Apparatus and methods to achieve a variable color pixel border on a negative mode screen with a passive matrix drive
First Claim
1. A display unit comprising:
- a display matrix of independently controllable pixels comprising n rows and m columns of discrete pixels, said display matrix to generate an image in response to electronic signals driven from row and column drivers coupled thereto, said image representative of information stored in a frame buffer memory; and
a pixel border surrounding said display matrix and comprising a plurality of pixels which are controlled to a color state by one or more unmapped locations of said frame buffer memory, said unmapped memory locations control said plurality of pixels directly via a liquid crystal display controller and drivers, without a timing generation mechanism.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A display unit is constituted by a passive matrix of independently controllable pixels characterized by an active area of n rows and m columns of discrete pixels and a pixel border. The pixel border has a predetermined width, in one embodiment two pixels. The border pixel color state is controlled herein by the frame buffer memory. The pixel border color state is controlled to correspond to information contained in a frame buffer memory locus. This locus may be, in various embodiments herein, a single pixel, a row of pixels, or a number of rows of pixels of frame buffer memory. Each row of pixels may be equal to m and/or n. In one embodiment, the frame buffer controls the border pixels directly via a liquid crystal display controller and drivers, without a timing generation mechanism, such as a timing ASIC.
5 Citations
24 Claims
-
1. A display unit comprising:
-
a display matrix of independently controllable pixels comprising n rows and m columns of discrete pixels, said display matrix to generate an image in response to electronic signals driven from row and column drivers coupled thereto, said image representative of information stored in a frame buffer memory; and a pixel border surrounding said display matrix and comprising a plurality of pixels which are controlled to a color state by one or more unmapped locations of said frame buffer memory, said unmapped memory locations control said plurality of pixels directly via a liquid crystal display controller and drivers, without a timing generation mechanism. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A portable electronic device comprising:
-
a processor coupled with a bus; a memory unit coupled with said bus; a user input device coupled with said bus; and a display unit coupled with said bus and comprising; a display matrix of independently controllable pixels comprising n rows and m columns of discrete pixels, said display matrix to generate an image in response to electronic signals driven from row and column drivers coupled thereto, said image representative of information stored in a frame buffer memory; and a pixel border surrounding said display matrix and comprising a plurality of pixels which are controlled to a color state by one or more unmapped locations of said frame buffer memory, said unmapped memory locations control said plurality of pixels directly via a liquid crystal display controller and drivers, without a timing generation mechanism. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
-
-
23. In an electronic system comprising a hardware application layer with a frame buffer memory, and a negative display mode liquid crystal display with a passive matrix drive comprising a liquid crystal display controller, drivers, and a liquid crystal display matrix with an active pixel area and a pixel border, a method of controlling the color of said pixel border comprising:
-
monitoring a locus within said frame buffer memory for information; determining a color for said pixel border corresponding to said information; generating a pixel border color signal corresponding to said color; transferring said pixel border color signal to said liquid crystal display controller; generating a pixel border color writing signal corresponding to said pixel border color signal; and impelling said drivers, without a timing generation mechanism, to write a color to said pixel border. - View Dependent Claims (24)
-
Specification