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Computer Graphics - CS602 Special 2006 Assignment 01 Solution

While computer graphics creates new images, image processing modifies existing ones. The key differences are that computer graphics uses computers to generate pictures while image processing digitizes and manipulates existing images. Some major areas of image processing include improving picture quality, machine perception for robotics, medical applications like tomography, and combining processing with computer graphics for modeling surgery. TFT monitors use thin film transistors to actively control pixels and display color images through the interaction of liquid crystals and polarized light controlled by applied voltages. They have advantages over CRTs like better focus and absence of convergence or geometry errors.

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168 views

Computer Graphics - CS602 Special 2006 Assignment 01 Solution

While computer graphics creates new images, image processing modifies existing ones. The key differences are that computer graphics uses computers to generate pictures while image processing digitizes and manipulates existing images. Some major areas of image processing include improving picture quality, machine perception for robotics, medical applications like tomography, and combining processing with computer graphics for modeling surgery. TFT monitors use thin film transistors to actively control pixels and display color images through the interaction of liquid crystals and polarized light controlled by applied voltages. They have advantages over CRTs like better focus and absence of convergence or geometry errors.

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skanshah
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Q1.

Is there any difference between Computer Graphics and Image


Processing? Explain. Also explain some of there major areas.
Although methods used in computer graphics and image processing overlap, the
two areas are concerned with fundamentally different operations. In computer
graphics, a computer is used to create a picture. Image processing, on the other
hand, applies techniques to modify or interpret existing pictures, such as
photographs and TV scans. Two principal applications of image processing are:
improving picture quality, and machine perception of visual information, as used
in robotics.
To apply image-processing methods, we first digitize a photograph or other
picture into an image file. Then digital methods can be applied to rearrange
picture parts, to enhance color separation, or to improve the quality of shading.
These techniques are used extensively in commercial art applications that
involve the retouching and rearranging of sections of photographs and other
artwork. Similar methods are used to analyze satellite photos of the earth and
photos of galaxies.
Medical applications also make extensive use of image-processing techniques
for picture enhancements, in tomography and in simulations of operations.
Tomography is a technique of X-ray photography that allows cross-sectional
views of physiological systems to be displayed. Both computed X-ray
tomography (CT) and position emission tomography (PET) use projection
methods to reconstruct cross section from digital data. These techniques are also
used to monitor internal functions and show cross section during surgery. Other
medical imaging techniques include ultrasonic and nuclear medicine scanners.
Image processing and computer graphics are typically combined in many
applications. Medicine, for example, uses these techniques to model and study
physical functions, to design artificial limbs, and to plan and practice surgery. The
last application is generally referred to as computer-aided surgery. Twodimensional cross sections of the body are obtained using imaging techniques.
Then the slices are viewed and manipulated using graphics methods to simulate
actual surgical procedures and to try out different surgical cuts.
Q2. Explain the architecture of TFT monitors.
What Is A TFT? - Getting To Know The Technology
Modern display technologies are currently classified as either cathode ray tube
monitors (CRTs) or flat panel displays. Tube devices are large and take up a lot
of space, flat panel displays - i.e. devices without a tube - as the name states,
are flat and space-saving. The flat panel display category itself encompasses a
number of very different technologies such as LCDs (Liquid Crystal Displays),

plasma displays, LEDs (Light Emitting Diode) and various other devices. Within
these technologies, one can distinguish between flat panel displays that emit light
and those that use back light that passes through them.
We will discuss those flat panel displays that - from the current point of view seem to be the most purposeful; so-called TFT-LCDs. These devices belong to
the group of displays that use back light passing through them. STN and DSTN
(passive matrix LCDs) are also used, but nowadays only in very low-priced
notebooks.

Overview of the different flat panel display technologies. Active matrix LCD's
have prevailed on the market.
How TFTs Work
TFT stands for 'Thin Film Transistor' and describes the control elements that
actively control the individual pixels. For this reason, one speaks of so-called
'active matrix TFTs'. How are images produced? The basic principle is quite
simple: a panel with many pixels is used whereby each pixel can emit any color.
To this purpose, a back light is used which is normally comprised of a number of
fluorescent tubes. In order to light a single pixel, all that needs to be done is for a
small 'door' or 'shutter' to open to let the light pass through. The technology that
makes this possible is of course more complicated and involved than the simple
explanation above. LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) stands for monitors that are
based on liquid crystals. Liquid crystals can change their molecular structure and
therefore allow varying levels of light to pass through them (or they can block the
light). Two polarizer filters, color filters and two alignment layers determine
exactly how much light is allowed to pass and which colors are created. The

layers are positioned between the two glass panels. A specific voltage is applied
to the alignment layer, creating an electric field - which then aligns the liquid
crystals. Each dot on the screen (pixel) therefore requires three components, one
for red, green and blue - just as for the tubes within cathode ray tube devices.
The most common devices are Twisted Nematic TFTs . The following sections
explain the way in which such TFTs work.

Figure How a Standard TFT (Twisted Nematic) Display works


When no voltage is applied, the molecule structures are in their natural state
and twisted by 90 degrees. The light emitted by the back light can then pass
through the structure.

