Rendering and displaying HDR content according to a perceptual model

A method, comprising:

• iteratively performing:
• determining, by a dynamic display module implemented on a device, a model of viewer perceptual range under current ambient conditions of a display panel of the device according to a perceptual model, wherein the perceptual model determines the model of viewer perceptual range according to inputs including one or more of ambient lighting conditions, display panel characteristics, or display panel settings;
• determining, by the dynamic display module according to the model of viewer perceptual range:
• a brightness level B that defines a lower portion and an upper portion of a display space of the display pane 1;
• and
• a maximum rendering value M;
• rendering, by one or more rendering pipelines implemented on the device, high dynamic range (HDR) content according to the maximum rendering value M;
• mapping, by a display pipeline implemented on the device, the rendered HDR content into the display space according to the brightness level B;
• and
• providing the mapped HDR content to the display panel for display;
• wherein the model of viewer perceptual range is updated in response to changes in one or more of the ambient lighting conditions or display panel settings, wherein the maximum rendering value M is updated according to the updated model of viewer perceptual range, and wherein said rendering is adjusted according to the updated maximum rendering value M.

An apparatus, comprising:

• one or more processors and memory that stores program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors iteratively perform:
• determine a model of viewer perceptual range under current ambient conditions of a display panel according to a perceptual model, wherein the perceptual model determines the model of viewer perceptual range according to inputs including one or more of ambient lighting conditions, display panel characteristics, or display panel settings;
• and
• determine, according to the model of viewer perceptual range:
• a brightness level B that defines a lower portion and an upper portion of a display space of the display panel;
• and
• a maximum rendering value M;
• an encoder configured to render input digital image content according to the maximum rendering value M to generate high dynamic range (HDR) content and encode the rendered HDR content to generate encoded HDR content;
• and
• a decoder configured to decode encoded HDR content to generate HDR content and map the HDR content into a display space of the display panel according to the brightness level B;
• wherein the model of viewer perceptual range is updated in response to changes in one or more of the ambient lighting conditions or display panel settings, wherein the maximum rendering value M is updated according to the updated model of viewer perceptual range, and wherein the encoder is configured to render the digital image content according to the updated maximum rendering value M.