A signal generation method, device and chip

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide a signal generation method, device and chip. In the process of executing the signal generation method, a target brightness for realizing a display effect can be acquired first, and then a second display time length can be determined according to the first display time length and the target brightness, so as to determine a time for which a target display unit needs to be in an on state in a refresh cycle in order to realize the display effect. Next, the second display time length can be allocated to the refresh cycle according to a control mode to obtain a target control signal. In this way, by changing the time for which the target display unit is in the on state in a single refresh cycle, the display brightness of the target display unit can be flexibly adjusted. In this way, by using the signal generation method provided in the embodiments of the present application to generate a control signal corresponding to each display unit in a display module, the brightness of the display unit can be flexibly adjusted in the refresh cycle, so as to realize a complex display effect such as a breathing display effect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of display control technology, and in particular to a signal generation method, apparatus and chip. Background Technology

[0002] In the display screens of electrical appliances or some large outdoor displays, the display module may include multiple display units arranged in sequence, for example, M rows and N columns of display units (where M and N are positive integers). Each display unit can be turned on or off, and when it is on, the display unit can emit light. Therefore, by controlling the multiple display units in the display module to turn on or off according to their positions, the entire display module can display the pattern desired by the user.

[0003] However, traditional display module control methods are difficult to achieve complex display effects such as breathing effects. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, embodiments of this application provide a signal generation method, apparatus, and chip, aiming to provide a display scheme that can flexibly control multiple display units in a display module.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a signal generation method. The method generates a target control signal for a target display unit, which controls the target display unit to achieve a target display effect, including a breathing display effect. The target display unit belongs to a display module, which includes m rows and n columns of display units. At most one row of display units in the display module can be active at any given time. m and n are positive integers, and n is greater than 1.

[0006] The method includes:

[0007] The target brightness of the target display unit is obtained. The target brightness is determined based on the display effect of the target display unit within a refresh cycle. The duration of the refresh cycle is determined based on the refresh rate of the display module. The display effect of the target display unit within the refresh cycle is determined based on the target display effect.

[0008] A first display duration is determined, which is the upper limit of the duration during which the target display unit can be in the on state within one refresh cycle;

[0009] The second display duration is determined based on the first display duration and the target brightness, wherein the second display duration is the time during which the target display unit is in the on state when the display effect is achieved;

[0010] The target control signal is generated based on the second display duration and control mode. The target control signal is used to control the target display unit to be in the on state for the second display duration within the refresh cycle.

[0011] Optionally, the control mode includes a single-cycle control mode, and generating the target control signal based on the second display duration and the control mode includes:

[0012] In response to the control mode being a single-cycle control mode, a target control time period is determined based on the target row position, wherein the target row position represents the row in which the target display unit is located in the display module;

[0013] A target control signal is generated based on the target control time period and the second display duration. The total duration for which the target control signal takes a first value within the target control time period of the refresh cycle is the second display duration. When the target control signal takes the first value, the target display unit is in the on state.

[0014] Optionally, generating the target control signal based on the target control time period and the second display duration includes:

[0015] At least one valid output time period is determined based on the second display duration and the target encoding method. Each valid output time period belongs to the target control time period. The target encoding method represents the distribution pattern of the at least one valid output time period within the target control time period.

[0016] The target control signal is generated based on the at least one valid output time period, wherein the target control signal takes the first value for each valid output time period in the at least one valid output time period.

[0017] Optionally, the target control signal includes a first type of sub-signal and a second type of sub-signal;

[0018] The value of the second type of sub-signal during the target control time period is the second value;

[0019] The target display unit is in the on state when the value of the first type of sub-signal is the first value and the value of the second type of sub-signal is the second value.

[0020] Optionally, the control mode includes a multi-cycle control mode, and generating the target control signal based on the second display duration and the control mode includes:

[0021] In response to the control mode being a multi-cycle control mode, the total number of cycles is obtained. The total number of cycles is the number of times the display module cycles within one refresh cycle. During one cycle of display, the maximum number of times each row of display units in the display module can be opened is once.

[0022] The target number of cycles is determined based on the second display duration, the first display duration, and the total number of cycles, wherein the ratio of the second display duration to the first display duration is equal to the ratio of the target number of cycles to the total number of cycles;

[0023] A target control signal is generated based on the target cycle count. The number of times the target control signal takes a first value within the refresh cycle is the target cycle count. The total duration for which the target control signal takes a first value within the refresh cycle is the second display duration. When the target control signal takes the first value, the target display unit is in the on state.

[0024] Optionally, the method is executed by a first chip, and obtaining the target brightness of the target display unit includes:

[0025] The system receives the target brightness sent by the second chip, which determines the target brightness based on the display effect of the target display unit within the refresh cycle.

[0026] Alternatively, the target brightness can be determined based on the display effect of the target display unit during the refresh cycle.

