PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-11100839-B2
Application Number: US-202016746288-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Noise compensation for displays with non-rectangular borders

Abstract:
The present disclosure relates to an electronic device that includes a display that has a plurality of scan lines. The display also includes a first data line that has a first number of pixels. The first data line forms a first number of crossovers with the plurality of scan lines. Additionally, the display includes a second data line that has a second number of pixels that is different than the first number of pixels. The second data line forms a second number of crossovers with the plurality of scan lines that is equal to the first number of crossovers.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electronic device, comprising:
 a display, comprising:
 a rounded edge of the display; 
 a plurality of scan lines, wherein:
 the plurality of scan lines comprises a first scan line and a second scan line; 
 the second scan line is a branch of the first scan line; and 
 the second scan line is disposed at least partially in the rounded edge and extends into a portion of the electronic device exterior to the display; 
 
 a first data line comprising a first number of pixels, wherein the first data line is disposed at least partially in the rounded edge, extends into a portion of the electronic device exterior to the display, and forms a first number of crossovers with the plurality of scan lines; and 
 a second data line comprising a second number of pixels different than the first number of pixels, wherein the second data line is not disposed in the rounded edge of the display forms a second number of crossovers with the plurality of scan lines, and wherein the second number of crossovers is equal to the first number of crossovers. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The electronic device of  claim 1 , comprising sensing circuitry configured to sense a property of the first data line and the second data line. 
     
     
       3. The electronic device of  claim 2 , comprising a comparator coupled to the first data line and the second data line and configured to generate a signal indicative of a difference between the property of the first data line and the second data line. 
     
     
       4. The electronic device of  claim 3 , comprising compensation circuitry configured to compensate image data based on the difference. 
     
     
       5. The electronic device of  claim 3 , wherein the display comprises a third data line disposed between the first data line and the second data line. 
     
     
       6. The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the display comprises
 one or more rounded bezels. 
 
     
     
       7. The electronic device of  claim 6 , wherein the first scan line is disposed in the rounded edge and extends into the portion of the electronic device that is exterior to the display. 
     
     
       8. The electronic device of  claim 6 , wherein at least a portion of the plurality of scan lines is disposed in a portion of the one or more rounded bezels and extends into the portion of the electronic device that is exterior to the display. 
     
     
       9. The electronic device of  claim 1 , comprising a third data line positioned adjacent to the first data line, wherein the third data line only forms crossovers with a portion of the plurality of scan lines that does not include the first scan line and the second scan line. 
     
     
       10. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, are configured to cause circuitry to sense a property of a first data line comprising a first number of pixels of a display of an electronic device and a second data line comprising a second number of pixels of the display, wherein:
 the second number of pixels differs from the first number of pixels; 
 the display comprises a plurality of scan lines that form an equal number of crossovers with the first data line and the second data line; 
 the plurality of scan lines comprises a first scan line and a second scan line; 
 the second scan line is a branch of the first scan line; 
 the second scan line is disposed at least partially in a rounded edge of the display and extends into a portion of the electronic device exterior to the display; and 
 the first data line is disposed at least partially in the rounded edge of the display and extends past the rounded edge into a portion of the electronic device exterior to the display. 
 
     
     
       11. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein the display comprises a comparator coupled to the first data line and the second data line, wherein the comparator is configured to generate a signal to provide an indication of noise associated with the first data line and the second data line. 
     
     
       12. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the display comprises one or more bezels; and
 the second data line is disposed in neither the rounded edge nor the one or more bezels. 
 
 
     
     
       13. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the first data line comprises a first pixel; 
 the second data line comprises a second pixel; and 
 the first and second pixels are a first type of sub-pixel. 
 
     
     
       14. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the display comprises a third pixel disposed along a third data line, wherein the third pixel is a second type of sub-pixel different than the first type of sub-pixel. 
     
     
       15. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein the instructions are configured to cause compensation circuitry to:
 compensate for noise associated with the first data line and the second data line by modifying image data; and 
 send the modified image data to one or more pixels of the first and second data lines. 
 
     
     
       16. An electronic device comprising:
 a body comprising at least one rounded edge; 
 a non-rectangular display disposed within the body, wherein the display comprises:
 a rounded edge of the display; 
 a plurality of scan lines, wherein:
 the plurality of scan lines comprises a first scan line and a second scan line; 
 the second scan line is a branch of the first scan line; and 
 the first scan line and second scan line are disposed at least partially in the rounded edge of the display and extend into a portion of the electronic device exterior to the display; 
 
 a first data line comprising a first number of pixels, wherein the first data line is disposed at least partially in the rounded portion, extends into the portion of the electronic device exterior to the display, and forms a first number of crossovers with the plurality of scan lines; and 
 a second data line comprising a second number of pixels different than the first number of pixels, wherein the second data line forms a second number of crossovers with the plurality of scan lines, wherein the second number of crossovers is equal to the first number of crossovers; and 
 
 sensing circuitry comprising a comparator coupled to the first data line and the second data line, wherein the comparator is configured to generate a signal indicative of a difference between a property of the first data line and the second data line without additional noise that would be caused by a lack of equality between the first number of crossovers and the second number of crossovers. 
 
     
     
       17. The electronic device of  claim 16 , comprising a bezel, wherein a portion the plurality of scan lines is disposed beneath the bezel. 
     
     
       18. The electronic device of  claim 16 , wherein the second scan line comprises more pixels than the first scan line. 
     
     
       19. The electronic device of  claim 16 , comprising compensation circuitry configured to compensate image data based on the difference in the property of the first data line and the second data line. 
     
     
       20. The electronic device of  claim 16 , wherein the electronic device comprises a mobile phone, a tablet computer, or a wearable electronic device.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/822,447, entitled “Noise Compensation for Displays with Non-Rectangular Borders,” filed on Mar. 22, 2019, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. 
    
