Display device using jitter mask and control method thereof

Abstract

A display device is disclosed. The display device includes: a display panel including a plurality of display modules; and one or more processors controlling the display panel to display an image including a plurality of image frames, and controlling the plurality of display modules to display dither masks corresponding to the plurality of image frames, respectively, when one image frame among the plurality of image frames is received, each of the plurality of display modules identifies a shake mask corresponding to the one image frame, and displays a partial image corresponding to the one image frame and the identified shake mask.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to a display device and a control method thereof, and specifically, to a display device that applies a dither mask to an image frame and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Recently, there may be a trend to develop and distribute various forms of display devices. For example, display devices having a relatively large size and / or a relatively high resolution may become more common, and thus, the number of display modules constituting the display device may also increase.

[0003] The display device may operate by using a passive matrix (PM) method to attempt to reduce and / or manage factors such as, but not limited to, brightness, cost, etc. of the display device. However, the minimum luminous amount that the PM method can provide may be higher than that of a similar display device operating by using an active matrix (AM) method. Therefore, various dithering methods may be used on a display device operating by using the PM method to attempt to solve these apparent defects.

[0004] For example, the time dithering method may be at least one of the various dithering methods that can be used on a display device. However, the time dithering method may generate flicker and other possibly unsatisfactory effects while the display device is being driven.

[0005] Therefore, due to the demand for a relatively large size and / or a relatively high resolution may be restricted by the time dithering method used in a display device operating by using the PM method, there is a need to further improve display device technology. Improvements are presented herein. These improvements may also be applicable to other display device technologies. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Technical Solution

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a display device includes: a display panel including a plurality of display modules; one or more processors including processing circuitry; and a memory storing instructions. The instructions, when executed by the one or more processors alone or in combination, cause the display device to: display an image including a plurality of image frames by using the display panel; and display, on each of the plurality of display modules, a dither mask corresponding to an image frame among the plurality of image frames. Each of the plurality of display modules is configured to: receive an image frame among the plurality of image frames; identify a dither mask corresponding to the image frame based on the received image frame; and display a partial image and the dither mask corresponding to the image frame.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a control method of a display device includes: displaying an image including a plurality of image frames using a display panel of the display device, the display panel including a plurality of display modules; and displaying, on each of the plurality of display modules, a dither mask corresponding to an image frame among the plurality of image frames among a plurality of dither masks. Displaying the dither mask includes: receiving, by each of the plurality of display modules, an image frame among the plurality of image frames; identifying, by each of the plurality of display modules, a dither mask corresponding to the image frame based on the received image frame; and displaying, by each of the plurality of display modules, a partial image corresponding to the image frame and the dither mask.

[0009] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores a computer-executable program for executing the control method. When the computer-executable program is executed by at least one processor of the display device, it causes the display device to: display an image including a plurality of image frames using a display panel of the display device, the display panel including a plurality of display modules; and display, on each of the plurality of display modules, a dither mask corresponding to an image frame among the plurality of image frames among a plurality of dither masks. When the computer-executable program is executed by at least one processor, it further causes the display device to: receive, by each of the plurality of display modules, an image frame among the plurality of image frames; identify, by each of the plurality of display modules, a dither mask corresponding to the image frame based on the received image frame; and display, by each of the plurality of display modules, a partial image corresponding to the image frame and the dither mask.

[0010] Additional aspects may be set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, and / or may be learned by practice of the presented embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of certain embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0012] Figure 1 is a diagram for showing a display device that displays an image according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0013] Figure 2 is a diagram for showing a display device in which a plurality of display modules are combined according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0014] Figure 3 is a block diagram for showing a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 4 is a diagram for showing a dither mask according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 5 is a diagram for showing flicker caused by a dither mask according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 6 is a diagram for showing a reference signal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0018] Figure 7 is a flowchart for showing a control method of a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] First, terms used in the present disclosure are briefly described, and then the present disclosure is described.

[0020] As used herein, in consideration of the functions described in the present disclosure, general terms that are currently widely used can be selected as much as possible. However, these terms can change according to the intention of those skilled in the art, previous court decisions, or the emergence of new technologies, etc. In addition, in specific cases, there may be terms arbitrarily designated by the applicant, and in such cases, the meanings of these terms can be described in the relevant description of the present disclosure. Therefore, the terms used in the present disclosure can be defined based on the meanings of the terms and the overall content of the present disclosure, rather than only based on the names of the terms.

