PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-9215501-B2
Application Number: US-201313748232-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Contextual matte bars for aspect ratio formatting

Abstract:
Systems, methods, and devices for adding contextual matte bars to format image data to another aspect ratio are provided. For example, a method may include receiving image data of a first aspect ratio into a processor. The processor may receive a characteristic of a destination display of a second aspect ratio, an indication of ambient lighting, an indication of a characteristic of the image data, or any number of these factors. The processor may add matte bars to the image data to cause the image data to be formatted to the second aspect ratio. The appearance of the matte bars may depend on the factors received by the processor. The formatted image data with these contextual matte bars then may be sent from the processor to the destination electronic display.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method comprising:
 receiving first image data of a first aspect ratio into a processor; 
 receiving, into the processor, an indication of a characteristic of a destination electronic display comprising a physical texture of a bezel of the destination electronic display, wherein the destination electronic display comprises a second aspect ratio; 
 adding matte bars to the first image data or a scaled version of the first image data in the processor to obtain second image data of the second aspect ratio, wherein an appearance of the matte bars depends on the indication of the characteristic of the destination electronic display, wherein when the bezel of the destination electronic display has a first physical texture, the appearance of the matte bars has a first visual texture, and when the bezel of the destination electronic display has a second physical texture, the appearance of the matte bars has a second visual texture; and 
 providing the second image data from the processor to the destination electronic display. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the characteristic of the destination electronic display comprises a color of the bezel of the destination electronic display, an indication of a proclivity of the electronic display for image burn-in, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , comprising receiving, into the processor, an indication of an ambient condition of the destination electronic display, wherein the appearance of the matte bars depends on the indication of the ambient condition of the destination electronic display, and wherein the ambient condition of the electronic display comprises:
 an ambient brightness; 
 a color temperature of ambient light; or 
 a feedback image from a camera facing the destination electronic display; or 
 any combination thereof. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the appearance of the matte bars comprises:
 a color of the matte bars; 
 a visual texture of the matte bars; 
 a gradient of the matte bars; 
 a variability of the matte bars over time; or 
 a relationship between a user interface and the matte bars; or 
 any combination thereof. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , comprising receiving, into the processor, an indication of a characteristic of the image data, wherein the appearance of the matte bars depends on the indication of the characteristic of the image data, and wherein the characteristic of the image data comprises:
 an amount of motion of the image data; 
 a prominent color of the image data; or 
 a media type of the image data; or 
 any combination thereof. 
 
     
     
       6. A system comprising:
 a first electronic device configured to convert image data of a first aspect ratio into image data of a second aspect ratio at least in part by generating and adding matte bars to the image data; and 
 a destination electronic display of the second aspect ratio configured to display the image data of the second aspect ratio; 
 wherein the first electronic device is configured to generate an appearance of the matte bars when generating the matte bars, wherein the appearance depends on a characteristic of the destination electronic display comprising a physical texture of a bezel of the destination electronic display. 
 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 6 , wherein the destination electronic display is a component of the first electronic device. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 7 , wherein the first electronic device is configured to generate the image data of the first aspect ratio. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 7 , comprising a second electronic device configured to generate the image data of the first aspect ratio and provide the image data of the first aspect ratio to the first electronic device. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 6 , comprising:
 a second electronic device configured to generate the image data of the first aspect ratio and provide the image data of the first aspect ratio to the first electronic device; and 
 a third electronic device configured to receive the image data of the second aspect ratio from the first electronic device and provide the image data of the second aspect ratio to the destination electronic display, wherein the destination electronic display is a component of the third electronic device. 
 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 6 , wherein the first electronic device is configured to vary the appearance of the matte bars by varying a hue of the matte bars based on an ambient condition of the destination electronic display, wherein the ambient condition comprises an ambient light level around the destination electronic display. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 6 , wherein the characteristic of the destination electronic display comprises information indicated in an extended display identification data (EDID) of the destination electronic display. 
     
     
       13. A method for manufacturing an electronic display, the method comprising:
 providing a display panel of a first aspect ratio; 
 providing a display controller configured to: 
 receive image data of a second aspect ratio; 
 convert the image data of the second aspect ratio into image data of the first aspect ratio by adding matte bars having a programmed appearance to the image data of the second aspect ratio; and 
 program the display panel using the image data of the first aspect ratio; 
 providing a storage device configured to store the programmed appearance of the matte bars; 
 when the electronic display is configured to be installed in a first frame having a first bezel having a first bezel appearance, storing the programmed appearance to be a first matte bar appearance; and 
 when the electronic display is configured to be installed in a second frame having a second bezel having a second bezel appearance, storing the programmed appearance to be a second matte bar appearance; 
 wherein the first matte bar appearance has a first visual texture and the second matte bar appearance has a second visual texture when the first bezel appearance has a first physical texture and the second bezel appearance has a second physical texture. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the first matte bar appearance has a lighter color than the second matte bar appearance when the first bezel appearance is lighter or more reflective, or both, than the second bezel appearance. 
     
     
       15. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media comprising instructions to:
 convert image data of a first aspect ratio into image data of a second aspect ratio at least in part by adding matte bars to the image data; and 
 provide the image data of the second aspect ratio to a destination display of the second aspect ratio; 
 wherein the matte bars have a first appearance when the destination display has a first destination display characteristic and a second appearance when the destination display has a second destination display characteristic, wherein the first destination display characteristic and the second destination display characteristic comprise a physical texture of the bezel of the electronic display, and the first appearance and the second appearance of the matte bars comprise a visual texture corresponding to different respective physical textures of the bezel of the destination display. 
 
     
     
       16. The computer-readable media of  claim 15 , comprising instructions to receive the destination display characteristics from the destination display, a storage, or a memory, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
       17. The computer-readable media of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions to convert the image data of the first aspect ratio into image data of the second aspect ratio comprise instructions to scale the image data to a resolution of the destination display. 
     
     
       18. The computer-readable media of  claim 15 , comprising instructions to generate the image data of the first aspect ratio using a window server that receives image information from one or more application programs. 
     
     
       19. The computer-readable media of  claim 15 , comprising instructions to receive the image data of the first aspect ratio from an external source electronic device. 
     
     
       20. An electronic device comprising:
 an electronic display of a first aspect ratio; and 
 a processor configured to convert image data of a second aspect ratio to image data of the first aspect ratio by adding contextual matte bars, wherein the contextual matte bars have an appearance selected automatically based at least in part on a characteristic of the electronic display comprising a physical texture of a bezel of the electronic display, and wherein the appearance of the contextual matte bars comprises a visual texture that varies depending on the physical texture of the bezel of the electronic display. 
 
     
     
       21. The electronic device of  claim 20 , comprising input/output circuitry configured to receive the image data of the second aspect ratio from a source electronic device configured to generate the image data of the second aspect ratio. 
     
     
       22. The electronic device of  claim 20 , wherein the electronic device comprises a television, a notebook computer, a desktop computer, a handheld device, a portable media player, a cellular phone, a gaming device, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
       23. The electronic device of  claim 20 , wherein the contextual matte bars have an appearance selected automatically based at least in part on an ambient condition of the electronic device, wherein the ambient condition of the electronic device comprises an ambient light level comprising an ambient light sensor configured to detect the ambient light level.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     This disclosure relates generally to formatting image data to another aspect ratio and, more particularly, to formatting such image data by adding contextual matte bars. 
