PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-9618807-B2
Application Number: US-201213603134-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Devices and methods to compensate for image color variance due to display temperatures

Abstract:
Methods and devices to compensate for image color variance due to display temperatures are provided. In one example, a display of an electronic device may include a first pixel section that has multiple pixels. The pixels may include a red subpixel, green subpixel, and blue subpixel that each has a respective aperture ratio. The display may also include a second pixel section that has multiple pixels. Again, the pixels may include a red subpixel, green subpixel, and blue subpixel that each has a respective aperture ratio. One or more of the subpixel aperture ratios of the first pixel section may be greater than a respective one or more of the subpixel aperture ratios of the second section to overcome image color variance that may exist due to temperature variations of the display.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A display of an electronic device comprising:
 a first pixel section having a first plurality of pixels, wherein each pixel of the first plurality of pixels consists essentially of a first red subpixel having a first aperture ratio, a first green subpixel having a second aperture ratio, and a first blue subpixel having a third aperture ratio; and 
 a second pixel section having a second plurality of pixels, wherein each pixel of the second plurality of pixels consists essentially of a second red subpixel having a fourth aperture ratio, a second green subpixel having a fifth aperture ratio, and a second blue subpixel having a sixth aperture ratio, wherein the second pixel section is disposed nearer to a heat producing component of the electronic device than the first pixel section, and the heat producing component causes the second pixel section to operate at a greater temperature than the first pixel section; 
 wherein the first aperture ratio is greater than the fourth aperture ratio, the second aperture ratio is greater than the fifth aperture ratio, and the third aperture ratio is greater than the sixth aperture ratio. 
 
     
     
       2. The display of  claim 1 , wherein a first sum comprises the first aperture ratio, the second aperture ratio, and the third aperture ratio and a second sum comprises the fourth aperture ratio, the fifth aperture ratio, and the sixth aperture ratio, and wherein the first sum is greater than the second sum. 
     
     
       3. The display of  claim 1 , wherein the heat producing component comprises a processor, a power supply, or a battery, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
       4. The display of  claim 1 , wherein the first pixel section comprises a central portion of the display and the second pixel section comprises a border portion of the display. 
     
     
       5. The display of  claim 1 , comprising a third pixel section having a third plurality of pixels, wherein each of the third plurality of pixels consists essentially of a third red subpixel having a seventh aperture ratio, a third green subpixel having a eighth aperture ratio, and a third blue subpixel having a ninth aperture ratio, and wherein the first aperture ratio is greater than the seventh aperture ratio, the second aperture ratio is greater than the eighth aperture ratio, and the third aperture ratio is greater than the ninth aperture ratio, wherein the third pixel section is disposed nearer to the heat producing component of the electronic device than the first pixel section and the second pixel section and the heat producing component causes the third pixel section to operate at a greater temperature than the first pixel section and the second pixel section. 
     
     
       6. The display of  claim 1 , comprising a black mask configured to form apertures corresponding to the first aperture ratio, the second aperture ratio, the third aperture ratio, the fourth aperture ratio, the fifth aperture ratio, and the sixth aperture ratio. 
     
     
       7. The display of  claim 1 , comprising a thin-film transistor layer configured to form apertures corresponding to the first aperture ratio, the second aperture ratio, the third aperture ratio, the fourth aperture ratio, the fifth aperture ratio, and the sixth aperture ratio. 
     
     
       8. The display of  claim 1 , wherein each pixel of the first plurality of pixels comprises a first white subpixel having a seventh aperture ratio and each pixel of the second plurality of pixels comprises a second white subpixel having an eighth aperture ratio, and wherein the seventh aperture ratio is greater than the eighth aperture ratio. 
     
     
       9. The display of  claim 1 , wherein the intensity of light produced by the first pixel section is greater than the intensity of light produced by the second pixel section. 
     
     
       10. The display of  claim 1 , wherein each ratio of the first aperture ratio, the second aperture ratio, the third aperture ratio, the fourth aperture ratio, the fifth aperture ratio, and the sixth aperture ratio is greater than 0 and less than 1. 
     
     
       11. A method of manufacturing a consumer electronic device, comprising:
 providing a display device, wherein the display device comprises:
 a plurality of subpixels disposed across the display device in a first portion and a second portion, wherein the second portion is nearer to a heat generating component than the first portion, each subpixel comprises an aperture ratio, and the plurality of subpixels comprises first color subpixels having a first color, second color subpixels having a second color, and third color subpixels having a third color, 
 wherein the aperture ratios of the first color subpixels in the second portion are less than the aperture ratios of the first color subpixels in the first portion, and the aperture ratios of the second color subpixels in the second portion are equal to the aperture ratios of the second color subpixels in the first portion; and 
 
 coupling a processing device to the display device. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , comprising disposing the display device and the processing device in a housing. 
     
     
       13. A display device comprising:
 a plurality of subpixels disposed across the display device in a first portion and a second portion, wherein the second portion is nearer to a heat generating component than the first portion, each subpixel comprises an aperture ratio, and the plurality of subpixels comprises first color subpixels having a first color, second color subpixels having a second color, and third color subpixels having a third color, 
 wherein the aperture ratios of the first color subpixels in the second portion are less than the aperture ratios of the first color subpixels in the first portion, and the aperture ratios of the second color subpixels in the second portion are equal to the aperture ratios of the second color subpixels in the first portion. 
 
