Display device with automatic dimming mechanism and automatic dimming method for display panel thereof

Abstract

An automatic dimming method for a display panel that operates in a current brightness interval and has a current brightness value includes obtaining an ambient light brightness value of the environment in which the display panel is located and determining whether the ambient light brightness value exceeds the current brightness interval. Corresponding to the ambient light brightness value exceeding the current brightness interval, the automatic dimming method further includes determining whether a duration time of the ambient light brightness value exceeding the current brightness interval reaches a preset duration time. Corresponding to the duration time reaching the preset duration time, the automatic dimming method further includes converting the ambient light brightness value to a target brightness value; adjusting the current brightness value of the display panel to the target brightness value at a preset rate; and adjusting the current brightness interval to the target brightness interval based on the target brightness value, so as to monitor the ambient light brightness value of the environment in which the display panel is located based on the target brightness interval.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a display device and its display panel, and more particularly to an automatic dimming method for a display device and its display panel with an automatic dimming mechanism. Prior Technology

[0002] When a display panel adjusts its brightness in response to changes in ambient light, drastic changes in ambient light can cause drastic changes in the panel's brightness, potentially leading to screen flicker and eye discomfort. Furthermore, if the display panel's brightness is adjusted intermittently or discontinuously, it will also affect viewing comfort. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Therefore, this disclosure provides a display device with an automatic dimming mechanism and an automatic dimming method for the display panel, which can not only smoothly and continuously adjust the display brightness of the display panel, but also has a mechanism to avoid overly sensitive dimming, so as to reduce the impact of sudden brightness changes on the user's vision and improve visual comfort.

[0004] This disclosed embodiment discloses an automatic dimming method for a display panel, comprising acquiring the ambient light brightness value of the environment in which the display panel is located, wherein the display panel operates in the current brightness range of a plurality of brightness ranges and has a current brightness value; and determining whether the ambient light brightness value exceeds the current brightness range. Corresponding to the ambient light brightness value exceeding the current brightness range, this automatic dimming method further comprises determining whether the duration of the ambient light brightness value exceeding the current brightness range reaches a preset duration. Corresponding to the duration reaching the preset duration, this automatic dimming method further comprises converting the ambient light brightness value to a target brightness value for the display panel; adjusting the current brightness value of the display panel to the target brightness value at a preset rate; and adjusting the current brightness range to the target brightness range based on the target brightness value, so as to monitor the ambient light brightness value of the environment in which the display panel is located based on the target brightness range.

[0005] According to the embodiments disclosed herein, the preset duration depends on the number of times the ambient light brightness value exceeds the current brightness range and the sampling period of the ambient light brightness value.

[0006] According to the embodiments disclosed herein, the current brightness range has a first preset upper limit value and a first preset lower limit value. The automatic dimming method further includes determining whether the duration for which the ambient light brightness value exceeds the first preset upper limit value reaches a preset duration; and determining whether the duration for which the ambient light brightness value exceeds the first preset lower limit value reaches a preset duration.

[0007] According to the embodiments disclosed herein, the target brightness range has a second preset upper limit value and a second preset lower limit value, and corresponding to the target brightness value being greater than the current brightness value, the difference between the second preset upper limit value and the second preset lower limit value is greater than the difference between the first preset upper limit value and the first preset lower limit value.

[0008] According to the embodiments disclosed herein, the target brightness range has a second preset upper limit value and a second preset lower limit value, and correspondingly, when the target brightness value is less than the current brightness value, the difference between the second preset upper limit value and the second preset lower limit value is less than the difference between the first preset upper limit value and the first preset lower limit value.

[0009] According to the embodiments disclosed herein, converting the ambient light brightness value to a target brightness value for the display panel further includes referring to a brightness mapping conversion table to map the ambient light brightness value to the target brightness value to be converted, wherein the brightness mapping conversion table selectively applies linear conversion, logarithmic conversion, or multi-stage conversion to map the ambient light brightness value to the target brightness value.

[0010] According to the embodiments disclosed herein, the preset rate is a first adjustment rate when the difference between the current brightness value and the target brightness value is less than a preset value, and the preset rate changes from the first adjustment rate to a second adjustment rate when the difference between the current brightness value and the target brightness value exceeds the preset value.