     This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present techniques, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art. 
     Electronic displays of various aspect ratios appear in computers, handheld devices, televisions, and many other electronic devices. Popular tablet computing devices, for example, may use displays with aspect ratios of 4:3, while televisions may use displays with aspect ratios of 16:9. To display image data of a first aspect ratio on an electronic display of a second aspect ratio, black matte bars are typically added to the top and bottom or the sides of the image data to accommodate the change in aspect ratio. For example, image data with a 4:3 aspect ratio that is being sent to a display with a 16:9 aspect ratio may have black matte bars added on the left and right sides of the 4:3—size image data. On the other hand, image data with a 16:9 aspect ratio that is being sent to a display with a 4:3 aspect ratio may have black matte bars added on the upper and lower sides of the 16:9—size image data. 
     Such black matte bars may not always be visually appealing. Indeed, black matte bars may appear inappropriate in some contexts. For example, different electronic displays may be housed in devices of different colors or styles. The devices may be operated in different ambient conditions. Even so, reformatted image data displayed on such devices often includes the same black matte bars without regard to the context in which the image data is viewed. 
     SUMMARY 
     A summary of certain embodiments disclosed herein is set forth below. It should be understood that these aspects are presented merely to provide the reader with a brief summary of these certain embodiments and that these aspects are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Indeed, this disclosure may encompass a variety of aspects that may not be set forth below. 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to systems, methods, and devices for adding contextual matte bars to format image data to another aspect ratio. For example, a method for adding contextual matte bars may include receiving first image data of a first aspect ratio into a processor. The processor may additionally receive an indication of a characteristic of a destination electronic display having a second aspect ratio, or an indication of an ambient condition of the destination electronic display, or both, into the processor. The processor may add matte bars to the first image data or a scaled version of the first image data to produce second image data of the second aspect ratio, in which an appearance of the matte bars depends on the characteristic of the destination electronic display, an ambient condition of the destination electronic display, image data characteristics (e.g., as determined by the processor), or any combination of these factors. The image data then may be sent from the processor to the destination electronic display. 
     As mentioned above, generating the matte bars may involve considering characteristics relating to the destination electronic display, ambient conditions, and/or image data characteristics. To provide a few examples, the destination display characteristics may include a color of a bezel of the electronic display and/or an indication of a proclivity of the electronic display for image burn-in. The ambient conditions may include an ambient brightness, a color temperature of ambient light, a feedback image from a camera facing the destination electronic display, or some combination of these. Image data characteristics that may be considered may include motion, a type of media being considered, and/or color. These various characteristics may be considered to adjust a color of the contextual matte bars, a visual texture, a gradient, an amount of variability over time, and/or a relationship between the matte bars and a corresponding user interface in the surrounded image data. 
     In some embodiments, the appearance of the contextual matte bars may be preprogrammed based on the color of the bezel surrounding the display. For instance, a display with a silver bezel may be programmed to generally output silver contextual matte bars by default, while a display with a black bezel may be programmed to generally output black contextual matte bars by default. 
     Various refinements of the features noted above may exist in relation to various aspects of the present disclosure. Further features may also be incorporated in these various aspects as well. These refinements and additional features may exist individually or in any combination. For instance, various features discussed below in relation to one or more of the illustrated embodiments may be incorporated into any of the above-described aspects of the present disclosure alone or in any combination. The brief summary presented above is intended only to familiarize the reader with certain aspects and contexts of embodiments of the present disclosure without limitation to the claimed subject matter. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Various aspects of this disclosure may be better understood upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an electronic device that can format image data of a first aspect ratio for display at a second aspect ratio by adding contextual matte bars, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the electronic device of  FIG. 1  in the form of a notebook computer, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 3  is a front view of the electronic device of  FIG. 1  in the form of a handheld device, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  is a front view of the electronic device of  FIG. 1  in the form of a desktop computer, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the electronic device of  FIG. 1  in the form of a set top box media player, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic view of a system to format image data of a first aspect ratio for display at a second aspect ratio using contextual matte bars, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 7  is a block diagram of a system in which a destination device adds preprogrammed contextual matte bars to format image data for display at a second aspect ratio, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 8  is a block diagram of a system in which a destination device adds dynamic contextual matte bars to format image data for display at a second aspect ratio, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 9  is a block diagram of a system in which a source device adds dynamic contextual matte bars to format image data for display at a second aspect ratio, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 10  is a schematic view of a system to format image data for display at a second aspect ratio using an intermediate device that adds contextual matte bars, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 11  is a block diagram of a system in which an intermediate device formats image data from a source device for display at a second aspect ratio by adding dynamic contextual matte bars, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 12  is a block diagram of an electronic display that adds preprogrammed contextual matte bars to incoming image data, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 13  is a flowchart of a method for adding preprogrammed contextual matte bars to match a bezel of an electronic display, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 14  is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing the electronic display of  FIG. 12 , in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 15  is a block diagram of a system for generating dynamic contextual matte bars to format image data for display at a second aspect ratio based on destination display characteristics, ambient conditions, and/or image data characteristics, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 16  is a flowchart of a method for formatting image data of a first aspect ratio for display at a second aspect ratio by adding dynamic contextual matte bars, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 17  is a factor diagram illustrating various appearance variables that may be selected for preprogrammed and/or dynamic contextual matte bars, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIGS. 18-22  are front views of electronic displays illustrating different contexts in which the matte bar appearance variables of  FIG. 17  may be employed, in accordance with embodiments; 
         FIG. 23  is a factor diagram illustrating various destination display characteristics that may influence the appearance of contextual matte bars, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 24  is a factor diagram of various ambient conditions that may influence the appearance of contextual matte bars, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIGS. 25-27  are front views of an electronic display illustrating how different ambient conditions may influence the appearance of contextual matte bars, in accordance with embodiments; and 
         FIG. 28  is a factor diagram of various image data characteristics that may influence the appearance of dynamic contextual matte bars, in accordance with an embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     One or more specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below. These described embodiments are only examples of the presently disclosed techniques. Additionally, in an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not be described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers&#39; specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but may nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure. 
     When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, the articles “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. Additionally, it should be understood that references to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” of the present disclosure are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features. 
     This disclosure relates to formatting image data of a first aspect ratio for display at a second aspect ratio by adding contextual matte bars. As used in this disclosure, the term “contextual matte bars” refers to matte bars added to image data to change its aspect ratio, the matte bars being selected to match a context in which the image data will be displayed. For example, “contextual matte bars” may be matte bars programmed to be a particular color to match a bezel of a destination display. In another example, “contextual matte bars” may be selected dynamically based on destination display characteristics, ambient conditions of the display, and/or image data characteristics, or any other suitable factors relating to the context in which the image data is viewed. In this way, the appearance of the matte bars may be contextually appropriate to the user that is viewing the display. 