[0021] It should be understood that various modifications can be made to the embodiments of the present disclosure, and there can be various types of embodiments. Therefore, examples of the embodiments are shown in the drawings, and examples of the embodiments are described in the present disclosure. However, it should be understood that the various embodiments are not used to limit the scope of the present disclosure to the disclosed embodiments, but the disclosed embodiments should be interpreted to include all modifications, equivalents, or alternatives of the disclosed embodiments included in the ideas and technical scope disclosed herein. Additionally, detailed descriptions of related known technologies may be omitted when they may obscure the main points of the present disclosure.

[0022] In addition, terms such as "first", "second", etc. can be used to describe various elements, but these terms are not intended to limit the elements. Such terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. Terms such as "upper", "middle", "lower", etc. can be replaced with terms such as "first", "second", "third", etc. to describe the relative positions of the elements.

[0023] It should be understood that if an element (e.g., a first element) is referred to as being “coupled” with another element (e.g., a second element), “coupled to” another element (e.g., a second element), “connected” with another element (e.g., a second element), or “connected to” another element (e.g., a second element), whether or not the term “operatively” or “communicatively” is used, it means that the element can be coupled to the other element directly (e.g., wired), wirelessly, or via a third element. As used herein, each of the phrases such as “A or B,” “at least one of A and B,” “at least one of A or B,” “A, B, or C,” “at least one of A, B, and C,” and “at least one of A, B, or C” can include any one or all possible combinations of the items listed together in the corresponding phrase in the phrase.

[0024] In addition, singular expressions include plural expressions unless differently defined in the context. Further, in this disclosure, terms such as “including” or “consisting of” should be interpreted as specifying the presence of the such features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof described in this disclosure, but not precluding the presence or possible addition of one or more of other features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof.

[0025] Additionally, in this disclosure, a “module” or “component” can perform at least one function or operation and can be implemented as hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. Further, except for “modules” or “components” that may need to be implemented as specific hardware, multiple “modules” or “components” can be integrated into at least one module and implemented as at least one processor.

[0026] Throughout this disclosure, references to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “example embodiment,” or similar language can indicate that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the indicated embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the solution. Thus, throughout this disclosure, the phrases “in one embodiment,” “in an embodiment,” “in an example embodiment,” and similar language can, but do not necessarily all, refer to the same embodiment. The embodiments described herein are example embodiments, and thus, this disclosure is not limited thereto and can be implemented in various other forms.

[0027] It should be understood that the particular order or hierarchy of the blocks in the disclosed process / flowchart is an illustration of an exemplary method. Based on design preferences, it should be understood that the particular order or hierarchy of the blocks in the process / flowchart can be rearranged. Additionally, some blocks can be combined or omitted. The appended claims present the elements of the blocks in a sample order and do not represent a limitation to the particular order or hierarchy presented.

[0028] Embodiments herein may be described and illustrated in terms of blocks that perform one or more of the described functions, as shown in the accompanying drawings. These blocks (which may be referred to herein as units or modules, etc., or named by terms such as devices, logic, circuits, controllers, counters, comparators, generators, converters, etc.) may be physically implemented by analog and / or digital circuits including one or more of logic gates, integrated circuits, microprocessors, microcontrollers, memory circuits, passive electronic components, active electronic components, optical components, etc.

[0029] In this disclosure, the articles "a" and "an" are intended to include one or more items and may be interchanged with "one or more". Where only one item is intended, the term "one" or similar language is used. For example, the term "processor" may refer to a single processor or multiple processors. When a processor is described as performing an operation and the processor is said to perform additional operations, the multiple operations may be performed by any one or combination of a single processor or multiple processors.

[0030] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure are described with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains can implement the present disclosure. However, it should be noted that the present disclosure may be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In addition, in the drawings, parts not relevant to the explanation are omitted for clarity in explaining the present disclosure, and throughout the present disclosure, similar components are denoted by similar reference numerals.

[0031] Figure 1 is a diagram of a display device for showing a display image according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] Reference Figure 1 , the display device 100 may be composed of a plurality of display modules (for example, a first display module 110-1, a second display module 110-2, a third display module 110-3 to an nth display module 110-n, where n is a positive integer greater than one (1)). The display device 100 may display video data. The display device 100 may be implemented as a television (TV). However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto and may be applied to any device equipped with a display function (such as, but not limited to, a video wall, a large format display (LFD), a digital sign, a digital information display (DID), a projector display, etc.). Alternatively or additionally, the display device 100 may be implemented in various forms of displays (such as, but not limited to, a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light emitting diode (OLED), a liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS), a digital light processing (DLP), a quantum dot (QD) display panel, a quantum dot light emitting diode (QLED), etc.).

[0033] According to an embodiment, the display device 100 may be implemented in the form of a modular display including a plurality of display modules (a first display module 110-1 to an nth display module 110-n).

