JP4897630B2 - Display device, directivity control method, and program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a display device, a directivity control method, and a program.

  In recent years, as an alternative to a CRT display (Cathode Ray Tube display), an organic EL display (Organic Light Emitting Diode display) or FED (Field Emission Display) is used. Various display devices such as LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) and PDP (Plasma Display Panel) have been developed.

  The display device described above including a CRT display has a predetermined dynamic range for each device, and can display an image indicated by an input video signal within a limited dynamic range.

  Under such circumstances, a technique for improving the realistic and stereoscopic effect of the video by changing the frequency component and the region to be emphasized according to the video signal has been developed. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-228707 discloses a technique for improving the sense of presence and the stereoscopic effect by adjusting the frequency band to be emphasized and the amount thereof based on the amount of high frequency components in the video signal.

JP 2007-158992 A

  However, even if the conventional technology for improving the realism and stereoscopic effect of the video by changing the frequency component and region to be emphasized according to the video signal is used, because the dynamic range of the display device is limited, The effect of improving the sense of presence and the stereoscopic effect depends on the dynamic range of the display device.

  In addition, in conventional display devices that use conventional techniques for improving the realism and stereoscopic effect of video by changing the frequency components and areas to be emphasized according to the video signal, the displayed light itself is basically It has only a two-dimensional spread. Therefore, the conventional display device cannot express the sense of depth or stereoscopic effect of the subject of the video indicated by the video signal (for example, a person, an animal, or an object such as a tree, a car, or a building).

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to improve the realistic and stereoscopic effect of a video by controlling the directivity of light based on an input video signal. It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved display device, directivity control method, and program that can be implemented.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, a video display unit having a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix and displaying video on a display screen based on an input video signal And at least one directivity control element whose directivity is defined according to the applied voltage signal, and the light emitted from the pixel corresponding to the directivity control element for each of the directivity control elements. A directivity defining unit that determines directivity and a directivity detection that divides the display screen into a plurality of divided regions corresponding to the respective directivity control elements and detects a divided region having high luminance based on an input video signal. And a directivity control unit that applies a voltage signal to the directivity control element corresponding to the detected divided area based on the detection result of the directivity detection unit.

  The display device includes a video display unit, a directivity defining unit, a directivity detecting unit, and a directivity control unit. In the video display unit, for example, pixels are arranged in a matrix (matrix), and video is displayed on the display screen based on the input video signal. The directivity defining unit includes at least one directivity control element whose directivity is defined in accordance with an applied voltage signal. In addition, each directivity control element included in the directivity defining unit determines directivity with respect to light emitted from the corresponding pixel. The directivity detection unit detects a divided region having high luminance based on the input video signal. Here, the divided areas detected by the directivity detection unit are, for example, areas on the display screen corresponding to the respective directivity control elements (that is, areas where the display screen is divided according to the directivity control elements). Can do. The directivity control unit applies a voltage signal to the directivity control element corresponding to the divided region with high luminance based on the detection result of the directivity detection unit. With this configuration, it is possible to control the directivity of light based on the input video signal, and to improve the realism and stereoscopic effect of the video.

  The directivity defining unit may include a plurality of directivity control elements corresponding to the pixels on a one-to-one basis.

  With this configuration, it is possible to control the directivity of light based on the input video signal, and to improve the realism and stereoscopic effect of the video.

  In addition, the directivity detection unit determines the divided area as described above when an absolute value of a luminance difference between one pixel corresponding to the divided area and pixels around the one pixel is larger than a predetermined value. You may detect as a division area with high brightness | luminance.

  With this configuration, it is possible to effectively improve the realism and stereoscopic effect of the video.

  Further, the directivity defining unit may include at least one directivity control element corresponding to two or more pixels.

  With this configuration, it is possible to control the directivity of light based on the input video signal, and to improve the realism and stereoscopic effect of the video.

  In addition, the directivity detection unit, for each of the two or more pixels corresponding to the divided area, an absolute value of a luminance difference between one pixel and pixels around the one pixel, a predetermined value, The divided areas having high luminance may be detected according to the frequency of the comparison result between the absolute value of the luminance difference and the predetermined value.

  With this configuration, it is possible to effectively improve the realism and stereoscopic effect of the video.

  The directivity control element may be a variable focus lens.

  With this configuration, directivity can be determined with respect to light emitted from the pixel in accordance with an applied voltage signal.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to a second aspect of the present invention, an image having a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix and displaying an image on a display screen based on an input image signal The display unit has at least one or more directivity control elements whose directivity is defined according to the applied voltage signal, and the directivity control elements are emitted from the pixels corresponding to the directivity control elements. A directivity control method in a display device including a directivity defining unit that determines the directivity of light, wherein the display screen is divided into a plurality of divided regions corresponding to the respective directivity control elements, and an input video signal is obtained. And a step of applying a voltage signal to the directivity control element corresponding to the detected divided region based on a detection result in the detecting step. Directivity control method and a flop is provided.

