Dynamic screen refresh rate for an electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11183095-B2
Application number	US-202016917528-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2020
Priority date	Dec 31, 2019
Publication date	Nov 23, 2021
Grant date	Nov 23, 2021

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices that support a dynamic screen refresh rate are described. An electronic device may dynamically (e.g., autonomously, while operating) adjust the rate at which a screen is refreshed, such as to balance considerations such as user experience and power consumption by the electronic device. For example, the electronic device may use an increased refresh rate when executing applications for which user experience is enhanced by a higher refresh rate and may use a decreased refresh rate when executing other applications. As another example, the electronic device may use different refresh rates while executing different portions of the same application, as some aspects of an application (e.g., more intense portions of a video game) may benefit more than others from a higher refresh rate. The electronic device may also account of rother factors, such as battery level, when setting or adjusting the refresh rate of the screen.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code comprising instructions, which when executed by a processor of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to:
identify an application for execution at the electronic device;
select a refresh rate for a screen of the electronic device based at least in part on identifying the application, the refresh rate selected from one of a plurality of refresh rates supported by the electronic device for the screen;
refresh the screen according to the refresh rate concurrent with executing the application;
identify, while refreshing the screen according to the refresh rate, a second application for execution at the electronic device;
select a second refresh rate for the screen based at least in part on identifying the second application;
refresh the screen according to a third refresh rate concurrent with executing the second application, wherein the third refresh rate is between the refresh rate and the second refresh rate; and
refresh the screen according to the second refresh rate concurrent with executing the second application and after refreshing the screen according to the third refresh rate, wherein refreshing the screen according to the second refresh rate is based at least in part on monitoring for a switch from the second application to the application while refreshing the screen according to the third refresh rate.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor of the electronic device, further cause the electronic device to:
refresh the screen according to the second refresh rate based at least in part on not detecting any switch to the application after monitoring for the switch for at least a threshold amount of time.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein:
the application is executed at the electronic device for a duration;
the screen is refreshed according to the refresh rate for a first portion of the duration; and
the instructions, when executed by the electronic device, further cause the electronic device to refresh the screen according to a different refresh rate for a second portion of the duration.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor of the electronic device, further cause the electronic device to:
identify, based at least in part on source code for the application, an indication to adjust the refresh rate for the screen; and
adjust, concurrent with executing the application at the electronic device, the refresh rate for the screen based at least in part on the indication.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor of the electronic device, further cause the electronic device to:
identify, concurrent with executing the application on the electronic device, an amount of pressure on the screen; and
adjust the refresh rate for the screen based at least in part on the amount of pressure on the screen.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 5 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor of the electronic device, further cause the electronic device to:
identify, concurrent with executing the application on the electronic device, a rate of user inputs associated with the application; and
adjust the refresh rate for the screen based at least in part on the rate of user inputs.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor of the electronic device, further cause the electronic device to:
identify, concurrent with executing the application on the electronic device, sensor data for the electronic device; and
adjust the refresh rate for the screen based at least in part on the sensor data.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor of the electronic device, further cause the electronic device to:
identify, concurrent with executing the application on the electronic device, a rate of data transfer over a bus within the electronic device; and
adjust the refresh rate for the screen based at least in part on the rate of data transfer.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor of the electronic device, further cause the electronic device to:
identify a state of a battery for the electronic device, wherein selecting the refresh rate is based at least in part on the state of the battery.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor of the electronic device, further cause the electronic device to:
identify a default refresh rate associated with the application; and
determine an adjustment to the default refresh rate based at least in part on the state of the battery, wherein the refresh rate is based at least in part on the default refresh rate and the adjustment.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor of the electronic device, further cause the electronic device to:
determine that the state of the battery corresponds to an amount of charge that is below a threshold amount, wherein the refresh rate is selected as the lowest of the plurality of refresh rates supported by the electronic device based at least in part on the amount of charge being below the threshold amount.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor of the electronic device, further cause the electronic device to:
evaluate data associated with another application hosted by the electronic device, wherein the refresh rate is selected as the lowest of the plurality of refresh rates supported by the electronic device based at least in part on the data.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the data comprises usage data, calendar data, travel data, or any combination thereof.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device comprises a mobile device.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code comprising instructions, which when executed by a processor of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to:
refresh a screen of the electronic device according to a first refresh rate while executing a first application at the electronic device;
detect, while executing the first application at a device, a switch to a second application;
identify, based at least in part on detecting the switch, a second refresh rate associated with the second application;
refresh the screen according to a third refresh rate while executing the second application at the electronic device, wherein the third refresh rate is between the first refresh rate and the second refresh rate;
monitor for a switch from the second application to the first application while refreshing the screen according to the third refresh rate; and
refresh the screen according to the second refresh rate while executing the second application at the electronic device and after refreshing the screen according to the third refresh rate, wherein refreshing the screen according to the second refresh rate is based at least in part on monitoring for a switch from the second application to the first application while refreshing the screen according to the third refresh rate.

Assignees

• Micron Technology Inc

Inventors

• Ranjan Ashish
• Wantulok Carly M
• Trivedi Prateek
• Christensen Carla L
• Huang Jun
• Trivedi Avani F

Classifications

• G09G2340/0435

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

• G09G2320/103

  Detection of image changes, e.g. determination of an index representative of the image change · CPC title

• G09G2310/08

  Details of timing specific for flat panels, other than clock recovery · CPC title

• G09G2320/0613

  The adjustment depending on the type of the information to be displayed · CPC title