JP2005277573A - Image quality compensating device and method therefor, program for compensating image quality, and information recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image quality compensating device, or the like for compensating image quality as an entire display unit, by canceling nonuniformity in partial display quality at a matrix type display unit including a plurality of pixels. <P>SOLUTION: The image quality compensating device comprises an image display unit D in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in a matrix; and an image quality control unit 9 for unifying image display quality, by canceling nonuniformity in image display quality in the entire image display unit D for each display region 50 that includes at least one pixel and is preset into the image display unit D. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present application belongs to the technical field of an image quality compensation device, an image quality compensation method, an image quality compensation program, and an information recording medium, and more specifically, an image quality compensation device and an image quality compensation method for compensating for image quality degradation caused by secular change, The present invention belongs to the technical field of an image quality compensation program used for the image quality compensation and an information recording medium on which the image quality compensation program is recorded.

  In recent years, thin display devices, such as a plasma display or a liquid crystal display, in which a large number of pixels are arranged in a matrix are being widely used.

  Here, as a problem that is commonly present in the display apparatus, there is degradation of image quality due to secular change. That is, for example, after several years have passed since the purchase, so-called white balance, luminance, and the like as image quality in the display device are deteriorated or lowered, and the image quality of the entire display surface in the display device is deteriorated. The deterioration in image quality due to secular changes in individual pixels is particularly noticeable as a partial deterioration in image quality in the above-mentioned display devices for business use in which the same image is often displayed for a long time. It is something to be issued.

At this time, as a method for compensating for such image quality deterioration, for example, there is a technique described in Patent Document 1 below.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-255843 (FIG. 6)

  In the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, the number of times of light emission for each of the three primary colors or the light emission intensity at that time is detected, and the white balance is adjusted by adjusting the amplitude of the video signal for each primary color according to the detected number of times or intensity. Techniques for correcting are disclosed.

  However, in the above-described conventional technology and the like, the amplitude is adjusted for each of the three primary color video signals. As a result, the white balance of the entire display screen in the display unit is corrected, so-called when the entire display unit is viewed. There is a problem that display unevenness (nonuniformity of display) cannot be eliminated.

  Therefore, the present application has been made in view of the above problems, and an example of the purpose thereof is to eliminate partial display quality non-uniformity in a matrix-type display unit including a plurality of pixels. An object of the present invention is to provide an image quality compensation apparatus and an image quality compensation method capable of compensating the overall image quality, an image quality compensation program used for the image quality compensation, and an information recording medium on which the image quality compensation program is recorded.

  In order to solve the above problems, the invention described in claim 1 is directed to an image display unit such as an image display unit in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in a matrix, and a poor image display quality in the entire image display unit. A uniformity unit such as an image quality control unit that eliminates uniformity for each display region that includes at least one pixel and is preset in the image display unit, and uniformizes the image display quality. .

  In order to solve the above problem, the invention according to claim 9 is an image quality compensation method for compensating an image quality in an image display means such as an image display unit in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in a matrix. A detecting step for detecting non-uniformity in image display quality in the whole means, and the detected non-uniformity is eliminated for each display area that is preset in the image display means including at least one pixel. And a homogenization step for making the image display quality uniform.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, the invention according to claim 10 is directed to an image quality compensation computer for compensating image quality in an image display means such as an image display unit in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in a matrix. Uniformity of uniforming the image display quality by eliminating the non-uniformity of the image display quality in the entire image display means for each display region that includes at least one pixel and is preset in the image display means Function as a means.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, according to an eleventh aspect of the invention, an image quality compensation program according to the ninth aspect is recorded so as to be readable by the computer.

  Next, the best mode for carrying out the present application will be described with reference to FIGS. The embodiment described below is an embodiment when the present application is applied to an image quality compensation device that compensates for display unevenness caused by secular change on the display surface of the plasma display device.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an image quality compensation device according to the present application including the plasma display device, FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an image quality compensation process in the image quality compensation device, and FIG. It is a conceptual diagram which shows a compensation process.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the image quality compensation device S according to the embodiment is roughly configured by a plasma display device 100 that is an object of image quality compensation processing and a compensation information generation device 200.

  The compensation information generation apparatus 200 includes an imaging camera 20, a calculation unit 21, a conversion unit 22, and a memory 23.

