A distributed adaptive ink-screen information publishing system and method
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202511536002.7
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-10-24
- Publication Date
- 2026-08-18
- Estimated Expiration
- 2045-10-24
AI Technical Summary
此时,传统技术无法感知这种区域性的光照差异
上述提供的一种分布式自适应墨水屏信息发布系统和方法通过各边缘端采集多方向环境光信息并上传,这使得系统能够感知到屏幕不同区域,如被射灯直射的区域和处于阴影的区域的光照差异,而不再是单一的全局亮度值。
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Figure CN121415733B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of displays, and more particularly to a distributed adaptive e-ink screen information publishing system and method. Background Technology
[0002] E-ink displays, with their paper-like texture, passive display (image retention even when power is off), and low power consumption, have been widely used in e-readers, electronic retail price tags, public information signs, and digital exhibition hall labels. The display principle of e-ink displays relies on ambient light reflection; therefore, ambient lighting conditions directly affect the final visual reading experience.
[0003] Currently, most e-ink screen devices on the market with ambient light adaptive functionality employ relatively simple and passive dimming strategies. They typically rely on a single or a few ambient light sensors integrated into the device's bezel to detect the overall ambient light level and adjust the brightness of the entire screen accordingly.
[0004] This global dimming mode works well in uniformly lit environments, but its shortcomings become apparent in complex, non-uniform, and dynamically changing lighting environments. For example, in museums, exhibition halls, and shopping malls, spotlights and fixed-point lighting within display cases often overlap, causing different areas of the same screen to experience drastically different light intensities and angles. Traditional technologies cannot detect these regional lighting differences. Increasing the front light based on bright areas leads to overexposure and glare in dim areas. Conversely, decreasing the front light based on dim areas results in insufficient contrast and a grayish, blurry appearance in bright areas due to excessive reflected light. This deterioration in contrast between the information area and the background severely impairs the readability and visual comfort of the displayed content, making information that should be clear difficult to discern under complex lighting conditions. Therefore, a distributed adaptive e-ink display information publishing system and method are needed to improve the readability of e-ink displays in complex lighting environments. Summary of the Invention
[0005] In view of this, it is necessary to provide a distributed adaptive e-ink screen information publishing system and method to improve the readability of e-ink screens in complex lighting environments, so as to solve the above problems.
[0006] Embodiments of this application provide a distributed adaptive e-ink screen information publishing method, wherein the display area of the e-ink screen includes an information area and a background area, and the method includes the following steps: Each edge device collects ambient light information and uploads it to the cloud. The ambient light information includes multi-directional ambient light intensity and light change rate V1. The cloud identifies the ambient light information and generates an instruction package, which includes the ambient light type and the dimming parameters corresponding to the ambient light type. The cloud sends the instruction packets to each edge device, enabling each edge device to obtain independent dimming control data; Each edge device acquires real-time ambient light data and determines the real-time ambient light type according to the instruction packet, and controls the partition front light module and the electrophoretic local refresh module to execute the dimming parameters corresponding to the information area and the background area respectively; When the real-time ambient light type is a superposition of sweeping light and fixed-point light, the partition front light module and the electrophoretic local refresh module simultaneously execute the corresponding dimming parameters to achieve adaptive adjustment of the display in different areas.
[0007] In at least one embodiment of this application, the method of "identifying the ambient light information in the cloud and generating an instruction packet" includes the following steps: Set the ambient light detection duration T1; Within the specified duration T1, the rate of change of light V1 at the edge is detected, and the detection result is uploaded to the cloud; The cloud determines the real-time ambient light type based on the light change rate V1 data uploaded from each edge device: When V1 = 0, it is determined to be a fixed-point light; When V1 > 0, it is determined to be a sweeping beam; When some sensors detect V1 = 0 and others detect V1 > 0, it is determined to be a superposition state of sweeping light and fixed-point light; The cloud generates an instruction package containing the ambient light type and corresponding dimming parameters based on the judgment result.
[0008] In at least one embodiment of this application, the method of "determining it as a scanning light when V1 > 0" includes the following steps: Set the threshold value of the rate of change of light V2 and the hysteresis bandwidth ΔV, where (V2-ΔV) ≥ 0; The cloud compares the light change rate V1 data uploaded from the edge with the preset rate threshold V2 and hysteresis bandwidth ΔV, and determines the real-time ambient light type based on the comparison result. When V1≤ (V2-ΔV), the real-time ambient light type is determined to be slow light scanning, and an instruction to trigger electrophoretic local refresh is generated in the display area with slow light scanning to perform depth contrast repair. When V1≥ (V2+ΔV), the real-time ambient light type is determined to be fast light scanning, and a partitioned front light compensation command is generated in the display area with fast light scanning to perform fast optical correction; When (V2-ΔV) < V1 < (V2+ΔV), the current processing path remains unchanged.
