# US 12,118,963 B2 · Display controller and image display method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,118,963 B2 - Document ID: US12118963B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/602,877 - Filed: 2020-03-26 - Published: 2022-05-26 - Granted: 2024-10-15 - Earliest claimed: 2019-04-16 - Assignees: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. - Applicants: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. - Inventors: Masato Mitsutake - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12118963B2 ## CPC - G09G 5/377: for mixing or overlaying two or more graphic patterns (G09G5/02, G09G5/397 take precedence) - G09G 5/026: {Control of mixing and/or overlay of colours in general (G09G5/022 and G09G5/024 take precedence)} - G09G 5/10: Intensity circuits - G09G 5/391: Resolution modifying circuits, e.g. variable screen formats - H04N 5/66: Transforming electric information into light information (scanning details H04N3/00) - H04N 23/60: Control of cameras or camera modules - G09G 2340/0428: Gradation resolution change - G09G 2360/12: Frame memory handling - G09G 2360/18: Use of a frame buffer in a display terminal, inclusive of the display panel - G09G 2370/20: Details of the management of multiple sources of image data - G09G: ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION (arrangements for transferring data between digital computers and displays G06F3/14; static indicating arrangements comprising an association of a number of separate sources or light control cells G09F9/00; static indicating arrangements comprising integral associations of a number of light sources H01J, H01K, H10H, H05B33/12; scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission, details thereof H04N1/00) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract A display controller reads, from frame buffers, data on a first image and a second image, and converts, with a conversion formula depending on the characteristics in terms of luminance of the data, the data to data in a blend space having common characteristics. Then, the display controller performs alpha blending on the converted data in the blend space, further converts the data to a space having characteristics suitable for a display, and outputs the resultant to the display. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A display controller, comprising: a plurality of combining-use conversion circuits configured to convert a plurality of data on a plurality of images read from a memory to a plurality of data having a common characteristic in terms of luminance, by mapping a luminance range of at least one of the images to a part of a luminance range of at least one other of the images; a combining circuit configured to perform alpha blending after the conversion on the data on the plurality of images having the common characteristic that has been output from the combining-use conversion circuits; and an output-use conversion circuit configured to output data on a composite image as a signal for display, wherein, prior to converting the plurality of data to the common characteristic in terms of luminance, the combining-use conversion circuits eliminate any nonlinear characteristic in the plurality of data for the plurality of images in terms of luminance, and thereafter, perform the converting the plurality of data on the plurality of images to the common characteristic in terms of luminance. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The display controller according to claim 1, wherein the combining circuit combines data on a composite image output from another combining circuit, and the data on one of the images output from the combining-use conversion circuits, and the other combining circuit includes a composite image converting circuit configured to convert the composite image to data having another characteristic in terms of luminance. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The display controller according to claim 1, wherein the combining-use conversion circuits convert, when the read data on the images includes data that is generated by an application, the data to data having the characteristic specified by the application. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The display controller according to claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of luminance range converting circuits configured to convert the data on the plurality of images to data in a luminance range that a display connected supports, wherein the combining-use conversion circuits convert the data on the images in the luminance range that the display supports to the data having the common characteristic. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The display controller according to claim 1, wherein the nonlinear characteristic in terms of luminance given to the plurality of data on the plurality of images is monitored in advance prior to converting the plurality of data on the plurality of images to the data having the common characteristic. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The display controller according to claim 1, wherein the combining-use conversion circuits convert, depending on a luminance range that defines the data on the images, the data with different conversion formulae. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The display controller according to claim 1, wherein the combining-use conversion circuits convert the data to data having, as the common characteristic, a linear characteristic or gamma characteristic in terms of luminance. ### Claim 8 An image display method that is performed by a display controller, the image display method comprising: converting, via a plurality of combining-use conversion circuits, data on a plurality of images read from a memory to data having a common characteristic in terms of luminance, by mapping a luminance range of at least one of the images to a part of a luminance range of at least one other of the images; performing, via a combining circuit, alpha blending after the conversion on the data on the plurality of images having the common characteristic that has been output from the combining-use conversion circuits; and outputting, via an output-use conversion circuit, data on a composite image as a signal for display to a display, wherein, prior to converting the plurality of data to the common characteristic in terms of luminance, the converting by the combining-use conversion circuits includes eliminating any nonlinear characteristic in the plurality of data for the plurality of images in terms of luminance, and thereafter, perform the converting the plurality of data on the plurality of images to the common characteristic in terms of luminance. ### Claim 9 A non-transitory, computer readable storage medium containing a computer program, which when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform an image display method by a display controller carrying out actions, comprising: converting, via a plurality of combining-use conversion circuits, data on a plurality of images read from a memory to data having a common characteristic in terms of luminance, by mapping a luminance range of at least one of the images to a part of a luminance range of at least one other of the images; performing, via a combining circuit, alpha blending after the conversion on the data on the plurality of images having the common characteristic that has been output from the combining-use conversion circuits; and outputting, via an output-use conversion circuit, data on a composite image as a signal for display to a display, wherein, prior to converting the plurality of data to the common characteristic in terms of luminance, the converting by the combining-use conversion circuits includes eliminating any nonlinear characteristic in the plurality of data for the plurality of images in terms of luminance, and thereafter, perform the converting the plurality of data on the plurality of images to the common characteristic in terms of luminance.