[0027] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a display method. The method generates a target control signal for a target display unit. The target control signal controls the target display unit to achieve a target display effect, including a breathing display effect. The target display unit belongs to a display module, which includes m rows and n columns of display units. At most one row of display units in the display module can be active at any given time. m and n are positive integers, and n is greater than 1.

[0028] The method includes:

[0029] A second display duration is obtained, which is the time during which the target display unit is in the on state when the display effect is achieved. The second display duration is determined based on the first display duration and the target brightness. The first display duration is the upper limit of the time during which the target display unit can be in the on state within one refresh cycle. The target brightness is determined based on the display effect of the target display unit within the refresh cycle. The duration of the refresh cycle is determined based on the refresh rate of the display module. The display effect of the target display unit within the refresh cycle is determined based on the target display effect.

[0030] The target control signal is generated based on the second display duration and control mode. The target control signal is used to control the target display unit to be in the on state for the second display duration within the refresh cycle.

[0031] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a signal generation device for generating a target control signal for a target display unit. The target control signal controls the target display unit to achieve a target display effect, including a breathing display effect. The target display unit belongs to a display module, which includes m rows and n columns of display units. At most one row of display units in the display module can be active at any given time. m and n are positive integers, and n is greater than 1.

[0032] The device includes:

[0033] The acquisition unit acquires the target brightness of the target display unit, wherein the target brightness is determined based on the display effect of the target display unit within a refresh cycle, the duration of the refresh cycle is determined based on the refresh rate of the display module, and the display effect of the target display unit within the refresh cycle is determined based on the target display effect.

[0034] The first determining unit is used to determine the first display duration, which is the upper limit of the duration during which the target display unit can be in the on state within one refresh cycle;

[0035] The second determining unit is configured to determine the second display duration based on the first display duration and the target brightness, wherein the second display duration is the time during which the target display unit is in the on state when the display effect is achieved;

[0036] The generation unit is used to generate the target control signal according to the second display duration and the control mode. The target control signal is used to control the target display unit to be in the on state for the second display duration within the refresh cycle.

[0037] Optionally, the control mode includes a single-cycle control mode; a generation unit is configured to, in response to the control mode being a single-cycle control mode, determine a target control time period based on the target row position, the target row position representing the row in which the target display unit is located in the display module; generate a target control signal based on the target control time period and the second display duration, wherein the total duration for which the target control signal takes a first value within the target control time period of the refresh cycle is the second display duration, and when the target control signal takes the first value, the target display unit is in an on state.

[0038] Optionally, the generation unit is configured to determine at least one valid output time period based on the second display duration and the target encoding method, wherein each valid output time period belongs to the target control time period, and the target encoding method represents the distribution pattern of the at least one valid output time period within the target control time period;

[0039] The target control signal is generated based on the at least one valid output time period, wherein the target control signal takes the first value for each valid output time period in the at least one valid output time period.

[0040] Optionally, the target control signal includes a first type of sub-signal and a second type of sub-signal; the value of the second type of sub-signal during the target control time period is a second value; when the value of the first type of sub-signal is the first value and the value of the second type of sub-signal is the second value, the target display unit is in the on state.

[0041] Optionally, the control mode includes a multi-loop control mode. The generating unit, in response to the control mode being a multi-loop control mode, obtains the total number of loops, which is the number of times the display module cycles through the display within a refresh cycle. During one cycle, the maximum number of times each row of display units in the display module can be turned on is once. A target number of loops is determined based on the second display duration, the first display duration, and the total number of loops. The ratio of the second display duration to the first display duration is equal to the ratio of the target number of loops to the total number of loops. A target control signal is generated based on the target number of loops. The number of times the target control signal takes a first value within the refresh cycle is the target number of loops. The total duration for which the target control signal takes a first value within the refresh cycle is the second display duration. When the target control signal takes the first value, the target display unit is in an on state.

[0042] Optionally, the method is executed by a first chip, and the acquisition unit is used to receive the target brightness sent by a second chip. The second chip is used to determine the target brightness based on the display effect of the target display unit within the refresh cycle, or to determine the target brightness based on the display effect of the target display unit within the refresh cycle.

[0043] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a chip, the chip including an interface circuit and a processor; the interface circuit is used to receive instructions and transmit them to the processor; the processor is used to execute the instructions received by the interface circuit to implement the method described in the first aspect above.

[0044] Optionally, the chip further includes a receiving module; the interface circuit is also used to receive the target brightness sent by the second chip, the second chip being used to determine the target brightness based on the display effect of the target display unit within the refresh cycle.

[0045] Fifthly, embodiments of this application also provide an apparatus, the apparatus including a memory, a processor, and a display module, the memory being used to store instructions, the processor being used to execute the instructions stored in the memory to cause the apparatus to perform the signal generation method described in the first aspect, and the display module including a target display unit being used to display according to a target control signal generated by the processor.