[0009] In at least one embodiment of this application, the method of "determining it as a scanning light when V1 > 0" further includes the step of: Set the execution interval for partial electrophoresis refresh; Set the effective interval and minimum adjustment step size for front-side optical compensation; Once any processing path is triggered, maintain the corresponding execution state for at least a set duration before switching to the next processing path.
[0010] In at least one embodiment of this application, the method of "identifying the ambient light information in the cloud and generating an instruction packet" further includes the step of: When generating the instruction package, the dimming parameters include the front light parameters of the partition corresponding to the ambient light type and the electrophoretic local refresh waveform; The output results of the dimming parameters include: The information area performs electrophoretic local refresh waveforms for contrast enhancement and edge sharpening. The background area undergoes a mild foreground light compensation waveform that brightens and reduces contrast to create a visual guiding effect.
[0011] In at least one embodiment of this application, the method of "when the real-time ambient light type is a superposition of sweeping light and fixed-point light" includes the following steps: When real-time ambient light in a superimposed state is detected, the system first executes the dimming parameters corresponding to the information area and the background area respectively through the partitioned front light module to achieve rapid optical correction; The system continuously monitors the contrast changes of each refresh sub-area within the display area. When the duration of contrast degradation in any sub-area reaches a set threshold, the cloud generates an electrophoretic partial refresh command to trigger partial refresh of that sub-area in order to restore display clarity and contrast.
[0012] In at least one embodiment of this application, the method of "collecting ambient light information at each edge and uploading it to the cloud" includes the following steps: The information area and background area are each divided into multiple refresh sub-areas; At the edge, the ambient illuminance of each refresh sub-area is detected by a multi-directional ambient light sensor to obtain the corresponding illuminance EK; Based on the test results, the highest illuminance E1 and the lowest illuminance E2 are determined. When E1≥H and E2≤L, and HL≥ΔE, it is determined that there is a significant difference in illuminance in the display area.
[0013] In at least one embodiment of this application, the method of "collecting ambient light information at each edge and uploading it to the cloud" further includes the following steps: EK is the illuminance value obtained by the multi-directional ambient light sensor and statistically analyzed by the partition for each refresh sub-area at the edge. The detection signal corresponding to the illuminance value can be used for incident direction estimation; I and L are the illuminance thresholds used to determine the highlight and dark areas, respectively. ΔE is the threshold for determining the difference in illuminance.
[0014] A distributed adaptive e-ink screen information publishing system is applied to any of the distributed adaptive e-ink screen information publishing methods described above.
[0015] The system includes: Cloud; Multiple e-ink displays, one of which includes an edge terminal connected to the cloud to upload ambient light information; the edge terminal includes: A multi-directional ambient light sensor is used to collect ambient illuminance and light change rate data in each refresh sub-zone, and upload the data to the cloud. The front light module for partitioning is connected to the cloud and is used to execute the corresponding front light dimming parameters for partitioning according to the instruction packet in order to achieve optical correction between the information area and the background area. The electrophoresis local refresh module is used to perform contrast enhancement of the information area and whitening and contrast reduction of the background area according to the local refresh command sent from the cloud. The communication module is used to enable data interaction and synchronization between the cloud and each e-ink terminal. The aforementioned distributed adaptive e-ink screen information publishing system and method collects and uploads multi-directional ambient light information from each edge terminal, enabling the system to perceive the lighting differences between different areas of the screen, such as areas directly illuminated by spotlights and areas in shadow, rather than relying on a single global brightness value.
[0016] The system introduces cloud-based intelligent recognition of ambient light types, such as spot light, sweeping light, and their superposition states, and generates instruction packages containing corresponding dimming parameters.
[0017] By working in concert with the partitioned front light module and the electrophoretic local refresh module, different dimming parameters are applied to the information area and the background area. For example, when the sweeping light and the fixed-point light are superimposed, the system can perform optical compensation on the strong light area and electrophoretically refresh the weak light area to enhance the contrast, thereby avoiding overexposure and graying blurring on the entire screen at the same time, ensuring the readability of key information. Attached Figure Description
[0018] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating the steps of the distributed adaptive e-ink screen information publishing method described in this application. Detailed Implementation
[0019] The embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments.
[0020] It should be noted that when a component is considered to be "connected" to another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or may also have an intervening component. When a component is considered to be "placed" on another component, it can be directly placed on the other component or may also have an intervening component. The terms "top," "bottom," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," "back," and similar expressions used in this article are for illustrative purposes only.
[0021] Embodiments of this application provide a distributed adaptive e-ink screen information publishing system and method, wherein the display area of the e-ink screen includes an information area and a background area, and the method includes the following steps: S10. Each edge device collects ambient light information and uploads it to the cloud. The ambient light information includes multi-directional ambient light intensity and light change rate V1.
[0022] S20. The cloud identifies the ambient light information and generates an instruction packet. The instruction packet includes the ambient light type and the dimming parameters corresponding to the ambient light type.
[0023] S30: The cloud sends the instruction packets to each edge device, so that each edge device obtains independent dimming control data.
