# US 7,609,282 B2 · Image display method and apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,609,282 B2 - Document ID: US7609282B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/040,563 - Filed: 2005-01-20 - Published: 2005-09-01 - Granted: 2009-10-27 - Earliest claimed: 2004-02-24 - Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd. - Inventors: Hiroshi Aoki; Ryo Hasegawa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7609282B2 ## CPC - G09G 3/2003: {Display of colours (specific for liquid crystal displays G09G3/3607)} - H04N 5/57: Control of contrast or brightness - H04N 21/4318: {by altering the content in the rendering process, e.g. blanking, blurring or masking an image region (image enhancement or restoration in general G06T5/00)} - H04N 21/44008: {involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream (arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59)} - G09G 2320/02: Improving the quality of display appearance - G09G 2320/0613: The adjustment depending on the type of the information to be displayed - G09G 2320/066: for control of contrast - 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 Image display method and apparatus are capable of displaying an input image signal in an optical condition on a display screen according to the brightness of the screen image. The image display apparatus for performing a specified process on an input image signal and displaying an image by the image signal on a display unit comprises a controller for adjusting a signal level detecting circuit for detecting brightness levels of an image by the input image signal by controlling the sharpness of an image by the image signal according to a detected signal level in such a way that as the detected signal level rises, the sharpness increases. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image display apparatus for performing a specified process on an input image signal and displaying an image based on the image signal on a display unit, comprising: a detector unit which detects an average luminance level of the image based on the input image signal; and a controller which performs a sharpness adjustment for correcting contours of the image according to the average luminance level detected by said detector unit, wherein the controller includes a predetermined reference average luminance level as a center correction value corresponding to a user adjustment value set by a user; and wherein the controller determines a correction amount of the sharpness adjustment so as to reduce a sharpness of the image to less than the user adjustment value when the detected average luminance level is lower than the predetermined reference average luminance level and to increase the sharpness of the image to more than the user adjustment value when the detected average luminance level is higher than the predetermined reference average luminance level. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said detector unit detects the average luminance level of the input image signal for one frame. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said detector unit detects gain of an amplifier for amplifying the input image signal. ### Claim 4 An image display method for displaying an image by performing a specified process on an input image signal and displaying an image based on the image signal on a display unit, comprising the steps of: detecting an average luminance level of the image based on the input image signal; performing a sharpness adjustment for adjusting a sharpness of the image by correcting contours of the image based on the detected average luminance level of the image signal; and determining a correction amount of the sharpness adjustment so as to reduce a sharpness of the image to less than a user adjustment value set by a user when the average luminance level is detected as being lower than a predetermined reference average luminance level as a center correction value corresponding to the user adjustment value and to increase the sharpness of the image to more than the user adjustment value when the average luminance level is detected as being higher than the predetermined reference average luminance level. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The image display method according to claim 4, wherein the average luminance level is detected by detecting an average signal level of input image signals for one frame. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The image display method according to claim 4, wherein said signal level is detected by detecting the gain of means for amplifying the input image signal.