[0011] According to the embodiments disclosed herein, the preset rate is a variable rate, which gradually increases from a first variable rate to a second variable rate, and then gradually decreases from the second variable rate back to the first variable rate.

[0012] Another embodiment of this disclosure is a display device with an automatic dimming mechanism, comprising a display panel, a light sensing device, and a processing unit. The display panel operates within a current brightness range of several brightness ranges and has a current brightness value. The light sensing device is configured to sense the ambient light brightness value of the environment in which the display panel is located. The processing unit is coupled to the light sensing device and the display panel, and is configured to receive the ambient light brightness value from the light sensing device, and determine whether the ambient light brightness value exceeds the current brightness range of the display panel. If the ambient light brightness value exceeds the current brightness range, the processing unit is further configured to determine whether the duration of the ambient light brightness value exceeding the current brightness range reaches a preset duration. If the duration reaches the preset duration, the processing unit is further configured to convert the ambient light brightness value to a target brightness value for the display panel; adjust the current brightness value of the display panel to the target brightness value at a preset rate; and adjust the current brightness range to the target brightness range based on the target brightness value, thereby monitoring the ambient light brightness value of the environment in which the display panel is located based on the target brightness range.

[0013] According to the embodiments disclosed herein, the preset duration depends on the number of times the ambient light brightness value exceeds the current brightness range and the period at which the light sensing device samples the ambient light brightness value. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0014] To make the above and other features, advantages and embodiments of this disclosure more readily understood, the accompanying drawings are described below: Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a display device with an automatic dimming mechanism according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating an automatic dimming method for a display panel according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the current brightness range according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating that the range difference of each brightness interval is a constant value according to the embodiments disclosed herein; Figure 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating how the range difference of each brightness interval increases as the brightness interval becomes brighter, according to the embodiments disclosed herein; Figure 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a luminance mapping transformation table constructed using a linear transformation method according to an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a luminance mapping transformation table constructed using a logarithmic transformation according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating a luminance mapping conversion table constructed using a multi-stage conversion method according to an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating a preset rate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 10A is a schematic diagram illustrating a preset rate as a rate of change curve according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 10B is a brightness change curve diagram illustrating the adjustment of the display panel brightness according to the rate of change curve according to the embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating an automatic dimming method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, which adjusts the display brightness of the display panel to a target state in response to a decrease in ambient light intensity. Figure 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating an automatic dimming method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, which adjusts the display brightness of the display panel to a target state in response to an increase in ambient light intensity; and Figure 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating an automatic dimming method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in which the display panel does not adjust its display brightness when the ambient light brightness value changes for a period of time that does not exceed a preset duration. Implementation

[0015] The following disclosure provides numerous different embodiments or examples for implementing the various features disclosed. The embodiments of components and configurations described below are merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. Furthermore, for simplicity and clarity, reference numerals and / or designations are repeated in the examples, but this does not in itself limit the relationship between the various embodiments and / or components discussed.

[0016] Please refer to Figure 1, which is a schematic diagram of a display device 100 with an automatic dimming mechanism according to an embodiment of this disclosure. The display device 100 with an automatic dimming mechanism includes a display panel 110, a light sensing device 120, and a processing unit 130. The display panel 110 includes a plurality of unit pixels 111 arranged in rows and columns, and each unit pixel 111 includes a red sub-pixel R, a green sub-pixel G, and a blue sub-pixel B. In the embodiments of this disclosure, the number and arrangement of the red sub-pixel R, the green sub-pixel G, and the blue sub-pixel B may vary according to the actual application requirements of the display panel 110, and this disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0017] The light sensing device 120 is configured to sense the ambient light luminance value Le of the environment in which the display panel 110 is located. The light sensing device 120 can be a sensing device that is independently disposed outside the display panel 110, or it can be a sensing module embedded in the display panel 110. This disclosure is not limited to this. When the light sensing device 120 is independently disposed outside the display panel 110, this light sensing device 120 is disposed close to the display panel 110 to obtain a more accurate ambient light luminance value Le.

