PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-9110527-B2
Application Number: US-201313738712-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Condition based controls for a display based on at least one operating parameter

Abstract:
A system, method, and device for increasing uniformity between displays incorporating components from different manufacturers. Incorporating components from different manufactures in different displays may cause the different displays to appear differently even under similar conditions. By modifying the operating parameters used to drive the display according to performance characteristics for various conditions, displays incorporating components from different manufacturers may be configured to produce a substantially similar picture under similar conditions. The various conditions may include stimulus information, such as temperature or touch activity.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of manufacturing a display comprising:
 obtaining display characteristics of a display for a plurality of frequency ranges of touch activity; 
 determining a value for at least one operating parameter based on the display characteristics for each of the plurality of frequency ranges; and 
 storing each value in a lookup table, wherein the lookup table associates each value to a respective one of the frequency ranges. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the display characteristics comprise picture quality, brightness, contrast ratio, response time, or display lag of the display, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one operating parameter comprises a gate clock overlap, a slew rate, or a source voltage park. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein obtaining the display characteristics comprises obtaining the display characteristics from a model from a batch of displays containing the display and the model. 
     
     
       5. A method of manufacturing a display comprising:
 obtaining display characteristics of a display for a plurality of temperature ranges and for a plurality of frequency ranges of touch activity; 
 determining a value for at least one operating parameter based on the display characteristics for each of the plurality of temperature ranges and for each of the plurality of frequency ranges; and 
 storing each value in a lookup table, wherein the lookup table associates each value to a respective one of the plurality of temperature ranges and to a respective one of the frequency ranges. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the display characteristics comprise picture quality, brightness, contrast ratio, response time, or display lag. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one operating parameter comprises a gate clock overlap, a slew rate, or a source voltage park. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the lookup table is a multi-dimensional look-up table. 
     
     
       9. A method of using a display comprising:
 receiving a temperature and a frequency of touch activity; 
 comparing the received temperature and frequency of touch activity to a range of values stored in a lookup table; 
 selecting at least one operating parameter value for the display from the range of values; and 
 driving the display using the at least one operating parameter. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one operating parameter comprises a gate clock overlap, a slew rate, or a source voltage park. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the lookup table is a multi-dimensional look-up table. 
     
     
       12. An electronic device comprising:
 one or more processors; 
 one or more input structures configured to transmit input signals to the one or more processors; 
 a display operably coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the display comprises:
 a screen comprising display circuitry and touch sensing circuitry, wherein the operation of the display circuitry and the touch sensing circuitry are multiplexed; 
 a controller comprising:
 a display driver configured to drive the display circuitry; 
 a touch driver configured to drive the touch sensing circuitry; and 
 a memory unit configured to store an operating parameter for the display corresponding to a range of values determined for a temperature and frequency of touch activity; 
 
 
 wherein the controller is configured to drive the display using the operating parameter. 
 
     
     
       13. The electronic device of  claim 12 , wherein the operating parameter comprises a gate clock overlap, a slew rate, or a source voltage park. 
     
     
       14. The electronic device of  claim 12 , wherein the memory unit is located within a general memory for the electronic device. 
     
     
       15. The electronic device of  claim 12 , wherein the memory unit is located within the controller and separate from a general memory for the electronic device. 
     
     
       16. The electronic device of  claim 12 , wherein the memory unit is located within a memory located within the display and separate from a general memory for the electronic device. 
     
     
       17. The electronic device of  claim 12  comprising a temperature sensor configured to determine the temperature. 
     
     
       18. A system for controlling a display comprising:
 a touch driver configured to drive a touch sensing circuit of the display; 
 a display driver configured to drive a display circuit of the display; and 
 a memory unit configured to store an operating parameter corresponding to a range of values for a temperature and a frequency of touch activity affecting the display, wherein, the display driver is configured to use the operating parameter to drive the display circuit of the display. 
 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 18 , wherein the memory unit comprises a lookup table. 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 18 , wherein the operating parameter comprises a gate clock overlap, a slew rate, or a source voltage park.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a Non-Provisional Patent Application of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/657,699, entitled “Condition Based Controls for a Display”, filed Jun. 8, 2012, which are herein incorporated by reference. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The present disclosure relates generally to controlling the operating parameters of an electronic device display. 
     This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art. 
     Visual displays are commonly used for a wide variety of electronic devices, including such consumer electronics as computers and handheld devices (e.g., cellular telephones, audio and video players, gaming systems, and so forth). Such displays typically provide a flat display using display circuitry in a relatively thin package that is suitable for use in a variety of electronic goods. In addition, such displays often incorporate touch sensing circuitry. Furthermore, the incorporated touch sensing circuitry may be multiplexed with the display circuitry to enable display and touch sensing using one element of the display. By multiplexing the display and touch sensing circuitry into one element, the element must alternate between a display state and a touch sensing state. 
     Often, the number of displays produced may exceed the manufacturing capability of one or more manufacturers. Therefore, it is common for electronic displays to include components from various manufacturers. A problem may arise due to a lack of uniformity of the components manufactured by the different suppliers. In other words, display components from different manufacturers may respond differently to similar signals even under similar conditions. Thus, if the displays do not incorporate techniques for adjusting to the variance in components, a display utilizing components from one manufacturer may appear to display an image in a substantially different manner than a display utilizing components from another manufacturer. Accordingly, there is a need for condition based controls for a display. 
