Display device

Abstract

A display device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may include: a display panel; a controller configured to determine an in-focus area facing by a gaze of a user within the display panel, and configured to process a resolution of image data to be displayed in an adjacent area adjacent to the in-focus area to be lower than a resolution of the in-focus area; and a display driver configured to distinguish between a focus area and an adjacent area on a screen of the display panel, and a shape of the focus area may vary according to a focus position corresponding to a gaze of a user.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a display device. Background Art

[0002] Virtual reality technology is developing rapidly in the fields of national defense, architecture, tourism, movies, multimedia, and games. Virtual reality refers to a specific environment and scenario similar to the actual environment using three-dimensional image technology. Devices for implementing virtual reality technology can be classified into virtual reality (VR) devices or augmented reality (AR) devices. These devices are developed in the structure of various forms of display devices (such as head-mounted displays (HMDs), face-mounted displays (FMDs), eyeglass-type displays (EGDs), etc.).

[0003] The descriptions provided in this background art section should not be assumed to be prior art merely because they are mentioned in or related to the background art section. The background art section may include information that describes one or more aspects of the subject technology. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present disclosure is made to provide a display device that improves image quality by determining the shape of a focus area based on the focus position of a user.

[0005] The object of the present disclosure is not limited to the above object, and those skilled in the art can clearly understand other objects not mentioned above from the following description.

[0006] To achieve these and other aspects of the inventive concept, as implemented and broadly described herein, a display device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may include: a display panel; a controller configured to determine a focus area faced by a user's gaze within the display panel and configured to process the resolution of image data to be displayed in an adjacent area adjacent to the focus area to be lower than the resolution of the focus area; and a display driver configured to distinguish the focus area and the adjacent area on the screen of the display panel, and the shape of the focus area may vary according to the focus position corresponding to the user's gaze.

[0007] A display device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may include: a display panel configured to display an image; an optical lens configured to transmit the image to the user's naked eye; a controller configured to determine the shape of a focus area based on the focus position of the user; and a memory including a look-up table that stores the shapes of a plurality of predetermined focus areas corresponding to different focus positions, and the controller may be configured to select the shape of a predetermined focus area from the plurality of predetermined focus areas based on the focus position of the user.

[0008] Other details of the exemplary embodiments are included in the detailed description and the drawings.

[0009] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a display device identifies a focus position based on a user's gaze and pre-sets the shape of a focusing area for each focus position, so as to reduce the time for calculating the shape of the focusing area.

[0010] The effects of the present disclosure are not limited to the above effects, and those of ordinary skill in the art will clearly understand other effects not mentioned above from the following description.

[0011] The objectives to be achieved through the present disclosure, the means for achieving the objectives, and the effects of the present disclosure described above are not essential technical features of the claimed claims. Therefore, the scope of the claims is not limited to the disclosure of the present disclosure.

[0012] The effects according to the present disclosure are not limited to the content of the above examples, and the present specification also includes more various effects.

[0013] It should be understood that both the foregoing description and the following description of the present disclosure are exemplary and explanatory, and are intended to provide further explanation of the claimed disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The drawings may be included to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure, and may be incorporated into and constitute a part of the present disclosure. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and are used together with the description to explain various principles of the present disclosure.

[0015] In conjunction with the drawings, the above and other aspects, features, and other advantages of the present disclosure will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description. In the drawings:

[0016] Figure 1 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a display device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating a focusing area on a screen;

[0018] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of a display driver;

[0019] Figure 4A and Figure 4B specifically illustrate Figure 1 a diagram of the display driver and the display panel shown;

[0020] Figure 5A and Figure 5B is a diagram illustrating pincushion distortion caused by an optical system;

[0021] Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the shape of a focusing area that changes according to a focus position when observed with the naked eye;

[0022] Figure 7 is a diagram for explaining a method for calculating a focus area according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 8 illustrates an example of calculating a focus area according to the method of Figure 7 ; and

[0024] Figure 9 illustrates an example of being configured to separately display a focus area and an adjacent area according to the method of Figure 7 .

[0025] Throughout the drawings and the detailed description, unless otherwise described, the same reference numerals should be understood to refer to the same elements, features, and structures. For clarity, illustration, and convenience, the dimensions, lengths, and thicknesses of layers, regions, and elements, and their illustration, may be exaggerated. Detailed Embodiments

[0026] Now, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail, examples of which may be shown in the drawings. In the following description, when a detailed description of well-known functions or configurations related to this document is determined to unnecessarily obscure the gist of the inventive concept, its detailed description will be omitted. The progress of the described processing steps and / or operations is an example; however, the order of the steps and / or operations is not limited to the order set forth herein and may be changed as is known in the art, except for steps and / or operations that must occur in a specific order. Similar reference numerals designate similar elements throughout. The names of the corresponding elements used in the following description may be selected only for the convenience of writing the specification and may thus be different from the names used in actual products.

