Brightness adjustment method, display apparatus, and electronic device

Abstract

A brightness adjustment method, a display apparatus, and an electronic device, relating to the technical field of display, and used for improving the light-regulating accuracy of a display panel without changing the hardware structure of the display apparatus. The method comprises: a driving circuit receives a first signal and a second signal, wherein the first signal is used for indicating duty cycle values corresponding to different DBVs, and the second signal is used for indicating direct current voltages corresponding to different DBVs (S201); and the driving circuit adjusts the brightness of a display panel on the basis of a duty cycle value indicated by the first signal and a direct current voltage indicated by the second signal (S202), wherein a plurality of DBVs of the display panel comprise a first DBV, a second DBV, and a third DBV which are adjacent, the absolute value of the difference between the third DBV and the second DBV is less than or equal to a first DBV threshold, and the absolute value of the difference between a first duty cycle value corresponding to the first DBV and a second duty cycle value corresponding to the second DBV is less than or equal to a preset duty cycle threshold.

Description

A brightness adjustment method, a display device, and an electronic device. Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of display technology, and in particular to a brightness adjustment method, display device, and electronic device. Background Technology

[0002] With the advancement of science and technology, display panels require high specifications such as high refresh rates, high resolution, high contrast, wide color gamut, and high transparency. The brightness adjustment of a display panel can include a pulse width modulation (PWM) dimming stage and a direct current (DC) dimming stage. The PWM dimming stage is used for brightness adjustment in the low brightness range, while the DC dimming stage is used for brightness adjustment in the high brightness range.

[0003] During the PWM dimming stage described above, the brightness can be changed by controlling the number of illuminated pixel rows in the display panel. The more illuminated pixel rows in the display panel, the higher the brightness; conversely, the fewer illuminated pixel rows, the lower the brightness.

[0004] In practical applications, to reduce equipment costs, multiple rows of pixels are typically controlled by a single sub-driver circuit, meaning that a single sub-driver circuit controls multiple pixel rows. This results in lower dimming accuracy in the aforementioned PWM dimming stage.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a brightness adjustment method, a display device, and an electronic device, which improve the dimming accuracy of the display panel without changing the hardware structure of the display device.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the embodiments of this application adopt the following technical solutions:

[0008] In a first aspect, a brightness adjustment method is provided, applied in a display device including a driving circuit and a display panel, the display panel having multiple brightness levels (DBVs), which can also be referred to as multiple binding points, the duty cycle values ​​corresponding to the multiple binding points being settable. The method includes: the driving circuit receiving a first signal and a second signal, the first signal indicating the duty cycle values ​​corresponding to different DBVs, and the second signal indicating the DC voltage corresponding to different DBVs; the driving circuit adjusting the brightness of the display panel according to the duty cycle values ​​indicated by the first signal and the DC voltages indicated by the second signal; wherein the multiple DBVs include adjacent first DBVs, second DBVs, and third DBVs, the absolute value of the difference between the third DBV and the second DBV is less than or equal to a first DBV threshold, and the absolute value of the difference between the first duty cycle value corresponding to the first DBV and the second duty cycle value corresponding to the second DBV is less than or equal to a preset duty cycle threshold, that is, the difference between the third DBV and the second DBV is small, and the difference between the first duty cycle value corresponding to the first DBV and the second duty cycle value corresponding to the second DBV is small.

[0009] In the above technical solution, the display panel has multiple depth-of-field (DBV) values, including adjacent first, second, and third DBVs. Because the difference between the third and second DBVs is small, and the difference between the first duty cycle value corresponding to the first DBV and the second duty cycle value corresponding to the second DBV is small, when the driving circuit receives the first and second signals and adjusts the brightness of the display panel according to the duty cycle value indicated by the first signal and the DC voltage indicated by the second signal, there will be no brightness jump, thereby improving the dimming accuracy of the display panel and the user experience. Furthermore, this method does not require changes to the hardware structure of the display device, thus saving on the area and cost of the display device.

[0010] In any possible implementation of the first aspect, the absolute value of the difference between the third DBV and the first DBV is greater than or equal to the second DBV threshold, and the second DBV threshold is greater than the first DBV threshold, meaning the difference between the third DBV and the first DBV is relatively large; and / or, the absolute value of the difference between the third duty cycle value corresponding to the third DBV and the first duty cycle value is greater than the preset duty cycle threshold, meaning the difference between the third duty cycle value and the first duty cycle value is relatively large. In the above possible implementations, when the difference between the third DBV and the first DBV is relatively large, and / or the difference between the corresponding third duty cycle value and the first duty cycle value is relatively large, by setting a second DBV between the third DBV and the first DBV, and setting a second duty cycle value corresponding to the second DBV, the dimming accuracy when adjusting the brightness of the display panel between the first DBV and the third DBV can be improved, thereby improving the user experience.

[0011] In any possible implementation of the first aspect, the first DBV, the second DBV, and the third DBV are DBVs in the pulse width modulation (PWM) dimming stage; wherein, the PWM dimming stage is used for brightness adjustment in the low brightness range, that is, the first DBV, the second DBV, and the third DBV are three adjacent DBVs in the low brightness range. The above possible implementations can improve the dimming accuracy of the PWM dimming stage and avoid brightness jumps during the PWM dimming stage.

[0012] In any possible implementation of the first aspect, the driving circuit adjusts the brightness of the display panel according to the duty cycle value indicated by the first signal and the DC voltage indicated by the second signal, including: when the first DBV corresponds to the first DC voltage, the second DBV corresponds to the second DC voltage, the first signal indicates that the first duty cycle value increases to the second duty cycle value, and the second signal indicates that the first DC voltage changes to the second DC voltage, the brightness of the display panel is increased from the first brightness to the second brightness, with the first DBV corresponding to the first brightness and the second DBV corresponding to the second brightness. Further, it also includes: when the first DBV corresponds to the third DC voltage, the first signal indicates that the second duty cycle value increases to the third duty cycle value, and the second signal indicates that the second DC voltage changes to the third DC voltage, the brightness of the display panel is increased from the second brightness to the third brightness, with the third DBV corresponding to the third brightness. In the above possible implementations, when the driving circuit increases the brightness of the display panel from the first brightness to the second brightness and from the second brightness to the third brightness according to the duty cycle value indicated by the first signal and the DC voltage indicated by the second signal, there will be no brightness jump, thereby improving the dimming accuracy of the display panel and the user experience.

[0013] In any possible implementation of the first aspect, the driving circuit adjusts the brightness of the display panel according to the duty cycle value indicated by the first signal and the DC voltage indicated by the second signal, including: when the first DBV corresponds to the first DC voltage, the second DBV corresponds to the second DC voltage, the first signal indicates that the second duty cycle value decreases to the first duty cycle value, and the second signal indicates that the second DC voltage changes to the first DC voltage, the brightness of the display panel is reduced from the second brightness to the first brightness, with the first DBV corresponding to the first brightness and the second DBV corresponding to the second brightness. Further, it also includes: when the first DBV corresponds to the third DC voltage, the first signal indicates that the third duty cycle value decreases to the second duty cycle value, and the second signal indicates that the third DC voltage changes to the second DC voltage, the brightness of the display panel is increased from the third brightness to the second brightness, with the third DBV corresponding to the third brightness. In the above possible implementations, when the driving circuit reduces the brightness of the display panel from the third brightness to the second brightness and from the second brightness to the first brightness according to the duty cycle value indicated by the first signal and the DC voltage indicated by the second signal, there is no brightness jump, thereby improving the dimming accuracy of the display panel and the user experience.

[0014] In a second aspect, a display device is provided, comprising: a driving circuit and a display panel, the display panel having multiple brightness levels (DBVs), which can also be referred to as multiple binding points, and the duty cycle values ​​corresponding to the multiple binding points being settable; the driving circuit is configured to receive a first signal and a second signal, the first signal indicating the duty cycle values ​​corresponding to different DBVs, and the second signal indicating the DC voltage corresponding to different DBVs; the driving circuit is further configured to adjust the brightness of the display panel according to the duty cycle values ​​indicated by the first signal and the DC voltage indicated by the second signal; wherein the multiple DBVs include adjacent first DBVs, second DBVs, and third DBVs, the absolute value of the difference between the third DBV and the second DBV is less than or equal to a first DBV threshold, and the absolute value of the difference between the first duty cycle value corresponding to the first DBV and the second duty cycle value corresponding to the second DBV is less than or equal to a preset duty cycle threshold.

[0015] In any possible implementation of the second aspect, the absolute value of the difference between the third DBV and the first DBV is greater than or equal to the second DBV threshold, and the second DBV threshold is greater than the first DBV threshold; and / or, the absolute value of the difference between the third duty cycle value corresponding to the third DBV and the first duty cycle value is greater than the preset duty cycle threshold.

[0016] In any possible implementation of the second aspect, the first DBV, the second DBV, and the third DBV are DBVs in the pulse width modulation (PWM) dimming stage.

[0017] In any possible implementation of the second aspect, the driving circuit is further configured to: increase the brightness of the display panel from a first brightness to a second brightness when the first DBV corresponds to a first DC voltage, the second DBV corresponds to a second DC voltage, the first signal indicates that the first duty cycle value increases to a second duty cycle value, and the second signal indicates that the first DC voltage changes to a second DC voltage, wherein the first DBV corresponds to the first brightness and the second DBV corresponds to the second brightness.

[0018] In any possible implementation of the second aspect, the driving circuit is further configured to: reduce the brightness of the display panel from a second brightness to a first brightness when the first DBV corresponds to a first DC voltage, the second DBV corresponds to a second DC voltage, the first signal indicates that the second duty cycle value decreases to the first duty cycle value, and the second signal indicates that the second DC voltage changes to the first DC voltage, wherein the first DBV corresponds to the first brightness and the second DBV corresponds to the second brightness.

[0019] Thirdly, an electronic device is provided, comprising a display driving circuit and a display device, the display device being a display device as provided in the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof, the display driving circuit being used to provide a first signal and a second signal to the display device.

[0020] Fourthly, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein a computer program or instructions are stored therein, which, when executed, implement the brightness adjustment method provided by the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0021] Fifthly, a computer program product is provided, comprising: a computer program, also known as code or instructions, which, when run, causes a computer to perform a brightness adjustment method provided by the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0022] Understandably, the beneficial effects that can be achieved by the second to fifth aspects mentioned above can be referred to in the context of the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a display device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0024] Figure 2 is a graph showing the duty cycle values ​​corresponding to different DBVs under a theoretical scenario provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 3 is a graph showing the duty cycle values ​​corresponding to different DBVs in a real-world scenario, as provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0026] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 5 is a schematic flowchart of a brightness adjustment method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a brightness adjustment method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of another brightness adjustment provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 8 is a graph showing the duty cycle values ​​corresponding to different DBVs provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0031] Figure 9 is a graph showing the brightness corresponding to different DBVs provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0032] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of another display device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0033] Before introducing the embodiments of this application, the application scenarios involved in this application will be described first.

[0034] With scientific advancements and technological development, display panels demand high performance indicators such as high refresh rates, high resolution, high contrast, wide color gamut, and high transparency. The brightness adjustment of these display panels is achieved by adjusting brightness levels, which can be represented as DBV (display brightness value). This brightness adjustment can include pulse width modulation (PWM) dimming and direct current (DC) dimming stages. The PWM dimming stage is used for brightness adjustment in the low brightness range, while the DC dimming stage is used for brightness adjustment in the high brightness range.

[0035] During the PWM dimming stage described above, the brightness can be changed by controlling the number of illuminated pixel rows in the display panel, or by adjusting the duty cycle value. Specifically, the more illuminated pixel rows or the higher the duty cycle value, the brighter the display panel; conversely, the fewer illuminated pixel rows or the lower the duty cycle value, the lower the brightness.

[0036] One important factor affecting the dimming accuracy of the aforementioned PWM dimming stage is the number of pixel rows controlled by a single sub-drive circuit in the drive circuit. In practical applications, to reduce equipment costs, multiple rows of pixels are typically controlled by a single sub-drive circuit, meaning that a single sub-drive circuit controls multiple pixel rows. Thus, in the aforementioned PWM dimming stage, the dimming can only be performed at the granularity of the number of pixel rows controlled by a single sub-drive circuit, rather than individually controlling the dimming of each pixel row, resulting in lower dimming accuracy in this stage.

[0037] The following uses the display device shown in Figure 1 as an example to illustrate the structure of the driving circuit in the display device and the connection relationship between the sub-driving circuits in the driving circuit and the display panel. The sub-driving circuit may include an array gate driver (GOA) and / or an array emit gate driver (EOA). For example, Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a display device provided in an embodiment of this application. The display device includes a driving circuit and a display panel. The driving circuit includes multiple cascaded GOAs and multiple cascaded EOAs. The display panel includes multiple pixel rows. Each GOA in the multiple cascaded GOAs can be connected to m pixel rows in the display panel, and each EOA in the multiple cascaded EOAs can be connected to n pixel rows in the display panel. m and n are positive integers. Figure 1 uses m=1 and n=2 as an example for illustration.

[0038] In the aforementioned display device, the multiple cascaded EOAs can change the brightness by controlling the number of illuminated pixel rows in the display panel during the PWM dimming phase. Each of the multiple cascaded EOAs is connected to n pixel rows in the display panel. Thus, during the PWM dimming phase, the brightness can only be adjusted at a granular level of n pixel rows, or in other words, the duty cycle value changes in the display panel during dimming with a minimum step value.

[0039] For example, Figures 2 and 3 show curves of duty cycle values ​​corresponding to different DBVs during the dimming process of a display panel. The horizontal axis of the curve represents DBV, and the vertical axis represents the duty cycle value. Curve Sa represents the duty cycle value corresponding to different DBVs in the theoretical scenario, and curve Sb represents the duty cycle value corresponding to different DBVs in the actual scenario. Among them, DBV1, DBV2, DBV3, and DBV4 represent multiple DBVs, which can also be called multiple binding points, and these multiple binding points are arranged in ascending order; d1, d2, d3, d4, and d5 represent multiple different DBVs and are arranged in ascending order.

[0040] In Figures 2 and 3 above, the duty cycle value corresponding to each binding point can be set. The duty cycle value corresponding to any DBV between two adjacent binding points can be obtained through interpolation, such as linear interpolation. In a theoretical scenario, curve Sa is obtained by linearly interpolating the duty cycle values ​​corresponding to the DBV between any two adjacent binding points. In a practical scenario, since it is impossible to control the lighting or extinguishing of each pixel row individually, the increase or decrease of this duty cycle value is discrete, and there is a minimum step value for the increase or decrease of this duty cycle value. Therefore, curve Sb is obtained by linearly interpolating the duty cycle values ​​corresponding to the DBV between any two adjacent binding points.

[0041] In practical applications, because there is a minimum step value for increasing or decreasing the duty cycle value, sudden changes can occur between the duty cycle values ​​corresponding to multiple consecutive DBVs. Furthermore, since the brightness of the display panel and the duty cycle value are directly proportional—that is, the higher the brightness of the display panel, the higher the duty cycle value, and vice versa—the brightness difference between multiple consecutive DBVs can be significant. This results in noticeable graininess during brightness adjustment, thus degrading the user experience.

[0042] In some possible embodiments, an EOA can be set separately for each pixel row in the display panel, allowing for individual control of the lighting or turning off of each pixel row, thereby improving the dimming accuracy during the PWM dimming stage. However, this method significantly increases the area and cost of the display device, thus limiting its use.

[0043] Based on this, embodiments of this application provide a brightness adjustment method. This method can improve the dimming accuracy of the display panel without changing the hardware structure of the display device by setting the difference between two adjacent DBVs and the difference between the duty cycle values ​​corresponding to two adjacent DBVs. For example, the multiple DBVs include adjacent first DBVs, second DBVs, and third DBVs. The absolute value of the difference between the third DBV and the second DBV is less than or equal to a first DBV threshold, and the absolute value of the difference between the first duty cycle value corresponding to the first DBV and the second duty cycle value corresponding to the second DBV is less than or equal to a preset duty cycle threshold.