  Further, the plasma display apparatus 100 includes a panel 1 including an image display unit D as an image display unit, an address control unit 2, a power supply unit 3, a drive unit 4, a drive waveform shaping unit 5, and a drive control unit 6. An OSD (On Screen Display) synthesizing unit 7, a signal generator 8, an image quality control unit 9 as a homogenizing unit, a CPU 10 as a homogenizing unit, a memory 11, a high definition unit 12, an A / A D (Analog / Digital) conversion unit 13, a Y / C (Y / Color) separation unit 14, and a synchronization separation unit 15 are included. At this time, the image display unit D is formed by arranging a large number of pixels in a matrix, and the image display unit D virtually includes a total of 256 pixels, for example, 16 vertical pixels × 16 horizontal pixels. It is divided into areas 50. As for the display area 50, in the image display unit D, the pixels are actually uniformly arranged in a matrix, but the display area 50 is virtually set to be used for image quality compensation processing to be described later. It is what has been.

  Next, the overall operation of the plasma display apparatus 100 will be described.

  When image information Sin that is source information of an image to be displayed on the panel 1 is input from the outside, first, a synchronization signal (not shown) is separated from the image information Sin, and the separated synchronization signal is the CPU 10 or the like. The image information Sin from which the synchronization signal is separated is output to the Y / C separation unit 14 as separation information Ssp.

  Next, the Y / C separation unit 14 separates the luminance signal (Y signal) and the color signal (C signal) from the separation information Ssp, and generates Y-C information Syc including each separately. Output to the A / D converter 13.

  Then, the A / D conversion unit 13 separately digitizes the luminance signal and the color signal, and outputs them to the high definition unit 12 as digital Y-C information Sd.

  Next, the high-definition unit 12 performs a high-definition process preset as the plasma display device 100 on the digital Y-C information Sd and outputs it to the image quality control unit 9 as the refined information Sh.

  As a result, the image quality control unit 9 performs preset image quality compensation processing including image quality compensation processing according to the present application, which will be described later, on the refinement information Sh based on the control signal Sc from the CPU 10, and the image quality control information Sop. To the OSD synthesis unit 7. At this time, the internal clock signal Ssg, which serves as a reference in the image quality compensation processing, is generated by the signal generator 8 and output to the image quality control unit 9.

  Then, the OSD composition unit 7 superimposes OSD image information set in advance on the image quality control information Sop, and outputs the superimposed information to the drive control unit 6 as superposition information Sosd. Here, the OSD specifically includes, for example, an OSD such as a change input screen displayed on the image display unit D when the user changes the display state (luminance, contrast, etc.) on the panel 1. .

  Accordingly, the drive control unit 6 uses the address information for address control processing when the image is actually displayed on the panel 1 and the drive control processing information when the image is displayed based on the information information Sosd. Drive control information is generated, and drive control information Sdc including each of the drive control information is generated and output to the address control unit 2 and the drive waveform shaping unit 5.

  Then, the address control unit 2 extracts the address control information for the address control processing from the drive control information Sdc, and uses this to select an address for controlling selection / drive of each column electrode in the panel 1 A drive signal Sad is generated and output to each column electrode in the panel 1.

  On the other hand, the drive waveform shaping unit 5 extracts the drive control information from the drive control information Sdc, shapes the waveform, and outputs the waveform to the drive unit 4 as drive control information Sdd. At this time, the drive power signal Sp is supplied from the power supply unit 3 to the drive unit 4.

  Thus, the drive unit 4 generates a drive signal Sdv for controlling the drive of each row electrode in the panel 1 and outputs it to each row electrode in the panel 1.

  Further, the CPU 10 generates the control information Sc for controlling the operation in the image quality control unit 9 in parallel with the operation of each component described above, and outputs the control information Sc to the image quality control unit 9. Information necessary for processing in the CPU 10 is temporarily stored as memory information Sm1 in the memory 11, and is read again as memory information Sm1 as necessary, and is used for the necessary processing. Furthermore, the CPU 10 identifies pixels in the display area 50 that are the target of the image quality compensation processing according to the present application based on compensation information Scc output from the conversion unit 22 described later, and is necessary for these pixels. The control information Sc is output to the image quality control unit 9 so as to execute the image quality compensation process.

  By the operation of each component described above, a necessary voltage is applied to each of the column electrode and the row electrode in the panel 1, whereby a necessary image is displayed as the entire panel 1.

  Next, the configuration and operation of the compensation information generation apparatus 200 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the compensation information generation device 200 according to the embodiment is separately provided outside the plasma display device 100, and specifically includes an imaging camera 20, a calculation unit 21, The memory 23 and the conversion unit 22 are configured.