[0027] By referring to the following exemplary embodiments described in detail together with the accompanying Figure 1 drawings, the advantages and features of the present disclosure, and the methods for realizing the advantages and features will become clear. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein but will be implemented in various forms. The exemplary embodiments are provided only by way of example so that those skilled in the art can fully understand the disclosure content of the present disclosure and the scope of the present disclosure.

[0028] The shapes, dimensions, areas, ratios, angles, quantities, etc. shown in the accompanying drawings for describing the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are merely examples, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Similar reference numerals generally refer to similar elements throughout the specification. In addition, in the following description of the present disclosure, detailed explanations of known related technologies may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the subject matter of the present disclosure. Terms such as "comprising", "having", and "consisting of" used herein are generally intended to allow the addition of other components, unless these terms are used together with the term "only". Any reference to the singular may include the plural unless otherwise expressly stated.

[0029] Even if not expressly stated, components are construed to include a normal margin of error.

[0030] When describing positional relationships, for example, when using terms such as "on", "above", "below", "over", "under", "beneath", "lower", "adjacent to", "close to" or "next to", "beside", "alongside" to describe the positional relationship between two components, one or more other components may be disposed between the two components, unless more restrictive terms such as "immediately", "directly" or "closely" are used. For example, when a structure is described as being "on", "above", "under", "over", "beneath", "below", "adjacent to", "close to" or "next to" another structure, "beside" or "alongside" another structure, this description should be construed to include the case where the structures are in contact with each other and the case where a third structure is disposed or interposed therebetween. In addition, the terms "left", "right", "top", "bottom", "downward", "upward", "upper", "lower", etc. refer to any reference system.

[0031] When an element or layer is disposed "on" another element or layer, another layer or another element may be directly interposed between yet another element or between them.

[0032] Although terms such as "first", "second", "A", "B", "(a)", "(b)", etc. are used to describe various components, these components are not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to be configured to distinguish one component from another. Therefore, in the technical concept of the present disclosure, the first component mentioned below may be the second component. In addition, when an element or layer is described as "connected", "coupled" or "adhered" to another element or layer, the element or layer may not only be directly connected or adhered to the other element or layer, but also be indirectly connected or adhered to the other element or layer and one or more intermediate elements or layers are "disposed" between the element or layer, unless otherwise specified.

[0033] Similar reference numerals generally refer to similar elements throughout the specification.

[0034] The dimensions and thicknesses of each component shown in the drawings are illustrated for ease of description, and the present disclosure is not limited to the dimensions and thicknesses of the components shown.

[0035] The term "at least one" should be understood to include any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. For example, the meaning of "at least one of the first element, the second element, and the third element" encompasses the combination of all three listed elements, any combination of two of the three elements, and each individual element, the first element, the second element, or the third element.

[0036] The features of the various embodiments of the present disclosure may be adhered to or combined with each other in part or in whole, and may be coupled and operated in various technical manners, and the embodiments may be implemented independently of or in relation to each other.

[0037] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the exemplary embodiments belong. It will also be understood that terms (such as those defined in a common dictionary) should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with, for example, their meaning in the context of the relevant art, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein. For example, the term "component" or "unit" may be applied, for example, to a separate circuit or structure, an integrated circuit, a computational block of a circuit device, or any structure configured to perform the described function, as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0038] Hereinafter, a display device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0039] The transistor used in the display device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may be implemented as either an n-channel transistor (NMOS) or a p-channel transistor (PMOS). The transistor may be implemented as an oxide semiconductor transistor having an oxide semiconductor as an active layer, or a low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) transistor having LTPS as an active layer. The transistor may at least include a gate electrode, a source electrode, and a drain electrode. The transistor may be implemented as a thin-film transistor (TFT) on a display panel. Carriers in the transistor flow from the source electrode to the drain electrode. In the case of an n-channel transistor (NMOS), since the carriers are electrons, the source voltage may be lower than the drain voltage so that electrons can flow from the source electrode to the drain electrode. In an n-channel transistor (NMOS), current may flow from the drain electrode to the source electrode, and the source electrode may be the output terminal. In the case of a p-channel transistor (PMOS), since the carriers are holes, the source voltage may be higher than the drain voltage so that holes can flow from the source electrode to the drain electrode. Since holes flow from the source electrode to the drain electrode in a p-channel transistor (PMOS), current may flow from the source electrode to the drain electrode, and the drain electrode may be the output terminal. Therefore, it should be noted that since the source and drain can vary depending on the applied voltage, the source and drain of the transistor are not fixed. In the present disclosure, the description is made by assuming that the transistor is an n-channel transistor (NMOS), but the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and a p-channel transistor may be used, and thus the circuit configuration may also change.