  By using such a method, it is possible to control the directivity of light based on the input video signal and improve the realistic and stereoscopic effect of the video.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to a third aspect of the present invention, an image having a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix and displaying an image on a display screen based on an input image signal The display unit has at least one or more directivity control elements whose directivity is defined according to the applied voltage signal, and the directivity control elements are emitted from the pixels corresponding to the directivity control elements. A program that can be used for a display device that includes a directivity defining unit that determines the directivity of light, and that divides the display screen into a plurality of divided regions corresponding to the respective directivity control elements, and inputs an image. Detecting a divided region having a high luminance based on the signal, and applying a voltage signal to the directivity control element corresponding to the detected divided region based on a detection result in the detecting step. Program for executing the steps on a computer is provided.

  With such a program, the directivity of light can be controlled based on the input video signal, and the realistic and stereoscopic effect of the video can be improved.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the realism and stereoscopic effect of a video by controlling the directivity of light based on the input video signal.

  Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the present specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

(Approach for improving the realism and stereoscopic effect of video according to an embodiment of the present invention)
Before describing the configuration of the display device according to the embodiment of the present invention, first, an approach for improving the realism and stereoscopic effect of the video in the display device according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an approach for improving the realistic and stereoscopic effect of an image in a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Here, FIG. 1 shows an example of an image displayed on the display screen 10 of the display device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  In the image displayed on the display screen 10, light is emitted from various screen positions such as the lake surface A, the window B, and the wall surface C, for example. However, for example, the light emitted from the lake surface A and the window B is “reflected light” that reflects light from a light source (for example, the sun), whereas the light emitted from the wall surface C is such as the sun. “Illumination light” illuminated by a light source. That is, the viewer who sees the light emitted from the wall surface C indirectly sees the light from the light source such as the sun, and the light emitted from the wall surface C is, for example, “reflected light” emitted from the lake surface A. Are very different.

Therefore, in the display device according to the embodiment of the present invention, attention is paid to the fact that there is a difference in light emitted from the display screen 10 such as “reflected light” and “illumination light”. ) And (B) to improve the realistic and stereoscopic effect of the video.
(A) Detect a region with relatively high luminance based on the video signal (B) Define directivity for light (light from the display screen) emitted from the detected region with high luminance

  The display device according to the embodiment of the present invention does not correct the video signal itself as in the conventional display device, but by defining the directivity with respect to the light emitted from the display device according to the video signal. Improve the presence and stereoscopic effect of the video. Therefore, the display device according to the embodiment of the present invention is a conventional display device using a conventional technique for improving the realism and stereoscopic effect of a video by changing the frequency component and region to be emphasized according to the video signal. As described above, the effect of improving the sense of presence and the stereoscopic effect does not depend on the dynamic range of the display device.

  In addition, the display device according to the embodiment of the present invention regulates the directivity with respect to the light emitted from the display device according to the video signal. It can be expanded to three dimensions.

  Therefore, the display device according to the embodiment of the present invention is a conventional display device using a conventional technique for improving the realism and stereoscopic effect of a video by changing the frequency component and region to be emphasized according to the video signal. In addition, it is possible to improve the presence and stereoscopic effect of the video. Hereinafter, the display device according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described more specifically.

(Embodiment)
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the display device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention. Here, although one video signal is shown in FIG. 2, the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. For example, an input video signal is an independent signal for each of R, G, and B colors. Also good. Hereinafter, a dot matrix type display device such as an OLED display, an LCD, or a PDP will be described as an example of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. However, the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. For example, the present invention can be applied to a CRT display.

  In the following description, it is assumed that the video signal input to the display device 100 is a digital signal used in digital broadcasting, for example. However, the video signal is not limited to the above, and is an analog signal used in analog broadcasting, for example. You can also Note that the video signal input to the display device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention can be, for example, transmitted from a broadcasting station and received by the display device 100, but is not limited thereto. For example, the video signal input to the display device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention may be transmitted from an external device via a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network) and received by the display device 100. Alternatively, the display device 100 may read a video file or an image file held in a storage unit (not shown) included in the display device 100.

  Referring to FIG. 2, the display device 100 includes a video display unit 102, a directivity defining unit 104, a directivity detection unit 106, and a directivity control unit 108.

