AMOLED Burn-in Prevention via Grayscale Edge Pixel Intensity Adjustment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing display technologies fail to effectively prevent screen burn-ins in AMOLED displays, particularly when static images are displayed at high intensity levels for extended periods, as they often require noticeable changes to the image, which can be unappealing to users.

Innovation Solution

An image processing apparatus and method that identifies grayscale edge pixels in static display areas, adjusts their intensity levels to average or lower values based on neighboring pixels, and repeats this process until the static display part no longer contains high-intensity pixels, thereby preventing burn-ins without significantly altering the displayed content.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the static image is shifted or resized significantly to prevent screen burn-ins, then the screen burn-in risk is reduced, but the display content changes noticeably which degrades user experience

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvescreen burn-in preventionVSAvoiduser experience
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies different processing strategies to different regions of the static image. Specifically, it identifies grayscale edge pixels (which are more prone to burn-in) and applies intensity adjustment only to these localized regions rather than the entire image. This allows burn-in prevention where needed while preserving the overall visual appearance and user experience.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the intensity level parameter of specific pixels (grayscale edge pixels) rather than making significant geometric changes to the image. By adjusting the intensity parameter of affected pixels to match neighboring pixels, it prevents burn-in while keeping the changes imperceptible to users, thus maintaining ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Illumination intensity

If the intensity level of static image pixels is maintained at high levels, then the image quality and visual impact are preserved, but the aging of TFTs and OLEDs accelerates causing screen burn-ins

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimage intensity levelVSAvoiddisplay device lifespan
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent selectively adjusts the intensity of specific pixels (grayscale edge pixels) rather than uniformly reducing the intensity of the entire image. This localized approach preserves the overall image quality and visual impact while preventing burn-in only in the vulnerable edge regions, thus resolving the contradiction between maintaining high intensity and extending device lifespan.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent identifies grayscale edge pixels as the harmful elements causing burn-in and converts this harmful characteristic into a beneficial identification criterion. By detecting and specifically adjusting these problematic pixels, the system prevents burn-in while minimizing the impact on overall image quality, effectively turning the burn-in risk into a targeted protection strategy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Reliability

If existing technologies apply small scaling or slight movement to static images, then some burn-in prevention is achieved, but the majority of the static image remains at high intensity levels continuing to cause burn-ins

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveburn-in prevention effectivenessVSAvoidprocessing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and isolates the problematic grayscale edge pixels from the rest of the static image for targeted processing. By identifying and separating these specific pixels that are prone to burn-in, the system applies intensity adjustment only to them rather than processing the entire image, thus achieving effective burn-in prevention without excessive processing complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies the principle of partial action by focusing intensity adjustment only on the grayscale edge pixels that are most susceptible to burn-in, rather than applying uniform processing to the entire image. This partial processing approach achieves sufficient burn-in prevention while minimizing the computational complexity and processing overhead.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP3286750B1Image processing method and apparatus for preventing screen burn-ins and related display apparatus
Publication Date: 2023.04.19 BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO LTD
  • EP3286750B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3286750B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3286750B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

A display apparatus with display screen burn-ins prevention functions is provided, the display apparatus comprises a calculation module (502) configured to identify a set of to-be-adjusted grayscale edge pixels corresponding to a static display part in a detection area based on a plurality of sets of grayscale edge pixels identified from a plurality of images in the detection area at different time instances; a determination module (504) configured to determine whether the set of to-be-adjusted grayscale edge pixels is an empty set; and an adjustment module (508) configured to adjust intensity levels of the to-be-adjusted grayscale edge pixels when the determination module (504) determines that the set of to-be-adjusted grayscale edge pixels is not an empty set.