Pen Tracking and Low Latency Display Updates on Electronic Paper Displays

• US 20080309636A1
• Filed: 03/31/2008
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: E Ink Corporation (E Ink Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Barrus, John W., Feng, Guotong
• Granted Patent: US 8,416,197 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/04 Partial updating of the display screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/344 based on particles moving in a fluid or in a gas, e.g. electrophoretic devices electrophoretic devices per se G02F1/167

Abstract

A system and a method are disclosed for fast pen tracking a low latency display updates on an electronic paper display. Pen input information is received on an electronic paper display that updates at a predetermined display update rate. A line drawing module of the electronic paper display driver determines at least one pixel to activate based on the received pen input information. The at least one pixel is updated independent of the display update rate of the electronic paper display. Active pixel state information is maintained separately for each pixel in real time until the pixel update is complete and the pixel is deactivated. In some embodiments, a future pixel to activate is determined based on the received pen input information. The future pixel is deactivated if pen input information is not received on the activated pixel for a predetermined amount of time.

Claims

1. A method for activating pixels on an electronic paper display that updates at a predetermined display update rate, comprising:

receiving pen input information;

determining at least one pixel to activate based on the received pen input information; and

updating the at least one pixel independent of the display update rate of the electronic paper display.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining at least one future pixel to activate based on information received from the pen input.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

activating the at least one future pixel based on the information received from the pen input; and

deactivating the activated pixel in response to not receiving pen input information on the activated pixel for a predetermined amount of time.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

activating a region of the electronic paper display based on the information received from the pen input; and

deactivating the activated region of the electronic paper display in response to not receiving pen input information on the activated region for a predetermined amount of time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the pen input is received on a touch sensor display.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining active pixel information for each pixel.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the maintaining active pixel information includes maintaining a display list for each pixel.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the maintaining active pixel information includes maintaining a frame counter for each pixel.

9. A system for activating pixels on an electronic paper display that updates at a predetermined display update rate, comprising:

means for receiving pen input information;

means for determining at least one pixel to activate based on the received pen input information; and

means for updating the at least one pixel independent of the display update rate of the electronic paper display.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

means for determining at least one future pixel to activate based on information received from the pen input.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

means for activating the at least one future pixel based on the information received from the pen input; and

means for deactivating the activated pixel in response to not receiving pen input information on the activated pixel for a predetermined amount of time.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

means for activating a region of the electronic paper display based on the information received from the pen input; and

means for deactivating the activated region of the electronic paper display in response to not receiving pen input information on the activated region for a predetermined amount of time.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the pen input is received on a touch sensor display.

14. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

means for maintaining active pixel information for each pixel.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the means for maintaining active pixel information includes maintaining a display list for each pixel.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the means for maintaining active pixel information includes maintaining a frame counter for each pixel.

17. An apparatus for pen tracking on an electronic paper display, comprising:

an input sensor module for receiving pen input information;

a line drawing module for determining at least one pixel to activate based on the received pen input information; and

a module for updating the at least one pixel independent of the display update rate of the electronic paper display.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

a module for determining at least one future pixel to activate based on information received from the pen input.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

a module for activating the at least one future pixel based on the information received from the pen input; and

a module for deactivating the activated pixel in response to not receiving pen input information on the activated pixel for a predetermined amount of time.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

a module for activating a region of the electronic paper display based on the information received from the pen input; and

a module for deactivating the activated region of the electronic paper display in response to not receiving pen input information on the activated region for a predetermined amount of time.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the pen input is received on a touch sensor display.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

an active pixel buffer for maintaining active pixel information for each pixel.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the active pixel buffer for maintaining active pixel information includes maintaining a display list for each pixel.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the active pixel buffer for maintaining active pixel information includes maintaining a frame counter for each pixel.