     
     
       14. The display device of  claim 13 , wherein the second portion comprises a border portion of the display device. 
     
     
       15. An electronic device comprising:
 a display device comprising:
 a plurality of subpixels disposed across the display device in a first portion and a second portion, wherein the second portion is nearer to a heat generating component than the first portion, each subpixel comprises an aperture ratio, and the plurality of subpixels comprises first color subpixels having a first color, second color subpixels having a second color, and third color subpixels having a third color, 
 wherein the aperture ratios of the first color subpixels in the second portion are less than the aperture ratios of the first color subpixels in the first portion, and the aperture ratios of the second color subpixels in the second portion are equal to the aperture ratios of the second color subpixels in the first portion; and 
 a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel comprising the plurality of subpixels arranged in rows and columns, wherein the first portion comprises a first section of the LCD panel, the second portion comprises a second section of the LCD panel, wherein the second section of the LCD panel operates at greater temperatures than the first section of the LCD panel; and wherein the aperture ratios of the first color subpixels in the second portion are sized based at least in part on proximity to the heat generating component. 
 
 
     
     
       16. The electronic device of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of subpixels includes a red subpixel, a green subpixel, a blue subpixel, and a white subpixel.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The present disclosure relates generally to electronic displays and, more particularly, to devices and methods to compensate for image color variance due to display temperatures. 
     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. 
     Displays, such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays, are commonly used in a wide variety of electronic devices, including such consumer electronics as televisions, computers, and handheld devices (e.g., cellular telephones, audio and video players, gaming systems, and so forth). Such displays typically provide a display in a relatively thin package that is suitable for use in a variety of electronic goods. 
     As may be appreciated, the thermal distribution of a display of an electronic device may be non-uniform. For example, certain portions of the display may be positioned near heat producing components of the electronic device (e.g., processors, power supplies, batteries, integrated circuits, etc.) and such portions of the display may be exposed to greater heat than other portions of the display. As the thermal distribution of the display varies between portions of the display, the thermal distribution may affect an image color shown on the display so that the image color varies between such portions. For example, a central portion of the display may display white properly, while a border (e.g., edge) portion of the display positioned near heat producing components of the electronic device may undesirably display the white with a color tint (e.g., yellow, blue, red, etc.). 
     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. 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to devices and methods to compensate for image color variance due to display temperatures. By way of example, a display of an electronic device may include a first pixel section that has multiple pixels. The pixels may include a red subpixel, green subpixel, and blue subpixel that each has a respective aperture ratio. The display may also include a second pixel section that has multiple pixels. Again, the pixels may include a red subpixel, green subpixel, and blue subpixel that each has a respective aperture ratio. One or more of the subpixel aperture ratios of the first pixel section may be greater than a respective one or more of the subpixel aperture ratios of the second section to overcome image color variance that may exist due to temperature variations of the display. 
     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 with an electronic display having pixels with different aperture ratios to compensate for temperature variations in the display, 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 handheld device representing another embodiment of the electronic device of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of layers of a display panel of an electronic display that may be used to form pixels having different aperture ratios, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 5  is a circuit diagram illustrating display circuitry used with pixels having different aperture ratios, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 6  is a top view of a display having pixels with different aperture ratios, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 7  is a block diagram illustrating pixel aperture ratios of subpixels of a pixel from a central portion of a display, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 8  is a block diagram illustrating pixel aperture ratios of subpixels of a pixel from a border portion of a display, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 9  is a top view of a layer of a display used to form different aperture ratios, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 10  is a block diagram illustrating a pixel having four subpixels that may have different aperture ratios, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 11  is a flowchart describing a method for forming a display panel with pixels having different aperture ratios, in accordance with an embodiment; and 
         FIG. 12  is a flowchart describing a method for manufacturing a consumer electronic device having a display with pixels having different aperture ratios, in accordance with an embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     One or more specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below. These described embodiments are only examples of the presently disclosed techniques. Additionally, in an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not be 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 “comprising,” “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 “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. 
