Radio frequency signal emission induced display artifact mitigation systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10636362-B2
Application number	US-201816048217-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 27, 2018
Priority date	Apr 9, 2018
Publication date	Apr 28, 2020
Grant date	Apr 28, 2020

Abstract

Display artifacts, such as muras, may be perceptible on an electronic display when an electronic device includes a radio frequency transceiver that outputs electromagnetic waves during an emission period and a display panel that writes to display pixels during a refresh period. The electronic device may also include a controller that is coupled to the radio frequency transceiver and the display panel and facilitates the reduction and/or elimination of overlap between the emission periods and the refresh periods to decrease the appearance of display artifacts. In particular, the controller may execute instructions to determine the duration of the emission period and determine the duration of the blanking period that occurs between the refresh periods. Further, based on the determined blanking period and emission period durations, the controller may instruct the radio frequency transceiver to adjust the timing of the first emission period, instruct the display panel to adjust the timing of the refresh rate, or both to reduce overlap.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a radio frequency transceiver configured to output first electromagnetic waves during a first emission period;
a display panel comprising a plurality of display pixels, wherein the display panel is configured to display at least a first portion of a first image by writing to at least some of the plurality of display pixels during a first refresh period; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the radio frequency transceiver and the display panel, wherein the controller is programmed to:
determine a first target duration of the first emission period;
determine a first duration of a blanking period that occurs between the first refresh period and a second refresh period when the display panel implements a first refresh rate; and
instruct the radio frequency transceiver to adjust timing of the first emission period, instruct the display panel to adjust refresh rate from the first refresh rate, or both based at least in part on the first target duration of the first emission period and the first duration of the blanking period to facilitate reducing amount of overlap between the first emission period and the first refresh period.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the radio frequency transceiver is a near-field communication module operating in an active reader mode.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is programmed to:
determine whether the first target duration of the first emission period is greater than the first duration of the blanking period; and
when the first target duration of the first emission period is not greater than the first duration of the blanking period:
instruct the display panel to display the first image using the first refresh rate;
determine a first target timing of the first emission period that occurs during the blanking period; and
instruct the radio frequency transceiver to output the first electromagnetic waves during the first emission period based at least in part on the first target duration and the first target timing of the first emission period.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is programmed to:
determine a second duration of the blanking period that occurs between the first refresh period and the second refresh period when the display panel implements a second refresh rate lower than the first refresh rate; and
when the first target duration of the first emission period is greater than the first duration of the blanking period:
determine whether the first target duration of the first emission period is greater than the second duration of the blanking period; and
instruct the display panel to display the first image using the second refresh rate when the first target duration of the first emission period is not greater than the second duration of the blanking period.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 , comprising an image source communicatively coupled to the controller, wherein:
the image source is configured to generate image data that indicates target luminance of the plurality of display pixels; and
the controller is programmed to instruct the image source to generate image data corresponding with a black image when the first target duration of the first emission period is greater than the second duration of the blanking period.

6. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the controller is programmed to:
determine a third duration of the blanking period that occurs between the first refresh period and the second refresh period when the display panel implements a third refresh rate lower than the second refresh rate; and
when the first target duration of the first emission period is greater than the third duration of the blanking period:
determine whether the first target duration of the first emission period is greater than the third duration of the blanking period; and
instruct the display panel to display the first image using the third refresh rate when the first target duration of the first emission period is not greater than the third duration of the blanking period.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device comprises: a display system comprising: the radio frequency transceiver configured to output the first electromagnetic waves during the first emission period; the display panel comprising the plurality of display pixels, wherein the display panel is configured to: generate a first synchronization signal based at least in part on activity of the display panel; and supply the first synchronization signal to the radio frequency transceiver, the display system, or both; and the controller communicatively coupled to the radio frequency transceiver and the display panel, wherein the controller is programmed to: generate a second synchronization signal based at least in part on activity of the display panel and activity of the radio frequency transceiver; and supply the second synchronization signal to the display panel, the radio frequency transceiver, or both.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:
the controller is programmed to generate a synchronization signal supplied to the radio frequency transceiver and the display panel;
the display panel is configured to write each of the plurality of display pixels while the synchronization signal is in a first state; and
the radio frequency transceiver is configured to output electromagnetic waves while the synchronization signal is in a second state.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:
the display panel is configured to generate a synchronization signal to the radio frequency transceiver, wherein the display panel and the radio frequency transceiver are configured to utilize time division multiplexing (TDM) based on the synchronization signal;
the display panel is configured to write each of the plurality of display pixels while the synchronization signal is in a first state of the time division multiplexing; and
the radio frequency transceiver is configured to output electromagnetic waves while the synchronization signal is in a second state of the time division multiplexing.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:
the radio frequency transceiver is configured to generate a synchronization signal to the display panel, wherein the radio frequency transceiver and the display panel are configured to utilize time division multiplexing (TDM) based on the synchronization signal;
the radio frequency transceiver is configured to write each of the plurality of display pixels while the synchronization signal is in a first state of the time division multiplexing; and
the display panel is configured to output electromagnetic waves while the synchronization signal is in a second state of the time division multiplexing.

11. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:
the display panel is configured to write the first image to the plurality of display pixels while a tearing effect signal is high; and
the radio frequency transceiver is configured to:
receive the tearing effect signal; and
output the first electromagnetic waves while the tearing effect signal is low.

12. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the radio frequency transceiver is configured to:
output the first electromagnetic waves during the first emission period to facilitate detecting presence of an object located within a threshold distance from the electronic device;
output second electromagnetic waves during a second emission period after the first emission period when the presence of the object is detected via the first electromagnetic waves to facilitate determining whether the object comprises a radio

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Koo Kyung Hoae
• Yao Weijun
• Chu Yue Jack
• Sun Kaige

Classifications

• G09G2310/06

  Details of flat display driving waveforms · CPC title

• G09G3/20 Primary

  for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix {no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters} · CPC title

• G09G2380/06

  Remotely controlled electronic signs other than labels · CPC title

• G09G5/12

  Synchronisation between the display unit and other units, e.g. other display units, video-disc players · CPC title

• G09G2340/0435

  Change or adaptation of the frame rate of the video stream · CPC title