Display control device and foldable display device

Abstract

This application provides a display control device and a foldable display device, which can be applied to the field of terminal technology. The display control device includes: a display control module configured to generate a first display control instruction when the foldable display device is in the pre-operating system startup phase, wherein the pre-operating system startup phase is the period from when the foldable display device is powered on until the operating system of the foldable display device gains control of the display hardware, and the display hardware control includes permissions to configure a timing control module; the first display control instruction includes an image identifier and a first configuration parameter for configuring the output mode of the timing control module; the image identifier is used to determine a first display image to be displayed on the display panel of the foldable display device; the first configuration parameter is determined based on sensor data of the foldable display device; and the timing control module is configured to control the display panel of the foldable display device to display the first display image based on the image identifier and the first configuration parameter.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of terminal technology, and in particular to a display control device and a foldable display device. Background Technology

[0002] When a foldable display device is in the pre-booting stage of its operating system (OS), the display screen is difficult to adapt to the device's form factor, affecting the display effect. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of the above problems, this application provides a display control device and a foldable display device.

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present application, a display control device is provided, comprising: a display control module configured to generate a first display control instruction when a foldable display device is in a pre-operating system startup phase, wherein the pre-operating system startup phase is the period between the power-on of the foldable display device and the operating system of the foldable display device obtaining display hardware control rights, the display hardware control rights including permissions to configure a timing control module, the first display control instruction including an image identifier and a first configuration parameter for configuring the output mode of the timing control module, the image identifier being used to determine a first display image to be displayed on the display panel of the foldable display device, and the first configuration parameter being determined based on sensor data of the foldable display device; and a timing control module configured to control the display panel of the foldable display device to display the first display image based on the image identifier and the first configuration parameter.

[0005] According to an embodiment of this application, the above-mentioned display control module includes: a sensor processing unit configured to determine the target folding parameters of the foldable display device based on sensor data of the foldable display device, and to obtain a first configuration parameter matching the target folding parameters based on the mapping relationship between the folding parameters and configuration parameters; and an embedded controller configured to determine the image identifier based on the pre-boot stage of the operating system, and to generate the first display control instruction based on the image identifier and the first configuration parameter.

[0006] According to an embodiment of this application, the timing control module is configured to retrieve a first display image to be displayed from a memory based on the image identifier and the first configuration parameters, generate a first timing control signal based on the first configuration parameters, generate a first data signal based on the first display image to be displayed, and control the display panel of the foldable display device to display the first display image based on the first timing control signal and the first data signal; wherein, the first configuration parameters include a status identifier or display parameters, the status identifier is used to indicate the folding state of the foldable display device, the status identifier has corresponding display parameters, and the display parameters include at least one of the following: resolution, rotation angle, or scaling ratio.

[0007] According to an embodiment of this application, the timing control module is configured to determine a pre-stored display image corresponding to the image identifier and the status identifier from a plurality of pre-stored display images stored in the memory, and use it as the first display image to be displayed, wherein the pre-stored display image has a corresponding image identifier and a status identifier.

[0008] According to an embodiment of this application, the timing control module is configured to determine the basic display data corresponding to the image identifier from a plurality of basic display data stored in the memory, adjust the basic display data according to the display parameters, and obtain the adjusted display data as the first display image to be displayed, wherein the basic display data has a corresponding image identifier.

[0009] According to an embodiment of this application, the display control module is further configured to generate a first touch configuration instruction based on sensor data of the foldable display device when the foldable display device is in the pre-operating system startup stage, wherein the first touch configuration instruction is used to configure a first touch effective area of ​​the foldable display device; the display control device further includes: a touch control module configured to configure a first touch effective area of ​​the display panel of the foldable display device according to the first touch configuration instruction.

[0010] According to an embodiment of this application, the display control device further includes: a central processing unit configured to generate a second display control instruction in response to a first folding state change event of the foldable display device when the foldable display device is in the operating system running stage, wherein the main display link is a data transmission link between the graphics processor and the timing control module, and the second display control instruction includes a second configuration parameter for configuring the output mode of the timing control module; the embedded controller is further configured to forward the second display control instruction to the timing control module; and the timing control module is further configured to convert real-time display data from the main display link into a second data signal according to the second configuration parameter, generate a second timing control signal according to the second configuration parameter, and control the display panel of the foldable display device to display a second display image according to the second timing control signal and the second data signal, wherein the main display link is used to receive real-time display data from the graphics processor.

[0011] According to an embodiment of this application, the central processing unit is further configured to execute a first firmware layer program and generate a standby instruction when the operating system is started, wherein the standby instruction is used to instruct the embedded controller to switch from an autonomous execution mode to a standby execution mode, the autonomous execution mode being a mode in which the embedded controller autonomously generates a first display control instruction, and the standby execution mode being a mode in which the embedded controller forwards a second display control instruction from the central processing unit; the embedded controller is further configured to switch from the autonomous execution mode to the standby execution mode according to the standby instruction and generate a data source switching instruction; the timing control module is further configured to switch from the memory to the main display link according to the data source switching instruction, so that the timing control module receives real-time display data from the main display link.

[0012] According to an embodiment of this application, a central processing unit is configured to, when the foldable display device is in the operating system running stage, generate a touch area configuration request in response to a second folding state change event of the foldable display device; and, in response to the touch area configuration request, execute a second firmware layer program to generate a second touch configuration instruction, wherein the second touch configuration instruction is used to configure a second effective touch area of ​​the foldable display device; and a touch control module is configured to configure a second effective touch area of ​​the display panel of the foldable display device according to the second touch configuration instruction.

