Patent ID: 7447379
Filing Date: 2008-11-04
Classification: G06T

Abstract:
1. A method of enhancing a local luminance of an input image, the method comprising: selecting a local area with a luminance to be compensated for from a luminance space, the luminance space representing a luminance of the input image; and compensating for the luminance of the selected local area, wherein the selecting of the local area comprises: segmenting the input image into a plurality of blocks; extracting a representative luminance value of each of the plurality of blocks using luminance values of pixels included in each of the plurality of blocks; and selecting compensation blocks with representative luminance values belonging to a luminance compensation section, wherein the selected local area comprises the representative luminance values of the compensation blocks, and wherein the luminance compensation section is set using a luminance characteristic or a gamma characteristic of a display which displays an output image, the display being included in an apparatus to enhance a local luminance of the input image and to perform the method of enhancing the local luminance of the input image, or wherein the luminance compensation section is set to correspond to a luminance characteristic of the input image, wherein the selecting compensation blocks with representative luminance values comprises: determining luminance compensation amounts applied to the compensation blocks; compensating for luminances of pixels included in each of the compensation blocks using the determined luminance compensation amounts; forming an output image using blocks comprising the luminance compensated pixels and non-compensation blocks with representative luminance values not belonging to the luminance compensation section; and displaying the output image, and wherein the compensation for the luminances of the pixels included in each of the compensation blocks using the determined luminance compensation amounts comprises: calculating a luminance compensation amount C of each of the pixels included in the compensation blocks using an Equation below: wherein d compensating for the luminance of a corresponding pixel using the luminance compensation amount C.