US 10,490,167 B2 · Techniques for image enhancement using a tactile display

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for enhancing the quality of a displayed image using a tactile or other texture display. In particular, the disclosed techniques leverage active-texture display technology to enhance the quality of graphics by providing, for example, outlining and/or shading when presenting a given image, so as to create the effect of increased contrast and image quality and/or to reduce observable glare. These effects can be present even at high viewing angles and in environments of high light reflection. To these ends, one or more graphics processes, such as edge-detection and/or shading, may be applied to an image to be displayed. In turn, an actuator element (e.g., microelectromechanical systems, or MEMS, devices) of the tactile display may be manipulated (e.g., in Z-height) to provide fine-grain adjustment of image attributes such as: pixel brightness/intensity; pixel color; edge highlighting; object outlining; effective shading; image contrast; and/or viewing angle.

Claims25

Dependent claims

A method of displaying an image with a tactile electronic visual display, the method comprising:

adjusting an actuator element of the tactile electronic visual display, the actuator element including an unactuated state such that the actuator element is adjustable along an axis relative to the unactuated state in a first direction in which the actuator element exhibits a first optical transparency and in a second direction different from the first direction in which the actuator element exhibits a second optical transparency, the actuator element is associated with at least one pixel of the tactile electronic visual display, wherein the adjusted actuator element manipulates presentation of the displayed image such that
observable glare is reduced by decreasing an intensity of light reflected from the tactile electronic visual display by adjusting the actuator element relative to the unactuated state in one of the first direction and the second direction to change optical absorption characteristics of the actuator element.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, causes a process for displaying an image with a tactile electronic visual display to be carried out, the process comprising:

adjusting an actuator element of the tactile electronic visual display, the actuator element including an unactuated state such that the actuator element is adjustable along an axis relative to the unactuated state in a first direction in which the actuator element exhibits a first optical transparency and in a second direction different from the first direction in which the actuator element exhibits a second optical transparency, the actuator element is associated with at least one pixel of the tactile electronic visual display, wherein the adjusted actuator element manipulates presentation of the displayed image such that
observable glare is reduced by decreasing an intensity of light reflected from the tactile electronic visual display by adjusting the actuator element relative to the unactuated state in one of the first direction and the second direction to change optical absorption characteristics of the actuator element.

A device comprising:

a controller configured to adjust an actuator element of a tactile electronic visual display, the actuator element including an unactuated state such that the actuator element is adjustable along an axis relative to the unactuated state in a first direction in which the actuator element exhibits a first optical transparency and in a second direction different from the first direction in which the actuator element exhibits a second optical transparency, the actuator element is associated with at least one pixel of the tactile electronic visual display, wherein the adjusted actuator element manipulates presentation of an image displayed with the tactile electronic visual display such that
observable glare is reduced by decreasing an intensity of light reflected from the tactile electronic visual display by adjusting the actuator element relative to the unactuated state in one of the first direction and the second direction to change optical absorption characteristics of the actuator element.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Techniques for image enhancement using a tactile display

Life of this patent

Techniques for image enhancement using a tactile display

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims25