Display Luminance Control Using Ambient-Aware Gamma and Power Voltage

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing display devices face challenges in reducing power consumption while maintaining image quality, particularly in varying ambient illumination conditions, with existing luminance control methods leading to potential image degradation and power inefficiencies.

Innovation Solution

A luminance control unit that adjusts driving power voltage and gamma voltages based on ambient illumination intensity and Average Pixel Level (APL), setting different voltage levels for different reference brightnesses to optimize luminance and reduce power consumption without degrading image quality.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If the low-potential driving power voltage is adjusted in the CAPS function to reduce power consumption, then power consumption is reduced, but a weak bright spot occurs degrading image quality

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidimage quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by differentiating the treatment of different pixel regions based on their luminance characteristics. High-luminance pixels (potential bright spots) are identified and handled differently from other pixels through separate gamma voltage correction, allowing power reduction in non-critical areas while maintaining image quality in critical bright spot areas.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes parameters by introducing separate gamma voltage correction specifically for high-luminance pixels. Instead of uniformly adjusting the low-potential driving power voltage for all pixels, the system selectively applies gamma voltage adjustment to pixels above a threshold luminance level, thereby preventing weak bright spots while still achieving power consumption reduction overall.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Use of energy by moving object

If luminance of input image data is collectively modulated according to APL in the ACL function, then power consumption is reduced and user requirement for high-luminance emission is satisfied, but image quality degradation occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidimage quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by identifying and separately handling high-luminance pixels that would form bright spots. These pixels are subjected to specific gamma voltage correction while other pixels follow the collective APL-based modulation, thus locally preserving image quality in critical areas while maintaining overall power reduction benefits.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the pixel population into different groups based on luminance thresholds. Pixels above the threshold (potential bright spots) are processed differently through separate gamma voltage correction, while pixels below the threshold follow the standard APL-based collective modulation, enabling differentiated control to prevent image quality degradation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3712876B1Luminance control unit and display device including the same
Publication Date: 2026.04.29 SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO LTD
  • EP3712876B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3712876B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3712876B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

A luminance control unit includes: a driving power voltage setting unit configured to determine a driving power voltage to be provided to a display panel, the driving power voltage corresponding to a target brightness, based on a plurality of driving power voltages respectively corresponding to a plurality of reference brightnesses of the display panel; and a gamma voltage setting unit configured to determine a target luminance corresponding to the target brightness, based on a plurality of target luminances respectively corresponding to the plurality of reference brightnesses, and to set gamma voltages for implementing the target luminance, wherein the driving power voltage and the gamma voltages are differently set with respect to the same reference brightness according to an ambient illumination intensity of the display panel.