Display control device, electronic device, control program, and display control method

Abstract

To achieve the low power consumption while maintaining the display quality.SOLUTION: A host control part (30) of a display device (1) includes: a group determination part (34) which determines an application as a determination element; a driving setting part (35) which specifies a set of an upper limit refresh rate, a lower limit refresh rate and a light emission duty ratio set corresponding to the determination element; and a drive control part (36) which controls driving of the display device (1) in the specified set.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a display control device, an electronic device including a display control device, a control program, and a display control method. [Background technology]

[0002] Current-driven organic electroluminescence (EL) elements (self-emitting elements) are well known as electro-optical elements that make up the pixels arranged in a matrix. In recent years, displays incorporating display devices have become larger and thinner, and attention has been focused on the vividness of the images displayed, leading to active development of OLED displays that include EL elements in the pixels.

[0003] In particular, active matrix display devices are often used, in which a current-driven electro-optical element is provided in each pixel together with a switching element such as a thin film transistor (TFT) that controls the electro-optical element individually, because active matrix display devices can display images with higher resolution than passive display devices.

[0004] Here, an active matrix display device is configured with connection lines formed in the horizontal direction for each row, and data lines and power supply lines formed in the vertical direction for each column. Each pixel includes an electro-optical element, a connection transistor, a drive transistor, and a capacitor. Data can be written by applying a voltage to the connection line to turn on the connection transistor, and charging the capacitor with a data voltage (data signal) on the data line. The data voltage charged in the capacitor then turns on the drive transistor, causing a current from the power supply line to flow through the electro-optical element, causing the pixel to emit light.

[0005] Furthermore, when an active matrix display device forms an image by causing pixels arranged on the display device to emit light in accordance with a data signal, it can display moving images, etc., as follows: For example, moving images, etc. can be displayed by driving one frame in which the image is formed by one vertical scan of the connection lines at a specific frequency (specific frequency).

[0006] A common method for reducing display blur and afterimages in active matrix display devices is to drive the display device in a pseudo-impulse manner. Pseudo-impulse driving is a light-emitting mode of a display device in which a non-emission period during which the display device does not emit light is set for a certain period or longer during one frame period. One frame period is the period during which an image is displayed on the display device at a predetermined frame rate.

[0007] However, pseudo-impulse driving reduces the display brightness of the display device compared to hold driving, making it difficult to ensure visibility of the display device. If pseudo-impulse driving is used to solve this problem and ensure the same display brightness as hold driving, the power consumption of the display device will increase. Hold driving is a light-emitting mode of the display device that continues to emit light for one frame period.

[0008] As mentioned above, both hold driving and pseudo-impulse driving have problems. Regarding technology for solving both the problems of hold driving and pseudo-impulse driving, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a light-emitting device that generates two moving image data sets with different frame rates. Specifically, the light-emitting device of Patent Document 1 generates and outputs first moving image data sets that are displayed at a first frame rate and second moving image data sets that are displayed at a second frame rate. The light-emitting device then causes each light-emitting element to emit light at a light-emitting duty ratio selected according to the second frame rate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-333288 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] However, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 is a technology for solving the display blurring that occurs in hold driving and the flickering that occurs in pseudo-impulse driving. Therefore, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 has the problem that it cannot sufficiently solve the problem of increased power consumption of the light-emitting device that occurs in pseudo-impulse driving.

[0011] One embodiment of the present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to achieve low power consumption of a display device while maintaining display quality. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] In order to solve the above problem, a display control device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a display control device that controls a display device equipped with self-luminous elements, and includes a drive setting unit that uses at least one of application, illuminance, remaining battery level, and image content as a determination element, and identifies a set of an upper limit refresh rate, a lower limit refresh rate, and a light emission duty ratio that are set corresponding to the determination element, and a drive control unit that controls driving of the display device using the identified set.