  Next, the operation will be described.

  First, the compensation information generation device 200 itself is carried by, for example, a service person in charge of maintenance of the plasma display device 100.

  Then, the imaging camera 20 captures the image display unit D on the panel 1 in the display state, generates shooting information Scm obtained by digitizing the captured image, and outputs it to the calculation unit 21.

  Next, the calculation unit 21 analyzes the captured image itself for each display area 50 based on the imaging information Scm, and detects the presence or absence of image quality degradation for each display area 50. Here, white balance, luminance, contrast, or the like can be cited as a parameter that is a determination factor for image quality degradation. Then, the calculation unit 21 specifies the display area 50 whose image quality should be compensated for each display area 50 and each parameter, and generates information for compensation processing in the display area 50 where the image quality should be compensated. 23 is temporarily stored as memory information Sm2.

  Here, in the information for compensation, for example, when it is detected that the white balance in a certain display area 50 is shifted by “+ α”, this is compensated at the time of actual image display in the display area 50. Therefore, information for correcting (shifting) the white balance in the display area 50 by “−α” during the actual display is included.

  When the information for compensation is generated for all the display areas 50 in the image display unit D, the information is read again from the memory 23 as memory information Sm2, and is output to the conversion unit 22 as compensation information Sho.

  As a result, the converter 22 converts the format of the compensation information Sho into a format that can be read by the CPU 10 and outputs it as the compensation information Scc to the CPU 10 in the plasma display apparatus 100 via an external terminal (not shown). .

  Then, the CPU 10 controls the image quality control section 9 as described above based on the compensation information Scc.

  Next, the image quality compensation processing according to the present application will be specifically described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 2, in the image quality compensation processing according to the embodiment, first, the entire image display unit D is imaged by the imaging camera 20 (step S1), and calculation is performed using the imaging information Scm corresponding to the imaging result. The display area 50 in which the image quality is deteriorated in the unit 21 is specified (step S2), and compensation information for compensating for the image quality deterioration is generated (step S3), and information for specifying the display area 50 and its The image quality compensation information of the specified display area 50 is temporarily stored in the memory 23 as a pair.

  When a pair of the detection of the deterioration state and the corresponding compensation information is generated for all the display areas 50 in the image display unit D, the pair is output to the CPU 10 in the plasma display device 100, and the compensation is performed. The contents of the subsequent image quality compensation processing are updated using the information Scc (step S4), and then the necessary image is displayed by controlling the image quality of the entire image quality display section D by the updated image quality compensation processing (step S4). S5).

  More specifically, for example, when white balance deterioration is detected in the display area 50 included in the deterioration area 60 surrounded by the one-dot chain line in the image display unit D as shown in FIG. Compensation information Scc for compensating for white balance degradation in the degradation region 60 is generated in the compensation information generating apparatus 200.

  Then, based on the compensation information Scc, the CPU 10 displays each display area included in all non-degraded areas 61 (indicated by hatching in FIG. 3B) other than the degraded area 60 in the image display unit D. At 50, the image quality control unit 9 is controlled such that each white balance is the same as the (degraded) white balance in the display area 50 included in the degraded area 60. At this time, the memory 11 stores a pair of information for identifying the display area 20 to be subjected to image quality compensation processing and compensation information corresponding to the identified display area 50. become.

  At this time, when it is possible to restore the deteriorated white balance in the display area 50 included in the deteriorated area 60, the white balance in the display area 50 included in the non-deteriorated area 61 is deteriorated. Rather than matching the white balance of the display area 50 in the area 60, the white balance in the display area 50 included in the deteriorated area 60 is improved to be the same as the white balance of the display area 50 in the non-degraded area 61. It is also possible to configure as described above.

  As described above, according to the operation of the image quality compensation device S according to the embodiment, the image display unit D is solved by eliminating the image quality non-uniformity for each preset display area 50 in the image display unit D. Since the image quality is made uniform as a whole, even if there is display unevenness in the image display unit D, the display unevenness can be efficiently eliminated.

  Further, even if there is display unevenness due to secular change over the entire image display portion D, this can be effectively solved.

  Furthermore, even if there is display unevenness due to non-uniformity of white balance in the entire image display portion D, it is uniformly made uniform for each display area 50, so that the display unevenness can be effectively eliminated. it can.