[0040] The gate signal of the transistor used as a switching element may swing between a gate-on voltage and a gate-off voltage. The gate-on voltage may be set to a voltage higher than the threshold voltage Vth of the transistor, and the gate-off voltage may be set to a voltage lower than the threshold voltage Vth of the transistor. The transistor conducts in response to the gate-on voltage and cuts off in response to the gate-off voltage. In the case of an n-channel transistor (NMOS), the gate-on voltage may be a gate high voltage (VGH), and the gate-off voltage may be a gate low voltage (VGL). In the case of a p-channel transistor (PMOS), the gate-on voltage may be a gate low voltage (VGL), and the gate-off voltage may be a gate high voltage (VGH).

[0041] Hereinafter, various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0042] Figure 1 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a display device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating a focus area on a screen.

[0043] Referring to Figure 1 and Figure 2, the display device of the present disclosure includes a display panel 100, a controller 300, and / or a display driver 200.

[0044] The controller 300 may include a main circuit board of a television (TV) system, a computer system, a set-top box, a navigation system, a mobile terminal system, a wearable system, a virtual / augmented reality system (hereinafter referred to as "VR / AR system"). Hereinafter, the controller 300 will be described based on the virtual reality device system, but it should be noted that the controller 300 is not limited thereto.

[0045] The controller 300 is connected to a sensor 310, a camera 320, etc. The controller 300 also includes an external device interface connected to a memory or an external video source, a user interface for receiving user commands, a power supply for generating power, etc. The external device interface, the user interface, the power supply, etc. are omitted in the figure. The controller 300 controls the resolution of the focus area and the non-focus area by using a graphics processing unit (such as a graphics processing unit (GPU)) that performs image processing of the input image. The external device interface can be implemented as various known interface modules, including a universal serial bus (USB), a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI), etc.

[0046] The controller 300 sends the pixel data of the input image and a timing signal synchronized therewith to the display driver 200. The controller 300 analyzes the image data from the camera 320 that captures the user's left and right eyes by using a predetermined eye tracking algorithm to estimate the focus area faced by the user's left and right eyes. The controller 300 controls the resolution of the input image in the focus area and the non-focus area outside the focus area by using a fixation rendering algorithm. The controller 300 converts the pixel data resolution of the input image according to the resolution of the focus area and the non-focus area by using a scaler.

[0047] In the case of a VR / AR system, since the distance between the user's eyes and the screen AA of the display panel 100 is very short, a resolution of 4K or higher is required. The fixation rendering algorithm can improve the resolution of the pixel data corresponding to the focus area displayed in the display panel 100 by using the position information of the pupil, and reduce the amount of data transmitted and the number of conversions by repeatedly configuring the same data in units of predetermined pixel blocks in the non-focus area other than the focus area. The fixation rendering algorithm can reduce the amount of data sent to the display driver 200 by 80% or more by encoding the pixel data in the pixels to be written in the focus area with representative values.

[0048] The controller 300 does not reduce the resolution of the pixel data in the pixels of the focus area to be written on the display panel 100, or increases the resolution to send high-resolution data to the display driver 200. Here, the controller 300 may gradually or stepwise reduce the resolution of the pixel data from the central portion toward the outer area in the focus area. The controller 300 reduces the data transfer amount and the number of conversions by being configured to significantly reduce the resolution of the non-focus area.

[0049] Due to the inherent characteristics of the optic nerve, the user does not recognize the low-resolution image reproduced in the pixels of the non-focus area other than the focus area in the VR / AR system. While reducing the amount of data transmitted, the resolution compression range that the user cannot recognize can be set as shown Figure 2 herein.

[0050] When considering the distance between the user's pupil and the screen AA in the VR system, the focus area can be set to a size with a diameter of 2.8 mm. The focus area can be divided into N (N is a positive integer of 2 or more) levels from the center to the outside. When the focus area is divided into three areas with different resolutions, if the pixel data resolution of the first area R1 corresponding to the center of the focus area is 100%, the pixel data resolution of the second area R2 outside the first area R1 can be reduced to 25%, and the pixel data resolution of the third area R3 outside the second area R2 can be reduced to 11.1%. The resolution of the non-focus area NFR can be 6.2%. The diameter of the first area R1 can be set to 1.2 mm, the diameter of the second area R2 can be set to 1.9 mm, and the diameter of the third area R3 can be set to 2.8 mm, but is not limited thereto. In the VR system, the focus area can be approximately 2% of the entire screen AA.