[0034] Figure 2 FIG. is for showing a display device in which a plurality of display modules are combined according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] For example, as Figure 2 shown, a plurality of display modules (e.g., a first display module 110-1, a second display module 110-2, a third display module 110-3, a fourth display module 110-4, a fifth display module 110-5, a sixth display module 110-6, a seventh display module 110-7, an eighth display module 110-8, a ninth display module 110-9, a tenth display module 110-10, an eleventh display module 110-11, and a twelfth display module 110-12) may be combined and implemented as one (1) display device (e.g., the display device 100).

[0036] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, each of the plurality of display modules (a first display module 110-1 to an nth display module 110-n) may include a plurality of self-emitting diodes. For example, the self-emitting diodes may be at least one of a light-emitting diode (LED), a micro LED, etc.

[0037] Each of the plurality of display modules (a first display module 110-1 to an nth display module 110-n) may be implemented as an LED cabinet including a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The plurality of LEDs may be implemented in various forms (e.g., but not limited to, a red / green / blue (RGB) LED including red LEDs, green LEDs, and blue LEDs). Alternatively or additionally, the LEDs may include LEDs having various colors (e.g., but not limited to, white LEDs).

[0038] According to an embodiment, the plurality of LEDs may be implemented as micro LEDs. As used herein, a micro LED may refer to an LED having a size of about 5 micrometers (μm) to about 100 μm. Additionally, a micro LED may be and / or may include a micro mini light-emitting element that emits light by itself without a color filter.

[0039] According to an embodiment, each of a plurality of display modules (a first display module 110-1 to an nth display module 110-n) included in the display device 100 may be connected to each other. For example, at least one display module (e.g., the first display module 110-1) may receive a control signal, video data, etc. from an external device (e.g., a source device), and may send the received control signal, video data, etc. to another display module (e.g., the second display module 110-2) that may be connected in series to the at least one display module. Accordingly, the control signal, video data, etc. may be sequentially sent to all of the plurality of display modules (the first display module 110-1 to the nth display module 110-n).

[0040] As another example, the display device 100 may include at least one processor that may be configured to send control signals, video data, etc. corresponding to positions to each of the plurality of display modules (the first display module 110-1 to the nth display module 110-n) based on position information of each of the plurality of display modules (the first display module 110-1 to the nth display module 110-n). Accordingly, the display device 100 may output an image corresponding to the video data received from an external device.

[0041] According to an embodiment, each of the plurality of display modules (the first display module 110-1 to the nth display module 110-n) may operate by using a passive matrix method.

[0042] As used herein, the passive matrix method may refer to a method in which at least one driver integrated circuit (IC) may sequentially provide scan signals to a plurality of scan lines, and at least one driver IC may apply data to pixels corresponding to the scan lines to which the scan signals are provided among the plurality of scan lines by using a plurality of data lines.

[0043] In an embodiment, a minimum light emission amount of an LED operating according to the passive matrix method may be relatively higher than a minimum light emission amount of an LED operating according to an active matrix method.

[0044] Accordingly, when operating according to the passive matrix method, the display device 100 may dither an image by using a dither mask to potentially reduce the minimum light emission amount of the LED, and then output the image.

[0045] According to an embodiment, dithering may include temporal dithering and / or static dithering.

[0046] As used herein, temporal jitter may refer to alternately outputting relatively bright pixels and relatively dark pixels in units of image frames. For example, the display device 100 may perform dithering in a first image frame by using a first dither mask and perform dithering in a second image frame by using a second dither mask.

[0047] According to an embodiment, when each of a plurality of display modules (a first display module 110-1 to an nth display module 110-n) can dither an image frame by using different dither masks in the same image frame and then output the frame, the frequency fluctuations within the dithered image frame may increase and / or may be relatively large, and / or the frequency fluctuations between image frames may increase and / or may be relatively large. That is, when outputting a plurality of image frames, a flicker phenomenon may occur.

[0048] For example, if in a first image frame, the first display module 110-1 performs dithering by using a first dither mask and the second display module 110-2 performs dithering by using a second dither mask, a flicker phenomenon (e.g., flicker in some regions within the image frame and / or flicker in some regions when switching image frames) may occur while outputting the first image frame.

[0049] Therefore, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, each of a plurality of display modules (a first display module 110-1 to an nth display module 110-n) can dither an image frame by using the same dither mask in units of image frames and then output the frame.

[0050] For example, each of the first display module 110-1 and the second display module 110-2 can perform dithering by using a first dither mask in a first image frame, and each of the first display module 110-1 and the second display module 110-2 can perform dithering by using a second dither mask in a second image frame. Therefore, while the display device 100 outputs a plurality of image frames, a flicker phenomenon may not occur, and as a result, when compared with related display devices, the gray-scale linearity can be improved.