[0013] Furthermore, a display control method according to another aspect of the present invention is a display control method for controlling a display device equipped with self-luminous elements, and includes a drive setting step for specifying a set of an upper limit refresh rate, a lower limit refresh rate, and a light emission duty ratio that are set corresponding to the determination element, using at least one of application, illuminance, remaining battery level, and image content as a determination element, and a drive control step for controlling the drive of the display device using the specified set. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to achieve an improvement in display quality and a reduction in power consumption of a display device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a host control unit in the display device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the display device. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing, in tabular form, an example of a correspondence table stored in the host control unit, which shows the correspondence between application groups and drive parameters. [Figure 4] 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of drive control in the host control unit of the display device. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing, in tabular form, an example of the correspondence table according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a host control unit in a display device according to still another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing, in tabular form, an example of the correspondence table according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing, in tabular form, an example of the correspondence table according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing, in tabular form, an example of the correspondence table according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a host control unit in a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing, in tabular form, an example of the correspondence table stored in the host control unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail. For the sake of convenience, components having the same functions as those in the embodiments will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted where appropriate.

[0017] [Embodiment 1] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0018] <Configuration of display device 1> 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a display device 1 (electronic device) according to one embodiment of the present invention. The display device 1 includes a display unit 10, a display driver 20, and a host controller 30 (display control device).

[0019] (Display section 10) The display unit 10 displays images. The display unit 10 has a screen on which organic EL (Electro Luminescence) elements 11 (self-light emitting elements) including organic light emitting diodes 11A are arranged. The images displayed by the display unit 10 include still images and moving images.

[0020] The display elements (self-luminous elements) included in the display unit 10 are organic EL (electroluminescence) elements including organic light-emitting diodes 11A. Unlike liquid crystal elements, organic EL elements are not driven by alternating current, and therefore polarity inversion does not occur for a certain period of time. Therefore, organic EL elements are less likely to suffer from characteristic shifts such as burn-in. Therefore, the refresh rate of the image displayed on the display unit 10 can be reduced to, for example, approximately 0.0056 Hz (refreshed approximately once every three minutes). Reducing the refresh rate results in power saving (low power consumption). Note that the display elements of the display unit 10 may also be inorganic EL elements, which are electroluminescent elements made of inorganic materials. Here, the refresh rate refers to the frequency at which the display on the display unit 10 is updated, regardless of whether the content of the image displayed on the display unit 10 has changed.

[0021] The display unit 10 may be an oxide semiconductor display panel serving as an active matrix display panel. An oxide semiconductor display panel is a display panel that employs oxide semiconductor TFTs (TFTs 12) as some or all of the switching elements provided corresponding to at least one of a plurality of two-dimensionally arranged pixels. An oxide semiconductor TFT is a TFT that uses an oxide semiconductor in the semiconductor layer. In this embodiment, the oxide semiconductor is composed of an oxide semiconductor (InGaZnO-based oxide semiconductor) that uses oxides of In, Ga, and Zn.

[0022] Oxide semiconductor TFTs have excellent charge retention characteristics because they have a large current flow in the on state and a small leakage current in the off state. Therefore, by using oxide semiconductor TFTs as switching elements, it is possible to suppress degradation in display quality even when the refresh rate of images displayed on the display unit 10 is reduced.

[0023] (Host control unit 30) The host control unit 30 controls the display drive unit 20, and for example, when the display data is updated, transfers updated display data for one screen to the display drive unit 20. The host control unit 30 is configured, for example, with a control circuit formed on a substrate. Specifically, the host control unit 30 may be, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or a device including a CPU and a GPU. Details of the host control unit 30 will be described later.

[0024] (Display driver 20) The display driver 20 drives the display unit 10 based on instructions from the host control unit 30. The display driver 20 may be, for example, a so-called COG driver mounted on a glass substrate of the display unit 10 using COG (Chip on Glass) technology, or a so-called COF driver mounted on a flexible substrate of the display unit 10 using COF (Chip on Flexible, Chip on Film) technology. The display driver 20 may also be a so-called COP driver mounted on a plastic substrate of the display unit 10 using COP (Chip on Plastic) technology. The display driver 20 includes a display-side memory unit 21, a display-side TG (timing generator) 22, and a source driver 23.

[0025] The display-side storage unit 21 stores the display data transferred from the host control unit 30. The display-side storage unit 21 continues to hold the display data until the next display update (i.e., as long as the image content does not change). The display-side storage unit 21 may be a VRAM (Video Random Access Memory) or the like.

[0026] The display-side TG22 generates timing signals for driving the display unit 10 based on instructions from the host control unit 30, and supplies the generated timing signals to the source driver 23. The source driver 23 writes display voltages corresponding to display data into the pixels of the display unit 10 in accordance with the timing signals supplied from the display-side TG22.

