Variable Refresh Rate Display System for Power Optimization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Increasing refresh frequency in display systems improves user experience but significantly increases power consumption, contradicting consumer demands for energy-efficient electronic products, especially in consumer electronics.

Innovation Solution

A display system that divides the display panel into multiple areas with different refresh frequencies, using an eye-tracking or video image changing area detection device to determine the vision focus area and adjust refresh rates accordingly, allowing for higher refresh rates in focused areas while maintaining lower rates in peripheral areas, thereby reducing overall power consumption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the refresh frequency of the display system is increased to improve user experience and display realism, then the display quality is improved, but the power consumption is significantly increased

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay qualityVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The display area is divided into multiple regions (first display area, second display area, and third display area) with different refresh frequencies. The first display area corresponding to the vision focus area uses a higher refresh frequency (first refresh frequency) to ensure display quality, while the second and third display areas use lower refresh frequencies (second and third refresh frequencies respectively) to reduce power consumption. This spatial segmentation allows the system to maintain high display quality where needed while minimizing energy consumption across the entire display.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the display are assigned different refresh frequencies based on their importance to the user's visual experience. The vision focus area (first display area) receives higher refresh frequency for superior display quality, while peripheral areas (second and third display areas) use lower refresh frequencies. This local differentiation optimizes the balance between display quality and power consumption by applying high performance only where necessary.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If the refresh frequency is increased throughout the entire display area, then the display realism is improved, but the power consumption increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay realismVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The display panel is segmented into multiple areas with different refresh frequency requirements. By identifying the vision focus area and assigning it a higher refresh frequency while using lower refresh frequencies for other areas, the system achieves high display realism locally without the prohibitive power consumption of uniformly high refresh frequencies across the entire display.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements local quality by providing high refresh frequency (and thus high display realism) only in the vision focus area where the user's attention is concentrated, while using lower refresh frequencies in peripheral areas where display realism is less critical to the user experience, thereby optimizing power consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Use of energy by moving object

If different refresh frequencies are used in different display areas, then power consumption is reduced, but the complexity of the display driving device increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower consumptionVSAvoiddisplay driving device complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The display driving device is segmented into multiple driving units, each responsible for driving a specific display area with its designated refresh frequency. This modular segmentation of the driving device allows for independent control of each region, managing the complexity through structured organization while enabling power consumption optimization through differential refresh frequencies.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The display driving device dynamically adjusts the refresh frequency of different display areas based on the vision focus area determination. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to optimize power consumption in real-time while managing complexity through flexible, condition-based control rather than static, fixed-frequency driving.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

4Reliability

If the vision focus area is dynamically determined and tracked, then the display quality in the focus area is maintained, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay quality in focus areaVSAvoidvision focus area determination device complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system employs feedback mechanisms through eye-tracking devices or video image changing area detection devices that continuously monitor user gaze or image changes. This feedback information is used to dynamically determine and update the vision focus area, ensuring that high refresh frequency is applied to the correct region while managing complexity through automated, sensor-driven control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The vision focus area determination device operates autonomously to identify and track the user's area of interest without requiring manual intervention. By self-determining the focus area through eye-tracking or image analysis, the system maintains display quality in the relevant region while reducing the complexity burden on the user and enabling automated optimization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS10657903B2Display system and driving method for display panel
Publication Date: 2020.05.19 BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO LTD
  • US10657903B2 patent drawing
  • US10657903B2 patent drawing
  • US10657903B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A display system and a driving method for a display panel. The display system includes a display panel, a display area dividing device and a display driving device. A display panel includes a display area; a display area dividing device is configured to divide the display area of the display panel into at least a first display area and a second display area; a display driving device is configured to drive the first display area with a first refresh frequency and drive the second display area with a second refresh frequency, and the first refresh frequency is greater than the second refresh frequency.