[0046] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this application also provide a computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program for controlling a computer to execute the signal generation method described in the first aspect.

[0047] This application provides a signal generation method, apparatus, and chip. In executing the signal generation method, a target brightness for achieving the desired display effect is first obtained. Then, a second display duration is determined based on a first display duration and the target brightness, determining the time the target display unit needs to be in an on state within a refresh cycle to achieve the desired display effect. Next, the second display duration can be allocated within the refresh cycle according to a control mode to obtain a target control signal. Thus, by changing the time the target display unit is in an on state within a single refresh cycle, the display brightness of the target display unit can be flexibly adjusted. Therefore, by using the signal generation method provided in this application to generate control signals corresponding to each display unit in the display module, the brightness of the display unit can be flexibly adjusted within the refresh cycle, thereby achieving complex display effects such as breathing effects. Attached Figure Description

[0048] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in this embodiment or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiment or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0049] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a display module provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0050] Figure 2-A This is a structural diagram illustrating an application scenario provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0051] Figure 2-BThis is a structural schematic diagram of another application scenario provided by an embodiment of this application;

[0052] Figure 3 This is a schematic flowchart of a signal generation method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0053] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a signal generation device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0054] First, let's introduce the basic structure of the display module.

[0055] refer to Figure 1 This diagram illustrates one possible structure of a display module. Figure 1 The display module shown includes m*n display units (where m and n are positive integers greater than or equal to 1) and a controller. The controller can output signals A1, A2, A3… and A… n And signal B1, signal B2, signal B3... signal B m There are a total of m+n signal channels. Each display unit has two input interfaces. When both input interfaces receive signals corresponding to the on state, the display unit switches to the on state. Optionally, the display unit can be a light-emitting diode (LED). When the display unit is in the on state, the LED emits light.

[0056] For ease of control, multiple display units of the display module can currently be controlled by a controller in a scanning display manner. During the scanning display process, the controller can sequentially control each row of display units in the display module to turn on or off, while keeping all display units in the display module except for the currently controlled row of display units in the off state.

[0057] For example, suppose the display unit located in the i-th row and j-th column (1≤i≤m, 1≤j≤n) can be called display unit L. ij Furthermore, the display unit enters the on state when both input signals are high. Therefore, during the scanning display process, the controller can first output a high-level signal B. i Keep signal B k (1≤k≤m, k≠i) is a low level, and signal A1-signal A are adjusted according to display requirements. n The output value. After maintaining the preset time interval, the controller can output signal B. i Adjust to low level, signal B i+1 Adjust to high level and maintain B. k The signal (1≤k≤m, k≠i+1) is at a low level. Adjust A1-A according to display requirements.n The output values ​​of each signal. In one cycle, each row of display units on the display module can be turned on once. Thus, when the preset time interval is short, the user can see a continuously illuminated display module.

[0058] In this embodiment, a change in the pattern displayed by the display module is referred to as a refresh (a change in the brightness of a part or the whole of the pattern is not considered a refresh), and the shortest time during which the pattern can change is called the refresh cycle. Currently, the refresh rate of most device units with display modules is 60Hz, and the corresponding refresh cycle is mostly 16.66 milliseconds (ms). The upper limit for the duration during which a display unit can be in the on state within one refresh cycle is called the first display duration. That is, the first display duration is the time from signal A1 to signal A... n The longest time that it can remain at a high (or low) level.

[0059] However, with traditional methods of controlling display units, the display state of the unit remains fixed during a single refresh. That is, within a refresh cycle, the display unit can either be active for a short duration or remain completely off. The controller cannot flexibly adjust the display duration of each unit. Therefore, traditional display module control methods struggle to achieve complex display effects such as breathing effects.

[0060] To address the aforementioned problems, embodiments of this application provide a signal generation method, apparatus, and chip, aiming to provide a display scheme capable of flexibly controlling multiple display units in a display module. The signal generation method provided by the embodiments of this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0061] First, the application scenarios of the signal generation method provided in the embodiments of this application will be introduced.

[0062] See Figure 2-A This figure is a structural schematic diagram of an application scenario provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 2-A In the application scenario shown, the device includes a processing chip 210, a display chip 220, and a display module 230. The display chip 220 is connected to both the processing chip 210 and the display module 230. The display module 230 includes m*n display units, where n is a positive integer greater than 1 and m is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0063] In this embodiment, the processing chip 210 and the display chip 220 can be processors, such as a central processing unit (CPU), or modules with data processing capabilities within the device, such as a microcontroller or a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). The processing chip 210 can determine the target brightness based on the display effect of the target display unit within the refresh cycle and send the target brightness to the display chip 220. The display chip 220 can execute the display control signal generation method provided in this embodiment, generate a target control signal based on the target brightness, and send it to the display module 230 so that the target display unit in the display module 230 displays according to the target brightness. Thus, by controlling the display module through a separate display chip, the complexity of the processing chip can be reduced, and costs can be lowered.

