1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a signal processing method and a signal processing device for performing signal processing to content data to be input.
2. Description of the Related Art
Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-257457 discloses a display device, and a display controlling method and a program. The display device has a display unit that outputs an image signal, and a signal processor that performs controlling of the image signal to be output to the display unit. The signal processor performs controlling that gradually decreases a color temperature of the image signal in accordance with an elapsed time from an observation start time of the display unit. By decreasing the color temperature, it is possible to reduce a blue component, and to relieve fatigue of a user.
The present disclosure provides a signal processing device which can reduce fatigue of a user watching content data being displayed.
A signal processing device of the present disclosure includes: an extraction unit which extracts, in a display area in which content data is displayed, a character area in which an area occupied by a character has a proportion greater than a predetermined value; a setting unit which sets, based on color information of the character in the character area, a target color temperature when the content data is displayed; and a converter which changes an original color temperature of the content data to the target color temperature.
A signal processing device of the present disclosure is effective in reducing fatigue of a user watching content data being displayed.
In the following, exemplary embodiments will be described in detail appropriately with reference to the drawings. However, in some cases, the exemplary embodiments will not be described in detail. For example, in some cases, there will not be made unnecessarily detailed description on already well-known matters or redundant description on substantially identical configurations. This is to avoid the description from being unnecessarily redundant and thus to help those skilled in the art to easily understand.
Note that the inventor provides the accompanying drawings and the following description to help those skilled in the art to sufficiently understand the present disclosure, but does not intend to use the drawings or description to limit the subject matters of the claims.
In recent years, there are more chances than ever to read characters of newspapers and magazines, on a monitor or a screen of a tablet terminal. Reading characters on a screen for a long time often causes eye fatigue. It is being revealed that the eye fatigue is caused by a blue emission component (blue light) emitted from the screen. In order to reduce the fatigue of the user's eyes, it is effective to reduce the blue emission component, in other words, to lower a color temperature of the displayed image. Here, the blue emission component is a light component with a wavelength from approximately 400 nm to 500 nm inclusive.
However, when a background color of the displayed content data is a warm color and when a character color is a warm color, contrast of the character is accordingly low, and the character is not easy to see. Here, the warm color is red, orange, and a yellow-based color. For example, the warm color is a color in a hue range from 10RP (red-purple) via 5YR (yellow-red) to 10Y (yellow) in the hue circle of the Munsell color system.
Therefore, if the color temperature of content data is lowered with respect to the content data including a warm-colored character in order to reduce a blue emission component, the background color which is not a warm color becomes a warm color, whereby the character sometimes becomes less easy to see. Further, in a case that the content data originally has a warm-colored background color, a problem that the character becomes much less easy to see occurs.
To address this issue, the present disclosure describes how to set a color temperature when content data containing a warm-colored character are displayed.
In a first exemplary embodiment, description will be made on a case that the color temperature of the content data is set depending on whether the character is warm-colored or not warm-colored. In the following, the first exemplary embodiment will be described with reference to
[1-1. Configuration]
As shown in
Acquisition unit 100 is an input unit for inputting content data. Here, the content data are digital information represented by a video, an image, a character, or a combination of a video, an image, and a character. For example, the content data is data in a file format conforming to a standard such as MPEG, JPEG, PDF, and BMP.
Extraction unit 101 extracts a character area by dividing a display area in which the content data having been input from acquisition unit 100 into a plurality of areas and by determining whether each of the divided area is a character area in which an area occupied by characters has a proportion larger than a predetermined value. Here, the predetermined value is, for example, ½, which means that characters are displayed in ½ or more of the display area. Note that the proportion, for determining the area, of characters or other things than characters being displayed in the display area is not limited to ½.
Setting unit 102 sets a target color temperature obtained when the content data is displayed in accordance with color information of the characters in the character area extracted by extraction unit 101. Note that the color temperature represents the color when a grayscale including white is displayed; and when a color temperature is low, a reddish color is displayed, and when a color temperature is high, a bluish color is displayed. The color temperature in the present disclosure represents not only a color on a black body radiation locus shown on the chromaticity diagram but also a color on a coordinate including a neighborhood of a black body radiation locus of a so-called correlated color temperature.