     SUMMARY 
     A summary of certain embodiments disclosed herein is set forth below. It should be understood that these aspects are presented merely to provide the reader with a brief summary of these certain embodiments and that these aspects are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Indeed, this disclosure may encompass a variety of aspects that may not be set forth below. 
     A system, method, and device for increasing uniformity between displays incorporating components manufactured by different manufacturers is described. Incorporating components from different manufactures in different displays may cause the different displays to function differently, even when operating under similar conditions. By modifying the operating parameters used to drive the display, for example, according to performance characteristics for various conditions, displays incorporating components from different manufacturers may produce substantially similar images under similar conditions. The various conditions may include stimulus information, such as temperature of or touch activity on a touch display. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Various aspects of this disclosure may be better understood upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an electronic device in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a cellular device in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a handheld electronic device in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic view of a display that may be found in either of the devices of  FIG. 1  or  FIG. 2  in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 5  is a block diagram of circuitry of the display of  FIG. 4  in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 6  is a flow chart representative relating to generation and storage of operating parameters for the display of  FIG. 4  in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 7  is a graph illustrating a slew rate as an operating parameter of the display of  FIG. 4  in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 8  is a graph illustrating a gate clock overlap as an operating parameter of the display of  FIG. 4  in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 9  is a schematic view of an embodiment of a multi-dimensional lookup table in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 10  is a flow chart of representative of storing operating parameters for driving the display of  FIG. 4  in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 11  is a flow chart representative of selecting operating parameters from memory for driving the display of  FIG. 4  in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; and 
         FIG. 12  is a second flow chart representative of selecting operating parameters from memory for driving the display of  FIG. 4  in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS 
     One or more specific embodiments will be described below. In an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, not all features of an actual implementation are described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers&#39; specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure. 
     Certain embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to production of electronic displays. When large quantities of displays are manufactured, the demand for components may not be met by one lot of components from a manufacturer or even by one manufacturer. Due to different manufacturing tolerances among manufacturers and varying quality of materials between manufactured lots, similar display components may have different responses to similar signals under similar conditions (e.g., temperatures). Due to these varied responses of the components, electronic displays may display an image in a substantially different manner in response to similar signals under certain conditions. To achieve uniformity of display quality between electronic displays incorporating components from different manufacturers or lots, an adaptively driven display may be used. The adaptive displays increase uniformity by adaptively driving the display using various operating parameters selected from memory based on various conditions. For example, one technique includes measuring performance characteristics of displays under certain temperatures and/or touch activities. These performance characteristics are used to select values for operating parameters of the displays to achieve desired display characteristics. Using the selected values to drive the displays, the displays may substantially emit substantially uniform display characteristics. 
     As may be appreciated, electronic devices may include various internal and/or external components which contribute to the function of the device. For instance,  FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating components that may be present in one such electronic device  10 . Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the various functional blocks shown in  FIG. 1  may include hardware elements (including circuitry), software elements (including computer code stored on a computer-readable medium, such as a hard drive or system memory), or a combination of both hardware and software elements.  FIG. 1  is only one example of a particular implementation and is merely intended to illustrate the types of components that may be present in the electronic device  10 . For example, in the presently illustrated embodiment, these components may include a display  12 , input/output (I/O) ports  14 , input structures  16 , one or more processors  18 , one or more memory devices  20 , nonvolatile storage  22 , expansion card(s)  24 , networking device  26 , power source  28 , and temperature sensor  30 . 
     The display  12  may be used to display various images generated by the electronic device  10 . The display  12  may be any suitable display, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display. Additionally, in certain embodiments of the electronic device  10 , the display  12  may be provided in conjunction with a touch-sensitive element, such as a touchscreen, that may be used as part of the control interface for the device  10 . 
     The I/O ports  14  may include ports configured to connect to a variety of external devices, such as a power source, headset or headphones, or other electronic devices (such as handheld devices and/or computers, printers, projectors, external displays, modems, docking stations, and so forth). The I/O ports  14  may support any interface type, such as a universal serial bus (USB) port, a video port, a serial connection port, an IEEE-1394 port, a speaker, an Ethernet or modem port, and/or an AC/DC power connection port. 
     The input structures  16  may include the various devices, circuitry, and pathways by which user input or feedback is provided to processor(s)  18 . Such input structures  16  may be configured to control a function of an electronic device  10 , applications running on the device  10 , and/or any interfaces or devices connected to or used by device  10 . For example, input structures  16  may allow a user to navigate a displayed user interface or application interface. Non-limiting examples of input structures  16  include buttons, sliders, switches, control pads, keys, knobs, scroll wheels, keyboards, mice, touchpads, microphones, and so forth. Additionally, in certain embodiments, one or more input structures  16  may be provided together with display  12 , such an in the case of a touchscreen, in which a touch sensitive mechanism is provided in conjunction with display  12 . 
