An Embedded System for High Dynamic Range Enabled Television

这个为期8个月的项目汇集了华威大学在高动态范围（HDR）成像方面的国际领先专业知识，以及美国奥斯汀IBM系统和技术集团的创新和深入的市场知识。合作伙伴将共同展示嵌入式HDR解码器观看器的技术和商业可行性，该解码器可以包含在所有未来的电视中，甚至可以在现有电视中进行改装。HDR是一组技术，它允许一个场景的明暗区域之间有更大的动态亮度范围，而不是普通的数字成像技术或照片打印。这种更宽的动态范围使HDR图像能够更准确地代表从直射阳光到微弱星光的真实场景中广泛的光强度水平。色调映射技术通过降低整体对比度，方便在动态范围较低的设备上显示HDR图像，可以产生保留或夸大局部对比度的图像，达到艺术效果。虽然过程很复杂，但最终的产品似乎很自然。这是因为眼睛和大脑的视觉皮层与照相机不同，它们可以在一个场景中处理1万倍的光线变化，并且无需任何有意识的努力就能自动适应。现在出现了能够捕捉动态HDR内容的相机。问题是：捕捉大范围的自然光线会导致数据的大量增加。华威大学为HDR视频内容开发了一种高效的压缩算法（至少100:1），这是我们在EPSRC拨款EP/D032148/2中进行的研究的一部分，该研究已申请专利。与此编码器相关的是需要一个解码器和查看器，它可以将HDR内容实时直接传送到HDR显示器或色调映射到现有的低动态范围（LDR）显示器，包括计算机显示器和电视。这个解码器查看器的原型可下载版本存在于pc上。电视的解决方案就没有这么简单了。电视制造商需要将解码器-观看器嵌入到他们的显示设备中，因此启用HDR的决定将由制造商做出，而不是用户。这种嵌入式软件如果设计得好，易于整合，可能会很快被电视制造商采用，因为它为他们的产品增加了另一个产品与众不同的销售特征。电视市场是巨大的，每年售出约1.7亿台电视机，市场价值超过300亿美元。在这个市场中，数字LCD到1080的高清晰度规格几乎已经成为标准。市场现在已经稳定下来，进一步降低成本是主要的市场驱动力，或者他们可能会转向更高规格的标准。我们认为后者的可能性更大，HDR将成为标准。然而，HDR电视的迅速普及存在一个制约因素。杜比在2007年2月（以2900万美元）收购BrightSide后，严格控制了所有与HDR显示器相关的知识产权。因此，在解决许可协议或HDR显示器的其他创新开始出现之前，这可能需要几年时间。我们在这个项目中开发的嵌入式系统将使现有的电视设计能够支持HDR。嵌入式解码器查看器将允许HDR内容在这些电视上实时显示色调映射。虽然色调映射图像永远不会像真正的HDR图像那样丰富，但正如我们和其他人所展示的那样，现代色调映射器可以在感知上接近HDR体验的LDR显示器上提供显着增强的观看体验。因此，该提案弥补了之前EPSRC资助的研究成果之间的差距，以开发嵌入式HDR解码查看器的强大演示器和商业开发计划。项目完成后，我们将处于有利地位，以获得风险资本或种子基金的商业支持。

This 8 month project brings together internationally leading expertise in High Dynamic Range (HDR) imaging from the University of Warwick with the innovation and in-depth market knowledge of the IBM Systems and Technology Group, Austin, USA. Together the partners will demonstrate the technical and commercial viability of an embedded HDR decoder-viewer which could be included in all future TVs and even retrofitted in existing TVs.HDR is a set of techniques that allow a greater dynamic range of luminances between light and dark areas of a scene than normal digital imaging techniques or photographic prints do. This wider dynamic range allows HDR images to more accurately represent the wide range of light intensity levels found in real scenes ranging from direct sunlight to faint starlight. Tone mapping techniques, which reduce overall contrast to facilitate display of HDR images on devices with lower dynamic range, can be applied to produce images with preserved or exaggerated local contrast for artistic effect. Although the process is complex, the end product seems very natural. This is because the eye and the visual cortex of the brain, unlike a camera, can deal with light variances of 10,000-fold within a single scene and adapt automatically without any conscious effort. Cameras capable of capturing dynamic HDR content are now appearing. The problem is: capturing the wide range of natural lighting results in a substantial increase in data. A highly efficient compression algorithm (of at least 100:1) for HDR video content has been developed at the University of Warwick as part of our research undertaken in EPSRC grant EP/D032148/2, for which a patent has been filed. Associated with this encoder is the need for a decoder and viewer which can deliver HDR content in real-time directly to HDR displays or tone mapped to existing Low Dynamic Range (LDR) displays, including computer monitors and televisions. A prototype down-loadable version of this decoder-viewer exists for PCs. A solution for televisions is not so straightforward. TV manufacturers need to embed the decoder-viewer into their display devices, so the decision to be HDR enabled would be made by the manufacturer, not the user. This embedded software may be adopted by TV manufacturers quite rapidly if it is well designed and easy to incorporate, as it adds another product distinguishing sales feature to their product. The television market is huge with about 170 million displays are sold annually in a market worth over $30 billion. Within this market, digital LCD to 1080 High Definition specification has become almost standard. The market has now stabilised, with further cost reduction being the major market driver, or they may move onto an even higher-specification standard. We believe that the latter is the more likely, and that HDR will be that standard. There is, however, one restraint on the rapid adoption of HDR television. Dolby tightly control all the IP related to HDR displays after their acquisition of BrightSide in February 2007 (for $29 million). It could thus take a few years while licensing agreements are resolved or other innovations for HDR displays start to appear. The embedded system we are developing in this project will enable existing television designs to be HDR enabled . The embedded decoder-viewer will allow HDR content to be tone mapped in real-time for display on these televisions. While a tone mapped image will never be as rich as a true HDR one, as we, and others have shown, modern tone mappers can give a significantly enhanced viewing experience on an LDR display which are perceptually close to the HDR experience. This proposal thus bridges the gap from the research results from a previous EPSRC grant to develop a robust demonstrator of an embedded HDR decoder-viewer and a commercial exploitation plan. On completion of the project, we will be in a strong position to secure commercial support from venture capital or seed funds.