1. An image display device comprising:
an image inputting unit configured to input an input image;
a display ratio controller which controls a black display ratio which is a ratio of a period for displaying a black image in one frame period in a frame of the input image;
a period setting unit which sets a black display period and an image display period for displaying the frame on the basis of the black display ratio;
a brightness compensator which obtains brightness compensation information for compensating brightness of the frame according to the black display ratio; and
a display which displays the frame and the black image,
the display ratio controller comprising:
a ratio fixer which determines the black display ratio;
a transient black display time ratio calculator which calculates a transient black display ratio, which is a ratio between the current black display ratio fixed by the ratio fixer and a new black display ratio fixed by the ratio fixer; and
a transient black display time ratio setting unit which sets the black display ratio relating at least to the display of one frame from the current black display ratio to the transient black display ratio and then setting the black display ratio to the new black display ratio,
wherein the display displays a brightness compensation image based on the brightness compensation information and the frame in the image display period, and displays the black image in the black display period.
2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the transient black display time ratio setting processor comprises:
a comparator which determines whether an criterion indicating the change from the current black display ratio to the new black display ratio is larger than a predetermined condition;
a first setting unit which sets the black display time ratio of at least one frame to the transient black display ratio and then setting the black display ratio to the new black display ratio when the criterion is larger than the predetermined condition; and
a second setting unit which sets the black display ratio to be the new black display ratio when the criterion is smaller than the predetermined condition.
3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the transient black display time ratio calculator obtains the transient black display ratio so that absolute differences of the black display ratio between adjacent frames of the input image become smaller than a predetermined threshold, and
the transient black display time ratio setting unit changes the black display ratio so that the absolute differences of the black display ratio between the adjacent frames become smaller than the predetermined threshold.
4. The device according to claim 2, wherein the transient black display time ratio calculator sets the transient black display ratio so that the absolute value of rate of change in the black display ratio between the adjacent frames of the input image become smaller than a predetermined threshold, and
the transient black display time ratio setting unit changes the black display ratio so that the absolute value of the rate of change in black display ratio between the adjacent frames become smaller than the threshold.
5. The device according to claim 1 further comprising an image determiner which determines whether the input image is a moving image or a still image, wherein the ratio fixer sets the black display ratio when the input image is determined to be the moving image to be a ratio larger than the black display ratio when the input image is determined to be the still image.
6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the image determiner detects a movement of the input image, and determines the input image to be a moving image when the magnitude of the movement is larger than a predetermined threshold, and determines the input image to be a still image when the magnitude of the movement is smaller than the threshold.
7. The device according to claim 5, wherein the ratio fixer increases the new black display ratio in proportion to the magnitude of the movement.
8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the transient black display time ratio calculator obtains a plurality of different transient black display ratios based on an average gray-scale level of pixels contained in the frame of the input image.
9. The device according to claim 8, wherein the transient black display time ratio calculator obtains the plurality of different transient black display time ratios based on the average gray-scale level of the pixels having gray-scale levels from a maximum gray-scale level to a gray-scale level which is smaller than the maximum gray-scale level by a predetermined proportion.
10. The device according to claim 8, wherein the transient black display time ratio calculator determines a plurality of different transient black display ratios based on the average gray-scale level of pixels included in a range from the highest to a predetermined ranking in gray-scale level.
11. The device according to claim 8, wherein the transient black display time ratio calculator determines a plurality of different transient black display ratios based on the average gray-scale level of the n pixels with the highest gray-scale levels, n being a predetermined fraction of the whole.
12. The device according to claim 1, wherein the display comprises a liquid crystal panel and a surface light source disposed on the back side of the liquid crystal panel for illuminating the liquid crystal panel from the back surface,
the brightness compensator obtains luminous brightness information of the surface light source based on the black display ratio and employs the obtained luminous brightness information as the brightness compensation information in order to control variations in integral brightness in one frame period caused by the change in the black display ratio within a predetermined range, and
an image display controller which controls the luminous brightness of the surface light source based on the brightness compensation information and writes the image information of the frame on the liquid crystal panel.
13. The device according to claim 12, wherein the image display controller causes the surface light source to emit light during the image display period, and causes the surface light source to turn off for the black display period.
14. The device according to claim 12, wherein the surface light source comprises an emission switching unit which switches the surface light source, comprising a plurality of horizontal light-emitting region units which are divided in the vertical direction of the screen of the liquid crystal panel, between on and off,
the liquid crystal panel comprises an image information inputting unit which inputs the image information to each horizontal line from the top or bottom of the screen on a line-by-line basis, and
the image display controller writes the image information of the frame in a display area on the liquid crystal panel corresponding to the horizontal light-emitting area units, and then turns off light in the horizontal light-emitting area in the black display period and causes the horizontal light-emitting area to emit light in image display period.