[0064] In some possible implementations, the device may also include multiple display chips. These display chips may be connected in series or in parallel to the processing chip 210. The processing chip 210 can send a target brightness to each of the multiple display chips via a display chip directly connected to it, or it can send the target brightness to each of the multiple display chips separately via connections.

[0065] See Figure 2-B This figure is a schematic diagram of another structural configuration for an application scenario provided in this application embodiment. Figure 2-B In the application scenario shown, the device includes a processing chip 240 and a display module 250. The processing chip 240 is connected to the display module 250, which includes m*n display units, where n is a positive integer greater than 1 and m is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0066] exist Figure 2-B In the embodiment shown, Figure 2-A The functions of the processing chip 210 and the display chip 220 are integrated into the processing chip 240. That is, the processing chip 240 can determine the target brightness, generate a target control signal based on the target brightness, and then send the target control signal to the display module 250.

[0067] according to Figure 1As can be seen from the corresponding description, the control signals of the display module can include multiple control signals. In the embodiments of this application, the display chip 220 or the processing chip 240 can have m+n output signals, each signal can be used to output a row or a column of display units. Optionally, the display chip 220 or the processing chip 240 can also have two output signals, respectively used to control multiple rows of display units and multiple columns of display units. The embodiments of this application do not limit the output method of the display chip 220, and those skilled in the art can use any one or more control signals to control the display module 230.

[0068] The following is based on Figure 2-A Taking the illustrated embodiment as an example, the signal generation method provided in this application embodiment will be described from the perspective of the display chip 220. It should be noted that the display chip 220 may include an interface circuit and a processor. The processor can execute instructions received through the interface circuit to perform the signal generation method provided in this application embodiment. In the method described below, the target control signal generated by the display chip can be used to control a target display unit in the display module. Those skilled in the art will readily understand that by executing the signal generation method provided in this application embodiment, control signals corresponding to multiple display units in the display module can be generated.

[0069] See Figure 3 , Figure 3 A flowchart of the signal generation method provided in this application embodiment includes:

[0070] S301: Obtain the target brightness of the target display unit.

[0071] When generating the target control signal for controlling the target display unit, the display chip can first obtain the target brightness. The target brightness is determined based on the display effect of the target display unit within a refresh cycle. That is, the brightness that the target display unit needs to achieve in order to achieve the desired display effect in the next refresh cycle. For example, assuming the current brightness is X, and the target display unit is in a dimming process of a breathing display mode, then the brightness of the target display unit in the next refresh cycle should be less than X, for example, 0.8X. Optionally, the display chip can receive the target brightness sent by the control chip, or it can calculate the target brightness. In this embodiment, the display effect of the target display unit within a refresh cycle can be determined based on the target display effect, which is the display effect achieved by the target display unit over multiple refresh cycles, i.e., the display effect that the human eye can macroscopically perceive. Optionally, the target display effect may include a breathing display effect.

[0072] In the first possible implementation, the display chip can receive the target brightness sent by the control chip, for example, in Figure 2-AIn the illustrated embodiment, the control chip can pre-store the display scheme of the display module, determine the target brightness of the target display unit based on the display scheme and the position of the target display unit in the target display module, and send the target brightness to the display chip through the connection with the display chip. Optionally, the control chip can also determine the display effect to be achieved in the current refresh cycle based on the display scheme, and send the display effect to the display chip, which then determines the target brightness based on the display effect.

[0073] In a second possible implementation, the display chip can proactively determine the target brightness based on display requirements. These display requirements can be a general term for display schemes, such as a breathing effect display requirement. Specifically, the display chip can pre-set one or more display schemes. The control chip can send the pattern to be displayed and the display requirements to be implemented to the display chip, which can then determine the display effect based on the display scheme and determine the target brightness of the target display unit based on the pattern and display effect.

[0074] S302: Determine the first display duration.

[0075] Optionally, the display chip can determine the first display duration based on the refresh cycle length and the number of rows of display units within the display module. For example, assuming the refresh cycle is 16.66ms and the display module includes 10 rows of display units, then during the scanning display process, the maximum duration for each row of display units to be in the on state is 1.66ms, meaning the first display duration of the target display unit is 1.66ms.

[0076] S303: Determine the second display duration based on the first display duration and the target brightness.

[0077] After determining the first display duration and target brightness, the display chip can determine the second display duration based on these parameters. The second display duration is the time the target display unit remains on to achieve the desired display effect. In other words, the total time the display chip remains on in the next refresh cycle to achieve the desired display effect is the second display duration.