[0018] The processing unit 130 is coupled to the light sensing device 120 and the display panel 110, and is configured to receive the ambient light brightness value Le from the light sensing device 120. When the ambient light brightness value Le exceeds the current brightness range Tc operated by the display panel 110 for a preset duration, the processing unit calculates the target brightness value Lt that needs to be converted from the ambient light brightness value Le, adjusts the current brightness value Lc of the display panel 110 to the target brightness value Lt at a preset rate V, and adjusts the current brightness range Tc to the target brightness range Tt. The automatic dimming method disclosed herein will be described in detail below, so it will not be repeated here.

[0019] The display device 100 with an automatic dimming mechanism disclosed herein has the ability to sense the ambient light brightness value Le. It can automatically adjust the display brightness of the display panel 110 according to the ambient light brightness value Le. Furthermore, to meet the needs of human eye comfort, the processing unit 130 is equipped with a brightness range determination mechanism and a preset duration determination mechanism to further determine whether the display panel 110 needs dimming. In this way, the display panel 110 will not dim frequently due to drastic environmental changes, causing excessive dimming sensitivity and eye discomfort. In addition, the processing unit 130 further controls the dimming rate of the display panel 110 to ensure that the display panel 110 gradually adjusts to the required target brightness value Lt at a continuous and smooth preset rate V.

[0020] Please refer to Figure 2, which is a flowchart of an automatic dimming method 200 for a display panel according to an embodiment of this disclosure. The automatic dimming method 200 includes steps 210 to 260 and can be applied to the display device 100 and its display panel 110 shown in Figure 1, or other systems with similar configurations and functions. The automatic dimming method 200 will be described below using the display device 100 shown in Figure 1 as an example.

[0021] The automatic dimming method 200 disclosed herein divides the brightness that the display panel 110 can display into several brightness ranges, so that the display panel 110 operates in the corresponding brightness range according to the detected ambient light brightness value Le. In the following steps, the dimming process of the display panel 110 changing from an initial state to a target state will be described, wherein the initial state is that the display panel 110 operates in the current brightness range Tc according to the current ambient light brightness value Le and has a current brightness value Lc, and the target state is that the display panel 110 operates in the target brightness range Tt in response to the change in the current ambient light brightness value Le and has a target brightness value Lt.

[0022] In step 210, the ambient light value Le of the environment in which the display panel 110 is located is first sensed by the light sensing device 120 disposed outside the display panel 110 or embedded in the display panel 110.

[0023] In step 220, the processing unit 130 determines whether the ambient light brightness value Le exceeds the current brightness range Tc. As shown in Figure 3, when the display panel 110 has a current brightness value Lc and operates within the current brightness range Tc, the ambient light brightness value Le detected by the light sensing device 120 must be within the brightness value range corresponding to the current brightness range Tc, that is, between the preset upper limit value Lu of 707 lux and the preset lower limit value Ld of 807 lux. When the ambient light brightness value Le fluctuates within this current brightness range Tc, it is determined that the ambient light brightness value Le has not exceeded the current brightness range Tc, and the process returns to step 210 to continue monitoring the ambient light brightness value Le; when the ambient light brightness value Le fluctuates beyond this current brightness range Tc, step 230 continues.

[0024] In step 230, the processing unit 130 further determines whether the duration for which the ambient light brightness value Le exceeds the current brightness range Tc exceeds a preset duration. Referring also to Figure 3, when the processing unit 130 determines that the duration for which the ambient light brightness value Le exceeds the preset upper limit value Lu exceeds the preset duration, it proceeds to step 240. Conversely, when the processing unit 130 determines that the duration for which the ambient light brightness value Le exceeds the preset upper limit value Lu does not exceed the preset duration, it determines that the ambient light brightness value Le is only momentarily or temporarily brightening, and chooses not to proceed to the step of adjusting the display brightness of the display panel 110, returning to step 210 to continuously monitor the ambient light brightness value Le.

[0025] Similarly, when processing unit 130 determines that the duration for which the ambient light brightness value Le exceeds the preset lower limit value Ld exceeds the preset duration, it continues to step 240. Conversely, when processing unit 130 determines that the duration for which the ambient light brightness value Le exceeds the preset lower limit value Ld does not exceed the preset duration, it determines that the ambient light brightness value Le is only momentarily or temporarily dimmed, and chooses not to proceed to the step of adjusting the display brightness of the display panel 110, but returns to step 210 to continuously monitor the ambient light brightness value Le. It should be understood that the numerical range of brightness values ​​shown in Figure 3 is only for illustrative purposes and is not intended to limit the brightness value setting range of each brightness interval of this disclosure.

