Display device, display panel driver and driving method of display panel

1. A display device, comprising:

a display panel including a display region; and

a driver driving each pixel of the display region in response to input image data, wherein the driver is configured:

to calculate area characterization data indicating at least one feature value of an image displayed in each of a plurality of areas defined in the display region for each of the areas, based on the input image data, wherein the area characterization data includes:

first average picture level (APL) data indicating an average picture level of an image displayed in each of the areas defined in the display region; and

first variance data indicating a variance of luminance values of pixels located in each of the areas defined in the display region;

to generate pixel-specific characterization data associated with each pixel by applying filtering to the area characterization data associated with the area in which each pixel is located and the area characterization data associated with areas adjacent to the area in which each pixel is located, wherein the pixel-specific characterization data associated with each pixel includes:

second APL data obtained by applying filtering to the first APL data of the area characterization data associated with the area in which each pixel is located and the first APL data of the area characterization data associated with the areas adjacent to the area in which each pixel is located; and

second variance data obtained by applying filtering to the first variance data of the area characterization data associated with the area in which each pixel is located and the first variance data of the area characterization data associated with the areas adjacent to the area in which each pixel is located;

to generate output image data associated with each pixel by performing a correction on the input image data associated with each pixel in response to the pixel-specific characterization data associated with each pixel; and

to drive each pixel in response to the output image data associated with each pixel.

2. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein:

the areas defined in the display region are rectangular, and

the driver is further configured to calculate filtered characterization data associated with each vertex of each of the areas defined in the display region, based on the area characterization data associated with one or more areas which each vertex belongs to.

3. The display device according to claim 2 , wherein the driver is further configured to calculate the pixel-specific characterization data associated with each pixel, based on a position of each pixel in the area in which each pixel is located and the filtered characterization data associated with vertices which belong to the area in which each pixel is located.

4. The display device according to claim 3 , wherein:

the driver is configured to calculate the pixel-specific characterization data associated with each pixel by applying a linear interpolation to the filtered characterization data associated with vertices which belong to the area in which each pixel is located, depending on the position of each pixel in the area in which each pixel is located.

5. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein the area characterization data include:

average picture level (APL) data indicating an average picture level of an image displayed in each of the areas defined in the display region; and

variance data indicating a variance of luminance values of pixels located in each of the areas defined in the display region.

6. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein:

the driver is further configured to select a gamma value of a gamma curve for each pixel based on the second APL data of the pixel-specific characterization data associated with each pixel, and to determine a modified gamma curve by modifying the gamma curve in response to the second variance data of the pixel-specific characterization data associated with each pixel.

7. The display device according to claim 6 , wherein:

the driver is further configured to generate the output image data associated with each pixel by performing the correction on the input image data associated with each pixel in accordance with the modified gamma curve.

8. A display panel driver for driving each pixel in a display region of a display panel in response to input image data, the driver comprising:

an area characterization data calculation section configured to calculate area characterization data indicating at least one feature value of an image displayed in each of areas defined in the display region for each of the areas, based on the input image data, wherein the area characterization data includes:

first average picture level (APL) data indicating an average picture level of an image displayed in each of the areas defined in the display region; and

first variance data indicating a variance of luminance values of pixels located in each of the areas defined in the display region;

a pixel-specific characterization data calculation section configured to generate pixel-specific characterization data associated with each pixel by applying filtering to the area characterization data associated with areas in which each pixel is located and the area characterization data associated with areas adjacent to the areas in which each pixel is located, wherein the pixel-specific characterization data associated with each pixel includes:

second APL data obtained by applying filtering to the first APL data of the area characterization data associated with the area in which each pixel is located and the first APL data of the area characterization data associated with the areas adjacent to the area in which each pixel is located; and

second variance data obtained by applying filtering to the first variance data of the area characterization data associated with the area in which each pixel is located and the first variance data of the area characterization data associated with the areas adjacent to the area in which each pixel is located;

a correction circuitry configured to generate output image data associated with each pixel by performing a correction on the input image data associated with each pixel in response to the pixel-specific characterization data associated with each pixel; and

a drive circuitry configured to drive each pixel in response to the output image data associated with each pixel.

9. The display panel driver according to claim 8 , wherein:

the areas defined in the display region are rectangular, and

the pixel-specific characterization data calculation section is further configured to calculate filtered characterization data associated with each vertex of each of the areas defined in the display region, based on the area characterization data associated with one or more areas which each vertex belongs to.

10. The display panel driver according to claim 9 , wherein the pixel-specific characterization data calculation section is further configured to:

calculate the pixel-specific characterization data associated with each pixel, based on a position of each pixel in the area in which each pixel is located and the filtered characterization data associated with vertices which belong to the area in which each pixel is located.

11. The display panel driver according to claim 10 , wherein:

the pixel-specific characterization data calculation section is configured to calculate the pixel-specific characterization data associated with each pixel by applying a linear interpolation to the filtered characterization data associated with vertices which belong to the area in which each pixel is located, depending on the position of each pixel in the area in which each pixel is located.

12. The display panel driver according to claim 8 , wherein the area characterization data include:

average picture level (APL) data indicating an average picture level of an image displayed in each of the areas defined in the display region; and

variance data indicating a variance of luminance values of pixels located in each of the areas defined in the display region.

13. The display panel driver according to claim 8 , wherein:

the correction circuitry is further configured to select a gamma value of a gamma curve for each pixel based on the second APL data of the pixel-specific characterization data associated with each pixel, and to determine a modified gamma curve by modifying the gamma curve in response to the second variance data of the pixel-specific characterization data associated with each pixel.

14. The display panel driver according to claim 13 , wherein the correction circuitry is further configured to:

generate the output image data associated with each pixel by performing the correction on the input image data associated with each pixel in accordance with the modified gamma curve.

15. A driving method of driving a display panel including a display region, the method comprising:

calculating area characterization data indicating at least one feature value of an image displayed in each of a plurality of areas defined in the display region for each of the areas, based on the input image data, wherein the area characterization data includes:

first average picture level (APL) data indicating an average picture level of an image displayed in each of the areas defined in the display region; and

first variance data indicating a variance of luminance values of pixels located in each of the areas defined in the display region;

generating pixel-specific characterization data associated with each pixel of the display region by applying filtering to the area characterization data associated with areas in which each pixel is located and the area characterization data associated with areas adjacent to the areas in which each pixel is located, wherein the pixel-specific characterization data associated with each pixel includes:

second APL data obtained by applying filtering to the first APL data of the area characterization data associated with the area in which each pixel is located and the first APL data of the area characterization data associated with the areas adjacent to the area in which each pixel is located; and

second variance data obtained by applying filtering to the first variance data of the area characterization data associated with the area in which each pixel is located and the first variance data of the area characterization data associated with the areas adjacent to the area in which each pixel is located;

generating output image data associated with each pixel by performing a correction on the input image data associated with each pixel in response to the pixel-specific characterization data associated with each pixel; and

driving each pixel in response to the output image data associated with each pixel.

16. The driving method according to claim 15 , wherein:

the areas defined in the display region are rectangular, and

the method further comprises calculating filtered characterization data associated with each vertex of each of the areas defined in the display region, based on the area characterization data associated with one or more areas which each vertex belongs to.