Partial Refresh Display Panels Power Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional display devices consume excessive power due to maintaining a constant refresh rate, even when only minimal or no pixel changes occur between frames, leading to inefficient power usage.
Innovation Solution
Implementing partial refresh methods where only the updated pixels in display panels are refreshed, with the timing controller entering a low power state after determining which pixels need updating, and pixels that have not been refreshed for a specified duration also being refreshed during the cycle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If constant refresh rate is maintained for entire display panel, then display reliability is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The display panel is segmented into multiple regions (first region with updated pixels and second region with non-updated pixels). The refresh operation is applied selectively to only the first region containing updated pixels, while the second region maintains its display without full refresh. This segmentation allows the system to maintain display reliability where needed while reducing power consumption in regions that don't require updates.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of refreshing the entire display panel (excessive action), the system performs partial refresh only on the portion of the panel containing updated pixels. This partial action is sufficient to maintain display reliability for changed content while avoiding the excessive power consumption of refreshing all pixels regardless of whether they contain updated information.
2Reliability
If full panel refresh is performed, then display quality is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Different refresh strategies are applied to different regions of the display panel based on their specific needs. The first region containing updated pixels receives a full refresh to maintain display quality, while the second region with non-updated pixels skips the refresh operation. This local differentiation ensures display quality is maintained where content has changed while conserving power in regions where content remains static.
3Use of energy by moving object
If refresh rate is reduced for power saving, then power consumption decreases, but display reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The refresh rate is made dynamic rather than constant. The system adaptively adjusts the refresh rate for different regions of the display panel based on the presence of updated content. Regions with updated pixels maintain the original refresh rate to ensure display reliability, while regions without updates operate at a reduced or skipped refresh rate to conserve power. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between power consumption and display reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
An aspect of the present invention proposes a method for performing partial refresh on display panels. According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the display panels may be implemented as self-refreshing display panels communicatively coupled with a computing device that generates graphical data for display in the display panel. To perform partial refresh, consecutive frames are compared to identify the portions of the frames with updated material. In one or more embodiments, only the pixels corresponding to the updated portion(s) are refreshed in the display panel.