[0078] For example, suppose the first display duration is 1.66ms, and the maximum brightness of the target display unit in scanning display mode is X, and the target brightness has a linear relationship with the display duration. Then, to control the target display unit to achieve the dimming effect in the breathing display, the second display duration in the first refresh cycle can be determined to be 1.66ms, the second display duration in the second refresh cycle to be 1.33ms, the second display duration in the third refresh cycle to be 996 microseconds (µs), and so on, with the second display duration in the sixth refresh cycle being 0. Thus, after five refresh cycles, the target display unit transitions from maximum brightness to off, achieving the dimming effect in the breathing display.

[0079] For ease of explanation, this embodiment uses the example of a linear relationship between display effect, target brightness, and second display duration. In practical applications, the target brightness can be calculated based on the display effect through a complex correspondence, and the relationship between the display effect and the target brightness may be complex mathematical. Based on the technical solutions disclosed in this application, those skilled in the art can devise methods for determining the second display duration based on the display effect according to the needs of actual application scenarios.

[0080] S304: Generate a target control signal based on the second display duration and control mode.

[0081] After determining the second display duration, the display chip can generate a target control signal based on the second display duration and the control mode. The target control signal is a control signal used to control the target display unit, and the control mode indicates the number of times the display module cycles within a refresh cycle; for example, it may include a single-cycle control mode and a multi-cycle control mode.

[0082] As described above, during the scanning and display process, the display units in each row of the display module can be displayed sequentially. The state in which each row of display units in the display module is activated sequentially once is called one cycle. That is, in one cycle, each row of display units in the display module can be activated one and only once. In the embodiments of this application, one refresh may include one or more cycles. If one refresh includes one cycle, the control mode of the display chip is called a single-cycle control mode. If one refresh includes multiple cycles, the control mode of the display chip is called a multi-cycle control mode.

[0083] In other words, in single-cycle control mode, a row of display units can be activated once within a refresh cycle; in multi-cycle control mode, a row of display units can be activated multiple times within a refresh cycle. Figure 1Taking the illustrated embodiment as an example, in the single-cycle control mode, signal B1 has a high level within one refresh cycle, and the duration of the high-level signal is the first display time; in the multi-cycle control mode, signal B1 has multiple high levels within one refresh cycle, and the sum of the durations of the multiple high-level signals is the first display time.

[0084] The following sections describe the methods for generating target control signals in single-cycle control mode and multi-cycle control mode, respectively.

[0085] In the first possible implementation, the control mode is a single-loop control mode, where the display chip can first determine the target control time period based on the position of the target display unit within the display module. Specifically, the display chip can determine the target control time period based on the target row position, which identifies the row in which the target display unit is located within the display module.

[0086] by Figure 1 Taking the illustrated embodiment as an example, assuming that the display units in the display module are displayed in a top-to-bottom order in one cycle, and the first display time is 1.66ms, then the target display time period corresponding to the first row of display units is 0ms~1.66ms within the refresh cycle, the target display time period corresponding to the second row of display units is 1.67ms~3.32ms within the refresh cycle, and the target display time period corresponding to the third row of display units is 3.33ms~4.98ms within the refresh cycle.

[0087] After determining the target control time period, the display chip can generate a target control signal based on the target control time period and the second display duration. Specifically, during the generation of the target control signal, the display chip can set the target control signal to a closed value outside the target control time period, take a first value within the target control time period, and the total duration for which the target control signal takes the first value is the second display duration. When the target control signal takes the first value, the target display unit is in the on state. That is, the target control signal takes the first value within the target control time period within the refresh cycle, and the total duration for which the first value is taken is the second display duration.

[0088] As described above, the display units in the display module can be controlled by two control signals. Therefore, the generated target control signals can include a first type of sub-signal and a second type of sub-signal. The first type of sub-signal controls multiple display units in the column containing the target display unit, and the second type of sub-signal controls multiple display units in the row containing the target display unit. The second type of sub-signal can take a second value within the target control time period. Thus, when the first type of sub-signal takes a first value, the target display unit is in the on state.

[0089] by Figure 1Taking an example, within the refresh cycle of 1.67ms to 3.32ms, signal B2 can be at a high level. This allows the second row of display units in the display module to display under the control of their respective column signals. Optionally, in the embodiments of this application, the first value can be the same or different. For example, in some possible implementations, when signal A... j High level and signal B i When the signal is high, the display unit L ij Enabled. In some other possible implementations, the display unit L... ij In signal A j The signal is low and signal B i Enabled when the voltage level is high.

[0090] In this embodiment, the display chip can also control the target control signal to reach a first value at the beginning (or middle, end, etc.) of the target control time period, and change the value of the target control signal after a second display duration. Optionally, the display chip can adjust the duty cycle of the first type of sub-signal, so that the duration for which the first type of sub-signal takes the first value within the target control time period is the second display duration. Optionally, the display chip can also generate multiple pulse signals (assuming the first value is high level) within the target control time period, and the sum of the durations of the multiple pulse signals is the second display duration. The multiple pulse signals can be evenly distributed within the target control time period, or they can be randomly distributed.