[0044] The method provided in this application can be applied to various electronic devices with display devices. Optionally, the electronic device may include, but is not limited to: mobile phone, tablet computer, laptop computer, PDA, mobile internet device (MID), camera, wearable device, audio equipment, audio and video player, set-top box, game console, printer, mouse, keyboard, in-vehicle equipment, virtual reality (VR) device, augmented reality (AR) device, wireless terminal in industrial control, smart home device, smart robot, workshop equipment, wireless terminal in self-driving, wireless terminal in remote medical surgery, wireless terminal in smart grid, wireless terminal in transportation safety, wireless terminal in smart city, or wireless terminal in smart home, flight equipment, etc. For example, wearable devices include smartwatches, smart bracelets, pedometers, etc.; in-vehicle devices include equipment on vehicles such as cars, airplanes, ships, trains, and high-speed trains; smart home devices include refrigerators, televisions, air conditioners, electricity meters, etc.; and flying devices include intelligent robots, hot air balloons, drones, airplanes, etc. The structure of this electronic device is illustrated below with examples.

[0045] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application. The electronic device may include: a display device and a dimming module connected to the display device; wherein, the display device includes a connected display panel and a driving circuit, and the dimming module can be used to adjust the brightness of the display panel through the driving circuit.

[0046] For example, the dimming module can be used to adjust the brightness of the display panel by controlling the duty cycle value input to the drive circuit during the PWM dimming stage, and to adjust the brightness of the display panel by controlling the DC voltage input to the drive circuit during the DC dimming stage. PWM dimming can refer to a dimming method that controls the pixel rows of the display panel to alternately flash "on → off → ... → on → off" at a certain frequency within a very short time, and adjusts the brightness from 0% to 100% by adjusting the ratio of "on" and "off" time. DC dimming can refer to a dimming method that adjusts the brightness of the display panel by controlling the magnitude of the DC voltage.

[0047] In one possible embodiment, the driving circuit in the display device may include multiple cascaded GOAs and multiple cascaded EOAs, all of which may be connected to the display panel. For example, the multiple cascaded GOAs and multiple cascaded EOAs may be connected to different pixel rows in the display panel in a manner similar to Figure 1 above. Optionally, the display panel may be configured as a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, an active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) display, or the like.

[0048] In one possible embodiment, the dimming module may include a display driving circuit, which can be used to control the duty cycle value and DC voltage input to the driving circuit, so as to adjust the brightness of the display panel by means of the duty cycle value and the DC voltage. Furthermore, the display driving circuit can also be used to provide the driving circuit with the required clock signal and power supply voltage, and to provide the display panel with data signals and power supply voltage, etc., which will not be described in detail in this application embodiment. Optionally, the display driving circuit can be a display driver integrated chip (DDIC).

[0049] Furthermore, the electronic device may also include radio frequency (RF) circuitry, memory, input units, sensors, audio circuitry, a processor, and a power supply. Figure 4 only shows the display device and dimming module mentioned above; the RF circuitry, memory, input units, sensors, audio circuitry, processor, and power supply are not shown.

[0050] The RF circuitry is used to transmit and receive information, or to receive or send signals during a call. Specifically, it receives downlink information from the base station and processes it; additionally, it transmits uplink data to the base station. Typically, the RF circuitry includes, but is not limited to, an antenna, at least one amplifier, a transceiver, a coupler, a low-noise amplifier (LNA), and a duplexer. Furthermore, the RF circuitry can also communicate wirelessly with networks and other devices.

[0051] The memory can be used to store data, software programs, and modules; it includes a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area can store the operating system and applications required for at least one function, such as sound playback or image playback. The data storage area can store data created based on the use of the electronic device, such as audio data, image data, and a phone book. Furthermore, the electronic device may include high-speed random access memory and non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage device, flash memory device, or other volatile solid-state storage device. In embodiments of this application, the memory may include multiple memories, including a first memory and a second memory.

[0052] The input unit can be used to receive input numerical or character information, and to generate key signal inputs related to user settings and function control of the electronic device. For example, the input unit may include a touch panel and other input devices. The touch panel can collect touch operations performed by the user on or near it and drive corresponding connected devices according to a pre-set program. For example, touch operations may include operations performed by the user using a finger, stylus, or any suitable object or accessory on or near the touch panel. Further, the touch panel may cover the display panel. When the touch panel detects a touch operation on or near it, it transmits the information to the processor to determine the type of touch event. Subsequently, the processor provides corresponding visual output on the display panel based on the type of touch event. Optionally, other input devices may include, but are not limited to, one or more of a physical keyboard, function keys, a mouse, a joystick, etc., such as volume control buttons, a power switch button, etc.

[0053] The sensor may include one or more sensors for providing a state assessment of various aspects of the electronic device. The sensor may include an optical sensor, which can be used in imaging applications, i.e., as a component of a camera or video camera. Additionally, the sensor may include an accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, pressure sensor, or temperature sensor, which can detect acceleration / deceleration, orientation, on / off state, relative positioning of components, or temperature changes of the electronic device.

[0054] Audio circuitry, speakers, and microphones provide an audio interface between the user and the electronic device. The audio circuitry converts received audio data into electrical signals, transmits them to the speakers, and the speakers convert them into sound signals for output. Conversely, the microphone converts collected sound signals into electrical signals, which are then received by the audio circuitry, converted back into audio data, and output to the RF circuitry for transmission to, for example, another mobile phone, or to memory for further processing.

[0055] The processor is the control center of the electronic device. It connects various parts of the electronic device via various interfaces and lines, and performs various functions and processes data by running or executing software programs and / or modules stored in memory, and by calling data stored in memory, thereby providing overall control of the electronic device. Optionally, the processor may include one or more processing units, which may include, but are not limited to: a central processing unit (CPU), a network processing unit (NPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an image signal processor (ISP), a tensor processing unit (TPU), a data processing unit (DPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), a microcontroller, or a microprocessor. Furthermore, the processor may also include other hardware circuits or accelerators, such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. Optionally, the processor may also be a combination that implements computational functions, such as a combination of one or more microprocessors, or a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor.