[0024] S40. Each edge terminal acquires real-time ambient light data and determines the real-time ambient light type according to the instruction packet, and controls the dimming parameters corresponding to the information area and background area of the partition front light module and the electrophoretic local refresh module respectively.
[0025] When the real-time ambient light type is a superposition of sweeping light and fixed-point light, the partition front light module and the electrophoretic local refresh module simultaneously execute the corresponding dimming parameters to achieve adaptive adjustment of the display in different areas.
[0026] The aforementioned distributed adaptive e-ink screen information publishing system and method collects and uploads multi-directional ambient light information from each edge terminal, enabling the system to perceive the lighting differences between different areas of the screen, such as areas directly illuminated by spotlights and areas in shadow, rather than relying on a single global brightness value.
[0027] The system introduces cloud-based intelligent recognition of ambient light types, such as spot light, sweeping light, and their superposition states, and generates instruction packages containing corresponding dimming parameters.
[0028] By working in concert with the partitioned front light module and the electrophoretic local refresh module, different dimming parameters are applied to the information area and the background area. For example, when the sweeping light and the fixed-point light are superimposed, the system can perform optical compensation on the strong light area and electrophoretically refresh the weak light area to enhance the contrast, thereby avoiding overexposure and graying blurring on the entire screen at the same time, ensuring the readability of key information.
[0029] The following detailed description of some embodiments of this application is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the following embodiments and features can be combined with each other.
[0030] First, let's explain the core hardware components in detail: The e-ink screen is divided into an information area in the driving logic, which is used to display key text information such as exhibit name, author, and year, and a background area, which is used to display decorative borders or patterns.
[0031] In this embodiment, the multi-directional ambient light sensor is a four-quadrant photodiode encapsulated on the top of the e-ink screen bezel. By comparing the illuminance values EK1, EK2, EK3, and EK4 sensed in the four quadrants, not only can the average illuminance be calculated, but the main incident angle θ of the ambient light can also be estimated by the differences in the values of each quadrant.
[0032] The partitioned front light module includes an array of miniature LED beads arranged along the four sides of the screen, each independently controllable by a PWM signal, a light guide plate, and a diffusion film. The brightness of the LED beads at different positions is controlled by a driving circuit, thereby forming multiple independently adjustable front light zones on the screen, corresponding to the refresh sub-zones.
[0033] The electrophoretic local refresh module is integrated into the driver chip of the e-ink screen. The electrophoretic local refresh module can receive specific refresh instructions and waveform data, and apply the driving voltage waveform only to the specified rectangular area in the screen frame buffer, i.e., the refresh sub-area, to complete the pixel update of the local area, while the pixels in other areas remain unchanged, which greatly saves power consumption.
[0034] The electrophoresis local refresh module enables communication between the edge and the cloud via the venue's Wi-Fi network, and uses the MQTT protocol to achieve low-latency data publishing and subscription.
[0035] Please see Figure 1 This application provides a distributed adaptive e-ink screen information publishing method, wherein the display area of the e-ink screen includes an information area and a background area, and the method includes the following steps: S10. Each edge device collects ambient light information and uploads it to the cloud. The ambient light information includes multi-directional ambient light intensity and light change rate V1.
[0036] In this step, it should be noted that the "edge terminal" refers to a single e-ink terminal integrating computing, sensing, and communication capabilities. Each edge terminal is equipped with a multi-directional ambient light sensor. In this embodiment, the sensor is preferably a four-quadrant photoelectric sensor, which can sense the light intensity at different incident angles.
[0037] The data acquisition process involves using a fixed sampling frequency (e.g., 10Hz) at the edge to read illuminance values from each quadrant of the sensor. Based on these illuminance values, multi-directional ambient light intensity and the rate of change of light (V1) are calculated. Multi-directional ambient light intensity refers to the instantaneous illuminance value in each quadrant or its mapping value to different sub-regions of the screen. The rate of change of light (V1) is obtained by calculating the absolute value or root mean square value of the illuminance change per unit time (e.g., 1 second), used to quantify the dynamic characteristics of light intensity. After preliminary filtering, such as using a moving average method, this data is encapsulated into data packets and uploaded to a cloud server via a wireless communication module such as Wi-Fi.
[0038] By introducing composite acquisition of multi-directional ambient light intensity and light change rate V1, the aim is to provide input that can characterize the directionality and dynamics of the light source. This solves the identification failure problem caused by the inability of single-point intensity to distinguish between static fixed-point light and dynamic sweeping light, as well as the imperceptible difference in light received in different areas. This results in more robust upstream information gain for type identification and more targeted subsequent control.
[0039] S10 includes: S11. Divide the information area and background area into multiple refresh sub-areas. It should be noted that traditional global ambient light sensing cannot capture the lighting differences within the screen. This step uses logical division to further refine the information area and background area into multiple refresh sub-areas, each of which becomes an independent ambient light sensing unit and dimming execution unit.
