Patent Abstract:
According to an aspect of the invention, a video display apparatus includes: a sensor that measures an external environment to output the external environment; a storing unit that stores a correction value associated with the measured value; a adjusting unit that changes the correction value based on a given operation by a user; and a processor that adjusts a picture quality of a picture to be displayed on a display based on the measured value and the correction value.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/351,467, filed Jan. 9, 2009, currently pending, and is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-048354, filed Feb. 28, 2008, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field 
     The present invention relates to a video display apparatus and a video display method. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     A conventional technique includes a video display apparatus for detecting time information and environment specifying information for specifying an environment of a user and correcting a picture quality of a displayed video based on them (for example, see JP-A-2007-43533). 
     The video display apparatus includes a time information acquiring portion for acquiring time information, an information acquiring portion for acquiring environment specifying information such as a weather, a control portion for comparing the time information and environment specifying information with a characteristic amount of a video signal which is input, thereby calculating a correction amount of the video signal, a picture quality processing portion for correcting a picture quality of the video signal based on the correction amount, and a display portion for displaying the video signal thus corrected, and can execute the picture quality correction which is suitable for an audio-visual environment of a user. 
     However, according to the conventional video display apparatus, the environment specifying information such as a weather is greatly changed depending on a place in which the video display apparatus is to be disposed, for example, a disposing condition that a living space is easily exposed to an outside light. For this reason, there is a disadvantage in that the video display apparatus is not suitable for a detailed picture quality correction corresponding to an audio-visual environment of a user. In the case in which morning, afternoon and night are decided based on the time information, it is impossible to uniquely determine the audio-visual environment of the user depending on a change in a time for a sunset due to a season or a latitude of a position in which the video display apparatus is to be disposed. Therefore, there is a disadvantage in that the video display apparatus is not suitable for the detailed picture quality correction. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a video display apparatus including: a display; a sensor that measures an external environment to output a measured value corresponding to the external environment; a storing unit that stores a correction value related with the measured value; a adjusting unit that changes the correction value based on a predetermined operation by a user; and a processor that adjusts a picture quality of a picture to be displayed on the display based on the measured value and the correction value, wherein the storing portion stores a plurality of correction values associated with the measured value, and wherein the adjusting unit changes the correction values respectively. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a video display apparatus including: a display; a sensor that measures an external environment to output a measured value corresponding to the external environment; a storing unit that stores a correction value related with the measured value; a adjusting unit that changes the correction value based on a predetermined operation by a user; and a processor that adjusts a picture quality of a picture to be displayed on the display based on the measured value and the correction value, wherein the sensor measures an illuminance as the measured value. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a video display apparatus including: a display; a sensor that measures an external environment to output a measured value corresponding to the external environment; a storing unit that stores a correction value related with the measured value; a adjusting unit that changes the correction value based on a predetermined operation by a user; and a processor that adjusts a picture quality of a picture to be displayed on the display based on the measured value and the correction value, wherein the correction value includes a backlight brightness adjusting value for adjusting a backlight brightness of the display, and wherein the processor adjusts the backlight brightness by using the backlight adjusting value. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a video display apparatus including: a display; a sensor that measures an external environment to output a measured value corresponding to the external environment; a storing unit that stores a correction value related with the measured value; a adjusting unit that changes the correction value based on a predetermined operation by a user; and a processor that adjusts a picture quality of a picture to be displayed on the display based on the measured value and the correction value, wherein the correction value includes an LCD panel set value for adjusting an LCD panel setting of the display, and wherein the processor adjusts the LCD panel setting by using the LCD panel set value, wherein the LCD panel set value is used for gamma correction of the LCD panel. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a video display method for a video display apparatus storing a correction value associated with an external environment; the method including: measuring the external environment; changing the correction value based on a given operation; adjusting a picture quality of a picture based on the measured external environment and the correction value. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A general architecture that implements the various feature of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. The drawings and the associated descriptions are provided to illustrate embodiments of the invention and not to limit the scope of the invention. 
         FIG. 1  is an exemplary schematic view showing a video display apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention, 
         FIG. 2  is an exemplary block diagram showing an example of a structure of the video display apparatus according to the embodiment of the invention, 
         FIG. 3  is an exemplary schematic chart showing an example of a display of a picture quality adjusting screen according to the embodiment of the invention, 
         FIG. 4  is an exemplary flowchart showing an example of an operation of the video display apparatus according to the embodiment of the invention, and 
         FIG. 5  is an exemplary flowchart showing an example of the operation of the video display apparatus according to the embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     An embodiment of a video display apparatus and a video display method according to the invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. 
     (Structure of Video Display Apparatus) 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic view showing a video display apparatus according to the embodiment of the invention. 