     In the discussion below, image data originated at a first aspect ratio may be formatted for display at a second aspect ratio by a source electronic device, a destination electronic device, or an intermediate electronic device. As used herein, a “source electronic device” represents an electronic device that generates or otherwise retrieves the image data at a first aspect ratio; a “destination electronic device” represents an electronic device that will display the image data at a second aspect ratio; and an “intermediate electronic device” may or may not be present in all circumstances, but may be used to support the transmission of image data from the source electronic device to the destination electronic device. In one example, a source electronic device may be a notebook computer (e.g., a MacBook Air® by Apple Inc.), an intermediate electronic device may be a set top box media player (e.g., an Apple TV® by Apple Inc.), and the destination electronic device may be a television. In various embodiments, different electronic devices in the example mentioned above may format image data from the source electronic device for display on the destination electronic device. The electronic display of the destination device, which displays the image data with the contextual matte bars, is referred to in this document as the “destination display.” 
     The contextual matte bars may enhance the user experience when formatted image data is viewed on the destination display. For instance, the contextual matte bars may be black when the destination display has a black bezel, but the contextual matte bars may be a silver color or texture when the destination display has a silver or brushed metal bezel. In addition, in some embodiments, such colors and/or textures may change accordingly with ambient conditions. For example, a brushed metal bezel may shimmer in bright sunlight, but may appear to be a soft metallic gray in dimmer or softer lighting. Thus, the contextual matte bars may become brighter or have a stronger shine to match such changes in ambient conditions at the destination display. These examples and more will be discussed in greater detail below. 
     With the foregoing in mind, many suitable electronic devices may carry out the techniques described in this disclosure. One example appears in  FIG. 1 , which is a block diagram of various components in an electronic device to generate and/or display image data with contextual matte bars.  FIGS. 2-5  respectively illustrate perspective and front views of some suitable implementations of the electronic device of  FIG. 1 . 
     Turning first to  FIG. 1 , an electronic device  10  according to an embodiment of this disclosure may include, among other things, one or more processor(s)  12 , memory  14 , nonvolatile storage  16 , a display  18 , input structures  22 , an input/output (I/O) interface  24 , network interfaces  26 , a power source  28 , an imaging device  30 , and/or an ambient light sensor  32 . The various functional blocks shown in  FIG. 1  may include hardware elements (including circuitry), software elements (including computer code stored on a computer-readable medium), or a combination of both hardware and software elements. It should be noted that  FIG. 1  is merely one example of a particular implementation and is intended to illustrate the types of components that may be present in the electronic device  10 . 
     By way of example, the electronic device  10  may represent a block diagram of the notebook computer depicted in  FIG. 2 , the handheld device depicted in  FIG. 3 , or similar devices. In the electronic device  10  of  FIG. 1 , the processor(s)  12  and/or other data processing circuitry may be operably coupled with the memory  14  and the nonvolatile memory  16  to execute instructions. For instance, the processor(s)  12  may generate image data to be displayed on the display  18 . The display  18  may be a touch-screen liquid crystal display (LCD). In some embodiments, the electronic display  18  may be a Multi-Touch™ display that can detect multiple touches at once. 
     Image data formatted from a first aspect ratio to a second aspect ratio, whether for display on the display  18  within the electronic device  10  or a similar display  18  outside of the electronic device  10 , may be formatted to include contextual matte bars. In the example of  FIG. 1 , this formatting may occur in formatting logic  20 . The formatting logic  20  may represent logic of the display  18 , logic implemented by the processor(s)  12  (e.g., in software), or a component separate from either the processor(s)  12  or display  18 . As will be discussed below, the formatting logic  20  may format image data of a first aspect ratio for display at a second aspect ratio by adding contextual matte bars. 
     The input structures  22  of the electronic device  10  may enable a user to interact with the electronic device  10  (e.g., pressing a button to increase or decrease a volume level). The I/O interface  24  may enable electronic device  10  to interface with various other electronic devices, as may the network interfaces  26 . The network interfaces  26  may include, for example, interfaces for a personal area network (PAN), such as a Bluetooth network, for a local area network (LAN), such as an 802.11x Wi-Fi network, and/or for a wide area network (WAN), such as a  3 G or  4 G cellular network. The power source  28  of the electronic device  10  may be any suitable source of power, such as a rechargeable lithium polymer (Li-poly) battery and/or an alternating current (AC) power converter. 
     In certain examples discussed below, the formatting logic  20  may determine the appearance of the contextual matte bars based on the ambient conditions around the display  18 . Some of these ambient conditions may be detected by an imaging device  30  or an ambient light sensor  32 . The imaging device  30 , which may include a camera and/or image processing logic, may provide information relating to the color temperature of the light. The ambient light sensor  32  may indicate a brightness of the current ambient lighting. Changes in the color temperature and/or brightness of the ambient light may cause the formatting logic  20  to change a corresponding appearance of the contextual matte bars used to format image data. 
     The electronic device  10  may take the form of a computer or other type of electronic device. Such computers may include computers that are generally portable (such as laptop, notebook, and tablet computers) as well as computers that are generally used in one place (such as conventional desktop computers, workstations and/or servers). In certain embodiments, the electronic device  10  in the form of a computer may be a model of a MacBook®, MacBook® Pro, MacBook Air®, iMac®, Mac® mini, or Mac Pro® available from Apple Inc. By way of example, the electronic device  10 , taking the form of a notebook computer  34 , is illustrated in  FIG. 2  in accordance with one embodiment of this disclosure. The depicted computer  34  may include a housing  36 , a display  18 , input structures  22 , and ports of an I/O interface  24 . In the example of  FIG. 2 , the display  18  is surrounded by a bezel  38 . Image data  40  and contextual matte bars  42  appear on the display  18 . The contextual matte bars  42  may have an appearance that matches the context in which the image data  40  is viewed. For instance, the contextual matte bars  42  may match the color and/or texture of the bezel  38 . In another example, the contextual matte bars  42  may vary depending on ambient lighting conditions detected by an imaging device  30  and/or an ambient light sensor  32 . 
       FIG. 3  depicts a front view of a handheld device  50 , which represents one embodiment of the electronic device  10 . The handheld device  50  may represent, for example, a portable phone, a media player, a personal data organizer, a handheld game platform, or any combination of such devices. By way of example, the handheld device  50  may be a model of an iPod® or iPhone® available from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif. In other embodiments, the handheld device  50  may be a tablet-sized embodiment of the electronic device  10 , which may be, for example, a model of an iPad® available from Apple Inc. 
     The handheld device  50  may include an enclosure  52  to protect interior components from physical damage and to shield them from electromagnetic interference. The enclosure  52  may include a bezel  38  around the display  18 . The I/O interfaces  24  may open through the enclosure  38  and may include, for example, a proprietary I/O port from Apple Inc. to connect to external devices. User input structures  22  in combination with the display  18 , may allow a user to control the handheld device  50 . For example, the input structures  22  may activate or deactivate the handheld device  50 . The input structures  22  may navigate a user interface to a home screen, a user-configurable application screen, and/or activate a voice-recognition feature of the handheld device  50 . The input structures  22  may provide volume control and/or may toggle between vibrate and ring modes. Speakers  56  may play back audio or allow a user to hear telephone conversations. Microphone(s)  58  may capture audio used in voice-related features of the handheld device  50 . 