[0013] A second aspect of this application provides a foldable display device, including a display panel and the aforementioned display control device.

[0014] According to the display control device and foldable display device provided in this application, when the foldable display device is in the pre-operating system startup stage, that is, before the foldable display device enters the OS, the display control module can determine the image identifier based on the time when the foldable display device is in the pre-operating system startup stage, and determine the first configuration parameters related to the size and rotation direction of the image to be displayed on the display panel based on the folding state of the foldable display device, thereby generating a first display control command. The timing control module can control the display panel of the foldable display device to display the first display image based on the image identifier and the first configuration parameters in the first display control command. Thus, through the display control module and the timing control module, the size switching and orientation rotation of the display image on the display panel are realized in the pre-operating system startup stage, so that the image to be displayed can follow the folding state changes of the foldable display device, thereby adapting the display image to the folding state of the foldable display device, improving the display effect of the display panel, and enhancing the user experience. Attached Figure Description

[0015] The above-mentioned contents, other objects, features and advantages of this application will become clearer from the following description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0016] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a foldable display device according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0017] Figure 2 This illustration schematically shows a display control module during the pre-operating system startup phase according to an embodiment of this application;

[0018] Figure 3 This illustration schematically shows a control diagram of the timing control module during the pre-operating system startup phase according to an embodiment of this application;

[0019] Figure 4 This schematic diagram illustrates a display control device during the pre-operating system startup phase according to an embodiment of this application.

[0020] Figure 5 This illustration shows a schematic diagram of the data source switching of the timing control module during the operating system runtime phase, according to an embodiment of this application.

[0021] Figure 6 This schematically illustrates a display control device during the operating system runtime phase according to an embodiment of this application; and

[0022] Figure 7 The illustration shows a schematic diagram of a display control device during the operating system operation phase according to another embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that these descriptions are exemplary only and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of this application for ease of explanation. However, it will be apparent that one or more embodiments may be implemented without these specific details. Furthermore, descriptions of well-known structures and technologies are omitted in the following description to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the concepts of this application.

[0024] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this application. The terms “comprising,” “including,” etc., as used herein indicate the presence of the stated features, steps, operations, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, or components.

[0025] All terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have the meanings commonly understood by those skilled in the art, unless otherwise defined. It should be noted that the terms used herein are to be interpreted in a manner consistent with the context of this specification, and not in an idealized or overly rigid way.

[0026] When using expressions such as "at least one of A, B and C", they should generally be interpreted in accordance with the meaning that is commonly understood by those skilled in the art (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B and C" should include, but is not limited to, a system having A alone, a system having B alone, a system having C alone, a system having A and B, a system having A and C, a system having B and C, and / or a system having A, B and C, etc.).

[0027] When a foldable display device is in the pre-boot stage of its operating system, the displayed image struggles to adapt to the device's form factor. For example, it may only be possible to control the loading of a predetermined image into the operating system, but it is difficult to adjust the image size and orientation based on the device's form factor. This negatively impacts the display quality and reduces the user experience.

[0028] Therefore, this application provides a display control device that can control the matching of the displayed image with the device form even when the foldable display device is in the stage before the operating system starts, thereby improving the display effect and enhancing the user experience.

[0029] This application's embodiments relate to three phases of a foldable display device: the pre-operating system startup phase, the display hardware control handover phase, and the operating system runtime phase. The pre-operating system startup phase can be the period between the power-on of the foldable display device and the operating system gaining control of the display hardware. During this phase, the display output of the foldable display device can be controlled by the firmware layer program, independent of the operating system's display driver. The pre-operating system startup phase may include a firmware initialization phase and an operating system loading phase. The display hardware control handover phase can refer to the phase where the firmware layer program exits and the operating system of the foldable display device gains control of the display hardware. The operating system runtime phase can refer to the phase where the operating system's display driver controls the display output.

[0030] The above stages are explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Among them, Figures 1-4 This refers to the pre-boot phase of the operating system. Figures 5-7 This refers to the operating system runtime phase.

[0031] The following section describes the display control methods for foldable display devices during the pre-operating system startup phase.

[0032] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a foldable display device according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0033] like Figure 1 As shown, the foldable display device may include a display control unit and a display panel. The display control unit may be located inside the foldable display device to control the display image displayed on the display panel of the foldable display device before the operating system starts.

[0034] The display control device may include a display control module and a timing control module. The output of the display control module may be electrically connected to the input of the timing control module. The output of the timing control module may be electrically connected to the input of the display panel.

[0035] In one embodiment, the display control module may be configured to generate a first display control instruction when the foldable display device is in the pre-operating system startup phase.

[0036] The first display control command may include an image identifier and first configuration parameters for configuring the output mode of the timing control module. The image identifier may be used to determine the first display image to be displayed on the display panel of the foldable display device. The first configuration parameters may be determined based on sensor data from the foldable display device.

[0037] In one implementation, the first configuration parameter may include a status indicator. The status indicator can be used to indicate the folded state of the foldable display device. In another implementation, the first configuration parameter may include display parameters. Display parameters may include at least one of resolution, rotation angle, or scaling ratio.

