US 6,188,385 B1 · Method and apparatus for displaying images such as text

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for utilizing pixel sub-components which form a pixel element of an LCD display, e.g., as separate luminous intensity elements, are described. Each pixel of a color LCD display is comprised of three non-overlapping red, green and blue rectangular pixel sub-elements or sub-components. The invention takes advantage of the ability to control individual RGB pixel sub-elements to effectively increase a screen's resolution in the dimension perpendicular to the dimension in which the screen is striped, e.g., the RGB pixel sub-elements are arranged lengthwise. In order to utilize the effective resolution which can be obtained by treating RGB pixel sub-components separately, scaling or super sampling of digital representations of fonts is performed in one dimension at a rate that is greater than the scaling or sampling performed in the other dimension. In some embodiments where weighting is used in determining RGB pixel values, e.g., during scan conversion, the super sampling is a function of the weighting. During a scan conversion operation, RGB pixel sub-component values are independently determined from different portions of a scaled image. The scan conversion process may involve use of different weights for each color component. Processing to compensate for color distortions, e.g., color fringing, introduced by treating each pixel sub-component as an independent element is described. For horizontally flowing text applications, screens with vertical as opposed to horizontal striping are preferred.

Claims26

Dependent claims

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 a plurality of pixel sub-components each of a different color, a method of improving resolution of the displayed image comprising the steps for:

mapping samples of information representing an image to individual pixel sub-components of a pixel as opposed to mapping each of the samples to an entire pixel, each pixel sub-component having mapped thereto at least one spatially different sample;
generating a separate luminous intensity value for each pixel sub-component as opposed to each full pixel, the separate luminous intensity value for each sub-component being based on the at least one spatially different sample mapped thereto;
and
displaying the image using the separate luminous intensity values of each sub-component, resulting in each of the pixel sub-components of the pixel, rather than entire pixels, representing displayed portions of the image.

1 more element

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 improving resolution of the displayed image comprising the acts of:

sampling information representing an image so at to obtain a plurality of samples;
mapping a first sample to a first pixel sub-component of a pixel of the display device;
mapping a second sample to a second pixel sub-component that is adjacent to the first pixel sub-component, the second pixel sub-component being one of i) a sub-component of the same pixel as the first pixel sub-component and ii) a sub-component of an adjacent pixel;
generating, for each of the first and second pixel sub-components, a separate luminous intensity value based on the samples mapped thereto;
and
displaying at least some portions of the image using a number of pixel sub-components different from the number of pixel sub-components in a full pixel or an integer multiple thereof, by separately controlling each of the first and second pixel sub-components using the separate luminous intensity values.

3 more elements

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 a plurality of pixel sub-components each of a different color, a computer program product for implementing a method of improving resolution of the displayed image, the computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable medium carrying executable instructions for performing the method;
and
wherein the method is comprised of the steps for:
mapping samples of information representing an image to individual pixel sub-components of a pixel as opposed to mapping each of the samples to an entire pixel, each pixel sub-component having mapped thereto at least one spatially different sample;
generating a separate luminous intensity value for each pixel sub-component as opposed to each full pixel the separate luminous intensity value for each sub-component being based on the at least one spatially different sample. mapped thereto;
and
displaying the image using the separate luminous intensity values of each sub-component, resulting in each of the pixel sub-components of the pixel, rather than entire pixels, representing displayed portions of the image.

4 more elements

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 a plurality of pixel sub-components each of a different color, a computer program product for implementing a method of improving resolution of the displayed image, the computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable medium carrying executable instructions for performing the method;
and
wherein the method is comprised of the acts of:
sampling information representing an image so at to obtain a plurality of samples;
mapping a first sample to a first pixel sub-component of a pixel of the display device;
mapping a second sample to a second pixel sub-component that is adjacent to the first pixel sub-component, the second pixel sub-component being one of i) a sub-component of the same pixel as the first pixel sub-component and ii) a sub-component of an adjacent pixel;
generating, for each of the first and second pixel sub-components, at separate luminous intensity value based on the samples mapped thereto;
and
displaying at least some portions of the image using a number of pixel sub-components different from the number of pixel sub-components in a full pixel or an integer multiple thereof by separately controlling each of the first and second pixel sub-components using the separate luminous intensity values.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for displaying images such as text

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for displaying images such as text

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims26