Claims
- 1. A halftone display method which predefines a plurality of luminance blocks in each frame or field to display an image, and which is capable of displaying one gray-scale level by any one of a plurality of combinations of said luminance blocks, wherein:when determining luminance blocks, to be used to display a gray scale of an arbitrary first pixel, the luminance blocks to be used for said first pixel are selected in accordance with a predetermined rule, based on how the luminance blocks are used for a second pixel located on a common image display with, and in close proximity to, said first pixel.
- 2. A halftone display method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:said second pixel is a pixel that is producing the same color as said first pixel, and that is located closest to said first pixel horizontally or vertically.
- 3. A halftone display method as claimed in claim 2, wherein:if said second pixel does not exist on a display screen, said second pixel is assumed to be displaying an arbitrarily set gray-scale level.
- 4. A halftone display method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:said plurality of luminance blocks predefined in each frame or field are provided with redundancy such that more than one luminance block is assigned the largest luminance weight.
- 5. A halftone display method as claimed in claim 4, wherein:how the luminance blocks with the largest luminance weight are to be used for said first pixel is determined based on how the luminance blocks with the largest luminance weight are used for said second pixel.
- 6. A halftone display method as claimed in claim 5, wherein:how many luminance blocks with the largest luminance weight are to be used for said first pixel is determined based on how many luminance blocks with the largest luminance weight are used for said second pixel.
- 7. A halftone display method as claimed in claim 6, wherein:all gray-scale levels are classified into groups according to the number of luminance blocks with the largest luminance weight that are allowed to be used; said first and said second pixels are assigned group numbers from said classified groups according to the gray-scale levels that said first and said second pixel display; and the group numbers assigned to said first and said second pixels are compared with each other and, in accordance with the result of which, one of said plurality of combinations of said luminance blocks is selected to display the gray-scale level of said first pixel.
- 8. A halftone display method as claimed in claim 7, wherein:the gray-scale level to be displayed by each pixel is expressible by one of two descriptions, the first description using a smaller number of luminance blocks with the largest luminance weight than the second description; and the number of luminance blocks with the largest luminance weight to be used for said first pixel is determined by comparing the group number, denoted as GA, of said first pixel with the group number, denoted as GB, of said second pixel, and by selecting one of said two descriptions in such a manner that: when GB<GA said first description is selected; when GB=GA, the same description as used for second pixel is used; and when GB<GA, said second description is selected.
- 9. A halftone display method as claimed in claim 6, wherein:how the luminance blocks with the largest luminance weight to be used for said first pixel are selected, from among said luminance blocks with the largest luminance weight, is determined according to how the luminance blocks with the largest luminance weight are selected and used for said second pixel.
- 10. A halftone display method as claimed in claim 6, wherein, when there occurs a state change between successive frames or fields in any one of the luminance blocks with the largest luminance weight in said first pixel:the number of linearly contiguous pixels on a display screen that exhibit the same change as the change in said one of the luminance blocks with the largest luminance weight in said first pixel is detected; a predetermined luminance adjusting luminance block is selected based on said detected number of contiguous pixels and on the change in said one of the luminance blocks with the largest luminance weight in said first pixel; and said selected luminance adjusting luminance block is applied to a source signal of each of said contiguous pixels.
- 11. A halftone display method as claimed in claim 10, wherein:said selected luminance adjusting luminance block is applied not only to the source signal of each of said detected contiguous pixels but also to the source signal of an additional pixel located on the opposite side of said contiguous pixels from said second pixel.
- 12. A halftone display method as claimed in claim 10, wherein:the detection of a state change between successive frames or fields in said luminance blocks with the largest luminance weight is performed in sequence, starting with the luminance block located on the smaller luminance weight side of said luminance blocks with the largest luminance weight.
- 13. A halftone display method as claimed in claim 6, wherein, when there occurs a state change between successive frames or fields in any one of the luminance blocks with the largest luminance weight in said first pixel:the number of linearly contiguous pixels on a display screen that exhibit the same change as the change in said one of the luminance blocks with the largest luminance weight in said first pixel is detected in a horizontal and a vertical direction; and a predetermined luminance adjusting luminance block is selected based on said detected number of horizontally or vertically contiguous pixels, whichever is smaller, and on the change in said one of the luminance blocks with the largest luminance weight in said first pixel; and said selected luminance adjusting luminance block is applied to a source signal of each of said contiguous pixels.
- 14. A halftone display method as claimed in claim 13, wherein:said selected luminance adjusting luminance block is applied not only to the source signal of each of said horizontally or vertically detected contiguous pixels, whichever are smaller in number, but also to the source signal of an additional pixel located on the opposite side of said contiguous pixels from said second pixel.
- 15. A halftone display method as claimed in claim 13, wherein:the detection of a state change between successive frames or fields in said luminance blocks with the largest luminance weight is performed in sequence, starting with the luminance block located on the smaller luminance weight side of said luminance blocks with the largest luminance weight.
- 16. A halftone display method as claimed in claim 4, wherein:said plurality of luminance blocks are 10 in number, and the luminance weights of said luminance blocks are set to provide gray-scale levels 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 48, 48, 48, and 48, respectively.