[0051] The sensor 310 includes various sensors including a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, etc. The sensor 310 sends the outputs of the various sensors to the controller 300. The controller 300 receives the output of the sensor 310 and synchronizes the received output with the movement of the user to move the pixel data of the image displayed on the screen AA. Accordingly, the focus area is synchronized with the movement of the user's pupil and head, and thus the position of the focus area can be changed on the screen AA.

[0052] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the display driver.

[0053] Refer to Figure 1 and Figure 3When receiving pixel data of an input image from the controller 300 through the interface receiving circuit (S1), the display driver 200 writes the pixel data into the pixels of the display panel 100. The display driver 200 reduces the brightness of the pixels written into the pixels of the out-of-focus area to reduce power consumption.

[0054] The display driver 200 writes high-resolution pixel data into the pixels of the in-focus area on the screen AA of the display panel 100 (S2 and S3). The resolution of the pixel data in the in-focus area can gradually or stepwise decrease from the center outwards. In contrast, the display driver 200 writes low-resolution pixel data into the pixels of the out-of-focus area outside the in-focus area, and reduces the brightness of the out-of-focus area compared to the brightness of the in-focus area (S2 and S4).

[0055] Figure 4A and Figure 4B are specific examples Figure 1 of the diagrams of the display driver and the display panel shown.

[0056] Referring Figure 4A , the display device according to the present disclosure includes a first display panel 100A, a second display panel 100B, and a display driver for driving the first display panel 100A and the second display panel 100B.

[0057] The first display panel 100A and the second display panel 100B can be implemented as display panels for displaying images in a flat panel display device (such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), an electroluminescent display, etc.). According to the material of the light-emitting layer, the electroluminescent display can be classified into an inorganic light-emitting display device and an organic light-emitting display device. As an example of the inorganic light-emitting display device, there is a quantum dot display device. Hereinafter, as the display device, the organic light-emitting display device will be mainly described, but the display device is not limited thereto.

[0058] The first display panel 100A can be a left-eye display panel, and the second display panel 100B can be a right-eye display panel, but is not limited thereto. In the case of a mobile terminal system such as a smart phone, both the left-eye image and the right-eye image can be displayed on Figure 4B the screen AA of one display panel 100 shown. In the case of a smart phone, as an example of the local mode, the VR mode is supported. In the VR mode of the smart phone, the left-eye image and the right-eye image can be separately and jointly displayed on one display panel. In the mobile terminal system of the present disclosure, in the VR mode, the left-eye image and the right-eye image can be displayed on one display panel, and in each of the left-eye image and the right-eye image, the brightness of the image displayed in the out-of-focus area outside the high-resolution in-focus area can be controlled to be lower than the brightness of the in-focus area.

[0059] Each of display panels 100A and 100B includes data lines to which pixel data of an input image is applied, gate lines (or scan lines) to which a gate signal is applied, and pixels arranged in a matrix form through a cross structure of the data lines and the gate lines. An image is displayed in a pixel array on a screen AA of display panels 100A and 100B.

[0060] Each pixel may be divided into sub-pixels 101 for implementing colors, such as a red sub-pixel, a green sub-pixel, a blue sub-pixel, etc. Each pixel may also include a white sub-pixel. In the case of an organic light emitting display device, each sub-pixel 101 may include a pixel circuit, and the pixel circuit includes one or more light emitting elements, one or more transistors, and one or more capacitors, but embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto.

[0061] In a personal immersive system such as a VR / AR system, a left-eye image in which a luminance of a non-focus area is lower than that of a focus area may be displayed on a first display panel 100A. On a second display panel 100B, a right-eye image in which a luminance of a non-focus area is lower than that of a focus area may be displayed.

[0062] In Figure 4A Pixels rows L1, L2, ……, Ln include a row of pixels in which pixel data is simultaneously written during a first horizontal period on screens of display panels 100A and 100B. When a resolution of screen AA is m*n, screen AA includes n pixel rows L1, L2, ……, Ln. In Figure 4B In display panel 100 of

[0063] A display driver 200 writes data of an input image into display panels 100A and 100B. The display driver 200 includes data drivers 111 and 112, gate drivers 121 and 122, a timing controller 130, etc.

