Display control device and method

• US 20040066381A1
• Filed: 08/12/2003
• Published: 04/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InnoLux Corporation
• Original Assignee: TPO Displays Corporation (InnoLux Corporation)
• Inventors: Wang, Chuan-Ying, Lin, Geng-Jen, Wang, Ching-Tung, Kuo, Hung-Yang
• Granted Patent: US 7,518,599 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/04 Partial updating of the display screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/022 in absence of operation, e.g. no data being entered during a predetermined time
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3611 Control of matrices with row and column drivers
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/363 Graphics controllers

Abstract

A display control device and a display control method for use in a portable electronic apparatus are disclosed. The portable electronic apparatus including a main controller and a display panel. The display control device includes a digital data register in communication with the main controller for storing a digital data display signal received from the main controller, and a digital-to-analog converter in communication with the digital data register, converting the digital data display signal stored in the digital data register into an analog data display signal and outputting the analog data display signal to the display panel to be revealed. The main controller keeps on outputting refreshed digital data display signals in a normal mode, and suspends the output of any further digital data display signal in an idle mode. In the idle mode, the digital data register reiteratively outputs a last stored digital data display signal to the digital-to-analog converter.

Claims

1. A display control device for use in an electronic apparatus, said electronic apparatus including a main controller and a display panel, and said display control device comprising:

a digital data register in communication with said main controller for storing a digital data display signal received from said main controller; and

a digital-to-analog converter in communication with said digital data register, converting said digital data display signal stored in said digital data register into an analog data display signal and outputting said analog data display signal to said display panel.

2. The display control device according to claim 1 further comprising a timing controller in communication with said main controller and said display panel, asserting a panel display control signal to said display panel in response to a control signal received from said main controller in a normal mode, and actively asserting said panel display control signals to said display panel when receiving no control signal from said main controller in an idle mode.

3. The display control device according to claim 2 wherein said main controller suspends the output of any digital data display signal and said digital data register reiteratively outputs a last stored digital data display signal to said digital-to-analog converter in said idle mode.

4. The display control device according to claim 1 further comprising a gamma adjuster in communication with said main controller for performing a gamma-value compensation operation on said digital data display signal in order to comply with an optoelectronic response feature of said display panel.

5. The display control device according to claim 1 wherein said digital data register is a static random access memory (SRAM).

6. The display control device according to claim 1 wherein said electronic apparatus is a personal digital assistant (PDA) including a central processing unit (CPU) and a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel.

7. The display control device according to claim 1 wherein said electronic apparatus is a cellular phone including a digital signal processor (DSP) and a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel.

8. The display control device according to claim 1 wherein said digital data display signal stored in said digital data register defines a display data to be shown on the full screen of said display panel.

9. The display control device according to claim 1 wherein said digital data display signal stored in said digital data register defines a display data to be shown on a first portion of said display panel.

10. The display control device according to claim 9 further comprising:

a timing controller in communication with said main controller and said display panel for asserting a set of panel control signals to said display panel, said set of panel control signals including a display region control signal to control said digital data display signal stored in said digital data register to be revealed on said first portion, and another digital data display signal from said main controller to be revealed on a second portion of said display panel; and

a multiplexer in communication with said digital data register, said main controller, said timing controller and said digital-to-analog converter, said multiplexer selecting one of said digital data display signal stored in said digital data register and said another digital data display signal from said main controller to be outputted to said digital-to-analog converter in response to a selection signal included in said set of panel display control signals.

11. The display control device according to claim 10 further comprising a gamma adjuster in communication with said main controller for performing gamma-value compensation operations on said digital data display signal to be revealed on said first portion and said another digital display signal to be revealed on said second portion in order to comply with an optoelectronic response feature of said display panel.

12. A display control device for use in an electronic apparatus, said electronic apparatus including a main controller and a display panel, and said display control device comprising:

a digital-to-analog converter in communication with said main controller and said display panel for converting said digital data display signal into an analog data display signal and outputting said analog data display signal to said display panel to be displayed; and

a timing controller in communication with said main controller and said display panel, asserting a set of panel display control signals to said display panel in response to a control signal received from said main controller, wherein said set of panel display control signals includes a display region control signal for defining which pixels in said display panel are to be activated for displaying said analog display signal.

13. The display control device according to claim 12 further comprising a gamma adjuster in communication with said main controller for receiving and performing a gamma-value compensation operation on said digital data display signal in order to comply an optoelectronic response feature of said display panel.

14. The display control device according to claim 12 wherein said electronic apparatus is a personal digital assistant (PDA) including a central processing unit (CPU) and a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, or a cellular phone including a digital signal processor (DSP) and a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel.

15. A display control method for use in an electronic apparatus, said electronic apparatus including a main controller and a display panel, and said display control method comprising steps of:

successively receiving and refreshingly storing first digital data display signals from said main controller;

reiteratively converting a last stored one of said first digital data display signals into an analog data display signal and outputting said analog data display signal to said display panel to be revealed in response to a first display control signal.

16. The display control method according to claim 15 further comprising a step of sequentially converting said first digital data display signals into first analog data display signals and outputting said first analog data display signals to said display panel to be revealed in response to a first display control signal.

17. The display control method according to claim 16 wherein said second display control signal is asserted in response to a control signal from said main controller in a normal mode.

18. The display control method according to claim 17 wherein said second display control signal is asserted when there is no control signal received from said main controller in an idle mode.

19. The display control method according to claim 18 wherein said main controller suspends the output of any first digital data display signal in said idle mode.

20. The display control method according to claim 16 further comprising a step of performing a gamma-value compensation operation on said first digital data display signals in order to comply with an optoelectronic response feature of said display panel.

21. The display control method according to claim 15 wherein said first digital data display signals define respective display data to be shown on a first portion of said display panel.

22. The display control method according to claim 21 further comprising a step of showing display data defined by second digital data display signals from said main controller on a second portion of said display panel.

23. The display control method according to claim 22 wherein said display data shown on said second portion is controlled by a display region control signal asserted to said display panel.

24. A display control method for use in an electronic apparatus, said electronic apparatus including a main controller and a display panel, and said display control method comprising steps of:

converting digital data display signals from said main controller into analog data display signals;

asserting a set of panel display control signals to said display panel in response to a control signal from said main controller; and

refreshing partial pixels in said display panel by said analog data display signals in response to a display region control signal included in said set of panel display control signals.