[0038] In one embodiment, during the pre-operating system startup phase of the foldable display device, its display panel sequentially displays a startup logo image, a device manufacturer logo image, a startup progress bar interface, and so on. Based on this, the image identifier can be used to characterize the identifier of the display image to be displayed on the display panel at a corresponding moment during the pre-operating system startup phase of the foldable display device.

[0039] For example, at time 1 during the pre-boot phase of the operating system, the foldable display device should display a boot logo image, with image identifier 1 corresponding to the boot logo image; at time 2 during the pre-boot phase of the operating system, the foldable display device should display the device manufacturer's logo image, with image identifier 2 corresponding to the device manufacturer's logo image. Based on this, at time 2 during the pre-boot phase of the operating system, the display control module can generate image identifier 2, and then drive the timing control module based on image identifier 2 to control the display panel of the foldable display device to display the device manufacturer's logo image.

[0040] The display panel is a foldable display panel, specifically comprising a foldable first display screen and a foldable second display screen. The display control module may also include two sensors, one located on the first display screen and the other on the second display screen. Thus, the two sensors on the display panel can be used to collect data related to the folding state of the display panel.

[0041] Based on this, when the foldable display device is in the pre-operating system startup stage, the two sensors on the display panel can collect sensor data related to the folding state of the display panel, thereby enabling the display control module to determine the first configuration parameters based on the sensor data.

[0042] In one embodiment, the first configuration parameter is used to characterize parameters such as the size and rotation direction of the display image to be displayed on the display panel that are adapted to the device form of the foldable display device when the foldable display device is in the pre-operating system startup stage.

[0043] In one embodiment, the timing control module can be configured to control the display panel of the foldable display device to display a first display image based on the image identifier and the first configuration parameters.

[0044] Among them, the timing control module can be, for example, the T-CON (Timing Controller) in a foldable display device.

[0045] According to an embodiment of this application, when the foldable display device is in the pre-operating system startup stage, the display control module can determine the first configuration parameters based on the folding state of the display panel of the foldable display device, and determine the image identifier based on the time when the foldable display device is in the pre-operating system startup stage, thereby generating a first display control command. Upon generating the first display control command, the display control module can send the first display control command to the timing control module.

[0046] In one embodiment, the timing control module can determine the display image to be displayed on the display panel based on the image identifier in the first display control instruction, and then determine the size and rotation direction corresponding to the display image to be displayed on the display panel based on the first configuration parameters in the first display control instruction. Thus, the timing control module can control the display panel of the foldable display device to display the first display image based on the image identifier and the first configuration parameters.

[0047] For example, at moment 2, during the pre-operating system startup phase of the foldable display device, the display control module can generate image identifier 2. The display control module can also generate first configuration parameters based on the current folding state of the foldable display device. When the first configuration parameters characterize the display panel's image size as half-screen display and the image rotation direction as portrait display, the timing control module can control the foldable display device's display panel to display the device manufacturer's logo image, with the logo image displayed as half-screen and in portrait mode.

[0048] According to an embodiment of this application, when the foldable display device is in the pre-operating system startup stage, the display control module can determine an image identifier based on the time within this stage and determine first configuration parameters related to the size and rotation direction of the display image to be displayed on the display panel based on the folding state of the foldable display device, thereby generating a first display control command. The timing control module can control the display panel of the foldable display device to display the first display image based on the image identifier and the first configuration parameters in the first display control command. Thus, through the display control module and the timing control module, the size switching and orientation rotation of the display image on the display panel are achieved during the pre-operating system startup stage, enabling the first display image displayed on the display panel to follow the folding state changes of the foldable display device. This ensures that the first display image is adapted to the folding state of the foldable display device, improving the display effect of the display panel and enhancing the user experience.

[0049] Figure 2 The illustration shows a schematic diagram of the display control module during the pre-operating system startup phase according to an embodiment of this application.

[0050] like Figure 2 As shown, the display control module includes a sensor processing unit and an embedded controller.

[0051] In one embodiment, the sensor processing unit can be a sensor hub, which can be electrically connected to a first sensor and a second sensor. The first sensor and the second sensor can be located on two displays of the display panel, respectively. The first sensor and the second sensor are used to collect data related to the folding state of the display panel to obtain sensor data. The first sensor and the second sensor also send the sensor data to the sensor processing unit.

[0052] According to an embodiment of this application, the sensor processing unit can be configured to determine the target folding parameters of the foldable display device based on sensor data of the foldable display device, and obtain a first configuration parameter that matches the target folding parameters based on the mapping relationship between the folding parameters and configuration parameters.

[0053] In one embodiment, the first sensor and the second sensor can be any type of sensor selected from gravity sensors, acceleration sensors, angle sensors, distance sensors, etc. The sensor data is the raw data collected by the sensors, which may include, for example, gravity direction data, acceleration data, angle data, displacement data, etc., between the two displays of the display panel.

[0054] In one embodiment, the target folding parameter can characterize parameters used to indicate the folding state, folding angle, and opening / closing posture of the foldable display device. The target folding parameter can be, for example, a mode ID (Mode Identifier), where different mode IDs correspond to different folding states of the foldable display device. For instance, if the sensor processing unit calculates that the folding angle of the display panel of the foldable display device is 360° based on sensor data, then the determined target folding parameter can be mode 5, meaning different mode IDs correspond to different folding angles of the display panel.