Converter 103 changes an original color temperature of the content data to the target color temperature, depending on the target color temperature set by setting unit 102. The color temperature may be changed instantaneously to the target color temperature, but the color temperature may also be gradually changed to the target color temperature with lapse of time.
Display controller 104 performs a process to display the content data, whose color temperature has been changed in converter 103, on display unit 105 on the following stage.
Display unit 105 is a display and is configured by, for example, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, a plasma display, or the like.
[1-2. Operation]
An operation of signal processing device 10 configured as described above will be described in the following.
[1-2-1. Extraction of Area Performed in Extraction Unit]
By using the characteristic of the gray level histogram shown in
Luminance value=0.3R+0.6G+0.1B (Equation 1)
Here, in (Equation 1), R, G, and B represent signal levels of a red signal, a green signal, and a blue signal, respectively.
Further, extraction unit 101 may additionally perform determination, based on edge amounts in the area, in addition to the determination of the area, based on the gray level histogram. Extraction unit 101 performs the determination of the area by using the fact that there are many large edge changes in a character area.
[1-2-2. Operation of Setting Unit]
As shown in
Setting unit 102 determines whether the characters in the character area are warm-colored (step S401). If setting unit 102 determines that the characters are warm-colored, setting unit 102 sets the target color temperature reduced to a small extent from the original color temperature (step S402). Alternatively, if setting unit 102 determines that the characters are not warm-colored, setting unit 102 sets the target color temperature reduced to a large extent from the original color temperature (step S403).
[1-2-3. Operation of Converter]
[1-3. Advantageous Effect and the Like]
As described above, in the present exemplary embodiment, extraction unit 101 extracts, in the display area in which the content data is displayed, the character area, in which an area occupied by characters has a proportion greater than a predetermined value. Setting unit 102 sets a target color temperature obtained when the content data is displayed in accordance with color information of the characters in the character area extracted by extraction unit 101. Converter 103 changes the original color temperature of the content data to the target color temperature.
Further, setting unit 102 sets the target color temperature reduced to a large extent from the original color temperature when the color information does not indicates a warm color, and sets the target color temperature reduced to a small extent from the original color temperature when the color information indicates a warm color.
With this arrangement, when the characters are not warm-colored, it is possible to largely reduce a blue emission component, which is supposed to increase eye fatigue of a user. When the characters are warm-colored, it is possible to reduce a blue emission component, and at the same time it is possible to inhibit the warm-colored characters from being less easy to see due to lower contrast.
In a second exemplary embodiment, description will be made on a case that the target color temperature is set, depending on the size of the character area in which warm-colored characters are displayed.
In the following, the second exemplary embodiment will be described with reference to
[2-1. Configuration]
Setting unit 202 sets a target color temperature, depending on a proportion of an area with respect to a display area, where the area is determined to be a character area by extraction unit 101, and in the area warm colored characters exist.
Converter 203 changes an original color temperature of the display area to a target color temperature set by setting unit 202.
[2-2. Operation]
In the following, description will be made on an operation of signal processing device 20 configured as described above.
[2-2-1. Setting of Color Temperature in Setting Unit]
In
As shown in
Note that setting unit 202 may weight first area B3, depending on the size of the warm-colored characters in first area B3.
[2-2-2. Operation of Converter]
[2-3. Advantageous Effect and the Like]
As described above, in the present exemplary embodiment, setting unit 202 sets the target color temperature, depending on the proportion of the first area in the display area, the first area having a high proportion of existing warm-colored characters.
Further, setting unit 202 sets the target color temperature reduced to a smaller extent from the original color temperature with increase in the proportion of the first area.
With this arrangement, when the character area not in warm color is large in the content data, setting unit 202 sets the target color temperature reduced to a large extent; and when the character area in warm color is large, setting unit 202 sets the target color temperature reduced to a small extent.
With this arrangement, when the content has a large character area not in warm color, the blue emission component can be largely reduced.
Alternatively, when the character area in warm color is large, it is possible to reduce the blue emission component, and at the same time it is possible to inhibit the warm-colored characters from being less easy to see due to lower contrast.
In addition, setting unit 202 sets the proportion of the first area to be smaller as the size of the warm-colored characters in the character area becomes larger.
Setting unit 202 compares the size of the characters in warm color and the size of the characters not in warm color, and if the size of the characters in warm color is larger, setting unit 202 deals with the weighting character area as an area smaller than the actual area.
