PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-9773446-B2
Application Number: US-201314106384-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Display activation and deactivation control

Abstract:
An electronic display includes a display panel, which includes an array of pixels and a driver configured to activate and deactivate the emission of light from each of the pixels in the array. The electronic display also includes a panel driver configured to generate and transmit an emission interrupt signal to the driver, wherein the emission interrupt signal causes the driver to deactivate the emission of light from all pixels in the array for a set period of time prior to a refresh of a line of pixels in the array.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A display comprising:
 a display panel comprising an array of pixels; 
 first driver circuitry configured to transmit data values corresponding to an image to be displayed on the display to a first set of pixels in the array of pixels; 
 second driver circuitry configured to transmit second data values corresponding to an image to be displayed on the display to a second set of pixels in the array of pixels, wherein a number of pixels in the first set of pixels differs from a number of pixels in the second set of pixels; 
 third driver circuitry configured to activate and deactivate emission of light from each of the pixels of the first set of pixels; and 
 fourth driver circuitry configured to activate and deactivate the emission of light from each of the pixels of the second set of pixels, wherein a size differential between the first driver circuitry and the second driver circuitry is selected to be directly proportional to a start time of a predetermined time period during a refresh period of the display panel when none of the array of pixels is emanating light. 
 
     
     
       2. The display of  claim 1 , comprising a panel driver configured to generate and transmit data signals independently to each of the first driver circuitry and the second driver circuitry. 
     
     
       3. The display of  claim 2 , wherein the panel driver is configured to generate and transmit emission signals independently to each of the third driver circuitry and the fourth driver circuitry. 
     
     
       4. The display of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined time period corresponds to a vertical synch signal occurring during the refresh period of the display panel. 
     
     
       5. The display of  claim 1 , comprising:
 fifth driver circuitry configured to transmit data values corresponding to an image to be displayed on the display to a third set of pixels in the array of pixels; and 
 sixth driver circuitry configured to activate and deactivate the emission of light from each of the pixels of the third set of pixels.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a Non-Provisional Application of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/737,584, entitled “Display Activation and Deactivation Control”, filed Dec. 14, 2012, which is herein incorporated by reference. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The present disclosure relates generally to displays for electronic devices and, more specifically, to controlling the activation and deactivation of a display in a set manner. 
     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. 
     Organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays are self-emissive, in that the amount of light emitted from any subpixel in the displays depend on an amount of current passing through a light emitting diode in that subpixel. As a result, OLED displays work without a backlight, which allow them to display deep black levels, high contrast, and bright colors. Further, OLED displays have fast response times and result in displays that are thinner and lighter than a liquid crystal display (LCD). 
     However, it may not be advantageous to have OLED displays constantly “on” (i.e., emitting light). For example, it may be beneficial for a device that utilizes an OLED display to also incorporate an ambient light sensor to determine ambient light around a device. Accurate measurements of ambient light levels may be hindered if taken while the OLED display is emitting light. Additionally, an electronic device utilizing an OLED display may include touch sensing capabilities. For accurate measurements of touch, it may be beneficial for the OLED display to be “off” (i.e., not emitting light) while touch inputs are being received by the device, for example, to reduce noise that may be caused from the operation of the circuitry of the OLED display. Accordingly, as situations occur in which deactivation of the OLED display would be beneficial, it would be advantageous to have the ability to actively control when an OLED device is to be deactivated without impacting user experience (e.g., generating visible artifacts). 
     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. 
     The present disclosure generally relates to control of the operation of an OLED display. The OLED display may be activated and deactivated at set instances. This activation and deactivation may be accomplished at rates sufficient to reduce and/or eliminate visual artifacts on the OLED display. In one embodiment, driving circuitry of the OLED display may split into two or more elements. During a period of time between one of the driving circuits operating and another driving circuit operating, the OLED may cease to emit light. Thus, based on the number and size of the driving circuitry, times when the OLED is not emitting light may be generated. In another embodiment, driving signals utilized by the driving circuitry to activate lines of the OLED may be altered such that signals may be intermittently added to the driving signals that cause the OLED to cease to emit light. Furthermore, notification of this instances when light emission from the OLED is halted may be communicated to other elements of an electronic device. 