[0055] In one embodiment, the configuration parameters can characterize adjustment parameters for the display image to be displayed on the display panel, such as adjusting the size and rotation direction of the image to be displayed. A mapping relationship exists between the folding parameters and the configuration parameters; that is, given a target folding parameter, a first configuration parameter matching the target folding parameter can be determined based on this mapping relationship.

[0056] For example, if the sensor processing unit calculates that the folding angle of the display panel of the foldable display device is 360° based on the sensor data, the sensor processing unit can determine that the target folding parameter is mode 5, and then determine the first configuration parameter that matches mode 5 based on the mapping relationship. The first configuration parameter can be used, for example, to determine that the display panel is a half-screen display.

[0057] According to an embodiment of this application, an embedded controller can be configured to determine an image identifier during the pre-boot phase of the operating system, and generate a first display control instruction based on the image identifier and first configuration parameters.

[0058] In one embodiment, the embedded controller may be an EC (Embedded Controller).

[0059] In one embodiment, during the pre-operating system startup phase, the embedded controller can determine an image identifier based on the corresponding time within that phase, and then generate a first display control instruction based on the image identifier and first configuration parameters. The embedded controller can also send the first display control instruction to the timing control module.

[0060] According to an embodiment of this application, the display control module includes a sensor processing unit and an embedded controller. Before the operating system starts, the sensor processing unit determines first configuration parameters based on sensor data to match the current folding state of the display panel of the foldable display device. The embedded controller determines an image identifier to indicate the image to be displayed on the display panel at the current moment, and then generates a first display control command based on the image identifier and the first configuration parameters. Therefore, when the embedded controller sends the first display control command to the timing control module, the timing control module can control the display panel to display a first display image that matches the current folding state of the foldable display device, according to the first display control command.

[0061] Figure 3 The illustration shows a control diagram of the timing control module during the pre-operating system startup phase according to an embodiment of this application.

[0062] like Figure 3 As shown, the timing control module can be configured to retrieve a first display image to be displayed from the memory according to the image identifier and the first configuration parameters, generate a first timing control signal according to the first configuration parameters, generate a first data signal according to the first display image to be displayed, and control the display panel of the foldable display device to display the first display image according to the first timing control signal and the first data signal.

[0063] Upon receiving a first display control command, the timing control module retrieves the first display image to be displayed from the memory based on the image identifier and the first configuration parameters in the first display control command, and then controls the display panel of the foldable display device to display the first display image.

[0064] The first configuration parameter includes a status indicator or a display parameter. The status indicator is used to indicate the folding state of the foldable display device. The status indicator has a corresponding display parameter, which includes at least one of the following: resolution, rotation angle, or scaling ratio.

[0065] In one embodiment, the memory may be RAM (Random Access Memory). The memory may store multiple display images. Specifically, multiple display images corresponding to an image identifier can be determined from the memory based on an image identifier, and further, a first display image to be displayed can be determined from the multiple display images corresponding to the image identifier based on a first configuration parameter.

[0066] In one embodiment, when the timing control module retrieves the first display image to be displayed from the memory, the timing control module further performs data decoding, format conversion, clock synchronization, pixel arrangement correction, brightness / contrast adjustment, and other processing based on the first display image to be displayed, and generates a first data signal that conforms to the display panel; and generates a first timing control signal based on the first configuration parameters.

[0067] The first data signal is used to drive the display panel to output the corresponding screen content, and the first timing control signal is used to control the display panel to display the image according to the corresponding size and rotation direction.

[0068] Based on this, the timing control module can perform timing adjustment, data mapping, screen expansion, rotation processing, resolution conversion, and split-screen / full-screen adaptation on the first data signal according to the first timing control signal, so as to control the display panel of the foldable display device to display the first display image. The resolution, rotation angle, scaling ratio, etc. of the first display image displayed on the display panel are matched with the first configuration parameters.

[0069] According to embodiments of this application, the memory stores multiple display images corresponding to different image identifiers and different first configuration parameters. The timing control module can retrieve a first display image to be displayed from the memory that matches the image identifier and the first configuration parameters. Then, the timing control module can generate a first data signal to drive the display panel to output corresponding screen content based on the first display image, and process the first data signal based on the first timing control signal determined by the first configuration parameters to control the display panel of the foldable display device to display the first display image. Thus, the first display image displayed on the display panel matches the current folded state of the foldable display device, improving the user experience.

[0070] Based on the above, the first configuration parameter includes a status identifier or a display parameter. The following uses the example of the first configuration parameter including a status identifier to illustrate how the timing control module obtains the first display image through the memory.

[0071] According to an embodiment of this application, a timing control module is configured to determine a pre-stored display image corresponding to an image identifier and a status identifier from a plurality of pre-stored display images stored in a memory, and use it as a first display image to be displayed, wherein the pre-stored display image has a corresponding image identifier and a status identifier.

[0072] In one embodiment, when the first configuration parameter includes a status identifier, the memory may store multiple pre-stored display images. Furthermore, the timing control module can determine the pre-stored display image corresponding to the image identifier and the status identifier from the memory, and use the determined pre-stored display image as the first display image to be displayed on the display panel.

[0073] Specifically, the memory stores multiple pre-stored display images corresponding to different image identifiers, that is, the same image identifier corresponds to multiple pre-stored display images, and the multiple pre-stored display images corresponding to the same image identifier correspond to different status identifiers, that is, the multiple pre-stored display images corresponding to the same image identifier and the multiple status identifiers are in one-to-one correspondence.

