Server-side adaptive video processing

Abstract

Adaptive video processing for a target display panel may be implemented in or by a server/encoding pipeline. The adaptive video processing methods may obtain and take into account video content and display panel-specific information including display characteristics and environmental conditions (e.g., ambient lighting and viewer location) when processing and encoding video content to be streamed to the target display panel in an ambient setting or environment. The server-side adaptive video processing methods may use this information to adjust one or more video processing functions as applied to the video data to generate video content in the color gamut and dynamic range of the target display panel that is adapted to the display panel characteristics and ambient viewing conditions.

1 . A system, comprising:
 an encoding pipeline configured to:
 receive video data from one or more sources; and 
 for each of one or more target display panels:
 obtain one or more characteristics of the display panel; 
 obtain one or more environment metrics indicating current environmental conditions at the display panel; 
 process the video data according to one or more characteristics of the video data, the one or more display panel characteristics, and the one or more environment metrics to generate video content adapted to the display panel characteristics according to the current environmental conditions as indicated by the environment metrics; 
 encode the adapted video content according to a compressed video format to generate encoded video content; and 
 provide the encoded video content to a decoding pipeline associated with the respective display panel. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein display panel contrast is not affected by the non-linear scaling of the display panel brightness. 
     
     
         3 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein, to scale the display panel brightness up or down according to a non-linear brightness adjustment function, the brightness adjustment module is configured to apply the non-linear brightness adjustment function to a luma component of an input digital content signal to generate an output digital content signal for display. 
     
     
         4 . The system as recited in  claim 3 , wherein slope of the non-linear brightness adjustment function increases as the input brightness increases. 
     
     
         5 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the obtained information includes one or more ambient lighting metrics for the display panel, and wherein, to determine an adjustment to brightness level for the display panel from the obtained information, the brightness adjustment module is configured to determine the adjustment at least in part according to at least one of the ambient lighting metrics. 
     
     
         6 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising one or more sensors configured to detect ambient lighting conditions, wherein at least one of the ambient lighting metrics for the display panel are determined according to the detected ambient lighting conditions. 
     
     
         7 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a display brightness control element configured to adjust a display brightness level setting in response to user input, wherein the obtained information includes the display brightness level setting, and wherein, to determine an adjustment to brightness level for the display panel from the obtained information, the brightness adjustment module is configured to determine the adjustment at least in part according to the display brightness level setting. 
     
     
         8 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the obtained information indicates ambient lighting conditions and a user-specified display brightness level setting, and wherein, to determine an adjustment to brightness level for the display panel from the obtained information, the brightness adjustment module is configured to determine the adjustment according to the ambient lighting conditions and the display brightness level setting. 
     
     
         9 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the non-linear brightness adjustment function is a piecewise linear function. 
     
     
         10 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the display panel is divided into a plurality of regions, and wherein, to scale the display panel brightness up or down, the brightness adjustment module is configured to scale the brightness up or down separately for each region of the display panel according to a non-linear brightness adjustment function for the region. 
     
     
         11 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the display panel is a high dynamic range (HDR) enabled display panel, and wherein the digital content is HDR digital content. 
     
     
         12 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the brightness adjustment module is a component of a system on a chip (SOC). 
     
     
         13 . A method, comprising:
 performing, by a brightness adjustment module implemented on a device: obtaining information about one or more conditions affecting display   panel brightness of a target display panel from one or more sources;   determining an adjustment to brightness level for the display panel from the obtained information; and   scaling the display panel brightness up or down according to a non-linear brightness adjustment function to adjust the brightness level of the display panel according to the obtained information;   wherein display panel contrast is not affected by the scaling of the display panel brightness.   
     
     
         14 . The method as recited in  claim 13 , wherein, to scale the display panel brightness, the non-linear brightness adjustment function is applied to a luma component of an input digital content signal to generate an output digital content signal for display, wherein slope of the non-linear brightness adjustment function increases as the input brightness increases. 
     
     
         15 . The method as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the obtained information indicates one or more ambient lighting conditions for the display panel, and wherein the adjustment to brightness level for the display panel is determined at least in part from the ambient lighting conditions. 
     
     
         16 . The method as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the obtained information indicates a user-specified display brightness level setting, and wherein the adjustment to brightness level for the display panel is determined at least in part from the display brightness level setting. 
     
     
         17 . The method as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the display panel is divided into a plurality of regions, and wherein scaling the display panel brightness comprises scaling the brightness up or down separately for each region of the display panel according to a non-linear brightness adjustment function for the region. 
     
     
         18 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a brightness adjustment module configured to:   obtain information about one or more conditions affecting display panel brightness of a target display panel from one or more sources;   determine an adjustment to brightness level for the display panel from the obtained information;   apply a non-linear brightness adjustment function to a luma component of an input digital content signal to generate an output digital content signal to scale display panel brightness according to the obtained information; and   output the digital content to the target display panel for display;   wherein display panel contrast is not affected by the scaling of the display panel brightness.   
     
     
         19 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 18 , wherein the obtained information indicates one or more ambient lighting conditions and a current display brightness level setting for the display panel, and wherein the adjustment to brightness level for the display panel is determined at least in part from the ambient lighting conditions and the current display brightness level setting. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 18 , wherein the display panel is divided into a plurality of regions, and wherein a different non-linear brightness adjustment function is applied to the digital content signal corresponding to at least two of the plurality of regions.