Patent ID: 7809210

Claim:
A method for enhancing picture quality in dark image areas of a video image frame displayable on a display screen of a digital display device, the digital display device including a video enhancing unit coupled to the display screen and having a configuration to receive and process image frames of a video signal and output the processed image frames for display on the display screen, comprising the steps of receiving an image frame of a video signal, the image frame having a plurality of pixels distributed over a plurality of pixel levels, determining for a set of pixels in the image frame having a first distribution of pixels across a first plurality of pixel levels within a pre-determined range of grey pixel levels the number of pixels corresponding to individual pixel levels within the pre-determined range of grey pixel levels, expanding the pixel level distribution of the set of pixels from the first distribution of pixels across the first plurality of pixel levels within the pre-determined range of grey pixel levels to a second distribution of pixels across a second plurality of pixel levels within a pre-determined range of grey pixel levels based on a percent level distribution of the set of pixels within the pre-determined range of grey pixel levels, and displaying the image frame with the set of pixels having the second distribution of pixels on the display screen.