# US 9,437,161 B2 · Image processing device for correcting an image to be displayed on a display by detecting dark sub-pixels between two bright sub-pixels > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,437,161 B2 - Document ID: US9437161B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/164,030 - Filed: 2014-01-24 - Published: 2014-05-22 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2011-07-27 - Assignees: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Panasonic Corporation - Inventors: Seiji Saito - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9437161B2 ## CPC - G09G 5/02: characterised by the way in which colour is displayed {(details of colour display specific for CRTs G09G1/28; specific for flat matrix panels other than liquid crystal displays G09G3/2003; specific for liquid crystal displays G09G3/3607)} - G09G 3/3611: {Control of matrices with row and column drivers} - G09G 2320/0242: Compensation of deficiencies in the appearance of colours - 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) ## Abstract In an image processing device which processes a video signal displayed on a display having sub-pixels arranged in a shape of stripes, a pixel scan section scans the video signal by two pixels adjacent in a direction orthogonal to the stripes and detects, in the two pixels, dark sub-pixels continuing by a number equivalent to one pixel or more between two bright sub-pixels each of which has a largest value in each of the two pixels, a correction target determination section determines at least one sub-pixel in the dark sub-pixels to be a correction target, a correction value computation section computes a correction value of the correction-target sub-pixel based on the values of the sub-pixels included in the two pixels, and a sub-pixel correction section increases the value of the correction-target sub-pixel by the correction value. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image processing device configured to process a video signal to be displayed on a display having pixels each including sub-pixels having different colors, the sub-pixels being arranged in a shape of stripes, the image processing device comprising: a processor; and a memory storing a program, wherein the program, when executed by the processor, configures the processor to have: a pixel scan section configured to analyze the video signal by two pixels adjacent in a direction orthogonal to the stripes and detect, in the two pixels in each of which at least one sub-pixel is lit, dark sub-pixels continuing by a number equivalent to one pixel or more between two bright sub-pixels each of which has a largest value in each of the two pixels; a correction target determination section configured to determine at least one sub-pixel in the dark sub-pixels to be a correction target; a correction value computation section configured to compute a correction value of the correction-target sub-pixel based on values of the sub-pixels included in the two pixels; and a sub-pixel correction section configured to increase a value of the correction target sub-pixel by the correction value. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image processing device of claim 1, wherein the correction target determination section determines at least one sub-pixel in the dark sub-pixels except for sub-pixels at both ends within the dark sub-pixels to be the correction target. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The image processing device of claim 1, wherein the pixel scan section detects the sub-pixel being lit and having the largest value from each of the two pixels as the two bright sub-pixels, and, if sub-pixels having a value smaller than a threshold value continue by a number equivalent to one pixel or more between the two detected sub-pixels, detects such sub-pixels as the dark sub-pixels. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The image processing device of claim 2, wherein the pixel scan section detects the sub-pixel being lit and having the largest value from each of the two pixels as the two bright sub-pixels, and, if sub-pixels having a value smaller than a threshold value continue by a number equivalent to one pixel or more between the two detected sub-pixels, detects such sub-pixels as the dark sub-pixels. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The image processing device of claim 1, wherein the pixel scan section detects the dark sub-pixels by selecting one arbitrary sub-pixel from each of the two pixels, and re-selecting a sub-pixel until the two selected sub-pixels correspond to the two bright sub-pixels and sub-pixels between the two selected sub-pixels correspond to the dark sub-pixels. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The image processing device of claim 2, wherein the pixel scan section detects the dark sub-pixels by selecting one arbitrary sub-pixel from each of the two pixels, and re-selecting a sub-pixel until the two selected sub-pixels correspond to the two bright sub-pixels and sub-pixels between the two selected sub-pixels correspond to the dark sub-pixels. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The image processing device of claim 1, wherein the pixel scan section detects the dark sub-pixels by performing pattern matching for the two pixels using a pattern constituted by two bright sub-pixels and dark sub-pixels continuing by a number equivalent to one pixel or more between the bright sub-pixels. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The image processing device of claim 2, wherein the pixel scan section detects the dark sub-pixels by performing pattern matching for the two pixels using a pattern constituted by two bright sub-pixels and dark sub-pixels continuing by a number equivalent to one pixel or more between the bright sub-pixels. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The image processing device of claim 1, wherein the pixel scan section detects in-between sub-pixels, which are sub-pixels between the two bright sub-pixels, as the dark sub-pixels, if the in-between sub-pixels continue by a number equivalent to one pixel or more and a total value of the in-between sub-pixels is less than a given value. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The image processing device of claim 2, wherein the pixel scan section detects in-between sub-pixels, which are sub-pixels between the two bright sub-pixels, as the dark sub-pixels, if the in-between sub-pixels continue by a number equivalent to one pixel or more and a total value of the in-between sub-pixels is less than a given value. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The image processing device of claim 1, wherein the pixel scan section detects in-between sub-pixels, which are sub-pixels between the two bright sub-pixels, as the dark sub-pixels, if the in-between sub-pixels continue by a number equivalent to one pixel or more and an average value of the in-between sub-pixels is less than a given value. ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The image processing device of claim 2, wherein the pixel scan section detects in-between sub-pixels, which are sub-pixels between the two bright sub-pixels, as the dark sub-pixels, if the in-between sub-pixels continue by a number equivalent to one pixel or more and an average value of the in-between sub-pixels is less than a given value. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The image processing device of claim 1, wherein the pixel scan section detects in-between sub-pixels, which are sub-pixels between the two bright sub-pixels, as the dark sub-pixels, if the in-between sub-pixels continue by a number equivalent to one pixel or more and a difference between a value of each of the in-between subpixels and the largest value of the two bright sub-pixels is equal to or more than a given value. ### Claim 14 (depends on 2) The image processing device of claim 2, wherein the pixel scan section detects in-between sub-pixels, which are sub-pixels between the two bright sub-pixels, as the dark sub-pixels, if the in-between sub-pixels continue by a number equivalent to one pixel or more and a difference between a value of each of the in-between subpixels and the largest value of the two bright sub-pixels is equal to or more than a given value. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) An image display apparatus, comprising: the image processing device of claim 1; and a display configured to display the video signal processed by the image processing device. ### Claim 16 An image processing device configured to process a video signal displayed on a display having pixels each including sub-pixels having different colors, the subpixels being arranged in a shape of stripes, the image processing device comprising: a processor; and a memory storing a program, wherein the program, when executed by the processor, configures the processor to: analyze the video signal by two pixels adjacent in a direction orthogonal to the stripes and detect, in the two pixels in each of which at least one sub-pixel is lit, dark sub-pixels continuing by a number equivalent to one pixel or more between two bright sub-pixels each of which has a largest value in each of the two pixels; determine at least one sub-pixel in the dark sub-pixels to be a correction target; compute a correction value of the correction-target sub-pixel based on values of the sub-pixels included in the two pixels; and increase a value of the correction-target sub-pixel by the correction value. ### Claim 17 An image processing method for processing a video signal displayed on a display having pixels each including sub-pixels having different colors, the subpixels being arranged in a shape of stripes, the method comprising steps of: analyzing, scanning the video signal by two pixels adjacent in a direction orthogonal to the stripes and detecting, in the two pixels in each of which at least one sub-pixel is lit, dark subpixels continuing by a number equivalent to one pixel or more between two bright sub-pixels each of which has a largest value in each of the two pixels, performed by a pixel scan section in a processor; determining at least one sub-pixel in the dark sub-pixels to be a correction target, performed by a correction target determination section in the processor; computing a correction value of the correction-target sub-pixel based on values of the sub-pixels included in the two pixels, performed by a correction value computation section in the processor; and increasing a value of the correction-target sub-pixel by the correction value, performed by a sub-pixel correction section in the processor.