     In the example of  FIG. 3 , like the example of  FIG. 2 , the display  18  of the handheld device  50  is surrounded by a bezel  38 . Image data  40  and contextual matte bars  42  appear on the display  18 . The contextual matte bars  42  may have an appearance that matches the context in which the image data  40  is viewed. For instance, the contextual matte bars  42  may match the color and/or physical texture of the bezel  38 . In another example, the contextual matte bars  42  may vary depending on ambient lighting conditions detected by an imaging device  30  and/or an ambient light sensor  32 . 
     A desktop computer  70 , shown in  FIG. 4 , represents another form of the electronic device  10 . The desktop computer  70  may represent, for example, a model of an iMac® by Apple Inc. The desktop computer  70  of  FIG. 4  includes various components encased in a housing  72 , among those included being the display  18 . Input structures  22  of the desktop computer  70  may include a keyboard and a mouse and/or trackpad. The display  18  of the desktop computer  70 , too, may be surrounded by a bezel  38 . Image data  40  and contextual matte bars  42  appear on the display  18 . The contextual matte bars  42  may have an appearance that matches the context in which the image data  40  is viewed. For instance, the contextual matte bars  42  may match the color and/or physical texture of the bezel  38 . In another example, the contextual matte bars  42  may vary depending on ambient lighting conditions detected by an imaging device  30  and/or an ambient light sensor  32 . 
     Certain embodiments of the electronic device  10  may not include the display  18 , but rather may provide image data to another electronic device (e.g., a television or standalone monitor) that does. For example, as seen in  FIG. 5 , a set top box media player  80  may retrieve image data from another source and provide the image data to an external display  18  through I/O ports  24 . Such I/O ports  24  may include, for example, an HDMI video port. In the example of  FIG. 5 , the set top box media player  80  may employ input structures  22  in the form of buttons on a remote control. Control signals  82  may be retrieved through a network interface  26  (e.g., an infrared interface). By way of example, the set top box media player  80  may represent a model of an Apple TV® by Apple Inc. 
     As noted above, although the set top box media player  80  may itself lack a display  18 , the set top box media player  80  may provide image data to the external display  18 , such as a television or computer monitor. In some examples, the set top box media player  80  may add contextual matte bars  42  to image data  40  to format the image data to the aspect ratio of the external display  18 . The contextual matte bars  42  generated by the set top box media player  80  may have an appearance that varies depending on, among other things, ambient lighting conditions detected by an imaging device  30  and/or an ambient light sensor  32 . 
     In a variety of instances, a user may desire to view image data created for a first electronic device  10  on a second electronic device  10 . For example, as shown in  FIG. 6 , a user may desire to see original image data  40  (“screen 1”) from the user&#39;s notebook computer  34  to appear on a desktop computer  70 . While the notebook computer  34  may have a display  18 A of a first aspect ratio (e.g., 16:10), the desktop computer  70  may have a display  18 B of a second aspect ratio (e.g., 16:9). As such, when the notebook computer  34  provides the original image data  40  to the desktop computer  70 , either the notebook computer  34  or the desktop computer  70  may add contextual matte bars  42 . In the example of  FIG. 6 , the notebook computer  34  is shown to communicate with the desktop computer  70  by way of a video cable  92 . Such a video cable  92  may include, for example, a Thunderbolt cable, a DisplayPort cable, or any other suitable I/O cable to provide at least the original image data  40  to the desktop computer  70 . In other examples, however, the notebook computer  34  may communicate with the desktop computer  70  through any other communication. For instance, the notebook computer  34  may communicate wirelessly via a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth network. 
     Either the notebook computer  34  or the desktop computer  70  may format the original image data  40  of the first aspect ratio to match the second aspect ratio of the display  18 B of the desktop computer  70  by adding the contextual matte bars  42 . As will be discussed in greater detail below, the contextual matte bars  42  may have an appearance that has been selected based on the context of their application. For example, the contextual matte bars  42  may have a color and/or texture that matches the bezel  38  of the desktop computer  70 . The camera  30  and/or ambient light sensor  32 —on either the notebook computer  34  or the desktop computer  70 , depending on the specific implantation—may also provide ambient lighting conditions, allowing the contextual matte bars  42  to change color, brightness, and/or texture to more closely match the appearance of the bezel  38  as would be seen by the user. 
     The system  90  shown in  FIG. 6  may be represented by schematically as one of a number of possible systems, some of which appear in  FIGS. 7-9 . In  FIG. 7 , for example, a source device  10 A with a display  18 A of a first aspect ratio may provide image data  40  of the first aspect ratio to a destination device  10 B. By way of example, the source device  10 A and destination device  10 B of  FIG. 7  may represent the notebook computer  34  and desktop computer  70 , respectively, of  FIG. 6 . 
     As seen in  FIG. 7 , the destination device  10 B may have a destination display  18 B of a second aspect ratio. The destination device  10 B may include formatting logic  20  to format the image data  40  for display at the second aspect ratio of the display  18 B. The formatting logic  20  at the destination device  10 B may add contextual matte bars  42  having a particular, preprogrammed matte bar appearance  102 . In one example, the destination device  10 B may include a read only memory (ROM) programmed with the preprogrammed matte bar appearance  102  based on the color of the bezel  38  of the destination device  10 B. Using the preprogrammed matte bar appearance  102 , the formatting logic  20  thus may add the contextual matte bars  42  to have an appearance that matches the bezel  38  of the destination device  10 B. 
     Additionally or alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 8 , the destination device  10 B may select the contextual matte bars  42  based on a variety of variables. In the example of  FIG. 8 , the source device  10 A may have a display  18 A of a first aspect ratio. The source device  10 A may provide image data  40 —which may have been generated originally for display on the display  18 A, and thus may have a first aspect ratio—to the destination device  10 B. Since the destination device  10 B includes a display  18 B of a second aspect ratio, the formatting logic  20  of the destination device  10 B may format the image data  40  for display at the second aspect ratio. 
     In the example of  FIG. 8 , the formatting logic  20  may implement matte bar selection logic  104  to dynamically generate contextual matte bars  42 . The matte bar selection logic  104  may consider a variety of variables such as display characteristics, ambient lighting conditions, and image data characteristics to select the appearance of the contextual matte bars  42 . 
     In other examples, such as that shown in  FIG. 9 , formatting logic  20  in the source device  10 A may format the image data  40  for display at the second aspect ratio. As shown in  FIG. 9 , the source device  10 A may have a display  18 A of a first aspect ratio. As such, image data that is generated for the display  18 A may not be displayed in its native aspect ratio on the display  18 B of the destination device  10 B, which has a second aspect ratio. As such, the source device  10 A may include the formatting logic  20  that implements the matte bar selection logic  104 . The source device  10 A may receive from the destination device  10 B information allowing the formatting logic  20  to appropriately select contextual matte bars  42  for the destination device  10 B. For example, the destination device  10 B may provide data  106  representing destination display characteristics and/or ambient conditions at the destination display  18 B. 
