Segmented Backlight Change Detection for HDR Power Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current HDR systems, particularly in multi-segmented LCD displays, inefficiently manage backlight power due to the TCON's lack of a full frame buffer, leading to increased power consumption, reduced battery life, and compromised visual quality by always underestimating or overestimating backlight brightness.

Innovation Solution

Implement a system where the display engine determines the static and changing backlight segments by analyzing frame changes and communicates this information to the TCON via SDPs during the blanking region, allowing accurate backlight control without additional margins.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If the TCON uses a conservative approach to backlight brightness control without full frame buffer information, then power consumption increases and battery life decreases, but visual quality is compromised due to underestimating or overestimating backlight brightness

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidbacklight brightness accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The display engine performs preliminary analysis of frame changes and determines static backlight segments before the TCON processes the current frame. This advance preparation allows the TCON to receive pre-computed luminance information for static segments, eliminating the need for conservative margin adjustments and enabling precise backlight control without increased power consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism where the display engine acts as a mediator between the frame buffer and the TCON. It extracts and communicates static segment information through SDP packets during the blanking region, providing the TCON with accurate backlight control data without requiring the TCON to have full frame buffer capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If the display engine analyzes and communicates static segment information to the TCON, then backlight control precision improves and power consumption reduces, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebacklight segment identification accuracyVSAvoidsystem architecture complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The display engine performs its existing function of frame processing while simultaneously executing the additional task of identifying static backlight segments. It uses the same frame buffer and processing resources already present in the system, making the static segment detection a multi-functional extension rather than a separate complex subsystem.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The display engine uses its own existing frame buffer and processing capabilities to identify static segments, rather than requiring external assistance. The system serves itself by leveraging already-present resources to generate the luminance information needed by the TCON, minimizing additional hardware requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Duration of action of moving object

If the TCON receives luminance information for static segments from the display engine, then battery life extends and visual quality improves, but the communication overhead during blanking region increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebattery lifeVSAvoidblanking region time

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of moving objectVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential luminance information for static backlight segments from the full frame data and transmits it through SDP packets during the blanking region. By extracting and transmitting only the necessary information rather than complete frame data, the communication overhead is minimized while still achieving the power savings and battery life extension.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system transmits luminance information only for static segments rather than processing or transmitting data for the entire frame. This partial action approach focuses computational and communication resources only on the segments that require backlight control, reducing the time overhead during the blanking region while maintaining battery life benefits.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS12475858B2Per-segment change detection for multi-segmented backlight

Publication Date: 2025.11.18 INTEL CORP

AI summary

Particular embodiments described herein provide for an electronic device that includes a display panel that includes a segmented backlight and a display engine, where, for each segment in the segmented backlight, the display engine communicates to the display panel an identifier that indicates if a brightness value of the segment in a next frame in a video stream will change from a brightness value of the segment in a current frame in the video stream. The display panel can include a timing controller (TCON) and the TCON uses the identifier for each segment in the segmented backlight to determine if a brightness of a specific backlight segment for the next frame can be a same level as a brightness of the specific backlight segment for the current frame.