    
     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. 
     Display panel uniformity may be negatively impacted by various parameters (e.g., aging, temperature, process variation) of the display panel. The display panel uniformity may be improved by sensing non-uniformity properties due to operational variations in a display. Using the sensed non-uniformity properties, image data may be adjusted to account for non-uniformity before the image data is displayed on the display. The adjustments to the image data may be performed in circuitry external to the electronic display, such as in a processor core complex of an electronic device to which the electronic display belongs. As such, the adjustments to the image data may be referred to as “external compensation.” It should be understood, however, that these adjustments may take place in circuitry internal to an electronic display module or even in circuitry external to the electronic device to which the electronic display belongs. For example, the adjustments to the image data may take place on a different electronic device, such as in a remote server, based on sensed non-uniformity properties of the display. 
     The non-uniformity properties of the electronic display that can be used as a basis for adjusting the image data to achieve display uniformity may include any suitable properties of pixel circuitry that impact the behavior of the pixels of the electronic display. Non-limiting examples include transistor threshold voltages, transistor current-voltage curves, pixel currents or voltages in response to test signals, to name just a few, since these may vary with process, temperature, or pixel aging. Non-uniformity properties such as these may be sensed using sense lines associated with pixels of the electronic display. In some cases, data lines that supply the image data to the pixels may be used as sense lines. 
     For devices with bezels or displays that have rounded or angled edges, sensing pixels of the display panel via the data lines may be negatively impacted by data lines forming crossovers (e.g., intersecting) with differing numbers of scan lines, which may be generally orthogonal to the data lines. For example, when data lines form crossovers with different numbers of scan lines, different amounts of noise may be introduced to the data lines, which may negatively impact display panel uniformity and/or which may introduce noise into signals that are sensed that relate to non-uniformity properties of a display. As discussed below, portions of scan lines may be included to maintain the same number of crossovers for different data lines. The portions of the scan lines may be disposed between pixels or even outside of a display of an electronic device (e.g., near a rounded portion of the display) to enable data lines to form the same number of crossovers with the scan lines. 
     Various refinements of the features noted above may be made in relation to various aspects of the present disclosure. Further features may also be incorporated in these various aspects as well. These refinements and additional features may exist individually or in any combination. For instance, various features discussed below in relation to one or more of the illustrated embodiments may be incorporated into any of the above-described aspects of the present disclosure alone or in any combination. The brief summary presented above is intended only to familiarize the reader with certain aspects and contexts of embodiments of the present disclosure without limitation to the claimed subject matter. 
    
    
     
       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 schematic block diagram of an electronic device including a display with sensing and compensation circuitry, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a notebook computer representing an embodiment of the electronic device of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a front view of a hand-held device representing another embodiment of the electronic device of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a front view of another hand-held device representing another embodiment of the electronic device of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a front view of a desktop computer representing another embodiment of the electronic device of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a front view and side view of a wearable electronic device representing another embodiment of the electronic device of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a circuit diagram illustrating a portion of an array of pixels of the display of  FIG. 1 , in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 8  is a block diagram of a system for display sensing and compensation, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 9  is a flowchart illustrating a process for display sensing and compensation using the system of  FIG. 8 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 10  is a schematic diagram of circuitry that may be included in the electronic device of  FIG. 1 , in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 11  illustrates the electronic device of  FIG. 1  and circuitry that may be included within the electronic device, in accordance with an embodiment; and 
         FIG. 12  illustrates the electronic device of  FIG. 1  and circuitry that may be included within the electronic device, in accordance with an embodiment. 
     
    
    