     A video display apparatus  1  is a television image receptor for displaying a video upon receipt of a digital broadcast wave from an outside through an antenna which is not shown and displaying a video upon receipt of a video signal from a video reproducing apparatus such as an HDD (Hard Disc Drive) recorder or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) player which is not shown, and includes a video display portion  14  constituted by an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) panel for displaying a video on a front surface, a speaker portion  16  for outputting a voice, a light receiving portion  21  for receiving an operating signal using an infrared ray transmitted from a remote control  1 A having a plurality of operating switches, and an optical sensor  22  constituted by a photodiode for measuring an illuminance of an external environment. Moreover, the video display apparatus  1  includes an operating portion having an antenna terminal, an external input terminal and a plurality of switches (not shown) on a back face and electronic components constituted by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an RAM (Random, Access Memory), an ROM (Read Only Memory) and an HDD which serve to process a video signal or an audio signal and to control each portion in a body. 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing an example of a structure of the video display apparatus according to the embodiment of the invention. 
     The video display apparatus  1  includes a digital broadcast receiving portion  10  for receiving a broadcast signal transmitted from a digital broadcast station  2 , and the digital broadcast receiving portion  10  is connected to a signal processing portion  11 . The signal processing portion  11  is connected to an audio processing portion  15  and a video processing portion  12 , separates a received broadcast signal into an audio signal and a video signal, and outputs the audio signal to the audio processing portion  15  and outputs the video signal to the video processing portion  12 . 
     The audio processing portion  15  is connected to the speaker portion  16 , and the video processing portion  12  is connected to the video display portion  14  constituted by a CRT or a liquid crystal display panel through a picture quality processing portion  13  for adjusting a picture quality. The audio processing portion  15  adjusts a tone of the input audio signal. 
     The picture quality processing portion  13  adjusts the picture quality of the input video signal and outputs the video signal subjected to the picture quality adjustment to the video display portion  14 . The picture quality processing portion  13  has a backlight processing portion  13 A and a color temperature processing portion  13 B which serve to adjust the display of the video display portion  14 . The video display portion  14  has a backlight  14 A for causing a brightness to be variable through a control by an inverter and an LCD panel  14 B for displaying a video through an irradiation on the backlight  14 A. The backlight processing portion  13 A serves to change a brightness value of the backlight  14 A, thereby adjusting a display and the color temperature processing portion  13 B serves to change a γ set value of the LCD panel  14 B, thereby adjusting a display of a color temperature. 
     The video display apparatus  1  includes a video analog/digital converter (A/D)  17  and an audio A/D  18  which receive video and audio signals transmitted from a video reproducing apparatus  3  connected to an external input terminal which is not shown, and the video and audio signals input to the video A/D  17  and the audio A/D  18  are converted from analog signals into digital signals and the outputs are connected to the video processing portion  12  and the audio processing portion  15  respectively. 
     The video display apparatus  1  includes a control portion  19  for controlling each portion through a control line shown in a dotted line of  FIG. 2 , and an operating portion  20  constituted by an operating switch, the light receiving portion  21  for receiving an operating signal of an infrared ray of the remote control  1 A, and the optical sensor  22  for measuring an illuminance of an external environment are connected to the control portion  19 . 
     The control portion  19  has an ROM  19 A for storing a program for controlling each portion, an RAM  19 B for temporarily storing information and aiding an operation of the control portion  19 , and an automatic picture quality adjusting portion  190  and a user picture quality adjusting portion  191 . 
     The RAM  19 B stores a correction value  192  relating an illuminance of an external environment to a picture quality adjusting set value which will be described below. 
     The automatic picture quality adjusting portion  190  determines a picture quality adjusting set value based on a video type output through an analysis of the video signal input by the video processing portion  12  and determines a picture quality adjusting set value based on the illuminance of the external environment which is measured by the optical sensor  22  and the correction value  192 , and controls the picture quality processing portion  13  based on the picture quality adjusting set value thus determined. The automatic picture quality adjusting portion  190  is operated at a time interval on a unit of a field of video information and adjusts a picture quality of the video information which is input dynamically. The automatic picture quality adjusting portion  190  may determine a tone adjusting set value together with the tone adjusting set value to control the audio processing portion  15  based on the tone adjusting set value thus determined. 
     The user picture quality adjusting portion  191  can change the picture quality adjusting set value of the correction value  192  based on the operating signal received in the operating portion  20  or the light receiving portion  21 . The details of the change will be described below. 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic chart showing an example of a display of a picture quality adjusting screen according to the embodiment of the invention. 