     As mentioned above, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to electronic displays of electronic devices having pixels with different aperture ratios to compensate for temperature variations of the display. For example, the display may store data on pixels to make the whole display white. The color of white shown on the display may not appear to be uniform across the whole display because of temperature variations caused by heat generating components (e.g., the center of the display may appear true white while the borders of the display may appear to be white tinted with another color such as blue, yellow, or red, for example). To provide a more uniform color distribution, the aperture ratios of pixels being affected by higher temperatures may be reduced. Specifically, aperture ratios of red subpixels, green subpixels, blue subpixels, and/or white subpixels of affected pixels may be reduced to block colors other than white from appearing when the pixels are supposed to display white. 
     With the foregoing in mind, a general description of suitable electronic devices that may employ a display having pixels with different pixel aperture ratios will be provided below. In particular,  FIG. 1  is a block diagram depicting various components that may be present in an electronic device suitable for incorporating such a display.  FIGS. 2 and 3  respectively illustrate perspective and front views of a suitable electronic device, which may be, as illustrated, a notebook computer or a handheld electronic device. 
     Turning first to  FIG. 1 , an electronic device  10  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include, among other things, one or more processor(s)  12 , memory  14 , nonvolatile storage  16 , a display  18 , input structures  22 , an input/output (I/O) interface  24 , network interfaces  26 , and a power source  28 . 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) 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 the electronic device  10 . As may be appreciated, the display  18  may include pixels that have different pixel aperture ratios. As such, embodiments of the present disclosure may be employed to reduce image color variations from occurring on the display  18 . 
     By way of example, the electronic device  10  may represent a block diagram of the notebook computer depicted in  FIG. 2 , the handheld device depicted in  FIG. 3 , or similar devices. It should be noted that the processor(s)  12  and/or other data processing circuitry may be generally referred to herein as “data processing circuitry.” This data processing circuitry may be embodied wholly or in part as software, firmware, hardware, or any combination thereof. Furthermore, the data processing circuitry may be a single contained processing module or may be incorporated wholly or partially within any of the other elements within the electronic device  10 . As presented herein, the data processing circuitry may control the electronic display  18 . 
     In the electronic device  10  of  FIG. 1 , the processor(s)  12  and/or other data processing circuitry may be operably coupled with the memory  14  and the nonvolatile memory  16  to execute instructions. Such programs or instructions executed by the processor(s)  12  may be stored in any suitable article of manufacture that includes one or more tangible, computer-readable media at least collectively storing the instructions or routines, such as the memory  14  and the nonvolatile storage  16 . The memory  14  and the nonvolatile storage  16  may include any suitable articles of manufacture for storing data and executable instructions, such as random-access memory, read-only memory, rewritable flash memory, hard drives, and optical discs. Also, programs (e.g., an operating system) encoded on such a computer program product may also include instructions that may be executed by the processor(s)  12 . 
     The display  18  may be a touch-screen liquid crystal display (LCD), for example, which may enable users to interact with a user interface of the electronic device  10 . In some embodiments, the electronic display  18  may be a MultiTouch™ display that can detect multiple touches at once. 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 the electronic device  10  to interface with various other electronic devices, as may the network interfaces  26 . The network interfaces  26  may include, for example, interfaces for a personal area network (PAN), such as a Bluetooth network, for a local area network (LAN), such as an 802.11x Wi-Fi network, and/or for a wide area network (WAN), such as a 3G or 4G cellular network. The power source  28  of the electronic device  10  may be any suitable source of power, such as a rechargeable lithium polymer (Li-poly) battery and/or an alternating current (AC) power converter. 
     The electronic device  10  may 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, or Mac Pro® available from Apple Inc. By way of example, the electronic device  10 , taking the form of a notebook computer  30 , is illustrated in  FIG. 2  in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. The depicted computer  30  may include a housing  32 , a 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  30 , such as to start, control, or operate a GUI or applications running on the computer  30 . For example, a keyboard and/or touchpad may allow a user to navigate a user interface or application interface displayed on the display  18 . Further, the display  18  of the computer  30  may include pixels having different aperture ratios to compensate for temperature variations of the display  18 . 
       FIG. 3  depicts a front view of a handheld device  34 , which represents one embodiment of the electronic device  10 . The handheld device  34  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  34  may be a model of an iPod® or iPhone® available from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif. In other embodiments, the handheld device  34  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. 
     The handheld device  34  may include an enclosure  36  (e.g., housing) to protect interior components from physical damage and to shield them from electromagnetic interference. The enclosure  36  may surround the display  18 , which may display indicator icons  38 . The indicator icons  38  may indicate, among other things, a cellular signal strength, Bluetooth connection, and/or battery life. The I/O interfaces  24  may open through the enclosure  36  and may include, for example, a proprietary I/O port from Apple Inc. to connect to external devices. 