[0056] The electronic device may also include a power supply (e.g., a battery) to power various components. The power supply can be connected to the processor logic via a power management system, which can then manage functions such as charging, discharging, and power consumption. Optionally, the power management system can support both fast charging and non-fast charging technologies. In practical applications, the power management system can charge the battery in the power supply using either fast charging or non-fast charging technologies.

[0057] The electronic device may also include a wireless fidelity (WiFi) module, a Bluetooth module, etc., which will not be described in detail in the embodiments of this application. Those skilled in the art will understand that the structure of the electronic device described above does not constitute a limitation on the electronic device. The electronic device may include more or fewer components than those listed above, or combine certain components, or have different component arrangements.

[0058] After introducing the structure of the electronic device, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below.

[0059] Figure 5 is a schematic flowchart of a brightness adjustment method provided in an embodiment of this application. The method can be applied to a display device including a driving circuit and a display panel. The display panel has multiple DBVs. The display device can be the display device in the above-mentioned electronic device. The method includes the following steps.

[0060] S201: The drive circuit receives a first signal and a second signal. The first signal is used to indicate the duty cycle value corresponding to different DBVs, and the second signal is used to indicate the DC voltage corresponding to different DBVs.

[0061] The DBV adjustment range corresponding to the display panel can be represented as DBV_min to DBV_max. DBV_min represents the minimum DBV within this adjustment range, and DBV_max represents the maximum DBV within the same range. DBV_min to DBV_max can include multiple consecutive DBVs increasing in 1 DBV granularity; that is, the difference between any two adjacent DBVs within these multiple consecutive DBVs can be 1 DBV, meaning the brightness adjustment granularity is 1 DBV. Within this DBV adjustment range, the specific values ​​of DBV_min and DBV_max can be set according to actual needs. For example, DBV_min can be 0, and DBV_max can be 5000. This embodiment does not impose specific limitations on this.

[0062] Furthermore, the multiple DBVs on the display panel can be multiple DBVs within the aforementioned DBV adjustment range. These multiple DBVs can also be referred to as multiple binding points. The duty cycle values ​​corresponding to these multiple DBVs can be set. For example, those skilled in the art can set the duty cycle values ​​corresponding to these multiple DBVs according to actual needs. The duty cycle values ​​corresponding to these multiple DBVs can also be stored in the electronic device where the display device is located. Each of the aforementioned multiple DBVs, along with its corresponding duty cycle value and brightness, can be collectively referred to as a band. Therefore, the multiple DBVs, their corresponding duty cycle values, and brightness can be referred to as multiple bands.

[0063] Furthermore, the multiple DBVs include adjacent first DBVs, second DBVs, and third DBVs. The absolute value of the difference between the third DBV and the second DBV is less than or equal to the threshold of the first DBV. The absolute value of the difference between the first duty cycle value corresponding to the first DBV and the second duty cycle value corresponding to the second DBV is less than or equal to a preset duty cycle threshold. That is, among the three adjacent DBVs, there are two adjacent DBVs with small differences, and there are also two adjacent DBVs with small differences in their corresponding duty cycle values.

[0064] Optionally, the absolute value of the difference between the third DBV and the first DBV is greater than or equal to the second DBV threshold, and the second DBV threshold is greater than the first DBV threshold; that is, the difference between the third DBV and the first DBV is relatively large. Optionally, the absolute value of the difference between the third duty cycle value corresponding to the third DBV and the first duty cycle value is greater than the preset duty cycle threshold; that is, the difference between the third duty cycle value and the first duty cycle value is relatively large.

[0065] In one possible example, the first DBV is less than the second DBV, the second DBV is less than the third DBV, the difference between the third DBV and the second DBV is equal to 1, and the difference between the first duty cycle value corresponding to the first DBV and the second duty cycle value corresponding to the second DBV is equal to 0. For example, the adjacent first DBV, second DBV, and third DBV can be 240, 409, and 410, respectively, and the first duty cycle value, second duty cycle value, and third duty cycle value can be 0.1, 0.1, and 0.144, respectively.

[0066] The aforementioned first DBV threshold and second DBV threshold can be preset, and the second DBV threshold is greater than the first DBV threshold. For example, the first DBV threshold is equal to 1, 2, 3, or 5, and the second DBV threshold is equal to 150, 180, 200, or 230. The specific values ​​of the first and second DBV thresholds can be set by those skilled in the art according to actual needs, and this application embodiment does not impose specific limitations on this. Similarly, the aforementioned preset duty cycle threshold can also be preset. For example, the preset duty cycle threshold can be equal to 0, 0.01, 0.02, or 0.05, and the specific value of the preset duty cycle threshold can be set by those skilled in the art according to actual needs, and this application embodiment does not impose specific limitations on this.

[0067] Optionally, the first DBV, second DBV, and third DBV mentioned above can be the DBVs of the PWM dimming stage. The PWM dimming stage is used for brightness adjustment in the low brightness range, and the DC dimming stage is used for brightness adjustment in the high brightness range. That is, the DBV of the PWM dimming stage is less than the DBV of the DC dimming stage. Thus, the first DBV, second DBV, and third DBV are three adjacent DBVs in the low brightness range. Here, the low brightness range and high brightness range are relative, and specific values ​​can be found in descriptions in related technologies. This application does not impose specific limitations on these values.