[0040] The division can be based on a fixed grid or on the layout of the displayed content. For example, on an e-ink screen displaying guest information at a wedding, the entire screen can be divided into a 3x2 grid. The information area displaying guest names and identities might occupy the 2x2 sub-areas in the middle, while the background area with decorative patterns might occupy the top and bottom 1x2 sub-areas.
[0041] The partitioning is implemented in the driver logic and frame buffer, with each sub-region having its own independent coordinate range. This design enables the system to respond locally to changes in lighting, forming the basis for accurate adaptive display.
[0042] S12. At the edge end, the ambient illuminance of each refresh sub-area is detected by a multi-directional ambient light sensor to obtain the corresponding illuminance EK.
[0043] In this step, it's important to note that the edge needs to be assigned an appropriate illuminance value to each refresh sub-region. This is achieved using a multi-directional ambient light sensor, such as a four-quadrant sensor.
[0044] The multi-directional light intensity data collected by the sensor is allocated to the associated refresh sub-region based on its physical location and viewing angle using a preset mapping algorithm. For example, data from the upper left quadrant of the sensor is primarily mapped to the upper left sub-region of the screen, and so on.
[0045] Ultimately, each refresh sub-region K will obtain an illuminance value EK representing its local lighting level. This EK value is a statistical value of the illuminance of that sub-region during the detection period, such as the average value, thus forming an illuminance distribution map within the screen.
[0046] S13. Based on the test results, determine the highest illuminance E1 and the lowest illuminance E2. When E1≥H and E2≤L, and HL≥ΔE, it is determined that there is a significant difference in illuminance in the display area.
[0047] In this step, it's important to note that this step determines whether to activate the zone adaptive dimming mechanism. Ensure that the relatively energy-intensive processing flow is only initiated when it substantially impacts the visual experience.
[0048] H is the high-light threshold. Illuminance exceeding this value is considered likely to cause glare. For example, at a wedding venue, H can be set to 800 lux, corresponding to the critical value for direct exposure to a spotlight.
[0049] L is the threshold for dark areas. Illumination levels below this value are considered to be insufficient for reading. For example, L can be set to 80 lux, which corresponds to the critical value for the shadow area of a dining table.
[0050] ΔE is the threshold for determining illuminance difference. This is the core condition for triggering the intervention; the brightest and darkest areas on the screen must have a sufficiently large difference in illuminance to be considered a significant difference requiring intervention. For example, ΔE can be set to 500 lux.
[0051] E1 ≥ H means that at least one sub-area on the screen is in a state of high brightness glare.
[0052] E2 ≤ L means that at least one sub-region on the screen is in a shadow state due to insufficient lighting.
[0053] E1 - E2 ≥ ΔE means that the contrast between light and dark areas has become so great that a globally uniform dimming strategy will inevitably fail. Brightening the highlights will result in overexposure, while darkening the shadows will make them unreadable.
[0054] S20. The cloud identifies the ambient light information and generates an instruction packet. The instruction packet includes the ambient light type and the dimming parameters corresponding to the ambient light type.
[0055] In this step, it's important to note that the cloud receives massive amounts of ambient light data from all online edge devices and performs centralized analysis and identification. The identification process is based on a pre-defined algorithm model, the core of which is classifying ambient light types.
[0056] The cloud analyzes the V1 sequence data uploaded by each edge device. If V1 is consistently zero or close to zero, it is determined to be fixed-point light, such as a constant indoor ceiling light. If V1 is consistently greater than zero, it is determined to be sweeping light, such as a moving spotlight. If data from different sensors on the same terminal partially reports V1=0 while partially reports V1>0, it is determined to be a superposition of sweeping light and fixed-point light.
[0057] Based on this identification result, the cloud generates a lightweight instruction package. This instruction package is not a specific pixel operation command, but rather contains an ambient light type label and a set of dimming parameters bound to it. These parameters are indicative; for example, for different scanning light types, the parameters might be to enable front light fast compensation mode. The parameters might also be to enable electrophoretic local refresh mode. Furthermore, for "overlapping states," the parameters might be to prioritize front light suppression and then perform electrophoretic refresh.
[0058] This approach replaces direct cloud delivery of pixels or waveforms with ambient light type tags and dimming parameter sets. The aim is to decouple cloud decision-making from terminal execution, reducing downlink bandwidth and latency. This addresses the centralized bottlenecks of the cloud, which are characterized by heavy computation, heavy communication, and weak robustness. Consequently, it results in a lightweight, decentralized delivery strategy with greater portability and scalability.
[0059] S30: The cloud sends the instruction packets to each edge device, so that each edge device obtains independent dimming control data.
[0060] In this step, it should be noted that the cloud sends the generated instruction packets to the corresponding edge devices independently and separately through the downlink communication link, thus achieving distributed adaptation.
[0061] The instruction package generated in the cloud is a comprehensive set of strategies, encompassing a complete set of dimming parameters for all identified ambient light types, such as spot lighting, sweeping lighting, and overlay states. The cloud broadcasts or distributes this complete instruction package to each edge device. This means that the instruction package received by each edge device is identical or similar, containing "contingency plans" for various lighting scenarios.
