Altering frame rates in a MEMS display by selective line skipping

• US 9,019,190 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2012
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm MEMS Technologies Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Todorovich, Mark M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US13/560,801
• Publication Number:
  US 20120293568A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 345 87-100, 345204-215, 345/690
• US Class Current: 345/100
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0213 controlling the sequence of the scanning lines with respect to the patterns to be displayed, e.g. to save power
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0267 Details of drivers for scan electrodes, other than drivers for liquid crystal, plasma or OLED displays
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0278 Details of driving circuits arranged to drive both scan and data electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/04 Partial updating of the display screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/029 by monitoring one or more pixels in the display panel, e.g. by monitoring a fixed reference pixel
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/041 Temperature compensation
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3466 based on interferometric effect

Abstract

Systems and methods for improving frame rate in electromechanical display devices are disclosed. Rows or columns in a display device are given priorities and are selected for updating or for skipping during updates based on the priorities, the target frame rate, and the visual effect of skipping the particular line.

Claims

1. A display system, the system comprising:

a display comprising a plurality of elements arranged in a plurality of rows and columns; and

a processor configured to communicate with said display, said processor being configured to determine a drive priority for each of a plurality of the rows or columns, and to determine for each row or column individually whether to update the row or column based on the drive priorities of the rows or columns.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a target display update rate;

determine an actual display update rate capability; and

compare the actual display update rate capability to the target display update rate.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a number of the rows or columns, which, when not updated, cause the actual display rate capability to be equal to or exceed the target display update rate.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to determine an amount of time required to update a row or column.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to:

detect a physical parameter; and

estimate the amount of time required to update the row or column based, at least in part, on the physical parameter.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the physical parameter is a temperature.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the physical parameter is an actuation voltage of one or more of the plurality of display elements.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to:

measure an accumulated charge applied to the row or column over a known period of time; and

compare the accumulated charge to a known quantity of charge required to actuate the row or column.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a number of rows or columns to not update.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to:

divide the plurality of rows and columns into a plurality of groups; and

divide the number of the rows or columns to not update among the plurality of groups.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the drive priority for at least one row or column is determined based, at least in part, on a number of times the at least one row or column has been not updated during one or more previous display updates.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the drive priority for at least one row or column is determined based, at least in part, on a color of light associated with the at least one row or column.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the drive priority for at least one row or column is determined based, at least in part, on a drive priority associated with another row or column that is adjacent to the at least one row or column.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second processor that is configured to communicate with said display, said second processor being configured to process image data; and

a memory device that is configured to communicate with said second processor.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising a driver circuit configured to send at least one signal to said display.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a controller configured to send at least a portion of said image data to said driver circuit.

17. The system of claim 14, further comprising an image source module configured to send said image data to said second processor.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said image source module comprises at least one of a receiver, transceiver, and transmitter.

19. The system of claim 14, further comprising an input device configured to receive input data and to communicate said input data to said second processor.

20. A display system, the system comprising:

a plurality of means for displaying display data; and

means for determining a drive priority for updating each of the displaying means; and

means for determining for each of the displaying means individually whether to update the displaying means based on the drive priorities of the displaying means.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein:

the displaying means comprises a plurality of elements arranged in a plurality of rows and columns; and

the determining means comprises a processor.

22. A method of operating a display, the method comprising:

determining a drive priority for each of a plurality of rows or columns of display elements; and

determining for each row or column individually whether to update the row or column based on the drive priority of the row or column.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein determining whether to display the rows or columns further comprises:

determining a target display update rate;

determining an actual display update rate capability; and

comparing the actual display update rate capability to the target display update rate.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising determining a number of rows or columns, which, when not updated, cause the actual display rate capability to be equal to or exceed the target display update rate.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein determining the actual display update rate capability comprises determining an amount of time required to update a row or column.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein determining the amount of time required to update the row or column further comprises:

detecting at least one physical parameter; and

estimating the amount of time required to update the row or column based, at least in part, on the physical parameter.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the at least one physical parameter includes a temperature.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the at least one physical parameter includes an actuation voltage of one or more of the plurality of display elements.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein determining the amount of time required to update the row or column further comprises:

measuring an accumulated charge applied to the row or column over a period of time; and

comparing the accumulated charge to a known quantity of charge required to actuate the row or column.

30. The method of claim 22, further comprising determining a number of rows or columns to skip.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

dividing the plurality of rows and columns into a plurality of groups; and

dividing the number of the rows or columns to not update among the plurality of groups.

32. The method of claim 22, wherein the drive priority for at least one row or column is determined based, at least in part, on a number of times the at least one row or column has been not updated during one or more previous display updates.

33. The method of claim 22, wherein the drive priority for at least one row or column is determined based, at least in part, on a color of light associated with the at least one row or column.

34. The method of claim 22, wherein the drive priority for at least one row or column is determined based at least in part on a drive priority associated with another row or column that is adjacent to the at least one row or column.