[0027] Suitable examples of the display device 1 include display devices that place particular importance on portability, such as mobile phones, smartphones, notebook PCs (Personal Computers), tablet devices, e-book readers, wearable devices, and PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants). Also included within the scope of the present invention is an example in which the display device includes a display unit 10 and a display driver unit 20, and the host control unit 30 is provided in a device different from the display device (for example, the PC itself), such as a desktop PC.

[0028] (Details of the host control unit 30) 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the host control unit 30. The host control unit 30 includes a host-side storage unit 31, an application processing unit 32 (image generating unit), a display data transfer unit 33 (display enlargement unit), a group determination unit 34, a drive setting unit 35, and a drive control unit 36.

[0029] The host-side storage unit 31 is a storage device that stores data processed by the host control unit 30. The host-side storage unit 31 may be a RAM, a ROM (Read Only Memory), an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), a flash memory (registered trademark), or the like. The host-side storage unit 31 may be configured to be built into the host control unit 30, or may be configured to be connected to the host control unit 30 from outside. The display device 1 may include one or more host-side storage units 31.

[0030] The application processing unit 32 processes application software (hereinafter abbreviated as "application") stored in the host-side storage unit 31. When it is necessary to update the screen display of the display unit 10, the application processing unit 32 outputs display data including an image to be displayed to the display data transfer unit 33. The display data includes an image of the frame whose display is to be updated and a display update flag (time reference) indicating the timing at which the image is to be displayed. When the content of the image does not change over multiple frames, the image of the frame between which the image does not change does not need to be included in the display data.

[0031] When the display data transfer unit 33 acquires display data from the application processing unit 32, it transfers the display data to the display drive unit 20. The display data transfer unit 33 transfers display data of a frame image to be updated to the display drive unit 20 only when it is necessary to update the display on the display unit 10, in accordance with a display update flag included in the display data. The transfer of the display data may be performed in accordance with a data communication specification for mobile devices, such as MIPI (Mobile Industry Processor Interface). The display data transfer unit 33 transfers a synchronization signal to the display drive unit 20 along with the display data.

[0032] Furthermore, the display data transfer unit 33 enlarges or reduces the display data to match the display resolution of the display unit 10, based on the resolution information from the drive setting unit 35. For example, if the resolution of the display data is low and the display resolution of the display unit 10 is high, the display data transfer unit 33 enlarges the display data and transfers it to the display drive unit 20.

[0033] The group determination unit 34 determines to which group, Web, game, video, or photo, an application executed by the application processing unit 32 belongs. In this embodiment, applications are classified into four groups, but this is not limiting. Applications may be classified into five or more groups, or into three or fewer groups. To make the above determination, the group determination unit 34 may use attribute information included in each application, or may use correspondence information between each application and the above groups stored in advance in the host-side storage unit 31. The group determination unit 34 notifies the drive setting unit 35 of the determination result.

[0034] The drive setting section 35 sets various drive parameters for driving the display drive section 20 based on the determination result from the group determination section 34. Specifically, the following is done.

[0035] 3 is a diagram showing, in tabular form, an example of a correspondence table 31A indicating the correspondence between the application groups and the various drive parameters. The correspondence table 31A is pre-stored in the host-side storage unit 31. The drive setting unit 35 references the correspondence table 31A shown in FIG. 3 and sets drive parameters corresponding to the application group determined by the group determination unit 34. The drive setting unit 35 outputs the set drive parameters to the drive control unit 36.

[0036] The drive control unit 36 ​​controls the display drive unit 20 in accordance with the drive parameters from the drive setting unit 35 .

[0037] (Details of Corresponding Table 31A) 3, the application groups are Web, games, videos, and photos. These groups are associated with drive parameters suitable for browsing the Web, games, videos, and photos, respectively.

[0038] The driving parameters also include the resolution (number of pixels) of the display unit 10, upper and lower limits of the refresh rate, and the number of pulses and duty ratio indicating the light emission timing during a panel scan period (the reciprocal of the panel scan frequency). Regarding the light emission timing, for example, if the number of pulses is 4 and the duty ratio is 70%, this means that the organic EL element 11 emits light four times during the panel scan period, and the proportion of the total light emission period within the panel scan period is 70%.