[0062] However, because each edge operates in a different microscopic lighting environment, how they utilize this instruction packet is entirely independent. Specifically: When an edge device under strong light scanning receives this command packet, it retrieves the dimming parameters corresponding to the strong light scanning or fast light scanning ambient light type from the packet as the basis for its current execution. Conversely, an edge device under stable shadow will retrieve a completely different set of dimming parameters corresponding to the fixed light or low-light ambient light type from the same command packet.
[0063] Therefore, enabling each edge device to obtain independent dimming control data means that, although the command packet may originate from the same source, each edge device autonomously selects and activates the parameters applicable to itself from the packet based on its unique real-time environment, thereby generating a highly customized and independent set of control data locally. This design reduces the computing and communication load on the cloud and gives the edge devices greater autonomy in decision-making.
[0064] By sending instruction packets to the edge devices to independently select parameters, the aim is to achieve local optimization in scenarios involving different regions on the same screen or different screens on the same network. This solves the problem of overcompensation or undercompensation in certain regions caused by a global one-size-fits-all approach. This results in multiple solutions per packet and a distributed autonomous effect of local optimization.
[0065] S40. Each edge terminal acquires real-time ambient light data and determines the real-time ambient light type according to the instruction packet, and controls the dimming parameters corresponding to the information area and background area of the partition front light module and the electrophoretic local refresh module respectively.
[0066] In this step, it's important to note that after receiving the command packet from the cloud, the edge device transforms into a local executor. The edge device doesn't stop ambient light sensing but continues to acquire real-time ambient light data at a higher frequency, such as 50Hz. The edge device matches the locally sensed real-time light state with the ambient light type in the command packet to confirm and trigger the corresponding action. The edge device controls two independent hardware modules: The zoned front light module is a front light system consisting of multiple independently controllable LED arrays, which can apply different brightness levels of front light compensation to the information area and the background area.
[0067] The electrophoretic partial refresh module is one of the core functions of the e-ink screen driver. It can perform electrophoretic refresh only on specific areas of the screen, such as the information area or the background area, without affecting other areas, thereby significantly reducing power consumption.
[0068] Contrast or sharpness restoration is achieved through rapid optical compensation and electrophoretic local refresh using pre-zoned light. Two channels control the information area and background area in parallel or separately, aiming to provide complementary control for glare in strong light and graying in weak light. This resolves the conflict between the limitations of a single channel in achieving both rapid response and contrast restoration, resulting in improved readability under complex lighting conditions while maintaining low power consumption.
[0069] When the real-time ambient light type is a superposition of sweeping light and fixed-point light, the partition front light module and the electrophoretic local refresh module simultaneously execute the corresponding dimming parameters to achieve adaptive adjustment of the display in different areas.
[0070] The information area is the main area for displaying content, while the background area is the area surrounding the information display area or the non-display area. In environments requiring lighting guidance, the information area is a bright area, and the background area is a dim area.
[0071] In one specific embodiment, the S20 method includes the steps of: S21. Set the ambient light detection duration T1.
[0072] In this step, it's important to note that the ambient light detection duration T1 is a crucial configuration parameter. T1 defines the time window used to determine the stability of the ambient light. The setting of T1 needs to strike a balance between response speed and interference resistance. T1 is centrally managed in the cloud and can be configured for different application scenarios.
[0073] This embodiment uses a wedding venue as an example. In this scenario, each edge corresponds to a guest introduction board, which is an e-ink screen. These e-ink screens are placed in various locations within the wedding venue, potentially facing a complex and interwoven lighting environment including stage spotlights, tabletop light sources, and camera flashes. This method ensures that the system can generate the most suitable display instructions for each introduction board.
[0074] The ambient light detection duration T1 needs to be set according to the lighting characteristics of the wedding process. Wedding venues have both relatively stable ambient lighting and rapidly changing moments, such as spotlight sweeps and full-fledged light shows. Therefore, T1 should not be too long to avoid sluggish response. In this embodiment, T1 is set to 8 seconds. This duration is sufficient to capture a complete spotlight movement or a series of frequent camera flashes, while ensuring the system can make timely judgments between two lighting changes. This T1 value is uniformly distributed from the cloud to all edge devices.
[0075] S22. During the duration T1, the light change rate V1 is detected at the edge and the detection result is uploaded to the cloud.
[0076] In this step, it's important to note that after receiving the T1 parameter, the edge device initiates a detection cycle of period T1. During this cycle, the edge device samples data from the multi-directional ambient light sensor at a fixed frequency, such as 10Hz. For each sample, the edge device calculates the rate of change between the current illuminance value and the illuminance value at the previous sampling point, and then calculates the average of the absolute values of all instantaneous rates of change within the T1 cycle to obtain the final reported value of the light change rate V1 for that cycle. This algorithm effectively characterizes the overall dynamic characteristics of light intensity within the T1 time period. After the detection cycle ends, the edge device uploads the local V1 detection results to the cloud.