  The display device 100 includes, for example, a control unit (not shown) configured by an MPU (Micro Processing Unit) or the like that can control the entire display device 100, a program used by the control unit, an operation parameter, and the like. Video signal transmitted from a ROM (Read Only Memory) (not shown) in which control data is recorded, a RAM (Random Access Memory (not shown)) that primarily stores programs executed by the control unit, a broadcasting station, and the like A receiving unit (not shown) for receiving video, a storage unit (not shown) capable of storing video files and image files, an operation unit (not shown) operable by the user, and an external device (not shown) You may provide the communication part (not shown) etc. for performing communication. The display device 100 connects the above-described constituent elements by, for example, a bus as a data transmission path.

  Here, as the storage unit (not shown), for example, a magnetic recording medium such as a hard disk, an EEPROM (Electronically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory), a flash memory, a MRAM (Magnetoresistive Random Access) Memory, FeRAM (Ferroelectric Random Access Memory), PRAM (Phase change Random Access Memory) and other non-volatile memories, or optical discs such as DVD discs, Blu-Ray discs, HD DVD discs, etc. A drive etc. are mentioned, However, it is not restricted to the above.

  In addition, examples of the operation unit (not shown) include operation input devices such as a keyboard and a mouse, buttons, direction keys, and combinations thereof, but are not limited thereto. Absent. For example, an operation unit (not shown) may have a function of receiving an input from an external device such as a remote controller. The display device 100 and an external device (not shown) may be physically connected via, for example, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) terminal or an IEEE 1394 standard terminal, or may be connected to a WUSB (Wireless Universal). It is also possible to connect wirelessly using Serial Bus) or IEEE 802.11. Furthermore, the display device 100 and an external device (not shown) can be connected via a network, for example. Examples of the network include a wired network such as a LAN or a WAN (Wide Area Network), a wireless network such as a WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) using MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output), or TCP / IP (Transmission Control). Examples include, but are not limited to, the Internet using a communication protocol such as Protocol / Internet Protocol. Therefore, the communication unit (not shown) has an interface corresponding to the connection form with the external device (not shown).

  The video display unit 102 displays video based on the input video signal.

[Configuration Example of Video Display Unit 102]
The video display unit 102 includes a display unit 120, a row driving unit 122, a column driving unit 124, a power supply unit 126, and a display control unit 128.

  The display unit 120 includes a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix (matrix). For example, a display unit that displays an SD (Standard Definition) resolution image has at least 640 × 480 = 307200 (data lines × scanning lines) pixels, and these pixels are red (red) and green for color display. In the case of (Green) and blue (Blue) sub-pixels, the sub-pixel has 640 × 480 × 3 = 921600 (data line × scanning line × number of sub-pixels). Similarly, for example, a display unit that displays an HD (High Definition) resolution image has 1920 × 1080 pixels, and has 1920 × 1080 × 3 sub-pixels for color display.

  The display unit 120 may include, for example, a pixel circuit (not shown) for controlling the amount of voltage / current applied to each pixel. The pixel circuit includes, for example, a switch element and a drive element for controlling the amount of current by an applied scanning signal and a voltage signal, and a capacitor for holding a voltage signal. The switch element and the drive element are composed of, for example, a thin film transistor.

  For example, the row driving unit 122 and the column driving unit 124 apply voltage signals to a plurality of pixels included in the display unit 120 to cause each pixel to emit light. Here, one of the row driving unit 122 and the column driving unit 124 applies a voltage signal (scanning signal) that determines ON / OFF of the pixel, and the other applies a voltage signal (video signal) corresponding to an image to be displayed. It can play the role of applying.

  Further, as a driving method of the row driving unit 122 and the column driving unit 124, for example, a dot sequential driving scanning method in which light is emitted for each pixel arranged in the matrix, and the pixels arranged in the matrix are arranged for each column. Examples include a line sequential drive scanning method for emitting light, and a surface sequential drive scanning method for emitting light from all the pixels arranged in the matrix. Note that the video display unit 102 of the display device 100 illustrated in FIG. 2 includes two drive units, a row drive unit 122 and a column drive unit 124, but the display device according to the embodiment of the present invention has one drive. Needless to say, it can be composed of parts.

  The power supply unit 126 supplies power to the row driving unit 122 and the column driving unit 124, and a voltage is applied to the row driving unit 122 and the column driving unit 124. The magnitude of the voltage that the power supply unit 126 applies to the row driving unit 122 and the column driving unit 124 varies according to the input video signal.

  The display control unit 128 is configured by, for example, an MPU and applies a voltage for determining ON / OFF of the pixel to one of the row driving unit 122 and the column driving unit 124 according to the input video signal. The control signal is input, and the video signal is input to the other. The display control unit 128 can also control the supply of power to the row driving unit 122 and the column driving unit 124 by the power supply unit 126 according to the input video signal.

