Television – Video display
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-22
2003-08-26
Hsia, Sherrie (Department: 2614)
Television
Video display
C348S602000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06611297
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an illumination control method and an illumination device for changing various illumination conditions in association with images and sounds.
BACKGROUND ART
Technologies have vigorously been developed in the video and audio field since the advent of the multi-media age. Particularly, large-sized displays provide realistic and powerful images which people can enjoy even at home. In future, techniques for improving the realism of images displayed on image display devices are expected to be indispensable for the purpose of more effective utilization of multi-media.
At present, since large-sized screens are the most effective means for improving realism, large and thin displays having low cost have been vigorously researched and developed.
Sound provides a significant influence on the atmosphere of a room. Therefore, it is considered that sounds are useful for an improvement in realism when viewing and hearing an image display device. Conventionally, a stereo technique using a pair of speakers (recently, a surrounding sound technique using additional speakers at the rear of an appreciator, and the like) have been developed. It is natural that the increased number of speakers leads to an improvement in realism. At present, however, taking actual cost into account, techniques for improving realism have been researched using a smaller number of speakers.
In addition to sound, illumination is also a factor that has a significant influence on the atmosphere of a room. Effects of illumination are supported by the fact that illumination effects, such as stage illumination play, an important role in stage performance. Thus, if the illumination having a significant influence on the room atmosphere is controlled in association with the screen of an image display device, realism may be enhanced when viewing the image display device. For example, when the large-sized screen of a high-definition TV provides a scene in which the sun is setting in the Mediterranean sea, the color temperature of illumination in a room is gradually decreased and the illuminance is also decreased as the screen gradually becomes reddish and dark. In this situation, the appreciator obtains realism as if he/she were in the image scene.
The technique for improving the realism of the image display device using illumination may not require a large-sized image. Resources and costs required for production of a small-sized illumination device are very small as compared with a large-sized image display device. Therefore, the technique for improving realism using illumination may significantly contribute to cost reduction, saving of energy, and conservation of global environment.
To date, there have been no attempts to put such an idea into practical use. However, there are some conventional related techniques.
As a first conventional technique, Japanese Laid-open Publication No. 2-158094 (Japanese Publication for Opposition No. 8-12793) discloses a “variable light color illumination device”. As a second conventional technique, Japanese Laid-open Publication No. 3-184203 (Japanese Publication for Opposition No. 8-15004) discloses a “variable light color illumination device”. Both publications relate to an illumination device for improving realism in viewing an image display device by controlling illumination in association with images on the image display device.
The illumination device in the first conventional technique includes an RGB signal output section, a Y (brightness) signal output section, a light mixture ratio control section, and a color illumination output section. The illumination device is connected to an image display device. The illumination device receives an RGB signal and a luminance signal for each pixel on the screen of the image display device, and obtains an average chromaticity and an average brightness of the whole screen. Based on the average chromaticity and luminance, an appropriate chromaticity and luminance are calculated for interior illumination. The outputs of the respective monochromatic fluorescent lamps of RGB included in the illumination output section are controlled in such a manner as to attain the appropriate chromaticity and illuminance.
The second conventional technique has substantially the same features as that of the first conventional technique, except that: the second conventional technique does not simply calculate the average chromaticity and the average brightness of the whole screen of the image display device; instead, pixels in portions having flesh color are removed from a human face or the like in an image displayed on the screen of the image display device, and the remainder of the image is regarded as a background; and the RGB signal and the luminance signal of each pixel in the background is taken, and based on the signals the average chromaticity and the average brightness are calculated.
As for a specific illumination control technique, an illumination control method is disclosed in which illumination is controlled so that the chromaticity and brightness of a wall surface at the rear of the image display device are equal to the average chromaticity and brightness of the whole screen or the background excluding a human flesh color.
As a third conventional technique, Japanese Laid-open Publication No. 2-253503 discloses an “image performance illumination device”. Similar to the above-described first and second conventional techniques, interior illumination is controlled in association with an image on the screen of the image display device. Note that the third conventional technique differs from the above-described first and second conventional techniques in that a plurality of light sources are used. As a specific illumination control technique, an illumination control technique is disclosed in which the screen of the image display device is divided into portions; an average hue is detected for each portion; and illumination is controlled so that the hue of an illumination light source corresponding to each portion is the same as that of each portion.
As a fourth conventional technique, Japanese Laid-open Publication No. 7-264620 discloses a “method and device for reproducing an image” Similar to the above-described first, second, and third conventional techniques, interior illumination is controlled in association with an image on the screen of the image-display device. Note that the fourth conventional technique differs from the above-described first, second, and third conventional techniques in that illumination conditions of a space, in which an image reproduction device, such as an image display device, exists are changed in such a manner as to conform to illumination conditions of a space in which a target object in an image displayed on the image display device exists and in which the target object is imaged.
As a fifth conventional technique, Japanese Laid-open Publication No. 6-267664 discloses an “illumination system for television”. Similar to the above-described first, second, third, and fourth conventional techniques, interior illumination is controlled in association with an image on the screen of the image display device. Note that the fifth conventional technique differs from the above-described first, second, third, and fourth conventional techniques in that for each pixel in an image on the image display device the outputs of the R-G-B monochromatic fluorescent lamps included in an illumination output section are adjusted in accordance with the magnitudes of the R-G-B signals, respectively, thereby enhancing the purity of colors in the image.
For example, the above-described Publication describes that when a red rose is displayed on the image display device, the output of a fluorescent lamp of R (red) is enhanced, whereby the purity of red in the screen of the image display device is prevented from being decreased due to outside light.
The above-described conventional techniques, particularly the first through third conventional techniques, disclose the idea that interior illumination is controlled i
Akashi Yukio
Hashimoto Kenjiro
Inohara Makoto
Yano Tadashi
Hsia Sherrie
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Snell & Wilmer LLP
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