Display control device and method

• US 7,518,599 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2003
• Issued: 04/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InnoLux Corporation
• Original Assignee: Toppoly Optoelectronics Corporation (InnoLux Corporation)
• Inventors: Wang, Chuan-Ying, Lin, Geng-Jen, Wang, Ching-Tung, Kuo, Hung-Yang
• Primary Examiner(s): Lefkowitz; Sumati
• Assistant Examiner(s): Beck; Alexander S.
• Application Number:
  US10/639,249
• Publication Number:
  US 20040066381A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,072 Days
• Field of Search: 345/204, 345211-213, 345/530, 345/531, 345/534, 713320-324
• 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 includes 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 refreshingly storing a digital data display signal received from said main controller in a normal mode, and reiteratively outputs a last stored digital data display signal in an idle mode, wherein said digital data display signal further defines a display data to be shown on a first portion of said display panel;

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 to be revealed;

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 separate from the digital data display signal and received from said main controller in said normal mode, and actively asserting said set of panel display control signals to said display panel when receiving no control signal from said main controller in said idle mode, wherein said set of panel display control signals includes 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.

2. The display control device according to claim 1 wherein said main controller suspends the output of any digital data display signal in said idle mode.

3. 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.

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

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. The display control device according to claim 1 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.

8. 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, wherein said first digital data display signals define display data to be shown on a first portion of said display panel;

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 a normal mode in response to a first display control signal asserted in response to a control signal separate from the first digital data display signals and received 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 an idle mode in response to said first display control signal when receiving no control signal from said main controller; and

a multiplexer selecting one of said stored first digital data display signal and a second digital data display signal from said main controller to be converted into said analog data display signal in response to a selection signal wherein said second digital data display signals define display data to be shown on a second portion of said display panel.

9. The display control method according to claim 8 wherein said main controller suspends the output of any first digital data display signal in said idle mode.

10. The display control method according to claim 8 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.

11. The display control method according to claim 8 wherein said display data shown on said second portion is controlled by a display region control signal asserted to said display panel.