  The video display unit 102 displays video corresponding to the input video signal, for example, with the configuration shown in FIG.

  The directivity defining unit 104 includes, for example, at least one directivity control element that determines the directivity of light that passes in accordance with an applied voltage signal. And the directivity prescription | regulation part 104 prescribes | regulates directivity for every directivity control element with respect to the light emitted from the display part 120 according to the image | video displayed based on a video signal. In FIG. 2, the video display unit 102 and the directivity defining unit 104 are shown separately in the horizontal direction, but this is for convenience of explanation. The display device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a directivity defining unit 104 on the front surface of the display unit 120 of the video display unit 102, that is, on a display screen that emits light corresponding to the video.

  FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the function of the directivity defining unit 104 in the display device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[1] First pattern (FIG. 3A)
As illustrated in FIG. 3A, the directivity control elements included in the directivity defining unit 104 are disposed so as to correspond to the pixels included in the display unit 120 on a one-to-one basis, for example. In addition, the directivity control element does not have to define the directivity of light emitted from the pixel. Therefore, in the above case, as shown in FIG. 3A, the light emitted from the pixel can take a non-directional state (non-directional state), and radiates light over a wide range. can do.

[2] Second pattern (FIG. 3B)
In addition, the directivity control element included in the directivity defining unit 104 is arranged to correspond to each pixel included in the display unit 120 in a one-to-one correspondence as illustrated in FIG. Sex can also be defined. Therefore, in the above case, as shown in FIG. 3B, the light emitted from the pixels converges in a predetermined direction defined by the directivity control element, and the directivity state is realized.

[3] Third pattern (FIG. 3C)
3A and 3B show the configuration in which the directivity control elements are arranged so as to correspond to the pixels included in the display unit 120 on a one-to-one basis, the directivity according to the embodiment of the present invention. The sex defining unit 104 is not limited to the above configuration. The directivity defining unit 104 can include directivity control elements corresponding to a plurality of pixels, for example, as shown in FIG.

  Here, FIG. 3C shows a case where the light emitted from the pixel by the directivity control element is in a non-directional state, as in FIG. It goes without saying that the directivity state can also be realized. FIG. 3C illustrates an example in which one directivity control element corresponds to a plurality of pixels (for example, four pixels) in one row (or one column) direction. However, one directivity control element can correspond to a plurality of pixels (for example, 4 × 4 pixels) in the matrix direction.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the directivity control element included in the directivity defining unit 104 and each pixel included in the display unit 120 correspond one-to-one or one-to-many. Hereinafter, the area of the display unit 120 (display screen) of the video display unit 102 corresponding to the directivity control element included in the directivity defining unit 104 is referred to as a “divided region”. Here, the divided area can be regarded as an area obtained by dividing the display screen into a plurality of areas.

  Therefore, when the directivity control element and the pixel have a one-to-one correspondence, the divided area is a pixel unit area. When the directivity control element and the pixel have a one-to-many correspondence, the divided area has a directivity. This is a region including a plurality of pixels corresponding to the sex control element.

[Examples of directivity control elements according to embodiments of the present invention]
The directivity defining unit 104 includes directivity control elements, thereby defining directivity with respect to light emitted from each divided region, for example, as shown in FIG. Here, the directivity defining unit 104 can use, for example, a variable focus lens as the directivity control element. The variable focal length lens changes the focal length without changing the positional relationship of the lenses. Therefore, the display device 100 can regulate directivity with respect to light emitted from each divided region by controlling the focal length of the variable focus lens. Hereinafter, an example of the variable focus lens (directivity control element) according to the embodiment of the present invention that can be provided in the directivity defining unit 104 will be described.

(I) Liquid Lens The directivity defining unit 104 can use a liquid lens as a variable focus lens. In the liquid lens according to the embodiment of the present invention, for example, two kinds of liquids are sealed in the lens, and a voltage signal is applied to one of the lenses, thereby changing a focus using an electrowetting phenomenon. Therefore, the directivity defining unit 104 can define directivity with respect to light emitted from each divided region by changing the focal length according to the applied voltage signal. Here, the electrowetting phenomenon is a phenomenon in which the tension at the interface changes as the electric charge present at the interface changes. In addition, as the liquid lens according to the embodiment of the present invention, for example, the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-195474 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-323390 can be used.

(II) Others The variable focus lens according to the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the liquid lens. For example, the directivity defining unit 104 may include a liquid crystal lens that encloses liquid crystal in a lens-shaped space and changes the refractive index of the liquid crystal in accordance with an applied voltage signal as a directivity control element.

