Phase Locked Multi-Display Synchronization via Tearing Effect Signals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Multi-display systems often experience synchronization issues between displays, leading to an unpleasant user experience due to tearing effects caused by mismatched refresh rates and internal buffer latencies, which burdens the host device with active synchronization tasks.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a phase locked multi-display synchronization method where slave display devices receive tearing effect signals from master devices to synchronize image frame portions, allowing displays to operate independently and reduce host device burden through passive synchronization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If active synchronization is implemented by the host device, then display synchronization is achieved, but host device complexity and resource usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
Each display device generates its own tearing effect signal based on its internal rendering timing and uses it to trigger frame transmission from the host device. The display devices autonomously synchronize themselves without requiring the host device to actively manage synchronization, thus reducing host device complexity while maintaining display synchronization reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The tearing effect signal serves as a feedback mechanism where each display device communicates its rendering status to the host device and other displays. This feedback enables automatic synchronization triggering, allowing the system to maintain synchronization without complex host device control
2Productivity
If passive synchronization is implemented using tearing effect signals, then host device resource usage is reduced, but synchronization precision may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
Display devices pre-render image frames in their internal buffers before transmission is needed. The tearing effect signal is generated at the precise moment when rendering is complete and the display is ready for the next frame, ensuring that frame transmission is triggered at the optimal time for synchronization without requiring complex real-time coordination
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, apparatuses, and methods are described herein for phase locked multi-display synchronization. In a slave display device, a first tearing effect signal is received that indicates rendering of a first image frame portion of a first image frame by a master display device has at least been initiated. In response to receiving the first tearing effect signal, a second image frame portion of a first image frame is retrieved from a frame buffer and is rendered to a display screen of a slave display device. In response to rendering the retrieved second image frame portion, a second tearing effect signal is generated for receipt by a host device to trigger the host device to transmit a second image frame portion of a second image frame to the slave display device.