Color calibration apparatus and method usable with display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9390646-B2
Application number	US-201314089201-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 25, 2013
Priority date	Nov 30, 2012
Publication date	Jul 12, 2016
Grant date	Jul 12, 2016

Abstract

A color calibration apparatus includes an image obtaining unit configured to obtain first and second photographed images which are generated by photographing first and second mono-color test images displayed on the display device; a controller configured to detect an ambient light area on which an ambient light is shining within the first photographed image based on pixel values of the first photographed image, and further configured to determine a remaining area of the first photographed image other than the ambient light area as a representative value calculating area; and an image processor configured to calculate a representative value based on pixel values of an area corresponding to the representative value calculating area within the second photographed image, and further configured to perform color calibration of the display device based on the representative value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A color calibration apparatus for performing color calibration on a plurality of display devices constituting a video wall, the color calibration apparatus comprising:
an image obtaining unit configured to obtain first photographed images which are generated by photographing first mono-color test images displayed on each of the plurality of display devices and obtain second photographed images which are generated by photographing second mono-color test images displayed on each of the plurality of display devices;
a controller configured to detect an ambient light area on which an ambient light is shining within the first photographed image based on pixel values of the first photographed image, and further configured to determine a remaining area of the first photographed image other than the ambient light area as a representative value calculating area; and
an image processor configured to calculate a representative value based on pixel values of an area corresponding to the representative value calculating area within the second photographed image, and further configured to perform color calibration of the plurality of display devices based on the representative value,
wherein the first and second mono-color test images are generated by the color calibration apparatus, transmitted to each of the plurality of display devices, and different from each other.

2. The color calibration apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the image processor is configured to calculate one of an average value and a median value of the pixel values of the area corresponding to the representative value calculating area within the second photographed image as the representative value.

3. The color calibration apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
an image generator configured to generate a plurality of first mono-color test images; and
a communication unit configured to transmit the plurality of first mono-color test images to the plurality of display devices,
wherein the image obtaining unit is configured to obtain a plurality of first photographed images corresponding to the plurality of first mono-color test images, and,
in response to determining that one of the first photographed images is a first photographed image within which the ambient light area is not detected among the plurality of first photographed images, the controller determines an entire area of the first photographed image within which the ambient light area is not detected as the representative value calculating area.

4. The color calibration apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a user interface (UI) generator configured to generate a mode selection UI which enables a user to select one of an automatic ambient light calibration mode and a manual ambient light calibration mode; and
a display unit configured to display the mode selection UI,
wherein, if the automatic ambient light calibration mode is selected in the mode selection UI, the controller detects the ambient light area on which the ambient light is shining within the first photographed image based on the pixel values of the first photographed image, and determines the remaining area of the first photographed image other than the ambient light area as the representative value calculating area, and
if the manual ambient light calibration mode is selected in the mode selection UI, the controller controls the display unit to display the first photographed image and a UI which enables the user to specify an area within the first photographed image, and, when the area is specified in the UI, the controller determines the specified area as the representative value calculating area.

5. The color calibration apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a display unit configured to display a warning if an effect of the ambient light exceeds a predetermined level.

6. The color calibration apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising;
a UI generator configured to generate a UI screen to set a target value for the color calibration, and
a display unit configured to display the UI screen;
wherein the image processor performs the color calibration of the display device based on the target value set through the UI screen and the representative value.

7. The color calibration apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising:
an image generator configured to generate the second mono-color test images; and
a communication unit configured to transmit the second mono-color test images to the display device,
wherein the controller provides the second mono-color test image to the display device to display the second mono-color test image, and,
the image processor compares the representative value and the target value, and, if a difference between the representative value and the target value is greater than a predetermined threshold value, the image processing unit adjusts R, G, and B gains of the display device and repeatedly performs the color calibration.

8. The color calibration apparatus of claim 6 , wherein
the UI screen comprises at least one of an automatic setting menu to automatically set the target value in response to selecting the automatic setting menu, a standard display device setting menu to select a standard image to set the target value among a plurality of the second photographed images of the display device, a reference setting menu to set a pixel value of a stored reference image as the target value, a color temperature setting menu to set the target value through color temperature adjustment, and a manual setting menu to set the target value through adjustment of R, G, and B values.

9. A color calibration method of a color calibration apparatus, comprising:
obtaining a first photographed image which is generated by photographing a first mono-color test image displayed on a display device;
detecting an ambient light area on which an ambient light is shining within the first photographed image based on pixel values of the first photographed image, and determining a remaining area of the first photographed image other than the ambient light area as a representative value calculating area;
obtaining a second photographed image which is generated by photographing a second mono-color test image displayed on the display device;
calculating a representative value based on pixel values of an area corresponding to the representative value calculating area within the second photographed image; and
performing color calibration of the display device based on the representative value,
wherein the first and second mono-color test images are different from each other.

10. The color calibration method of claim 9 , wherein
the calculating of the representative value comprises calculating one of an average value and a median value of the pixel values of the area corresponding to the representative value calculating area within the second photographed image as the representative value.

11. The color calibration method of claim 9 , further comprising:
generating a plurality of first mono-color test images; and
transmitting the plurality of first mono-color test images to the display device,
wherein the obtaining of the first photographed image comprises obtaining a plurality of first photographed images corresponding to the plurality of first mono-color test images, and
the determining of the representative value calculating area comprises determining, in response to determining that one of the first photographed images is a first photographed image within which the ambient light area is not detected among the plurality of first photographed images, an entire area of the first photographed image within which the ambient light area is not detected as the re

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Ji-Yong
• Beon Nam-Kyun
• Im Sang-Kyun
• Cho Young-Hoon
• Choi Hye-Rin

Classifications

• H04N1/6052 Primary

  Matching two or more picture signal generators or two or more picture reproducers · CPC title

• G09G3/2003 Primary

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

• H04N1/6088

  by viewing conditions, i.e. conditions at picture output · CPC title

• G09G2320/0242

  Compensation of deficiencies in the appearance of colours · CPC title

• G09G2354/00

  Aspects of interface with display user · CPC title