Multiple display channel system with high dynamic range

Abstract

A multi-channel display system comprises a plurality of display devices, each display device having a non-pixel addressable light output part, e.g. a backlight, and a pixel addressable light output part, e.g. an LCD panel, in an optical path. The non-pixel addressable light output part and the pixel addressable light output part are arranged to both have a temporal modulation, so that a perceivable optical output of the display device is a combination of the outputs of the temporal modulation of the pixel addressable light output part and the temporal modulation of the non pixel addressable light output part. At least two of the display devices are arranged for displaying adjacent image parts. The display system furthermore comprises a linking means for linking the driving of the non pixel addressable light output part of at least the two display devices being arranged for displaying adjacent image parts.

1 . A display system comprising:
 a plurality of display devices, each display device having a non-pixel addressable light output part and a pixel addressable light output part in an optical path, the non-pixel addressable light output part and the pixel addressable light output part being arranged to both have a temporal modulation, so that a perceivable optical output of the display device is a combination of the outputs of the temporal modulation of the pixel addressable light output part and the temporal modulation of the non pixel addressable light output part, and at least two of the display devices being arranged for displaying adjacent image parts,   wherein the display system furthermore comprises a linking means for linking the driving of the non pixel addressable light output part of at least the two display devices being arranged for displaying adjacent image parts so that continuity is ensured between the image parts provided by each of the at least two display devices.   
     
     
         2 . A display system according to  claim 1 , wherein the linking means comprises a controller adapted to set a global value for the driving of the temporal modulation of the non pixel addressable light output parts of at least the two display devices being arranged for displaying adjacent image parts. 
     
     
         3 . A display system according to  claim 2 , wherein the controller is adapted to determine the global value for the driving of the temporal modulation of the non pixel addressable light output parts based on the maximum and minimum video levels to be displayed by at least the two display devices being arranged for displaying adjacent image parts. 
     
     
         4 . A display system according to  claim 1 , wherein the linking means comprises a controller adapted to provide a gradient in luminance levels displayed by at least the two display devices arranged for displaying adjacent image parts. 
     
     
         5 . A display system according to  claim 1 , wherein the non-pixel addressable light output part comprises a controllable light source, and the pixel addressable light output part comprises a transmissive or reflective part. 
     
     
         6 . A method for driving a display system comprising a plurality of display devices, each display device having a non-pixel addressable light output part and a pixel addressable light output part in an optical path, the method comprising:
 driving the non pixel addressable light output parts of the display devices, the driving including temporal modulation of the drive level depending on image content to be displayed, and   individually applying temporal modulation to the pixel addressable light output parts of the plurality of display devices for generating the image, the combined output of the temporal modulation of the non pixel addressable light output part and the temporal modulation of the pixel addressable light output part of a display device generating a perceivable optical output of the display device,   wherein driving the non pixel addressable light output parts of the display devices comprises synchronising the dynamic range of at least two display devices arranged for displaying adjacent image parts.   
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 6 , wherein synchronising the dynamic range includes determining an overlapping dynamic range common to all display devices in the display system and using this overlapping dynamic range for driving the display devices. 
     
     
         8 . A computer device comprising loaded thereon a program product for executing the methods as claimed in  claim 6 , the computing device being associated with a multi-channel display system. 
     
     
         9 . A non-transitory computer readable medium for storing the computer program product of  claim 8 .