15. The device according to claim 14, wherein the image display controller turns light off in the horizontal light-emitting area in the black display period and then causes the horizontal light-emitting area to emit light in the image display period, or causes the horizontal light-emitting area to emit light in the image display period and then turns off the light in the horizontal light-emitting area in black display period.
16. The device according to claim 1, wherein the display comprises an electro-luminescence panel.
17. The device according to claim 16, wherein the brightness compensator obtains maximum display gray-scale level information based on the black display ratio and employs the obtained maximum display gray-scale level information as the brightness compensation information in order to control variations in integral brightness in one frame period caused by the change in the black display ratio within a predetermined range, and
an image display control processor generates the brightness compensation image using the maximum display gray-scale level information and pixel information of the frame, and displays the brightness compensation image on the electro-luminescence panel.
18. The device according to claim 16, wherein the brightness compensator calculates the electric current value to be supplied to the electro-luminescence panel and employs the obtained current value as the brightness compensation information in order to control variations in integral brightness in one frame period caused by the change in the black display ratio within a predetermined range, and
an image display controller supplies a current of the current value based on the pixel information of the frame and the brightness compensation information to the electro-luminescence panel.
19. The image display device according to claim 16, wherein the transient image display ratio calculator determines the plurality of different transient image display ratios based on the average gray-scale level of the pixels having gray-scale level from a maximum gray-scale levels to a gray-scale level which is smaller than the maximum gray-scale level by a predetermined proportion.
20. The device according to claim 16, wherein the transient image display ratio calculator obtains the plurality of different transient image display ratios based on the average gray-scale level of pixels included in a range from the highest to a predetermined ranking in gray-scale level.
21. The device according to claim 16, wherein the transient image display ratio calculator obtains the plurality of different transient image display ratios based on the average gray-scale level of the n pixels with the highest gray-scale levels, n being a predetermined fraction of the whole.
22. An image display device comprising:
an image inputting unit configured to input an input image;
a display ratio controller which controls an image display ratio which is a ratio of a period for displaying the frame when the frame and the black image are displayed in one frame period of the input image;
a period setting unit which sets a black display period and an image display period for displaying the frame based on the image display ratio;
a brightness compensator which obtains brightness compensation information for compensating brightness of the frame according to the image display ratio; and
a display which displays the frame and the black image,
the display ratio controller comprising:
a ratio fixer which determines the image display ratio;
a transient image display ratio calculator which obtains the transient image display ratio, which is a ratio between the current image display ratio determined by the ratio fixer and a new ratio determined by the ratio fixer; and
a transient image display ratio setting unit which sets the image display ratio relating at least to the display in one frame from the current image display ratio to the transient image display ratio and then setting the image display ratio to be the new image display ratio,
wherein the display displays a brightness compensation image based on the brightness compensation information and the frame in the image display period, and displays a black image in a black display period.
23. The device according to claim 22, wherein the transient image display ratio setting unit comprises:
a comparator which determines whether or not an criterion indicating the change from the current image display ratio to the new image display ratio is larger than a predetermined condition;
a first setting unit which sets the image display ratio of at least one frame to be the transient image display ratio and then setting the image display ratio to be the new image display ratio, when the criterion is larger than the predetermined condition; and
a second setting unit which sets the image display ratio to be the new image display ratio when the criterion is smaller than the predetermined condition.
24. The device according to claim 23, wherein the transient image display ratio calculator calculates the transient image display ratio so that absolute differences between the image display ratio of adjacent frames of the input image become smaller than a predetermined threshold, and
the transient image display ratio setting unit changes the image display ratio so that the absolute differences between the image display ratio of the adjacent frames become smaller than the predetermined threshold.
25. The device according to claim 23, wherein the transient image display ratio calculator obtains the transient image display ratio so that the absolute value of rate of change in the image display ratio of adjacent frames of the input image becomes smaller than a predetermined threshold, and
the transient image display ratio setting unit changes the image display ratio so that the absolute value of the rate of change in image display ratio of adjacent frames become smaller than the threshold.
26. The device according to claim 22 further comprising an image determiner which determines whether the input image is a moving image or a still image,
wherein the ratio fixer sets the image display ratio when the input image is determined to be the moving image to a ratio smaller than the image display ratio when the input image is determined to be the still image.
