(19)
(11) EP 1 387 319 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
27.10.2004 Bulletin 2004/44

(43) Date of publication A2:
04.02.2004 Bulletin 2004/06

(21) Application number: 03250945.7

(22) Date of filing: 17.02.2003
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)7: G06T 5/40
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE SI SK TR
Designated Extension States:
AL LT LV MK RO

(30) Priority: 22.02.2002 GB 0204239

(71) Applicant: Sony United Kingdom Limited
Weybridge, Surrey KT13 0XW (GB)

(72) Inventors:
  • Calder, keith Robert
    Ashford, Middlesex TW15 1LB (GB)
  • Chaibelaine, Nordine
    Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey KT2 6DE (GB)
  • Levine, Stuart Jonathan
    Stockbridge, Hampshire SO20 8HS (GB)

(74) Representative: DeVile, Jonathan Mark, Dr. et al
D. Young & Co 21 New Fetter Lane
London EC4A 1DA
London EC4A 1DA (GB)

   


(54) Image processing apparatus


(57) A display device comprises a display (2), a display memory (1) and an image processing apparatus (20). Input colour component samples representative of a colour image are stored in the display memory (1) prior to being displayed. The input colour component samples are read out from the display memory (1) and processed by the image processing apparatus (20) before being displayed by the display device. The image processing apparatus comprises a colour dynamic range converter (30) operable to increase the resolution of the input colour component samples, a low pass filter (36) operable to filter the increased resolution colour component signal samples, and a detection processor (34). The detection processor (34) analyses the input colour component samples to detect a difference between samples associated with detail appearing in the colour image. Consequent upon detection of this detail the detection processor (34) adjusts the bandwidth of the low pass filter in correspondence with the detected detail. The image processor thereby increases a colour palette available to display the colour image, with an advantage that detail is preserved in the reproduced image which may otherwise be lost.









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