With this arrangement, when the warm-colored characters are large, the color temperature can be set to have a reduction range larger than the reduction range for the target color temperature in the case that the warm-colored characters is in a certain size. That is to say, it is possible to reduce the blue emission component further than by the processing in the case that the warm-colored characters are in a certain size, and at the same time it is possible to inhibit the warm-colored characters from being less easy to see due to lower contrast.
In a third exemplary embodiment, description will be made on a case that the target color temperature is set depending on the contrast of the warm-colored characters.
In the following, a third exemplary embodiment will be described with reference to
[3-1. Configuration]
Setting unit 302 sets a target color temperature in consideration of a state of contrast of the warm-colored characters in a character area.
[3-2. Operation]
In the following, description will be made on an operation of display apparatus 30 configured as described above.
[3-2-1. Setting of Color Temperature in Setting Section]
In
As shown in
[3-3. Advantageous Effect and the Like]
As described above, in the present exemplary embodiment, setting unit 302 sets the target color temperature so that the contrast of the warm-colored characters in the character area does not become smaller than a predetermined value.
With this arrangement, it is possible to set the color temperature so that the contrast of the warm-colored characters in the content data does not become smaller than a predetermined value. Thus, it is possible to reduce the blue emission component, and at the same time it is possible to display such that the warm-colored characters is inhibited from being less easy to see due to lower contrast.
In a fourth exemplary embodiment, description will be made on a case that a process is performed in which the target color temperature is set depending on the contrast of the warm-colored characters and in which the contrast of the warm-colored characters is increased.
In the following, the fourth exemplary embodiment will be described with reference to
[4-1. Configuration]
Setting unit 402 sets the target color temperature in consideration of the contrast of the warm-colored characters in the character area, and sets a content of conversion of the warm-colored characters to increase the contrast.
Converter 403 changes the color temperature of the content data to the target color temperature, and performs a conversion process on the warm-colored characters with respect to the contrast, depending on the content of the conversion.
[4-2. Operation]
An operation of signal processing device 40 configured as described above will be described below.
[4-2-1. Operations of Setting Unit and Converter]
When the color temperature is being lowered to the left in the horizontal direction as shown in
In this case, setting unit 402 sets the target color temperature to be 3,000K. Further, setting unit 402 sets the first color temperature of 5,000K, at which the contrast value reaches the lower limit, and the content of conversion to increase the contrast value.
Here, the process to increase the contrast of the characters includes a process in which a luminosity ratio between the characters and the background is changed and a process in which saturation or hue of the characters are changed.
[4-3. Advantageous Effect and the Like]
As described above, in the present exemplary embodiment, setting unit 402 sets the target color temperature when the content data is displayed, in consideration of the contrast of the warm-colored character in the character area. Further, setting unit 402 sets the first color temperature at which the contrast of the warm-colored characters in the character area becomes a predetermined value and the content of conversion. Converter 403 changes the color temperature of the content data to the target color temperature. Further, converter 403 performs a process to increase the contrast of the warm-colored character when setting unit 402 lowers the color temperature lower than the first color temperature.
With this arrangement, it is possible to prevent the contrast value of the warm-colored characters from being smaller than the predetermined value when the color temperature at the time of displaying the content data is lowered.
Thus, it is possible to reduce the blue emission component, and at the same time it is possible to display such that the warm-colored characters is inhibited from being less easy to see due to lower contrast.
The exemplary embodiments are described above as examples of the technology in the present disclosure. For that purpose, the accompanying drawings and the detailed description are provided.
Therefore, the components described in the accompanying drawings and in the detailed description can include not only components necessary to solve the problems but also components unnecessary to solve the problems. For this reason, it should not be immediately recognize that those unnecessary components are necessary, based on the fact that those unnecessary components are described in the accompanying drawings and the detailed description.
In addition, because the above exemplary embodiments are for exemplifying the technology in the present disclosure, various modifications, replacements, additions, or removals can be made without departing from the scope of the accompanying claims or the equivalent thereof.
The present disclosure is applicable to a signal processing device having a display unit. Specifically, the present disclosure is applicable to a display for a personal computer, a display for airplane use, a tablet terminal, a head-mounted display, a smartphone, and the like.
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