Semiconductor display driver device, mobile multimedia apparatus and method for frame rate conversion

• US 9,800,825 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2015
• Issued: 10/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chien-Hao Chiu, Chih-Ta Star Sung, Yen Chuo, Yin-Chun Blue Lan
• Original Assignee: Chien-Hao Chiu, Chih-Ta Star Sung, Yen Chuo, Yin-Chun Blue Lan
• Inventors: Sung, Chih-Ta Star, Lan, Yin-Chun Blue, Chuo, Yen, Chiu, Chien-Hao
• Primary Examiner(s): Harold, Jefferey F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rahman, Mustafizur
• Application Number:
  US14/634,907
• Publication Number:
  US 20160261823A1
• Time in Patent Office: 967 Days
• Field of Search: 348459, 3484021, 3484071, 3484131, 3484161, 3484301, 348441, 348452, 348 45, 348458, 348500, 348513, 348670, 348699, 348701, 348715, 348317, 348352, 348155, 348154, 348 43, 37524003, 3752405, 37524016, 386239, 455502
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0127 by changing the field or frame frequency of the incoming video signal, e.g. frame rate converter
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/014 involving the use of motion vectors motion estimation and compensation in video coding H04N19/51

Abstract

A method of frame rate conversion includes receiving multiple input frames including a previous frame, a current frame and a next frame. A changing trend between the current frame and the previous frame is calculated. The current frame is used for generating one or more than one inserting frame according to the changing trend. The inserting frame is output after outputting the current frame to achieve frame conversion.

Claims

1. A method of frame rate conversion comprising:

receiving a plurality of input frames comprising a previous frame, a current frame and a next frame, wherein only one frame buffer is shared for the previous frame, the current frame and the next frame;

outputting the current frame;

calculating a changing trend between the current frame and the previous frame;

modifying the current frame to generate at least one inserting frame according to the changing trend;

calculating the changing trend between the current frame and the previous frame by comparing the image signal processing result of the current frame and the previous frame;

outputting the inserting frame to achieve frame conversion; and

outputting the next frame after outputting the inserting frame.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein when there are more than one inserting frames to be calculate, dividing the changing trend to corresponding sub-trends to be allocated to the inserting frames.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the changing trend is obtained by reference to overall motion vectors reflecting changes between the current frame and the previous frame.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the overall motion vectors are collection of motion vectors obtained by searching best matched blocks of the previous frame in the current frame.

5. A semiconductor display driver device connected to a video processor for processing a series of input frames, comprising:

a detector for detecting whether the video processor is instructing the image processing apparatus to run in a static mode, wherein in the static mode, no frame change is occurred;

a frame buffer;

a control device for storing one input frame in the frame buffer if the static mode is determined; and

an image signal processor for converting said one input frame to an output frame to a display device;

wherein the control device replaces said one input frame in the frame buffer with the output frame and directly outputs the output frame to the display device bypassing the image signal processor after the output frame is stored in the frame buffer.

6. The semiconductor display driver device of claim 5, wherein the semiconductor display driver device is integrated as a die.

7. The semiconductor display driver device of claim 6, wherein the frame buffer is a SRAM component.

8. The semiconductor display driver device of claim 5, further comprising a frame rate converter for generating corresponding inserting frames to be output to the display device to achieve a predetermined frame rate.

9. The semiconductor display driver device of claim 8, wherein the semiconductor display driver device is used for driving a LCD monitor in a mobile device.

10. The semiconductor display driver device of claim 5, wherein when the detector detects a dynamic mode in which the series of input frames are received continuously from the video processor, the control device compares difference among the input frames and adopts different processing for generating the output frames according to the compared difference.

11. The semiconductor display driver device of claim 10, wherein the series of input frames comprise a previous frame, a current frame and a next frame, and when the compared difference is smaller than a predetermined threshold, the control device outputs the current frame, calculates a changing trend between the current frame and the previous frame, modifies the current frame to generate at least one inserting frame according to the changing trend, outputs the inserting frank after outputting the current frame to achieve frame conversion, and outputs the next frame after outputting the inserting frame.

12. The semiconductor display driver device of claim 11, wherein when there are more than one inserting frames to be calculate, dividing the changing trend to corresponding sub-trends to be allocated to the inserting frames.

13. The semiconductor display driver device of claim 11, wherein the changing trend is obtained by reference to overall motion vectors reflecting changes between the current frame and the previous frame.

14. The semiconductor display driver device of claim 11, wherein the overall motion vectors are collection of motion vectors obtained by searching best matched blocks of the previous frame in the current frame.

15. The semiconductor display driver device of claim 11, wherein only one frame buffer is shared for the previous frame, the current frame and the next frame.

16. The semiconductor display driver device of claim 5, further comprising an enabling device for the video processor to turn on or turn off the modifying the current frame to generate at least one inserting frame according to the changing trend.

17. A mobile multimedia apparatus, comprising:

a display panel;

a video processor; and

a display driver device for receiving a plurality of input frames from the video processor and for driving the display panel, wherein the video processor and the display driver device are two separate semiconductor dies and the display driver device comprises a frame rate converter for performing frame rate output to the display panel.

18. The mobile multimedia apparatus of claim 17, wherein the series of input frames comprise a previous frame, a current frame and a next frame;

outputting the current frame, the display driver device outputs the current frame, calculates a changing trend between the current frame and the previous frame, modifies the current frame to generate at least one inserting frame according to the changing trend, outputs the inserting frame after outputting the current frame to achieve frame conversion, and outputs the next frame after outputting the inserting frame.