27. The device according to claim 26, wherein the image determiner detects a movement of the input image, and determines the input image to be the moving image when the magnitude of the movement is larger than a predetermined threshold, while determines the input image to be the still image when the magnitude of the movement is smaller than the threshold.
28. The image display device according to claim 26, wherein the ratio fixer decreases the new image display ratio in proportion to the magnitude of the movement.
29. The device according to claim 22, wherein the transient image display ratio calculator determines a plurality of different transient image display ratios based on an average gray-scale level of pixels contained in the frame of the input image.
30. The device according to claim 22, wherein the display comprises a liquid crystal panel and a surface light source disposed on the back side of the liquid crystal panel for illuminating the liquid crystal panel from the back surface,
the brightness compensator obtains luminous brightness information of the surface light source based on the image display ratio, and employs the obtained luminous brightness information as the brightness compensation information in order to control variations in integral brightness in one frame period caused by the change in the image display ratio within a predetermined range, and
an image display controller controls the luminous brightness of the surface light source based on the brightness compensation information and writes the image information of the frame on the liquid crystal panel.
31. The device according to claim 30, wherein the image display controller causes the surface light source to emit light for the image display period, and turns off the surface light source for the black display period.
32. The device according to claim 31, wherein the image display controllor turns off light in the horizontal light-emitting area in the black display period and then causes the horizontal light-emitting area to emit light in the image display period, or causes the horizontal light-emitting area to emit light in the image display period and then turns off the horizontal light-emitting area in black display period.
33. The device according to claim 30, wherein the surface light source comprises an emission switching unit which switches the surface light source, comprising a plurality of horizontal light-emitting region units which are divided in the vertical direction of the screen of the liquid crystal panel, between on and off,
the liquid crystal panel comprises an image information inputting unit which inputs the image information to each horizontal line from the top or bottom of the screen on a line-by-line basis, and
the image display controller writes the image information of the frame in a display area on the liquid crystal panel corresponding to the horizontal light-emitting area units, and turns off light in the horizontal light-emitting area in the black display period and causes the horizontal light-emitting area to emit light in the image display period.
34. The device according to claim 22, wherein the display comprises an electro-luminescence panel.
35. The device according to claim 34, wherein the brightness compensator obtains maximum display gray-scale level information based on the image display ratio, and employs the obtained maximum display gray-scale level information as the brightness compensation information in order to control variations in integral brightness in one frame period caused by the change in the image display ratio within a predetermined range, and
an image display controller generates the brightness compensation image using the maximum display gray-scale level information and the pixel information of the frame, and displays the brightness compensation image on the electro-luminescence panel.
36. The device according to claim 34, wherein the brightness compensator calculates the electric current value to be supplied to the electro-luminescence panel and employs the obtained current value as the brightness compensation information in order to control variations in integral brightness in one frame period caused by the change in the image display ratio within a predetermined range, and
an image display controller supplies current of the value calculated based on the pixel information of the frame and the brightness compensation information to the electro-luminescence panel.
37. A method of displaying an image comprising:
an image input step of inputting an input image;
a display ratio control step of controlling a black display ratio which is a ratio of a period for displaying black image in one frame period in a frame of the input image;
a period setting step of setting a black display period and an image display period of displaying the frame from the black display ratio;
a brightness compensation step of obtaining brightness compensation information for compensating brightness of the frame according to the black display ratio; and
an image display step of displaying the frame and the black image,
the display ratio control step comprising:
a ratio fixing step of determining the black display ratio;
a transient black display time ratio calculating step of obtaining the transient black display time ratio, which is a ratio between the current black display ratio, determined in the ratio fixing step, and a new black display ratio determined in the ratio fixing step; and
a transient black display time ratio setting step of setting the black display time ratio relating at least to the display in one frame from the current black display time ratio to the transient black display time ratio and then setting the black display time ratio to the new black display time ratio,
wherein the image display step displays a brightness compensation image based on the brightness compensation information and the frame in the image display period, and displays a black image in the black display period.