[0068] In one possible embodiment, when the brightness adjustment of the display panel is triggered, such as when a user changes the DBV by dragging the brightness bar of an electronic device, the duty cycle value indicated by the first signal received by the driving circuit will change, and the DC voltage indicated by the second signal received by the driving circuit will also change. The first signal can be used to indicate the duty cycle value corresponding to different DBVs during the DBV change process, and the second signal can be used to indicate the DC voltage corresponding to different DBVs during the DBV change process.

[0069] For example, when a user drags the brightness bar of an electronic device from 10dBV to 20dBV, the duty cycle value indicated by the first signal received by the driving circuit will gradually change from the duty cycle value corresponding to 10dBV to the duty cycle value corresponding to 20dBV following the user's operation, and the DC voltage indicated by the second signal received by the driving circuit will gradually change from the DC voltage corresponding to 10dBV to the DC voltage corresponding to 20dBV following the user's operation.

[0070] Optionally, the first and second signals received by the driving circuit can be sent by the display driving circuit in the electronic device; that is, the display driving circuit can be used to provide the first and second signals to the driving circuit.

[0071] S202: The driving circuit adjusts the brightness of the display panel according to the duty cycle value indicated by the first signal and the DC voltage indicated by the second signal.

[0072] The duty cycle value and the DC voltage can be used together to determine the brightness of the display panel, or the brightness of the display panel depends on the duty cycle value indicated by the first signal and the DC voltage indicated by the second signal. For example, the brightness Lv of the display panel, the duty cycle value R_duty, and the level value Code_dc corresponding to the DC voltage satisfy the following function: Lv = g(R_duty × Code_dc).

[0073] In one possible embodiment, when the brightness adjustment of the display panel is triggered, the duty cycle value indicated by the first signal and the DC voltage indicated by the second signal received by the driving circuit will change. The driving circuit can increase or decrease the brightness of the display panel according to the change in the duty cycle value and the change in the DC voltage.

[0074] The following example illustrates how the driving circuit adjusts the brightness of the display panel according to the duty cycle value indicated by the first signal and the DC voltage indicated by the second signal.

[0075] In one possible example, as shown in Figures 6(a) and (b), when the user drags the brightness bar of the electronic device from the first DBV to the second DBV, for example, the first DBV is 240 and the second DBV is 409, the first signal received by the driving circuit is used to indicate that the first duty cycle value increases to the second duty cycle value, and the second signal is used to indicate that the first DC voltage changes to the second DC voltage. Therefore, the driving circuit increases the brightness of the display panel from the first brightness to the second brightness. Further, as shown in Figures 6(b) and (c), when the user drags the brightness bar of the electronic device from the second DBV to the third DBV, for example, the second DBV is 409 and the third DBV is 410, the first signal received by the driving circuit is also used to indicate that the second duty cycle value increases to the third duty cycle value, and the second signal is also used to indicate that the second DC voltage changes to the third DC voltage. Therefore, the driving circuit increases the brightness of the display panel from the second brightness to the third brightness.

[0076] In another possible example, as shown in Figures 7(a) and (b), when the user drags the brightness bar of the electronic device from the third DBV to the second DBV, for example, the third DBV is 410 and the second DBV is 409, the first signal is used to indicate that the third duty cycle value decreases to the second duty cycle value, and the second signal is also used to indicate that the third DC voltage changes to the second DC voltage. The driving circuit then reduces the brightness of the display panel from the third brightness to the second brightness. Further, as shown in Figures 7(b) and (c), when the user drags the brightness bar of the electronic device from the second DBV to the first DBV, for example, the first DBV is 240 and the second DBV is 409, the first signal is also used to indicate that the second duty cycle value decreases to the first duty cycle value, and the second signal is also used to indicate that the second DC voltage changes to the first DC voltage. The driving circuit then reduces the brightness of the display panel from the second brightness to the first brightness.

[0077] It is understood that the above examples are all based on the user dragging the brightness bar of the electronic device to change the DBV. In practical applications, the electronic device can also actively adjust the brightness bar of the electronic device to change the DBV according to the user's environment or related settings, thereby realizing brightness adjustment according to the method provided in the embodiments of this application. Therefore, the above examples do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments of this application.

[0078] Furthermore, the brightness corresponding to different DBVs in the embodiments of this application can be obtained through calibration, for example, through gamma calibration. This gamma calibration refers to the process of calibrating the actual brightness corresponding to different DBVs to be close to the ideal brightness. Ideally, different DBVs correspond to different brightnesses, and the brightness corresponding to each DBV is preset; this preset brightness can be called the ideal brightness. However, in actual products, due to factors such as the structure, materials, and processes of the equipment, there will be a difference between the actual brightness corresponding to different DBVs and the ideal brightness. Therefore, gamma calibration can reduce the difference between the actual brightness and the ideal brightness corresponding to the same DBV, making the actual brightness closer to the ideal brightness.

[0079] For example, taking the calibration of the second brightness corresponding to the second DBV as an example, the corresponding calibration process may include: for the second brightness corresponding to the second DBV, after determining the second duty cycle value corresponding to the second DBV, the magnitude of the second DC voltage can be adjusted by gamma calibration according to the relationship between the second brightness, the second duty cycle value, and the second DC voltage, so that the magnitude of the second brightness is close to the ideal brightness corresponding to the second DBV, thereby achieving the calibration of the second brightness corresponding to the second DBV. The specific process of the above gamma calibration can be found in the description in related technologies, and will not be described in detail here.