     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. 
     When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, the articles “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “including” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. Additionally, it should be understood that references to “some embodiments,” “embodiments,” “one embodiment,” or “an embodiment” of the present disclosure are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features. Furthermore, the phrase A “based on” B is intended to mean that A is at least partially based on B. Moreover, the term “or” is intended to be inclusive (e.g., logical OR) and not exclusive (e.g., logical XOR). In other words, the phrase A “or” B is intended to mean A, B, or both A and B. 
     Display panel uniformity can be improved by sensing and compensating for non-uniformity properties or characteristics in a display, which may occur at or around a time of manufacture of the electronic device or while the electronic device is being used. The sensing may detect and be used to compensate for non-uniform display properties, such as variations in transistor threshold voltages, transistor current-voltage curves, pixel currents or voltages in response to test signals, to name a few. For devices with bezels or displays that have rounded or angled edges, display panel uniformity may be negatively impacted by data lines forming crossovers (e.g., intersecting) with differing numbers of scan lines. 
     For example, when data lines form crossovers with different numbers of scan lines, different amounts of noise may be introduced to the data lines, which may negatively impact display panel uniformity. As discussed below, portions of scan lines may be included to maintain the same number of crossovers for different data lines. The portions of the scan lines may be disposed between pixels or even be disposed outside of a display of an electronic device (e.g., near a rounded or angled portion of the display) to enable data lines to form the same number of crossovers with the scan lines. 
     A general description of suitable electronic devices that may include a self-emissive display, such as an LED (e.g., an OLED) display, and corresponding circuitry of this disclosure are provided. With this in mind, a block diagram of an electronic device  10  is shown in  FIG. 1 . As will be described in more detail below, the electronic device  10  may represent any suitable electronic device, such as a computer, a mobile phone, a portable media device, a tablet, a television, a virtual-reality headset, a vehicle dashboard, or the like. The electronic device  10  may represent, for example, a notebook computer  10 A as depicted in  FIG. 2 , a handheld device  10 B as depicted in  FIG. 3 , a handheld device  10 C as depicted in  FIG. 4 , a desktop computer  10 D as depicted in  FIG. 5 , a wearable electronic device  10 E as depicted in  FIG. 6 , or a similar device. 
     The electronic device  10  shown in  FIG. 1  may include, for example, a processor core complex  12 , a local memory  14 , a main memory storage device  16 , an electronic display  18 , sensing circuitry  20 , input structures  22 , an input/output (I/O) interface  24 , network interfaces  26 , a power source  28 , and compensation circuitry  30 . The various functional blocks shown in  FIG. 1  may include hardware elements (including circuitry), software elements (including machine-executable instructions stored on a tangible, non-transitory medium, such as the local memory  14  or the main memory storage device  16 ) or a combination of both hardware and software elements. It should be noted that  FIG. 1  is merely one example of a particular implementation and is intended to illustrate the types of components that may be present in electronic device  10 . Indeed, the various depicted components may be combined into fewer components or separated into additional components. For example, the local memory  14  and the main memory storage device  16  may be included in a single component. 
     The processor core complex  12  may carry out a variety of operations of the electronic device  10 , such as provide image data for display on the electronic display  18 . The processor core complex  12  may include any suitable data processing circuitry to perform these operations, such as one or more microprocessors, one or more application specific processors (ASICs), or one or more programmable logic devices (PLDs). In some cases, the processor core complex  12  may execute programs or instructions (e.g., an operating system or application program) stored on a suitable article of manufacture, such as the local memory  14  and/or the main memory storage device  16 . In addition to instructions for the processor core complex  12 , the local memory  14  and/or the main memory storage device  16  may also store data to be processed by the processor core complex  12 . By way of example, the local memory  14  may include random access memory (RAM) and the main memory storage device  16  may include read only memory (ROM), rewritable non-volatile memory such as flash memory, hard drives, optical discs, or the like. 
     The electronic display  18  may display image frames, such as a graphical user interface (GUI) for an operating system or an application interface, still images, or video content. The processor core complex  12  may supply at least some of the image frames. The electronic display  18  may be a self-emissive display, such as an organic light emitting diodes (OLED) display, or may be a liquid crystal display (LCD) illuminated by a backlight. In some embodiments, the electronic display  18  may include a touch screen, which may allow users to interact with a user interface of the electronic device  10 . The electronic display  18  may include sensing circuitry  20  that is used to sense non-uniformity of the electronic display  18  by sensing changes in one or more parameters (e.g., voltage/current) through thin-film transistors (TFTs) and/or emissive elements in the electronic display  18 . These parameters may include any suitable properties of pixel circuitry that impact the behavior of the pixels of the electronic display. Non-limiting examples include transistor threshold voltages, transistor current-voltage curves, pixel currents or voltages in response to test signals, to name just a few, since these may vary with process, temperature, or pixel aging. 
     As previously noted, the sensing circuitry  20  may provide indications of these sensed parameters to compensation circuitry  30  that stores and compensates for sensed non-uniformity. In some embodiments, the compensation circuitry  30  may be embodied in the processor core complex  12  (e.g., as described with reference to  FIG. 8 ). Similarly, in certain embodiments, the compensation circuitry  30  may store the compensation values in the local memory  14 , main memory storage device  16 , and/or locally within the compensation circuitry  30 . The compensation circuitry  30  may compensate image data for sensed non-uniformity so that when the image data is displayed on the electronic display  18 , the effects of the non-uniformity of the display are reduced or eliminated. For example, where the sensed parameters indicate a pixel on the display displays the same image data less brightly than other pixels, image data for that pixel may be adjusted to be brighter in compensation. Likewise, where the sensed parameters indicate a pixel on the display displays the same image data more brightly than other pixels, image data for that pixel may be adjusted to be less bright in compensation. Additionally or alternatively, the compensation circuitry  30  may provide to the sensing circuitry  20  a reference current that may be used by the sensing circuitry  20  to internally sense non-uniformity in the electronic display  18  (e.g., aging of TFTs and/or emissive elements). 