38. A method of displaying an image comprising:
an image input step for inputting an input image;
a display ratio control step of controlling an image display ratio which is a ratio of a period for displaying black image in one frame period in the frame of the input image;
a period setting step of setting a black display period and an image display period for displaying the frame from the image display ratio;
a brightness compensation step of obtaining brightness compensation information for compensating brightness of the frame according to the black display time ratio; and
an image display step of displaying the frame and the black image,
the display ratio control step comprising:
a ratio fixing step of fixing the image display ratio;
a transient image display ratio calculating step of obtaining the transient image display ratio, which is a ratio between a current black display time ratio fixed in the ratio fixing step and a new black display time ratio fixed in the ratio fixing step; and
a transient image display ratio setting step of setting the image display ratio relating at least to the display in one frame from the current image display ratio to the transient black display time ratio and then setting to the new black display time ratio,
wherein the image display step displays a brightness compensation image based on the brightness compensation information and the frame in the image display period, and displays a black image in the black display period.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A photographic film conveying device which, while conveying along a film conveying path a strip-shaped photographic film on which images are recorded, reads the images of the photographic film by an image reading section, the photographic film conveying device comprising:
a reading conveying section which conveys the photographic film along the film conveying path such that an image recorded region of the photographic film passes through an image reading position at which images are read by the image reading section;
a film receiving section which receives the photographic film whose images have been read by the image reading section;
a discharge conveying section which conveys the photographic film, whose images have been read by the image reading section, along the film conveying path such that the photographic film is discharged into the film receiving section; and
an external disturbance preventing section which, at a time of image reading when the images of the photographic film are read by the image reading section, sets the discharge conveying section in a withdrawn state in which the discharge conveying section is withdrawn from the photographic film which is being conveyed by the reading conveying section, and which, after image reading of the photographic film is completed, sets the discharge conveying section in a conveying state in which conveying of the photographic film is possible.
2. A photographic film conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the discharge conveying section has a discharge roller pair which, while the photographic film is nipped by a nip portion formed between a pair of rollers, rotates the pair of rollers so as to feed-out the photographic film, and at the time of image reading of the photographic film, the external disturbance preventing section opens the nip portion such that the photographic film can pass between the pair of rollers at the discharge roller pair, and when image reading of the photographic film is completed, the external disturbance preventing section closes the nip portion such that the photographic film which is inserted between the pair of rollers at the discharge roller pair can be conveyed.
3. A photographic film conveying device according to claim 2, wherein after image reading of the photographic film is completed, the external disturbance preventing section closes the nip portion at the discharge roller pair synchronously with the photographic film leaving from the reading conveying section.
4. A photographic film conveying device according to claim 2, wherein the film receiving section has a film holder, which can hold a plurality of photographic films which are inserted from an exterior, and a presser mechanism, which presses a photographic film which has left from the nip portion of the discharge roller pair and inserts the photographic film into the film holder.
5. A photographic film conveying device according to claim 3, wherein the film receiving section has a film holder, which can hold a plurality of photographic films which are inserted from an exterior, and a presser mechanism, which presses a photographic film which has left from the nip portion of the discharge roller pair and inserts the photographic film into the film holder.
6. A photographic film conveying device which, while conveying a strip-shaped photographic film on which images are recorded, reads the images of the photographic film by an image reading section, the photographic film conveying device comprising:
a film supplying section provided with a loading portion into which is loaded a film bundle in which photographic films are stacked, the film supplying section conveying one photographic film from the film bundle loaded in the loading portion to an image input section at which the image reading section is provided;
a film supply path for guiding to the image input section the photographic film which is conveyed by the film supplying section;
a reading conveying path connected to the film supply path, and guiding the photographic film, which is conveyed to the image input section along the film supply path, to an image reading position at which images are read by the image reading section;
a reading conveying section which conveys the photographic film along the reading conveying path such that an image recorded region of the photographic film passes through the image reading position; and
a conveying controlling section which, after starting of conveying by the reading conveying section of an Nth photographic film which is an Nth photographic film whose images are read, synchronously with a trailing end of the Nth photographic film passing through a connection section of the film supply path and the reading conveying path, starts conveying, from the loading portion and by the film supplying section, of an (N1)st photographic film which is an (N1)st photographic film whose images are read, and holds the (N1)st photographic film in the film supply path until the Nth photographic film is discharged.
7. A photographic film conveying device according to claim 6, wherein a leading end detecting sensor is provided on the film supply path, and the leading end detecting sensor detects a leading end of the photographic film conveyed by the film supplying section, and outputs a detection signal, and, synchronously with outputting of the detection signal from the leading end detecting sensor, the conveying controlling section stops conveying of the (N1)st photographic film by the film supplying section, and when the Nth photographic film is discharged from the reading conveying path, restarts conveying of the (N1) st photographic film by the film supplying section.
