System and method for a multi-primary wide gamut color system
Inventors
Bogdanowicz, Mitchell J. • Carbonara, Corey P. • Korpi, Michael F. • DeFilippis, James M. • Mandle, Gary B.
Assignees
Publication Number
US-12008942-B2
Publication Date
2024-06-11
Expiration Date
2039-10-21
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Abstract
The present invention includes systems and methods for a multi-primary color system for display. A multi-primary color system increases the number of primary colors available in a color system and color system equipment. Increasing the number of primary colors reduces metameric errors from viewer to viewer. One embodiment of the multi-primary color system includes Red, Green, Blue, Cyan, Yellow, and Magenta primaries. The systems of the present invention maintain compatibility with existing color systems and equipment and provide systems for backwards compatibility with older color systems.
Core Innovation
The invention presents a system and method for displaying image data using a multi-primary wide gamut color system. This system increases the number of primary colors beyond the traditional red, green, and blue (RGB) primaries by incorporating additional primaries such as cyan, magenta, and yellow. The image data is expressed using a set of values in the CIE Yxy color space, which includes a luminance (Y) and two colorimetric coordinates (x and y) that are independent from the luminance. A processor renders the image data, processes it in Yxy channels, and a display controller scales and distributes the data to multiple display devices, each capable of displaying the image display data.
This invention addresses the limitations of current display technologies in color range and accuracy. Traditional systems, even with expanding RGB gamuts, face drawbacks such as increased metameric errors and higher power requirements when utilizing narrower spectral emissions for wider gamuts. Prior solutions with multi-primary displays are often confined internally to the display device and lack system-level workflows for generating and transporting additional primary color information across equipment and systems. The disclosed system maintains compatibility with existing standards while providing a generalized infrastructure for multi-primary color workflows.
The invention’s system can include multiple processors (optionally in parallel), video cards, and a display engine with functional blocks such as a raster scaler, XYZ converters, LUTs, and output formatters. The image data mapped and transported among system components allows for higher color fidelity and an expanded gamut. Image display data may further be customized with mapping, cropping, timing, calibration, and location information. The flexibility in system design allows single or plural display devices and supports advanced screen types (e.g., LCD, LED, QD, projector screens) as well as integration in complex display structures like video walls.
Claims Coverage
The patent contains three independent claims, each describing core inventive features for a system displaying image data with extended color capabilities using the CIE Yxy color space.
System for displaying image data using a Yxy color space representation and distribution
The system includes at least one processor operable to process graphics, at least one display controller, and a plurality of display devices. The image data comprises a set of primary color signals as values in a CIE Yxy color space (luminance Y and colorimetric coordinates x and y). The processor renders image data for the displays, and the data is transmitted as processed Yxy data (with separate channels for Y, x, and y) to the controller. The display controller scales and distributes the image display data to all the display devices, which can display the resulting image data.
System for targeted distribution of Yxy-encoded image data with localized display signals
The system includes at least one processor, one or more display controllers, and at least one display device. The image data is defined in the CIE Yxy color space and processed so that an image display signal—comprising a portion of the image display data based on display device location—can be transmitted to each display device. The display controller can scale and segment the rendered image data for display, and each device is operable to show its portion of the image data.
System for creating and distributing Yxy image display data to display devices
The system includes at least one processor, at least one display controller, and at least one display device. It processes image data in the CIE Yxy color space, with the display controller creating image display data and transmitting this to each display device, which in turn displays the data. This structure covers generalized creation and delivery of Yxy color space image content to various display configurations.
The independent claims are directed to systems that process, encode, and distribute image data in the CIE Yxy color space, allowing for advanced rendering, segmentation, and display of wide-gamut content across one or more display devices. The inventive features relate to the structuring and flow of Yxy data from rendering to display, including partitioning, mapping, and device-specific delivery.
Stated Advantages
Expands the number of primary colors, increasing the displayable color gamut and reducing metameric errors compared to conventional RGB systems.
Maintains compatibility and backwards compatibility with existing color systems and equipment.
Enables systematic generation, transport, and use of additional primary color information across multiple devices and workflows, not confined to a single display.
Allows for more accurate and consistent color reproduction between viewers by using colorimetric coordinates independent of device-specific primaries.
Supports advanced display configurations, such as video walls, through scalable mapping, cropping, and device-specific signal control.
Documented Applications
Application to multi-primary color display systems, including use with four, five, six, or more primaries (e.g., RGBCMY).
Use with a wide range of display technologies, such as LCD panels, LED screens, quantum dot displays, OLEDs, projectors, and video wall configurations.
Deployment in video wall systems, including real-time rendering and synchronized distribution of wide-gamut color images across multiple screens or tiles.
Support for virtual production environments where video walls are used together with CGI and real-time color correction.
Implementation in servers, edge computing, and cloud-based infrastructures for distributed image processing and display.
Use in light field displays and 3D visualization systems enabling the display of different image sets based on viewing angle.
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