[0039] Here, the panel scan period is the period for refreshing the display panel (display unit 10) with one frame of image data. In other words, the panel scan period is the period from the start to the end of displaying one frame of image data. The panel scan frequency is the reciprocal of the panel scan period. As the panel scan frequency increases, the display quality improves, but the drive frequency of the display unit 10 also increases, resulting in increased power consumption.

[0040] In the following description, the upper and lower limit values ​​of the refresh rate will be referred to as the upper limit refresh rate and the lower limit refresh rate, respectively.

[0041] A high resolution means a high display resolution. On the other hand, a high display resolution is required for viewing photos. Therefore, a high resolution (for example, 2560 x 1440 pixels) is associated with the photo group. On the other hand, viewing games often does not require a very high display resolution. Therefore, a medium resolution (for example, 1920 x 1080 pixels) is associated with the game group.

[0042] A high refresh rate improves operability and readability. On the other hand, operability and readability are required for browsing the web and playing games. Therefore, a high upper refresh rate limit (120 Hz in the example in Figure 3) is assigned to the web and game groups.

[0043] Furthermore, when there are many intermediate gradation displays, a lower refresh rate makes flickering more visible. On the other hand, games and videos usually have many intermediate gradation displays. Therefore, a high minimum refresh rate (30 Hz in the example of FIG. 3) is associated with the game and video group. On the other hand, since there are not many intermediate gradation displays in the other groups, a low minimum refresh rate (1 Hz in the example of FIG. 3) is associated with them.

[0044] A small number of pulses reduces retinal afterimages, provides a clearer display, and improves readability. Therefore, a small number of pulses (one in the example in Figure 3) is assigned to the Web and Game groups.

[0045] A low duty ratio reduces retinal afterimages and improves readability. Therefore, the Web and game groups are assigned relatively low duty ratios (70% and 50%, respectively, in the example of Figure 3). A high duty ratio results in a brighter display, so it is desirable to assign a relatively high duty ratio (e.g., 100%) to a group of apps that require high brightness, such as HDR (High Dynamic Range) video.

[0046] As described above, the host control unit 30 in the display device 1 of this embodiment uses the application as a determination element, identifies a set of an upper limit refresh rate, a lower limit refresh rate, and a light emission duty ratio that are set corresponding to the determination element, and controls driving of the display device 1 using the identified set. This makes it possible to limit the refresh rate, reduce it to the lower limit refresh rate, or set the light emission duty ratio according to the determination element. As a result, it is possible to achieve power saving (low power consumption) while maintaining display quality.

[0047] Furthermore, the driving of the display device 1 is controlled in a set suited to the application, so that both improved display quality and power saving can be achieved for each application without the need for complicated operations.

[0048] Furthermore, since the set includes the number of light-emitting pulses during the panel scan period, the driving of the display device is controlled by the number of pulses corresponding to the determination factor, thereby achieving even better display quality and power saving.

[0049] The set also includes a resolution of the display image, and the resolution of the display image is specified in accordance with the determination element, and display image data is generated at that resolution, and the display image data is enlarged to the display resolution of the display device 1. Therefore, the display image is displayed on the display device 1 at a resolution corresponding to the determination element. This makes it possible to achieve even better display quality and power saving.

[0050] (Display control method) FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of drive control in the host control unit 30 of the display device 1 configured as above.

[0051] As shown in Fig. 4, the process waits until the application executed by the application processing unit 32 (the application that displays an image on the display unit 10) is switched (S11). When the application is switched, the group determination unit 34 determines to which group the switched application belongs (S12). Next, the drive setting unit 35 sets drive parameters corresponding to the determined group by referring to the correspondence table 31A stored in the host-side storage unit 31 (S13, drive setting step). Then, the drive control unit 36 ​​controls the display drive unit 20 using the set drive parameters (S14, drive control step). After that, the process returns to step S11 and repeats the above operation.

[0052] (Additional notes) In the present embodiment, the correspondence table 31A associates the various driving parameters with each group of the applications, but the various driving parameters may also be associated with each application, in which case the group determination unit 34 can be omitted.

[0053] Furthermore, the correspondence table 31A may be changeable by the user, in which case the display quality desired by the user can be achieved.

[0054] The duty ratio may be greater than 50% and less than 100%, which makes it possible to reduce both degradation of display quality (such as color breakup) and retinal afterimages.