     By way of example, the source device  10 A may be connected to the destination device  10 B by way of a video cable  92 . When the connection between the source device  10 A and the destination device  10 B is established over the video cable  92 , the destination device  10 B may include extended display identification data (EDID). This information may include various information related to the destination display  18 B (e.g., a product code associated with the destination display  18 B). In some embodiments, the EDID information itself may, in some embodiments, indicate a color or physical texture of the bezel  38  of the display  18 B and/or a default coloration to use for the contextual matte bars  42 . Additionally or alternatively, the EDID information may enable the source device  10 A to search a local or remote database that may indicate the color of the bezel  38  of the display  18 B and/or a default appearance to provide for the contextual matte bars  42 . For instance, the source device  10 A may search a remote database for information related to the destination display  18 B characteristics based on the product code in the EDID. As such, it should be appreciated that the EDID information may be used to discern a variety of destination display  18 B characteristics, such as a color and/or physical texture of a bezel  38  associated with the destination display  18 B; whether the destination display  18 B is prone to image burn-in; whether the destination display  18 B can format the image data  40  for display at the second aspect ratio; and so forth. 
     Additionally or alternatively, the source device  10 A and destination device  10 B may communicate by way of a different communication channel than the video cable  92 . For example, the source device  10 A and the destination device  10 B may communicate via a wireless network such as a Wi-Fi network or a Bluetooth network. Under such a scenario, the destination device  10 B may provide the destination display characteristics and/or the ambient conditions at the destination display  18 B through such a network connection. For example, the destination device  10 B may indicate an ambient lighting condition or a color temperature of lighting at the destination display  18 B. 
     Whether based on information transmitted over a video cable  92  or a wireless network, the formatting logic  20  at the source device  10 A may use the data  106  to select the appearance of the contextual matte bars  42  using the matte bar selection logic  104 . The source device  10 A thus may provide image data  40  that, along with the contextual matte bars  42 , is of the second aspect ratio. The destination display  18 B of the destination device  10 B may display the image data  40  and contextual matte bars  42 . 
     In some cases, it may be desirable to use an intermediate electronic device  10  to format image data  40  of a first aspect ratio for display at a second aspect ratio. An example of this appears in a system  120  of  FIG. 10 . The system  120  of  FIG. 10  includes three electronic devices: a source electronic device  10  (e.g., a notebook computer  34 ), an intermediate electronic device  10  (e.g., a set top box media player  80 ), and a destination electronic device  10  (e.g., a television  122 ). By way of example, a user may desire to display a current screen of original image data  40  (e.g., “screen 1”) that is displayed on the user&#39;s notebook computer  34  onto a television  122 . The original image data  40  on the display  18 A of the notebook computer  34  may be formatted at a first aspect ratio (e.g., 16:10), yet the television  122  may have a different aspect ratio of 16:9. 
     The notebook computer  34  may wirelessly send the original image data  40  to the set top box media player  80 . The set top box media player  80  may format the image data  40  for display on the television  122  by adding contextual matte bars  42 . The set top box media player  80  may provide the formatted image data  40  with the contextual matte bars  42  for display on the display  18 B of the television  122  via a video cable  92 . In the example of  FIG. 10 , the set top box media player  80  is shown to include a camera  30  and an ambient light sensor  32 . The camera  30  and the ambient light sensor  32  may detect the ambient lighting conditions around the television  122  and select the appearance of the contextual matte bars  42  appropriately. 
     The system  120  of  FIG. 10  may represent one particular example of the more general case illustrated by a block diagram system shown in  FIG. 11 . The example of  FIG. 11  includes a source device  10 A with a display  18 A of a first aspect ratio, a destination device  10 B with a display  18 B of a second aspect ratio, and an intermediate device  10 C that includes formatting logic  20 . The source device  10 A may provide the original image data  40  of the first aspect ratio to the intermediate device  10 C. The intermediate device  10 C may format the image data of the first aspect ratio  40  into image data of the second aspect ratio  40  with contextual matte bars  42  for display on the display  18 B of the destination device  10 B. The destination device  10 B may provide data  106 , which may include destination display characteristics and/or ambient lighting conditions to the intermediate device  10 C. Additionally or alternatively, the intermediate device  10 C may determine the destination display characteristics and/or ambient lighting conditions itself (e.g., via an imaging device  30  and/or an ambient light sensor  32 ). Additionally or alternatively, the source electronic device  10 A may ascertain the ambient lighting conditions and provide an indication of the ambient lighting conditions to the intermediate device  10 C. Thus, the formatting logic  20  of the intermediate device  10 C may implement matte bar selection logic  104  that can determine the contextual matte bars  42  based on the display characteristics, the ambient conditions, and/or the image data characteristics. The resulting contextual matte bars  42  may be more pleasing to the user than merely providing black matte bars at all times. 
     A system  130  shown in  FIG. 12  represents one example in which the formatting logic  20  is implemented within a destination display  18  of an electronic device  10 . The destination display  18  may receive original image data  40  of a first aspect ratio, although a display panel  131  of the display  18  may have a second aspect ratio. A timing controller (TCON)  132  generally may provide image data (e.g., the image data  40 ) for display on the display panel  131  through a variety of source drivers (SDs)  134 . The TCON  132  may receive the original image data  40 , scaling the resolution using a scaler  138  and adding contextual matte bars  42  using the formatting logic  20 . Read only memory (ROM)  142  may include a variety of parameters used by the TCON  132 . Among other things, the ROM  142  may include a programmed matte bar appearance  144 . 
     The programmed matte bar appearance  144  may include any suitable information to enable the formatting logic  20  to generate the contextual matte bars  42 . The contextual matte bars may be added by the formatting logic  20  to transform the image data  40  of the first aspect ratio into image data that can be displayed on the display panel  131  of the second aspect ratio. The programmed matte bar appearance  144  may include, for example, a default color and/or texture of the contextual matte bars  42 . By way of example, the programmed matte bar appearance  144  may be programmed based on the color and/or physical texture of the bezel  38  in which the destination display  18  is installed. Thus, to provide one example, the programmed matte bar appearance  144  may be programmed to indicate a default color of gray for the contextual matte bars  42  when the bezel  38  of the display  18  is gray. In some embodiments, the programmed matte bar appearance  144  instead may represent a programmed indication of the color of the bezel  38  of the display  18 . In either case, the formatting logic  20  may use the programmed matte bar appearance  144  to generate the contextual matte bars  42 . 
     For example, as shown in a flowchart  150  of  FIG. 13 , the destination display  18  may receive image data  40  of a first source aspect ratio (block  152 ). The TCON  132  may scale the resolution of the image data  40  using the scaler  138 , and the formatting logic  20  may add the contextual matte bars  42  to include an appropriate appearance (block  154 ). By way of example, the formatting logic  20  may generate the contextual matte bars  42  to have a default appearance based on the programmed matte bar appearance  144  from the ROM  142 . Additionally or alternatively, the formatting logic  20  may generate the contextual matte bars  42  to have an appearance depending on an indication of the color of the bezel  38  of the display  18 . For example, the formatting logic  20  may set the contextual matte bars  42  to have a generally gray color when the programmed matte bar appearance  144  indicates that the bezel  38  is gray. The resulting contextual matte bars  42 , in combination with the image data  40 , then may be displayed on the display panel  131  (block  156 ). 