[0091] This application does not limit the specific waveform of the target control signal within the target control time period. Optionally, if the specific waveform of the target control signal is different within the target control time period, the second display duration to achieve the same target brightness may be different. In some possible implementations, the display chip may also determine the second display duration based on the waveform of the target control signal.

[0092] In the second possible implementation, the control mode is a multi-loop control mode. In this mode, the maximum display duration for each row of display units in the display module is equal within one loop, and the brightness of the display units does not change within a single loop. Therefore, the display effect can be achieved simply by controlling the number of times the target display unit is in the on state. Thus, the display chip can first determine the total number of loops within a refresh cycle, then determine the target number of loops based on the total number of loops, the first display duration, and the second display duration, and finally determine the time period for the target display unit to be at the first value based on the target number of loops. Here, the total number of loops represents the number of times the display module loops within one refresh cycle.

[0093] Specifically, the display chip can first calculate the ratio of the second display duration to the first display duration, and then multiply this threshold by the total number of loops to obtain the target number of loops. Thus, the ratio of the target number of loops to the total number of loops is equal to the ratio of the second display duration to the first display duration. The target control signal generated based on the target number of loops takes the first value the number of times within the refresh cycle; this is the target number of loops, and the total duration is the second display duration. This application does not limit the deployment method of the target number of loops within the total number of loops.

[0094] Similar to the case where the control mode is a single-cycle control mode, the target control signal can also be divided into a first type of sub-signal and a second type of sub-signal. In the embodiments of this application, when the control mode is a multi-cycle control mode, the first type of sub-signal and the second type of sub-signal can be adjusted synchronously.

[0095] In this embodiment, the frequency of change of the target control signal may be higher than the refresh rate, meaning the target control signal can undergo multiple level flips within a refresh cycle. Therefore, during the generation of the target control signal, the display chip can use an interrupt source to generate the target control signal. This interrupt source can include internal chip interrupt sources and external chip interrupt sources. Internal chip interrupt sources may include, for example, chip timer interrupts, while external chip interrupt sources may include, for example, interrupt signals triggered by external pins. Optionally, the display control method provided in this embodiment can be packaged into a program unit and inserted into the main program of the display control. That is, the main program can determine the displayed pattern once every refresh cycle. Within a refresh cycle, the program unit can run once or multiple times. Each run of the program unit can generate the target control signal for the target display unit in the current cycle, thereby controlling the display effect of the display module within the refresh cycle.

[0096] In this way, the display chip can obtain a signal with a frequency higher than the refresh rate through an interrupt source or program unit. Therefore, during the generation of the target control signal, the high-frequency signal generated by the interrupt source or program unit can be used as the high-frequency signal source in the generation process. For example, a high-frequency component can be added to the target control signal. Optionally, the display chip can also time or count based on the external interrupt source, continuously determining whether the duration for which the target control signal takes its first value reaches the second display duration, thereby ensuring that the time for which the target control signal takes its first value within the refresh cycle reaches the second display duration. Thus, to the human eye, the brightness displayed by the target display unit within the refresh cycle is the target brightness, achieving the desired display effect. Clearly, the higher the frequency of the signal generated by the interrupt source or program unit, the more refined the display effect that the target display unit can achieve.

[0097] S305: Output target control signal.

[0098] By executing the above method, the display chip can generate target control signals for controlling the target display units. In this embodiment, the display chip can also generate a control signal corresponding to each display unit in the display module as a target display unit. After generating the control signals, the display chip can output the target control signals to the display module so that the display units display according to the display effect.

[0099] In the signal generation method provided in this application embodiment, the target brightness for achieving the display effect can be obtained first. Then, a second display duration is determined based on the first display duration and the target brightness, determining the time that the target display unit needs to be in the on state within the refresh cycle in order to achieve the display effect. Next, the second display duration can be allocated to the refresh cycle according to the control mode to obtain the target control signal. In this way, by changing the time that the target display unit is in the on state within a single refresh cycle, the display brightness of the target display unit can be flexibly adjusted. Thus, by using the signal generation method provided in this application embodiment to generate control signals corresponding to each display unit in the display module, the brightness of the display unit can be flexibly adjusted within the refresh cycle, thereby achieving complex display effects such as breathing display effects.

[0100] In addition, this application also provides a display method. In this display method, the control chip can determine the target brightness based on the target display effect, and then determine the second display duration and send it to the display chip. After receiving the second display duration, the display chip can generate a target control signal for controlling the target display unit through an external interrupt source or an internal interrupt source. For details, please refer to the foregoing text, which will not be repeated here.

[0101] The above are some specific implementations of the signal generation method provided in the embodiments of this application. Based on this, this application also provides a corresponding apparatus. The signal generation apparatus provided in the embodiments of this application will be described below from the perspective of functional modularity.