[0064] A first data driver 111 and a first gate driver 121 are connected to a first display panel 100A to drive the first display panel 100A under the control of the timing controller 130. A second data driver 112 and a second gate driver 122 are connected to a second display panel 100B to drive the second display panel 100B under the control of the timing controller 130.

[0065] In the case of a mobile terminal system, the data driver and the timing controller may be embedded in a driving IC (D-IC), as Figure 4B shown.

[0066] The data drivers 111 and 112 convert the pixel data from the timing controller 130 into data voltages by using gamma compensation voltages, and output the data voltages to the data lines 102. The data drivers 111 and 112 can convert the black gradation data separately set from the pixel data of the input image into black gradation voltages under the control of the timing controller 130 by using gamma compensation voltages, and output the black gradation voltages to the data lines 102. Accordingly, pixel data voltages or black gradation voltages can be applied to each sub-pixel 101 through the data lines 102.

[0067] The gate drivers 121 and 122 output gate signals (or scan signals) synchronized with the pixel data to the gate lines 104. The gate drivers 121 and 122 include shift registers configured to sequentially provide gate signals to the gate lines G1 to Gn by shifting pulses of the gate signals.

[0068] The timing controller 130 sends the pixel data of the input image received from the controller 300 to the data drivers 111 and 112. The timing controller 130 can send the black gradation data together with the pixel data to the data drivers 111 and 112. The timing controller 130 receives timing signals synchronized with the pixel data of the input image from the controller 300, and controls the operation timings of the data drivers 111 and 112 and the gate drivers 121 and 122 based on the timing signals.

[0069] The timing controller 130 can determine the positions of the pixels to which the pixel data is to be written by counting the pixel data of the input image according to a clock. The timing controller 130 sends control signals for controlling the pixel brightness of the focus area and the non-focus area to the data drivers 111 and 112, and activates the control signals configured to reduce the pixel brightness when the pixel data of the input image is data to be written to the pixels belonging to the non-focus area, so as to control the pixel brightness of the non-focus area to be lower than that of the focus area.

[0070] In Figure 4B the driver IC (D-IC) can be electrically connected to the controller 300 through a flexible printed circuit (FPC), and is electrically connected to the data lines 102 and the gate driver 120 on the display panel 100. The driving IC (D-IC) includes a data driver and a timing controller. Accordingly, the driving IC (D-IC) converts the pixel data received from the controller 300 into data voltages, provides the data voltages to the data lines 102, and controls the operation timing of the gate driver 120. The driving IC generates control signals configured to reduce the brightness of the pixels P in the non-focus area, and reduces the brightness of the pixels P in the non-focus area in response to the control signals.

[0071] In a mobile terminal system such as a smart phone, a left-eye image in which the brightness of a non-focus area is lower than that of a focus area and a right-eye image in which the brightness of a non-focus area is lower than that of a focus area can be displayed on a display panel 100.

[0072] Each sub-pixel 101 includes a pixel circuit for driving a light-emitting element (OLED).

[0073] Figure 5A and Figure 5B is a diagram illustrating pincushion distortion caused by an optical system.

[0074] Refer to Figure 5A In the image observed by the human naked eye, pincushion distortion may occur due to the lens. More specifically, pincushion distortion appears in the screen image due to the optical system (e.g., lens) used in a virtual reality (VR) device, and the user sees the actual image in a distorted state.

[0075] Refer to Figure 5B In, the screen image can be configured so that pincushion distortion does not appear in the image observed by the human naked eye. More specifically, the degree of change caused by pincushion distortion can be calculated in advance and reflected on the screen image in advance. When the screen image with the calculated value pre-reflected passes through the optical system, a distortion-free image to be shown to the user can be recognized with the naked eye through the VR device. As a reference, the distortion pre-reflected on the screen image by considering pincushion distortion is called barrel distortion. For example, the controller can apply the pre-reflected distortion (e.g., barrel distortion) to the screen image to be displayed by the display panel, thereby compensating for the distortion of the lens (e.g., pincushion distortion).

[0076] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the shape of the focus area that changes according to the focus position when viewed with the naked eye.

[0077] Refer to Figure 6 In, the visual field that a person can recognize is in the form of a sphere of the naked eye. Specifically, the visual field of a person in a basic spherical form can have a horizontal viewing angle of about 180 degrees and a vertical viewing angle of about 120 degrees. This means the visual range that people can see without moving their heads. The lens and retina of the eye convert a 3D image into a 2D image and transmit the 2D image to the brain.