     Processors  18  may provide the processing capability to execute the operating system, programs, user and application interfaces, and any other functions of the electronic device  10 . The processors  18  may include one or more microprocessors, such as one or more “general-purpose” microprocessors, one or more special-purpose microprocessors or ASICS, or some combination of such processing components. For example, the processors  18  may include one or more reduced instruction set (RISC) processors, as well as graphics processors, video processors, audio processors, and the like. As will be appreciated, the processors  18  may be communicatively coupled to one or more data buses or chipsets for transferring data and instructions between various components of the electronic device  10 . 
     Programs or instructions executed by processor(s)  18  may be stored in any suitable manufacture that includes one or more tangible, computer-readable media at least collectively storing the executed instructions or routines, such as, but not limited to, the memory devices and storage devices described below. Also, these programs (e.g., an operating system) encoded on such a computer program product may also include instructions that may be executed by the processors  18  to enable device  10  to provide various functionalities, including those described herein. 
     The instructions or data to be processed by the one or more processors  18  may be stored in a computer-readable medium, such as a memory  20 . The memory  20  may include a volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM), and/or a non-volatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM). The memory  20  may store a variety of information and may be used for various purposes. For example, the memory  20  may store firmware for electronic device  10  (such as basic input/output system (BIOS)), an operating system, and various other programs, applications, or routines that may be executed on electronic device  10 . In addition, the memory  20  may be used for buffering or caching during operation of the electronic device  10 . 
     The components of the device  10  may further include other forms of computer-readable media, such as non-volatile storage  22  for persistent storage of data and/or instructions. Non-volatile storage  22  may include, for example, flash memory, a hard drive, or any other optical, magnetic, and/or solid-state storage media. Non-volatile storage  22  may be used to store firmware, data files, software programs, wireless connection information, and any other suitable data. 
     The embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1  may also include one or more card or expansion slots. The card slots may be configured to receive one or more expansion cards  24  that may be used to add functionality, such as additional memory, I/O functionality, or networking capability, to electronic device  10 . Such expansion cards  24  may connect to device  10  through any type of suitable connector, and may be accessed internally or external to the housing of electronic device  10 . For example, in one embodiment, expansion cards  24  may include a flash memory card, such as a SecureDigital (SD) card, mini- or microSD, CompactFlash card, Multimedia card (MMC), or the like. Additionally, expansion cards  24  may include one or more processor(s)  18  of the device  10 , such as a video graphics card having a GPU for facilitating graphical rendering by device  10 . 
     The components depicted in  FIG. 1  also include a network device  26 , such as a network controller or a network interface card (NIC). In one embodiment, the network device  26  may be a wireless NIC providing wireless connectivity over any 802.11 standard or any other suitable wireless networking standard. The device  10  may also include a power source  28 . In one embodiment, the power source  28  may include one or more batteries, such as a lithium-ion polymer battery or other type of suitable battery. Additionally, the power source  28  may include AC power, such as provided by an electrical outlet, and electronic device  10  may be connected to the power source  28  via a power adapter. This power adapter may also be used to recharge one or more batteries of device  10 . 
     The electronic device  10  may also include a temperature sensor  30 . In one embodiment, the temperature sensor  30  may be used to determine the ambient temperature in or around the device  10 . Additionally or alternatively, a temperature sensor  30  may be included to determine the temperature of the display  12 . Moreover, the temperature sensor  30  may transmit the temperature measurement to the processor  18  and/or the display  12 . 
     The electronic device  10  may take the form of a computer system or some other type of electronic device. Such computers may include computers that are generally portable (such as laptop, notebook, tablet, and handheld computers), as well as computers that are generally used in one place (such as conventional desktop computers, workstations and/or servers). In certain embodiments, electronic device  10  in the form of a computer may include a model of a MacBook®, MacBook® Pro, MacBook Air®, iMac®, Mac® mini, or Mac® Pro available from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif. 
     The electronic device  10  may also take the form of other types of electronic devices. In some embodiments, various electronic devices  10  may include mobile telephones, media players, personal data organizers, handheld game platforms, cameras, and combinations of such devices. For instance, as generally depicted in  FIG. 2 , the device  10  may be provided in the form of a cellular device  32  that includes various functionalities (such as the ability to take pictures, make telephone calls, access the Internet, communicate via email, record audio and video, listen to music, play games, and connect to wireless networks). Alternatively, as depicted in  FIG. 3 , the electronic device  10  may be provided in the form of a handheld electronic device  33 . By way of further example, handheld device  33  may be a model of an iPhone®, iPod®, or iPad® available from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif. 
     Electronic device  10  of the presently illustrated embodiment includes a display  12 , which may be in the form of an LCD  34 . The LCD  34  may display various images generated by electronic device  10 , such as a graphical user interface (GUI)  38  having one or more icons  40 . In one embodiment, the LCD  34  may be a high resolution display with 1000 or more horizontal gate lines present therein. The device  36  may also include various I/O ports  14  to facilitate interaction with other devices, and user input structures  16  to facilitate interaction with a user. 