[0074] For example, the timing control module can determine that the image identifier is mode 2 and the state identifier is 2 according to the first display control instruction. Based on the image identifier mode 2, it can determine multiple pre-stored display images corresponding to the image identifier mode 2 from the memory, such as pre-stored display image 1, pre-stored display image 2, pre-stored display image 3, etc. These multiple pre-stored display images can adapt to different folding states of the display panel of the foldable display device. Furthermore, based on the state identifier used to characterize the folding state of the display panel, it can determine the pre-stored display image corresponding to state identifier 2 from the multiple pre-stored display images corresponding to the image identifier mode 2, such as pre-stored display image 2. This pre-stored display image can then be used as the first display image to be displayed.

[0075] According to an embodiment of this application, the memory can directly store a pre-stored display image with a corresponding image identifier and a status identifier, so that the timing control module can directly determine the pre-stored display image corresponding to the image identifier and status identifier from the memory based on the image identifier and status identifier in the first display control instruction, thereby realizing the determination of the image to be displayed on the display panel.

[0076] The following example, using the first configuration parameter as the display parameter, illustrates how the timing control module obtains the first display image from the memory.

[0077] According to an embodiment of this application, a timing control module is configured to determine basic display data corresponding to an image identifier from a plurality of basic display data stored in a memory, adjust the basic display data according to display parameters, and obtain adjusted display data as a first display image to be displayed, wherein the basic display data has a corresponding image identifier.

[0078] In another embodiment, when the first configuration parameter includes display parameters, the memory may store multiple basic display data. Furthermore, the timing control module can determine the basic display data corresponding to the image identifier from the memory, and then adjust the basic display data according to the display parameters in the first display control instruction to obtain the adjusted display data. The timing control module can control the display panel to display the first display image according to the adjusted display data.

[0079] The basic display data characterizes the original relevant data of the image to be displayed on the display panel, but it is not adapted to the current folded state of the display panel. That is, the basic display data can only determine the image content within the image to be displayed. The adjusted display data characterizes data adapted to the current folded state of the display panel, such as resolution, rotation angle, and scaling. The adjusted display data characterizes the relevant data of the image to be displayed, adapted to the current folded state of the display panel.

[0080] For example, the timing control module can determine that the image identifier is mode 2 based on the first display control instruction. Then, based on image identifier mode 2, it can determine the basic display data corresponding to image identifier mode 2 from the memory. If the timing control module drives the display panel only based on the basic display data, enabling the display panel to display image A, but image A is not adapted to the current folded state of the display panel, then the timing control module further adjusts the basic display data according to the display data in the first display control instruction used to characterize the folded state of the display panel, obtaining adjusted display data, thereby enabling it to drive the display panel to display the first display image based on the adjusted display data.

[0081] According to an embodiment of this application, the memory may store basic display data with corresponding image identifiers, enabling the timing control module to determine the basic display data corresponding to the image identifier from the memory based on the image identifier in the first display control instruction, and adjust the basic display data according to the display data in the first display control instruction, so as to drive the display panel to display the first display image based on the adjusted display data. Thus, the first display image displayed on the display panel adapts to the current folded state of the display panel.

[0082] The display image displayed on the display panel of a foldable display device needs to be adapted to the folded state of the foldable display device, and the effective touch area of ​​the display panel also needs to be adapted to the folded state of the foldable display device. Therefore, the following describes the control method of the effective touch area of ​​the display panel when the foldable display device is in the stage before the operating system starts.

[0083] Figure 4 The illustration shows a schematic diagram of a display control device during the pre-operating system startup phase according to an embodiment of this application.

[0084] like Figure 4 As shown, the display control device may also include a touch control module.

[0085] In one embodiment, the touch control module may be a Touch Controller.

[0086] According to an embodiment of this application, the display control module can also be configured to generate a first touch configuration instruction based on sensor data of the foldable display device when the foldable display device is in the pre-operating system startup stage, wherein the first touch configuration instruction is used to configure a first effective touch area of ​​the foldable display device.

[0087] In one embodiment, the display panel of the foldable display device, in addition to being foldable, also has touch-sensitive characteristics. Therefore, when the foldable display device is in a folded state, the display panel should also have a touch-enabled area that matches the folded state.

[0088] Specifically, the display control module includes a sensor processing unit and an embedded controller. The sensor processing unit can determine folding parameters, such as the folding angle, corresponding to the folding state of the foldable display device based on sensor data from the foldable display device. The embedded controller can generate a first touch configuration command based on the folding parameters. The first touch configuration command is used to indicate the effective area of ​​the display panel of the foldable display device to adapt to the current folding state of the display panel.

[0089] According to an embodiment of this application, the touch control module can be configured to configure a first effective touch area of ​​the display panel of the foldable display device according to a first touch configuration instruction.

[0090] In one embodiment, the touch control module can configure the first valid touch area of ​​the display panel by selectively filtering touch reports from invalid areas and only reporting touch data from valid areas, according to the first touch configuration instruction.

[0091] For example, when the folding angle of the display panel is 180°, the first touch configuration instruction can be used to indicate that the first effective touch area of ​​the foldable display device is full screen. Then, the touch control module can configure the first effective touch area of ​​the display panel of the foldable display device to be full screen effective according to the first touch configuration instruction.

