Display Panel Grayscale Enhancement via Data Segmentation

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional display panels are limited by the data bandwidth of their driver circuits, which restricts the achievable grayscale levels, and increasing this bandwidth requires higher circuit integration density or larger chip areas, leading to increased costs.

Innovation Solution

A method that processes image data by dividing it into a low-order part and a high-order part, reconstructing multiple sets of new image data with enhanced grayscale levels, and forwarding these sets to the driver circuit in specific time periods, allowing the display panel to achieve higher grayscale levels without increasing the data bandwidth of the driver chip.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the data bandwidth of the driver circuit is increased to achieve higher grayscale levels, then the grayscale level is improved, but the chip area and circuit integration density must be increased, leading to higher manufacturing costs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegrayscale levelVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The image data is segmented into multiple sub-frames, each containing a subset of the total pixel data. This segmentation allows the system to transmit high-resolution image data (e.g., 16-bit grayscale) by dividing it into multiple lower-resolution transmissions (e.g., four 12-bit sub-frames), thereby achieving high grayscale levels without requiring the driver circuit to handle the full data bandwidth simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The image data is transmitted in periodic sub-frames over multiple time periods. Each sub-frame is sent sequentially during different time intervals, allowing the driver circuit to process and display each subset of pixel data in turn. This periodic transmission approach enables high grayscale precision while maintaining a data bandwidth that matches the driver circuit's capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

2Measurement precision

If the data bandwidth of the driver circuit is increased to achieve higher grayscale levels, then the grayscale level is improved, but the circuit integration density must be increased, leading to higher manufacturing costs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegrayscale levelVSAvoidcircuit integration density

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The image data is segmented into multiple sub-frames, each containing a subset of the total pixel data. This segmentation allows the system to transmit high-resolution image data (e.g., 16-bit grayscale) by dividing it into multiple lower-resolution transmissions (e.g., four 12-bit sub-frames), thereby achieving high grayscale levels without requiring the driver circuit to handle the full data bandwidth simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The image data is transmitted in periodic sub-frames over multiple time periods. Each sub-frame is sent sequentially during different time intervals, allowing the driver circuit to process and display each subset of pixel data in turn. This periodic transmission approach enables high grayscale precision while maintaining a data bandwidth that matches the driver circuit's capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

3Measurement precision

If the chip area is increased to accommodate higher data bandwidth requirements, then the grayscale level is improved, but the manufacturing cost is increased

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegrayscale levelVSAvoidchip area

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The image data is segmented into multiple sub-frames, each containing a subset of the total pixel data. This segmentation allows the system to transmit high-resolution image data (e.g., 16-bit grayscale) by dividing it into multiple lower-resolution transmissions (e.g., four 12-bit sub-frames), thereby achieving high grayscale levels without requiring the driver circuit to handle the full data bandwidth simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The image data is transmitted in periodic sub-frames over multiple time periods. Each sub-frame is sent sequentially during different time intervals, allowing the driver circuit to process and display each subset of pixel data in turn. This periodic transmission approach enables high grayscale precision while maintaining a data bandwidth that matches the driver circuit's capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentUS10923017B2Method for processing image data with enhanced grayscale level for display panel

Publication Date: 2021.02.16 BEIJING BOE OPTOELECTRONCIS TECH CO LTD

AI summary

The present application discloses a method for processing image data with enhanced grayscale level for a display panel. The method includes receiving image data with a maximum grayscale level up to (M+N)-bit. The method further includes dividing the image data of the (M+N)-bit to a first set of data including low-order part up to M-bit and a second set of data including high-order part up to N-bit. Additionally, the method includes reconstructing multiple sets of new image data up to N-bit based on the first set of data and the second set of data. Furthermore, the method includes forwarding the multiple sets of new image data to the driver circuit respectively in multiple divisional time periods and driving the display panel to display image using the multiple sets of new image data.