    
    
     
       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 components of an electronic device, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of a handheld electronic device, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 3  is a front view of a second electronic device, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 4  is a view of a computer, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 5  graphically depicts circuitry that may be found in the electronic device of  FIG. 1 , in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 6  depicts a timing diagram for the operation of the circuitry of  FIG. 5 , in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 7  graphically depicts a second embodiment of circuitry that may be found in the electronic device of  FIG. 1 , in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 8  depicts a timing diagram for the operation of the second embodiment of circuitry of  FIG. 7 , in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; and 
         FIG. 9  depicts a second timing diagram for the operation of the circuitry of  FIG. 5 , 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 the control of a display. This display may be an OLED display that may be activated and deactivated at set instances. In one embodiment, the activation and deactivation schedule may be determined by hardware characteristics of the OLED display. In another embodiment, the activation and deactivation of the OLED display may be accomplished at scheduled times, which may be altered, or by request from a component of the device in which the OLED display is present. 
     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 a camera. 
     The display  12  of the electronic device  10  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 display  12  may include a number of pixels or picture elements that may be used to depict images on the display  12 , whereby each pixel may be composed of three pixel components, known as subpixels, which may depict red, green, and blue colors, respectively. Alternatively, four pixel components, namely red, green, blue, and white may be employed. In the case of the display  12  being an OLED display, each subpixel may depict its respective color using an emissive electroluminescent layer (i.e., film of organic compound), which emits light in response to an electric current. The color of the light viewed may be the light emitted directly by the OLED subpixels, or the color altered by passage through a color filter containing an absorbing or a fluorescing material. 
     The I/O ports  14  of the electronic device  10  may include ports configured to connect to a variety of external devices, such as an external power source, a 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, a lightning connection 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 allow 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 device providing wireless connectivity over any 802.11 standard or any other suitable wireless networking standard, a radio frequency device, a Bluetooth® device, a cellular communication device, or the like. The network device  26  may allow the electronic device  10  to communicate over a network, such as a Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), or the Internet. 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 camera  30  that may be utilized to capture digital images and video. In one embodiment, the camera  30  may also be utilized for detecting ambient light in addition to capturing digital images or video. 
     With the foregoing in mind,  FIG. 2  illustrates an electronic device  10  in the form of a handheld device, here a cellular device  32  (such as a model of an iPhone®), 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, the electronic device  10  may also take the form of other types of electronic devices, such as media players, tablets, personal data organizers, handheld game platforms, cameras, and combinations of such devices. For instance, as generally 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 iPod® or iPad® available from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif. 
     As illustrated in both  FIGS. 2 and 3 , electronic device  10  includes a display  12 , which may be in the form of an OLED display  34 , as well as an ambient light sensor  36 . The ambient light sensor  36  may include one or more photosensors, such as photodetectors, photo diodes, photo resistors, photocells, or any other sensor capable of detecting ambient light or other electromagnetic energy surrounding the electronic device  10 . In certain embodiments, the camera  30  may serve as a light sensor in place of or in addition to the ambient light sensor  36 . 
     The OLED display  34  may display various images generated by electronic device  10 , such as a graphical user interface (GUI)  38  having one or more icons  40 . The GUI  38  allows a user to interact with the cellular device  32  and the handheld device  33 . The cellular device  32  and the handheld device  33  may also each include various input and output (I/O) ports  14  that allow connection of the device  10  to external devices, such as a port that allows the transmission and reception of data or commands between the electronic device  10  and another electronic device. The device  10  may also include user input structures  16  to facilitate interaction with a user and allow for starting, controlling, or operating the GUI  38  or applications running on the device  10 . 