[0051] Figure 3 is a block diagram for showing the configuration of a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0052] According to Figure 3 , the display device 100 includes a display panel 110 and at least one processor 120.

[0053] According to an embodiment, the display panel 110 includes a plurality of display modules (e.g., a first display module 110-1 to an nth display module 110-n). Each of the plurality of display modules (the first display module 110-1 to the nth display module 110-n) may include, for example, a controller (e.g., a timing controller (TCON)).

[0054] According to an embodiment, the controller may control the overall operation of the corresponding display module.

[0055] For example, the controller may sequentially receive a plurality of image frames and a reference signal corresponding to each of the plurality of image frames from at least one processor 120 included in the display device 100.

[0056] The controller may identify a dither mask corresponding to the reference signal among a plurality of dither masks, and control the corresponding display module to dither the image frame by using the identified dither mask, and then output the frame.

[0057] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one processor 120 may control the overall operation of the display device 100.

[0058] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one processor 120 may be implemented as a digital signal processor (DSP) that processes digital signals, a microprocessor, and / or a timing controller (TCON). However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and at least one processor 120 may be and / or may include a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller unit (MCU), a microprocessing unit (MPU), a controller, an application processor (AP), or a communication processor (CP), an advanced reduced instruction set computer (RISC) machine (ARM) processor, an artificial intelligence (AI) processor, etc. Alternatively or additionally, at least one processor 120 may be implemented as a system on chip (SoC) or a large scale integration (LSI) in which a processing algorithm is stored, or may be implemented in the form of a field programmable gate array (FPGA). At least one processor 120 may perform various functions by executing computer-executable instructions stored in a memory.

[0059] At least one processor 120 may be and / or may include one or more of a CPU, a graphics processing unit (GPU), an accelerated processing unit (APU), an integrated many-core (MIC), a DSP, a neural processing unit (NPU), a hardware accelerator, a machine learning accelerator, etc. At least one processor 120 may control one or a random combination of other components of the display device 100 and perform at least one operation related to communication and / or data processing. Alternatively or additionally, at least one processor 120 may execute one or more programs or instructions stored in the memory. For example, at least one processor 120 may execute a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure by executing one or more instructions stored in the memory.

[0060] In a case where a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a plurality of operations, the plurality of operations may be executed by one processor or by a plurality of processors individually or jointly. For example, when a first operation, a second operation, and a third operation are executed by a method according to an embodiment, all of the first operation, the second operation, and the third operation may be executed by a first processor, and / or the first operation and the second operation may be executed by a first processor (e.g., a general-purpose processor), and the third operation may be executed by a second processor (e.g., an artificial intelligence dedicated processor).

[0061] At least one processor 120 may be implemented as a single-core processor including one core or may be implemented as one or more multi-core processors including a plurality of cores (e.g., multi-cores of the same type or different types). In a case where at least one processor 120 is implemented as a multi-core processor, each of the plurality of cores included in the multi-core processor may include an internal memory of the processor (e.g., but not limited to, a cache memory, an on-chip memory, etc.), and / or a common cache shared by the plurality of cores may be included in the multi-core processor. Additionally, each of the plurality of cores (or some of the plurality of cores) included in the multi-core processor may independently read program instructions for implementing a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure and execute the instructions, or all (or some) of the plurality of cores may be linked to each other, read program instructions for implementing a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and execute the instructions.

[0062] In a case where a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a plurality of operations, the plurality of operations may be executed by one of the plurality of cores included in the multi-core processor or may be executed by a plurality of cores. For example, when a first operation, a second operation, and a third operation are executed by a method according to an embodiment, all of the first operation, the second operation, and the third operation may be executed by a first core included in the multi-core processor, or the first operation and the second operation may be executed by a first core included in the multi-core processor, and the third operation may be executed by a second core included in the multi-core processor.

[0063] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one processor 120 may refer to a system-on-chip (SoC) integrated with at least one processor 120 and other electronic components, a single-core processor, a multi-core processor, or a core included in a single-core processor or a multi-core processor. Additionally, the core may be implemented as a CPU, GPU, APU, MIC, DSP, NPU, hardware accelerator, or machine learning accelerator, etc. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0064] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one processor 120 may control the display panel 110 to display an image including a plurality of image frames.

[0065] According to an embodiment, at least one processor 120 may control each of a plurality of display modules (the first display module 110-1 to the nth display module 110-n) to display a dither mask corresponding to each of the plurality of image frames.