Figure How a Standard TFT (twisted nematic) works


If a voltage is applied, i.e. an electric field is created; the liquid crystals are
twisted so that they are vertically aligned. The polarized light is then absorbed by
the second polarizer. Light can therefore not leave the TFT display at this
location.
Architecture Of A TFT Pixel
The color filters for red, green and blue are integrated on to the glass substrate
next to each other. Each pixel (dot) is comprised of three of these color cells or

sub-pixel elements. This means that with a resolution of 1280 x 1024 pixels,
exactly 3840 x 1024 transistors and pixel elements exist. The dot or pixel pitch
for a 15.1 inch TFT (1024 x 768 pixels) is about 0.0188 inch (or 0.30 mm) and for
an 18.1 inch TFT (1280 x 1024 pixels) it's about 0.011 inch (or 0.28 mm).

Figure: Pixels of a TFT. The left upper corner of a cell incorporates a Thin Film
Transistor. Color filters allow the cells to change their RGB basic colors.
The pixels are decisive and the smaller their spacing, the higher the maximum
possible resolution. However, TFTs are also subject to physical limitations due to
the maximum display area. With a diagonal of 15 inch (or about 38 cm) and a dot
pitch of 0.0117 inch (0.297 mm), it makes little sense to have a resolution of 1280
x 1024. Part 4 of this report covers the relationship between dot pitch and
diagonal dimensions in more detail.
What Causes The Unpleasant Scaling Errors?
Pixels are in a fixed location and therefore define the resolution of a TFT without
any geometrical problems. In other words: the maximum number of pixels
corresponds to the maximum resolution. But: what about lower resolutions? What
happens if you have to switch to a lower resolution as is often necessary for
games, video playback and other applications? In this case it is important that the
electronics scale the 'smaller' image up to the size of the maximum size of the
display panel. If the circuitry can't handle this task efficiently, the result will be
distorted and not exactly ergonomic. From a technical point of view, this is not as
easy to handle as for CRTs.
Why? In the case of CRTs, the electron beam can be adapted to the new
resolution by simply changing the deflecting voltages. Besides, it basically
doesn't matter if the beam happens to hit a point between two pixels
occasionally. This is quite a different matter in the case of TFTs: due to the active

control of every individual pixel, complex scaling electronics are required to


recalculate the data for smaller resolutions. With whole number scaling factors
(e.g. a factor of 2 when scaling 800 x 600 up to 1600 x 1200) it's fairly simple: the
height and width of each pixel are doubled. The displayed image is correctly
shown. Things become harder when scaling from 800 x 600 to 1024 x 768. The
scaling factor is then 1.28, i.e. not a whole number (integer). It's no longer
possible to uniquely assign data to a single pixel in every case. The electronics
therefore have to decide whether to activate one pixel or two. Mathematical
rounding-off errors then lead to unpleasant effects when displaying text. State-ofthe-art electronic components can reduce this effect using a trick in order to
reduce the optical impression: if data can't be uniquely assigned to a pixel, then
the pixel's display intensity is reduced.

Figure: Scaling using the character "m". Scaling factors with fractional numbers
often cause visual distortion.
Advantages and Disadvantages of TFT Displays
As you'll almost certainly be familiar with the characteristics of a classical tube
monitor, we'd like to emphasize the most important differences between TFTs
and CRTs at this point:
TFTs offer very good focus characteristics due to the active control of pixels by
transistors. Another advantage compared with CRTS is the absence of geometry
and convergence errors due to the technical nature of TFTs. Why don't TFTs
flicker? It's simple. They don't use an electron beam that has to scan left-to-right
on each line of the screen. The lights are effectively turned off for a short time on
CRTs when the electron beam flies back from the bottom right to the top left
corner of the display (blanking). In contrast, the pixels of a TFT are never
switched off; they simply change their intensity continuously.
The following table summarizes all the most important checkpoints.

Flat Panel Displays (TFTs) Tube Monitors (CRTs)


Brightness

(+) 170 to 250 cd/m

(~) 80 to 120 cd/m

Contrast ratio

(~) 200:1 to 400:1

(+) 350:1 to 700:1

Viewing angle (contrast) (~) 110 to 170 degrees

(+) over 150 degrees

Viewing angle (color)

(-) 50 to 125 degrees

(~) over 120 degrees

Convergence errors

(+) none

(~) 0.0079 to 0.0118 inch


(0,20 to 0,30 mm)

Focus

(+) very good

(~) satisfactory to very


good

Geometry/linearity errors (+) none

(~) possible

Pixel errors

(-) up to 8

(+) none

Input signal

(+) analog or digital

(~) only analog

Scaling
for
resolutions

different(-) none or by low- (+) very good


performance interpolation
methods

Gamma (color tuning for(~) satisfactory


the human eye)
Uniformity

(+) photo realistic

(~) often brighter at the(~) often brighter in the


edges
center

Color purity/color quality (~) good

(+) high

Flickering

(+) none

(~) not visible over 85 Hz

Response time

(-) 20 to 30 msec

(+) not noticeable

Power consumption

(+) 25 to 40 watts

(-) 60 to 150 watts

Space
requirements/weight

(+) flat design, light weight (-) require a lot of space,


heavy

Table 1: Comparison between CRTs and TFTs


Legend: (+) positive (~) average, acceptable (-) negative
Summary
Flat panel displays offer excellent focus and sufficient color quality for standard
office applications such as word processing and spreadsheet calculations. TFTs
also have a lot to offer in terms of ergonomics: less desktop space required, a
third of the power consumption of standard tube monitors and of course, lower
emission values. TFTs are not suitable for graphics designers who require
photorealistic displays. The response time for current models is certainly not
ideal for users who mainly play on their PC, whereby video playback, DVD's and
presentations are handled well enough by today's TFT devices.
Flat panel displays will only find their way into the home when prices fall and of
course, when their availability is improved.

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