     The input structures  22  of the electronic device  10  may enable a user to interact with the electronic device  10  (e.g., pressing a button to increase or decrease a volume level). The I/O interface  24  may enable electronic device  10  to interface with various other electronic devices, as may the network interface  26 . The network interface  26  may include, for example, interfaces for a personal area network (PAN), such as a Bluetooth network, for a local area network (LAN) or wireless local area network (WLAN), such as an 802.11x Wi-Fi network, and/or for a wide area network (WAN), such as a cellular network. The network interface  26  may also include interfaces for, for example, broadband fixed wireless access networks (WiMAX), mobile broadband Wireless networks (mobile WiMAX), asynchronous digital subscriber lines (e.g., ADSL, VDSL), digital video broadcasting-terrestrial (DVB-T) and its extension DVB Handheld (DVB-H), ultra wideband (UWB), alternating current (AC) power lines, and so forth. The power source  28  may include any suitable source of power, such as a rechargeable lithium polymer (Li-poly) battery and/or an alternating current (AC) power converter. 
     In certain embodiments, the electronic device  10  may take the form of a computer, a portable electronic device, a wearable electronic device, 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, or Mac Pro® available from Apple Inc. By way of example, the electronic device  10 , taking the form of a notebook computer  10 A, is illustrated in  FIG. 2  in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. The depicted computer  10 A may include a housing or enclosure  36 , an electronic display  18 , input structures  22 , and ports of an I/O interface  24 . In one embodiment, the input structures  22  (such as a keyboard and/or touchpad) may be used to interact with the computer  10 A, such as to start, control, or operate a GUI or applications running on computer  10 A. For example, a keyboard and/or touchpad may allow a user to navigate a user interface or application interface displayed on the electronic display  18 . 
       FIG. 3  depicts a front view of a handheld device  10 B, which represents one embodiment of the electronic device  10 . The handheld device  10 B may represent, for example, a portable phone, a media player, a personal data organizer, a handheld game platform, or any combination of such devices. By way of example, the handheld device  10 B may be a model of an iPod® or iPhone® available from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif. The handheld device  10 B may include an enclosure  36  to protect interior components from physical damage and to shield them from electromagnetic interference. The enclosure  36  may surround the electronic display  18 . The I/O interfaces  24  may open through the enclosure  36  and may include, for example, an I/O port for a hard wired connection for charging and/or content manipulation using a standard connector and protocol, such as the Lightning connector provided by Apple Inc., a universal serial bus (USB), or other similar connector and protocol. 
     User input structures  22 , in combination with the electronic display  18 , may allow a user to control the handheld device  10 B. For example, the input structures  22  may activate or deactivate the handheld device  10 B, navigate user interface to a home screen, a user-configurable application screen, and/or activate a voice-recognition feature of the handheld device  10 B. Other input structures  22  may provide volume control, or may toggle between vibrate and ring modes. The input structures  22  may also include a microphone may obtain a user&#39;s voice for various voice-related features, and a speaker may enable audio playback and/or certain phone capabilities. The input structures  22  may also include a headphone input may provide a connection to external speakers and/or headphones. 
       FIG. 4  depicts a front view of another handheld device  10 C, which represents another embodiment of the electronic device  10 . The handheld device  10 C may represent, for example, a tablet computer or portable computing device. By way of example, the handheld device  10 C may be a tablet-sized embodiment of the electronic device  10 , which may be, for example, a model of an iPad® available from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif. 
     Turning to  FIG. 5 , a computer  10 D may represent another embodiment of the electronic device  10  of  FIG. 1 . The computer  10 D may be any computer, such as a desktop computer, a server, or a notebook computer, but may also be a standalone media player or video gaming machine. By way of example, the computer  10 D may be an iMac®, a MacBook®, or other similar device by Apple Inc. It should be noted that the computer  10 D may also represent a personal computer (PC) by another manufacturer. A similar enclosure  36  may be provided to protect and enclose internal components of the computer  10 D such as the electronic display  18 . In certain embodiments, a user of the computer  10 D may interact with the computer  10 D using various peripheral input devices, such as input structures  22 A or  22 B (e.g., keyboard and mouse), which may connect to the computer  10 D. 
     Similarly,  FIG. 6  depicts a wearable electronic device  10 E representing another embodiment of the electronic device  10  of  FIG. 1  that may be configured to operate using the techniques described herein. By way of example, the wearable electronic device  10 E, which may include a wristband  43 , may be an Apple Watch® by Apple Inc. However, in other embodiments, the wearable electronic device  10 E may include any wearable electronic device such as, for example, a wearable exercise monitoring device (e.g., pedometer, accelerometer, heart rate monitor), or other device by another manufacturer. The electronic display  18  of the wearable electronic device  10 E may include a touch screen display  18  (e.g., LCD, OLED display, active-matrix organic light emitting diode (AMOLED) display, and so forth), as well as input structures  22 , which may allow users to interact with a user interface of the wearable electronic device  10 E. 
     The electronic display  18  for the electronic device  10  may include a matrix of pixels that contain light-emitting circuitry. Accordingly,  FIG. 7  illustrates a circuit diagram including a portion of a matrix of pixels in an active area of the electronic display  18 . As illustrated, the electronic display  18  may include a display panel  45 . Moreover, the display panel  45  may include multiple unit pixels  46  (here, six unit pixels  46 A,  46 B,  46 C,  46 D,  46 E, and  46 F are shown) arranged as an array or matrix defining multiple rows and columns of the unit pixels  46  that collectively form a viewable region of the electronic display  18 , in which an image may be displayed. In such an array, each unit pixel  46  may be defined by the intersection of rows and columns, represented here by the illustrated gate lines  47  (also referred to as “scanning lines”) and data lines  48  (also referred to as “source lines”), respectively. Additionally, power supply lines  49  may provide power to each of the unit pixels  46  (e.g., from power supply  55 ). The unit pixels  46  may include, for example, a thin film transistor (TFT) coupled to a self-emissive pixel, such as an OLED, whereby the TFT may be a driving TFT that facilitates control of the luminance of a display pixel  46  by controlling a magnitude of supply current flowing into the OLED of the display pixel  46  or a TFT that controls luminance of a display pixel by controlling the operation of a liquid crystal. 
