Wearable AMOLED Display Pixel Smoothing for Round Edges

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

The issue of severe sawtooth effects at the edge of non-rectangular display panels, particularly in round displays, leads to a poor viewing experience in wearable devices using AMOLED technology.

Innovation Solution

An image processing method that adjusts pixel grayscales in grayscale transition regions between the display and peripheral areas, determining the positions and quantities of transition pixels based on the shape of the display image region, and adjusting grayscales to reduce brightness and contrast at the edge, thereby blurring the sawtooth effect.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Shape

If pixels are arranged in an array for non-rectangular display (e.g., round display), then the display can achieve thinner and more portable form factor, but severe sawtooth effect occurs at the edge portion resulting in poor viewing experience

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay shapeVSAvoidedge quality
Core Design Contradiction:
ShapeVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The display area is segmented into a first area (display image region) and a second area (peripheral region), with a transition region between them. This segmentation allows different pixel arrangement strategies to be applied in different regions, resolving the contradiction between non-rectangular shape and edge quality by creating a buffer zone that smooths the transition.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different pixel arrangement patterns are applied to different regions: the first area uses a standard array arrangement while the second area uses a different arrangement pattern. The transition region specifically addresses edge quality by creating a gradual transition zone, allowing local optimization of edge appearance without compromising the overall non-rectangular shape.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Device complexity

If standard array pixel arrangement is used for non-rectangular display, then device complexity is reduced, but sawtooth effect at contours becomes severe

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepixel arrangement complexityVSAvoidsawtooth effect
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The pixel array is divided into multiple regions with different arrangement patterns. The transition region contains pixels arranged in a pattern that differs from both the first and second areas, creating a gradual transition that reduces the sawtooth effect while maintaining manageable device complexity through systematic regional division.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The transition region acts as an intermediary zone between the first display area and the second peripheral area. This intermediate region with its unique pixel arrangement pattern mediates the transition, smoothing the contour and reducing the harmful sawtooth effect while connecting the two distinct pixel arrangement zones.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3660657B1Image processing method, driving device, display panel and wearable device
Publication Date: 2025.07.02 BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO LTD
  • EP3660657B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3660657B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3660657B1 patent drawingFigure 3a

AI summary

An image processing method, a drive device, a display panel, and a wearable device are disclosed. The image processing method includes: determining an adjacent display pixel adjacent to each grayscale transition region in the row direction or in the column direction in the display image region according to a position of the grayscale transition region (S101); determining a transition pixel in the grayscale transition region (S 102); acquiring a first pixel grayscale, in which the first pixel grayscale is a grayscale of the adjacent display pixel (S103); acquiring a second pixel grayscale (S104); adjusting a third pixel grayscale of the transition pixel according to the first pixel grayscale, the second pixel grayscale and the transition pixel, in which the third pixel grayscale is between the first pixel grayscale and the second pixel grayscale (S105); and transmitting the third pixel grayscale to the display panel for display (S106).