  The directivity defining unit 104 determines the directivity of light passing according to an applied voltage signal by using a variable focus lens such as a liquid lens or a liquid crystal lens, for example, for the light emitted from each divided region. To define directivity. The directivity defining unit 104 according to the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to a variable focus lens. For example, the directivity defining unit 104 includes a lens and a piezoelectric element as a directivity control element, and emits from each divided region by changing the focal point of the lens by a piezoelectric effect according to an applied voltage signal. It is also possible to define the directivity with respect to the emitted light. In addition, the directivity control element according to the embodiment of the present invention can be realized using, for example, MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems).

  The components of the display device 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 2 again. Based on the input video signal, the directivity detection unit 106 detects a divided region having a high luminance in each divided region (that is, a region corresponding to the directivity control element) as a region that defines directivity. To do. Here, the directivity detection unit 106 detects, for example, a region having a relatively higher luminance than the surrounding divided regions as a divided region having a high luminance. Below, the detection method of the area | region which prescribes | regulates the directivity based on embodiment of this invention is demonstrated. In the following, an example in which the directivity detection unit 106 detects a divided region having high luminance using a luminance value based on a video signal will be described. However, the region detection method for defining directivity according to the embodiment of the present invention is described below. Is not limited to the above. For example, the directivity detection unit 106 detects a region that defines directivity by separating reflected light and illumination light using an assumption such as a gray hypothesis that assumes that the average color of an object is gray. You can also.

[Detection method of area defining directivity]
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of a region detection method for defining directivity according to the embodiment of the present invention. Here, FIG. 4A is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a detection method when the directivity control element and the pixel correspond one-to-one, that is, when the divided region is a pixel unit region. FIG. 4B is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of a detection method when the directivity control elements and the pixels correspond one-to-many, that is, when the divided region is a region corresponding to a plurality of pixels.

(I) When the directivity control element and the pixel correspond one-to-one (FIG. 4A)
When the directivity control element and the pixel correspond one-to-one, the directivity detection unit 106 has a relatively higher luminance than the surrounding divided areas by the following processes (a) to (c), for example. A divided region is detected, and the detected region is defined as a region that defines directivity.

(B) Calculate the luminance difference between the luminance value of the divided area a to be determined and each of the surrounding pixels 11 to 18 of the divided area a. (B) Add the calculated luminance difference and take the absolute value thereof. (C) The magnitude of the absolute value is compared with a predetermined threshold value, and when the absolute value is larger than the predetermined threshold value, the divided area a is detected as a divided area having a relatively higher luminance than the surrounding divided areas. Do

  The directivity detection unit 106 detects, for example, a divided area having a relatively higher luminance than the surrounding divided areas by performing the processes (a) to (c) above. Here, the information on the predetermined threshold value used in (c) above can be held in the storage unit, for example, provided in the directivity detection unit 106. Examples of the storage means included in the directivity detection unit 106 include non-volatile memories such as an EEPROM and a flash memory, but are not limited thereto. The information on the predetermined threshold used by the directivity detection unit 106 in (c) above is stored, for example, in a storage unit (not shown) of the display device 100, and the directivity detection unit 106 stores the storage unit (not shown). Needless to say, it may be read as appropriate.

  The directivity detection unit 106 transmits the detection result to the directivity control unit 108. Here, the directivity detection unit 106 is, for example, data of a predetermined bit (bit value specifying a divided region) + “0” indicating whether or not the divided region is a region that defines directivity. / "Value for specifying a divided area" + "1" Here, for example, "0" indicates that the area is not for defining directivity, and "1" indicates the area for defining directivity. .) Can be transmitted as a result of detection, but is not limited to the above.

(Ii) When the directivity control element and the pixel correspond one-to-many (FIG. 4B)
When the directivity control elements and the pixels correspond one-to-many, the directivity detection unit 106 performs, for example, a division with relatively higher luminance than the surrounding divided areas by the following processes (d) and (e). A region is detected, and the detected region is defined as a region that defines directivity.

(D) For each of the pixels 21 to 36 in the divided area b, the relative luminance difference with the surrounding pixels is determined in the same manner as the processes shown in (A) to (C) above. On the basis of the result of high, when the frequency with the absolute value larger than the predetermined threshold is higher than the frequency with the absolute value smaller than the predetermined threshold, the luminance of the divided region b is relatively higher than the surrounding divided regions Detect as high divided area

  The directivity detection unit 106 detects, for example, a divided region having a relatively higher luminance than the surrounding divided regions by performing the above processes (d) and (e). In addition, the directivity detection unit 106 transmits the detection result to the directivity control unit 108 as in the case of (i) above. In the above process (e), for example, when the frequency at which the absolute value is larger than the predetermined threshold is the same as the frequency at which the absolute value is smaller than the predetermined threshold, the directivity detecting unit 106 preliminarily It goes without saying that the prescribed results can be transmitted.