[0102] See Figure 4 The schematic diagram shown illustrates the structure of the signal generation device 400, which includes:

[0103] The acquisition unit 410 acquires the target brightness of the target display unit, the target brightness being determined based on the display effect of the target display unit within a refresh cycle, the duration of which is determined based on the refresh rate of the display module.

[0104] The first determining unit 420 is used to determine the first display duration, which is the upper limit of the duration during which the target display unit can be in the on state within one refresh cycle.

[0105] The second determining unit 430 is used to determine the second display duration based on the first display duration and the target brightness, wherein the second display duration is the time during which the target display unit is in the on state when the display effect is achieved.

[0106] The generation unit 440 is used to generate the target control signal according to the second display duration and the control mode. The target control signal is used to control the target display unit to be in the on state for the second display duration within the refresh cycle.

[0107] Optionally, in some possible implementations, the control mode includes a single-loop control mode, and the generation unit 440 is used for:

[0108] In response to the control mode being a single-cycle control mode, a target control time period is determined based on the target row position, wherein the target row position represents the row in which the target display unit is located in the display module;

[0109] A target control signal is generated based on the target control time period and the second display duration. The total duration for which the target control signal takes a first value within the target control time period of the refresh cycle is the second display duration. When the target control signal takes the first value, the target display unit is in the on state.

[0110] Optionally, in some possible implementations, the generation unit 440 is used for:

[0111] The step of generating the target control signal based on the target control time period and the second display duration includes:

[0112] At least one valid output time period is determined based on the second display duration and the target encoding method. Each valid output time period belongs to the target control time period. The target encoding method represents the distribution pattern of the at least one valid output time period within the target control time period.

[0113] The target control signal is generated based on the at least one valid output time period, wherein the target control signal takes the first value for each valid output time period in the at least one valid output time period.

[0114] Optionally, in some possible implementations, the target control signal includes a first type of sub-signal and a second type of sub-signal; the value of the second type of sub-signal during the target control time period is a second value; when the value of the first type of sub-signal is the first value and the value of the second type of sub-signal is the second value, the target display unit is in an on state.

[0115] Optionally, in some possible implementations, the control mode includes a multi-loop control mode, and the generation unit 440 is used for:

[0116] In response to the control mode being a multi-cycle control mode, the total number of cycles is obtained. The total number of cycles is the number of times the display module cycles within one refresh cycle. During one cycle of display, the maximum number of times each row of display units in the display module can be opened is once.

[0117] The target number of cycles is determined based on the second display duration, the first display duration, and the total number of cycles, wherein the ratio of the second display duration to the first display duration is equal to the ratio of the target number of cycles to the total number of cycles;

[0118] A target control signal is generated based on the target cycle count. The number of times the target control signal takes a first value within the refresh cycle is the target cycle count. The total duration for which the target control signal takes a first value within the refresh cycle is the second display duration. When the target control signal takes the first value, the target display unit is in the on state.

[0119] Optionally, in some possible implementations, the method is executed by a first chip, and the acquisition unit 410 is used to:

[0120] The second chip receives the target brightness sent by the second chip, which is used to determine the target brightness based on the display effect of the target display unit within the refresh cycle, or to determine the target brightness based on the display effect of the target display unit within the refresh cycle.

[0121] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "first" and "second" (if they exist) are used only as name identifiers and do not represent the order of first and second.

[0122] As can be seen from the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that all or part of the steps in the methods of the above embodiments can be implemented by means of software plus a general-purpose hardware platform. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product can be stored in a storage medium, such as read-only memory (ROM) / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk, etc., including several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network communication device such as a router), microcontroller, field-programmable gate array (FPGA), etc., to execute the methods described in the various embodiments of this application or some parts of the embodiments.

[0123] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to mutually. Each embodiment focuses on its differences from other embodiments. In particular, the apparatus embodiments are basically similar to the method embodiments, so the description is relatively simple; relevant parts can be referred to the descriptions in the method embodiments. Some or all of the modules can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs. Those skilled in the art can understand and implement this without creative effort.

