Display device and display control method

A display control method for a display device that includes a backlight including a plurality of individually-placed backlight sources corresponding to a plurality of areas included in a predetermined display area and a panel that includes a plurality of panel pixels corresponding to the display area and that changes transmittance of light from the backlight sources in units of pixels and that displays an image corresponding to image signals in the display area, the display control method comprising the steps of:

• calculating emission brightness settings of each of the plurality of individually-placed backlight sources in accordance with the image signals and setting the transmittance of light in each of the panel pixels in accordance with the emission brightness settings of each of the plurality of individually-placed backlight sources;
• and
• converting the emission brightness settings of each of the plurality of individually-placed backlight sources to light source control values in accordance with a nonlinear conversion table, wherein the nonlinear conversion table provides a mapping between a brightness setting value from a video image and a brightness control value for controlling the brightness of the backlight sources;
• and
• supplying the light source control values to the backlight sources.

A display device to display an image corresponding to image signals in a predetermined display area, the display device comprising:

• a backlight including a plurality of individually-placed backlight sources corresponding to a plurality of areas included in the display area;
• a panel that includes a plurality of panel pixels corresponding to the display area and that changes transmittance of light from the plurality of individually-placed backlight sources in units of pixels;
• a panel control unit configured to calculate emission brightness settings of each of the backlight sources in accordance with the image signals and set the transmittance of light in each of the panel pixels in accordance with the emission brightness settings of each of the plurality of individually-placed backlight sources set individually;
• a nonlinear conversion table stored in a storage unit, the nonlinear conversion table for converting the emission brightness of each of the plurality of individually-placed backlight sources to light source control values for the backlight;
• and
• a backlight control unit configured to convert the emission brightness settings for each of the plurality of individually-placed backlight sources calculated by the panel control unit to the light source control values in accordance with the nonlinear conversion table and supply the light source control values to the backlight sources.

A display device for displaying an image on a display area comprising:

• a backlight comprising a plurality of backlight sources configured to illuminate a plurality of areas within the display area;
• a light-modulating panel comprising a plurality of panel pixels each configured to change its transmittance for light incident on the pixel from the backlight responsive to a panel control signal;
• a panel controller configured to calculate emission brightness settings for each of the plurality of backlight sources responsive to a received image display signal and to determine values for the panel control signal based upon the calculated emission brightness settings;
• a nonlinear conversion table stored in a storage device;
• and
• a backlight controller configured to convert the calculated emission brightness settings to light source control values in accordance with the nonlinear conversion table and provide the light source control values to the backlight sources.