     The visual appearance of the contextual matte bars  42  may be programmed when the electronic display  18  and/or the electronic device  10  in which the electronic display  18  is installed are manufactured. For instance, as shown by a flowchart  160  of  FIG. 14 , the electronic display  18  may be manufactured or installed into a particular electronic device  10  (block  162 ). By way of example, the electronic display  18  may be installed into a desktop computer  70  having a bezel  38  with a brushed metal color and texture. The ROM  142  of the display  18  may be programmed with the programmed matte bar appearance  144  to match the bezel  38  of the electronic device  10  (block  164 ). For example, the programmed matte bar appearance  144  may indicate that the contextual matte bars  42  should have a gray color or a brushed metal texture. 
     In other embodiments, the contextual matte bars  42  may be generated dynamically depending on other factors relating to the context in which a user may view the image data  40 . Such factors may include, for example, destination display characteristics (e.g., bezel  38  color, propensity for image burn-in), current ambient conditions (e.g., ambient light brightness and/or color temperature), and/or image data characteristics (e.g., motion, coloration, and/or media type). Any suitable logic may carry out the dynamic generation of the contextual matte bars  42  based on such contextual factors. 
     One example of a suitable system to dynamically generate the contextual matte bars  42  is a system  170  of  FIG. 15 . In the system  170  of  FIG. 15 , the processor(s)  12  are shown to execute application program(s)  172 , here shown as application program(s) 1-N. The application program(s)  172  may generate image data that is provided to a window server  174 . The window server  174  may generate image data provided to a frame buffer  176 . The frame buffer  176  is schematically illustrated as a component running between the window server  174  and the display driver  178 , but it should be appreciated that the image data stored in the frame buffer  176  may in fact be stored in the memory  14 , and accessible to the processor(s)  12 . The display driver  178  may interface with the destination display  18 . Still, it should be appreciated that the components shown in  FIG. 15  are provided by way of example, and other components may be employed. For example, a graphics processing unit (GPU) driver may interface with a hardware image processing component of a GPU (which may represent one of the processor(s)  12 ). Moreover, the window server  174  is shown to implement the formatting logic  20 . In other examples, other components may implement the formatting logic  20 . For instance, the display driver  174  and/or a GPU driver may implement the formatting logic  20 . In general, in either case, the formatting logic  20  may generate the contextual matte bars  42  in a similar manner. 
     Additionally, before continuing further, it should be noted that the destination display  18  may represent an external or an internal display  18 . That is, in some examples, the destination display  18  may represent the display  18  of the electronic device  10  that houses the processor(s)  12  of the system  170  of  FIG. 15 . Such an electronic device  10  may represent, for example, the destination device  10 B of  FIG. 8 . In other examples, the destination display  18  may represent a display  18  of a different device (e.g., a television  122 ). For instance, the electronic device  10  that houses the processor(s)  12  of the system  170  may represent the source device  10 A of  FIG. 9  and the destination display  18  may represent the destination display  18 B of  FIG. 9 . Additionally or alternatively, the electronic device  10  that houses the processor(s)  12  of the system  170  may represent the intermediate device  10 C of  FIG. 11  and the destination display  18  may represent the destination display  18 B of  FIG. 11 . 
     Whether the system  170  of  FIG. 15  appears in a source device  10 A (e.g., of  FIG. 9 ), a destination device  10 B (e.g., of  FIG. 8 ), or an intermediate device  10 C (e.g., of  FIG. 11 ), the formatting logic  20  may generate contextual matte bars  42  to appear alongside image data  40  on the display  18 . The formatting logic  20  may, for instance, convert image data of the first aspect ratio generated by the application program(s)  172  and/or received from some external source (e.g., another electronic device  10 ) into image data  40 ,  42  of a second aspect ratio for display on the destination display  18 . Destination display characteristics (data  106 A), ambient conditions (data  106 B), and/or image data characteristics determined by image data analysis logic  180  may enable the formatting logic  20  to generate the contextual matte bars  42  dynamically. The destination display characteristics (data  106 A) may be retrieved from storage  16  coupled to the processor(s)  12  and/or may be received from the destination display  18  (e.g., via an indication of an EDID or wirelessly provided by the electronic device  10  housing the destination display  18 ). The ambient conditions (data  106 B) may be retrieved, for example, from an ambient light sensor  32  and/or an imaging device  30  of the electronic device  10  associated with the processor(s)  12 . 
     Although the formatting logic  20  appears in the image data analysis logic  180  is shown to be implemented within the window server  174  in  FIG. 15 , it should be appreciated that this configuration is merely provided by way of example. Indeed, in other examples, the formatting logic  20  and/or the image data analysis logic  180  may instead appear in the display driver  178 , in one of the application program(s)  172 , and/or as some standalone software component. Moreover, the formatting logic  20  and/or image data analysis logic  180  may be implemented as hardware logic in other embodiments (e.g., formatting image data  40  as it is being output to the destination display  18 ). 
     Regardless of its location or implementation as software, hardware, or both, the formatting logic  20  may add the contextual matte bars  42  to the image data  40 ,  42  provided to the display  18 . For example, as shown by a flowchart  190  of  FIG. 16 , the formatting logic  20  may initially receive image data of a first aspect ratio (block  192 ). The image data may be provided to the formatting logic  20  as generated by the application program(s)  172  and/or from some external source (e.g., a source electronic device  10 ). The formatting logic  20  may receive an indication of destination display characteristics, ambient conditions, and/or image data characteristics (block  194 ). At least partly using the destination display characteristics, the ambient conditions, and/or the image data characteristics, the formatting logic  20  may add contextual matte bars  42  to original image data  40  of the first aspect ratio to obtain image data  40 ,  42  of the second aspect ratio (block  196 ). The image data  40 ,  42  then may be displayed on the display  18  (block  198 ). 
     The contextual matte bars  42  may have a matte bar appearance  210  that may vary depending on the context in which a user may view the image data  40  on the destination display  18 , as generally illustrated in  FIG. 17 . In the example of  FIG. 17 , a first characteristic  212  of the matte bar appearance  210  may be color, a second characteristic  214  may be a visual texture, a third characteristic  216  may be a gradient, a fourth characteristic  218  may be a variation in any of the above over time, and a fifth characteristic  220  may be a separation of the contextual matte bars  42  from other user interface (UI) items. These various characteristics  212 - 220  are provided by way of example and are not intended to represent an exhaustive list of potential matte bar appearances  210  the contextual matte bars  42  may take. Indeed, the matte bar appearance  210  may include any other factors that may visually impact the appearance of the contextual matte bars  42 . 