     In addition to the cellular device  32  of  FIG. 2  and the handheld device  33  of  FIG. 3 , the electronic device  10  may also take the form of a computer or other type of electronic device. Such computers may include computers that are generally portable (such as laptop, notebook, and tablet computers) as well as computers that are generally used in one place (such as conventional desktop computers, workstations, and/or servers). In certain embodiments, the electronic device  10  in the form of a computer may be a model of a MacBook®, MacBook® Pro, MacBook Air®, iMac®, Mac® mini, iPad® or Mac Pro® available from Apple Inc. By way of example, an electronic device  10  in the form of a laptop computer  40  is illustrated in  FIG. 4  in accordance with one embodiment. The depicted computer  40  includes, a display  12  (such as an OLED display  34 ), input/output ports  14 , and input structures  16 . 
     In one embodiment, the input structures  16  (such as a keyboard and/or touchpad) may be used to interact with the computer  40 , such as to start, control, or operate a GUI or applications running on the computer  40 . For example, a keyboard and/or touchpad may allow a user to navigate a user interface or application interface displayed on the display  12 . 
     As depicted, the electronic device  10  in the form of computer  40  may also include various input and output ports  14  to allow connection of additional devices. For example, the computer  40  may include an I/O port  14 , such as a USB port or other port, suitable for connecting to another electronic device, a projector, a supplemental display, and so forth. In addition, the computer  40  may include network connectivity, memory, and storage capabilities, as described with respect to  FIG. 1 . As a result, the computer  40  may store and execute a GUI and other applications. 
     With the foregoing discussion in mind, it may be appreciated that an electronic device  10  in the form of a cellular device  32 , a handheld device  33 , or a computer  40 , may be provided with an OLED display  34  as the display  12 . Such an OLED display  34  may be utilized to display the respective operating system and application interfaces running on the electronic device  10  and/or to display data, images, or other visual outputs associated with an operation of the electronic device  10 .  FIG. 5  illustrates one embodiment of the OLED display  34  that may be utilized as the display  12  in conjunction with the electronic device  10 . 
       FIG. 5  illustrates display  12  and, more particularly, OLED display  34 . OLED display  34  may include a panel  42 , an integrated circuit (IC) driver  44 , sampling driver circuitry  46 , and emission driver circuitry  48 . The panel  42  may include a number of pixels (e.g., an array of pixels) or picture elements that may be used to depict images on the OLED display  34 , whereby each pixel may be composed of three pixel components, known as subpixels, which may depict red, green, and blue colors, respectively. Alternatively, four pixel components, namely red, green, blue, and white may be employed in the pixels of the panel  42 . Furthermore, each subpixel of the OLED display  34  may depict its respective color using an emissive electroluminescent layer (i.e., film of organic compound), which emits light in response to an electric current. Additionally, the color of the light viewable by a user may be the light emitted directly by the OLED subpixels, or the color altered by passage through a color filter containing an absorbing or a fluorescing material. 
     As noted above, the OLED display  34  may also include also include an IC driver  44 . The IC driver  44  may be a display driver, which provides signals to the display panel  42  to generate images therein. Additionally, power signals may be transmitted from the IC driver  44  to the display panel  42 . The IC driver  44  may be internal to the display  12  and coupled to other components of the electronic device  10  (e.g., processor(s)  18 ) via an electrical connection, for example, a flex circuit coupled to a common board with at least some of the other components of the electronic device  10  or other connection type. The IC driver  44  may receive signals from, for example, processor(s)  18  indicative of images to be displayed on the OLED display  34 . The IC driver  44  may process these received signals (e.g., buffer, modify, group, rearrange, etc.) and may generate output signals to be transmitted to the panel  42 . Specifically, the IC driver  44  may generate clocking signals for transmission along paths  50  and  52  (which may each include multiple individual lines), scanning signals for transmission along path  54 , and emission signals for transmission along path  56 . These signals generated by the IC driver  44  may be utilized by the panel  42 , specifically by the sampling driver circuitry  46  and emission driver circuitry  48  to generate images on the OLED display  34 . 