     User input structures  40 ,  42 ,  44 , and  46 , in combination with the display  18 , may allow a user to control the handheld device  34 . For example, the input structure  40  may activate or deactivate the handheld device  34 , the input structure  42  may navigate a user interface to a home screen, a user-configurable application screen, and/or activate a voice-recognition feature of the handheld device  34 , the input structures  44  may provide volume control, and the input structure  46  may toggle between vibrate and ring modes. A microphone  48  may obtain a user&#39;s voice for various voice-related features, and a speaker  50  may enable audio playback and/or certain phone capabilities. A headphone input  52  may provide a connection to external speakers and/or headphones. As mentioned above, the display  18  of the handheld device  34  may include pixels having different pixel aperture ratios so that portions of the display  18  that experience higher temperatures may be able to display colors the same way that portions of the display  18  that do not experience higher temperatures display colors. 
     Different pixel aperture ratios may be formed by one or more layers of the display  18  of the electronic device  10 .  FIG. 4  illustrates an embodiment of one or more layers of the display  18  that may be used to form the different pixel aperture ratios. As illustrated, the display  18  includes a display panel  62  positioned over a backlight assembly  64 . The display panel  62  includes multiple layers that form pixels of the display  18 . The backlight assembly  64  directs light through the pixels of the display panel  62  via a transparent medium  66  (e.g., gas, fluid, etc.) between the backlight assembly  64  and the display panel  62 . 
     As illustrated, the display panel  62  includes a rear polarizer  68  positioned adjacent to the backlight assembly  64 . The rear polarizer  68  (e.g., polarizing layer) polarizes light emitted by the backlight assembly  64 . Moreover, a thin film transistor (TFT) layer  70  is formed over the rear polarizer  68 . For simplicity, the TFT layer  70  is depicted as a generalized structure in  FIG. 4 . In practice, the TFT layer  70  may itself include various conductive, non-conductive, and semiconductive layers and structures that generally form the electrical devices and pathways that drive the operation of the pixels. In certain embodiments, the TFT layer  70  may be formed to use fringe field switching (FFS) or in-plane switching (IPS). As illustrated, a grounding layer  72  is formed over the TFT layer  70 . The grounding layer  72  may be used to ground portions of the display panel  62 . As such, the grounding layer  72  may be coupled to a reference signal of the display panel  62 , the display  18 , and/or the electronic device  10 . In some embodiments, the grounding layer  72  may be formed as part of the TFT layer  70 . As may be appreciated, the TFT layer  70  may also include a substrate layer (e.g., formed from a light-transparent material, such as glass, quartz, and/or plastic) at the interface with the rear polarizer  68  and an alignment layer (e.g., formed from polyimide or other suitable materials) at the interface with a liquid crystal layer  74 . 
     The liquid crystal layer  74  includes liquid crystal particles or molecules suspended in a fluid or gel matrix. The liquid crystal particles may be oriented or aligned with respect to an electrical field generated by the TFT layer  70 . The orientation of the liquid crystal particles in the liquid crystal layer  74  determines an amount of light transmission through pixels of the display panel  62 . Thus, by modulation of the electrical field applied to the liquid crystal layer  74 , the amount of light transmitted though the pixels may be correspondingly modulated. 
     Disposed over the liquid crystal layer  74  is a color filter layer  76 . As may be appreciated, the color filter layer  76  may include one or more alignment and/or overcoating layers interfacing the liquid crystal layer  74  with the color filter layer  76 . In addition, the color filter layer  76  may include a black mask portion for blocking light transmission therethrough. Furthermore, the color filter layer  76  may include a red, green, or blue filter, for example. Thus, each pixel of the display panel  62  may correspond to a primary color when light is transmitted from the backlight assembly  64  through the liquid crystal layer  74  and the color filter layer  76 . It should be noted that the color filter layer  76  may include a substrate (e.g., formed from light-transmissive glass, quartz, and/or plastic). 
     A shielding layer  78  is disposed over the color filter layer  76  and between the color filter layer  76  and a front polarizer  80  (e.g., a polarizing layer to polarize light emitted by the backlight assembly  64 ). Furthermore, the shielding layer  78  may be formed from any suitable material. For example, the shielding layer  78  may be formed from a material such as indium tin oxide (ITO) and/or indium zinc oxide (IZO). 
     The shielding layer  78  is electrically coupled to the grounding layer  72  via a conductor  82  to direct static charges from the shielding layer  78  to the grounding layer  72 . The conductor  82  may be formed from any suitable conductive material (e.g., silver, silver paste, copper, conductive tape, and so forth) to electrically couple the shielding layer  78  to the grounding layer  72 . It should be noted that the pixel aperture ratios may be formed (e.g., determined) by one or more layers of the display  18  such as the TFT layer  70 , the liquid crystal layer  74 , the color filter layer  76 , the shielding layer  78 , and/or the front polarizer  80 . 