[0124] The above description is merely an exemplary implementation of this application and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A signal generation method, characterized in that, The method is used to generate a target control signal for a target display unit. The target control signal is used to control the target display unit to achieve a target display effect, including a breathing display effect. The target display unit belongs to a display module, which includes m rows and n columns of display units. The display module can have at most one row of display units in the active state at the same time. m and n are positive integers, and n is greater than 1. The method includes: The target brightness of the target display unit is obtained. The target brightness is determined based on the display effect of the target display unit within a refresh cycle. The duration of the refresh cycle is determined based on the refresh rate of the display module. The display effect of the target display unit within the refresh cycle is determined based on the target display effect. A first display duration is determined, which is the upper limit of the duration during which the target display unit can be in the on state within one refresh cycle; A second display duration is determined based on the first display duration and the target brightness, wherein the second display duration is the time during which the target display unit is in the on state when the target display effect is achieved; The target control signal is generated based on the second display duration and control mode. The target control signal is used to control the target display unit to be in the on state for the second display duration within the refresh cycle.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control mode includes a single-cycle control mode, and generating the target control signal based on the second display duration and the control mode includes: In response to the control mode being a single-cycle control mode, a target control time period is determined based on the target row position, wherein the target row position represents the row in which the target display unit is located in the display module; A target control signal is generated based on the target control time period and the second display duration. The total duration for which the target control signal takes a first value within the target control time period of the refresh cycle is the second display duration. When the target control signal takes the first value, the target display unit is in the on state.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The step of generating the target control signal based on the target control time period and the second display duration includes: At least one valid output time period is determined based on the second display duration and the target encoding method. Each valid output time period belongs to the target control time period. The target encoding method represents the distribution pattern of the at least one valid output time period within the target control time period. The target control signal is generated based on the at least one valid output time period, wherein the target control signal takes the first value for each valid output time period in the at least one valid output time period.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The target control signal includes a first type of sub-signal and a second type of sub-signal; The value of the second type of sub-signal during the target control time period is the second value; The target display unit is in the on state when the value of the first type of sub-signal is the first value and the value of the second type of sub-signal is the second value.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control mode includes a multi-cycle control mode, and generating the target control signal based on the second display duration and the control mode includes: In response to the control mode being a multi-cycle control mode, the total number of cycles is obtained. The total number of cycles is the number of times the display module cycles within one refresh cycle. During one cycle of display, the maximum number of times each row of display units in the display module can be opened is once. The target number of cycles is determined based on the second display duration, the first display duration, and the total number of cycles, wherein the ratio of the second display duration to the first display duration is equal to the ratio of the target number of cycles to the total number of cycles. A target control signal is generated based on the target cycle number. The number of times the target control signal takes a first value within the refresh cycle is the target cycle number. The total duration for which the target control signal takes a first value within the refresh cycle is the second display duration. When the target control signal takes the first value, the target display unit is in the on state.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method is executed by the first chip, and obtaining the target brightness of the target display unit includes: The second chip receives the target brightness sent by the second chip, which determines the target brightness based on the display effect of the target display unit within the refresh cycle. Alternatively, the target brightness can be determined based on the display effect of the target display unit during the refresh cycle.

7. A signal generation device, characterized in that, The device is used to generate a target control signal for the target display unit. The target control signal is used to control the target display unit to achieve a target display effect, including a breathing display effect. The target display unit belongs to a display module. The display module includes m rows and n columns of display units. The display module can have at most one row of display units in the active state at the same time. m and n are positive integers, and n is greater than 1. The device includes: An acquisition unit is used to acquire the target brightness of the target display unit, wherein the target brightness is determined based on the display effect of the target display unit within a refresh cycle, the duration of the refresh cycle is determined based on the refresh rate of the display module, and the display effect of the target display unit within the refresh cycle is determined based on the target display effect; The first determining unit is used to determine the first display duration, which is the upper limit of the duration during which the target display unit can be in the on state within one refresh cycle; The second determining unit is configured to determine a second display duration based on the first display duration and the target brightness, wherein the second display duration is the time during which the target display unit is in the on state when the target display effect is achieved; The generation unit is used to generate the target control signal according to the second display duration and the control mode. The target control signal is used to control the target display unit to be in the on state for the second display duration within the refresh cycle.

8. A chip, characterized in that, The chip includes an interface circuit and a processor; The interface circuit is used to receive instructions and transmit them to the processor; The processor is configured to execute instructions received by the interface circuit to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-6.

9. The chip according to claim 8, characterized in that, The chip also includes a receiving module; The interface circuit is also used to receive the target brightness sent by the second chip, and the second chip is used to determine the target brightness based on the display effect of the target display unit within the refresh cycle.

10. A device, characterized in that, The device includes a display module and a display control module. The display control module is used to execute the signal generation method as described in any one of claims 1-6, and output the generated target control signal to the display module; The display module includes a target display unit, which is used to display according to the target control signal.

11. A display method, characterized in that, The method is used to generate a target control signal for a target display unit. The target control signal is used to control the target display unit to achieve a target display effect, including a breathing display effect. The target display unit belongs to a display module, which includes m rows and n columns of display units. The display module can have at most one row of display units in the active state at the same time. m and n are positive integers, and n is greater than 1. The method includes: A second display duration is obtained, which is the time during which the target display unit is in the on state when the target display effect is achieved. The second display duration is determined based on the first display duration and the target brightness. The first display duration is the upper limit of the time during which the target display unit can be in the on state within one refresh cycle. The target brightness is determined based on the display effect of the target display unit within the refresh cycle. The duration of the refresh cycle is determined based on the refresh rate of the display module. The display effect of the target display unit within the refresh cycle is determined based on the target display effect. The target control signal is generated based on the second display duration and control mode. The target control signal is used to control the target display unit to be in the on state for the second display duration within the refresh cycle.

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