     Some examples of use cases of the characteristics  212 ,  214 ,  216 ,  218 , and  220  appear in  FIGS. 18-22 . Considering first the first characteristic  212 , color,  FIGS. 18 and 19  illustrate selections of two different colors of contextual matte bars  42  for displays  230  and  232 , which respectively have bezels  38  of different colors. In  FIG. 18 , the bezel  38  of the display  230  is gray, while in  FIG. 19 , the bezel  38  of the display  232  is black. The matte bar appearance  210  of the contextual matte bars  42  thus may vary in color (characteristic  212 ) accordingly. When the image data  40  plus the contextual matte bars  42  are provided to the display  230  in  FIG. 18 , the formatting logic  20  may select the contextual matte bars  42  to be gray to match the color of the bezel  38  of the display  230 . When the image data  40  plus the contextual matte bars  42  are provided to the display  232  in  FIG. 19 , the formatting logic  20  may select the contextual matte bars  42  to be black to match the color of the bezel  38  of the display  232 . 
     The bezels  38  of some displays may not have a uniform color such as gray ( FIG. 18 ) or black ( FIG. 19 ), but instead may have some form of physical texture. In one example, a display  234  shown in  FIG. 20  may have a bezel  38  with a brushed metal texture. The brushed metal texture of the bezel  38  of the display  234  may not be a uniform color, but may glisten and shimmer in the ambient light. Since contextual matte bars  42  of a single uniform color may not match the bezel  38  of the display  234 , the formatting logic  20  may instead generate the contextual matte bars  42  to match the physical texture of the bezel  38 . Thus, the contextual matte bars  42  provided to the display  234  may have a matte bar appearance  210  that includes a visual texture (characteristic  214 ) that mimics the brushed metal texture of the bezel  38  of the display  234 . Such a visual texture (characteristic  214 ) may be generated based on a texture model and/or may be generated from a series of preprogrammed texture frames. Indeed, the texture model may vary in some embodiments based on the ambient conditions. For instance, as discussed further below, the visual texture (characteristic  214 ) of the contextual matte bars  42  may vary depending on the amount and/or color temperature of the ambient lighting conditions to match the way in which the ambient light is striking the bezel  38 . The texture model and/or series of preprogrammed texture frames may be adjusted based on such additional variables to account for the ambient conditions. 
     As shown in  FIG. 21 , the matte bar appearance  210  also may vary a gradient (characteristic  216 ) of the contextual matte bars  42 . In the example of  FIG. 21 , a display  236  has received image data  40  plus contextual matte bars  42 . The contextual matte bars  42  employ a gradient of one color, brightness, and/or texture to another color, brightness, and/or texture. The contextual matte bars  42  may employ a gradient (characteristic  216 ), for example, when the image data  40  and the bezel  38  are strikingly different. In such cases, the contextual matte bars  42  may reduce the user&#39;s perception of these striking differences. In other examples, the gradient (characteristic  216 ) may be employed for any other suitable reasons, such as user feedback indicating that a gradient is more pleasing than a uniform color and/or texture. 
     In some instances, the matte bar appearance  210  may undergo variation (characteristic  218 ). For instance, to prevent burn-end on a display  18  that is susceptible to burn-end, the color (characteristic  212 ), the texture (characteristic  214 ), and/or the gradient (characteristic  216 ) may occasionally change over time. The differences may be minor but may prevent the display  18  from suffering from image burn-in damage. Additionally or alternatively, the contextual matte bars  42  may have greater temporal variation (characteristic  218 ) to coincide with activity in the image data  40 . For example, during periods of rapid changes in the image data  40 , the contextual matte bars  42  may vary more quickly than during periods of relative calm. 
     The contextual matte bars  42  also may or may not be separated from other components of a user interface (characteristic  220 ) appearing in the original data  40 . By way of example, on a display  238  shown in  FIG. 22 , a cursor  240  shown in the original image data  40  may or may not be permitted to move  242  onto the contextual matte bars  42 . The user&#39;s ability to move the cursor  240  away from the original image data  40  and onto the contextual matte bars  42  may vary depending, for example, on the content of the original image data  40 . In one example, the cursor  240  may be permitted to cross onto the contextual matte bars  42  when the contextual matte bars  42  have a similar color as the original image data  40 . In another example, the cursor  240  may be permitted to cross onto the contextual matte bars  42  when the image data  40  is displaying a particular media type (e.g., a movie) such that moving the cursor  240  may be desirable to indicate the cursor  240  should be made invisible. On the other hand, in some embodiments, the cursor  240  may not be permitted to cross onto the contextual matte bars  42  when the image data  40  is displaying some other media (e.g., a user interface desktop) to prevent the user from mistaking the contextual matte bars  42  as user interface elements. 
     The appearance  210  of the contextual matte bars  42  may be selected based at least in part on destination display characteristics  250 , as generally illustrated in  FIG. 23 . In the example of  FIG. 23 , a first characteristic  252  of the destination display characteristics  250  may be a color of the bezel  38  of the destination display  18 , a second characteristic  254  may be a texture of the bezel  38 , and/or a third characteristic  256  may be propensity or likelihood of image burn-in of the destination display  18 . These various characteristics  252 - 256  are provided by way of example and are not intended to represent an exhaustive list of potential destination display characteristics  250  that may affect the appearance  210  of the contextual matte bars  42 . Indeed, the destination display characteristics  250  may include any other factors that may affect the context in which a user may view the contextual matte bars  42 . It should be appreciated that one or more, all, or none of the destination display characteristics  250  may be provided to and/or considered by the formatting logic  20  to generate the contextual matte bars  42 . 
     Considering each of the destination display characteristics  250  shown in  FIG. 23  individually, the first characteristic  252 , the bezel  38  color, may be used by the formatting logic  20  to select the color (characteristic  210 ) of the contextual matte bars  42 . For instance, when the bezel  38  has a generally gray color, the contextual matte bars  42  may have a generally gray color; when the bezel  38  has a generally black color, the contextual matte bars  42  may have a generally black color; when the bezel  38  has a white color, the contextual matte bars  42  may have a generally white color; and so forth. The bezel  38  color (characteristic  252 ) may also be used by the formatting logic  20  to set a default color of the contextual matte bars  42 . The formatting logic  20  may deviate from the default color based on other considerations, such as ambient lighting conditions or the bezel  38  texture (characteristic  254 ). 
     Indeed, the second characteristic  254  of the destination display characteristics  250 , the bezel  38  texture, may be used by the formatting logic  20  to select a visual texture (characteristic  212 ) or a color (characteristic  210 ) of the contextual matte bars  42 . For example, the formatting logic  20  may select a particular texture model or series of programmed textural frames to cause the contextual matte bars  42  to generally match the bezel  38  texture (characteristic  254 ). In another example, the formatting logic  20  may select a particular color (characteristic  210 ) of the contextual matte bars  42  depending on the bezel  38  texture (characteristic  254 ). By way of example, the formatting logic  20  may select a brighter color when the bezel  38  texture is more reflective and thus more prone to shining and shimmering, and may select a less bright color when the bezel  38  texture is less reflective and/or subdued. 