[0078] Generally, the screen image on a display device that a person sees is represented on a 2D plane. Different from the actual 3D world, the screen image on the 2D plane is at the same distance in all directions. Therefore, as the user moves away from the center of the screen image, for example, when using adjacent fields of view, the recognition of the screen image in the eyes is different. The reason is the distortion that occurs when a planar image is projected onto a spherical field of view.

[0079] When a planar image is projected onto a sphere, the central part may be distorted relatively less, but the image extends or distorts towards the edges. Specifically, when observing the peripheral part of the image, the distortion can be more obvious. When a planar image is projected onto a spherical field of view, the edge part of the image can be distorted into an oval shape. This is caused by the fact that even though the planar image has no spatial depth, a person's eyes instinctively recognize 3D space.

[0080] This phenomenon plays an important role in processing visual information. For example, in virtual reality or augmented reality technologies, it is necessary to minimize or reduce visual distortion and provide a more natural visual experience.

[0081] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram for explaining a method for calculating a focus area according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 8 illustrates according to Figure 7 a calculation example of the focus area of the method. Figure 9 illustrates an example in which according to Figure 7 the method is configured to separately display the focus area and the adjacent area.

[0082] Referring to Figure 7 , the display device can recognize the focus position COF of the user. The controller ( Figure 1 the controller 300 of Figure 1 ) sends image data to the display driver ( Figure 1 the display driver 200 of Figure 1 ). The controller 300 analyzes the image data from the camera ( Figure 1 the camera 320 of Figure 1 ) that captures the user's left and right eyes using a predetermined eye tracking algorithm to estimate the focus area FR and / or the focus position COF that the user's line of sight is facing. The focus position COF can be represented in a 2D or 3D coordinate system, and in the present disclosure, the focus position COF can be used interchangeably with the focus coordinates.

[0083] The controller 300 may determine the shape of the focus region FR based on the focus position COF. The shape of the focus region (FR) may include a circle or an oval, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The oval focus shape may include a first focus shape FR1 and a second focus shape FR2 whose major axes are in the diagonal direction, a third focus shape FR3 whose major axis is in the horizontal direction, and / or a fourth focus shape FR4 whose major axis is in the vertical direction. The first focus shape FR1 and the second focus shape FR2 may have major axes inclined in different directions.

[0084] The shape of the focus region FR may be associated with the focus position COF determined by the controller 300. The controller 300 may determine the shape of the focus region (FR) based on the focus position (COF). The screen may be blocked into a plurality of blocks constituting an M×N matrix (M and N are positive integers). Any one of the plurality of blocks may be determined as a block of interest based on the focus position COF.

[0085] According to an exemplary embodiment, the controller 300 may identify which block among the plurality of blocks the focus position COF according to the user's gaze is located in. The focus position COF may be located in any one of, for example, the first block to the ninth block CA_A,..., CA_I, and the controller 300 may determine any one of the first block to the ninth block CA_A,..., CA_I as the focus position COF. At this time, the block in which the focus position COF is identified may be determined as the block of interest. More specifically, the controller 300 may determine, among the plurality of blocks, the block of interest in which the focus position COF is identified, and obtain block-of-interest information corresponding to the block of interest. The block-of-interest information may be an identifier configured to distinguish the block in which the focus position COF is identified among the plurality of blocks.

[0086] The shape of the focus region FR corresponding to the block-of-interest information may be preset in the form of a look-up table (LTU). For example, a screen configured in a 3×3 matrix may include the first block CA_A to the ninth block CA_I, and the shape of the focus region FR when each of the first block CA_A to the ninth block CA_I is the block of interest may be stored as a look-up table.

[0087] When the focus position COF is identified, the controller 300 may determine the shape of the focus region FR based on the block-of-interest information and the look-up table. Refer to Figure 7 and Figure 8When it is determined that the focus position COF is located on the first piece CA_A, the controller 300 may determine the shape of the focusing region FR as the first focusing shape FR1. When it is determined that the focus position COF is located on the second piece CA_B, the controller 300 may determine the shape of the focusing region FR as the fourth focusing shape FR4. When it is determined that the focus position COF is located on the third piece CA_C, the controller 300 may determine the shape of the focusing region FR as the second focusing shape FR2. When it is determined that the focus position COF is located on the fourth piece CA_D, the controller 300 may determine the shape of the focusing region FR as the third focusing shape FR3. When it is determined that the focus position COF is located on the fifth piece CA_E, the controller 300 may determine the shape of the focusing region FR as the fifth focusing shape FR5. When it is determined that the focus position COF is located on the sixth piece CA_F, the controller 300 may determine the shape of the focusing region FR as the third focusing shape FR3. When it is determined that the focus position COF is located on the seventh piece CA_G, the controller 300 may determine the shape of the focusing region FR as the second focusing shape FR2. When it is determined that the focus position COF is located on the eighth piece CA_H, the controller 300 may determine the shape of the focusing region FR as the fourth focusing shape FR4. When it is determined that the focus position COF is located on the ninth piece CA_I, the controller 300 may determine the shape of the focusing region FR as the first focusing shape FR1. It should be noted that Figure 7 The shape of the focus region according to the focus position shown is provided only as an example, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, when the shape or structure of the screen of the display panel changes, the shape of the focus region according to the focus position may be different from Figure 7 the shape shown.