     Among the various components of the electronic display  18  may be a pixel array  100 , as shown in  FIG. 5 . As illustrated,  FIG. 5  generally represents a circuit diagram of certain components of the display  18  in accordance with an embodiment. In particular, the pixel array  100  of the display  18  may include a number of pixels  102  disposed in a pixel array or matrix. In such an array, each pixel  102  may include a combination of three subpixels (e.g., red, green, blue) that respectively filter only one color of light. For example, reference numbers  102 A- 102 C represent three subpixels that form one pixel  102 . As another example, reference numbers  102 D- 102 F represent three subpixels that form one pixel  102 . In some embodiments, each pixel  102  may include a combination of four subpixels (e.g., red, green, blue, white). Furthermore, each subpixel may be defined by the intersection of rows and columns, represented by gate lines  104  (also referred to as scanning lines), and source lines  106  (also referred to as data lines), respectively. Although only two pixels  102  are shown for purposes of simplicity, it should be understood that in an actual implementation, the display  18  may include hundreds or thousands of such pixels  102 . For purposes of the present disclosure, the term “subpixel” is intended to be a portion of a “pixel.” 
     In the presently illustrated embodiment, each pixel  102  includes a thin film transistor (TFT)  108  for switching a data signal supplied to a respective pixel electrode  110 . The potential stored on the pixel electrode  110  relative to a potential of a common electrode  112 , which may be shared by other pixels  102 , may generate an electrical field sufficient to alter the arrangement of a liquid crystal layer of the display  18 . In the depicted embodiment of  FIG. 5 , a source  114  of each TFT  108  may be electrically connected to a source line  106  and a gate  116  of each TFT  108  may be electrically connected to a gate line  104 . A drain  118  of each TFT  108  may be electrically connected to a respective pixel electrode  110 . Each TFT  108  may serve as a switching element that may be activated and deactivated (e.g., turned on and off) for a period of time based on the respective presence or absence of a scanning or activation signal on the gate lines  104  that are applied to the gates  116  of the TFTs  108 . 
     When activated, a TFT  108  may store the image signals received via the respective source line  106  as a charge upon its corresponding pixel electrode  110 . As noted above, the image signals stored by the pixel electrode  110  may be used to generate an electrical field between the respective pixel electrode  110  and a common electrode  112 . This electrical field may align the liquid crystal molecules within the liquid crystal layer to modulate light transmission through the pixel  102 . Thus, as the electrical field changes, the amount of light passing through the pixel  102  may increase or decrease. In general, light may pass through the pixel  102  at an intensity corresponding to the applied voltage from the source line  106 . 
     The display  18  also may include a source driver integrated circuit (IC)  120 , which may include a processor, microcontroller, or application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), that controls the display pixel array  100  by receiving image data  122  from the processor(s)  12  and sending corresponding image signals to the pixels  102  of the pixel array  100 . It should be understood that the source driver  120  may be a chip-on-glass (COG) component on a TFT glass substrate, a component of a display flexible printed circuit (FPC), and/or a component of a printed circuit board (PCB) that is connected to the TFT glass substrate via the display FPC. Further, the source driver  120  may include any suitable article of manufacture having one or more tangible, computer-readable media for storing instructions that may be executed by the source driver  120 . 
     The source driver  120  also may couple to a gate driver integrated circuit (IC)  124  that may activate or deactivate rows of pixels  102  via the gate lines  104 . As such, the source driver  120  may provide timing signals  126  to the gate driver  124  to facilitate the activation/deactivation of individual rows (i.e., lines) of pixels  102 . In other embodiments, timing information may be provided to the gate driver  124  in some other manner. The display  18  may include a Vcom source  128  to provide a VCOM output to the common electrodes  112 . In some embodiments, the Vcom source  128  may supply a different VCOM to different common electrodes  112  at different times. In other embodiments, the common electrodes  112  all may be maintained at the same potential (e.g., a ground potential) while the display  18  is on. 
     As discussed above, certain portions of the display  18  may be exposed to higher temperatures than other portions of the display  18 . Accordingly,  FIG. 6  is a top view of a display  18  having pixels  102  illustrating one embodiment of sections of the display  18  that may be exposed to different temperatures. Accordingly, each section of the display  18  may have pixels  102  configured with different aperture ratios in relation to other sections of the display  18 . Specifically, the display  18  includes a central portion  130  having pixels  102 . The central portion  130  of the display  18  may be minimally exposed to heat producing components of the electronic device  10 . Accordingly, the pixels  102  in the central portion  130  may have aperture ratios that are maximized to achieve the highest intensity possible. 
     In contrast, other portions  132 ,  134 , and  136  of the display  18  may be exposed to heat producing components of the electronic device  10 . As may be appreciated, without adjusting aperture ratios, the display  18  may show color tints in areas of the display  18  that are exposed to higher temperatures. For example, a border of the display  18  may have a red, green, yellow, or blue tint when true white is being shown on all pixels  102  the display  18 . Therefore, aperture ratios of pixels  102  within the portions  132 ,  134 , and  136  may be adjusted to compensate for color variations that occur as a result of the temperature variations. For example, the aperture ratios of the pixels  102  may be adjusted so that when a solid color (e.g., black, white, blue, red, green, yellow, brown, purple, etc.) is shown on the display  18 , the color will appear generally uniform across the entire display  18 . In certain embodiments, adjusting the aperture ratios of the pixels  102  may only enable one color to appear uniform across the display  18 . In the present embodiment, the aperture ratios are adjusted by adjusting a size of a black mask, or other light blocking layer, of the pixels  102  during manufacturing. However, it is contemplated that the aperture ratios may also be dynamically adjusted by sensing one or more temperatures during operation of the electronic device  10  and adjusting an adjustable light blocking layer of the pixels  102  during operation. It should be noted that in the present embodiment, the aperture ratios of the pixels  102  within the portions  132 ,  134 , and  136  may be adjusted based on a thermal spatial distribution (e.g., thermal pattern) of the display  18  to overcome the effect that temperature differences in the display  18  have on the color produced by individual pixels  102 . 