  In addition, the directivity detection unit 106 transmits a detection result corresponding to the frequency at which the absolute value is greater than a predetermined threshold value for the divided area determined to be relatively brighter than the surrounding divided areas. You can also By transmitting a detection result corresponding to a frequency with an absolute value greater than a predetermined threshold to the directivity control unit 108, the directivity of the directivity control element included in the directivity defining unit 104 can be controlled more flexibly. it can.

  The directivity detection unit 106 uses, for example, the methods shown in (i) and (ii) above to determine the directivity of the divided areas with high luminance among the divided areas based on the input video signal. The detected area is detected, and the detection result is transmitted to the directivity control unit 108. The directivity detecting unit 106 can perform various arithmetic processes using luminance values by including, for example, an MPU, but is not limited to this configuration.

  The components of the display device 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 2 again. The directivity control unit 108 corresponds to each divided region based on the detection result transmitted from the directivity detecting unit 106 (for example, data indicating whether or not each divided region defines directivity). A voltage signal is applied to the directivity control element of the directivity defining unit 104. Here, the directivity control unit 108 corresponds to the detection result transmitted from the directivity detection unit 106, for example, the directivity control element included in the directivity definition unit 104 as in the following [A] and [B]. A voltage signal is applied to.

[A] When the detection result transmitted from the directivity detection unit 106 is binary “1” indicating that the detection result transmitted from the directivity detection unit 106 is, for example, a divided region that defines directivity. Alternatively, in the case of being represented by a binary value “0” indicating that it is not a divided region that defines directivity, the directivity control unit 108 divides the divided region that defines directivity (that is, the detection result is “1”). For example, a voltage signal of several tens of volts is applied to the directivity control element corresponding to the divided region.

  In addition, the directivity control unit 108 does not apply a voltage signal, for example, to the directivity control element corresponding to a divided region that does not define directivity (that is, a divided region where the detection result indicates “0”).

  Therefore, among the directivity control elements included in the directivity defining unit 104, the directivity control elements corresponding to the divided areas that define directivity are directed to, for example, the light passing through the focal point of the variable focus lens. The directivity is determined (for example, the state of FIG. 3A), and the directivity is not determined for the light passing through the directivity control element corresponding to the divided region that does not define the directivity (for example, FIG. b)). Therefore, the display device 100 can regulate directivity with respect to the light emitted from the display device 100 in accordance with the video signal. Can be extended to dimensions.

[B] When the detection result transmitted from the directivity detection unit 106 is a plurality of values (three or more values) When the detection result transmitted from the directivity detection unit 106 is a plurality of values (three or more values) The directivity control unit 108 applies a voltage signal corresponding to the value of the detection result to the corresponding directivity control element. For example, when the detection result transmitted from the directivity detection unit 106 corresponds to the frequency at which the absolute value calculated by the processes (A) and (B) is greater than a predetermined threshold, A voltage having a magnitude corresponding to the frequency is applied to the corresponding directivity control element. Here, the directivity control unit 108 uses the look-up table (Look Up Table) in which the detection result transmitted from the directivity detection unit 106 and the applied voltage value are associated with each other, for example. A voltage having a corresponding magnitude can be uniquely determined. Information such as a look-up table used by the directivity control unit 108 to set a correction value is stored in, for example, storage means (for example, a nonvolatile memory such as an EEPROM or a flash memory) provided in the directivity control unit 108. However, the present invention is not limited to the above, and may be stored in a storage unit (not shown) of the display device 100.

  Further, for example, when the detection result transmitted from the directivity detection unit 106 is a value indicating that it is not a divided region that defines directivity, no voltage signal is applied to the corresponding directivity control element. .

  Therefore, among the directivity control elements included in the directivity defining unit 104, the directivity control element to which the voltage signal is applied passes, for example, when the focal point of the variable focus lens changes according to the applied voltage. Directivity is determined for light (for example, the state of FIG. 3A), and directivity is not determined for light passing through a directivity control element to which no voltage signal is applied (for example, FIG. 3B). State). Therefore, even if the detection result transmitted from the directivity detecting unit 106 is a plurality of values (three or more values), the display device 100 displays the display device 100 according to the video signal as in the case of the binary value. Since the directivity can be defined for the light emitted from the light, the displayed light that basically has only a two-dimensional spread can be expanded to three dimensions.

  The directivity control unit 108 applies voltage to each directivity control element included in the directivity defining unit 104 according to the detection result transmitted from the directivity detection unit 106, for example, as shown in [A] and [B] above. Apply a signal. The directivity control unit 108 can include, for example, a power source such as a battery and an MPU that controls application of a voltage signal. However, the configuration is not limited thereto. For example, the directivity control unit 108 may be configured not to include a power source but to control application of a voltage signal from the power supply unit 126 to each directivity control element included in the directivity defining unit 104.