[0026] In the embodiments disclosed herein, the preset duration depends on the number of times the ambient light luminance value Le exceeds the current luminance range Tc and the period during which the light sensing device 120 samples the ambient light luminance value Le, and the formula for setting the preset duration can be expressed as:

[0027] For example, but not limited to, assuming the ambient light luminance value Le exceeds the current luminance range Tc less than 400 times, and the light sensor 120 samples the ambient light luminance value Le every 10 milliseconds, the preset duration is designed to be... When the ambient light brightness value Le exceeds the lower limit of the preset lower limit Ld for more than 4 seconds, or exceeds the upper limit of the preset upper limit Lu for more than 4 seconds, it is determined that the display brightness of the display panel 110 needs to be adjusted.

[0028] It should be understood that the number of times the ambient light luminance value Le exceeds the current luminance range Tc, and the sampling period of the ambient light luminance value Le by the light sensing device 120, can be adjusted according to the actual application requirements and the specifications of the light sensing device 120, and this disclosure is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the preset duration of the preset lower limit value Ld can be set to be different from the preset duration of the preset upper limit value Lu. For example, but not limited to, the preset duration of the preset lower limit value Ld can be designed to be 4 seconds, and the preset duration of the preset upper limit value Lu can be designed to be 3 seconds.

[0029] In the embodiments disclosed herein, the range difference of each brightness interval of the display panel 110 can be a fixed value, that is, the difference between the preset upper limit value Lu and the preset lower limit value Ld of each brightness interval is a fixed value. As shown in FIG4, taking the current brightness interval Tc in FIG3 as an example, its preset upper limit value Lu is 807 lux, and its preset lower limit value Ld is 707 lux, and the range difference between the two is 100 lux. When the range difference of each brightness interval of the display panel 110 is set to a fixed value, the range difference of each brightness interval (e.g., brightness interval T1 and brightness interval T2) will be 100 lux, and the same applies to other brightness intervals not marked with dotted lines.

[0030] In the embodiments disclosed herein, the range difference of each brightness interval of the display panel 110 can increase as the brightness interval becomes brighter, that is, the difference between the preset upper limit value Lu and the preset lower limit value Ld of each brightness interval gradually increases. As shown in Figure 5, taking the current brightness interval Tc in Figure 3 as an example, its preset upper limit value Lu is 807 lux, and its preset lower limit value Ld is 707 lux, with a range difference of 100 lux. When the value range of each brightness interval of the display panel 110 increases as the brightness interval becomes brighter, the range difference of brightness interval T1 will be less than 100 lux, while the range difference of brightness interval T2 will be greater than 100 lux.

[0031] This implementation method takes into account the human eye's greater sensitivity to low brightness ranges and less sensitivity to high brightness ranges, making the dimming mechanism more in line with human eye needs. It should be understood that although the difference between the preset upper limit value Lu and the preset lower limit value Ld for each brightness range is described as "gradually increasing," in reality, as long as the range difference for high brightness ranges is greater than the range difference for low brightness ranges, the range difference for each brightness range can be adjusted according to actual application requirements or the user's eye needs.

[0032] Please refer back to Figure 2. In step 240, when it is determined that the ambient light brightness value Le exceeds the current brightness range Tc, and the duration of exceeding the current brightness range Tc exceeds a preset duration, step 240 is performed to convert the ambient light brightness value Le to the target brightness value Lt of the display panel 110. Specifically, the conversion between the ambient light brightness value Le and the target brightness value Lt needs to take into account human eye comfort, user needs, and the specifications and characteristics of the display panel 110, etc., and the brightness mapping conversion table of the ambient light brightness value Le and the target brightness value Lt can be pre-built in the memory of the processing unit 130 or stored in an additional memory device.

[0033] In the embodiments disclosed herein, the luminance mapping conversion table can be selectively constructed using linear conversion, logarithmic conversion, or multi-stage conversion, with the ambient light luminance value Le mapped as the target luminance value Lt. These luminance mapping conversion tables M1 to M3 can be jointly constructed in the memory of the processing unit 130 or in an additional memory device, so that a more suitable conversion method can be selected according to the actual application situation and user needs.

