Color Data Driver for Emissive Displays

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems for driving pixels with more than three primary color subpixels in emissive displays face challenges such as increased data transfer rate, driver size, and power consumption, particularly evident in higher resolution displays like 4K at higher frame rates, due to the need for additional channels and outputs.

Innovation Solution

A color data driver system that uses a switch fabric and color decoder to selectively route analog color data to only the active primary color subpixels, reducing the number of decoders and DACs required by utilizing color bits to determine the switching state and connect inactive outputs to bias voltages, thereby optimizing data transfer and reducing unnecessary outputs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If additional channels and outputs are added to drive pixels with more than three primary color subpixels, then the display can support more color subpixels (RGBW, etc.), but the data transfer rate increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of color subpixels supportedVSAvoiddata transfer rate

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically determines the number of active primary color subpixels for each pixel and adjusts the number of decoders and data channels accordingly. The color decoder selectively activates only the necessary number of decoders (e.g., 3 out of 4) based on the actual pixel configuration, making the data transfer rate adaptive rather than fixed at the maximum possible value.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the operational parameters (number of active decoders, data channels) based on the detected pixel type. By detecting whether a pixel has 3 or 4 active subpixels and adjusting the decoder activation accordingly, the system optimizes the data transfer rate to match the actual requirements rather than always operating at maximum capacity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Adaptability or versatility

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of color subpixels supportedVSAvoiddriver size

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The color decoder is designed with multi-functionality to handle both 3-subpixel and 4-subpixel configurations using the same hardware structure. The single color decoder unit can selectively activate different numbers of decoders based on the pixel type, eliminating the need for separate driver circuits for different pixel configurations and reducing overall driver size.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The driver dynamically configures its internal structure by selectively activating only the necessary number of decoders based on the detected pixel type. This dynamic reconfiguration allows the driver to maintain full functionality for both RGB and RGBW pixels while using fewer active components, thereby reducing the effective driver size.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Adaptability or versatility

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of color subpixels supportedVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies partial action by activating only the necessary number of decoders and data channels based on the actual pixel configuration. Instead of always operating all 4 decoders and channels, the system activates only 3 decoders for RGB pixels or 4 decoders for RGBW pixels, reducing unnecessary power consumption while maintaining full functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

4Speed

If the number of decoders is reduced to match the maximum number of active primary color subpixels, then the data transfer rate and driver size are reduced, but the system must selectively route color data to the correct outputs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata transfer rateVSAvoidswitching control complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The color decoder acts as an intermediary between the data input and the pixel outputs, providing intelligent routing of color data to the correct active subpixels. This intermediary component manages the switching and routing logic, simplifying the overall system architecture while enabling selective data delivery to the appropriate number of outputs based on the detected pixel type.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS10446086B2Systems and methods of multiple color driving

Publication Date: 2019.10.15 IGNIS INNOVATION

AI summary

Systems and methods of color data driving for light emissive visual display technology, and particularly to systems and methods for driving pixels with more than three primary color subpixels. Only a subset of the total number of subpixels per pixel are driven at any one time reducing the number of decoders/DACs. The decoders/DACs are coupled by a color decoder only to the active subpixels using a switching fabric.