AMOLED Thermal Compensation via Selective Pixel Interpolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Active matrix organic light emitting device (AMOLED) displays face challenges in determining the thermal conditions of each pixel due to uneven power consumption and anisotropic heat conduction, leading to non-uniform surface temperature profiles that impact display quality and require additional components like thermal sensors for accurate temperature measurement.
Innovation Solution
A current-biased, voltage-programmed display panel with a controller that applies programming voltage to drive transistors to control pixel brightness and estimate the temperature of non-selected pixels based on determined temperatures from selected pixels, using methods like thermal sensors, voltage measurements, and interpolation techniques to achieve efficient real-time temperature profiling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If thermal sensors and additional computational circuitry are added to each pixel to determine temperature accurately, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the temperature measurement function from individual pixel-level thermal sensors and relocates it to a centralized controller that reads temperature data from selected pixels only. This eliminates the need for thermal sensors and computational circuitry in every pixel, reducing device complexity while maintaining measurement precision through selective sampling and interpolation.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller performs multiple functions: it drives the display pixels and simultaneously reads temperature data from selected pixels to determine the thermal profile of the entire display. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate dedicated thermal measurement systems, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining accurate temperature monitoring.
2Measurement precision
If temperature data is collected from all pixels in real-time, then measurement precision is improved, but productivity decreases due to increased data processing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements partial action by collecting temperature data from only a selected subset of pixels rather than all pixels. The controller determines temperatures for selected pixels and uses interpolation to estimate temperatures for non-selected pixels, reducing data processing requirements while maintaining sufficient thermal profile accuracy for compensation purposes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses interpolation to create a complete thermal profile by copying and estimating temperature values for non-selected pixels based on the measured temperatures of selected pixels. This approach reconstructs the full thermal information set from partial measurements, maintaining measurement precision while significantly reducing the data processing burden.
3Manufacturing precision
If thermal compensation is applied to all pixels, then display quality is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional control circuitry
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the thermal compensation function from a pixel-level control architecture and implements it at the controller level. The controller calculates compensation values based on the thermal profile derived from selected pixels and applies corrections to the video stream for all pixels, eliminating the need for complex per-pixel compensation circuitry while maintaining display quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the existing controller infrastructure to perform thermal compensation without requiring additional dedicated compensation circuitry. The controller leverages its existing capabilities to read temperature data, calculate compensation values, and adjust the video stream, allowing the system to self-compensate for thermal effects using existing components.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables accurate and efficient real-time extraction of surface thermal profiles, allowing for proper compensation of thermal effects and improving display quality by minimizing visual artifacts caused by temperature variations.
Implementation Method 1
The OLEDs emit light based on current supplied through a drive transistor
Implementation Method 2
The power consumed in each pixel has a direct relation with the magnitude of the generated light in that pixel... uneven power consumption profile... lead to a highly non-uniform surface temperature profile
Implementation Method 3
anisotropic lateral heat conduction of the panel (e.g. lower conduction in the panel edges)
Implementation Method 4
differential heat convection in vertical orientation
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a circuit and technique to determine the temperature of an AMOLED display in order to calibrate programming data signals. The temperature of selected pixels of a plurality of pixels in an AMOLED display is measured via one of several disclosed methods. A thermal sensor for the selected pixels may be used. A measurement of output voltage data may be used to estimate temperature. A finite element analysis model may be used based on consumed power of the selected pixel. The temperature data for the selected pixel is then interpolated to the neighboring non-selected pixels to estimate the temperature of those pixels.