[0034] The brightness mapping conversion table M1 in Figure 6 is constructed using a linear conversion formula, which can linearly map the ambient light brightness value Le to the target brightness value Lt1. The target brightness value Lt1 is expressed as a percentage (%) as the target display brightness ratio Ltp1 (i.e., the target brightness value Lt1 divided by the maximum brightness value of the display panel 110, then multiplied by 100%). Furthermore, the target display brightness ratio Ltp1 can be expressed based on the linear conversion formula as follows:

[0035] in, The minimum display brightness ratio (%) of display panel 110. The maximum display brightness ratio (%) of display panel 110. This refers to the ambient light level. This represents the minimum ambient light brightness value. This is the maximum ambient light brightness value. The minimum display brightness ratio of the display panel 110 is set by... and maximum display brightness ratio Minimum display brightness ratio The corresponding minimum ambient light brightness value and maximum display brightness ratio The corresponding maximum ambient light brightness value Then, a brightness mapping transformation table M1 as shown in Figure 6 can be drawn based on the linear transformation formula to satisfy the linear mapping relationship between the ambient light brightness value Le and the target brightness value Lt1.

[0036] The brightness mapping conversion table M2 in Figure 7 is constructed using a logarithmic transformation formula. It can logarithmically map the ambient light brightness value Le to the target brightness value Lt2, where the target brightness value Lt2 is expressed as a percentage (%) as the target display brightness ratio Ltp2 (i.e., the target brightness value Lt2 divided by the maximum brightness value of the display panel 110, then multiplied by 100%). The target display brightness ratio Ltp2 can be expressed based on the logarithmic transformation formula as follows:

[0037] in, This refers to the minimum display brightness ratio of display panel 110. This refers to the ambient light level. To adjust the ambient light value The constant that affects this. This is determined by setting the minimum display brightness ratio of the display panel 110. Maximum display brightness ratio Minimum display brightness ratio The corresponding minimum ambient light brightness value and maximum display brightness ratio The corresponding maximum ambient light brightness value Then, based on the logarithmic transformation formula, the brightness mapping transformation table M2 shown in Figure 7 can be drawn to satisfy the logarithmic mapping relationship between the ambient light brightness value Le and the target brightness value Lt2.

[0038] The luminance mapping conversion table M3 in Figure 8 is constructed using a multi-stage conversion method, which maps the ambient light luminance value Le to the target luminance value Lt3 according to different stages. In the example shown in Figure 8, the luminance mapping conversion table M3 has two conversion stages. When the ambient light luminance value Le is between 0 lux and 1000 lux, it corresponds to the first stage conversion slope m1, and when the ambient light luminance value Le is greater than 1000 lux, it corresponds to the second stage conversion slope m2, so as to map the ambient light luminance value Le to the target luminance value Lt3 according to different stages. It should be understood that, in order to better meet user needs, the multi-stage conversion method can have more conversion slopes, and this disclosure is not limited to this.

[0039] After completing step 240 to obtain the target brightness value Lt, step 250 is performed to adjust the current brightness value Lc of the display panel 110 to the target brightness value Lt according to a preset rate V. As shown in Figure 9, the target brightness value Lt of the display panel 110 is expressed as a percentage as the target display brightness ratio Ltp (%). If the current display brightness ratio is 25%, and the desired target display brightness ratio Ltp is 37%, the preset rate V is set to 0.004% / ms. This means that the display brightness of the display panel 110 will be adjusted at a rate of 0.004% of the display brightness ratio every millisecond until the current display brightness ratio is adjusted from 25% to the target display brightness ratio Ltp of 37%. In the embodiment disclosed in this paper, the preset rate V is set to less than or equal to 0.004% / ms, which can smoothly and gradually adjust the display brightness of the display panel 110, avoiding excessive dimming and causing eye discomfort.

