Off-Screen Framebuffer Super-Resolution for Lower-Power Image Rendering

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Solution Overview

Problem

High-resolution image rendering on electronic devices leads to increased computing power overheads, power consumption, and potential heating or stuttering, while existing methods to reduce rendering load often compromise image clarity.

Innovation Solution

An image processing method that improves image quality by enhancing the resolution of image content in off-screen framebuffers before displaying it on-screen, using techniques such as texture management, sharpening, and noise reduction, while reducing rendering load.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If high-resolution image rendering is performed directly on the on-screen framebuffer, then image quality is improved, but computing power overhead and power consumption increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimage qualityVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The rendering process is segmented into two stages: off-screen rendering at lower resolution followed by on-screen rendering with super-resolution enhancement. This divides the high-cost high-resolution rendering into a low-cost preliminary stage and an enhancement stage, reducing overall power consumption while maintaining image quality

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The off-screen rendering is performed as a preliminary action before the final on-screen display. By pre-rendering the image content at lower resolution and then applying super-resolution algorithms, the system prepares the base image content in advance, avoiding the need for complete high-resolution rendering from scratch

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Use of energy by moving object

If rendering resolution is reduced to lower computing load, then power consumption decreases, but image clarity deteriorates

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

Solution Approach 1:

The system changes the resolution parameter dynamically across different rendering stages. Off-screen rendering uses a lower resolution parameter to reduce power consumption, while the super-resolution enhancement stage transforms this lower-resolution image into a high-resolution display image, achieving both energy efficiency and image clarity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The off-screen framebuffer acts as an intermediary between the low-power rendering process and the high-quality display requirement. It stores the intermediate rendering results that are then processed by super-resolution algorithms to produce the final high-quality output

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple framebuffers are used for off-screen and on-screen rendering, then rendering flexibility is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverendering flexibilityVSAvoidframebuffer management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The off-screen framebuffer is designed to serve multiple functions: it acts as both a rendering target for off-screen operations and as a source for super-resolution enhancement before on-screen display. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated buffers for each purpose, simplifying overall system architecture

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP4257217B1Image processing method, electronic device, and storage medium
Publication Date: 2025.07.02 HONOR DEVICE CO LTD
  • EP4257217B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4257217B1 patent drawingFigure 3A-1
  • EP4257217B1 patent drawingFigure 3A-2

AI summary

Embodiments of this application provide an image processing method, an electronic device, and a storage medium, which relates to the field of computer technologies, and can improve image quality of an image. The method includes: receiving a first binding instruction delivered by an application program, where an operation type in the first binding instruction is not a read-only type, and a first framebuffer identifier in the first binding instruction indicates a first framebuffer used for on-screen rendering; receiving a first rendering instruction delivered by the application program, where the first rendering instruction indicates to draw first image content; and executing a second rendering instruction, to draw second image content on the first framebuffer, where the second rendering instruction indicates to draw the second image content, the second image content is generated based on the first image content, and a resolution of the second image content is higher than a resolution of the first image content.