I guess they are trying to recreate an effect like this with Texture tone mapping.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_dynamic_range_rendering#The_tone_mapping_approach

Where, is you look into a window with an unlit room from outside, it looks dark, but when you go inside, its actually bright inside. From inside, if you look outside, outside seems to be very very bright, but when you go back outside, its actually normal brightness. I wonder if this is the kind of tone mapping they are referring to.