     A picture quality adjusting screen  140  is displayed on the video display portion  14  in the case in which an operating signal indicative of contents for starting the user picture quality adjusting portion  191  is received in the operating portion  20  or the light receiving portion  21 , and has a correlation curve  141  indicative of a correlation between an illuminance and a backlight brightness, a selecting frame  142  for selecting correlation values  141   a  to  141   h  on the correlation curve, and a changed value  143  obtained by changing the correlation value selected by the selecting frame  142  on a graph in which an axis of abscissa  144  indicates an optical sensor detection value to be an illuminance measured by the optical sensor  22  and an axis of ordinate  145  indicates a backlight brightness set to the backlight  14 A. The correlation values  141   a  to  141   h  and the correlation curve  141  are drawn by reading the correction value  192  of the RAM  19 B through the user picture quality adjusting portion  191 . Initial values of the correlation values  141   a  to  141   h  and the correlation curve  141  are indicated as the correlation curve  141  shown in a solid line of  FIG. 3  and the correlation values  141   a  to  141   h  on the correlation curve  141 . 
     The picture quality adjusting screen  140  has an illuminance  144 A displayed in eight stages, for example, corresponding to the axis of abscissa  144  and a current illuminance  144 B indicative of a value during the measurement of the optical sensor  22 . For example, illuminances “1” to “4”, illuminances “5” and “6” and illuminances “7” and “8” are set to correspond to illuminances at night, illuminances in a transition from night to day, and illuminances during day, respectively. 
     When the correlation values  141   a  to  141   h  are changed, for example, the correlation value  141   b  is changed into the changed value  143 , the correlation curve  141  is changed to connect the changed value  143  to the correlation values  141   a  and  141   c  (a dotted line). The correlation values  141   a  to  141   h  are stored as the correction value  192  in the RAM  19 B. In the case in which the correlation values  141   a  to  141   h  are changed into changed values in the picture quality adjusting screen  140 , the user picture quality adjusting portion  191  updates the contents of the correction value  192 . Although the changed value  143  indicates a value obtained by changing the correlation value  141   b  in  FIG. 3 , any or all of the correlation values  141   a  to  141   h  can also be changed. 
     (Operation) 
     An operation of an electronic apparatus according to the embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to each of the drawings. 
     A digital broadcast wave transmitted from the digital broadcast station  2  is input to the digital broadcast receiving portion  10  through an antenna which is not shown. 
     The digital broadcast receiving portion  10  demodulates the received signal through a demodulator (not shown) corresponding to a ground wave digital broadcast modulating method, extracts a data sequence (a transport stream) based on MPEG2 standards and outputs the data sequence to the signal processing portion  11 , for example. 
     The data sequence (the transport stream) input to the signal processing portion  11  is separated into an audio signal (digital) and a video signal (digital) by an MPEG2 decoder (not shown), for example, and the audio signal is output to the audio processing portion  15  and the video signal is output to the video processing portion  12 . 
     The video processing portion  12  detects a video type of the input video signal (digital) and outputs a video type signal to be a detection result to the automatic picture quality adjusting portion  190 . 
     The automatic picture quality adjusting portion  190  determines a picture quality adjusting set value based on the video type signal and determines the picture quality adjusting set value based on the illuminance of the external environment which is measured by the optical sensor  22  and the correction value  192 . The user picture quality adjusting portion  191  changes the correlation values  141   a  to  141   h  to obtain changed values, thereby changing the correction value  192  in the picture quality adjusting screen  140  shown in  FIG. 3  based on the operating contents of the operating portion  20  or the remote control  1 A. 
     Next, the picture quality processing portion  13  adjusts a picture quality of the video signal based on the picture quality adjusting set value, and then converts the video signal into an analog signal and outputs the analog signal to the video display portion  14  constituted by a CRT or an LCD if necessary. In the case in which the picture quality adjusting set value has contents for controlling the video display portion  14 , the picture quality processing portion  13  controls the video display portion  14  based on the picture quality adjusting set value. The backlight processing portion  13 A of the picture quality processing portion  13  controls the brightness value of the backlight  14 A based on the backlight set value included in the picture quality adjusting set value, and the color temperature processing portion  13 B controls the γ set value of the LCD panel  14 B based on the LCD panel set value included in the picture quality adjusting set value, thereby controlling the color temperature displayed on the video display portion  14 . 
     The audio processing portion  15  executes a processing of converting an input audio signal (digital) into an analog audio signal and outputs the analog audio signal to the speaker portion  16 . 
       FIG. 4  is a flowchart showing an example of an operation of the video display apparatus according to the embodiment of the invention. 
     When first inputting an operating signal indicative of the contents for starting the user picture quality adjusting portion  191  from the operating portion  20  or the light receiving portion  21  (S 1 ; Yes), the user picture quality adjusting portion  191  reads the correction value  192  from the RAM  19 B to draw the correlation curve  141  on the picture quality adjusting screen  140  shown in  FIG. 3  (S 2 ). 