     It may be appreciated that the sampling driver circuitry  46  and the emission driver circuitry  48  are illustrated as separate from the IC driver  44 . However, in some embodiments, the sampling driver circuitry  46  and the emission driver circuitry  48  may be integrated into the IC driver  44 , for example, as a-Si driver circuits in the IC driver  44 , such that the IC driver  44  will transmit any gate control signals, panel driver output signals, and emission interrupt signals. 
     In one embodiment, the sampling driver circuitry  46  may receive clocking signals along path  50  as well as scanning signals along path  54  from IC driver  44 . The clocking signals may be utilized by the sampling driver circuitry  46  to clock data into lines of the panel  42  (e.g., to toggle data values into the pixels of the panel  42 ). The data values themselves, as well as an initialization (start signal) for the driving of the data to the pixels, may be provided from the driver IC  44  to the sampling driver circuitry  46  along path  54 . These data values provided by the driver IC may correspond to pixel intensities for individual pixels for a given frame (e.g., the intensities the pixels in a given frame should be driven to generate a particular image). The sampling driver circuitry  46  may utilize the data values, clock signals, and initialization information provided by the IC driver  44  to transmit pixel data corresponding to desired pixel intensities to the pixels of the panel  42  in a line by line manner, for example, vertically across each line of pixels of the panel  42  for a particular frame. 
     The emission driver circuitry  48  may receive clocking signals along path  52  as well as emission signals along path  56  from IC driver  44 . The clocking signals may be utilized by the emission driver circuitry  48  to clock emission signals into lines of the panel  42  (e.g., to allow the pixels of the panel  42  to emit light once the data values have been read into the pixels of the panel  42 ). The emission signals themselves, as well as an initialization (start signal) for the driving of the emission signals to the pixels, may be provided from the IC driver  44  to the emission driver circuitry  48  along path  56 . These emission signals provided by the IC driver  44  may correspond to signals that activate individual pixels for a given frame (e.g., allow the pixels to begin to emanate light in a given frame to generate a particular image). Moreover, the emission driver circuitry  48  may utilize the emission signals, clock signals, and initialization information provided by the IC driver  44  to allow pixels of the panel  42  to emanate once data is received at the pixels in a line by line manner, for example, vertically across each line of pixels of the panel  42  for a particular frame. 
     In this manner, the OLED display  34  may display an image for a period of time, e.g., a frame. In some embodiments, 30 frames of data may be displayed on the OLED display  34  every second. That is, updated data (altered from previous data if an image to be displayed is to be different from an image currently being displayed and identical to previous data if an image to be displayed is to be the same as an image currently being displayed) may be transmitted to the panel  42  from the driver IC  44  to allow for a new frame to be displayed, for example, every 1/30 th  of a second. 
     Additionally, image being displayed on the panel  42  may be refreshed for each frame displayed on the OLED display  34  at a given refresh rate. This refresh rate may correspond to complete reconstruction of a given frame of data in a period of time. Typical refresh rates may include 30 Hz and 60 Hz (i.e., reconstructing a frame thirty times a second or sixty times a second). Thus, for example, if the frame rate of a display  12  is 30 frames per second and the refresh rate of the display  12  is 60 Hz, each frame of data will be repeated two times every 1/30 th  of a second (generated once and refreshed once). Alternatively, for example, if the frame rate of a display  12  is 24 frames per second and the refresh rate of the display  12  is 120 Hz, each frame of data will be repeated five times every 1/24 th  of a second (generated once and refreshed four times).  FIG. 6  illustrates a timing diagram illustrating this refresh concept. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a timing diagram for the refresh of a line of pixels for the OLED display  34  of  FIG. 5 . As illustrated, a vertical sync signal  58  that illustrates the synchronization of the frame rate and refresh rate of the display  12  discussed above, may rise to a “high” or one value at a first time  60 , may drop to a “low” or zero value at a second time  62  and may rise to a “high” or one value at a third time  64 . The time  66  between first time  60  and third time  64  may be equal to a single refresh of the display  12 . For example, the time  66  between first time  60  and third time  64  may be 16.6 ms, which corresponds to a 60 Hz refresh rate for display  12 . Additionally, in some embodiments, the time  68  between second time  62  and third time  64  may correspond to, for example, the time during a line of pixels is receiving data to be emitted and, thus, no emission is occurring during this time  68 . 