     One example of a display  12  is depicted in  FIG. 4  in accordance with one embodiment. The depicted display  12  includes a screen  42 , controller  44 , and memory  46 . The screen  42  may be any display that utilizes layered materials, such as an LCD display, a polymer organic light-emitting diode (PLED) display, or an OLED display. Further, the screen  42  may include display circuitry  48  and touch sensing circuitry  50 . The display circuitry  48  includes an array of pixels manufactured from layered material configured to selectively modulate the amount of color and light transmitted from the electronic device  10 . Moreover, portions of the touch sensing circuitry  50  may be integrated into the layered material composing the pixel array. In other words, the screen  42  integrates display circuitry  48  and touch sensing circuitry  50  by sharing at least a portion of electronic components (e.g., electrodes). As discussed below, the shared electronic components are configured to alternate between states for display and sensing touch of a user. That is, during one state, a shared electronic component may function as a portion of the touch sensing circuitry  50  while in another phase, the shared electronic component may function as a portion of the display circuitry  48 . As discussed below, the controller  44  may cause the switch between states based on a variety of operating parameters. 
     The controller  44  includes a display driver integrated circuit (DDIC)  52  and a touch integrated circuit (TIC)  54 . The DDIC  52  controls the use of the display circuitry  48 , and the TIC  54  controls the use of the touch sensing circuitry  50 . Accordingly, as discussed below, the DDIC  44  and the TIC  54  are communicatively connected to enable the controller  44  to manipulate the states of electronic components shared between the display circuitry  48  and the touch sensing circuitry  50  based upon desired characteristics. The memory  46  may be incorporated as dedicated memory within the controller  44 . Alternatively, in some embodiments the memory  46  may be incorporated within the DDIC  52  or TIC  54 . In other embodiments, the memory  46  may be incorporated within the memory  20 . This memory  46  may be utilized by the controller  44  to manipulate the states of electronic components shared between the display circuitry  48  and the touch sensing circuitry  50 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , an example of a detailed view of pixel driving circuitry found in display  12  is provided. As illustrated, the controller  44  includes the DDIC  52  configured to drive the display circuitry  48 . The display circuitry  48  includes an array or matrix of display pixels  60  distributed throughout the screen  42 . Further, the display pixels  60  include display sub-pixels  62  of multiple colors (e.g., red, green, and blue sub-pixels) arranged to enable each display pixel  60  to emit various colors. Additionally, each display pixel  60  may include various suitable circuits and materials. For example, in some embodiments, each display sub-pixel  62  may include a pixel electrode and a TFT (thin film transistor) to switch the pixel electrode during a display state. The DDIC  52  drives the display pixels  60  and display sub-pixels  62  during a display state to enable the screen  42  to display various images via display circuitry  48 . 
     As depicted, the touch sensing circuitry  50  includes multiple touch sensing pixels  64 . One embodiment includes touch sensing pixels  64  composed of portions of drive sections  66  and sense sections  68 . As illustrated, each touch sense pixel  64  may include a portion of two drive sections  66 , the sense section  68 , and guard sense rails  70  therebetween. During a touch sensing state, the TIC  54  drives the drive sections  66  using a drive voltage  72  (Vcom_Tx) during a touch sensing state. The sense sections  68  are electrically insulated from the drive sections  66  by an insulative material. In a touch sensing state, the TIC  54  drives the sense sections  68  using a sense voltage (Vcom_Rx)  74 . In certain embodiments, the sense voltage  74  may be supplied at a voltage lower than the drive voltage  72 . As may be appreciated, in these embodiments, when the drive sections  66  are powered by the drive voltage  72  across the insulative material, a capacitive circuit is created. When a touch pixel  64  is touched by certain objects (e.g., a finger) during a touch sensing state, the capacitive circuit sends an electrical impulse along the sense section  68 . Further, in certain embodiments, the guard sense rails  70  may be supplied a blocking voltage  76  (Vcom_Gs) to reduce video artifacts created by voltage leakage in the circuitry remaining during a change of states in the display  42 . 
     As illustrated, certain embodiments of the screen  42  may include touch sensing pixels  64  overlaid with multiple display pixels  60 . For example, certain embodiments may include drive sections  66  that are each overlaid with rows of display pixels  60  each consisting of 30-60 display pixels  60 . Similarly, each sense section  68  may be overlaid with 15-30 display pixels  60 . In other words, certain embodiments include sense sections  68  consisting rows that include half as many columns of display pixels  60  as drive sections  66  include. In other embodiments, the sense sections  68  may include rows consisting of a number of display pixels  60  equal to or greater than the number of display pixels  60  included in the rows of drive sections  66 . Further, other embodiments of the screen  42  may include drive sections  66  and sense sections  68  overlaid with rows or columns consisting of any suitable number of display pixels  64 . By integrating display pixels  60  and touch sensing pixels  64  as discussed above, the display  12  may be a touch display that allows for both receiving of touch inputs from a user as well as displaying images. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a flow chart representing a method  80  for storing operating parameters for using to drive the display  12 . In the illustrated embodiment, the method  80  includes the obtaining a performance characteristic of the display  12  (block  82 ) under certain conditions. In some embodiments, these characteristics may be determined under certain conditions, such as under certain temperatures and/or while various amounts of touch activities are performed. The obtained performance characteristics may include certain display attributes for the screen  42  (e.g., picture quality, brightness, contrast ratio, response time, display lag, etc.), touch response of the screen  42 , electronic characteristics of the display circuitry  48 , electronic characteristics of the touch sensing circuitry  50 , and/or electronic characteristics of other circuitry or components of the display  12 . For example, one embodiment of the method  80  may include obtaining the signal response of the display circuitry  48  to various inputs from the DDIC  52 . Moreover, these characteristics may be obtained at various occasions. For example, some embodiments of the method  80  may include obtaining the performance characteristics once for each display  12  or per lot of manufactured components from each manufacturer. Certain embodiments may obtain the performance characteristics only once per manufacturer or may obtain the performance characteristics of the display  12  once per a predetermined period. For example, in some embodiments, the method  80  may include obtaining the performance characteristics on a period based on the number of displays manufactured (e.g., obtain the operating characteristics every 1,000 display units manufactured). Alternatively, in other embodiments, the performance characteristics may be obtained on a period based on a period of time (e.g., obtain the operating characteristics once per hour). 
