Pixel Shift Processing Unit for OLED Burn-in Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Organic light emitting display devices suffer from afterimages and pixel deterioration, particularly when high gray scale values are maintained for extended periods, leading to burn-in phenomena and reduced image quality.
Innovation Solution
A display device with a pixel shift processing unit that divides the screen into an active pixel region and a dummy pixel region, where the image is shifted within the dummy region, gradually changing gray scales to prevent afterimages and deterioration, and an image processing method that adjusts the pixel shift amount and period based on image analysis to minimize visibility of the image movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the image is shifted to prevent afterimages and pixel deterioration, then pixel reliability is improved, but the user may visually recognize the movement which degrades image quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic gray scale adjustment where the gray scale of pixels is gradually changed during the image shift process. This dynamic adjustment ensures that pixels transition smoothly from displaying the original image to displaying the shifted image, preventing both afterimage effects and visible movement artifacts. The gray scale changes are controlled over multiple frames to maintain visual continuity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the gray scale parameter of pixels during the image shift process. By gradually adjusting the gray scale values of pixels in the transition region between the original and shifted images, the system prevents abrupt visual changes that would be perceived as movement. This parameter change approach maintains image quality while achieving the protective shifting effect.
2Stability of the object's composition
If data values of pixels are maintained for a long time to ensure image stability, then image quality is preserved, but afterimages and burn-in phenomena occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic image shifting where the image position is periodically adjusted within the dummy pixel region. This periodic action prevents any single set of pixels from maintaining the same data values for extended periods, thereby preventing afterimage formation and burn-in phenomena while maintaining overall image stability through the continuous display of the same visual content.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses dummy pixels as a buffer zone before the actual image shift occurs. By preparing the dummy pixel region with appropriate gray scale values in advance, the system can smoothly transition the image position without causing abrupt changes or visible artifacts, thus maintaining image stability while protecting pixels from prolonged stress.
3Speed
If the gray scale changes abruptly during image shift, then the shift process is faster, but the movement becomes visually noticeable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamic gray scale adjustment that adapts to the shifting process. Instead of using fixed step sizes, the system dynamically adjusts gray scale changes based on the current shift position and the characteristics of adjacent pixels. This dynamic approach allows for faster overall shifting while maintaining smooth transitions that are not visually perceptible.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different gray scale adjustment strategies to different regions of the image. Pixels in the transition region between the original and shifted images receive special attention with gradual gray scale changes, while pixels far from the transition region can change more rapidly. This local quality approach optimizes the balance between shift speed and visual smoothness.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a display device and an image processing method thereof, and includes a pixel shift processing unit configured to shift an image displayed in an active pixel region within the size of a dummy pixel region. The pixel shift processing unit gradually changes a gray level of at least one dummy pixel in the dummy pixel region adjacent to the active pixel region up to a target gray level of pixel data, and gradually changes a gray level of at least one active pixel of an active pixel adjacent to the dummy pixel region up to a black gray level when the active pixel region is shifted.