8. A photographic film conveying device according to claim 6, further comprising:
a film receiving section which receives the photographic film after image reading;
a film feed-out path which merges with the film supply path and which guides to the film receiving section the photographic film which has been discharged from the image input section through the reading conveying path; and
a conveying switching section which switches a conveying path of the photographic film such that, when the photographic film is conveyed by the film supplying section, the photographic film enters into the reading conveying path from the film supply path, and when a trailing end of the photographic film passes through a merging section with the film feed-out path in the film supply path, the photographic film enters into the film feed-out path from the reading conveying path.
9. A photographic film conveying device according to claim 7, further comprising:
a film receiving section which receives the photographic film after image reading;
a film feed-out path which merges with the film supply path and which guides to the film receiving section the photographic film which has been discharged from the image input section through the reading conveying path; and
a conveying switching section which switches a conveying path of the photographic film such that, when the photographic film is conveyed by the film supplying section, the photographic film enters into the reading conveying path from the film supply path, and when a trailing end of the photographic film passes through a merging section with the film feed-out path in the film supply path, the photographic film enters into the film feed-out path from the reading conveying path.
10. A photographic film conveying device which, while conveying a strip-shaped photographic film on which images are recorded, reads the images of the photographic film by an image reading section, the photographic film conveying device comprising:
an auto film loader including a film supplying section in which is loaded a film bundle in which photographic films before image reading are stacked, and which conveys one photographic film from the film bundle into an image input section at which the image reading section is provided, and a film receiving section which receives photographic films after image reading;
a film supply path for guiding to the image input section the photographic film conveyed by the film supplying section;
a reading conveying path which is connected to the film supply path and which guides, to an image reading position at which images are read by the image reading section, the photographic film which is conveyed through the film supply path to the image input section;
a reading conveying section which conveys the photographic film along the reading conveying path such that an image recorded region of the photographic film passes through the image reading position;
a film feed-out path which merges with the film supply path and which guides to the film receiving section the photographic film which is discharged from the image input section through the reading conveying path; and
a conveying switching section which switches a conveying path of the photographic film such that, when the photographic film is conveyed by the film supplying section, a leading end of the photographic film enters into the reading conveying path from the film supply path, and when a trailing end of the photographic film passes through a merging section with the film feed-out path in the film supply path, the photographic film enters into the film feed-out path from the reading conveying path.
11. A photographic film conveying device according to claim 10, wherein the conveying switching section has a gate member which can move between a first guide position, at which the gate member guides the photographic film from the reading conveying path to the film feed-out path, and a second guide position, at which the gate member guides the photographic film from the film supply path to the reading conveying path, and the gate member is urged to the first guide position, and the gate member moves from the first guide position to the second guide position due to pushing force from a photographic film which has reached the merging section at the time the photographic film is being conveyed by the film supplying section, and after a trailing end of the photographic film has passed through the merging section, the gate member returns to the first guide position.
12. A photographic film conveying device according to claim 10, further comprising a loop forming section which, at the time when the photographic film is being conveyed by both the film supplying section and the reading conveying section, forms a loop portion, which bends in a direction of thickness of the photographic film, in the photographic film at the film supply path, and the loop forming section can feed a portion of the loop portion out toward the reading conveying path.
13. A photographic film conveying device according to claim 11, further comprising a loop forming section which, at the time when the photographic film is being conveyed by both the film supplying section and the reading conveying section, forms a loop portion, which bends in a direction of thickness of the photographic film, in the photographic film at the film supply path, and the loop forming section can feed a portion of the loop portion out toward the reading conveying path.
14. A photographic film conveying device according to claim 10, wherein a discharge conveying section, which conveys the photographic film, which has entered into the film feed-out path, such that the photographic film is discharged from the film feed-out path, and a film holding section, which can hold ones of end portions of a plurality of photographic films which have been successively discharged from the film feed-out path by a discharge mechanism, are provided in the film receiving section.
15. A photographic film conveying device according to claim 11, wherein a discharge conveying section, which conveys the photographic film, which has entered into the film feed-out path, such that the photographic film is discharged from the film feed-out path, and a film holding section, which can hold ones of end portions of a plurality of photographic films which have been successively discharged from the film feed-out path by a discharge mechanism, are provided in the film receiving section.
16. A photographic film conveying device according to claim 12, wherein a discharge conveying section, which conveys the photographic film, which has entered into the film feed-out path, such that the photographic film is discharged from the film feed-out path, and a film holding section, which can hold ones of end portions of a plurality of photographic films which have been successively discharged from the film feed-out path by a discharge mechanism, are provided in the film receiving section.