Backlight Reconstruction Throttling for Power Management

Solution Overview

Problem

Electronic displays using multiple emissive elements for backlighting face issues due to varying strengths of these elements, leading to display artifacts and high power consumption during backlight reconstruction and compensation processes.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a backlight reconstruction and compensation (BRC) unit with throttling circuitry to limit the BRC duty cycle and reduce peak current consumption, allowing for power savings by throttling the BRC unit's operation and other image processing components, such as the backlight backend, during low utilization periods.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If backlight reconstruction and compensation is performed at full capacity to correct emissive element variations, then display uniformity is improved, but power consumption increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedisplay uniformityVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements periodic backlight reconstruction and compensation operations instead of continuous full-capacity processing. The system performs BRC operations at specific intervals (e.g., periodically rather than continuously) and dynamically adjusts processing intensity based on content characteristics, thereby reducing overall power consumption while maintaining display uniformity when needed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts the backlight reconstruction and compensation processing intensity based on real-time conditions. The processing capacity is modulated according to power availability, display content characteristics, and operational context, allowing the system to optimize between uniformity correction and power consumption on a dynamic basis

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Measurement precision

If backlight reconstruction processing runs continuously at full capacity, then compensation accuracy is maintained, but peak current consumption exceeds available power limits

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompensation accuracyVSAvoidpeak current consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSPower

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies partial backlight reconstruction processing rather than full-capacity continuous processing. By performing BRC operations selectively and at reduced intensity during certain periods, the system maintains adequate compensation accuracy while ensuring peak current consumption remains within available power limits

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements periodic backlight reconstruction and compensation operations instead of continuous full-capacity processing. The system performs BRC operations at specific intervals (e.g., periodically rather than continuously) and dynamically adjusts processing intensity based on content characteristics, thereby reducing overall power consumption while maintaining display uniformity when needed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

3Use of energy by moving object

If backlight reconstruction is throttled to reduce power consumption, then power usage is reduced, but processing capability decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidprocessing capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts the backlight reconstruction and compensation processing intensity based on real-time conditions. The processing capacity is modulated according to power availability, display content characteristics, and operational context, allowing the system to optimize between uniformity correction and power consumption on a dynamic basis

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS11842700B2Backlight reconstruction and compensation-based throttling

Publication Date: 2023.12.12 APPLE INC

AI summary

Throttling circuitry may throttle the backlight reconstruction via backlight reconstruction and compensation circuitry in a display pipeline when power may be limited. This throttling of the display pipeline may limit a number of cycles that may be used for performing backlight reconstruction and compensation.