[0080] For ease of understanding, the duty cycle values ​​corresponding to different DBVs and the brightness corresponding to different DBVs in the embodiments of this application and related technologies are compared and explained below.

[0081] For example, Figure 8 shows a graph of duty cycle values ​​corresponding to different DBVs during the dimming process of a display panel. The horizontal axis of the graph represents DBV and ranges from 0 to 600, while the vertical axis represents the duty cycle value and ranges from 0.10 to 0.22. Curve S1 represents the duty cycle value corresponding to different DBVs in related technologies, and curve S2 represents the duty cycle value corresponding to different DBVs in the embodiments of this application. In curve S1, the duty cycle value remains essentially constant at 0.1 when the DBV value is between 0 and 409. The duty cycle increases to 0.144 when the DBV value increases from 409 to 410, remains essentially constant at 0.144 when the DBV value is between 410 and 579, and increases to 0.23 when the DBV value increases to 580. Similarly, in curve S2, the duty cycle value remains essentially constant at 0.1 when the DBV value is between 0 and 240. The duty cycle increases linearly to 0.144 when the DBV value increases from 240 to 410, and increases linearly to 0.23 when the DBV value is between 410 and 580. It is understood that the specific values ​​of DBV and duty cycle in the above examples are merely illustrative and do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments of this application.

[0082] For example, Figure 9 shows a brightness curve corresponding to different DBVs during the dimming process of a display panel. The horizontal axis of the curve represents DBV, and the vertical axis represents brightness. Curve S3 shown in Figure 9(a) represents the brightness corresponding to different DBVs in related technologies, and curve S4 shown in Figure 9(b) represents the brightness corresponding to different DBVs in the embodiment of this application. In curve S3, the brightness change is abrupt when the DBV value changes in ascending order, which can cause brightness jumps during brightness adjustment. In contrast, the brightness change is gradual when the DBV value changes in ascending order in curve S4, thus avoiding brightness jumps during brightness adjustment.

[0083] As can be seen from the above examples, compared with related technologies, the embodiments of this application add a DBV between two DBVs whose duty cycle values ​​change abruptly in the related technologies, and set the duty cycle value and brightness corresponding to the added DBV. That is, by adding an auxiliary band, the difference between the added DBV and the next level DBV is small, and the duty cycle value corresponding to the added DBV is equal to or has a small difference from the duty cycle value corresponding to the previous level DBV. This allows the duty cycle values ​​corresponding to different DBVs to change in an ascending order to change in a stepwise manner. In this way, when the duty cycle value remains unchanged, it will not be affected by the minimum step value of the duty cycle value on the dimming accuracy. And when the duty cycle value changes abruptly, the brightness of the corresponding DBV is calibrated, so there will be no brightness jump.

[0084] In this embodiment, the display panel has multiple duty cycle values ​​(DBVs), including adjacent first DBVs, second DBVs, and third DBVs. The difference between the third DBV and the second DBV is small, and the difference between the first duty cycle value corresponding to the first DBV and the second duty cycle value corresponding to the second DBV is small. This ensures that when the driving circuit receives the first signal and the second signal and adjusts the brightness of the display panel according to the duty cycle value indicated by the first signal and the DC voltage indicated by the second signal, brightness jumps will not occur, thereby improving the dimming accuracy of the display panel and the user experience. Furthermore, this method does not require changes to the hardware structure of the display device, thus saving on the area and cost of the display device.

[0085] The above embodiments describe the solutions provided by the embodiments of this application from the perspective of a display device. It is understood that, in order to achieve the above functions, the display device includes hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function. Those skilled in the art should readily recognize that, in conjunction with the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in the embodiments disclosed herein, this application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed by hardware or by computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0086] This application embodiment can divide the display device into functional modules according to the above method example. For example, each function can be divided into its own functional modules, or two or more functions can be integrated into one module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional module. It should be noted that the module division in this application embodiment is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. The following description uses the division of functional modules according to each function as an example.

[0087] Figure 10 shows a schematic diagram of a display device according to the above embodiments, when using integrated units. The display device may include a first driving unit 301 and a second driving unit 302 for driving a display panel. The first driving unit 301 is used to perform the step of receiving a first signal in S201 of the above method embodiment, and the second driving unit 302 is used to perform the step of receiving a second signal in S201 of the above method embodiment. The first driving unit 301 and the second driving unit 302 are also used to perform S202 in the above method embodiment. All relevant content of each step involved in the above method embodiments can be referred to in the functional description of the corresponding functional module, and will not be repeated here.

[0088] Based on hardware implementation, the first driving unit 301 and the second driving unit 302 in this application embodiment can be driving circuits, which can be used to drive the display panel. In this application embodiment, the driving circuit can be used to execute one or more steps S201-S202 in the above method embodiment. For example, the first driving unit 301 may include multiple cascaded EOAs, and the second driving unit 302 may include multiple cascaded GOAs.

[0089] In another embodiment of this application, an electronic device is also provided, which includes a display driving circuit and a display device; wherein the display device can be any of the display devices provided above, and is used to perform the steps in the method embodiments provided above, and the display driving circuit is used to provide a first signal and a second signal to the display device.

[0090] It is understood that all relevant content of each step involved in the above method embodiments can be referenced in the embodiments of the display device and the embodiments of the electronic device, and will not be repeated here.

[0091] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For instance, the division of modules or units is merely a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another apparatus, or some features may be ignored or not executed.