     When the operating signal indicative of the contents for changing the backlight brightnesses of the correlation values  141   a  to  141   h  is input from the operating portion  20  or the light receiving portion  21  (S 3 ; Yes), the user picture quality adjusting portion  191  connects the changed correlation value (the changed value) to an adjacent correlation value and draws a new correlation curve  141  again (S 4 ). 
     The Steps S 3  and S 4  are repeated in the picture quality adjusting screen  140  (S 5 ; No). When receiving an operating signal indicative of the contents for ending the picture quality adjusting operation (S 5 ; Yes), then, the user picture quality adjusting portion  191  stores the correlation values  141   a  to  141   h  of the correlation curve  141  drawn again as correction values in the RAM  19 B (S 6 ). 
       FIG. 5  is a flowchart showing an example of an operation of the video display apparatus according to the embodiment of the invention. 
     The automatic picture quality adjusting portion  190  is always operated when the power supply of the video display apparatus  1  is turned ON, and Steps S 11  to S 13  which will be described below are repeated at a predetermined interval. 
     The automatic picture quality adjusting portion  190  first acquires a detection value from the optical sensor  22  (S 11 ). The automatic picture quality adjusting portion  190  subsequently acquires the correction value  192  stored in the RAM  19 B (S 12 ), and determines a picture quality adjusting set value based on the detection value and the corrected value  192  and outputs the picture quality adjusting set value to the picture quality processing portion  13  (S 13 ). 
     ADVANTAGE OF THE EMBODIMENT 
     According to the embodiment, it is possible to independently correct the correlation values  141   a  to  141   h  relating the backlight brightness value to the detection value of the optical sensor  22  respectively, thereby storing the new correction value  192 . Therefore, it is possible to execute an optimum picture quality adjustment corresponding to an installing environment of the video display apparatus  1  and the audio-visual environment of the user. For example, when a sunlight comes in through a window during day in a situation in which the video display apparatus  1  is provided with the window set to a back, the optical sensor  22  does not detect an illuminance felt by the user because it is provided on the front surface of the video display apparatus  1  (for example, although the user feels the illuminance of “8” in the illuminance  144 A, the optical sensor  22  feels only the illuminance of “6”). However, it is possible to cope with a shift of the illuminance felt by the user from the illuminance detected by the optical sensor  22  by setting the backlight brightness of the correlation value  141   a  to be raised through the user picture quality adjusting portion  191 . Thus, the brightness of the video display portion  14  can be optimized for the user. In a situation in which the sunlight does not come in through the window and the illuminance detected by the optical sensor  22  and the illuminance felt by the user are coincident with each other (for example, the illuminance of “5” in the illuminance  144 A is felt), the change in the correlation value  141   a  has no influence. 
     At night in which the sunlight does not come in, the illuminance detected by the optical sensor  22  depends on only a lighting apparatus. Therefore, also in different rooms, an equal illuminance is detected when the same lighting apparatus is used. However, the illuminance felt by the user makes a difference depending on a color of a wall or a floor in the room. For example, the user feels a room having a brown wall and floor to be darker than a room having a white wall and floor. In the room having the brown wall and floor, the optical sensor  22  detects the illuminance of “3” in the illuminance  144 A. In the case in which the user feels dazzling with the backlight brightness of the correlation value  141   f , it is possible to cope with the shift of the illuminance felt by the user from the illuminance detected by the optical sensor  22  by reducing the backlight illuminance of the correlation value  141   f . Thus, the brightness of the video display portion  14  can be optimized for the user. 
     Since the correction value  192  depends on only the illuminance and does not require time information, it is not influenced by a season or a latitude. The picture quality processing portion  13  carries out the picture quality processing over the video signal, and furthermore, adjusts the display of the backlight  14 A and the LCD panel  14 B in the video display portion  14 . Therefore, it is possible to carry out the picture quality correction more widely. 
     Although the color temperature processing portion  13 B controls the LCD panel  14 B in the embodiment, it is also possible to adjust other items such as a contrast of the LCD panel  14 B in addition to the adjustment of the color temperature. It is possible to carry out various changes without departing from the scope of the invention in addition to the adjustment of the picture quality. For example, it is also possible to employ a structure in which a microphone for detecting a noise of an external environment is provided to change a correction value of an audio signal based on the noise. 
     As described with reference to the embodiment, there is provided a video display apparatus and a video display method which can execute an optimum picture quality adjustment corresponding to an audio-visual environment of a user. 
     According to the embodiment, it is possible to execute an optimum picture quality adjustment corresponding to an audio-visual environment of a user.

Technology Classification (CPC): 7