Sensor Controller Timing Adjustment for Display Flicker Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic devices face degradation in display quality when sensing inputs, particularly when using both touch and electronic pen inputs, due to interference from uplink signals and scan signals, leading to flicker issues.
Innovation Solution
An electronic device with a sensor controller that operates in multiple modes to transmit and receive signals, allowing for variable intervals between display frames and uplink periods to minimize flicker and improve display quality by adjusting the timing and voltage levels of uplink signals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the sensor controller transmits uplink signals to sense input device inputs through the input sensor, then input sensing capability is improved, but display quality deteriorates due to flicker caused by interference between uplink signals and scan signals
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic switching between first mode (transmitting uplink signals for input device sensing) and second mode (sensing body touch input). The sensor controller periodically changes operating modes based on timing synchronization with display frames, where uplink signals are transmitted only during periods when scan signals are not active, thereby eliminating flicker while maintaining input sensing capability
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor controller dynamically adjusts its operating mode based on real-time conditions. It switches between first mode (for electronic pen input sensing with uplink signal transmission) and second mode (for body touch sensing) according to the timing of display frames and scan signal periods, optimizing both input sensing performance and display quality adaptively
2Device complexity
If the interval between display frame and uplink period is fixed, then system complexity is reduced, but display quality cannot be optimized across different input sensing scenarios
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamic timing adjustment where the interval between display frame start time point and uplink period start time point is variable. The sensor controller adjusts this interval in a unit of at least one input sensing frame during k input sensing frames (where k≥2), allowing optimization of display quality for different input types (electronic pen vs. body touch) while maintaining manageable system complexity through structured control
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device includes: an input sensor on a display panel; and a sensor controller configured to operate in a first mode for sensing a first input by an input device or a second mode for sensing a second input through the input sensor, the sensor controller being configured to transmit an uplink signal to the input device through the input sensor and to receive a downlink signal from the input device through the input sensor in the first mode, wherein an input sensing frame comprises an uplink period in which the uplink signal is provided to the input sensor, and an interval between a start time point of the display frame and a start time point of the uplink period is variable in a unit of at least one input sensing frame during k input sensing frames, where k is an integer equal to or greater than 2.