[0092] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. A component shown as a unit can be one or more physical units; that is, it can be located in one place or distributed in multiple different locations. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0093] If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a readable storage medium. This readable storage medium may include various media capable of storing program code, such as a USB flash drive, external hard drive, read-only memory, random access memory, magnetic disk, or optical disk. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the embodiments of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product.

[0094] In another embodiment of this application, a readable storage medium is also provided, which stores computer-executable instructions that are executed by a device (which may be a microcontroller, chip, etc.) or a processor when executing the steps in the above method embodiments.

[0095] In another embodiment of this application, a computer program product is also provided, the computer program product including computer instructions stored in a readable storage medium; at least one processor of the device can read the computer instructions from the readable storage medium, and the at least one processor executes the computer instructions to cause the device to perform the steps in the above method embodiments.

[0096] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A brightness adjustment method, characterized in that, Applied to a display device including a driving circuit and a display panel, wherein the display panel has multiple brightness levels (DBV), the method includes: The driving circuit receives a first signal and a second signal. The first signal is used to indicate the duty cycle value corresponding to different DBVs, and the second signal is used to indicate the DC voltage corresponding to different DBVs. The driving circuit adjusts the brightness of the display panel according to the duty cycle value indicated by the first signal and the DC voltage indicated by the second signal; The plurality of DBVs include adjacent first DBV, second DBV and third DBV, wherein the absolute value of the difference between the third DBV and the second DBV is less than or equal to the first DBV threshold, and the absolute value of the difference between the first duty cycle value corresponding to the first DBV and the second duty cycle value corresponding to the second DBV is less than or equal to the preset duty cycle threshold.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The absolute value of the difference between the third DBV and the first DBV is greater than or equal to the second DBV threshold, and the second DBV threshold is greater than the first DBV threshold; and / or, The absolute value of the difference between the third duty cycle value corresponding to the third DBV and the first duty cycle value is greater than the preset duty cycle threshold.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first DBV, the second DBV, and the third DBV are DBVs in the pulse width modulation (PWM) dimming stage.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The driving circuit adjusts the brightness of the display panel according to the duty cycle value indicated by the first signal and the DC voltage indicated by the second signal, including: When the first DBV corresponds to the first DC voltage and the second DBV corresponds to the second DC voltage, the first signal is used to indicate that the first duty cycle value increases to the second duty cycle value, and the second signal is used to indicate that when the first DC voltage changes to the second DC voltage, the brightness of the display panel is increased from the first brightness to the second brightness. The first DBV corresponds to the first brightness and the second DBV corresponds to the second brightness.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The driving circuit adjusts the brightness of the display panel according to the duty cycle value indicated by the first signal and the DC voltage indicated by the second signal, including: When the first DBV corresponds to the first DC voltage, the second DBV corresponds to the second DC voltage, the first signal indicates that the second duty cycle value decreases to the first duty cycle value, and the second signal indicates that the second DC voltage changes to the first DC voltage, the brightness of the display panel is reduced from the second brightness to the first brightness, where the first DBV corresponds to the first brightness and the second DBV corresponds to the second brightness.

6. A display device, characterized in that, The display device includes: a driving circuit and a display panel, the display panel having multiple brightness levels (DBV); The driving circuit is used to receive a first signal and a second signal, wherein the first signal is used to indicate the duty cycle value corresponding to different DBVs, and the second signal is used to indicate the DC voltage corresponding to different DBVs. The driving circuit is also used to adjust the brightness of the display panel according to the duty cycle value indicated by the first signal and the DC voltage indicated by the second signal; The plurality of DBVs include adjacent first DBV, second DBV and third DBV, wherein the absolute value of the difference between the third DBV and the second DBV is less than or equal to the first DBV threshold, and the absolute value of the difference between the first duty cycle value corresponding to the first DBV and the second duty cycle value corresponding to the second DBV is less than or equal to the preset duty cycle threshold.

7. The display device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The absolute value of the difference between the third DBV and the first DBV is greater than or equal to the second DBV threshold, and the second DBV threshold is greater than the first DBV threshold; and / or, The absolute value of the difference between the third duty cycle value corresponding to the third DBV and the first duty cycle value is greater than the preset duty cycle threshold.

8. The display device according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, The first DBV, the second DBV, and the third DBV are DBVs in the pulse width modulation (PWM) dimming stage.

9. The display device according to any one of claims 6-8, characterized in that, The driving circuit is further configured to, when the first DBV corresponds to a first DC voltage, the second DBV corresponds to a second DC voltage, the first signal indicates that the first duty cycle value increases to the second duty cycle value, and the second signal indicates that the first DC voltage changes to the second DC voltage, increase the brightness of the display panel from a first brightness to a second brightness. One DBV corresponds to the first brightness, and the second DBV corresponds to the second brightness.

10. The display device according to any one of claims 6-8, characterized in that, The driving circuit is further configured to reduce the brightness of the display panel from a second brightness to a first brightness when the first DBV corresponds to a first DC voltage, the second DBV corresponds to a second DC voltage, the first signal indicates that the second duty cycle value decreases to the first duty cycle value, and the second signal indicates that the second DC voltage changes to the first DC voltage, wherein the first DBV corresponds to the first brightness and the second DBV corresponds to the second brightness.

11. An electronic device, characterized in that, The electronic device includes a display driver chip and a display device, wherein the display device is the display device as described in any one of claims 6-10, and the display driver chip provides a first signal and a second signal to the display device.

12. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores instructions that, when executed on the device, cause the device to perform the brightness adjustment method as described in any one of claims 1 to 5.

13. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes a computer program that, when run on a device, causes the device to perform the brightness adjustment method as described in any one of claims 1 to 5.

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