[0055] [Embodiment 2] Another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 5. A display device 1 according to this embodiment differs from the display device 1 according to the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 4 in that a correspondence table 31B and a drive setting unit 35B are provided instead of the correspondence table 31A and the drive setting unit 35, but the rest of the configuration is the same.

[0056] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of correspondence table 31B in the present embodiment in tabular form. Correspondence table 31B shown in Fig. 5 differs from correspondence table 31A shown in Fig. 3 in that the duty ratio of the light emission timing is associated with each of the application groups not only by a certain value but also by a certain range, but is otherwise similar. In the example of Fig. 5, the Web and Photo groups are associated with duty ratios in the range of 10% to 70%.

[0057] Drive setting unit 35B differs from drive setting unit 35 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 in that, when the duty ratio associated with the determined group is within the above range, the drive setting unit 35B sets the duty ratio from within the above range based on the luminance obtained from drive control unit 36, but is otherwise similar.

[0058] In this case, by making the duty ratio variable, it is possible to improve the quality of the display at low brightness while realizing the effect of reducing retinal afterimages.

[0059] [Embodiment 3] Yet another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 6. A display device 1 according to this embodiment is different from the display device 1 shown in Figs. 1 to 4 in the configuration of the host control unit 30, but the other configurations are the same.

[0060] Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the host control unit 30 in the display device 1 of this embodiment. The host control unit 30 shown in Fig. 6 differs from the host control unit 30 shown in Fig. 1 in that a display data analysis unit 37 is added and that a drive setting unit 35C is provided instead of the drive setting unit 35, but the other configurations are the same.

[0061] The display data analysis unit 37 analyzes the display data from the application processing unit 32 and creates a frequency distribution of the display gradation (image content). The display data analysis unit 37 outputs the created frequency distribution of the display gradation to the drive setting unit 35C.

[0062] Compared to the drive setting unit 35 shown in FIG. 1, the drive setting unit 35C is similar to the drive setting unit 35 shown in FIG. 1 except that it updates the lower limit refresh rate in the correspondence table 31A based on the frequency distribution of the display gradation from the display data analysis unit 37.

[0063] With the above configuration, the host control unit 30 can appropriately update the minimum refresh rate according to the display image. This allows the host control unit 30 to increase the minimum refresh rate, for example, when the display image contains many display gradations that are prone to visually noticeable flicker. Therefore, the refresh rate can be reduced to a level that allows display quality to be maintained, thereby achieving both display quality and power savings.

[0064] [Embodiment 4] Yet another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 7. The display device 1 according to this embodiment is different from the display device 1 according to the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 5 in that a correspondence table 31D is provided instead of the correspondence table 31B, but the other configurations are the same.

[0065] 7 is a diagram showing an example of a correspondence table 31D in the form of a table in this embodiment. The correspondence table 31D shown in FIG. 7 includes a maximum luminance (unit: cd / m) as the driving parameter, in comparison with the correspondence table 31B shown in FIG. 2 ) has been added, but otherwise it is the same.

[0066] In the example in Figure 7, a group of moving images are displayed with a high maximum brightness (1000 cd / m 2This allows apps that display videos that require high brightness, such as HDR videos, to prioritize brightness, resulting in a higher-quality display.

[0067] [Embodiment 5] Yet another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 8. The display device 1 according to this embodiment is different from the display device 1 according to the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 5 in that a correspondence table 31E is provided instead of the correspondence table 31B, but the other configurations are the same.

[0068] Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a correspondence table 31E in the present embodiment in tabular form. The correspondence table 31E shown in Fig. 8 differs from the correspondence table 31B shown in Fig. 5 in that an AOD (Always On Display) group is added as the application group and that a gamma (γ) voltage (display control voltage) and a gate signal voltage (display control voltage) are added as the drive parameters, but is otherwise similar.

[0069] AOD is an app that displays limited information when the smartphone is in sleep mode. The gamma voltage and gate signal voltage are voltages applied to the display unit 10. The gamma voltage is correlated with the brightness value of the screen of the display unit 10, and this correlation is determined by the characteristics of the display unit 10. The gate signal voltage is correlated with the display characteristics of the display unit 10, and this correlation is determined by the characteristics of the display unit 10.

[0070] In the example of Fig. 8, the drive control parameters corresponding to the AOD group are lower than those of other groups in terms of resolution, upper limit refresh rate, and lower limit refresh rate, the number of pulses is higher, the duty ratio is in the range of 10 to 70%, and the gamma voltage and gate signal voltage are set to constant voltages. Therefore, when the display content is limited, as in the case of AOD, the drive parameters can be lower than those of other apps within a range that does not affect the display quality, thereby achieving further power savings.