[0088] In addition, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the look-up table may be set manually by the user or automatically based on the distance between the eyeball and the panel and the optical system information. The distance between the eyeball and the panel may be measured by a camera or a separately provided rangefinder. The optical system information may include the optical system configuration and / or information about the lens type. The controller 300 may configure a look-up table customized for each user by using at least one of the distance between the eyeball and the panel and / or the optical system information. In addition, when the optical system (e.g., at least one of the optical system components and / or lenses) constituting the display device changes, the controller 300 may update the look-up table based on the newly introduced optical system information.

[0089] According to an exemplary embodiment, when the shape of the focus region FR is determined, the controller 300 may place the determined focus region FR around the associated focal position. The focus region FR may be configured as a circle or an oval, and each focus region FR may have a center point. The focus region FR may be set by regarding the focal position that is the basis for determining the shape of the focus region FR as the center point.

[0090] In this way, when the focus region FR is set at a specific position (focal position COF), gaze area information may be generated. The gaze area information may include the focal position COF and the focus region FR set around the focal position COF, and an adjacent region (e.g., non - focal region) NFR positioned adjacent to the focus region FR.

[0091] Referring to Figure 7 and Figure 9 , the controller 300 may form a fixation - point rendering image by applying the gaze area information to the original image OP. For example, the controller 300 may form a fixation - point rendering image by multiplying the original image OP by the gaze area information. The fixation - point rendering image may include a focus - processing region PFR corresponding to the focus region FR and an adjacent focus - processing region PNFR corresponding to the adjacent region NFR. The resolutions of the focus - processing region PFR and the adjacent focus - processing region PNFR may be set to be different from each other.

[0092] Specifically, the controller 300 controls the resolution of the input image in the focus region, an adjacent region adjacent to the focus region, and an outer region outside the adjacent region by using a fixation - point rendering algorithm. For example, the focus region is a region representing an image at a first resolution, and the adjacent region is a region representing an image at a second resolution lower than the first resolution. The outer region may be a region representing an image at a third resolution lower than the second resolution. The outer region may be a display region having the second resolution similar to the adjacent region.

[0093] According to an exemplary embodiment, the display driver 200 may include a data driver that reduces the resolution of the image data to be written into the sub - pixels of the adjacent region compared to the focus region FR, converts the image data into a data signal, and provides the data signal to the data lines of the display panel. Additionally, the display driver 200 may set the driving frame frequency of the display panel to be equal to or higher than the frequency of the input frame frequency of the image data received from the controller 300, and reduce the number of shifts of the gate signal applied to the gate lines in the adjacent region compared to the focus region FR. For example, the driving frame frequency of the adjacent region is lower than the driving frame frequency of the focus region.

[0094] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may also be described as follows:

[0095] To achieve these and other aspects of the inventive concept, a display device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may include: a display panel; a controller configured to determine a focus area faced by a user's gaze within the display panel and configured to process the resolution of image data to be displayed in an adjacent area adjacent to the focus area to be lower than the resolution of the focus area; and a display driver configured to distinguish the focus area and the adjacent area on the screen of the display panel, and the shape of the focus area may vary according to a focus position corresponding to the user's gaze.

[0096] The screen may include a plurality of blocks constituting an M×N matrix, where M and N are positive integers, the shape of the focus area may be determined based on block information of interest, and the block information of interest may be an identifier indicating a block among the plurality of blocks in which the focus position can be recognized.

[0097] The shape of the focus area corresponding to the block information of interest may be preset in the form of a look-up table.

[0098] The display driver may include: a data driver configured to reduce the resolution of image data to be written into sub-pixels of the adjacent area compared to the focus area and configured to convert the image data into a data signal and provide the data signal to a data line of the display panel; and a gate driver configured to provide a gate signal to a gate line of the display panel.