     Although only six unit pixels  46 , referred to individually by reference numbers  46 A- 46 F, respectively, are shown, it should be understood that in an actual implementation, each data line  48  and gate line  47  may include hundreds or even thousands of such unit pixels  46 . By way of example, in a color display panel  45  having a display resolution of 1024×768, each data line  48 , which may define a column of the pixel array, may include 768 unit pixels, while each gate line  47 , which may define a row of the pixel array, may include 1024 groups of unit pixels with each group including a red, blue, and green pixel, thus totaling 3072 unit pixels per gate line  47 . It should be readily understood, however, that each row or column of the pixel array any suitable number of unit pixels, which could include many more pixels than 1024 or 768. In the presently illustrated example, the unit pixels  46  may represent a group of pixels having a red pixel ( 62 A), a blue pixel ( 62 B), and a green pixel ( 62 C). The group of unit pixels  46 D,  46 E, and  46 F may be arranged in a similar manner. Additionally, in the industry, it is also common for the term “pixel” may refer to a group of adjacent different-colored pixels (e.g., a red pixel, blue pixel, and green pixel), with each of the individual colored pixels in the group being referred to as a “sub-pixel.” In some cases, however, the term “pixel” refers generally to each sub-pixel depending on the context of the use of this term. 
     As illustrated, the electronic display  18  may include an array of pixels  46  (e.g., self-emissive pixels). The electronic display may include any suitable circuitry to drive the pixels  46 . In the example of  FIG. 7 , the electronic display  18  includes a controller  50 , a source driver integrated circuit (IC)  51 , and a gate driver IC  52 . The source driver IC  51  and gate driver IC  52  may drive individual of the self-emissive pixels  46 . In some embodiments, the source driver IC  51  and the gate driver IC  52  may include multiple channels for independently driving multiple of the self-emissive pixel  46 . Each of the pixels  46  may include any suitable light-emitting element, such as a LED, one example of which is an OLED. However, any other suitable type of pixel, including non-self-emissive pixels (e.g., liquid crystal, digital micromirror) may also be utilized. 
     The controller  50 , which may include a chip, such as a processor or application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), that controls various aspects (e.g., operation) of the electronic display  18  and/or the display panel  45 . For instance, the controller  50  may receive image data  53  from the processor core complex indicative of light intensities for the light outputs for the pixels  46 . In some embodiments, the controller  50  may be coupled to the local memory  14  and retrieve the image data  53  from the local memory  14 . The controller  50  may control the pixels  46  by using control signals to control elements of the pixels  46 . For instance, the pixels  46  may include any suitable controllable element, such as a transistor, one example of which is a MOSFET. The pixels  46 , which may be self-emissive, may include any suitable controllable element, such as a transistor, one example of which is a MOSFET. However, any other suitable type of controllable elements, including thin film transistors (TFTs), p-type and/or n-type MOSFETs, and other transistor types, may also be used. The controller  50  may control elements of the pixels  46  via the source driver IC 70  and the gate driver IC  52 . For example, the controller  50  may send signals to the source driver IC  51 , which may send signals (e.g., timing information/image signals  54 ) to the pixels  46 . The gate driver IC  52  may provide/remove gate activation signals to activate/deactivate rows of unit pixels  46  via the gate lines  47  based on timing information/image signals  54  received from the controller  50 . 
     In some embodiments, the controller  50  may be included in the source driver IC  51 . Additionally, the controller  50  or source driver IC  51  may include a timing controller (TCON) that determines and sends the timing information/image signals  54  to the gate driver IC  52  to facilitate activation and deactivation of individual rows of unit pixels  46 . In other embodiments, timing information may be provided to the gate driver IC  52  in some other manner (e.g., using a controller  56  that is separate from or integrated within the source driver IC  51 ). Further, while  FIG. 7  depicts only a controller  50  and a single source driver IC  51 , it should be appreciated that other embodiments may utilize multiple controllers  69  and/or multiple source driver ICs  70  to provide timing information/image signals  54  to the unit pixels  46 . For example, additional embodiments may include multiple controller  50  and/or multiple source driver ICs  70  disposed along one or more edges of the display panel  45 , with each controller  50  and/or source driver IC  51  being configured to control a subset of the data lines  48  and/or gate lines  47 . 
     In addition, in some embodiments, sensing circuitry may be included in the gate driver IC  52  and/or the source driver IC  51  to measure pixel parameters or perform pixel parameter adjustments (e.g., adjustment of control signals transmitted to one or more pixels  46 ) as part of non-uniformity correction operations and/or error correction operations. However, it should be appreciated that this sensing circuitry may also be disposed external and/or the pixel parameter adjustments performed external, such as in an externally disposed processor core complex  12 , to the gate driver IC  52  and/or the source driver IC  51  to perform external compensation operations. 
       FIG. 8  is a block diagram of a system  60  for display sensing and compensation, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The system  60  includes the processor core complex  12 , which includes image correction circuitry  62 . The image correction circuitry  62 , which may correspond to the compensation circuitry  30  of  FIG. 1 , may receive image data  64  and compensate for non-uniformity of the electronic display  18  based on and induced by process non-uniformity temperature gradients, aging of the electronic display  18 , and/or other factors across the electronic display  18  to increase performance of the electronic display  18  (e.g., by reducing visible anomalies). The non-uniformity of pixels in the electronic display  18  may vary between devices of the same type (e.g., two similar phones, tablets, wearable devices, or the like), over time and usage (e.g., due to aging and/or degradation of the pixels or other components of the electronic display  18 ), and/or with respect to temperatures, as well as in response to additional factors. 
     As illustrated, the system  60  includes aging/temperature determination circuitry  66  that may determine or facilitate determining the non-uniformity of the pixels in the electronic display  18  due to, for example, aging and/or degradation of the pixels or other components of the electronic display  18 . The aging/temperature determination circuitry  66 , which may represent an element of the compensation circuitry  30  of  FIG. 1 , may also determine or facilitate determining the non-uniformity of the pixels in the electronic display  18  due to, for example, temperature or aging. 