     Additionally, the method  80  includes using the obtained performance characteristics to determine desirable operating parameters for an adaptive display  12  (block  84 ). The operating parameters may consist of various changes to the electrical signals transmitted by the controller  44  under certain conditions (e.g., temperature, touch activity) to produce a desired video quality or uniformity of displays between multiple devices  10 . In one embodiment, the operating parameters may include calculating or testing to determine a value for each operating parameter to achieve a particular display characteristic. The operating parameters may include changing the electrical transmissions from the controller  44 . For example,  FIG. 7  illustrates an embodiment of measuring an operating parameter as the slew rate (SR)  90  of the display  12 . 
     The slew rate  90  illustrates a state of transmission by either the DDIC  52  or the TIC  54  during the display state and touch sensing state. For example, the transmission state graph  92  may illustrate the state of transmission from the DDIC  52  to the display circuitry  48 . In other words, the DDIC  52  will not transmit to the display circuitry  48  during the touch sensing state  94  (e.g., inactive state). However, during the display state  96  (e.g., active state), the DDIC  52  may transmit to the display circuitry  48 . As can be appreciated, the state of transmission from the TIC  54  to the touch sensing circuitry  50  may be an inverted graph of the illustrated transmission state graph  92 . In other words, the slew rate  90  describes the rate at which the controller  44  may alternate between a display state  96  and the touch sensing state  96 . The slew rate  90  also includes the period  98  having a touch sensing state  94  and a display state  96 . Moreover, the period  98  may occur at any suitable frequency (e.g., 60 Hz). Additionally, in the illustrated embodiment, the period  98  includes a touch sensing state  94  and a display state  96  of equal duration. However, in some embodiments, the touch sensing state  94  may have a longer or shorter duration than that of the display state  96 . In the various embodiments, an increase in slew rate  90  increases corresponds to a decrease in the period  98 . 
     Additionally,  FIG. 8  illustrates graph  100  depicting an embodiment of measuring an operating parameters as a gate clock overlap  102  of the display  12 . Specifically, the graph  100  includes a first signal  104  and a second signal  106 . In some embodiments, the first signal  104  may be a signal sent from the DDIC  52  to the display circuitry  48 , and the second signal  106  may be a signal sent from the TIC  54  to the touch sensing circuitry  50 . Alternatively, in other embodiments, the first signal  104  and the second signal  106  may represent signals from the same component (e.g., DDIC  52 ) at different periods. The first signal  104  includes an active state  108  and an inactive state  110 . Similarly, the second signal  106  includes an inactive state  112  and an active state  114 . To increase performance, it may be desirable to reduce the gate clock overlap  102  by reducing the duration  116  (i.e., period of both signals  104  and  106  being in inactive states) between the active states  108  and  114 . At other times, due to certain factors (e.g., temperature, processor load), it may be desirable to increase the gate clock overlap  102  by increasing the duration  116 . 
     In other embodiments, another operating parameter to be obtained may be the source voltage parking of the Vcom_Tx, Vcom_Rx, and Vcom_Gs. These voltages may be maintained (parked) at certain levels reduce current leakage to the display circuitry  48  during the touch sensing state, thereby reducing artifacts in the display during the touch sensing state. In such embodiments, it may desirable to modify voltages at which the source voltages are parked in response to certain conditions (e.g., temperature, touch activity, display activity) to achieve a different response in the display. Each of these operating parameters discussed above may be utilized to determine desirable operating parameters for an adaptive display  12 . 
     Returning to  FIG. 6 , the method  80  further includes storing the desirable operating parameters as a range of values arranged by conditions in memory (block  86 ). As previously noted, these conditions (e.g., temperature, touch activity) may be the operating conditions under which the displays  12  are tested to obtain the performance characteristics in block  82 . The desirable operating parameters corresponding to various conditions are stored in memory  46  according to the tested conditions in block  86 , for example, in memory  46  using a suitable method of storing values. For example, the desirable operating parameters may be stored in a multi-dimensional lookup table  120 , as depicted in  FIG. 9 . The multi-dimensional lookup table  120  of the illustrated embodiment includes a first page  122 , a second page  124 , and a third page  126 . In some embodiments, the multi-dimensional lookup table  120  may include 1, 2, 3, or more pages. Additionally, each page consists of multiple rows  128  and columns  130  formed from an array of cells  132 . In one embodiment, each page may correspond to an operating parameter (e.g., gate clock overlap) to be determined. Further, each row  128  for each page corresponds to a range of values for a condition (e.g., temperature) under which the display  42  is tested in block  82 , and each column  130  may correspond to range of values for an additional tested condition (e.g., touch activity). In other words, each cell  132  contains a value that corresponds to a desirable operating parameter for specific ranges of two tested conditions. 
