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AssigneeMicrosoft Corporation
InventorsWilliam Hill, Michael Duggan, Leroy B. Keely JR., Gregory C. Hitchcock, J. Turner Whitted
Estimating the term…
Displaying image data with sub-pixel precision on display devices having pixels with separately controllable pixel sub-components, such as those used in liquid crystal display devices. Samples of the image data are obtained, and spatially different sets of one or more of the samples are mapped to individual pixel sub-components as opposed to mapping sets of samples to entire pixels. Luminous intensity values based on the mapped sets of samples are generated and used to control the operation of the separately controllable pixel sub-components. The image is thereby displayed on the display device, with different portions of the image being represented by different pixel sub-components, resulting an image with sub-pixel resolution. The image data can represent a text character, in which case the stem width of a stem of the text character can have a value that is not an integer multiple of the width of a full pixel.
In a computer system including a processing unit and a display device for displaying an image, the display device having a plurality of pixels, each including at least three pixel sub-components each of a different color, a method for displaying an image on the display device with sub-pixel precision, comprising:
In a computer system including a processing unit and a display device for displaying an image, the display device having a plurality of pixels, each including at least three pixel sub-components each of a different color, a method for displaying a text character on the display device with sub-pixel precision, comprising:
A computer program product for implementing, in a computer system including a processing unit and a display device for displaying an image, the display device having a plurality of pixels, each including at least three pixel sub-components each of a different color, a method for displaying an image on the display device with sub-pixel precision, the computer program product comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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Generation of individual character patterns: for enhancement of character form, e.g. smoothing
Filters, e.g. light shielding masks: colour filters
Colour filters: methods for their manufacture, e.g. printing, electro-deposition or photolithography
Scaling of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. expanding or contracting: image demosaicing, e.g. colour filter arrays [CFA] or Bayer patterns
Term end not estimated
1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for displaying images, and more particularly, to display methods and apparatus which display an image by representing different portions of the image on each of multiple pixel sub-components, rather than on entire pixels.
2. Background of the Invention
FIG. 1 is a diagram of a known portable computer.
FIG. 2A illustrates a known LCD screen.
FIG. 2B illustrates a portion of the known screen illustrated in FIG. 2A in greater detail than the FIG. 2A illustration.
As discussed above, the present invention is directed to methods and apparatus for displaying images, e.g., text and/or graphics, on display devices by representing different portions of the image on each of multiple pixel sub-components, rather than on entire pixels.
Various methods of the present invention are directed to using each pixel sub-component as a separate independent luminous intensity source as opposed to treating the set of RGB pixel sub-components which comprise a pixel as a single luminous intensity unit. This allows for a display device with RGB horizontal or vertical striping to be treated as having an effective resolution in the dimension perpendicular to the direction of the striping that is up to 3 times greater than in the dimension of the striping. Various apparatus of the present invention are directed to display devices and control apparatus which take advantage of the ability to individually control pixel sub-components.
A. Exemplary Computing and Hardware Environments