing a sensor signal indicative of ambient lighting.
21 . The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the sensor is a metadata receiver providing a metadata signal indicative of content of the received image-bearing signal.
22 . An apparatus for optimizing presentation of an image-bearing signal on a display device equipped with at least one adjustable picture control variable, comprising:
means for receiving the image-bearing signal;
means for automatically determining a plurality of picture control settings, each representing a different configuration of the at least one adjustable picture control variable;
means for generating an on-screen display image having a plurality of image cells, each image cell displaying a representation of the received image-bearing signal tuned according to a respective one of the plurality of picture control settings; and
means for accepting a user selection of a preferred one of the plurality of image cells.
23 . A method of optimizing presentation of an image-bearing signal on a display device equipped with at least one adjustable picture control variable, comprising:
receiving a sensor signal;
determining a first plurality of picture control settings, each representing a different configuration of the adjustable picture control variables responsive at least in part to the received sensor input signal;
generating a first on-screen display image having a first plurality of image cells, each image cell displaying a representation of the image- bearing signal tuned according to a respective one of the first plurality of picture control settings; and
accepting a user selection of a preferred one of the first plurality of image cells.
24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the sensor signal is indicative of ambient lighting.
25 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the sensor signal is indicative of the received image-bearing signal.
26 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the step of receiving the sensor signal comprises extracting metadata from the image-bearing signal.
27 . A method of interactively guiding a viewer through configuration of adjustable picture control variables in order to obtain a desired presentation of images on a display screen of a display device, the method comprising:
displaying a first portion of an image in a first region of the display screen in accordance with a first picture control setting of an adjustable picture control variable; and
displaying a second portion of the image in a second region of the display screen in accordance with a second picture control setting of the adjustable picture control variable, the second region of the display screen being adjacent to the first region to facilitate a comparison by the viewer of the first image portion with the second image portion.
28 . The method of claim 27 , further comprising the steps of:
receiving a signal indicating a selection by the viewer of one of the first and second image portions; and
displaying a second image on the display screen based on the viewer selection.
29 . The method of claim 28 , wherein the step of displaying the second image on the display screen includes displaying, in accordance with a first picture control setting of a second adjustable picture control variable, a new first portion of the second image in the first region of the display screen, and displaying, in accordance with a second picture control setting of the second adjustable picture control variable, a new second portion of the second image in the second region of the display screen adjacent to the first region to facilitate a comparison by the viewer of the new first image portion with the new second image portion.
30 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the first image portion and the second image portion are representations of a same video image.
31 . An apparatus for interactively guiding a viewer through configuration of adjustable picture control variables in order to obtain a desired presentation of images on a display screen of a display device, the apparatus comprising:
a processor including a picture control setting generator configured to determine a plurality of picture control settings and an on-screen display generator configured to generate an on-screen display image having first and second image portions, each picture control setting representing a different configuration of an adjustable picture control variable, each image portion being displayed in accordance with a different one of the plurality of picture control settings; and
a display device in communication with the processor, the display device being configured to display the first image portion in a first region of the display screen and the second image portion in a second region of the display screen adjacent to the first region to facilitate a comparison by a viewer of the first image portion with the second image portion.
32 . The apparatus of claim 31 , further comprising a controller in communication with the processor, the controller receiving a signal indicating a selection by the viewer of one of the first and second image portions, wherein the display device displays a second image on the display screen based on the received viewer selection.
33 . The apparatus of claim 32 , wherein the second image displayed on the display screen includes:
a new first portion displayed in accordance with a first picture control setting of a second adjustable picture control variable in the first region of the display screen; and
a new second image portion of the second image displayed in accordance with a second picture control setting of the second adjustable picture control variable in the second region of the display screen adjacent to the first region to facilitate a comparison by the viewer of the new first image portion with the new second image portion.