[0071] [Embodiment 6] Yet another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 9. The display device 1 according to this embodiment is different from the display device 1 according to the embodiment shown in Fig. 8 in that a correspondence table 31F is provided instead of the correspondence table 31E, but the other configurations are the same.

[0072] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a correspondence table 31F in the present embodiment in tabular form. The correspondence table 31F shown in Fig. 9 is different from the correspondence table 31E shown in Fig. 8 in that the panel scan frequency (unit: Hz) is provided as the driving parameter instead of the gamma voltage and the gate signal voltage, but is otherwise similar.

[0073] In the example of Fig. 9, the panel scan frequency corresponding to the AOD group is set lower than that of other groups. Therefore, when the display content is limited, as in the case of AOD, the panel scan frequency can be set lower than that of other apps within a range that does not affect the display quality. As a result, further power savings can be achieved, similar to the embodiment shown in Fig. 8.

[0074] [Embodiment 7] Another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 10 and 11. The display device 1 according to this embodiment is different from the display device 1 shown in Figures 1 to 4 in that an illuminance sensor 40 is newly provided and the configuration of the host control unit 30 is different, but the other configurations are the same.

[0075] Fig. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the host control unit 30 in the display device 1 of this embodiment. The host control unit 30 shown in Fig. 10 differs from the host control unit 30 shown in Fig. 1 in that a correspondence table 31G is newly provided and that a drive setting unit 35G is provided instead of the drive setting unit 35, but the other configurations are the same.

[0076] The illuminance sensor 40 is a device that detects the illuminance around the display device 1. The illuminance sensor 40 outputs data of the detected illuminance to the drive setting unit 35G of the host control unit 30. Note that the illuminance sensor 40 does not need to be built into the display device 1, and may be provided outside the display device 1.

[0077] Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of correspondence table 31G in the form of a table in this embodiment. Correspondence table 31G shown in Fig. 11 is different from correspondence table 31A shown in Fig. 3 in that the duty ratio corresponding to each group is the maximum value (100%), but is otherwise the same.

[0078] 1, drive setting unit 35G is similar to drive setting unit 35 shown in Fig. 1 except that drive setting unit 35G selects and uses one of correspondence tables 31A to 31G based on illuminance data from illuminance sensor 40. Specifically, drive setting unit 35G selects correspondence table 31G when the illuminance is high, and uses correspondence table 31A in other cases.

[0079] Generally, in a high-illuminance environment such as outdoors, it is required to increase the luminance component of the display unit 10. In contrast, in this embodiment, the duty ratio is set to be large in a high-illuminance environment. Therefore, it is possible to improve the appearance even in a high-illuminance environment. In this way, the correspondence table may be switched according to the environment of the display device 1.

[0080] (Variation) The correspondence table may be switched depending on the state of the display device 1. For example, when the display device 1 is powered by a secondary battery and the remaining charge (remaining battery charge) of the secondary battery is low, the drive setting unit 35G may switch to a power-saving correspondence table for use.

[0081] [Software implementation example] The functions of the display device 1 (hereinafter referred to as the "device") can be realized by a program that causes a computer to function as the device, and a program that causes a computer to function as each control block of the device (particularly each part included in the host control unit 30).

[0082] In this case, the device includes a computer having at least one control device (e.g., a processor) and at least one storage device (e.g., a memory) as hardware for executing the program. The control device and storage device execute the program, thereby realizing the functions described in each of the above embodiments.

[0083] The program may be non-transitory and may be recorded on one or more computer-readable recording media. The recording media may or may not be included in the device. In the latter case, the program may be supplied to the device via any wired or wireless transmission medium.

[0084] Furthermore, some or all of the functions of the control blocks can be realized by logic circuits. For example, an integrated circuit in which a logic circuit that functions as each of the control blocks is formed is also included in the scope of the present invention. In addition, the functions of the control blocks can also be realized by, for example, a quantum computer.

[0085] Furthermore, each process described in each of the above embodiments may be executed by AI (Artificial Intelligence). In this case, the AI ​​may run on the control device or on another device (for example, an edge computer or a cloud server).

