Display Lighting Control Circuit Virtual Subframe Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current display apparatuses face challenges in increasing the number of subframes for multi-gradation display without accelerating the frame rate, leading to complex hardware requirements and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A display apparatus and method that utilize a lighting control circuit to divide one frame into virtual subframes, selectively displaying a subset of these subframes in one frame cycle and redistributing the undisplayed subframes in subsequent frames, allowing for increased subframe count without raising the actual frame rate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the number of subframes is increased to achieve higher multi-gradation display, then the number of gradations is improved, but the frame cycle becomes shorter requiring faster operation and more complex hardware
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides one frame into M virtual subframes (where M can be 8 or more for high gradation display) but only displays N physical subframes (where N is limited by hardware capabilities, typically 2-4). This segmentation allows the system to conceptually handle M subframes for precise gradation control while physically displaying only N subframes, resolving the contradiction between high gradation requirements and hardware limitations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates virtual subframes as software representations that extend beyond the physical display capabilities. By generating M virtual subframes and selectively mapping them to N physical subframes through a lighting control circuit, the system achieves high-gradation display effects without requiring hardware capable of handling all M subframes simultaneously. The undisplayed virtual subframes are carried over to subsequent frames.
2Manufacturing precision
If the number of subframes is increased to achieve higher multi-gradation display, then the number of gradations is improved, but the subframe cycle becomes shorter requiring faster operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the handling of virtual subframes from physical display subframes. The lighting control circuit processes M virtual subframes at software speed (which can be very fast) but only triggers N physical display subframes at hardware speed (which is limited). This allows gradation calculations for M subframes to be performed quickly in software while the physical display operates at its maximum capable speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary processing of display data by dividing it into M virtual subframes in advance, calculating the gradation requirements for all M subframes before actual display. The lighting control circuit then selectively activates only N physical subframes based on these pre-calculated virtual subframes, avoiding the need to physically operate at the faster speed required for all M subframes.
3Manufacturing precision
If the number of subframes is increased to achieve higher multi-gradation display, then the number of gradations is improved, but the structure becomes more complicated and cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses virtual subframes as software copies that represent display time slots without requiring physical hardware for each subframe. By implementing the M-subframe system through software processing in the lighting control circuit rather than through additional physical display hardware, the system achieves high gradation display capability at minimal cost, using only standard LED display hardware capable of handling N physical subframes.
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting control circuit is designed to handle both the generation of M virtual subframes and the selective activation of N physical subframes using a single integrated component. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for separate hardware systems for high-gradation display, reducing overall system complexity and cost while maintaining the ability to achieve M-level gradations through software-controlled time-division multiplexing.
Data Source
AI summary
A display apparatus includes a display, a voltage controller, a current driver, and a lighting control circuit. The control by the lighting control circuit is such that one frame is divided into N-pieces of subframes (the N is a natural number equal to or greater than two) which can be displayed at a predetermined frame rate f. In first frame cycle, one frame is divided into M-pieces of virtual subframes (the M is a natural number greater than the N), and N-pieces out of the M-pieces of the virtual subframes are selected as first displayed subframes and displayed on the display. Unselected (M−N) pieces of the virtual subframes are not displayed in the first frame cycle. In second frame cycle subsequent to the first frame cycle, the virtual subframes corresponding to undisplayed virtual subframes in the first frame cycle are selected as second displayed subframes.