     The image correction circuitry  62  may send the image data  64  (for which the non-uniformity of the pixels in the electronic display  18  have or have not been compensated for by the image correction circuitry  62 ) to analog-to-digital converter  68  of a driver integrated circuit  70  of the electronic display  18 . The analog-to-digital conversion converter  68  may digitize then image data  64  when it is in an analog format. The driver integrated circuit  70  may send signals across gate lines to cause a row of pixels of a display panel  72 , including one or more pixels  74  which may be included among the pixels  46  of  FIG. 7 , to become activated and programmable, at which point the driver integrated circuit  70  may transmit the image data  64  across data lines to program the pixels of the display panel  72  to display a particular gray level (e.g., individual pixel brightness). By supplying different pixels of different colors with the image data  64  to display different gray levels, full-color images may be programmed into the pixels. The driver integrated circuit  70  may also include a sensing analog front end  76  to perform analog sensing of the response of the pixels to data input (e.g., the image data  64 ) to the pixels. The analog front end  76  may be included in the sensing circuitry  20  of  FIG. 1 . 
     The processor core complex  12  may also send sense control signals  78  to cause the electronic display  18  to perform display panel sensing. In response, the electronic display  18  may send display sense feedback  79  that represents digital information relating to the operational variations of the electronic display  18 . The display sense feedback  79  may be input to the aging/temperature determination circuitry  66 , and take any suitable form. Output of the aging/temperature determination circuitry  66  may take any suitable form and be converted by the image correction circuitry  62  into a compensation value that, when applied to the image data  64 , appropriately compensates for non-uniformity of the electronic display  18 . This may result in greater fidelity of the image data  64 , reducing or eliminating visual artifacts that would otherwise occur due to the operational variations of the electronic display  18 . In some embodiments, the processor core complex  12  may be part of the driver integrated circuit  70 , and as such, be part of the electronic display  18 . 
       FIG. 9  is a flowchart illustrating a process  80  for display sensing and compensation using the system  60  of  FIG. 8 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The process  80  may be performed by any suitable device that may sense operational variations of the electronic display  18  and compensate for the operational variations, such as the electronic display  18  and/or the processor core complex  12 . 
     The electronic display  18  senses (process block  82 ) operational variations of the electronic display  18  itself. In particular, the processor core complex  12  may send one or more instructions (e.g., sense control signals  78 ) to the electronic display  18 . The instructions may cause the electronic display  18  to perform display panel sensing. The operational variations may include any suitable variations that induce non-uniformity in the electronic display  18 , such as process non-uniformity temperature gradients, aging of the electronic display  18 , and the like. 
     The processor core complex  12  then adjusts (process block  84 ) the electronic display  18  based on the operational variations. For example, the processor core complex  12  may receive display sense feedback  79  that represents digital information relating to the operational variations from the electronic display  18  in response to receiving the sense control signals  78 . The display sense feedback  79  may be input to the aging/temperature determination circuitry  66 , and take any suitable form. Output of the aging/temperature determination circuitry  66  may take any suitable form and be converted by the image correction circuitry  62  into a compensation value. For example, processor core complex  12  may apply the compensation value to the image data  64 , which may then be sent to the electronic display  18 . In this manner, the processor core complex  12  may perform the process  80  to increase performance of the electronic display  18  (e.g., by reducing visible anomalies). 
     As noted above, the present disclosure relates to sensing and compensation circuitry that may be included in an electronic device (e.g., the sensing circuitry  20  and compensation circuitry  30  of the electronic device  10 ). As discussed below, in some embodiments of the electronic device  10 , especially those with non-rectangular displays  18  (e.g., an electronic display  18  that includes curved or nonlinear portions such as edges), interference, such as noise, may be introduced due to a data line associated with one or more pixels crossing over a different number of scan lines than a data line associated with one or more other pixels. Similarly, interference may also be caused by scan lines crossing over a different numbers of data lines. As discussed below, reducing imbalances in the number of crossovers may reduce the occurrence of display discrepancies, such as visual artifacts. 
     Bearing this in mind,  FIG. 10  is a schematic diagram of differential sensing circuitry  86  that may be used to sense parameters of pixels of the display while cancelling common mode noise. In the example of  FIG. 10 , the differential sensing circuitry  86  may be used to differentially sense a pixel  46 A on a data line  88  in comparison to a pixel  46 B on a data line  90 , or vice versa. The data lines  88  and  90  are coupled to a comparator  92  that can sense differences between voltages that arise on integrating capacitors  94 A and  94 B due to current on the data lines  88  and  90 , respectively. When the data lines  88  and  90  have the same or similar loading characteristics, common mode noise that appears on both of the data lines  88  and  90  (e.g., due to a common environmental noise source, such as display scanning signals or electromagnetic interference (EMI) from other circuitry of the electronic device  10 ) may be substantially the same on both data lines  88  and  90 , and thus this common mode noise may cancel out in the comparator  92 . Therefore, when the data lines  88  and  90  have the same or substantially similar loading characteristics, the differential sensing circuitry  86  may be used to sample a difference in the electrical behavior of the pixel  46 A (e.g., in response to a test data signal) as compared to the pixel  46 B (e.g., which may be off), while noise that is common to both data lines  88  and  90  cancels out. The result is the electrical behavior of the pixel  46 A without the common mode noise. 
     Yet while the noise on the data lines  88  and  90  may cancel out when the data lines  88  and  90  have the same loading characteristics, this may not be the case when the data lines  88  and  90  have different loading characteristics. Indeed, if a parasitic capacitance  96 A between the data line  88  and a scan line  98  differs from a parasitic capacitance  96 B between the data line  90  and the scan line  98 , unequal noise due to a scanning signal (ΔVscan) on the scan line  98  may arise. For example, first noise due to a first charge Q 1  may occur on the data line  88  that may differ from second noise due to a second charge Q 2  on the data line  90 . Since this noise is unequal, the noise will not cancel out in the comparator  92 . For example, the amount of residual noise may be related to a difference between Q 1  and Q 2 . This difference may be described as a difference in capacitance between the capacitors  96  multiplied by a change in voltage occurring on of the scan line  98  due to the scanning signal (ΔVscan). 
