Display Link Lane Segmentation for Power Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electronic devices with display links consume power even during periods of non-transmission, as the duration of inactivity is insufficient to shut down the display link due to energy costs and settling time of power signals, leading to inefficient power management.
Innovation Solution
The display link is divided into multiple lanes, where each lane corresponds to a super-column of pixels, and default values are omitted from transmission, allowing for lane deactivation during non-transmission periods, with a partial-display map used to interpret and reinsert omitted pixels upon reactivation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the display link is continuously active to ensure immediate data transmission, then the response time and reliability are improved, but the power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The display link is divided into multiple independent lanes, each capable of being activated or deactivated separately. This segmentation allows the system to activate only the necessary lanes for current transmission needs, reducing overall power consumption while maintaining reliable data transmission through available lanes.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of continuous operation, the display link lanes are activated periodically only when data transmission is required. The system transitions lanes between active and inactive states based on transmission demands, eliminating unnecessary power consumption during idle periods while ensuring immediate responsiveness when activation is needed.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the display link is shut down during non-transmission periods to save power, then energy expenditure is reduced, but the settling time and energy costs of toggling increase
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the display link into multiple lanes, the system can deactivate individual lanes during non-transmission periods while keeping other lanes active. This reduces the settling time penalty because fewer lanes need to be reactivated simultaneously, and the total energy saved is significant without requiring full link shutdown and recovery.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies partial deactivation by shutting down only the specific lanes that are not currently needed for transmission, rather than shutting down the entire display link. This partial action reduces power consumption effectively while minimizing the toggling overhead and settling time associated with full shutdown and restart.
3Productivity
If default values are omitted from transmission to reduce data volume, then the transmission efficiency and power savings are improved, but the complexity of data interpretation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and removes default values from the image data stream before transmission over the display link. By taking out these redundant default pixels that would otherwise be transmitted unnecessarily, the system reduces data volume and improves transmission efficiency, while the display device reconstructs the complete image by interpreting the omitted default values.
Solution Approach 2:
The display device performs self-service by automatically interpreting and reconstructing the image data from the compressed stream that has had default values removed. The display hardware includes functionality to identify and restore default pixel values at appropriate positions, eliminating the need for external processing and keeping the system simple despite the compressed data format.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for reducing power consumption of a display link by compacting image data to allow the display link to be deactivated for a longer duration. For instance, pixels that correspond to a preset or default value for a display may be omitted from pixel data sent over the display link. Additionally or alternatively, the display link may be divided into multiple lanes that function independently so that a lane of the display link may be deactivated while other lanes are actively transmitting image data.