Patent ID: 8115728
Filing Date: 2012-02-14
Classification: G09G

Abstract:
1. A method for displaying an image having a first resolution on a liquid crystal display having a second resolution less than said first resolution, said liquid crystal display including a backlight that illuminates an array of at least one light valve, said array having a first surface illuminated by said backlight and a second surface parallel to said first surface, and from which transmitted light emanates away from said array based on respective transmittance states of respective light valves in said array, said backlight comprising a plurality of backlight regions, each backlight region capable of achieving a selected one of a plurality of illumination levels, independent of the respective illumination levels produced by other ones of said plurality of backlight regions, said method comprising: (a) receiving an image signal representative of at least one frame of said image; (b) processing said signal by dividing said at least one frame into a plurality of image blocks each associated with a respective one of said plurality of backlight regions, and providing light at a first said illumination level to impinge upon said first surface from a first region of said backlight based upon a first determination that an image block associated with said first region is likely to include motion greater than a threshold, said first determination being made from a motion map constructed based upon said image blocks; (c) providing light at a second said illumination level to impinge upon said first surface from a second region of said backlight based upon a determination that an image block associated with said second region is not likely to include motion greater than a threshold, said second determination being made from said motion map; where (d) said first and second illumination levels are each provided over a respective temporal flashing period divided between a first interval when a backlight from a respectively associated said region is on and a second interval when a backlight from a respectively associated said region is off, said first and second intervals calculated based on comparison of the provided illumination level to a screen function having the form: S(t)=A(1−n*t+floor(n*t)) where t is a continuous float variable of time expressed in frames, A is the backlight screen amplitude, n is an integer value, and floor(t) is an operation that takes the integer portion of its argument.