[0040] In some embodiments, while taking into account human eye comfort, the preset rate V can vary according to the magnitude of brightness adjustment required. For example, if the difference between the current brightness value Lc and the target brightness value Lt is less than a preset value (i.e., the magnitude of brightness adjustment required is small or within an acceptable range), then the preset rate V is a first adjustment rate; while if the difference between the current brightness value Lc and the target brightness value Lt exceeds this preset value (i.e., the magnitude of brightness adjustment required is large), then the preset rate V changes from the first adjustment rate to a second adjustment rate to increase the brightness adjustment speed, thereby reducing the time required for the current brightness value Lc to reach the target brightness value Lt.

[0041] In some embodiments, the preset rate V for brightness adjustment of the display panel 110 is a variable rate. Figure 10A illustrates three example variable rate curves S1 to S3, where variable rate curve S1 corresponds to the range where the required brightness adjustment amplitude is large, i.e., the preset rate changes by a large amplitude and the brightness adjustment rate is fast; variable rate curve S2 corresponds to the range where the required brightness adjustment amplitude is small, and variable rate curve S3 corresponds to the range where the required brightness adjustment amplitude is smallest, i.e., the preset rate changes by a small amplitude and the brightness adjustment rate is slow. It can be seen that these variable rate curves S1 to S3 all gradually increase from a first variable rate (initial rate) to a second variable rate (peak rate), and then gradually decrease from the second variable rate (peak rate) back to the first variable rate (initial rate). It should be understood that the initial rate of zero is only for example to show the change curve of the variable rate; in fact, this disclosure does not limit the initial rate to starting from zero.

[0042] As can be seen from the changes in the rate of change curves S1 to S3, when the brightness of the display panel 110 is first adjusted, its adjustment rate will gradually increase from slow to fast. When the brightness of the display panel 110 is about to reach the target brightness value Lt, it can gradually slow down, so that the entire dimming process presents a slow-fast-slow adjustment sequence, thereby improving the comfort of human eyes.

[0043] Figure 10B shows the brightness change curves B1 to B3 corresponding to the rate of change curves S1 to S3, respectively. It can be seen that the rate of change curve S1 corresponds to the range where the brightness needs to be adjusted by a large amount (for example, the target display brightness ratio Ltp changes from 0% to 100%). Among them, the target display brightness ratio Ltp of the brightness change curve B1 changes more rapidly due to the faster adjustment rate of the rate of change curve S1, and the brightness change shows a slow-rapid-slow pattern as the adjustment rate changes from slow to fast to slow.

[0044] The rate of change curve S3 corresponds to a range where the brightness adjustment needs to be relatively small (e.g., the target display brightness ratio Ltp changes from 50% to 100%). The target display brightness ratio Ltp in the brightness change curve B3 changes slowly due to the slower adjustment rate in the rate of change curve S3, and the brightness change also follows a pattern of slow-fast-slow, exhibiting a gradual-drastic-gradual progression. The interpretation of the brightness change curve B2 is the same as that of the brightness change curves B1 and B3, and therefore will not be repeated here.

[0045] Please refer back to Figure 2. In step 260, the current brightness range Tc is adjusted to the target brightness range Tt based on the target brightness value Lt, so as to monitor the ambient light brightness value Le of the environment where the display panel 110 is located based on the target brightness range Tt. Specifically, the target brightness range Tt also has a preset upper limit value Lu and a preset lower limit value Ld as mentioned above. When the current brightness value Lc is adjusted to the target brightness value Lt in response to the change in the ambient light brightness value Le, the current brightness range Tc also needs to be adjusted to the target brightness range Tt, and the process returns to step 210 to monitor the ambient light brightness value Le again based on the preset upper limit value Lu and the preset lower limit value Ld of the target brightness range Tt. At this point, the automatic dimming method 200 of the display panel disclosed herein has been largely completed.

[0046] Figure 11 illustrates a schematic diagram of the automatic dimming method 200 disclosed herein, which adjusts the display brightness of the display panel 110 to a target state in response to a decrease in ambient light intensity Le.

[0047] At time t1, the ambient light brightness value Le dims beyond the preset lower limit value Ld of the current brightness range Tc. The processing unit 130 then starts calculating whether the duration for which the ambient light brightness value Le exceeds the lower limit of the current brightness range Tc exceeds the preset duration.

[0048] At time t2, the ambient light brightness value Le exceeds the lower limit of the current brightness range Tc for a preset duration. The processing unit 130 starts to adjust the current brightness value Lc of the display panel 110 to the target brightness value Lt and adjust the current brightness range Tc to the target brightness range Tt at a preset rate V.