- 17. A display apparatus which predefines a plurality of luminance blocks in each frame or field to display an image, and which is capable of displaying one gray-scale level by any one of a plurality of combinations of said luminance blocks, comprising:an image display; a driving unit driving said image display; a control unit controlling said driving unit; and a luminance block selection and luminance adjusting luminance block insertion unit selecting luminance blocks and inserting a luminance adjusting luminance block into a source signal, and wherein: when determining luminance blocks to be used to display gray scale of an arbitrary first pixel on said image display, said luminance block selection and luminance adjusting luminance block insertion unit selects the luminance blocks to be used for said first pixel in accordance with a predetermined rule, based on how the luminance blocks are used for a second pixel located on said image display in close proximity to said first pixel.
- 18. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein:said second pixel is a pixel that is producing the same color as said first pixel, and that is located closest to said first pixel horizontally or vertically.
- 19. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein:if said second pixel does not exist on a display screen, said second pixel is assumed to be displaying an arbitrarily set gray-scale level.
- 20. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein:said plurality of luminance blocks predefined in each frame or field are provided with redundancy such that more than one luminance block is assigned the largest luminance weight.
- 21. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein:how the luminance blocks with the largest luminance weight are to be used for said first pixel is determined based on how the luminance blocks with the largest luminance weight are used for said second pixel.
- 22. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein:how many luminance blocks with the largest luminance weight are to be used for said first pixel is determined based on how many luminance blocks with the largest luminance weight are used for said second pixel.
- 23. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 22, wherein said luminance block selection and luminance adjusting luminance block insertion unit comprises:a group number assigning unit assigning group numbers to said first and said second pixel from predefined groups according to the gray-scale levels that said first and said second pixel display, said groups being predefined by classifying all gray-scale levels according to the number of luminance blocks with the largest luminance weight that are allowed to be used; and a luminance block combination selection unit comparing the group numbers assigned to said first and said second pixel with each other, and selecting one of said plurality of combinations of said luminance blocks to display the gray-scale level of said first pixel.
- 24. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 23, wherein:the gray-scale level to be displayed by each pixel is expressible by one of two descriptions, the first description using a smaller number of luminance blocks with the largest luminance weight than the second description; and the number of luminance blocks with the largest luminance weight to be used for said first pixel is determined by comparing the group number, denoted as GA, of said first pixel with the group number, denoted as GB, of said second pixel, and by selecting one of said two descriptions in such a manner that: when GB<GA, said first description is selected; when GB=GA, the same description as used for said second pixel is used; and when GB>GA, said second description is selected.
- 25. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 22, wherein:how the plurality of luminance blocks with the largest luminance weight to be used for said first pixel are selected from among said luminance blocks with the largest luminance weight is determined according to how the luminance blocks with the largest luminance weight are selected and used for said second pixel.
- 26. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 22, wherein said luminance block selection and luminance adjusting luminance block insertion unit comprises:a luminance block state change detection unit detecting the occurrence of a state change between successive frames or fields in any one of the luminance blocks with the largest luminance weight in said first pixel; a number-of-contiguous-pixels detection unit detecting the number of linearly contiguous pixels on a display screen that exhibit the same change as the change in said one of the luminance blocks with the largest luminance weight in said first pixel; a luminance adjusting luminance block selection unit selecting a predetermined luminance adjusting luminance block, based on said detected number of contiguous pixels and on the change in said one of the luminance blocks with the largest luminance weight in said first pixel; and a luminance adjusting luminance block applying unit applying said selected luminance adjusting luminance block to the source signal of each of said contiguous pixels.
- 27. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 26, wherein:said selected luminance adjusting luminance block is applied not only to the source signal of each of said detected contiguous pixels but also to the source signal of an additional pixel located on the opposite side of said contiguous pixels from said second pixel.
- 28. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 26, wherein said luminance block state change detection unit performs the detection of a state change between successive frames or fields in said luminance blocks with the largest luminance weight, in sequence, starting with the luminance block located on the smaller luminance weight side of said luminance blocks with the largest luminance weight.
- 29. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 22, wherein said luminance block selection and luminance adjusting luminance block insertion unit comprises:a luminance block state change detection unit detecting the occurrence of a state change between successive frames or fields in any one of the luminance blocks with the largest luminance weight in said first pixel; a number-of-contiguous-pixels detection unit detecting, in a horizontal and a vertical direction, the number of linearly contiguous pixels on a display screen that exhibit the same change as the change in said one of the luminance blocks with the largest luminance weight in said first pixel; a luminance adjusting luminance block selection unit selecting a predetermined luminance adjusting luminance block, based on said detected number of horizontally or vertically contiguous pixels, whichever is smaller, and on the change in said one of the luminance blocks with the largest luminance weight in said first pixel; and a luminance adjusting luminance block applying unit applying said selected luminance adjusting luminance block to the source signal of each of said contiguous pixels.