[0077] Each guest information board, within its local 8-second detection cycle, samples its built-in multi-directional ambient light sensor at a high frequency of 20Hz to calculate the rate of change of light, V1, in real time. For example, when a spotlight suddenly illuminates a particular information board, its V1 value increases sharply. When the light is stable or in shadow, V1 approaches zero. After the cycle ends, each information board uploads its V1 data to the cloud.
[0078] S23. The cloud determines the real-time ambient light type based on the light change rate V1 data uploaded by each edge device.
[0079] In this step, it's important to note that the cloud-based system uses threshold-based logic to classify light types. Specifically, this means the cloud uses data reported from all information boards to create a map of the entire wedding venue's lighting environment and performs precise classification.
[0080] S231. When V1 = 0, it is determined to be a fixed-point light.
[0081] This state indicates that the lighting environment is extremely stable. For example, an information board located at the edge of a venue and illuminated only by ambient background lighting has a stable environment with V1 consistently at 0, and is therefore considered to be in a fixed-point lighting environment.
[0082] S232. When V1 > 0, it is determined to be a sweeping beam.
[0083] This state indicates the presence of a dynamically changing light source. The cloud further classifies the swept light into two subtypes to support more refined control strategies.
[0084] When V1 ≤ (V2 -ΔV), it is determined to be slow light scanning.
[0085] Set the light change rate threshold V2 = 150 lux / s, the light change rate threshold is the speed of the follow spot, and the hysteresis bandwidth ΔV = 25 lux / s.
[0086] When V1 ≤ 125 lux / s, it is judged as slow-light scanning, such as a photographer slowly moving across the screen with a constantly lit fill light. Point lighting is also a type of slow-light scanning. After entering slow-light scanning, the electrophoretic local refresh module prioritizes deep contrast repair. This causes the electrophoretic refresh in the information area to trigger a deep blackening waveform, fundamentally improving the blackness and contrast of the text. In the background area, the electrophoretic refresh can trigger a whitening waveform, increasing the visual contrast with the information area.
[0087] When V1 ≥ 175 lux / s, it is determined to be a fast light sweep, such as a stage spotlight rapidly sweeping across the audience, or the instantaneous strong light from a camera flash. After entering a fast light sweep, the zone front light module is used for rapid optical correction. This causes the brightness of the zone front light module in the information area to be instantly suppressed by 40-60% to combat glare. It also causes the brightness of the background area to be instantly turned off or suppressed by more than 70%, minimizing the overall reflected light intensity.
[0088] S233. When some sensors detect V1 = 0 and others detect V1 > 0, it is determined to be a superposition state of sweeping light and fixed-point light. This involves typical complex scenarios at wedding venues. For example, the upper half of the guest introduction board on the main table is illuminated by a fixed spotlight, similar to a stage's fixed lighting, while the lower half is intermittently swept by a sweeping light, like a low-angle moving camera light. The cloud determines that this is in an overlay state based on the differentiated V1 data reported by the terminal.
[0089] When the real-time ambient light type is a combination of sweeping and fixed-point light, the partitioned pre-light module and the electrophoretic local refresh module are executed sequentially. This ensures that the partitioned pre-light module in the information area first performs rapid brightness suppression on the sub-areas affected by the sweeping light. Furthermore, if the system detects that the contrast degradation in this area continues to exceed a set threshold, such as 3 seconds, a local contrast enhancement refresh is triggered to address the issue completely, thus ensuring refresh accuracy. In the background area, the partitioned pre-light module first uses an overall low-brightness tone to suppress the bright sub-areas. If necessary, a local whitening refresh is triggered to enhance visual layering.
[0090] The advantage of a local dimming front light module lies in its extremely fast response time, reaching millisecond levels, and low power consumption. The disadvantage is that it cannot alter the screen's inherent contrast ratio. A local dimming front light module can only increase or decrease the amount of light shining on the screen; if the screen itself appears grayish under strong light, the front light cannot fundamentally solve this problem.
[0091] The advantage of electrophoretic partial refresh modules lies in their ability to fundamentally alter the arrangement of ink particles, thereby significantly improving or reducing the screen's inherent contrast for a long-lasting effect. The disadvantages of electrophoretic partial refresh modules are their slow response time, ranging from hundreds of milliseconds to seconds, and very high power consumption per operation.
[0092] Based on the advantages and disadvantages of the pre-partition optical module and the electrophoretic local refresh module, the most energy-efficient method should be used first while ensuring readability; when energy-efficient methods are ineffective, the most energy-intensive but effective method should be adopted decisively.
[0093] Set the execution interval for electrophoretic partial refresh. It's important to note that electrophoretic partial refresh is a high-power operation. Continuously refreshing the same area without intervals will not only drastically shorten the device's battery life but may also accelerate screen aging due to frequent ink particle movement, and even cause image retention.
