Variable Refresh Rate Display Interface for Arbitrary Video Frame Rates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies face challenges in seamlessly adapting to arbitrary and variable video frame rates, leading to issues such as frame rate conversions, visual quality loss, and unsupported frame rates, particularly with non-integer ratios between content frame rates and display refresh rates.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a variable refresh rate mode in display interfaces and media players that synchronizes the refresh rate with the frame rate of rendered frames, avoiding conversions and supporting previously unsupported frame rates by dynamically synchronizing the display with frame receipt, even for non-integer ratios, and allowing immediate playback without resets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If frame rate conversion is used to adapt content to display refresh rates, then compatibility with fixed refresh rate displays is improved, but visual quality is degraded and additional processing complexity is introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a variable refresh rate mechanism that dynamically adjusts the display refresh rate to match the content frame rate. Instead of converting content to fixed rates, the system allows the refresh rate to vary dynamically, eliminating the need for frame rate conversion while maintaining visual quality and supporting arbitrary frame rates including non-integer ratios.
2Ease of operation
If fixed refresh rate mode is used, then display operation is simplified, but support for arbitrary and variable frame rates is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the refresh rate parameter from a fixed value to a variable that can be dynamically adjusted. The system determines the frame rate of incoming content and adjusts the display refresh rate accordingly, supporting any frame rate while maintaining operational simplicity through automated parameter adjustment.
3Adaptability or versatility
If frame rate conversion is performed to match display refresh rates, then playback compatibility is improved, but processing time and computational resources are increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the frame rate conversion step from the playback pipeline. By using variable refresh rate mode, the system directly displays content at its native frame rate without conversion, removing unnecessary processing time and computational overhead while maintaining compatibility through dynamic rate adjustment.
4Adaptability or versatility
If variable refresh rate mode is implemented, then support for arbitrary frame rates is improved and visual quality is maintained, but device complexity is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal display interface that can handle both fixed and variable refresh rate modes, as well as arbitrary frame rates. The variable refresh rate mechanism serves multiple functions: supporting any frame rate, maintaining visual quality, enabling immediate playback, and working with both video and game content, thereby justifying the increased complexity through enhanced versatility.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for using variable refresh rate to seamlessly adapt to arbitrary and variable video frame rates are described. According to some embodiments, a computer-implemented method includes receiving, by a media player, a video entirely encoded at a fixed frame rate, decoding the encoded video into a rendered video at the fixed frame rate with a video decoder of the media player, setting a display and a display interface that is to output the rendered video to the display to a variable refresh rate mode that synchronizes a refresh rate of the display to a varying frame rate of rendered frames, sending the rendered video at the fixed frame rate from the media player to the display interface, sending the rendered video from the display interface to the display at the fixed frame rate when the display interface is in the variable refresh rate mode, and displaying the rendered video on the display at the fixed frame rate when the display is in the variable refresh rate mode.