     Since certain types of displays  18  may be more prone to image burn-in, the formatting logic  20  may consider this characteristic  256  to prevent the contextual matte bars  42  from damaging the display  18 . Some displays  18 —particularly older displays  18  and/or plasma displays  18 —may be prone to image burn-in when an image is displayed for an extended period of time. The formatting logic  20  thus may consider the likelihood of image burn-in (characteristic  256 ) when generating the contextual matte bars  42 . For example, when the likelihood of image burn-in (characteristic  256 ) is relatively higher, the formatting logic  20  may increase the variation (characteristic  218 ) of the contextual matte bars  42  over time. Additionally or alternatively, when the likelihood of image burn-in (characteristic  256 ) is relatively higher, the formatting logic  20  may select a color (characteristic  210 ) or texture (characteristic  212 ) for the contextual matte bars  42  that may be less likely to result in damage. 
     As discussed above, the formatting logic  20  may additionally or alternatively consider ambient lighting conditions at the destination display  18  when generating the contextual matte bars  42 . Some ambient lighting conditions  270  that may be considered appear in  FIG. 24 . In the example of  FIG. 24 , a first characteristic  272  of the ambient lighting conditions  270  may be an ambient light level or brightness around the destination display  18  and a second characteristic  274  may be color temperature of the ambient light. These various characteristics  272  and  274  are provided by way of example and are not intended to represent an exhaustive list of potential ambient lighting conditions  270  that may affect the appearance  210  of the contextual matte bars  42 . Indeed, the ambient lighting conditions  270  may include any other factors that may affect the context in which a user may view the contextual matte bars  42 . It should be appreciated that one or more, all, or none of the ambient lighting conditions  270  may be provided to and/or considered by the formatting logic  20  to generate the contextual matte bars  42 . 
     For example, an image captured by a camera on an electronic device  10  (e.g., a handheld device  50 ) may be used as an ambient condition  270  to ascertain how well the contextual matte bars  42  match the adjacent bezel  38  of the destination display  18 . That is, the formatting logic  20  may use such an image as negative feedback to correct user-perceptible differences between the bezel  38  and the contextual matte bars  42  (e.g., adjusting the color, brightness, visual texture, and so forth of the contextual matte bars  42  based on the feedback image). The feedback image may be captured when a user takes a photo of the user&#39;s destination display  18  and provided over a cable or network (e.g., a wired or wireless network connection between the electronic device  10  capturing the feedback image and the electronic device  10  that is generating the contextual matte bars  42 ). 
     The formatting logic  20  may modify the appearance of the contextual matte bars  42  as the ambient conditions  270  change. Indeed, as shown in  FIGS. 25-27 , a user&#39;s perception of the appearance of a bezel  38  may change as the context of the ambient lighting changes. For example, in a daylight context  280  with direct sunlight  282  or other direct light sources, as shown in  FIG. 25 , a bezel  38  of brushed metal may appear bright and reflective. The ambient lighting conditions  270  may indicate this strong brightness (characteristic  272 ) or warm color temperature (characteristic  274 ). The formatting logic  20  thus may generate contextual matte bars  42  that are correspondingly bright and shiny and/or shimmery. 
     In an indirect-light context  284  with diffuse light  286 , as shown in  FIG. 26 , the bezel  38  of brushed metal may appear more subdued. The ambient lighting conditions  270  may indicate this decreased brightness (characteristic  272 ) or cooler color temperature (characteristic  274 ). In response, the formatting logic  20  may generate contextual matte bars  42  that are correspondingly cooler and more subdued, and less bright and shiny or shimmery. 
     Finally, in a dark context  288  with very little light  290  (e.g., at night or in a dark room), as shown in  FIG. 27 , the bezel  38  of brushed metal may actually appear dark. The ambient lighting conditions  270  may indicate the lack of light (characteristic  272 ). In response, the formatting logic  20  may generate contextual matte bars  42  that are correspondingly dark. In this way, the contextual matte bars  42  may vary to match the changing context of different ambient lighting conditions. 
     The formatting logic  20  may consider still other factors to generate the contextual matte bars. For example, as shown in  FIG. 28 , the formatting logic  20  may consider various image data characteristics  300 . In the example of  FIG. 28 , a first characteristic  302  of the ambient lighting conditions  300  may be an amount of on-screen motion of the image data  40 , a second characteristic  304  may be a prominent color among the image data  40 , and a third characteristic  306  may be a type of media represented by the image data  40  (e.g., movie, still photos, working applications, or user desktop). These various characteristics  302 - 306  are provided by way of example and are not intended to represent an exhaustive list of potential image data characteristics  300  that may affect the appearance  210  of the contextual matte bars  42 . Indeed, the image data characteristics  300  may include any other factors that may affect the context in which a user may view the contextual matte bars  42 . It should be appreciated that one or more, all, or none of the image data characteristics  300  may be provided to and/or considered by the formatting logic  20  to generate the contextual matte bars  42   
     Considering the image data characteristics  300  individually, the formatting logic  20  may use the amount of motion (characteristic  302 ) to select the appearance of the contextual matte bars  42  in a variety of possible ways. For instance, the formatting logic  20  may choose to change the appearance of the contextual matte bars  42  (e.g., to prevent image burn-in) during periods of high motion in the image data  40  to reduce the likelihood that such changes in the contextual matte bars  42  will be distracting. In another example, the formatting logic  20  may vary the appearance of the texture of the contextual matte bars  42  as the amount of motion in the image data  40  changes. 
     A color (characteristic  304 ) of the image data  40  may also affect the context in which a user perceives the image data and the contextual matte bars  42 . As such, the formatting logic  20  may generate the appearance of the contextual matte bars  42  based at least partly on the color (characteristic  304 ) of the image data  40 . For example, when the image data  40  is a bright white color, the contextual matte bars  42  may be generated to be brighter than when the image data  40  is a deep black. In another example, the formatting logic  20  may generate the contextual matte bars  42  to generally match the most or least prominent color. Moreover, in some embodiments, the formatting logic  20  may generate contextual matte bars  42  that generally blend in with the colors along the edges of the image data  40 . 
     Some users may desire contextual matte bars  42  that vary depending on the media type (characteristic  306 ) of the image data  40 . For example, when the image data  40  represents a movie or video media or still photos, the formatting logic  20  may generate contextual matte bars  42  that are generally less likely to be noticeable alongside the content (e.g., black matte bars). When the image data  40  represents working applications or a user desktop, the formatting logic  20  may generate contextual matte bars  42  that better match the bezel  38 . 
     It should be appreciated that the formatting logic  20  may consider any of the various factors for destination display characteristics  250 , ambient lighting conditions  270 , and/or image data characteristics  300  to determine the contextual matte bars  42 . The various examples described in this disclosure are intended to represent only some of the ways in which the contextual matte bars  42  may be generated depending on the context in which a user is to view the image data  40 . Indeed, the formatting logic  20  may consider any or all suitable factors relating to the context in which a user will view reformatted image data  40  at a new aspect ratio to generate contextual matte bars  42  that may be pleasing to the user. 
     That is, the specific embodiments described above have been shown by way of example, and it should be understood that these embodiments may be susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms. It should be further understood that the claims are not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed, but rather to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20130123
Publication Date: 20151215
Grant Date: 20151215
Priority Date: 20130123
Inventors: TANN CHRISTOPHER P.
RIDENOUR ROBERT L.
PINTZ SANDRO H.
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H04N21/440272", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N7/0122", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N21/440272", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N7/0122", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 51207358