     As previously discussed, there are times when it would be beneficial for an OLED display  34  to have all pixels off (i.e., not emanating light). For example, having all pixels off may allow for more accurate measurements of ambient light levels by the ambient light sensor  36  and/or may allow for greater accuracy in measuring/receiving touch inputs from a user. Accordingly, in one embodiment, the OLED display  34  may be altered as illustrated in  FIG. 7 . 
       FIG. 7  illustrates display  12  and, more particularly, another embodiment of OLED display  34 . OLED display  34  may include a panel  42 , an integrated circuit (IC) driver  44 , and paths  50  and  52  as previously illustrated in  FIG. 5 . However, in place of sampling driver circuitry  46 , emission driver circuitry  48 , path  54 , and path  56 , the OLED display  34  of  FIG. 7  includes first sampling driver circuitry  70 , second sampling driver circuitry  72 , first emission driver circuitry  74 , second sampling driver circuitry  76 , and paths  78 ,  80 ,  82 , and  84 . Again, it may be appreciated that while the first sampling driver circuitry  70 , second sampling driver circuitry  72 , first emission driver circuitry  74 , and second sampling driver circuitry  76  are illustrated as separate from the IC driver  44 , in some embodiments, the first sampling driver circuitry  70 , second sampling driver circuitry  72 , first emission driver circuitry  74 , and second sampling driver circuitry  76  may be integrated into the IC driver  44 , for example, as a-Si driver circuits in the IC driver  44 , such that the IC driver  44  will transmit any gate control signals, panel driver output signals, and emission interrupt signals. 
     First sampling driver circuitry  70  and second sampling driver circuitry  72  may be functionally equivalent to sampling driver circuitry  46  except that each of the first sampling driver circuitry  70  and the second sampling driver circuitry  72  drive a portion of the total number of pixel lines in the panel  42 . For example, first sampling driver circuitry  70  may drive the top half of the pixel lines of the panel  42  while second sampling driver circuitry  72  may drive the bottom half of the pixel lines of the panel  42 . Additionally, while a first sampling driver circuitry  70  and a second sampling driver circuitry  72  are illustrated, three, four, five, or more sampling driver circuitry elements may be utilized in place of sampling driver circuitry  46 . Furthermore, while first sampling driver circuitry  70  and second sampling driver circuitry  72  are illustrated as each corresponding to driving half of the pixel lines of panel  42 , first sampling driver circuitry  70  may drive more or less pixel lines than second sampling driver circuitry  72  instead of an equal number of pixel lines. Additionally, where three or more sampling driver circuitry elements are utilized in place of sampling driver circuitry  46 , each of the sampling driver circuitry elements may drive an equal number of pixel lines of panel  42 , an different number of pixel lines of panel  42  from one another, or a combination thereof (e.g., two sampling driver circuitry elements drive the same number of pixel lines while a third sampling driver circuitry element drives a number of pixel elements that differs from the two sampling driver circuitry elements). 