[0086] 〔summary〕 The display control device (host control unit 30) according to aspect 1 of the present invention is a display control device that controls a display device (1) equipped with self-luminous elements, and is configured to include a drive setting unit (35, 35B, 35C, 35G) that uses at least one of application, illuminance, remaining battery level, and image content as a determination element, and identifies a set of an upper limit refresh rate, a lower limit refresh rate, and a light emission duty ratio that are set corresponding to the determination element, and a drive control unit (36) that controls driving of the display device using the identified set.

[0087] According to the above configuration, a set of an upper limit refresh rate, a lower limit refresh rate, and a light emission duty ratio that is set corresponding to the determination factor is identified, and the display device is controlled to drive using the identified set. Therefore, depending on the determination factor, the refresh rate can be limited, reduced to the lower limit refresh rate, or the light emission duty ratio can be set. As a result, low power consumption can be achieved while maintaining display quality.

[0088] A display control device according to a second aspect of the present invention is based on the first aspect, and the determination element may include the application.

[0089] Specifically, the drive setting unit may identify a set of a first upper limit refresh rate, a first lower limit refresh rate, and a first duty ratio corresponding to a first application, and identify a set of a second upper limit refresh rate lower than the first upper limit refresh rate, a second lower limit refresh rate lower than the first lower limit refresh rate, and a second duty ratio higher than the first duty ratio corresponding to a second application.

[0090] According to the above configuration, the drive of the display device is controlled by the set suited to the application, thereby maintaining display quality and reducing power consumption without requiring complicated operations.

[0091] A display control device according to aspect 3 of the present invention may be such that, in aspects 1 and 2 above, the drive setting unit further specifies, in accordance with the determination element, the number of light-emitting pulses in a panel scan period, which is a period for refreshing a display panel with one frame of image data, and the drive control unit controls the driving of the display device using the number of pulses.

[0092] According to the above configuration, the driving of the display device is controlled by the number of pulses corresponding to the determination element, thereby making it possible to more suitably achieve high display quality and low power consumption.

[0093] In the display control device according to aspect 4 of the present invention, in the above aspects 1 to 3, the drive setting unit may further include an image generation unit (application processing unit 32) that identifies the resolution of the display image in accordance with the determination element and generates display image data at that resolution, and a display enlargement unit (display data transfer unit 33) that enlarges the display image data at that resolution to the display resolution of the display device.

[0094] According to the above configuration, the display image is displayed on the display device at a resolution corresponding to the determination element, thereby achieving better display quality and lower power consumption.

[0095] A display control device according to aspect 5 of the present invention may be such that, in aspects 1 to 4 above, the drive setting unit further specifies a display control voltage corresponding to the determination element, and the drive control unit controls the drive of the display device using the display control voltage.

[0096] According to the above configuration, the display device is driven and controlled by a display control voltage corresponding to the determination element, thereby achieving better display quality and lower power consumption.

[0097] A display control device according to aspect 6 of the present invention is such that, in aspects 1 to 5 above, the drive setting unit further specifies a maximum brightness of a pixel of the display device in accordance with the determination element, and the drive control unit controls driving of the display device at the maximum brightness.

[0098] According to the above configuration, the display device is controlled to be driven at the maximum luminance corresponding to the determination element, thereby achieving better display quality and lower power consumption.

[0099] A display control device according to aspect 7 of the present invention may be such that, in aspects 1 to 6 above, the drive setting unit further specifies a panel scan period, which is a period for refreshing the display panel with one frame of image data, corresponding to the determination element, and the drive control unit controls driving of the display device during the panel scan period.

[0100] According to the above configuration, the driving of the display device is controlled in a panel scan period corresponding to the determination element, thereby making it possible to more suitably achieve high display quality and low power consumption.

[0101] The determination factors may include the illuminance and the remaining battery power, in which case the display quality can be maintained and power consumption can be reduced without requiring complicated operations.

[0102] In the display control device according to aspect 8 of the present invention, in addition to aspects 1 to 7, the determination element may include the image content, and the set may be updated based on the image content.

[0103] In this case, the set can be changed to one suitable for the image content, thereby achieving even better display quality and lower power consumption.

[0104] A display control device according to a ninth aspect of the present invention is any of the display control devices according to the first to eighth aspects, wherein the duty ratio is greater than 50% and less than 100%. In this case, it is possible to achieve both reduction in degradation of display quality (for example, color breakup) and reduction in retinal afterimages.

