Apple Inc.
ADAPTIVE IMAGE DATA BIT-DEPTH ADJUSTMENT SYSTEMS AND METHODS

Abstract:

Systems and methods for improving perceived image quality with reduced implementation associated cost and/or improved operational efficiency. A display pipeline includes an input buffer that stores input image data corresponding with an image pixel window, in which the input image data has a first bit-depth and includes image data corresponding with an image pixel in the image pixel window. The display pipeline includes bit-depth adjustment circuitry, which includes a neural network that operates based on a set of bit-depth adjustment parameters to process the input image data to determine whether banding greater than a perceivability threshold is expected to result when the image is displayed directly using the input image data with the first bit-depth and to process the image data corresponding with the image pixel to expand the image data from the first bit-depth to a second bit-depth when the banding visual artifact is greater than the perceivability threshold.