Projection system and method with blended color gamut

A method of rendering wide color gamut images with a projection system capable of displaying images using six predefined primaries including a first distinct set of predefined primaries and a second distinct set of predefined primaries, said projection system including at least one spatial modulator, the method comprising:

• receiving two-dimensional video data;
• generating, from the video data, a first plurality of intensity values of virtual primaries of a first color gamut, said virtual primaries of the first color gamut being a first combination of the predefined primaries such that the first color gamut approximates a predefined color gamut, and a second plurality of intensity values of virtual primaries of a second color gamut, said second color gamut being defined by the remaining energy output of the predefined primaries after the energy of the virtual primaries of the first color gamut has been subtracted, wherein generating said second plurality of intensity values of the virtual primaries of the second color gamut comprises:
• subtracting a luminance threshold from the respective intensity values of the corresponding channels of the received video data to generate a third plurality of intensity values, said third plurality of intensity values including a plurality of positive intensity values and a plurality of negative intensity values,
• clipping the plurality of negative intensity values of said third plurality of intensity values to zero;
• setting each intensity value in the third plurality of intensity values to the minimum of either (1) its intensity value following the clipping of the plurality of negative intensity values of said third plurality of intensity values to zero or (2) a predetermined threshold value to obtain a residual of the second color gamut, and
• generating said second plurality of intensity values as said residual,
• wherein generating said first plurality of intensity values of the virtual primaries of the first color gamut comprises:
• subtracting said second plurality of intensity values from the received video data to generate a remainder of the received video data,
• generating a fourth plurality of intensity values based on said remainder, and
• calculating a vector in the first color gamut that corresponds to a white point in the predefined color gamut;
• determining a scaling factor such when the vector is scaled by the scaling factor and added to the fourth plurality of intensity values none of the fourth plurality of intensity values are negative;
• adding the vector, scaled by the scaling factor, to the fourth plurality of intensity values to generate said first plurality of intensity values;
• calculating drive values for the at least one spatial modulator using said first and second plurality of intensity values, said drive values defining an output gamut of the projection system;
• blending the output gamut with a native color gamut of the projection system to generate final drive values, said native color gamut being defined as a set of primaries that drives said first and second distinct sets of predefined primaries equally;
• and
• driving the at least one spatial modulator based on said final drive values.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor of a projection system capable of displaying images using six predefined primaries including a first distinct set of predefined primaries and a second distinct set of predefined primaries, said projection system including at least one spatial modulator, cause the projection system to:

• receive two-dimensional video data;
• generate, from the video data, a first plurality of intensity values of virtual primaries of a first color gamut, said virtual primaries of the first color gamut being a first combination of the predefined primaries such that the first color gamut approximates a predefined color gamut, and a second plurality of intensity values of virtual primaries of a second color gamut, said second color gamut being defined by the remaining energy output of the predefined primaries after the energy of the virtual primaries of the first color gamut has been subtracted,
• wherein the instructions cause the projection system to generate said second plurality of intensity values of the virtual primaries of the second color gamut by:
• subtracting a luminance threshold from the respective intensity values of the corresponding channels of the received video data to generate a third plurality of intensity values, said third plurality of intensity values including a plurality of positive intensity values and a plurality of negative intensity values,
• clipping the plurality of negative intensity values of said third plurality of intensity values to zero;
• setting each intensity value in the third plurality of intensity values to the minimum of either (1) its intensity value following the clipping of the plurality of negative intensity values of said third plurality of intensity values to zero or (2) a predetermined threshold value to obtain a residual of the second color gamut, and
• generating said second plurality of intensity values as said residual,
• wherein the instructions cause the projection system to generate said first plurality of intensity values of the virtual primaries of the first color gamut by:
• subtracting said second plurality of intensity values from the received video data to generate a remainder of the received video data,
• generating a fourth plurality of intensity values based on said remainder, and
• calculating a vector (RA_WP, GA_WP, BA_WP,) in the first color gamut that corresponds to a white point in the predefined color gamut;
• determining a scaling factor such when the vector is scaled by the scaling factor and added to the fourth plurality of intensity values none of the fourth plurality of intensity values are negative;
• adding the vector, scaled by the scaling factor, to the fourth plurality of intensity values to generate said first plurality of intensity values;
• calculate drive values for the at least one spatial modulator using said first and second plurality of intensity values, said drive values defining an output gamut of the projection system;
• blend the output gamut with a native color gamut of the projection system to generate final drive values, said native color gamut being defined as a set of primaries that drives said first and second distinct sets of predefined primaries equally;
• and
• drive the at least one spatial modulator based on said final drive values.