[0094] Therefore, the system sets a mandatory minimum execution interval for partial electrophoretic refresh. For example, in a wedding scene, this interval is set to be no less than 3 seconds. This means that once a sub-area, such as the area displaying guest names, triggers a partial refresh, the system will block new refresh requests for the same sub-area within 3 seconds of that refresh being completed. This ensures that even if the lighting in that area fluctuates continuously, the system will not perform unnecessary and energy-intensive repeated refreshes, thereby significantly reducing overall power consumption and protecting the screen.
[0095] This step sets the effective interval and minimum adjustment step size for zone-based front light compensation. It's important to note that while zone-based front light compensation boasts low power consumption and fast response, excessively frequent adjustments or large fluctuations can cause severe screen flickering, significantly impairing visual comfort and readability. To address this issue, the system sets the effective interval and minimum adjustment step size for zone-based front light compensation.
[0096] The effective interval refers to the minimum time that must pass between two adjustments to the front light brightness. For example, it can be set to 200 milliseconds. This is equivalent to throttling the front light control command, preventing it from updating at the sensor sampling frequency, such as 50Hz, thereby eliminating visible brightness flicker.
[0097] The minimum adjustment step size refers to the smallest unit of change in ambient light brightness for each adjustment. For example, if brightness is divided into 256 levels, the minimum adjustment step size is set to 10 levels. This means that when changes in ambient light require a brightness adjustment value less than 10 levels, the system will not respond. When the adjustment value exceeds 10 levels, it will also be adjusted in increments of 10 levels. This ensures that brightness changes are smooth and gradual, avoiding abrupt brightness jumps and improving the visual experience.
[0098] Once any of the aforementioned processing paths is triggered, the corresponding execution state is maintained for at least a set duration before switching to the next processing path. It should be noted that under complex and variable lighting conditions, such as in a superimposed state, the light type and optimal processing path determined by the system may change frequently within a short period. If the system follows these high-frequency changes, switching back and forth between different processing paths such as front light compensation and electrophoretic refresh, it will lead to display strategy confusion and unstable display effects. Therefore, this step introduces a state maintenance mechanism that sets a minimum execution time for the triggered processing path. For example, this time is set to 2 seconds.
[0099] Setting the execution interval for electrophoretic partial refresh and the effective interval for pre-zone optical compensation, along with the minimum adjustment step, prevents the screen from erratically oscillating between the two drastically different display modes of optical compensation and e-ink refresh, providing users with a continuous and stable visual output. It also prevents interruptions due to path switching just before the high-power "electrophoretic refresh" is complete, thus avoiding significant energy waste. It forces the system to complete a full processing cycle, ensuring that every energy investment produces a definite display effect.
[0100] S24. The cloud generates an instruction package containing the ambient light type and corresponding dimming parameters based on the judgment result.
[0101] In this step, it's important to note that a unified strategy instruction package is generated in the cloud, applicable to all information boards across the venue. However, this package defines differentiated dimming parameters for different light types. Each information board will then select the most suitable set of parameters from this package based on its own real-time environment.
[0102] A distributed adaptive e-ink screen information publishing system is applied to any step of the above method, as mentioned above, and will not be repeated here.
[0103] Therefore, the distributed adaptive e-ink screen information publishing system and method provided above collects and uploads multi-directional ambient light information from each edge terminal, which enables the system to perceive the lighting differences between different areas of the screen, such as areas directly illuminated by spotlights and areas in shadow, rather than a single global brightness value.
[0104] The system introduces cloud-based intelligent recognition of ambient light types, such as spot light, sweeping light, and their superposition states, and generates instruction packages containing corresponding dimming parameters.
[0105] By working in concert with the partitioned front light module and the electrophoretic local refresh module, different dimming parameters are applied to the information area and the background area. For example, when the sweeping light and the fixed-point light are superimposed, the system can perform optical compensation on the strong light area and electrophoretically refresh the weak light area to enhance the contrast, thereby avoiding overexposure and graying blurring on the entire screen at the same time, ensuring the readability of key information.
[0106] The above description is merely an embodiment of this application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make improvements without departing from the inventive concept of this application, but these improvements all fall within the protection scope of this application.
Claims
1. A distributed adaptive e-ink screen information publishing method, wherein the display area of the e-ink screen includes an information area and a background area, characterized in that, The method includes the following steps: Each edge device collects ambient light information and uploads it to the cloud. The ambient light information includes multi-directional ambient light intensity and light change rate V1. The cloud identifies the ambient light information and generates an instruction package, which includes the ambient light type and the dimming parameters corresponding to the ambient light type. The cloud sends the instruction packets to each edge device, enabling each edge device to obtain independent dimming control data; Each edge device acquires real-time ambient light data and determines the real-time ambient light type according to the instruction packet, and controls the partition front light module and the electrophoretic local refresh module to execute the dimming parameters corresponding to the information area and the background area respectively; When the real-time ambient light type is a superposition of sweeping light and fixed-point light, the partition front light module and the electrophoretic local refresh module simultaneously execute the corresponding dimming parameters to achieve adaptive adjustment of the display in different areas.