     An electronic display  18  that includes irregular or non-rectangular borders may have different numbers of pixels  46  on each data line and, accordingly, different numbers of scan line crossovers. Since the different number of scan line crossovers may affect the parasitic capacitance (e.g.,  96 A and  96 B in the example of  FIG. 10 ), unequal noise due to a scanning signal (ΔVscan) on the scan line  98  may arise. For example, as discussed above, first noise due to a first charge Q 1  may occur on the data line  88  that may differ from second noise due to a second charge Q 2  on the data line  90 . Because this noise is unequal, the noise will not cancel out in the comparator  92 , which may cause inaccurate non-uniformity correction operations to be performed. 
     Keeping the discussion of  FIG. 10  in mind,  FIG. 11  is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the electronic device  10 . More specifically, in the illustrated embodiment, the electronic device  10  is a mobile phone or tablet computer. It should be noted, however, that in other embodiments, the electronic device  10  could be something other than a mobile phone or tablet computer. For instance, in other embodiments, the electronic device could be a computer (e.g., laptop or notebook computer) or a wearable device, such as a fitness band or watch (e.g., smart watch). 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the electronic device  10  includes an outer boundary  100  in which the electronic display  18  is contained. For instance, the outer boundary  100  may include a body of the electronic device  10 . The outer boundary  100  may be larger than the display. For example, as discussed below, some circuitry associated with the electronic display  18  may be included outside of the electronic display  18  but within the outer boundary  100 . 
     As also shown in  FIG. 11 , the electronic device  10  includes rounded edges  102  and bezels  104 . The rounded edges  102  and bezels  104  may include areas of the electronic device  10  that include the electronic display  18  as well as the outer boundary  100 . For instance, the electronic display  18  may be absent from the bezels  104 . With that said, portions of the electronic display  18  in the rounded edges  102  and near the bezels  104  may be rounded or angled. In other words, the electronic display  18  may be non-rectangular. 
     For example, portion  106 , which includes some of the rounded edge  102 , illustrates an edge  108  of the electronic display  18  as well as circuitry  110  associated with the electronic display  18 . Portions of the circuitry  110  illustrated to the right of the edge  108  may be included in the electronic display  18  (e.g., physically located within the electronic display  18  as shown in  FIG. 11 ), while portions of the circuitry that are shown to the left of the edge  108  may not be included in the electronic display  18 . 
     As illustrated, the circuitry  110  includes columns  120  of pixels  122  that may be disposed along data lines  130 . The columns  120  may include different numbers of pixels  122 . For instance, as shown in  FIG. 11 , column  120 A and column  120 B each include three pixels  122 , while column  120 C and column  120 D each have four pixels  122 . Additionally, it should be noted that, in the illustrated embodiment, the pixels  122  of alternating columns  120  (and data lines  130 ) may be the same type of pixel. For example, the pixels  122  may be referred to as sub-pixels that may be associated with emitting light of one or more colors. For example, pixels  122  such as pixel  122 A and pixel  122 C may emit red light or blue light, while pixels  122  such as pixel  122 C and pixel  122 D may emit green light. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, data line  130 B and data line  130 D are coupled to comparator  92 , which, as discussed above, may send a signal indicative of a difference between inputs received from the data line  130 B and data line  130 D to the compensation circuitry  30 . In general, in the illustrated embodiment, alternating data lines  130 , which correspond to alternating columns  120  of similar types of subpixels, may be coupled to comparators. In other words, in other embodiments, there may be more than one comparator  92 , and other data lines, such as data line  130 A and data line  130 C may be coupled to one of the additional comparators. 
     The circuitry  110  also includes scan lines  132  that may form crossovers (e.g., intersections) with the data lines  130 . The proximity of the scan lines  132  to the data lines  130  may introduce noise (e.g., caused by parasitic capacitance) to the data lines  130 . While the compensation circuitry  30  may correct for the noise, when different amounts of noise are introduced to different data lines, the compensation provided may not accurately account for the noise due to the fact that there are two different amounts of noise present. Furthermore, it should be noted that while the circuitry  110  is illustrated, the electronic display  18  may include many more pixels  122 , data lines  130 , and scan lines  132 . For example, there may be hundreds or thousands (or more) pixels  122 , data lines  130 , and scan lines  132  included in the circuitry  110  and display  18 . 
     As noted above, the compensation circuitry  30  may compensate for noise within the circuitry  110 . However, a data line  130  that forms fewer or more crossovers with scan lines  132  may have a difference amount of noise compared to another data line  130 . For example, in some cases in which the electronic display  18  is rounded (e.g., rounded edge  102  or bezel  104 ), there may be fewer pixels  122  along a data line  130 . More specifically, there may be fewer pixels in one column  120  compared to another column  120  due to the curve of the electronic display  18 . For instance, in column  120 D, there are four pixels, whereas column  120 B includes three pixels  122 . In some cases, data lines  130  may not extend from the last (e.g., closest to the edge  108 ) to a subsequent scan line  132 . For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the data line  130 A includes a portion  140 A, and the data line includes a portion  140 C. The portion  140 A and portion  140 C respectively extend from pixel  122 A and pixel  122 B to the scan line  132 A such that the data lines  130 A and  130 B have the same number of crossovers with scan lines  132  as the data line  130 C and data line  130 D. Because there are the same number of crossovers (e.g., between data line  130 B and data line  130 D that are coupled to the comparator  92 ), the noise introduced (e.g., by the scan lines  132 ) to the data line  130  may be equivalent. Accordingly, the signals the comparator  92  receives may be indicative the same amount of noise, which will cancel out with one another. Accordingly, because noise introduced to the data lines  130 B an  130 D by the scan line  132 A even though there are different numbers of pixel  122  on the data lines  130 B and  130 D may be equal, the noise may cancel out at the comparator  92 , which may enable the compensation circuitry  30  to correct for the noise on both data lines  130 B and  130 D not caused by the scan line  132 A. 
     Furthermore, it should be noted that some of the portion  140 A and portion  140 C may extend outside of the electronic display  18  but otherwise are still included in the electronic device  10 . For example, the portion  140 A and portion  140 C may be quite small (e.g., micrometers in length) and included between the edge  108  of the display and the outer boundary  100  of the electronic device. 
