Panel Self Refresh Frame Buffer Compression for Display Power Savings
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing display devices with panel self-refresh technology face challenges in reducing the size of the frame buffer while preventing loss of original image data during power-saving operations, leading to increased manufacturing costs and difficulty in incorporating the necessary components.
Innovation Solution
A display device with an eDP interface that analyzes input images to determine if they can be losslessly compressed and stored in a smaller frame buffer, activating the panel self-refresh mode only when compression is possible, thereby reducing power consumption and maintaining image integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a large-size remote frame buffer is used to store original image data for PSR mode, then image data loss is prevented, but manufacturing costs increase and device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the state of image data from uncompressed to compressed form. By applying lossless compression to the image data before storing it in the remote frame buffer, the patent reduces the buffer size while maintaining complete image fidelity. This parameter change (compression ratio) allows a smaller buffer to hold the same informational content.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts redundant information from the image data through lossless compression algorithms. By removing redundant data elements while preserving all essential image information, the patent achieves compact storage in a smaller remote frame buffer without losing any original image data.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a large-size remote frame buffer is mounted in the sink unit, then PSR mode can be implemented, but manufacturing costs rise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies lossless compression to reduce the size parameter of the remote frame buffer. This compression technique allows the buffer to be significantly smaller while still capable of storing complete image data, thereby enabling PSR mode functionality with reduced manufacturing costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a compressed copy of the original image data that occupies less space in the remote frame buffer. This compressed representation contains all necessary image information and can be perfectly reconstructed, providing the same PSR functionality with a smaller, cheaper component.
3Use of energy by moving object
If the source unit power is turned off during PSR mode, then power consumption is reduced, but image data must be preserved in the remote frame buffer
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the data format parameter by applying lossless compression, allowing the same image information to be stored in less memory capacity. This enables the remote frame buffer to hold complete image data with smaller memory resources, facilitating power-saving PSR mode operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs lossless compression of image data before storing it in the remote frame buffer. This preliminary compression action ensures that the minimum necessary memory capacity is allocated in advance, optimizing power consumption during PSR mode while guaranteeing sufficient space for complete image data preservation.
Data Source
AI summary
A display device includes a source unit; and a sink unit connected with the source unit via an embedded display port interface for signal transmission between the source and sink units and to enable a panel self refresh (PSR) mode for reducing power, wherein, for an input still image, the source unit applies power to a frame buffer of the sink unit and transmits the still image to the sink unit, wherein the sink unit determines whether the still image can be losslessly compressed and stored in the frame buffer, outputs a first control signal if the still image can be losslessly compressed and stored in the frame buffer, and outputs a second control signal if the still image cannot be losslessly compressed and stored, and wherein the source unit activates the PSR mode for the first control signal, and deactivates the PSR mode for the second control signal.