[0066] For example, at least one processor 120 may sequentially send a plurality of image frames and a reference signal corresponding to each of the plurality of image frames to each of the plurality of display modules (the first display module 110-1 to the nth display module 110-n).

[0067] The reference signal may correspond to information related to the number of times at least one processor 120 may have sent an image frame to each of the plurality of display modules (the first display module 110-1 to the nth display module 110-n).

[0068] For example, at least one processor 120 may include a frame counter and, while sending a plurality of image frames constituting an image to each of the plurality of display modules (the first display module 110-1 to the nth display module 110-n), count the number of times the image frames are sent by using the frame counter. At least one processor 120 may send an image frame and a reference signal including the number of times of sending corresponding to the image frame to each of the plurality of display modules (the first display module 110-1 to the nth display module 110-n).

[0069] When receiving the reference signal, each of the plurality of display modules (the first display module 110-1 to the nth display module 110-n) may identify a dither mask corresponding to the reference signal from among a plurality of dither masks, may dither the received image frame by using the identified dither mask, and may output the frame.

[0070] Figure 4 It is a diagram for showing a dither mask according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0071] Reference Figure 4 According to an embodiment, among a plurality of display modules (a first display module 110-1 to an nth display module 110-n), a third display module 110-3 may perform dithering by using a first dither mask 10-1, and a sixth display module 110-6 adjacent to the third display module 110-3 may also perform dithering by using the first dither mask 10-1.

[0072] In contrast, the sixth display module 110-6 may perform dithering by using the first dither mask 10-1, and a ninth display module 110-9 adjacent to the sixth display module 110-6 may perform dithering by using a second dither mask 10-2.

[0073] If a plurality of display modules (a first display module 110-1 to an nth display module 110-n) perform dithering by using different dither masks instead of the same dither mask, flicker may occur at the boundaries between the display modules. Reference Figure 4 The sixth display module 110-6 and the ninth display module 110-9 may perform dithering by using different dither masks, and thus frequency fluctuations may increase and / or be relatively large at the boundary between the sixth display module 110-6 and the ninth display module 110-9, and flicker may occur.

[0074] According to various embodiments, while outputting an image frame, in order for a plurality of display modules (a first display module 110-1 to an nth display module 110-n) to perform dithering by using the same dither mask, at least one processor 120 may send a reference signal to each of the plurality of display modules (a first display module 110-1 to an nth display module 110-n), and each of the plurality of display modules (a first display module 110-1 to an nth display module 110-n) may identify the dither mask corresponding to the reference signal, and may perform dithering by using the identified dither mask.

[0075] According to the present disclosure, a plurality of display modules (a first display module 110-1 to an nth display module 110-n) may perform dithering by using the same dither mask while outputting an image frame, and thus flicker may not occur at the boundaries between the plurality of display modules (a first display module 110-1 to an nth display module 110-n), and as a result, gray-scale linearity may be improved when compared with related display devices.

[0076] Figure 5 is a diagram for showing flicker caused by a dither mask according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0077] If multiple display modules (first display module 110-1 to nth display module 110-n) perform dithering by using different dither masks instead of the same dither mask, flicker may occur while outputting multiple image frames (e.g., when converting image frames).

[0078] Reference Figure 5 , the sixth display module 110-6 and the ninth display module 110-9 may perform dithering by using different dither masks, and thus flicker may occur when converting image frame 1 to image frame 2.

[0079] The dither masks used for dithering by multiple display modules (first display module 110-1 to nth display module 110-n) may be changed on a per-image-frame basis, and thus, when converting the image frames output by the display panel 110, flicker may not occur.

[0080] As Figure 4 and Figure 5 shown, the first dither mask may be a four (4)-pixel dither mask that can perform dithering such that the upper left and lower right pixels among four (4) pixels can be output as relatively dark pixels and the upper right and lower left pixels can be output as relatively bright pixels. The second dither mask may be a four (4)-pixel dither mask that can perform dithering such that the upper left and lower right pixels among four (4) pixels can be output as relatively bright pixels and the upper right and lower left pixels can be output as relatively dark pixels. However, this is only an example, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0081] For example, the dither mask may include at least two color pixels and include a dither pattern of a predetermined size. The number of colors (e.g., black, white, or gray) or the composition of colors that make up the dither mask, the number of pixels that make up the dither mask, the dither pattern, etc. may be changed differently.

[0082] Figure 6 is a diagram for showing a reference signal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0083] Reference Figure 6 , at least one processor 120 may sequentially send multiple image frames constituting an image to each of the multiple display modules (first display module 110-1 to nth display module 110-n). At least one processor 120 may also send a reference signal corresponding to each of the multiple image frames.