[0092] According to an embodiment of this application, when the foldable display device is in the pre-operating system startup stage, the display control module can also generate a first touch configuration instruction based on sensor data, so that the touch control module configures the first effective touch area of ​​the display panel to avoid accidental touches and adapt to the usage requirements of the current folded state of the foldable display device.

[0093] Because the display control methods for foldable displays differ between the pre-boot and operating system runtime phases, a handover of display hardware control is required when the foldable display transitions from the pre-boot to the operating system runtime phase. This handover involves switching the display control method from the pre-boot phase to the runtime phase. The following describes the display control method switching process during the operating system runtime phase of a foldable display, specifically including differences in display hardware control and data source.

[0094] In one embodiment, the display control device may further include a central processing unit (CPU).

[0095] According to an embodiment of this application, the central processing unit can be configured to execute a first firmware layer program and generate a standby instruction when the operating system is running. The standby instruction is used to instruct the embedded controller to switch from an autonomous execution mode to a standby execution mode. The autonomous execution mode is a mode in which the embedded controller autonomously generates a first display control instruction, and the standby execution mode is a mode in which the embedded controller forwards a second display control instruction from the central processing unit.

[0096] In one embodiment, the start of the operating system runtime phase marks the beginning of the display hardware control handover phase. Display hardware control may include permissions to configure the timing control module to complete the switch of display control during this phase. The first firmware layer program may be the BIOS (Basic Input Output System).

[0097] In one embodiment, during the pre-operating system startup phase, the embedded controller operates in an autonomous execution mode, whereby the embedded controller generates a first display control instruction based on first configuration parameters from the sensor processing unit. During the operating system runtime phase, the embedded controller operates in a standby execution mode, whereby the embedded controller is only used to forward a second display control instruction from the central processing unit.

[0098] Therefore, when the operating system is running, the central processing unit executes the first firmware layer program to generate standby instructions, thereby instructing the embedded controller to switch from autonomous execution mode to standby execution mode to adapt to the display control of the display panel during the operating system operation phase.

[0099] According to embodiments of this application, the embedded controller can also be configured to switch from autonomous execution mode to standby execution mode according to a standby instruction, and generate a data source switching instruction.

[0100] Based on the above, the timing control module's data source is the memory during the pre-boot phase of the operating system, and the data source is the graphics processor during the operating system's runtime phase. Therefore, before entering the operating system runtime phase, the data source of the timing control module needs to be switched to adapt to the operating system runtime phase.

[0101] Therefore, the embedded controller not only switches from autonomous execution mode to standby execution mode according to the standby instruction, but also generates a data source switching instruction.

[0102] According to an embodiment of this application, the timing control module is further configured to switch from the memory to the main display link according to the data source switching instruction, so that the timing control module can receive real-time display data from the main display link.

[0103] Figure 5 This illustration shows a schematic diagram of the data source switching of the timing control module during the operating system runtime phase, according to an embodiment of this application.

[0104] like Figure 5 As shown, when the operating system starts up, the timing control module switches the data source from memory to the main display link. Specifically, the link obtained from memory is disconnected, and the link obtained from the graphics processor is established.

[0105] According to embodiments of this application, when the operating system is in the running phase (i.e., before entering the operating system running phase), the central processing unit (CPU) generates a standby instruction, which controls the embedded controller to switch from autonomous execution mode to standby execution mode. It also generates a data source switching instruction, causing the timing control module to switch its data source, i.e., switching the data source of the timing control module from memory to the main display link. Thus, by switching the data source of the timing control module, reliable switching between display control in the pre-operating system startup phase and the operating system running phase is achieved.

[0106] If the foldable display device finishes the pre-boot stage of the operating system and then enters the operating system running stage, the following describes the display control method for the foldable display device in the operating system running stage.

[0107] Figure 6 The illustration shows a schematic diagram of a display control device during the operating system operation phase according to an embodiment of this application.

[0108] When the foldable display device is in the pre-operating system startup stage, the sensor processing unit is used to determine the target folding parameters of the foldable display device based on sensor data, and obtain the first configuration parameters that match the target folding parameters based on the mapping relationship between the folding parameters and the configuration parameters, and then send the first configuration parameters to the embedded controller.

[0109] like Figure 6 As shown, the input terminal of the central processing unit is electrically connected to the output terminal of the sensor processing unit. When the foldable display device is in the operating system running stage, the sensor processing unit stops calculating based on sensor data and stops sending the first configuration parameters to the embedded controller. That is, no data is transmitted between the sensor processing unit and the embedded controller. In this case, the sensor processing unit only sends sensor data to the central processing unit.

[0110] Based on this, the central processing unit (CPU) can be configured to generate a second display control command in response to a first folding state change event of the foldable display device when the foldable display device is in the operating system running phase. Specifically, the CPU can determine the first folding state change event of the foldable display device based on sensor data, and then generate the second display control command in response to the first folding state change event.