     Each of the pixels  102  may be formed from multiple subpixels (e.g., a red subpixel, a green subpixel, a blue subpixel, a white subpixel, etc.).  FIG. 7  is a block diagram illustrating pixel aperture ratios of subpixels of the pixel  102  from the central portion  130  of the display  18  (e.g., the aperture ratios may be maximized). The pixel  102  includes the red subpixel  102 A, the green subpixel  102 B, and the blue subpixel  102 C. As illustrated, the pixel  102  includes a material  138  that is used to block light from passing therethrough. As discussed previously, the material  138  may be part of the TFT layer  70 , the liquid crystal layer  74 , the color filter layer  76 , the shielding layer  78 , and/or the front polarizer  80 , for example. 
     Apertures are formed in the material  138  to allow light to pass therethrough to display an image. For example, the subpixel  102 A includes an aperture  140 . The subpixel  102 A has a length  142  and a width  144 . The product of the length  142  and the width  144  determines a total area of the subpixel  102 A (TA 102A ). The aperture  140  of the subpixel  102 A has a length  146  and a width  148 . Accordingly, the area of the aperture  140  (AA 102A ) is the product of the length  146  and the width  148 . As may be appreciated, the aperture ratio of the subpixel  102 A (AR 102A ) is calculated by dividing the aperture  140  area by the total area of the subpixel  102 A (e.g., AR 102A =AA 102A /TA 102A ). 
     Furthermore, the subpixel  102 B includes an aperture  150 . The subpixel  102 B has a length  142  and a width  152 . The product of the length  142  and the width  152  determines a total area of the subpixel  102 B (TA 102B ). The aperture  150  of the subpixel  102 B has a length  154  and a width  156 . Accordingly, the area of the aperture  150  (AA 102B ) is the product of the length  154  and the width  156 . As may be appreciated, the aperture ratio of the subpixel  102 B (AR 102B ) is calculated by dividing the aperture  150  area by the total area of the subpixel  102 B (e.g., AR 102B =AA 102B /TA 102B ). 
     Moreover, the subpixel  102 C includes an aperture  158 . The subpixel  102 C has a length  142  and a width  160 . The product of the length  142  and the width  160  determines a total area of the subpixel  102 C (TA 102C ). The aperture  158  of the subpixel  102 C has a length  162  and a width  164 . Accordingly, the area of the aperture  158  (AA 102C ) is the product of the length  162  and the width  164 . As may be appreciated, the aperture ratio of the subpixel  102 C (AR 102C ) is calculated by dividing the aperture  158  area by the total area of the subpixel  102 C (e.g., AR 102C =AA 102C /TA 102C ). 
     As may be appreciated, in the illustrated embodiment the aperture ratios of the subpixels of the pixel  102  (e.g., AR 102A , AR 102B , AR 102C ) may be the same (e.g., for pixels  102  in the central portion  130  of the display  18 ). However, in other embodiments, the aperture ratios of the subpixels of the pixels  102  may not be the same. Furthermore, the aperture ratios may be maximized to allow the greatest intensity of light to be produced. It should be noted that for producing a white color on the display, the following formula may be used: white=red+green+blue. However, if a full contribution of red, green, and blue does not result in sufficient white performance (e.g., in areas of the display  18  exposed to higher temperatures than the central portion  130  of the display), the contribution ratio of one or more of the red, green, and blue may be changed to achieve different (e.g., better) white color performance. 
     For example, if there is too much red, the contribution ratio of red may be reduced by a certain percentage A (e.g., white=A*red+green+blue, where A is greater than 0 and at a maximum 1). Moreover, if there is too much green, the contribution ratio of green may be reduced by a certain percentage B (e.g., white=red+B*green+blue, where B is greater than 0 and at a maximum 1). Furthermore, if there is too much blue, the contribution ratio of blue may be reduced by a certain percentage C (e.g., white=red+green+C*blue, where C is greater than 0 and at a maximum 1). As may be appreciated, any combination of contribution percentages A, B, and C may be used (e.g., white=A*red+B*green+C*blue, where A, B, and C are greater than 0 and at a maximum 1). 
     Accordingly, the pixels  102  may have subpixels with apertures that are designed to change the contribution ratio of red, green, and/or blue to improve color performance (e.g., for displaying white).  FIG. 8  is a block diagram illustrating pixel aperture ratios of subpixels of the pixels  102  from a border portion (e.g., portions  132 ,  134 ,  136 ) of the display  18 . The pixel  102  includes the red subpixel  102 D, the green subpixel  102 E, and the blue subpixel  102 F. Apertures are formed in the material  138  to allow light to pass therethrough to display an image. For example, the subpixel  102 D includes an aperture  170 . The subpixel  102 D has a length  172  and a width  174 . The product of the length  172  and the width  174  determines a total area of the subpixel  102 D (TA 102D ). The aperture  170  of the subpixel  102 D has a length  176  and a width  178 . Accordingly, the area of the aperture  170  (AA 102D ) is the product of the length  176  and the width  178 . As may be appreciated, the aperture ratio of the subpixel  102 D (AR 102D ) is calculated by dividing the aperture  170  area by the total area of the subpixel  102 D (e.g., AR 102D =AA 102D /TA 102D ). 