[0084] For example, at least one processor 120 may send the first image frame among a plurality of image frames to each of a plurality of display modules (first display module 110-1 to nth display module 110-n), and may also send a reference signal corresponding to the first image frame (e.g., frame reference signal 0, hereinafter referred to as the first reference signal) together.

[0085] When receiving the first image frame and the first reference signal, a controller included in each of the plurality of display modules (first display module 110-1 to nth display module 110-n) may apply the first dither mask 10-1 corresponding to the first reference signal among the first dither mask 10-1 and the second dither mask 10-2 to the first image frame.

[0086] For example, a controller included in each of the plurality of display modules (first display module 110-1 to nth display module 110-n) may apply the first dither mask 10-1 to some corresponding images (or partial images) in the first image frame, and then output the frame.

[0087] At least one processor 120 may send the second image frame among a plurality of image frames to each of a plurality of display modules (first display module 110-1 to nth display module 110-n), and may also send a reference signal corresponding to the second image frame (e.g., frame reference signal 1, hereinafter referred to as the second reference signal) together.

[0088] According to an embodiment, when receiving the second image frame and the second reference signal, a controller included in each of the plurality of display modules (first display module 110-1 to nth display module 110-n) may apply the second dither mask 10-2 corresponding to the second reference signal among the first dither mask 10-1 and the second dither mask 10-2 to the second image frame.

[0089] For example, a controller included in each of the plurality of display modules (first display module 110-1 to nth display module 110-n) may apply the second dither mask 10-2 to some corresponding images (or partial images) in the second image frame, and then output the frame.

[0090] According to an embodiment, each of the plurality of display modules (first display module 110-1 to nth display module 110-n) may alternately (or rotationally) apply the first dither mask 10-1 and the second dither mask 10-2 to a plurality of image frames sequentially received from at least one processor 120 in units of image frames.

[0091] Reference Figure 6, according to an embodiment, the first display module 110-1 among the plurality of display modules (the first display module 110-1 to the nth display module 110-n) may perform dithering by using the first dither mask 10-1, and the fourth display module 110-4 adjacent to the first display module 110-1 may also perform dithering by using the first dither mask 10-1.

[0092] While outputting any one image frame, the plurality of display modules (the first display module 110-1 to the nth display module 110-n) may perform dithering by using the same dither mask, and thus flicker may not be generated at the boundaries between the display modules.

[0093] In addition, the dither mask used for dithering by the first display module 110-1 and the fourth display module 110-4 may be changed in units of image frames, and as a result, when the image frame output by the display panel 110 is converted from image frame 1 to image frame 2, flicker may not be generated.

[0094] While outputting any one image frame, if the dither masks used for dithering by each of the plurality of display modules (the first display module 110-1 to the nth display module 110-n) are different, then according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one processor 120 may re-count the number of times the image frame is sent by using a frame counter. Accordingly, at least one processor 120 may re-obtain a reference signal.

[0095] At least one processor 120 may send the image frame and the re-obtained reference signal to each of the plurality of display modules (the first display module 110-1 to the nth display module 110-n), and each of the plurality of display modules (the first display module 110-1 to the nth display module 110-n) may perform dithering by using the same dither mask while outputting any one image frame received from at least one processor 120.

[0096] When any one display module performs dithering by using the first dither mask 10-1, if another display module adjacent to the any one display module performs dithering by using the second dither mask 10-2, then the controller included in any one of the plurality of display modules (the first display module 110-1 to the nth display module 110-n) may re-identify the dither mask corresponding to any one image frame based on the reference signal.

[0097] For example, if any one of the display modules 110 performs dithering by using a dither mask different from that of another display module located nearby, that any one of the display modules may re-identify the dither mask based on a reference signal. Subsequently, that any one of the display modules may apply the re-identified dither mask to a partial image corresponding to any one of the image frames, and then output the frame.

[0098] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a plurality of display modules (a first display module 110-1 to an nth display module 110-n) may perform dithering by using the same dither mask, and may change the dither mask in units of frames, and as a result, compared with a related display device, a flicker effect that may occur at the boundaries of the plurality of display modules (the first display module 110-1 to the nth display module 110-n), and / or a flicker that may occur when converting an image frame may be prevented and / or reduced.

[0099] Figure 7 is a flowchart for illustrating a control method of a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0100] Reference Figure 7 , the control method 700 of the display device 100 may include: controlling a plurality of display modules to display an image including a plurality of image frames (operation S710).

[0101] Each of the plurality of display modules may be controlled to display a dither mask corresponding to each of the plurality of image frames (operation S720).