[0111] In one embodiment, the first folding state change event is determined by the central processing unit (CPU) based on sensor data from the previous moment and sensor data from the current moment. If the sensor data from the previous moment is different from the sensor data from the current moment, it indicates that the folding state of the display panel of the foldable display device has changed relative to the folding state from the previous moment. Therefore, the displayed image on the display panel needs to be adjusted. In response to the first folding state change event, the CPU generates a second display control command to control the display panel to display a second display image, thereby adapting the second display image to the folding state of the display panel at the current moment. If the sensor data from the previous moment is the same as the sensor data from the current moment, it indicates that the folding state of the display panel of the foldable display device has not changed relative to the folding state from the previous moment. Therefore, the displayed image on the display panel does not need to be adjusted, and the CPU does not need to generate a second display control command to adjust the size, rotation direction, etc., of the displayed image on the display panel.

[0112] According to an embodiment of this application, when the foldable display device is in the operating system running phase, the embedded controller is further configured to forward the second display control instruction to the timing control module. That is, during the operating system running phase, the embedded controller is only used to forward the second display control instruction generated by the central processing unit to the timing control module.

[0113] According to an embodiment of this application, the timing control module can also be configured to convert real-time display data of the future autonomous display link into a second data signal according to the second configuration parameters, generate a second timing control signal according to the second configuration parameters, and control the display panel of the foldable display device to display a second display image according to the second timing control signal and the second data signal.

[0114] The main display link is the data transmission link between the graphics processor and the timing control module. The second display control instruction includes a second configuration parameter for configuring the output mode of the timing control module. The main display link is used to receive real-time display data from the graphics processor.

[0115] In one embodiment, the second configuration parameter is used to characterize parameters such as image content, size, and rotation direction of the display image to be displayed on the display panel, which is adapted to the device form of the foldable display device, when the foldable display device is in the operating system running phase. The main display link is established when the operating system starts running.

[0116] Based on this, during the operating system runtime phase, the timing control module receives data from the primary display link. Specifically, the timing control module can convert the real-time display data from the primary display link into a second digital signal based on the second configuration parameters. This second digital signal is used to drive the display panel to output the corresponding screen content. The timing control module also generates a second timing control signal based on the second configuration parameters. This second timing control signal is used to control the display panel to display images according to the corresponding size, rotation direction, etc.

[0117] Therefore, the timing control module can perform timing adjustment, data mapping, screen expansion, rotation processing, resolution conversion, and split-screen / full-screen adaptation on the second digital signal according to the second timing control signal, so as to control the display panel of the foldable display device to display the second display image. The resolution, rotation angle, scaling ratio, etc. of the second display image displayed on the display panel are matched with the second configuration parameters.

[0118] like Figure 6 As shown, the main display link is the data transmission link between the graphics processor and the timing control module. During the operating system operation phase, the timing control module receives real-time display data from the graphics processor through the main display link.

[0119] In one embodiment, the central processing unit is also electrically connected to the graphics processor, which can send a second display control instruction to the graphics processor so that the graphics processor can generate real-time display data according to the second display control instruction.

[0120] According to an embodiment of this application, when the foldable display device is in the operating system running stage, the central processing unit processes sensor data and generates a second display control command when the folding state of the display panel changes. The second display control command is then forwarded to the timing control module through the embedded controller. At this time, the timing control module obtains real-time display data from the main display link and drives the display panel to display the second display image, thereby realizing image display control of the display panel during the operating system running stage.

[0121] In one embodiment, during the operating system runtime phase, the APP (Application) issues a display request (such as split-screen or full-screen). The operating system transmits the display request instruction to the CPU, which then controls the display panel. The APP runs on the operating system and represents a control program used to monitor folding states, etc.

[0122] Since the display control method of foldable display devices changes during the operating system running phase compared to the pre-boot phase, the control method of the touch-enabled area of ​​the display panel of the foldable display device also changes accordingly. The following describes the control method of the touch-enabled area of ​​the display panel when the foldable display device is in the operating system running phase.

[0123] Figure 7 The illustration shows a schematic diagram of a display control device during the operating system operation phase according to another embodiment of this application.

[0124] like Figure 7 As shown, the output of the central processing unit is electrically connected to the input of the touch control module. During the operating system operation phase, the touch control module can control the effective touch area of ​​the display panel under the control of the central processing unit.

[0125] The central processing unit is configured to, when the foldable display device is in the operating system running stage, generate a touch area configuration request in response to a second folding state change event of the foldable display device; and in response to the touch area configuration request, execute a second firmware layer program to generate a second touch configuration instruction.

[0126] The second touch configuration instruction is used to configure the second touch effective area of ​​the foldable display device.

[0127] In one embodiment, the second folding state change event is determined by the central processing unit (CPU) based on sensor data from the previous moment and the current moment. When the foldable display device is in the operating system running phase, if the folding state of the display panel changes, the CPU responds to the second folding state change event by generating a touch area configuration request. Under this request, the CPU executes a second firmware layer program to generate a second touch configuration instruction. This second firmware layer program can also be a BIOS. The second touch configuration instruction is used to indicate the effective area of ​​the display panel of the foldable display device to adapt to the current folding state of the display panel.

[0128] According to an embodiment of this application, the touch control module is configured to configure a second touch-enabled area of ​​the display panel of the foldable display device according to a second touch configuration instruction.

[0129] Based on the above, when the folding state of the display panel changes, the touch control module, under the second touch configuration command, selectively filters the touch reports of invalid areas and only reports the touch data of the valid areas, thereby configuring the second valid touch area of ​​the display panel.

[0130] According to an embodiment of this application, during the operating system operation phase, the touch control module receives a second touch configuration instruction from the central processing unit to configure the second effective touch area of ​​the display panel, thereby avoiding accidental touches and adapting to the usage requirements of the foldable display device in its current folded state.