     As another example,  FIG. 12  illustrates circuitry  162  that may be included at least partially in the electronic display  18  of the electronic device  10 . More specifically, the circuitry  162  may be associated another rounded edge  102  of the electronic device  10 . In the illustrated embodiment, the circuitry  162  includes data lines  170 A,  170 B,  170 C, and  170 D, scan lines  174 A,  174 B, and  174 C, and a comparator  92 . Pixels may be coupled to, and located along, the data lines  170 A,  170 B,  170 C, and  170 D. For instance, data line  170 A and data line  170 C may include pixels of one or more types of subpixels (e.g., red and blue subpixels), while data line  170 B and data line  170 D may include another type or types of subpixels (e.g., green subpixels). 
     Some of the data lines  170 A,  170 B,  170 C, and  170 D, or portions thereof, may not be included in the electronic display  18 . Such data lines  170 A,  170 B,  170 C, and  170 D, or portions thereof, may not include pixels. For example, portions of data line  170 A and data line  170 B may not be included in the electronic display  18 , but rather included between the electronic display  18  and the outer boundary  100  of the electronic device  10 . Likewise, portions of the of scan lines  174  may not be include in the electronic display  18 . For instance, portions  176  may be included between the electronic display  18  and the outer boundary  100  of the electronic device  10 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 12 , data line  170 B and data line  170 D are coupled to the comparator  92 . The comparator  92  may receive signals from the data line  170 B and data line  170 D and generate a signal indicative of a difference (e.g., difference in voltage, current) between the signals received from the data line  170 B and data line  170 D. The compensation circuitry  30  may receive the signal from the comparator  92 , and the compensation circuitry  30  (and/or processor core complex  12 ) may cause data (e.g., image data) sent to the pixels of the data lines  170  to be modified to compensate for differences in the signals from the data line  170 B and data line  170 D. However, as described above, when there is a difference number of crossovers between data lines  170 A,  170 B,  170 C, and  170 D, such as the data line  170 B and the data line  170 D, and scan lines, such as scan lines  174 A,  174 B, and  174 C, a parasitic capacitance between the data line  170 B and a scan line (e.g., scan line  174 C) differs from a parasitic capacitance  96 B between the data line  170 D and the scan line (e.g., scan line  174 C), unequal noise due to a scanning signal (ΔVscan) on the scan line  98  may arise. For example, first noise due to a first charge may occur on the data line  170 B that may differ from second noise due to a second charge on the data line  170 D. Since this noise is unequal, the noise will not cancel out in the comparator  92 . Accordingly, the compensation circuitry  30  may not completely compensate for noise experienced by both data line  170 B and data line  170 D. 
     By including the portions  176 A,  176 B, and  176 C of the scan lines  174 A,  174 B, and  174 C, data line  170 B and data line  170 D have the same number of crossovers with the scan lines  174 A,  174 B, and  174 C. Accordingly, common mode noise that appears on both of the data lines  170 B and  170 D (e.g., due to a common environmental noise source, such as display scanning signals or electromagnetic interference (EMI) from other circuitry of the electronic device  10 ) may be substantially the same on the scan lines  174 A,  174 B, and  174 C, and thus this common mode noise may cancel out in the comparator  92 . By enabling noise common to the data lines  170 B and  170 D to be canceled out, the compensation circuitry  30  may receive signals indicative that are relatively more accurate, which enables the compensation circuitry to more effectively compensate for noise. Because the noise may be accurately accounted for, image data presented on the electronic display  18  may have fewer inconsistencies, such as visual artifacts that may be caused by inaccurate compensation. 
     Furthermore, it should be noted that while  FIG. 11  and  FIG. 12  are directed to rounded edges  102 , the techniques illustrated therein and discussed above may be applied to any portion of the electronic display  18 , such as the bezels  104 . For example, while there may not be any pixels (e.g., pixels  122 ) in the bezels  104 , there may be data lines and/or scan lines that are included in the bezel  104  to enable the same number of crossovers to achieved for pixels that share an amplifier (e.g., comparator  92 ). Furthermore, it should be noted that while the discussion above is in reference to an electronic device (e.g., electronic device  10 ) with rounded edges (e.g., rounded edges  102 ) and angled bezels  104  (e.g., bezel  104  that include an oblique angle), the presently disclosed techniques may be used in other embodiments of the electronic device  10 , such as embodiments in which the edges and/or bezels  104  may differ from those illustrated in  FIG. 11  and  FIG. 12 . For example, the presently disclosed techniques may be applied to embodiments of the electronic device having angled edges, differently shaped (e.g., rounded) bezels  104 , a different number and/or placement of the bezels  104 , or any combination thereof. In other words, the techniques discussed herein may be applied to a variety of different types of displays and electronic devices, especially those having columns of pixels that have different amounts of pixels. 
     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. 
     The techniques presented and claimed herein are referenced and applied to material objects and concrete examples of a practical nature that demonstrably improve the present technical field and, as such, are not abstract, intangible or purely theoretical. Further, if any claims appended to the end of this specification contain one or more elements designated as “means for [perform]ing [a function] . . . ” or “step for [perform]ing [a function] . . . ”, it is intended that such elements are to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f). However, for any claims containing elements designated in any other manner, it is intended that such elements are not to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f).

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20200117
Publication Date: 20210824
Grant Date: 20210824
Priority Date: 20190322
Inventors: ONO, SHINYA
LIN, CHIN-WEI
RYU, JIE WON
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "G09G2300/0426", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2300/0426", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2320/043", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2300/0408", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G3/20", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2320/0209", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2320/0209", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G3/2074", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G3/2003", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2310/0278", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2320/0285", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2320/041", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G3/2074", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2300/0426", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2300/0408", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2310/0278", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G3/2003", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2320/0209", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 72514759