     To create the multi-dimensional lookup table  120  in accordance with the above-described embodiment, a page (e.g., first page  122 ) may be created for each operated parameter (e.g., slew rate  90 ). A row  128  then may be created for each of the ranges tested for a condition. A column  130  may be created for each of the ranges tested for another condition (e.g. various temperatures). Alternatively, in other embodiments, each page may be allocated a first tested condition with rows and columns respectively allocated to an operating parameter and a second tested condition. In the various embodiments, each cell  132  on each page contains a value for the operating parameter under the ranges of two tested conditions. Alternatively, the information stored in the cells  132  may include a string of data which may be applied to multiple operating parameters, decoded to be applied to different operating parameters, or a combination encoded and un-encoded data. In the various embodiments, after the creation of the multi-dimensional lookup table  120 , values may be determined for each operating parameter under pre-tested ranges of each condition to obtain a desired display characteristic for each display  12  or to obtain uniformity of display characteristics between multiple displays  12 . 
       FIG. 10  is a flow chart of an embodiment of a detailed method  140  of storing operating parameters as depicted in  FIG. 6 . In the illustrated embodiment, the method  140  includes first obtaining the performance characteristics of an adaptive display  12  for multiple ranges of temperature and touch activity (block  142 ). As previously discussed, the performance characteristics pertain to various properties of the display  12  that may be tested at various intervals. In the current embodiment, the performance characteristics are obtained at multiple ranges for temperature and touch activity using testing. For example, tests to obtain the performance characteristics may include incrementally changing the temperature of the display  12  between during testing. Additionally, each test at each temperature may include incrementally changing the frequency of touch activity at each temperature. More specifically, in some embodiments, testing may include submitting the display  12  to a temperature of −20° C. then testing the display  12  using a relatively low touch activity frequency of 0.1 Hz. After determining all the desired performance characteristics, the frequency of touch activity may be increased to 0.2 Hz. After obtaining all the desired performance characteristics, the touch activity frequency may again be increased 0.3 Hz. The incremental testing at each subsequent frequency of touch activity may continue until the performance characteristics are obtained for each frequency of touch activity is tested. In other embodiments, the first tested frequency of touch activity may be anywhere between 0.001 Hz and 45 Hz with subsequently tested frequencies measured at regular/irregular intervals added or subtracted from the first tested frequency of touch activity. 
     After each of the desired performance characteristics are obtained for −20° C., the testing temperature may then be increased to −15° C. to perform the previously discussed incremental testing of the frequency of touch activity. The temperature may then be increased by regular or irregular intervals to determine the performance characteristics at each of the desired tested temperatures for each frequency of touch activity to be tested. For example, in one embodiment, the performance characteristics may be obtained at −20° C., 0° C., 20° C., 25° C., 27° C., 30° C., 35° C., 50° C., and 75° C. Additionally, the performance characteristics may be obtained first at the highest temperature to be tested (e.g., 75° C.) then incrementally tested by decreasing by regular/irregular increments until tested at the lowest desired testing temperature is reached. Furthermore, the temperature may be measured using various methods. In certain embodiments, the temperature may be measured using the temperature sensor  30 . In some embodiments, the temperature may be measured by a sensor separate from the electronic device  10 . The temperature measured may be the temperature of the display  12 , the ambient temperature around the electronic device  10 , or the temperature inside the electronic device  10 . 
     Although certain embodiments obtain performance characteristics for multiple ranges of temperature and touch activity, other embodiments may obtain the performance characteristics under other tested conditions. For example, some embodiments may obtain the performance characteristics of the display  12  under various display activities (e.g., higher and lower refresh rates). Other embodiments may obtain the performance characteristics in relation to the temperature alone or the touch activity alone. Further embodiments may obtain the performance characteristics in relation to any combination of the display activity, touch activity, and temperature. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 10 , after the performance characteristics are obtained in block  142 , the performance characteristics are used to determine the slew rate  90 , gate clock overlap  102 , or source voltage parking for the obtained performance characteristics (block  144 ). Certain embodiments determine the operating parameters by manipulating one parameter (e.g., slew rate  90 ) while maintaining other parameters at a constant value to determine the effect on the performance of the display  12  under the tested condition. Thus, each of the optimal value(s) for an operating parameter may be determined experimentally. Alternatively, other embodiments may determine the optimal value(s) for an operating parameter using calculations involving the performance characteristics for the display  12 . 
