Display device and image rendering method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10002591-B2
Application number	US-201514982378-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 29, 2015
Priority date	Oct 5, 2015
Publication date	Jun 19, 2018
Grant date	Jun 19, 2018

Abstract

Disclosed is a display device and an image rendering method thereof in consideration of a saturation of a text image that improves the legibility of the text image by, for example, adjusting a sub-pixel rendering application ratio and a direct rendering application ratio for pixel data using a weight in proportion to a saturation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display device, comprising
a display panel in which data lines intersect scan lines and pixels are arranged in a matrix form;
an image rendering device for calculating saturation of each piece of pixel data of an input image, adjusting a sub-pixel rendering application ratio and a direct rendering application ratio for the pixel data using a weight in proportion to the saturation and converting the pixel data; and
a display panel driving circuit for writing data converted by the image rendering device to the pixels of the display panel,
wherein sub-pixel rendering adjusts values of input image pixel data related to a pixel according to an area ratio of the pixel, sums the pixel data values and converts the pixel data into data to be written to the pixel,
wherein direct rendering selects pixel data having a center point closest to the center point of the pixel from among the pixel data and converts the selected pixel data into data to be written to the pixel,
wherein the direct rendering application ratio is decreased by a sub-pixel rendering application ratio increase, and the sub-pixel rendering application ratio is reduced by a direct rendering application ratio increase.

2. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the image rendering device increases the sub-pixel rendering application ratio and decreases the direct rendering application ratio when the pixel data is chromatic data, the image rendering device increasing the direct rendering application ratio and decreasing the sub-pixel rendering application ratio when the pixel data is achromatic data.

3. The display device of claim 2 , wherein the image rendering device comprises:
a saturation calculation unit for calculating saturation of each piece of pixel data of the input image;
a sub-pixel rendering processing unit for converting the pixel data through sub-pixel rendering to output first target pixel data;
a direct rendering processing unit for converting the pixel data through direct rendering to output second target pixel data;
a weight calculation unit for calculating a first weight α in proportion to the saturation and calculating a second weight 1−α in inverse proportion to the saturation on the basis of the first weight;
a first weight application unit for multiplying the first target pixel data by the first weight α and outputting a multiplication result;
a second weight application unit for multiplying the second target pixel data by the second weight 1−α and outputting a multiplication result; and
an addition unit for summing output data of the first weight application unit and output data of the second weight application unit and transmitting a sum result to the display panel driving circuit,
wherein the weight α in proportion to the saturation is generated as a value between 0 and 1 and varied in proportion to the saturation.

4. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the image rendering device calculates a difference between neighboring pixel data values in the input image, adjusts a sub-pixel rendering application ratio and a direct rendering application ratio for the pixel data by varying the weight on the basis of the difference and converts the pixel data.

5. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the image rendering device increases the direct rendering application ratio and decreases the sub-pixel rendering application ratio when the difference between neighboring pixel data values is large and the pixel data is achromatic data,
wherein the image rendering device increases the sub-pixel rendering application ratio and decreases the direct rendering application ratio when the difference between neighboring pixel data values is small or the pixel data is chromatic data.

6. The display device of claim 5 , wherein the image rendering device comprises:
a data difference & saturation calculation unit for calculating a difference between neighboring pixel data values in the input image and saturation of each piece of pixel data of the input image;
a sub-pixel rendering processing unit for converting the pixel data through sub-pixel rendering to output first target pixel data;
a direct rendering processing unit for converting the pixel data through direct rendering to output second target pixel data;
a weight calculation unit for calculating a first weight α inversely proportional to the difference between neighboring pixel data values and proportional to the saturation and calculating a second weight 1−α proportional to the difference between neighboring pixel data values and inversely proportional to the saturation on the basis of the first weight;
a first weight application unit for multiplying the first target pixel data by the first weight α and outputting a multiplication result;
a second weight application unit for multiplying the second target pixel data by the second weight 1−α and outputting a multiplication result; and
an addition unit for summing output data of the first weight application unit and output data of the second weight application unit and transmitting a sum result to the display panel driving circuit,
wherein the weight α in proportion to the saturation is generated as a value between 0 and 1 and varied in proportion to the difference between neighboring pixel data values and the saturation.

7. An image rendering method of a display device having data lines, scan lines intersecting the data lines, and pixels arranged in a matrix form, comprising:
calculating saturation of each piece of pixel data of an input image, adjusting a sub-pixel rendering application ratio and a direct rendering application ratio for the pixel data using a weight in proportion to the saturation and converting the pixel data,
wherein sub-pixel rendering adjusts values of input image pixel data related to a pixel according to an area ratio of the pixel, sums the pixel data values and converts the pixel data into data to be written to the pixel,
wherein direct rendering selects pixel data having a center point closest to the center point of the pixel from among the pixel data and converts the selected pixel data into data to be written to the pixel,
wherein the direct rendering application ratio is decreased by a sub-pixel rendering application ratio increase, and the sub-pixel rendering application ratio is reduced by a direct rendering application ratio increase.

8. The image rendering method of claim 7 , wherein the converting of the pixel data comprises:
increasing the sub-pixel rendering application ratio and decreasing the direct rendering application ratio using the weight when the pixel data is chromatic data; and
increasing the direct rendering application ratio and decreasing the sub-pixel rendering application ratio when the pixel data is achromatic data.

9. The image rendering method of claim 7 , further comprising calculating a difference between neighboring pixel data values in the input image, adjusting a sub-pixel rendering application ratio and a direct rendering application ratio for the pixel data by varying the weight on the basis of the difference and converting the pixel data,
wherein the direct rendering application ratio is increased and the sub-pixel rendering application ratio is decreased when the difference between neighboring pixel data values is large and the pixel data is achromatic data,
wherein the sub-pixel rendering application ratio is increased and the direct rendering application ratio is decreased when the difference between neighboring pixel data values is small or the pixel data is chromatic data.

Assignees

• Lg Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Heo Cheon
• Lee Seungyong

Classifications

• G09G3/2003 Primary

  Display of colours (specific for liquid crystal displays G09G3/3607) · CPC title

• G09G2340/10

  Mixing of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of an operation, e.g. adding, on the corresponding input pixels · CPC title

• G09G5/227 Primary

  Resolution modifying circuits, e.g. variable screen formats, resolution change between memory contents and display screen · CPC title

• G09G3/2074

  using sub-pixels · CPC title

• G09G3/2092

  Details of a display terminals using a flat panel, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto (suitable for both CRT and flat panel G09G5/003; specific for a CRT G09G1/165) · CPC title