     Furthermore, the subpixel  102 E includes an aperture  180 . The subpixel  102 E has a length  172  and a width  182 . The product of the length  172  and the width  182  determines a total area of the subpixel  102 E (TA 102E ). The aperture  180  of the subpixel  102 E has a length  184  and a width  186 . Accordingly, the area of the aperture  180  (AA 102E ) is the product of the length  184  and the width  186 . As may be appreciated, the aperture ratio of the subpixel  102 E (AR 102E ) is calculated by dividing the aperture  180  area by the total area of the subpixel  102 E (e.g., AR 102E =AA 102E /TA 102E ). 
     Moreover, the subpixel  102 F includes an aperture  188 . The subpixel  102 F has a length  172  and a width  190 . The product of the length  172  and the width  190  determines a total area of the subpixel  102 F (TA 102F ). The aperture  188  of the subpixel  102 F has a length  192  and a width  194 . Accordingly, the area of the aperture  188  (AA 102F ) is the product of the length  192  and the width  194 . As may be appreciated, the aperture ratio of the subpixel  102 F (AR 102F ) is calculated by dividing the aperture  188  area by the total area of the subpixel  102 F (e.g., AR 102F =AA 102F /TA 102F ). 
     As may be appreciated, in the illustrated embodiment one or more of the aperture ratios of the subpixels of a pixel  102  (e.g., AR 102D , AR 102E , AR 102F ) from the border portion of the display  18  is smaller than a respective aperture ratio of the subpixels of a pixel  102  (e.g., AR 102A , AR 102B , AR 102C ) from the central portion  130  of the display  18 . In certain embodiments, a sum of the aperture ratios of the subpixels of a pixel  102  (e.g., AR 102D , AR 102E , AR 102F ) from the border portion of the display  18  is smaller than a sum of the aperture ratios of the subpixels of a pixel  102  (e.g., AR 102A , AR 102B , AR 102C ) from the central portion  130  of the display  18 . It should be noted that as the aperture ratios of the subpixels of the pixels  102  are reduced, the intensity of light produced by the pixels  102  may decrease. 
     As previously discussed, to produce a white color on the display, the following formula may be used: white=A*red+B*green+C*blue, where A, B, and C are greater than 0 and at a maximum 1. It should be noted that the contribution factors A, B, and C may be calculated using the following formulas: A=AR 102D /AR 102A , B=AR 102E /AR 102B , and C=AR 102F /AR 102C . Furthermore, if the contribution factors A, B, and C are known, and the aperture ratios of a central portion of the display  18  are known (e.g., AR 102A , AR 102B , AR 102C ), then the aperture ratios for a border portion of the display  18  (e.g., AR 102D , AR 102E , AR 102F ) may be calculated. 
     Although the apertures  170 ,  180 , and  188  are illustrated as having different lengths and/or widths, the apertures  170 ,  180 , and  188  may all have the same lengths and/or widths. Furthermore, while the total area of each of the subpixels  102 D,  102 E, and  102 F may generally be the same, the area of the apertures  170 ,  180 , and  188  may be the same with respect to each other, or they may be different with respect to each other. For example, the area of the aperture  170  may be greater than the area of the aperture  180  and/or the area of the aperture  188 . In addition, the area of the aperture  180  may be greater than the area of the aperture  170  and/or the area of the aperture  188 . Moreover, the area of the aperture  188  may be greater than the area of the aperture  170  and/or the area of the aperture  180 . 
     The size that the apertures  170 ,  180 , and  188  should be to improve image quality may be determined using any suitable method. For example, the size that the apertures  170 ,  180 , and  188  should be may be determined using experimentation (e.g., such as by choosing sizes of the apertures  170 ,  180 , and  188 , visually inspecting a display, and altering the sizes of the apertures  170 ,  180 , and  188  based on the visual inspection) and/or mathematically (e.g., determining an amount of an excess color and calculating sizes of the apertures  170 ,  180 , and  188  to reduce the excess color). 
     The different aperture ratios may be formed by the materials of the display  18  using any suitable combination of materials. Accordingly,  FIG. 9  is a top view of a layer  196  of the display  18  used to form different aperture ratios. The layer  196  is formed using the material  138 . As discussed above, the material  138  may be any suitable material for blocking the transmission of light therethrough. For example, the material  138  may be part of the TFT layer  70 , the liquid crystal layer  74 , the color filter layer  76 , the shielding layer  78 , and/or the front polarizer  80 . Furthermore, the material  138  may be a black mask, a metallic layer, a limited transparency layer, and so forth. As may be appreciated, the apertures  140 ,  150 ,  158 ,  170 ,  180 , and  188  having different aperture ratios may be formed using any suitable method. For example, the apertures  140 ,  150 ,  158 ,  170 ,  180 , and  188  may be formed in the material  138  by etching, photolithography, and so forth. Although  FIG. 9  is described as being a layer  196  of the display  18 , in certain embodiments, the material  138  may be a material used to form a pattern used to form a layer of the display  18 . 
     In certain embodiments, the pixels  102  may include more than three subpixels.  FIG. 10  illustrates one embodiments of a pixel  102  having four subpixels. Specifically, the pixel  102  includes the red subpixel  102 D, the green subpixel  102 E, the blue subpixel  102 F, and a white subpixel  102 G. The red subpixel  102 D has the aperture  170  and an aperture ratio AR 102D . Moreover, the green subpixel  102 E has the aperture  180  and an aperture ratio AR 102E . Furthermore, the blue subpixel  102 F has the aperture  188  and an aperture ratio AR 102F . The white subpixel  102 G has an aperture  198  and an aperture ratio AR 102G . As may be appreciated, the aperture ratios (e.g., AR 102D , AR 102E , AR 102F , AR 102G ) may be adjusted by changing the size of the apertures  170 ,  180 ,  188 , and  198 . The aperture ratios may be configured to limit the effects of heat producing components of an electronic device  10 , as described above. In certain embodiments, the white subpixels  102 G may be used to show a white color on the display  18 . In such embodiments, the white color may be distorted (e.g., near the border of the display  18 , near heat producing electronics, and so forth). Accordingly, the size of the aperture  198  may be adjusted to reduce the effects of the white color distortion. It should be noted that the arrangement of the subpixels of pixels  102  may be any suitable arrangement (e.g., row, box, column, etc.) 