     Likewise, first emission driver circuitry  74  and second sampling driver circuitry  76  may be functionally equivalent to emission driver circuitry  48  except that each of the first emission driver circuitry  74  and the second emission driver circuitry  76  operate to allow a portion of the total number of pixel lines in the panel  42  to emanate at a given time. For example, first emission driver circuitry  74  may be utilized in conjunction with the top half of the pixel lines of the panel  42  while second emission driver circuitry  76  may be utilized in conjunction with the bottom half of the pixel lines of the panel  42 . Additionally, while a first emission driver circuitry  74  and a second emission driver circuitry  76  are illustrated, three, four, five, or more emission driver circuitry elements may be utilized in place of emission driver circuitry  48 . Furthermore, while first emission driver circuitry  74  and second emission driver circuitry  76  are illustrated as each corresponding to half of the pixel lines of panel  42 , first emission driver circuitry  74  may be associated with more or less pixel lines than second emission driver circuitry  76  instead of an equal number of pixel lines. Additionally, where three or more emission driver circuitry elements are utilized in place of emission driver circuitry  48 , each of the emission driver circuitry elements may be associated with an equal number of pixel lines of panel  42 , an different number of pixel lines of panel  42  from one another, or a combination thereof (e.g., two emission driver circuitry elements are associated with and provide signals to the same number of pixel lines while a third emission driver circuitry element is associated with and provides signals to a number of pixel elements that differs from the two emission driver circuitry elements). 
     Similarly, instead utilizing path  54 , the IC driver  44  may generate scanning signals for transmission along paths  78  and  80  to each of the sampling driver circuitry  70  and  72 , respectively. Likewise, instead utilizing path  56 , e IC driver  44  may generate emission signals for transmission along paths  82  and  84  to each of the emission driver circuitry  74  and  76 , respectively. These signals generated by the IC driver  44  may be utilized by the panel  42 , specifically by the sampling driver circuitry  70  and  72  or emission driver circuitry  74  and  76 , respectively, to generate images on the OLED display  34  in a manner similar to that described above with respect to  FIG. 5 .  FIG. 8  illustrates a timing diagram that illustrates the refresh of the OLED display  34  of  FIG. 7 . 
       FIG. 8  illustrates a timing diagram for the refresh of a line of pixels for the OLED display  34  of  FIG. 7 . As illustrated, a vertical sync signal  86  that illustrates the synchronization of the frame rate and refresh rate of the display  12  discussed above, may rise to a “high” or one value at a first time  60 , and may rise to a “high” or one value at a third time  64 . The time  66  between first time  60  and third time  64  may be equal to a single refresh of the display  12 . For example, the time  66  between first time  60  and third time  64  may be 16.6 ms, which corresponds to a 60 Hz refresh rate for display  12 . Additionally, prior to third time  64 , the vertical sync signal  88  may drop to a “low” or a zero value at time  88  and time  90 . These drops may correspond to times when switching is occurring between, for example, the sampling driver circuitry  70  and  72 . That is, during the “low” period of the vertical sync signal  88  (beginning at times  88  and  90 ) none of the pixels of the panel  42  are emanating light. Accordingly, by alteration of the OLED display  34  to include multiple sampling driver circuitries  70  and  72 , generation of two periods of time in which none of the pixels of the panel  42  are emanating light may be accomplished. That is, the panel  42  will be effectively off at twice the refresh rate of the display. Furthermore, when additional sampling driver circuitry is utilized (e.g., three sampling driver circuits), the panel will be effectively off at a number equal to the number of sampling driver circuits utilized (i.e., three times the refresh rate of the display when three sampling driver circuits are utilized, four times the refresh rate of the display when four sampling driver circuits are utilized, etc.) Additionally, the location of for example, time  88  may be altered based on the respective size of the sampling driver circuitry  70  in relation to the size of the sampling driver circuitry  72 . For example, when the sampling driver circuitry  70  is larger (drives more pixels) than the sampling driver circuitry  72 , time  88  will occur closer to time  64 , while when the sampling driver circuitry  70  is smaller (drives fewer pixels) than the sampling driver circuitry  72 , time  88  will occur closer to time  60 . This movement of time  88  on vertical sync signal  88  is directly proportional to the size differential between the sampling driver circuitry  70  and the sampling driver circuitry  72  (or, similarly the size differential between the emission driver circuitry  74  and the emission driver circuitry  76 , since the size and number of elements should be equal between the sampling driver circuitry  70  and the sampling driver circuitry  72  and emission driver circuitry  74  and the emission driver circuitry  76 ). 