[0049] At time t3, the dimming process reaches a stable state. At this point, the display brightness of the display panel 110 has been adjusted to the target brightness value Lt, and the current brightness range Tc has been adjusted to the target brightness range Tt. It is worth noting that, in the stable target state, the ambient light brightness value Le will be between the preset upper limit value Lu and the preset lower limit value Ld of the target brightness range Tt, so as to monitor whether the ambient light brightness value Le changes based on the preset upper limit value Lu and the preset lower limit value Ld of the target brightness range Tt.

[0050] Figure 12 illustrates a schematic diagram of the automatic dimming method 200 disclosed herein, which adjusts the display brightness of the display panel 110 to a target state in response to an increase in ambient light brightness value Le.

[0051] At time t1, the ambient light brightness value Le becomes brighter than the preset upper limit value Lu of the current brightness range Tc. The processing unit 130 starts to calculate whether the duration for which the ambient light brightness value Le exceeds the upper limit of the current brightness range Tc exceeds the preset duration.

[0052] At time t2, the ambient light brightness value Le exceeds the upper limit of the current brightness range Tc for a preset duration. The processing unit 130 starts to adjust the current brightness value Lc of the display panel 110 to the target brightness value Lt and adjust the current brightness range Tc to the target brightness range Tt at a preset rate V.

[0053] At time t3, the brightness adjustment process reaches a stable state. At this point, the display brightness of the display panel 110 has been adjusted to the target brightness value Lt in response to the first increase in ambient light brightness value Le, and the current brightness range Tc has been adjusted to the target brightness range Tt.

[0054] In the embodiments disclosed herein, the automatic dimming method 200 can be a continuous monitoring process, wherein time points t4 to t6 are similar to the operation of time points t1 to t3, so as to adjust the display brightness of the display panel 110 to a stable target state by continuously monitoring the ambient light brightness value Le in response to the second brightening of the ambient light brightness value Le.

[0055] Figure 13 illustrates the automatic dimming method 200 disclosed herein, which does not adjust the display brightness of the display panel 110 when the duration of change in ambient light brightness value Le does not exceed a preset duration. It can be observed that although the ambient light brightness value Le exceeds the current brightness range Tc for a period of time, the duration for which it exceeds the preset upper limit value Lu of the current brightness range Tc is D1 and D3, both of which do not reach the preset duration. Therefore, the display brightness of the display panel 110 remains at the current brightness value Lc, and the ambient light brightness value Le is monitored by the current brightness range Tc.

[0056] Similarly, the duration for which the ambient light brightness value Le exceeds the preset lower limit value Ld of the current brightness range Tc is D2, which does not reach the preset duration, so the display brightness of the display panel 110 remains at the current brightness value Lc, and the ambient light brightness value Le is monitored by the current brightness range Tc.

[0057] In summary, the automatic dimming display device and its automatic dimming method disclosed herein, by setting a brightness range determination mechanism and a preset duration determination mechanism, further determines whether the display panel needs to dim, so that the display panel will not dim too frequently due to drastic environmental changes, causing excessive dimming sensitivity and causing eye discomfort. In addition, a dimming rate control mechanism is set to smoothly and continuously adjust the brightness of the display panel, thereby reducing the impact of sudden brightness changes on the user's vision and improving visual comfort.

[0058] Although this disclosure has been made above with various embodiments, it is not intended to limit this disclosure. Anyone skilled in the art can make some modifications and refinements without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of this disclosure shall be determined by the appended claims.

[0059] 100: Display device 110: Display panel 111: Unit pixel 120: Light sensing device 130: Processing Unit 200: Automatic dimming method 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260: Steps R: Red subpixel B: blue sub-pixel B1, B2, B3: Brightness variation curves G: Green subpixel D1, D3: Maximum Duration D2: Lower limit duration Lc: Current brightness value Ld: Preset lower limit value Le: Ambient light level Lt, Lt1, Lt2, Lt3: Target brightness values Ltp, Ltp1, Ltp2, Ltp3: Target display brightness ratio Lu: Preset upper limit value M1, M2, M3: Luminance Mapping Conversion Table m1: First-stage transition slope m2: Second-stage transition slope S1, S2, S3: Rate of Change Curves T1, T2: Brightness range Tc: Current brightness range Tt: Target brightness range t1, t2, t3, t4, t5, t6: Time points V: Preset Rate