  As described above, the display device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention detects a divided area having a higher luminance than the surrounding divided areas based on the input video signal. Then, the display device 100 applies a voltage signal corresponding to the detection result to the directivity control elements provided corresponding to the respective divided regions. Since the display device 100 includes, for example, a variable focus lens such as a liquid lens as the directivity control element, the directivity control element according to the embodiment of the present invention varies the focus according to the applied voltage signal. Directivity can be determined for the light displayed from the display screen (display unit 120). Therefore, the display device 100 can improve the realistic and stereoscopic effect of the video by controlling the directivity of light based on the input video signal.

  Further, the display device 100 does not correct the video signal itself as in a conventional display device that improves the realism and stereoscopic effect of the video by changing the frequency component and region to be emphasized according to the video signal. Since the directivity is defined for the light emitted from the display device 100 according to the video signal, the effect of improving the sense of presence and the stereoscopic effect does not depend on the dynamic range of the display unit 120 included in the display device 100. Furthermore, since the display device 100 defines the directivity with respect to the light emitted from the display unit 120 according to the video signal, the display light that basically has only a two-dimensional spread is expanded to three dimensions. can do.

  Therefore, the display device 100 is more realistic than the conventional display device using a conventional technique for improving the realistic and stereoscopic effect of the video by changing the frequency component and region to be emphasized according to the video signal. A feeling and a three-dimensional feeling can be improved.

[Modification of Display Device 100]
In the above, as a display device according to the embodiment of the present invention, a voltage signal is applied to each directivity control element included in the directivity defining unit 104 based on an input video signal, thereby displaying a display screen (display unit 120). The structure which regulates the directivity to the light according to the image emitted from is shown. However, the display device according to the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. For example, the display device according to the embodiment of the present invention provides each directivity control element included in the directivity defining unit 104 based on a directivity setting command transmitted from an operation unit (not shown) according to a user operation. A voltage signal can also be applied.

  The display device according to the modification of the embodiment of the present invention applies a voltage signal to each directivity control element included in the directivity defining unit based on a directivity setting command transmitted from an operation unit (not shown). Accordingly, for example, the directivity can be defined in all directivity control elements included in the directivity defining unit. In the above case, since the light from the display screen (display unit) can be condensed in a predetermined direction, the display device according to the modification of the embodiment of the present invention is high in the predetermined direction. Brightness images can be displayed. As described above, the display device according to the modification of the embodiment of the present invention can determine the directivity of light from the display screen (display unit) according to a user operation, so that the realistic and stereoscopic effect of the video can be obtained. Can be improved flexibly.

  Further, although the display device 100 has been described as an embodiment of the present invention, the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to such a form, and for example, a display device such as a CRT display, an organic EL display, an FED, an LCD, a PDP, The present invention can be applied to computers such as PCs (Personal Computers) and portable communication devices such as mobile phones.

[Application example of display device 100]
The display device 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention can be used, for example, for a poster display application that is installed in a street or a commercial facility and displays a predetermined still image. As described above, since the display device 100 can define the directivity of light for each divided region, when a viewer who views a still image (video) displayed by the display device 100 passes in front of the display device 100. It is possible to change the way the reflected light or the like in the still image is displayed according to the movement of the viewer. Therefore, the display device 100 can give the viewer an impression as if the viewer is looking at the actual object that is reflected in the still image.

(Program for display device 100)
With the program for causing the display device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention to function as a computer, the directivity of light can be controlled based on an input video signal, and the realistic and stereoscopic effect of the video can be improved.

(Direction control method)
Next, the directivity control method according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the directivity control method according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  Based on the input video signal, the display device 100 detects, for each divided region, a region having a higher luminance than the surrounding divided regions (S100, directivity detection processing). Here, the divided area is an area of the display screen (display unit 120) corresponding to each directivity control element included in the display device 100. Each divided region can include, for example, one pixel, and can also include a plurality of pixels. Further, the display device 100 can perform the directivity detection processing in step S100 by using, for example, the method described with reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B.

  Based on the detection result in step S100, the display device 100 determines whether or not each divided region is a region having a higher luminance than the surrounding divided regions (S102). Here, the detection result in step S100 can be, for example, binary data indicating whether or not the divided area is a divided area that defines directivity, but is not limited to the above. It may be data that takes

  If it is determined in step S102 that one divided region is a region having higher brightness than the surrounding divided regions, the display device 100 sends the voltage signal to the directivity control element corresponding to the one divided region. Apply (S104, directivity control process). The display device 100 includes, for example, a variable focus lens whose focal point varies according to an applied voltage, such as a liquid lens, as a directivity control element. Therefore, by applying the voltage signal in step S104, the display device 100 can determine the directivity of the light corresponding to the video emitted from the display screen (display unit 120).