2. The distributed adaptive e-ink screen information publishing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method of "identifying the ambient light information in the cloud and generating an instruction packet" includes the following steps: Set the ambient light detection duration T1; Within the specified duration T1, the rate of change of light V1 at the edge is detected, and the detection result is uploaded to the cloud; The cloud determines the real-time ambient light type based on the light change rate V1 data uploaded from each edge device: When V1 = 0, it is determined to be a fixed-point light; When V1 > 0, it is determined to be a sweeping beam; When some sensors detect V1 = 0 and others detect V1 > 0, it is determined to be a superposition state of sweeping light and fixed-point light; The cloud generates an instruction package containing the ambient light type and corresponding dimming parameters based on the judgment result.
3. The distributed adaptive e-ink screen information publishing method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The method of "determining it as a scanning beam when V1 > 0" includes the following steps: Set the threshold value of the rate of change of light V2 and the hysteresis bandwidth ΔV, where (V2-ΔV) ≥ 0; The cloud compares the light change rate V1 data uploaded from the edge with the preset rate threshold V2 and hysteresis bandwidth ΔV, and determines the real-time ambient light type based on the comparison result. When V1≤ (V2-ΔV), the real-time ambient light type is determined to be slow light scanning, and an instruction to trigger electrophoretic local refresh is generated in the display area with slow light scanning to perform depth contrast repair. When V1≥ (V2+ΔV), the real-time ambient light type is determined to be fast light scanning, and a partitioned front light compensation command is generated in the display area with fast light scanning to perform fast optical correction; When (V2-ΔV) < V1 < (V2+ΔV), the current processing path remains unchanged.
4. The distributed adaptive e-ink screen information publishing method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The method of "determining it as a scanning beam when V1 > 0" further includes the following steps: Set the execution interval for partial electrophoresis refresh; Set the effective interval and minimum adjustment step size for front-side optical compensation; Once any processing path is triggered, maintain the corresponding execution state for at least a set duration before switching to the next processing path.
5. The distributed adaptive e-ink screen information publishing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method of "identifying the ambient light information in the cloud and generating an instruction packet" includes the following steps: When generating the instruction package, the dimming parameters include the front light parameters of the partition corresponding to the ambient light type and the electrophoretic local refresh waveform.
6. The distributed adaptive e-ink screen information publishing method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The method of "identifying the ambient light information in the cloud and generating an instruction packet" further includes the following steps: The output results of the dimming parameters include: The information area performs electrophoretic local refresh waveforms for contrast enhancement and edge sharpening. The background area undergoes a mild foreground light compensation waveform that brightens and reduces contrast to create a visual guiding effect.
7. The distributed adaptive e-ink screen information publishing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method for "when the real-time ambient light type is a superposition of sweeping light and fixed-point light" includes the following steps: When real-time ambient light in a superimposed state is detected, the system first executes the dimming parameters corresponding to the information area and the background area respectively through the partitioned front light module to achieve rapid optical correction; The system continuously monitors the contrast changes of each refresh sub-area within the display area. When the duration of contrast degradation in any sub-area reaches a set threshold, the cloud generates an electrophoretic partial refresh command to trigger partial refresh of that sub-area in order to restore display clarity and contrast.
8. The distributed adaptive e-ink screen information publishing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method of "collecting ambient light information at each edge and uploading it to the cloud" includes the following steps: The information area and background area are each divided into multiple refresh sub-areas; At the edge, the ambient illuminance of each refresh sub-area is detected by a multi-directional ambient light sensor to obtain the corresponding illuminance EK; Based on the test results, the highest illuminance E1 and the lowest illuminance E2 are determined. When E1≥H and E2≤L, and HL≥ΔE, it is determined that there is a significant difference in illuminance in the display area. EK is the illuminance value obtained by the multi-directional ambient light sensor and statistically analyzed by the partition for each refresh sub-area at the edge. The detection signal corresponding to the illuminance value can be used for incident direction estimation; H and L are the illuminance thresholds used to determine the highlight and dark areas, respectively. ΔE is the threshold for determining the difference in illuminance.
9. A distributed adaptive e-ink screen information publishing system, characterized in that, Applied to the distributed adaptive e-ink screen information publishing method according to any one of claims 1-8.
10. The distributed adaptive e-ink screen information publishing system according to claim 9, characterized in that, The system includes: Cloud; Multiple e-ink displays, one of which includes an edge terminal connected to the cloud to upload ambient light information; the edge terminal includes: A multi-directional ambient light sensor is used to collect ambient illuminance and light change rate data in each refresh sub-zone, and upload the data to the cloud. The front light module for partitioning is connected to the cloud and is used to execute the corresponding front light dimming parameters for partitioning according to the instruction packet in order to achieve optical correction between the information area and the background area. The electrophoresis local refresh module is used to perform contrast enhancement of the information area and whitening and contrast reduction of the background area according to the local refresh command sent from the cloud. The communication module is used to enable data interaction and synchronization between the cloud and each e-ink terminal.
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