  Furthermore, since the display area 50 is composed of 16 vertical pixels × 16 horizontal pixels, the display unevenness of the entire image display unit D can be effectively compensated with a small number of correction processes.

  In addition to the white balance as the parameter indicating the image quality described above, even when the luminance and contrast are deteriorated, the display unevenness of the entire image display unit D is compensated by executing the same compensation processing. be able to.

  Further, the number of pixels included in the display area 50 is not limited to the above-described 256 pixels. For example, one display area may be set by 32 vertical pixels × 32 horizontal pixels, or Alternatively, one display area may be set by changing the number of vertical and horizontal pixels.

  Furthermore, one display area may be set by only one pixel. In this case, the deterioration state of the image quality is detected for each pixel, thereby generating compensation information Scc for each pixel, and based on this, the image quality control unit 9 controls the image quality for each pixel. May be.

  In this case, since the display area is composed of one pixel, compensation with the highest display quality can be performed by compensating display unevenness for each pixel.

  In the above-described embodiment, the degradation region 60 is specified using the imaging camera 20, but the degradation region 60 may be detected using a so-called color analyzer. Further, the panel 1 itself may incorporate a sensor for detecting image quality degradation as an image.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the present application is applied to the image quality compensation in the plasma display device 100 has been described. However, the present application is not limited to this, and any display device including pixels arranged in a matrix form may be used. The present invention can also be applied to image quality compensation processing in a liquid crystal display device or an organic EL (ElectroLuminescence) display device.

  Furthermore, with respect to the image quality compensation processing using the compensation information Scc, the image quality compensation program for each display area is recorded on an information recording medium such as a flexible disk or a hard disk, or via a network such as the Internet. It is also possible to cause the general-purpose CPU to function as the CPU 10 by executing the above-described processing and executing it on the general-purpose CPU.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an image quality compensation apparatus according to an embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the image quality compensation process of embodiment. It is a figure which illustrates conceptually the image quality compensation process of embodiment, (a) is conceptual explanatory drawing (I), (b) is conceptual explanatory drawing (II).

Explanation of symbols

1 panel 10 CPU
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11, 23 Memory 20 Imaging camera 21 Operation part 50 Display area 60 Degraded area 61 Non-degraded area 100 Plasma display apparatus 200 Compensation information generation apparatus D Image display part S Image quality compensation apparatus

Claims (11)

Image display means in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in a matrix;
Uniformity of uniforming the image display quality by eliminating the non-uniformity of the image display quality in the entire image display means for each display region that includes at least one pixel and is preset in the image display means. And
An image quality compensation apparatus comprising: The image quality compensation device according to claim 1,
The image quality compensator according to claim 1, wherein the non-uniformity is non-uniformity generated due to secular change associated with use of the image display means. The image quality compensation device according to claim 1 or 2,
The non-uniformity is non-uniformity of white balance in an image displayed on the image display means,
The image quality compensator, wherein the uniformizing unit uniformizes the white balance in the display area for each display area. The image quality compensation device according to claim 1 or 2,
The non-uniformity is a non-uniform luminance in an image displayed on the image display means,
The image quality compensator, wherein the uniformizing means uniformizes the luminance in the display area for each display area. The image quality compensation device according to claim 1 or 2,
The non-uniformity is a non-uniformity of contrast in an image displayed on the image display means,
The image quality compensator, wherein the uniformizing unit uniformizes the contrast in the display area for each display area. The image quality compensation device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
An image quality compensation apparatus, further comprising detection means for detecting the non-uniformity. In the image quality compensation device according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
Each of the display areas is a display area composed of 16 pixels in the vertical direction and 16 pixels in the horizontal direction. In the image quality compensation device according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
Each of the display areas is a display area constituted by one of the pixels. In an image quality compensation method for compensating image quality in an image display means in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in a matrix,
A detection step of detecting non-uniformity in image display quality in the entire image display means;
A homogenization step for eliminating the detected non-uniformity and making the image display quality uniform for each display region that includes at least one pixel and is preset in the image display means;
An image quality compensation method comprising: A computer for image quality compensation for compensating image quality in image display means in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in a matrix,
Uniformity of uniforming the image display quality by eliminating the non-uniformity of the image display quality in the entire image display means for each display region that includes at least one pixel and is preset in the image display means. Means
As an image quality compensation program, the program is made to function as:   10. An information recording medium in which the image quality compensation program according to claim 9 is recorded so as to be readable by the computer.

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