- 30. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 29, wherein:said selected luminance adjusting luminance block is applied not only to the source signal of each of said horizontally or vertically detected contiguous pixels, whichever are smaller in number, but also to the source signal of an additional pixel located on the opposite side of said contiguous pixels from said second pixel.
- 31. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 29, wherein said luminance block state change detection unit performs the detection of a state change between successive frames or fields in said luminance blocks with the largest luminance weight, in sequence starting with the luminance block located on the smaller luminance weight side of said luminance blocks with the largest luminance weight.
- 32. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein:said plurality of luminance blocks are 10 in number, and the luminance weights of said luminance blocks are set to provide gray-scale levels 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 48, 48, 48, and 48, respectively.
- 33. A halftone display method which predefines a plurality of luminance blocks in each frame or field to display an image, and which is capable of displaying one gray-scale level by any one of a plurality of combinations of said luminance blocks, wherein:when determining luminance blocks to be used to display a gray scale of an arbitrary first pixel, the luminance blocks to be used for said first pixel are selected in accordance with a predetermined procedure based on respective states of the luminance blocks in at least two reference pixels around said first pixel.
- 34. A halftone display method as claimed in claim 33, wherein:said reference pixels are located directly adjacent to said first pixel.
- 35. A halftone display method as claimed in claim 33, wherein:said reference pixels are located directly adjacent to or in proximity to said first pixel through other pixels.
- 36. A halftone display method as claimed in claim 33, wherein:the luminance blocks to be used for said first pixel are selected based on respective states of the luminance blocks exceeding a majority of said reference pixels.
- 37. A halftone display method as claimed in claim 36, wherein:said reference pixels are an even number, and in a case where said reference pixels of different luminance blocks are equally divided in number, the luminance blocks to be used for said first pixel are maintained without changing.
- 38. A halftone display method as claimed in claim 33, wherein:said reference pixels are weighted according to the relative position thereof with said first pixel, respectively, and the luminance blocks to be used for said first pixel are selected based on respective states of said luminance blocks of said weighted reference pixels.
- 39. A halftone display method as claimed in claim 38, wherein:in a case where said weighted reference pixels of different luminance blocks are the same, the luminance blocks to be used for said first pixel are maintained without being changed.
- 40. A display apparatus which predefines a plurality of luminance blocks in each frame or field to display an image, and which is capable of displaying one gray-scale level by any one of a plurality of combinations of said luminance blocks, comprising:an image display; a driving unit driving said image display; a control unit controlling said driving unit; and a luminance block selection and luminance adjusting luminance block insertion unit selecting luminance blocks, and inserting a luminance adjusting luminance block into a source signal, wherein: when determining luminance blocks to be used to display a gray scale of an arbitrary first pixel, the luminance blocks to be used for said first pixel are selected in accordance with a predetermined procedure based on respective states of the luminance blocks in at least two reference pixels around said first pixel.
- 41. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 40, wherein:said reference pixels are located directly adjacent to said first pixel.
- 42. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 40, wherein:said reference pixels are located directly adjacent to or in proximity to said first pixel through other pixels.
- 43. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 40, wherein:the luminance blocks to be used for said first pixel are selected based on respective states of the luminance blocks exceeding a majority of said reference pixels.
- 44. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 43, wherein:said reference pixels are an even number, and in a case where said reference pixels of different luminance blocks are equally divided in number, the luminance blocks to be used for said first pixel are maintained without changing.
- 45. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 40, wherein:said reference pixels are weighted according to the respective positions thereof relatively to said first pixel and the luminance blocks to be used for said first pixel are selected based on the respective states of said luminance blocks of said weighted reference pixels.
- 46. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 45, wherein:in a case where said weighted reference pixels of different luminance blocks are the same, the luminance blocks to be used for said first pixel are maintained without being changed.
- 47. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 40, further comprising:a lighting pattern setting unit for setting the whole display screen in a predetermined lighting pattern.
- 48. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 47, wherein:said lighting pattern setting unit sets each pixel of the whole display screen in a luminance state using a maximum number of luminance blocks having the largest luminance weight.
Priority Claims (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
10-216024 |
Jul 1998 |
JP |
|
11-184028 |
Jun 1999 |
JP |
|
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a Continuation-in-Part of application Ser. No. 09/248,109, filed Feb. 11, 1999, now pending.
US Referenced Citations (4)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
5818419 |
Tajima et al. |
Oct 1998 |
A |
5907316 |
Mikoshiba et al. |
May 1999 |
A |
6069610 |
Denda et al. |
May 2000 |
A |
6249265 |
Tajima et al. |
Jun 2001 |
B1 |
Foreign Referenced Citations (9)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0 720 139 |
Jul 1996 |
EP |
0 822 536 |
Feb 1998 |
EP |
0 837 441 |
Apr 1998 |
EP |
0 840 274 |
May 1998 |
EP |
2 733 070 |
Oct 1996 |
FR |
8-54852 |
Feb 1996 |
JP |
8-211848 |
Aug 1996 |
JP |
10-39828 |
Feb 1998 |
JP |
10-133623 |
May 1998 |
JP |
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09/248109 |
Feb 1999 |
US |
Child |
09/427936 |
|
US |