     As discussed above, the different aperture ratios may be formed using any suitable method. For example,  FIG. 11  is a flowchart describing a method  200  for forming the display panel  62  with pixels  102  having different aperture ratios. At a block  204 , a first set of pixel  102  apertures for subpixels of a first color (e.g., red, green, blue, white) are formed in the layer of material  138  (e.g., black mask). For example, the first set of pixel  102  apertures may be formed in the central section  130  of the display  18 . Furthermore, a second set of pixel  102  apertures for subpixels of the first color (e.g., red, green, blue, white) are formed in the layer of material  138  in a section of the material  138  configured to be disposed near heat producing electronics (block  206 ). For example, the second set of pixel  102  apertures may be formed in one of the border sections  132 ,  134 , and  136  of the display  18 . Each of the second set of pixel  102  apertures is configured to have a smaller area than each of the first set of pixel  102  apertures to decrease the effect that the heat producing electronics have on displayed images. 
     A third set of pixel  102  apertures for subpixels of a second color (e.g., red, green, blue, white) are formed in the layer of material  138  (block  208 ). For example, the third set of pixel  102  apertures may be formed in the central section  130  of the display  18 . Moreover, a fourth set of pixel  102  apertures for subpixels of the second color (e.g., red, green, blue, white) are formed in the layer of material  138  in the section of the material  138  configured to be disposed near heat producing electronics (block  210 ). For example, the fourth set of pixel  102  apertures may be formed in one of the border sections  132 ,  134 , and  136  of the display  18 . Each of the fourth set of pixel  102  apertures is configured to have a smaller area than each of the third set of pixel  102  apertures to decrease the effect that the heat producing electronics have on displayed images. 
     At block  212 , a fifth set of pixel  102  apertures for subpixels of a third color (e.g., red, green, blue, white) are formed in the layer of material  138 . For example, the fifth set of pixel  102  apertures may be formed in the central section  130  of the display  18 . Furthermore, a sixth set of pixel  102  apertures for subpixels of the third color (e.g., red, green, blue, white) are formed in the layer of material  138  in the section of the material  138  configured to be disposed near heat producing electronics (block  214 ). For example, the sixth set of pixel  102  apertures may be formed in one of the border sections  132 ,  134 , and  136  of the display  18 . Each of the sixth set of pixel  102  apertures is configured to have a smaller area than each of the fifth set of pixel  102  apertures to decrease the effect that the heat producing electronics have on displayed images. Accordingly, pixel apertures of different sizes may be formed in the layer of material  138 . It should be noted that although the method  200  includes blocks  202  through  214 , in certain embodiments, fewer or more blocks may be part of the method  200 . For example, in some embodiments, the method  200  may include only blocks  202  through  206 . 
     A consumer electronic device  10  may be manufactured with a display panel  62  having different sized pixel apertures. Accordingly,  FIG. 12  is a flowchart describing a method  220  for manufacturing such a consumer electronic device  10 . A display panel  62  may be provided (block  222 ). The display panel  62  may include multiple display pixels  102  arranged in rows and columns. Furthermore, the display pixels  102  may include a first set of subpixels disposed in a first section of the display panel  62  and a second set of subpixels disposed in a second section of the display panel  62 . The first set of subpixels may each have a first pixel aperture. Moreover, the second set of subpixels may each have pixel apertures that are smaller than the first pixel aperture. The second section of the display panel  62  is configured to be exposed to greater heat than the first section of the display panel  62 . Furthermore, the pixel apertures of the second set of subpixels are sized to compensate for color offsets due to greater heat applied to the second section of the display panel  62 . A processor  12  (e.g., processing device) may be coupled to the display panel  62  (block  224 ). Furthermore, the display panel  62  and the processor  12  may be disposed in a housing  32  (block  226 ). Accordingly, an electronic device  10  may be manufactured to have a display  18  with pixels  102  having pixel apertures of different sizes. With the different pixel aperture sizes, image color variations produced by temperature differences in the display  18  may be reduced. 
     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: 20120904
Publication Date: 20170411
Grant Date: 20170411
Priority Date: 20120904
Inventors: CHU CHIA-CHING
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "G02F1/133609", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02F2201/52", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2320/0666", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02F1/134336", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y10T29/49002", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2300/0452", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2320/0242", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2320/0242", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02F2201/52", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02F1/133609", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2300/0452", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y10T29/49002", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02F1/134336", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2320/0666", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 50187125