[0102] The operation S720 of controlling the display of the dither mask may include the following operations: based on receiving any one of the plurality of image frames, each of the plurality of display modules identifies a dither mask corresponding to that any one of the image frames, and displays a partial image corresponding to that any one of the image frames and the identified dither mask.

[0103] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the control method 700 may further include the following operations: sequentially sending a plurality of image frames and a reference signal corresponding to each of the plurality of image frames to each of the plurality of display modules, and the operation of identifying the dither mask may include the following operations: based on receiving any one of the image frames and the reference signal corresponding to that any one of the image frames, identifying the dither mask based on the reference signal.

[0104] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the operation of identifying the dither mask may include the following operations: identifying, by a controller included in each of the plurality of display modules, a dither mask corresponding to the reference signal from among a plurality of dither masks.

[0105] According to an embodiment, a plurality of dither masks may include a first temporal dither mask and a second temporal dither mask, and according to an embodiment, the control method 700 may include the following operations: Based on a first image frame among the plurality of received image frames and a first reference signal corresponding to the first image frame, each of the plurality of controllers applies a first dither mask corresponding to the first reference signal to a partial image corresponding to the first image frame, and based on a second image frame among the plurality of received image frames and a second reference signal corresponding to the second image frame, each of the plurality of controllers applies a second dither mask corresponding to the second reference signal to a partial image corresponding to the second image frame.

[0106] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the reference signal may correspond to information related to the number of times any one processor sends image frames constituting an image to each of the plurality of display modules, and the control method 700 according to an embodiment may include the following operations: An operation of alternately applying the first dither mask and the second dither mask by each of the plurality of controllers according to the information related to the number of times.

[0107] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the control method 700 may further include the following operations: While the first display module is displaying the first dither mask, if a second display module adjacent to the first display module displays the second dither mask, a first controller included in the first display module among the plurality of display modules re-identifies a dither mask corresponding to any one image frame based on the reference signal.

[0108] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the control method 700 may further include the following operations: The first controller displays a partial image corresponding to any one image frame and the re-identified dither mask.

[0109] According to an embodiment, the dither mask may include at least two color pixels and may have a dither pattern of a predetermined size.

[0110] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, each of the plurality of display modules may operate by using a passive matrix method.

[0111] Various embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied not only to a display device but also to all types of electronic devices including a display function.

[0112] Various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in a computer or a similar device-readable recording medium by using software, hardware, or a combination thereof. In some cases, the embodiments described in the present disclosure may be implemented as the processor itself. According to a software implementation, embodiments such as processes and functions described in the present disclosure may be implemented as separate software modules. Each software module may perform one or more functions and operations described in the present disclosure.

[0113] According to the foregoing various embodiments of the present disclosure, computer instructions for performing processing operations of an electronic device may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The computer instructions stored in such a non-transitory computer-readable medium may cause the processing operations at the electronic device according to the foregoing various embodiments to be performed by a particular machine when the instructions are executed by a processor of the particular machine.

[0114] A non-transitory computer-readable medium refers to a medium that stores data semi-permanently and is readable by a machine, rather than a medium that stores data for a short time (e.g., registers, caches, and memories). Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media may include, but are not limited to, compact discs (CDs), digital versatile discs (DVDs), hard disks, Blu-ray discs, universal serial buses (USBs), memory cards, read-only memories (ROMs), and the like.

[0115] Although various embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described, the present disclosure is not limited to the foregoing embodiments, and it is obvious that various modifications can be made by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains without departing from the scope of the present disclosure claimed by the appended claims. In addition, such modifications are not intended to be interpreted independently of the technical idea or prospect of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A display device, comprising: A display panel, including a plurality of display modules; One or more processors, including processing circuitry; And A memory, storing instructions, Wherein, when the instructions are executed by the one or more processors alone or jointly, the display device is caused to: Use the display panel to display an image including a plurality of image frames, and Display, on each of the plurality of display modules, a dither mask corresponding to an image frame among the plurality of image frames among the plurality of dither masks, and Wherein, each of the plurality of display modules is configured to: Receive the image frame among the plurality of image frames, Based on receiving the image frame, identify the dither mask corresponding to the image frame, and Display a partial image corresponding to the image frame and the dither mask.

2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein, When the instructions are executed by the one or more processors alone or jointly, the display device is further caused to: Sequentially send the plurality of image frames and a plurality of reference signals corresponding to the plurality of image frames to the plurality of display modules, and Wherein, each of the plurality of display modules is further configured to: Receive the plurality of image frames and the plurality of reference signals corresponding to the plurality of image frames, and Identify the dither mask based on the reference signal corresponding to the image frame among the plurality of reference signals.