Claims

1. An automatic dimming method for a display panel, comprising: acquiring an ambient light brightness value of an environment in which the display panel is located, wherein the display panel operates in a current brightness range of a plurality of brightness ranges and has a current brightness value; and determining whether the ambient light brightness value exceeds the current brightness range, and corresponding to the ambient light brightness value exceeding the current brightness range, the automatic dimming method further comprising: determining whether a duration for which the ambient light brightness value exceeds the current brightness range reaches a preset duration, and corresponding to the duration reaching the preset duration, the automatic dimming method further comprising: converting the ambient light brightness value to a target brightness value for the display panel; adjusting the current brightness value of the display panel to the target brightness value at a preset rate; and adjusting the current brightness range to a target brightness range based on the target brightness value, so as to monitor the ambient light brightness value of the environment in which the display panel is located based on the target brightness range.

2. The automatic dimming method as described in claim 1, wherein the preset duration depends on the number of times the ambient light brightness value exceeds the current brightness range and the sampling period of the ambient light brightness value.

3. The automatic dimming method as described in claim 1, wherein the current brightness range has a first preset upper limit value and a first preset lower limit value, the automatic dimming method further comprising: determining whether the duration for which the ambient light brightness value exceeds the first preset upper limit value reaches the preset duration; and determining whether the duration for which the ambient light brightness value exceeds the first preset lower limit value reaches the preset duration.

4. The automatic dimming method as described in claim 3, wherein the target brightness range has a second preset upper limit value and a second preset lower limit value, and corresponding to the target brightness value being greater than the current brightness value, a difference between the second preset upper limit value and the second preset lower limit value is greater than a difference between the first preset upper limit value and the first preset lower limit value.

5. The automatic dimming method as described in claim 3, wherein the target brightness range has a second preset upper limit value and a second preset lower limit value, and corresponding to the target brightness value being less than the current brightness value, a difference between the second preset upper limit value and the second preset lower limit value is less than a difference between the first preset upper limit value and the first preset lower limit value.

6. The automatic dimming method as described in claim 1, wherein converting the ambient light brightness value to the target brightness value of the display panel further comprises: referring to a brightness mapping conversion table to map the ambient light brightness value to the target brightness value, wherein the brightness mapping conversion table selectively applies a linear conversion, a logarithmic conversion, or a multi-stage conversion to map the ambient light brightness value to the target brightness value.

7. The automatic dimming method as described in claim 1, wherein the preset rate is a first adjustment rate when the difference between the current brightness value and the target brightness value is less than a preset value, and the preset rate is changed from the first adjustment rate to a second adjustment rate when the difference between the current brightness value and the target brightness value exceeds the preset value.

8. The automatic dimming method as described in claim 1, wherein the preset rate is a variable rate, the variable rate gradually increases from a first variable rate to a second variable rate, and then gradually decreases from the second variable rate back to the first variable rate.

9. A display device with an automatic dimming mechanism, comprising: a display panel, operating in a current brightness range of a plurality of brightness ranges and having a current brightness value; a light sensing device configured to sense an ambient light brightness value of the environment in which the display panel is located; and a processing unit coupled to the light sensing device and the display panel, and configured to: receive the ambient light brightness value from the light sensing device; and determine whether the ambient light brightness value exceeds the current brightness range of the display panel, and corresponding to the ambient light brightness value exceeding the current brightness range, the processing unit is further configured to: determine whether a duration for which the ambient light brightness value exceeds the current brightness range reaches a preset duration, and corresponding to the duration reaching the preset duration, the processing unit is further configured to: convert the ambient light brightness value to a target brightness value of the display panel; adjust the current brightness value of the display panel to the target brightness value at a preset rate; and adjust the current brightness range to a target brightness range according to the target brightness value, so as to monitor the ambient light brightness value of the environment in which the display panel is located according to the target brightness range.

10. The display device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the preset duration depends on the number of times the ambient light brightness value exceeds the current brightness range and the period at which the light sensing device samples the ambient light brightness value.

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