     However, while the addition of multiple sampling driver circuitry and emission driver circuitry  74  illustrates one technique for increasing the number of times an OLED display is in an off state, other techniques for increasing the number of times an OLED display is in an off state may be utilized. For example, the display  12  of  FIG. 5  may be utilized, however the signals sent to the panel  42  therein may be altered with respect to the previous discussion of  FIG. 5 . 
       FIG. 9  illustrates a timing  FIG. 8  illustrates a timing diagram related to the operation of the OLED display  34  of  FIG. 5 . As illustrated, waveform  92  corresponds to a sampling signal provided from the IC driver  44  to sampling driver circuitry  46  along path  54 , waveform  94  corresponds to an emission signal provided from the IC driver  44  to emission driver circuitry  48  along path  56 , and waveform  96  corresponds to the data shifted to red, green, and blue subpixels of a pixel in a pixel line. Period  98  may correspond to a single refresh or write cycle of an Nth line of pixels in panel  42 , where both the sampling signal and the emission signal are active low. Thus, as illustrated, when the sampling signal goes active (low), the emission of that line of the panel is turned off in a trailing manner (e.g., the emission waveform  94  goes high subsequent to the sampling waveform  92  going active low). When the sampling signal then transitions to active high (when no more data is to be written to the pixels of the Nth line), the emission of that line of the panel is turned on in a trailing manner (e.g., the emission waveform  94  goes active low subsequent to the sampling waveform  92  going high). 
     Instead of this process being immediately repeated for the Nth+1 line in period  100 , a panel deactivation signal process may be implemented. This panel activation process may include the IC driver  44  providing an emission signal to the emission driver circuitry  48  that causes all lines in the panel  42  to halt emissions. This is represented by period  102 . That is, the IC driver  44  may insert an extra set of instructions (e.g., emission halt value) in the emission signal to be executed during period  102 . During this time, all pixels in the panel  42  will be off (not emitting), as illustrated by waveform  104  (which illustrates the emission of the panel  42  as an active low waveform). Subsequent to period  102 , period  100  may be undertaken for pixel line N+1 in a manner consistent with period  98 . 
     Additionally, this process may be repeatable. For example, period  106  may correspond to a time subsequent to period  100  in which line M is being refreshed or written to (where M&gt;N). Again, prior to period  102  in which line M+1 is to be refreshed or written to being immediately after period  106 , the panel deactivation signal process may be implemented again. Again, the panel activation process may include the IC driver  44  providing an emission signal to the emission driver circuitry  48  that causes all lines in the panel  42  to halt emissions. This is represented by period  110 . That is, the IC driver  44  may insert an extra set of instructions (e.g., emission halt value) in the emission signal to be executed during period  110 . During this time, all pixels in the panel  42  will be off (not emitting), as illustrated by waveform  104  (which illustrates the emission of the panel  42  as an active low waveform). Subsequent to period  110 , period  108  may be undertaken for pixel line M+1 in a manner consistent with period  106 . 
     In this manner, the IC driver  44  may operate to insert specific instances of when the OLED display  34  of  FIG. 5  should be turned off. This process may be done as required by the electronic device (e.g., in response to a request from one or more of the components of device  10 ) or on a preset schedule, so that any function that would benefit from being executed while the OLED display  34  is off may be scheduled accordingly. 
     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: 20131213
Publication Date: 20170926
Grant Date: 20170926
Priority Date: 20121214
Inventors: YAO WEI H.
BI YAFEI
AL-DAHLE AHMAD
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "G09G3/3208", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2360/144", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G5/003", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2300/0861", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G3/3208", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2300/0861", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2360/144", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G5/003", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 50930372