[0105] A display control device according to aspect 10 of the present invention is any of aspects 1 to 9 above, wherein the drive setting unit may set a high value as the minimum refresh rate when it determines from the determination element that there are many intermediate gradation displays, and may set a low value as the minimum refresh rate when it determines from the determination element that there are few intermediate gradation displays. In this case, it is possible to achieve both improved display quality and low power consumption.

[0106] An electronic device according to an eleventh aspect of the present invention includes the display control device according to any one of the first to tenth aspects and the display device including the self-luminous element, and in this case, the same effects as those of the first to tenth aspects are achieved.

[0107] A display control method according to a twelfth aspect of the present invention is a display control method for controlling a display device having self-luminous elements, the method including: a drive setting step for specifying a set of an upper limit refresh rate, a lower limit refresh rate, and a light emission duty ratio that are set corresponding to the determination factor, using at least one of an application, illuminance, a remaining battery level, and an image content; and a drive control step for controlling driving of the display device using the specified set. In this case, the same effects as those of the first aspect are achieved.

[0108] The display control device according to each aspect of the present invention may be realized by a computer. In this case, the control program of the display control device that realizes the display control device on a computer by causing the computer to operate as each part (software element) of the display control device, and the computer-readable recording medium on which the control program is recorded, also fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0109] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, new technical features can be formed by combining the technical means disclosed in each embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0110] 1 Display device 10 Display section 11 Organic EL element 12 TFT 20 Display driver 21 Display side storage section 23 Source Driver 30 Host control unit 31 Host side memory unit 31A, 31B, 31D~31G compatible tables 32 Application processing section 33 Display data transfer unit 34 Group Judgment Section 35, 35B, 35C, 35G Drive setting section 36 Drive control unit 37 Display data analysis unit 40 Illuminance sensor

Claims

1. A display control device that controls a display device having self-luminous elements, a drive setting unit that uses an application and a remaining battery level as determination elements, and specifies a set to be selected corresponding to the remaining battery level as the determination element from among a plurality of sets of an upper limit refresh rate, a lower limit refresh rate, and a light emission duty ratio that are set corresponding to the application as the determination elements; a drive control unit that controls driving of the display device using the specified set.

2. The drive setting unit further specifies the number of light emission pulses in a panel scan period, which is a period for refreshing the display panel with image data of one frame, in accordance with the determination element; The display control device according to claim 1 , wherein the drive control unit controls driving of the display device using the number of pulses.

3. The drive setting unit further specifies a resolution of a display image in accordance with the determination element, an image generation unit that generates display image data at the resolution; The display control device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a display enlargement unit that enlarges the display image data at the resolution to a display resolution of the display device.

4. The drive setting unit further specifies a display control voltage corresponding to the determination element, The display control device according to claim 1 , wherein the drive control unit controls driving of the display device using the display control voltage.

5. The drive setting unit further specifies a maximum luminance of a pixel of the display device in response to the determination element; The display control device according to claim 1 , wherein the drive control unit controls driving of the display device at the maximum brightness.

6. The drive setting unit further specifies a panel scan period, which is a period for refreshing one frame of image data, in accordance with the determination element; The display control device according to claim 1 , wherein the drive control unit controls driving of the display device during the panel scan period.

7. The display control device according to claim 1 , wherein the duty ratio is greater than 50% and less than 100%.

8. The drive setting unit If it is determined from the determination element that there are many intermediate gradation displays, a high value is set as the lower limit refresh rate; The display control device according to claim 1 , wherein when it is determined from the determination element that there is little display of intermediate gradations, a low value is set as the lower limit refresh rate.

9. A display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 8; and an electronic device comprising the display device including the self-luminous element.

10. 2. A control program for causing a computer to function as the display control device according to claim 1, the control program causing the computer to function as the drive setting unit and the drive control unit.

11. A display control method for controlling a display device including self-luminous elements, a drive setting step of determining, using an application and a remaining battery level as determination elements, a set of upper limit refresh rates, lower limit refresh rates, and light emission duty ratios that is selected in accordance with the remaining battery level as the determination element from among a plurality of sets of upper limit refresh rates, lower limit refresh rates, and light emission duty ratios that are set in accordance with the application as the determination elements; a drive control step of controlling the drive of the display device using the specified set.

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