Mask Encoding for Display Driver Memory Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional display panels with arbitrary forms require significant memory for storing patterns, increasing manufacture costs and resulting in jagged and colored edges due to inefficient image data adjustment.

Innovation Solution

A mask storing method that encodes the mask configuring non-display and display areas, generating an encoded mask for reduced storage and decoding it to generate driving signals for image display, allowing multiple mask orientations to minimize memory usage and adjust image data for smooth edges.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If patterns (masks) are stored in the driver IC to support display panels with various forms, then the display panel can achieve arbitrary forms, but the manufacture cost of the driver IC is increased

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedisplay panel form adaptabilityVSAvoiddriver IC manufacture cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential geometric information (vertices coordinates) from the complete mask patterns and stores them in the driver IC. The actual mask patterns are generated on-demand by the processing unit using triangle mesh algorithms, thereby reducing memory storage requirements while maintaining the ability to support various display panel forms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary action by pre-calculating and storing only the critical vertex coordinates of mask patterns during the design phase. The complete mask patterns are generated dynamically during operation through triangle mesh decomposition, eliminating the need to store entire pattern libraries in the driver IC.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If image data is adjusted based on patterns to comply with display panel form, then the display panel can display images in arbitrary forms, but the image quality is downgraded due to jagged and colored edges

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedisplay panel form adaptabilityVSAvoidimage quality

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the mask pattern adjustment process into triangular mesh elements. By decomposing the mask into multiple small triangles and performing linear interpolation within each triangle, the method achieves smooth edge transitions and eliminates jagged artifacts while maintaining adaptability to various display panel forms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses triangle mesh algorithms to create smooth curved edges by combining many small linear segments. The vertex coordinates stored in the driver IC define the overall shape, while the triangle mesh generation process creates smooth transitions that eliminate jagged edges and colored edge artifacts.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Data Source

PatentUS10444578B2Mask storing method for driving module and related image displaying method

Publication Date: 2019.10.15 NOVATEK MICROELECTRONICS CORP

AI summary

A mask storing method for a driving module of a display device includes encoding a mask of configuring a non-display area and a display area of a display module of the display device, to generate an encoded mask; and storing the encoded mask to a storage unit of the driving module of the display device.