3. The display device according to claim 2, wherein, Each of the plurality of display modules includes: A controller, configured to control the display module, and Wherein, the controller is further configured to: Based on receiving the reference signal from the one or more processors, identify the dither mask corresponding to the reference signal among the plurality of dither masks, and Display the partial image corresponding to the image frame and the dither mask.

4. The display device according to claim 3, wherein, The plurality of dither masks include: A first time dither mask; and A second time dither mask, and Wherein, the controller is further configured to: Based on receiving a first image frame among the plurality of image frames and a first reference signal corresponding to the first image frame among the plurality of reference signals, apply the first time dither mask corresponding to the first reference signal to a first partial image corresponding to the first image frame, and Based on receiving a second image frame among the plurality of image frames and a second reference signal corresponding to the second image frame among the plurality of reference signals, apply the second time dither mask corresponding to the second reference signal to a second partial image corresponding to the second image frame.

5. The display device according to claim 4, wherein, The plurality of reference signals include information indicating the number of times the plurality of image frames have been sent to the plurality of display modules, and Wherein, the controller is further configured to: Based on the information indicating the number of times, alternately apply at least one of the first time dither mask or the second time dither mask.

6. The display device according to claim 4, wherein, The first controller of the first display module among the plurality of display modules is further configured to: Based on the second display module adjacent to the first display module displaying the second time dither mask while the first display module displays the first time dither mask, re-identify the dither mask corresponding to the image frame based on the reference signal to obtain a re-identified dither mask.

7. The display device according to claim 6, wherein, The first controller is further configured to: Display the partial image corresponding to the image frame and the re-identified dither mask.

8. The display device according to claim 1, wherein, The dither mask includes at least two color pixels, and wherein, the dither mask includes a dither pattern of a predetermined size.

9. The display device according to claim 1, wherein, Each of the plurality of display modules operates based on a passive matrix method.

10. A control method for a display device, the control method comprising: Using a display panel of the display device to display an image including a plurality of image frames, the display panel including a plurality of display modules; And Displaying, on each of the plurality of display modules, a dither mask corresponding to an image frame among a plurality of dither masks, wherein, displaying the dither mask includes: Receiving, by each of the plurality of display modules, the image frame among the plurality of image frames; Identifying, by each of the plurality of display modules, the dither mask corresponding to the image frame based on receiving the image frame; and Displaying, by each of the plurality of display modules, a partial image corresponding to the image frame and the dither mask.

11. The control method according to claim 10, further comprising: Sequentially sending the plurality of image frames and a plurality of reference signals corresponding to the plurality of image frames to the plurality of display modules, wherein, identifying the dither mask includes: Receiving, by each of the plurality of display modules, the plurality of image frames and the plurality of reference signals corresponding to the plurality of image frames; and Identifying the dither mask based on the reference signal corresponding to the image frame among the plurality of reference signals.

12. The control method according to claim 11, Among them, Identifying the dither mask includes: Identifying, by a controller included in each of the plurality of display modules, the dither mask corresponding to the reference signal among the plurality of dither masks.

13. The control method according to claim 12, wherein, The plurality of dither masks includes: A first time dither mask; and A second time dither mask, and wherein, the control method further includes: Applying, by each of the plurality of display modules, the first time dither mask corresponding to the first reference signal to a first partial image corresponding to the first image frame based on receiving the first image frame among the plurality of image frames and the first reference signal corresponding to the first image frame among the plurality of reference signals, and Applying, by each of the plurality of display modules, the second time dither mask corresponding to the second reference signal to a second partial image corresponding to the second image frame based on receiving the second image frame among the plurality of image frames and the second reference signal corresponding to the second image frame among the plurality of reference signals.

14. The control method according to claim 13, wherein, The multiple reference signals include information indicating the number of times the multiple image frames have been sent to the multiple display modules, and wherein the control method further includes: alternately applying, by each of the multiple display modules, at least one of the first temporal dither mask or the second temporal dither mask based on the information indicating the number of times.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable program for performing a control method, the computer-executable program, when executed by at least one processor of a display device, causes the display device to: An image including a plurality of image frames is displayed using a display panel of the display device, and the display panel includes a plurality of display modules; and display, on each of the multiple display modules, a dither mask corresponding to an image frame among the multiple dither masks and the multiple image frames, and wherein the computer-executable program, when executed by the at least one processor, further causes the display device to: receive, by each of the multiple display modules, the image frame among the multiple image frames; identify, by each of the multiple display modules, the dither mask corresponding to the image frame based on receiving the image frame; and display, by each of the multiple display modules, a partial image corresponding to the image frame and the dither mask.

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