[0131] Based on the foregoing, this application also discloses a foldable display device. This foldable display device includes, as follows: Figures 1-7 The diagram shows a display control device and a display panel. The display control device in the foldable display device can control the display panel to adapt the image displayed on the panel to the current folded state of the foldable display device.

[0132] Those skilled in the art will understand that the features described in the various embodiments of this application can be combined and / or combined in various ways, even if such combinations or combinations are not explicitly described in this application. In particular, the features described in the various embodiments of this application can be combined and / or combined in various ways without departing from the spirit and teachings of this application. All such combinations and / or combinations fall within the scope of this application.

[0133] The embodiments of this application have been described above. However, these embodiments are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this application. Although various embodiments have been described above, this does not mean that the measures in the various embodiments cannot be used advantageously in combination. Without departing from the scope of this application, those skilled in the art can make various substitutions and modifications, all of which should fall within the scope of this application.

Claims

1. A display control device characterized by comprising: include: The display control module is configured to generate a first display control instruction when the foldable display device is in the pre-operating system startup phase. The pre-operating system startup phase is the period between the power-on of the foldable display device and the time when the operating system of the foldable display device obtains display hardware control. The display hardware control includes the permission to configure the timing control module. The first display control instruction includes an image identifier and a first configuration parameter for configuring the output mode of the timing control module. The image identifier is used to determine the first display image to be displayed on the display panel of the foldable display device. The first configuration parameter is determined based on the sensor data of the foldable display device. as well as The timing control module is configured to control the display panel of the foldable display device to display a first display image based on the image identifier and the first configuration parameters.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The display control module includes: A sensor processing unit is configured to determine a target folding parameter of the foldable display device based on sensor data of the foldable display device, and obtain a first configuration parameter matching the target folding parameter based on a mapping relationship between the folding parameter and configuration parameters; and An embedded controller is configured to determine the image identifier during the pre-boot phase of the operating system, and generate the first display control instruction based on the image identifier and the first configuration parameters.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The timing control module is configured to retrieve a first display image to be displayed from a memory according to the image identifier and the first configuration parameters, generate a first timing control signal according to the first configuration parameters, generate a first data signal according to the first display image to be displayed, and control the display panel of the foldable display device to display the first display image according to the first timing control signal and the first data signal. The first configuration parameter includes a status identifier or a display parameter. The status identifier is used to indicate the folding state of the foldable display device. The status identifier has a corresponding display parameter, which includes at least one of the following: resolution, rotation angle, or scaling ratio.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The timing control module is configured to determine, from a plurality of pre-stored display images stored in the memory, a pre-stored display image corresponding to the image identifier and the status identifier, as the first display image to be displayed, wherein the pre-stored display image has a corresponding image identifier and a status identifier.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The timing control module is configured to determine the basic display data corresponding to the image identifier from a plurality of basic display data stored in the memory, adjust the basic display data according to the display parameters, and obtain the adjusted display data as the first display image to be displayed, wherein the basic display data has a corresponding image identifier.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The display control module is further configured to, when the foldable display device is in the pre-operating system startup stage, generate a first touch configuration instruction based on sensor data of the foldable display device, wherein the first touch configuration instruction is used to configure a first effective touch area of ​​the foldable display device; and The display control device further includes: The touch control module is configured to configure the first effective touch area of ​​the display panel of the foldable display device according to the first touch configuration instruction.

7. The apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The display control device further includes: The central processing unit is configured to generate a second display control instruction in response to a first folding state change event of the foldable display device when the foldable display device is in the operating system running stage, wherein the main display link is a data transmission link between the graphics processor and the timing control module, and the second display control instruction includes a second configuration parameter for configuring the output mode of the timing control module; The embedded controller is further configured to forward the second display control command to the timing control module; and The timing control module is further configured to convert real-time display data from the main display link into a second data signal according to the second configuration parameters, generate a second timing control signal according to the second configuration parameters, and control the display panel of the foldable display device to display a second display image according to the second timing control signal and the second data signal, wherein the main display link is used to receive real-time display data from the graphics processor.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that, The central processing unit is also configured as When the operating system is running, the first firmware layer program is executed to generate a standby instruction. The standby instruction is used to instruct the embedded controller to switch from autonomous execution mode to standby execution mode. The autonomous execution mode is the mode in which the embedded controller autonomously generates the first display control instruction, and the standby execution mode is the mode in which the embedded controller forwards the second display control instruction from the central processing unit. The embedded controller is further configured to switch from the autonomous execution mode to the standby execution mode according to the standby instruction, and generate a data source switching instruction; and The timing control module is further configured to switch from the memory to the main display link according to the data source switching instruction, so that the timing control module can receive real-time display data from the main display link.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein, Also includes: Central processing unit, configured as When the foldable display device is in the operating system running phase, a touch area configuration request is generated in response to a second folding state change event of the foldable display device; In response to the touch area configuration request, a second firmware layer program is executed to generate a second touch configuration instruction, wherein the second touch configuration instruction is used to configure the second effective touch area of ​​the foldable display device; as well as The touch control module is configured to configure the second touch-enabled area of ​​the display panel of the foldable display device according to the second touch configuration instruction.

10. A foldable display device, comprising: include: Display panel; The display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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