System and method for providing a variable refresh rate of an interferometric modulator display
First Claim
1. A method of updating an image displayed on a display device, the method comprising:
- asynchronously storing image data at a memory;
setting an indicator to a first state that indicates that said image data has been received subsequent to a previous update of the display device;
periodically polling the indicator according to a predetermined polling frequency to determine whether the indicator is set to the first state;
in response to the periodic polling determining that the indicator is set to the first state, providing the received image data from the memory to the display device to update at least a portion of said display device to display the image by writing at least a portion of the image data to the portion of the display device, wherein the image data is not written to the portion of the display device unless the indicator is in the first state; and
altering the predetermined polling frequency based, at least in part, on a rate at which the image data is asynchronously stored at the memory.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments includes methods and systems for updating display devices at a variable refresh rate. One embodiment includes a method of updating an image displayed on a display device. The method includes setting an indicator to a first state that indicates that image data has been received subsequent to a previous update of a display device and periodically updating at least a portion of the display device to display the image. The updating is deferred for at least one period when the indicator is in a state other than the first state. In another embodiment, updates of the display are substantially asynchronous and occur as the processor writes data to one or more shift registers. When a shift register is filled, for example, having received data for a row within the display, the data in the shift register is written to the display. Other embodiments include methods of manufacturing such devices.
332 Citations
34 Claims
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1. A method of updating an image displayed on a display device, the method comprising:
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asynchronously storing image data at a memory; setting an indicator to a first state that indicates that said image data has been received subsequent to a previous update of the display device; periodically polling the indicator according to a predetermined polling frequency to determine whether the indicator is set to the first state; in response to the periodic polling determining that the indicator is set to the first state, providing the received image data from the memory to the display device to update at least a portion of said display device to display the image by writing at least a portion of the image data to the portion of the display device, wherein the image data is not written to the portion of the display device unless the indicator is in the first state; and altering the predetermined polling frequency based, at least in part, on a rate at which the image data is asynchronously stored at the memory. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A device for driving a display device, the device comprising:
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a frame buffer configured to asynchronously receive data indicative of an image; an output circuit configured to generate a signal for updating the display device to display the image, said updating including asynchronously writing, in response to receiving the data, at least a portion of the data indicative of the image from the frame buffer to the display device; a memory operably connected to the frame buffer and configured to indicate that said frame buffer has received data subsequent to updating said display device; a controller configured to periodically poll the memory based on a predetermined polling frequency to determine whether the memory indicates that said frame buffer has received the data subsequent to updating said display device and to control said output circuit to defer generating said signal until said memory indicates that said frame buffer has received the data subsequent to updating; and a processor configured to alter the predetermined polling frequency based, at least in part, on a rate at which the data indicative of the image is asynchronously received at the frame buffer, wherein the data indicative of the image is not written to said display device while said controller defers generating said signal. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An electronic device, the device comprising:
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a display device; a frame buffer configured to asynchronously receive image data; a driver circuit configured to generate a signal for writing to said display device to display said image data; a memory operably connected to the frame buffer and configured to indicate that said frame buffer has received data subsequent to information being written to said display, the memory configured to be periodically polled according to a predetermined polling frequency to determine whether the memory indicates that said frame buffer has received data subsequent to information being written; a processor configured to alter the predetermined polling frequency based, at least in part, on a rate at which the image data is asynchronously stored at the frame buffer, wherein said driver circuit is configured to generate said signal only in response to said periodic polling determining that the memory indicates that said frame buffer has received data subsequent to information being written to said display; and in response to the signal, providing the received image data from the frame buffer to the display. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A device for driving a display device, the device comprising:
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means for asynchronously receiving and storing data indicative of an image; means for generating a signal for updating the display device to display said image, said updating including asynchronously writing, in response to receiving the signal at least a portion of the stored data to the display device; means for setting an indicator indicating that said means for receiving and storing has received data subsequent to updating of said display device; means for periodically polling said indicator according to a predetermined periodic polling frequency to determine whether the indicator is set; means for controlling said means for generating to defer generating said signal until said polling determines that the indicator is set to indicate that said means for receiving and storing has received data subsequent to updating; and means for altering the predetermined polling frequency based, at least in part, on a rate at which the data indicative of the image is asynchronously received, wherein the data indicative of the image is not written to said display device while said controlling means defers generating said signal. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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23. A device for driving a display device, the device comprising:
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a shift register configured to asynchronously receive data indicative of a portion of an image, the shift register having only enough memory to store data for said portion, wherein the shift register is further configured to generate an indication signal indicating that the shift register has been filled with the received data, the indication signal configured to be periodically polled based on a predetermined polling frequency to determine whether the indication signal indicates that the shift register has been filled; a processor configured to provide the data to the shift register; and an output circuit configured to update a display device to display the portion of the image, wherein the shift register is configured to provide the received data to the output circuit in response to the periodic polling determining that the indication signal has been generated, and the processor further configured to alter the predetermined polling frequency based, at least in part, on a rate at which the data indicative of the portion of the image is asynchronously received at the shift register. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 33, 34)
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30. A device for driving a display device, the device comprising:
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means for asynchronously receiving a single line of data indicative of a portion of an image; means for generating an indication that the single line of data has been received by the means for asynchronously receiving; means for providing the data to the means for asynchronously receiving; means for periodically polling said indication according to a predetermined periodic polling frequency to determine whether the indication indicates data has been received; means for updating the display device to display said portion of the image in response to the polling determining that the indication indicates data has been received; and means for altering the predetermined polling frequency based, at least in part, on a rate at which single lines of data indicative of portions of the image is asynchronously received, wherein the means for asynchronously receiving includes means for providing said single line of data to the means for updating upon receiving the single line of data and before receiving another line of data. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32)
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Specification