[0099] The display driver may set a driving frame frequency of the display panel to be equal to or higher than a frequency of an input frame frequency of image data received from the controller and reduce a number of shift times of a gate signal applied to a gate line in the adjacent area compared to the focus area.

[0100] The focus area may be determined by treating the focus position as a center point of the focus area. In addition, the brightness of the adjacent area may be lower than the brightness of the focus area.

[0101] A display device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may include: a display panel configured to display an image; an optical lens configured to transmit the image to a user's naked eye; a controller configured to determine a shape of a focus area based on a focus position of the user; and a memory including a look-up table storing shapes of a plurality of predetermined focus areas corresponding to different focus positions, and the controller may be configured to select a shape of a predetermined focus area from the look-up table based on the focus position of the user.

[0102] The display device may further include: a camera configured to detect the focus position of the user and provide focus position data for the focus position to the controller.

[0103] The controller can be configured to search a lookup table for the shape of a focus area corresponding to a focus position in response to receiving the focus position data.

[0104] The controller can be configured to form a fixation point rendered image by applying the shape of the focus area searched based on the lookup table to the original image, and output the fixation point rendered image through a display panel.

[0105] The controller can be configured to apply pre-reflected distortion to an image to be displayed by the display panel.

[0106] The pre-reflected distortion can be barrel distortion.

[0107] The lookup table can be manually set by a user or automatically set based on the distance between the user's naked eye and the display panel and the optical system information of an optical lens.

[0108] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the display device of the present disclosure without departing from the technical idea or scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the present disclosure is intended to cover modifications and variations of the present disclosure as long as they fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0109] Cross-reference to related applications

[0110] This application claims the priority and benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0010820, filed in Korea on January 24, 2024, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

Claims

1. A display device, the display device comprising: A display panel; A controller configured to determine a focus area within the display panel faced by the user's gaze, and configured to process the resolution of image data to be displayed in an adjacent area adjacent to the focus area to be lower than the resolution of the focus area; And A display driver configured to distinguish the focus area and the adjacent area on the screen of the display panel, Wherein the shape of the focus area varies according to a focal position corresponding to the user's gaze.

2. The display device according to claim 1, Among them, The screen comprises a plurality of blocks constituting an M×N matrix, where M and N are positive integers, The shape of the focus area is determined based on block information of interest, and The block information of interest is an identifier indicating a block among the plurality of blocks in which the focal position is identified.

3. The display device according to claim 2, Among them, The shape of the focus area corresponding to the block information of interest is preset in the form of a look-up table.

4. The display device according to claim 1, Among them, The display driver comprises: a data driver configured to reduce the resolution of image data to be written into sub-pixels in the adjacent area compared with the focus area, and configured to convert the image data into a data signal and provide the data signal to a data line of the display panel; and a gate driver configured to provide a gate signal to a gate line of the display panel.

5. The display device according to claim 1, Among them, The display driver sets a driving frame frequency of the display panel to be equal to or higher than a frequency of an input frame frequency of the image data received from the controller, and reduces a number of shifts of a gate signal applied to a gate line in the adjacent area of the display panel compared with the focus area.

6. The display device according to claim 1, wherein, The focus area is determined by regarding the focal position as a center point of the focus area.

7. The display device according to claim 1, wherein, The brightness of the adjacent area is lower than the brightness of the focus area.

8. A display device, the display device comprising: A display panel configured to display an image; An optical lens configured to transmit the image to the user's naked eye; A controller configured to determine a shape of a focus area based on the user's focal position; And A memory comprising a look-up table storing shapes of a plurality of predetermined focus areas corresponding to different focal positions, Wherein the controller is configured to select a shape of a predetermined focus area among the plurality of predetermined focus areas from the look-up table based on the user's focal position.

9. The display device according to claim 8, the display device further comprising: A camera configured to detect the user's focal position and provide focus position data for the focal position to the controller.

10. The display device according to claim 9, Among them, The controller is configured to search for the shape of the focus area corresponding to the focus position in the look-up table in response to receiving the focus position data.

11. The display device according to claim 10, Among them, The controller is configured to form a fixation point rendering image by applying the shape of the focus area searched based on the look-up table to the original image, and output the fixation point rendering image through the display panel.

12. The display device according to claim 8, wherein, The controller is configured to apply pre-reflected distortion to the image to be displayed by the display panel.

13. The display device according to claim 12, wherein, The pre-reflected distortion is barrel distortion.

14. The display device according to claim 8, wherein, The look-up table is set manually by the user or automatically based on the distance between the user's naked eye and the display panel and the optical system information of the optical lens.

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