  Further, when it is determined in step S102 that one divided region is not a region where the luminance is higher than that of the surrounding divided regions, the display device 100 transmits the voltage signal to the directivity control corresponding to the one divided region. Not applied to the element (S106, directivity control process). When the voltage signal is not applied, the directivity control element does not determine the directivity for the light corresponding to the image emitted from the display screen (display unit 120). For example, as shown in FIG. Can emit light.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the directivity control method according to the embodiment of the present invention detects a divided area having a higher luminance than the surrounding divided areas based on the input video signal, and displays based on the detection result. The directivity of each directivity control element included in the apparatus 100 is controlled. Therefore, by using the directivity control method shown in FIG. 5, the display device 100 can improve the realistic and stereoscopic effect of the video by controlling the directivity of light based on the input video signal. .

  As mentioned above, although preferred embodiment of this invention was described referring an accompanying drawing, it cannot be overemphasized that this invention is not limited to the example which concerns. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the claims, and these are naturally within the technical scope of the present invention. Understood.

  For example, in the display device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 2, the input video signal is described as a digital signal, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the display device according to the embodiment of the present invention includes, for example, an A / D converter (Analog to Digital converter), converts an input analog signal (video signal) into a digital signal, and converts the converted video. The signal may be processed. In addition, the display device according to the embodiment of the present invention can process an analog signal (video signal) by configuring each component with an analog circuit, for example.

  The configuration described above shows an example of the embodiment of the present invention, and naturally belongs to the technical scope of the present invention.

It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the outline | summary of the process in the display apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the display apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the function of the directivity prescription | regulation part in the display apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating an example of the detection method of the area | region which prescribes | regulates the directivity based on embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the directivity control method which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Display apparatus 102 Image | video display part 104 Directivity definition part 106 Directivity detection part 108 Directivity control part 120 Display part 122 Row drive part 124 Column drive part 126 Power supply part 128 Display control part

Claims (8)

A video display unit having a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix and displaying video on a display screen based on an input video signal;
Directivity of light emitted from the pixel corresponding to the directivity control element for each of the directivity control elements, having at least one directivity control element whose directivity is defined according to an applied voltage signal A directivity defining section that defines
A directivity detection unit that divides the display screen into a plurality of divided regions corresponding to the directivity control elements and detects a divided region having high luminance based on an input video signal;
A directivity control unit that applies a voltage signal to the directivity control element corresponding to the detected divided region based on the detection result of the directivity detection unit;
A display device comprising:   The display device according to claim 1, wherein the directivity defining unit includes a plurality of directivity control elements corresponding to the pixels on a one-to-one basis.   When the absolute value of the luminance difference between one pixel corresponding to the divided region and the surrounding pixels of the one pixel is larger than a predetermined value, the directivity detecting unit determines that the divided region has the luminance The display device according to claim 2, wherein the display device is detected as a high divided region.   The display device according to claim 1, wherein the directivity defining unit includes at least one directivity control element corresponding to two or more pixels.   The directivity detection unit is configured such that, for each of the two or more pixels corresponding to the divided region, an absolute value of a luminance difference between one pixel and pixels around the one pixel and a predetermined value are large. 5. The display device according to claim 4, wherein the divided regions having a high luminance are detected according to a frequency of a comparison result between the absolute value of the luminance difference and the predetermined value.   The display device according to claim 1, wherein the directivity control element is a variable focus lens. A video display unit having a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix and displaying video on a display screen based on an input video signal, and at least one or more of which directivity is defined according to an applied voltage signal A directivity control method for a display device, wherein each directivity control element includes a directivity defining unit that determines the directivity of light emitted from the pixel corresponding to the directivity control element. There:
Dividing a display screen into a plurality of divided areas corresponding to the respective directivity control elements, and detecting a divided area having a high luminance based on an input video signal;
Applying a voltage signal to the directivity control element corresponding to the detected divided region based on a detection result in the detecting step;
A directivity control method characterized by comprising: A video display unit having a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix and displaying video on a display screen based on an input video signal, and at least one or more of which directivity is defined according to an applied voltage signal Can be used for a display device including a directivity defining unit that determines the directivity of light emitted from the pixel corresponding to the directivity control element for each of the directivity control elements. The program is:
Dividing a display screen into a plurality of divided areas corresponding to the respective directivity control elements, and detecting a divided area having a high luminance based on an input video signal;
Applying a voltage signal to the directivity control element corresponding to the detected divided region based on the detection result in the detecting step;
A program that causes a computer to execute.

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