Configurable Backlighting with Planar Emission Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing display technologies face challenges in achieving efficient power management and cost-effectiveness in local dimming, as they often require high computational resources and are prohibitively expensive when attempting to match the high resolution of liquid crystal displays with planar emission devices.
Innovation Solution
A configurable backlight unit with a zone arrangement that allows for separate control of brightness levels across multiple zones, using planar emission devices distributed in a matrix, where the number, size, and shape of zones can be adjusted to optimize power savings and cost, with processing done locally for each zone to reduce computational load.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If planar emission devices are used to match the high resolution of liquid crystal displays for local dimming, then image quality and local brightness control are improved, but device cost and manufacturing complexity increase prohibitively
Solution Approach 1:
The display is divided into multiple independently controllable zones rather than controlling each pixel individually. This segmentation allows local dimming to be achieved with fewer emission devices, reducing cost while maintaining the ability to control brightness in different regions of the display
Solution Approach 2:
Different zones of the display are assigned different brightness levels based on local image content requirements. This allows the system to apply illumination quality selectively to where it is needed most, rather than uniformly across the entire display, optimizing both image quality and resource usage
2Measurement precision
If planar emission devices are distributed across the display at high resolution for local dimming, then local brightness control precision is improved, but computational resources and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The display area is segmented into multiple zones that can be independently controlled. This reduces the computational burden by grouping pixels into zones, where each zone can be adjusted as a unit rather than calculating individual pixel brightness, thereby reducing processing requirements while maintaining adequate local dimming precision
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies local dimming control at the zone level rather than at the full pixel level, which is a partial action approach. This provides sufficient local brightness control precision for most practical applications without requiring the excessive computational resources that would be needed for pixel-level control
3Use of energy by moving object
If more planar emission devices are used to increase local dimming resolution, then power savings from targeted dimming are improved, but device cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The display is divided into multiple controllable zones that can be independently dimmed. This segmentation enables the system to achieve power savings by selectively reducing brightness in specific zones where the image content allows it, without requiring a planar emission device at every pixel location
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the brightness parameter of different zones based on local image content analysis. By changing brightness levels selectively in different zones rather than uniformly, the system achieves significant power savings while using a manageable number of planar emission devices
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
This approach enables efficient power management, reduces computational resources, and achieves cost-effective local dimming by processing frame data zone-by-zone, allowing for thinner form factors in electronic devices while maintaining image quality and minimizing artifacts.
Implementation Method 1
backlight units with planar emission devices distributed across a plurality of separately controlled zones or regions
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device includes a backlight unit and a liquid crystal layer adjacent the backlight unit. The backlight unit has a plurality of planar emission devices distributed over a viewable display area. The plurality of planar emission devices are disposed in a configurable zone arrangement having a plurality of zones of the viewable area. Each zone includes at least one planar emission device. The liquid crystal layer is configured to selectively filter light generated by the plurality of planar emission devices. The electronic device further includes a processor coupled to the backlight unit and configured to control a brightness level of the at least one planar emission device in each zone separately from other planar emission devices in other zones.