     After the slew rate, gate clock overlap, or source voltage parking values are obtained in block  144 , the corresponding values are stored in a multi-dimensional lookup table  120  (block  146 ). For example, in certain embodiments, the values for slew rate  90  are determined in block  144  for various temperatures and touch activities. A page  122  is created and associated with the slew rate  90 . Within the page  122 , a row  128  is created and associated with the tested performance characteristics for each tested temperature range. For example, if the performance characteristics are obtained at −20° C., 0° C., 20° C., 25° C., 27° C., 30° C., 35° C., 50° C., and 75° C., the first row may correspond to any temperature below −10° C. Similarly, the second row may correspond to any temperature greater than or equal to −10° C. and less than 10° C. Thus, each row  128  may associated with a temperature with a range of values tested in block  142 . Additionally, a column  130  is created and associated with each range of frequencies of touch activity tested in block  142 . For example, the first column may correspond to a touch activity frequency less than 0.15 Hz and, the second column may correspond to a frequency of touch activity greater than or equal to 0.15 Hz and less than 0.25 Hz. Similarly, each column may be associated with a touch activity range as tested in block  142 . Accordingly, each cell  132  may be associated with a particular range of temperatures and touch activities. Specifically, in the current embodiment, the cell in the first row and first column may correspond to a temperature below −10° C. and a touch activity below 0.1 Hz. Within each cell  132  on page  122 , the value for a desired slew rate  90  is stored for a temperature range and a touch activity range. Each cell is populated with values until page  122  is fully populated. 
     After storing a set of values corresponding to an operating parameter, the method  140  includes determining whether values are determined and stored for the slew rate  90 , gate clock overlap  102 , and source voltage parking (block  148 ). In certain embodiments, block  148  may make this determination by verifying that a page in the multi-dimensional lookup table  120  is created for each desired parameter. If values for each of the parameters are not determined, the process returns to block  144  to determine the value for another operating parameter (e.g., gate clock overlap  102 ). After vales are determined for a new operating parameter, in block  146 , a new page  124  is created and associated with the newly determined operating parameter. 
     As previously discussed, the page  124  is populated with rows  128  corresponding to temperature ranges, columns  130  corresponding to touch activity ranges, and cells  132  of values corresponding to the operating parameter under a specific temperature range and touch activity range. If the DDIC  52  in block  148  determines that values are stored for the slew rate  90 , gate clock overlap  102 , and source voltage parking, the DDIC  52  in determines whether values are stored for each of the desired temperature and touch activity ranges (block  150 ). In certain embodiments, DDIC  52  in block  150  may make this determination by verifying that a value is stored in each of the cells  132  on each page. If the DDIC  52  determines that a value is stored for all desired temperature and touch activity ranges, the method  140  ends (block  152 ). However, if DDIC  52  in block  150  determines that a value is not determined for each desired temperature and touch activity ranges, the process is returned to block  144  to determine the missing values. Alternatively, a negative return in block  150  may cause the DDIC  52  to clear the multi-dimensional lookup table  120  to begin the method  140  from an initial state. 
     Further, the illustrated embodiment includes obtaining performance characteristics for multiple ranges of temperature and touch activity. Certain embodiments may determine the performance characteristics corresponding to ranges of one or more of the following conditions: display activity, temperature, touch activity, processor load, power load, user-defined settings, application being performed by the electronic device  10  (e.g., watching movie or playing games), and battery life of the electronic device  10 . Additionally, certain embodiments may determine and store values for slew rate  90 , gate clock overlap  102 , source voltage parking, or any combination thereof. Moreover, some embodiments may omit block  148  and/or block  150  by populating empty cells  132  with some default value. In certain embodiments these default values may be stored in a dedicated cell, row, column, or page to be duplicated to unpopulated cells. In other embodiments, an unpopulated cell may be populated with a value equivalent to a value in cell adjacent to the unpopulated cell, a value determined from an average of the surrounding cells, or a default value for each operating parameter stored in memory outside the multi-dimensional lookup table  120 . 
       FIG. 11  is a flow chart representative of a method  160  for selecting operating parameters from the memory  46  for driving the display  12 . The method  160  includes receiving at the controller  44  at least one condition (e.g., temperature) relating to the display  12  (block  162 ). Block  162  may include receiving at least one condition from the temperature sensor  30 , the DDIC  52 , TIC  54 , the processor  18 , memory  20  of the electronic device  10 , or other electronic components. In certain embodiments, at least one condition is received at the controller  44  at the initial startup of the device  10  or at the startup of a particular application (e.g., a movie is started). In other embodiments, one or more conditions may be determined periodically during the use of the device  10 . After receiving at least one condition, the condition(s) (e.g., temperature) is compared to a range of values stored (e.g., temperature less than −15° C.) in the memory  46  for the controller  44  (block  164 ) by, for example, the DDIC  52 . Next, method  160  includes selecting a value for an operating parameter(s) (e.g., the slew rate  90 ) according to a range of values stored in the memory  46  (block  166 ). The selected value(s) of the operating parameter(s) is used to drive the display  12  and may be selected by, for example, the DDIC  52  (block  168 ). In the illustrated embodiment, the process begins again at block  162  after some duration of time. In some embodiments, the duration may relatively small. In other words, in such embodiments, the controller  44  essentially continually performs blocks  162 ,  164 ,  166 , or  168 . In other embodiments, the duration may be longer to allow more efficient use of power and the processor  18 . Further, some embodiments may receive the conditions upon certain occasions. For example, certain embodiments may include receiving the temperature when the temperature sensor  30  detects that the measured temperature has increased or decreased beyond a threshold (e.g., division between each range of values in memory). 
       FIG. 12  is a second flow chart representative of selecting operating parameters from memory  46  for driving the display  12  that describes the steps of  FIG. 11  in greater detail. The method  170  includes the controller  44  receiving a temperature measurement from the temperature sensor  30  (e.g., 21° C.) and/or receiving touch activity (e.g., 0.3 Hz). In some embodiments, the touch activity may be received by a controller  44  from the processor  18 , TIC  54 , or other electronic components. After receiving the touch activity or the temperature, a query determines whether a value has been received the temperature and the touch activity (block  174 ). If the controller  44  determines that a value has not been received for the temperature and touch activity, the controller  44  returns to block  172  to determine the missing value(s). 
     If the controller  44  determines that both values have been received, the values are compared to temperature and touch activity value ranges stored in the multi-dimensional lookup table  120  (block  176 ). As previously discussed, in certain embodiments, the multi-dimensional lookup table  120  may associate temperature value ranges to specific rows  128  of the multi-dimensional lookup table  120 . For example, the first row may correspond to temperatures below −15° C. Such may also associate touch activity value ranges to specific columns  130  of the multi-dimensional lookup table  120 . For example, the first column may correspond to touch activity occurring less frequently than 0.1 Hz. Accordingly, each cell  132  corresponding to a specific range of temperatures and frequency of touch activity. Furthermore, such embodiments of the multi-dimensional lookup table  120  include multiple pages with each page being allocated to an operating parameter. For example, values for the slew rate  90  and the gate clock overlap  102  may be stored on separate pages of the multi-dimensional lookup table  120 . 
     After comparing the measured values for the touch activity and temperature to ranges of values stored in memory, a desired value is selected for the slew rate  90 , gate clock overlap  102 , and/or source voltage parking, for example, by the DDIC  52  (block  178 ). Specifically, the value is selected by choosing the page associated with the operating parameter (e.g., the slew rate  90 ). Similarly, a row corresponding to the proper temperature range and touch activity range are chosen. For example, if the temperature received in block  142  is 21° C., a temperature range from 10° C. to 22° C. may be selected. In some embodiments, the selected temperature range may correspond to the third row of the multi-dimensional lookup table  120 . Likewise, if the frequency of the touch activity received in block  142  is 0.3 Hz, a touch activity range from 0.25 Hz to 0.35 Hz may be selected corresponding to the third column of the multi-dimensional lookup table  120 . Accordingly, the value for operating parameter (e.g., the slew rate  90 ) may be selected as the value stored in the cell located at the intersection of the third column with the third row of the page corresponding to the operating parameter. 
     Once a value has been selected for one or more of the slew rate  90 , gate clock overlap  102 , and/or source voltage parking, the controller  44  may determine whether a value has been selected for the slew rate  90 , gate clock overlap  102 , and source voltage parking (block  180 ). If the controller  44  (block  180 ) determines that there is at least one operating parameter that has no value selected, the controller  44  may return to block  178  to select a value for the operating parameter. If the controller  44  determines that each operating parameter has had a value selected, the controller  44  drives the display  12  using the values selected for the slew rate  90 , gate clock overlap  102 , and source voltage parking (block  180 ). For example, at elevated temperatures, it may be desirable to increase the gate clock overlap  102  or decrease the slew rate  90  to reduce stress on the electrical components of the electronic device  10 . Additionally, it may be desirable to reduce the duration of the touch sensing state and/or increase the duration of the display state when the touch activity is minimal, the display activity is substantial, or a movie application is selected. Similarly, it may be desirable to reduce the duration of the display state and/or decrease the duration of the touch sensing state when the touch activity is substantial, the display activity is minimal, or a game application is selected. 
     Some embodiments may omit block  174 . In such embodiments, a default temperature or touch activity value may be used to select the operating parameters. Furthermore, certain embodiments may omit block  180 . In such embodiments, any operating parameter (e.g., the slew rate  90 ) that has no selected value may be driven at a default value. In some embodiments, this default value may be stored in a dedicated location for default values in the multi-dimensional lookup table  120 , outside the multi-dimensional table in memory  46 , or simply be the previous/current value for the operating parameter. 
     The specific embodiments described above have been shown by way of example, and it should be understood that these embodiments may be susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms. It should be further understood that the claims are not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed, but rather to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20130110
Publication Date: 20150818
Grant Date: 20150818
Priority Date: 20120608
Inventors: BI YAFEI
WILSON THOMAS J.
YAO WEI H.
BAE HOPIL
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "G09G5/18", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G5/003", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2320/0693", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y10T29/49002", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G3/3611", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G5/18", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/041", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y10T29/49002", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G3/3611", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G5/003", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2320/0693", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G5/18", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y10T29/49002", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G5/003", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G3/3611", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/041", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2320/0693", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 49714880