Multiple resolution section display panel systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11217211-B2
Application number	US-202016928859-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 14, 2020
Priority date	Jul 24, 2019
Publication date	Jan 4, 2022
Grant date	Jan 4, 2022

Abstract

Techniques for implementing and/or operating an electronic device that includes a display panel, which displays an image and includes a first panel section implemented with a lower pixel resolution and a second panel section implemented with a higher pixel resolution, an optical sensor disposed behind the first panel section of the display panel, and image processing circuitry communicatively coupled to the display panel. The image processing circuitry receives source image data corresponding with the image, in which the source image data is indicative of target luminance of a display pixel, determines a pixel resolution surrounding the display pixel, processes the source image based at least in part on the pixel resolution surrounding the display pixel to facilitate determining display image data corresponding with the display pixel, and outputs the display image data to enable the display panel to display the image based on the display image data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a display panel comprising a first panel section implemented with a lower pixel resolution and a second panel section implemented with a higher pixel resolution, wherein the second panel section has a first portion directly adjacent the first panel section, wherein the first portion of the second panel section comprises:
a first line of display pixels;
a second line of display pixels directly adjacent the first line of display pixels; and
a third line of display pixels directly adjacent the second line of display pixels; and

image processing circuitry communicatively coupled to the display panel, wherein the image processing circuitry is configured to adjust image data corresponding with display pixels of the first portion of the second panel section at least in part by:
applying a first gain value greater than a unity gain value to image data corresponding with display pixels in the first line of display pixels;
applying a second gain value less than the unity gain value to image data corresponding with display pixels in the second line of display pixels; and
applying a third gain value greater than the first gain value to image data corresponding with display pixels in the third line of display pixels.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the display panel comprises a third panel section implemented with a pixel resolution greater than the lower pixel resolution of the first panel section and less than the higher pixel resolution of the second panel section.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the third panel section comprises:
a fourth line of display pixels directly adjacent the first panel section implemented with the lower pixel resolution, wherein the fourth line of display pixels comprises a first number of display pixels corresponding to less than a full line of pixels of the higher resolution panel section and less than a full line of pixels of the lower resolution panel section; and
a fifth line of display pixels directly adjacent the second panel section implemented with the higher pixel resolution, wherein the fifth line of display pixels comprises a second number of display pixels greater than the first number of display pixels and less than a full line of display pixels of the higher resolution panel section and less than a full line of pixels of the lower resolution panel section.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein:
the first panel section implemented with the lower pixel resolution comprises:
a first full line of display pixels directly adjacent the fourth line of display pixels in the third panel section; and
a second full line of display pixels separated from the first full line of display pixels in the first panel section by a space equivalent to a removed line of display pixels;

the second panel section implemented with the higher pixel resolution comprises:
a third full line of display pixels directly adjacent the fifth line of display pixels in the third panel section; and
a fourth full line of display pixels directly adjacent the third full line of display pixels in the second panel section; and

the third panel section comprises a fifth full line of display pixels implemented between the fourth line of display pixels in the third panel section and the fifth line of display pixels in the third panel section.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first panel section implemented with the lower pixel resolution is directly adjacent a higher resolution panel section of the display panel and comprises:
a first full line of display pixels directly adjacent the higher resolution panel section; and
a second full line of display pixels separated from the first full line of display pixels in the first panel section by a removed line of display pixels.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , comprising an optical sensor disposed behind the first panel section of the display panel configured to accurately sense light that passes through an external surface of the electronic device as well as light transmissive material implemented in the display panel, wherein the optical sensor comprises an ambient light sensor configured to sense environmental lighting conditions.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , comprising an optical sensor disposed behind the first panel section of the display panel configured to sense light that passes through an external surface of the electronic device as well as light transmissive material implemented in the display panel, wherein the optical sensor comprises an image sensor configured to generate image data based at least in part on sensed light.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the lower pixel resolution of the first panel section is a fraction of the higher pixel resolution of the second panel section.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein
the first portion of the second panel section comprises:
a fourth line of display pixels directly adjacent the first line of display pixels in the first portion of the second panel section; and
a fifth line of display pixels directly adjacent the fourth line of display pixels in the first portion of the second panel section; and

the image processing circuitry is configured to adjust image data corresponding with display pixels of the first portion of the second panel section at least in part by:
applying a third gain value greater than the unity gain value and less than the first gain value to image data corresponding with display pixels included in the fourth line of display pixels; and
applying a fourth gain value less than the unity gain value and greater than the second gain value to image data corresponding with display pixels included in the fifth line of display pixels.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the image processing circuitry is configured to:
determine a pixel location of the display pixel corresponding with source image data corresponding with the image on the display panel; and
determine the pixel resolution surrounding the display pixel based at least in part on the pixel location of the display pixel relative to a pixel layout of the display panel.

11. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the image processing circuitry comprises resolution compensation circuitry configured to:
receive input image data corresponding with the display pixel;
determine one or more resolution compensation factors based at least in part on the pixel resolution surrounding the display pixel; and
output processed image data corresponding with the display pixel at least in part by applying the one or more resolution compensation factors to adjust a target luminance of the display pixel in the image.

12. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the third line of display pixels of the first portion of the second panel section is directly adjacent to the first panel section.

13. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first line of display pixels of the first portion of the second panel section is directly adjacent to a fourth line of display pixels of the second panel section.

14. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:
the first portion of the second panel section comprises:
a fourth line of display pixels directly adjacent the third line of display pixels; and
a fifth line of display pixels directly adjacent the fourth line of display pixels; and

the image processing circuitry is configured to adjust the image data corresponding with display pixels of the first portion of the second panel section at least in part by:
applying a fourth gain value less than the second g

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Tang Yingying
• Wang Chaohao
• Yao Wei H
• Glazowski Christopher E
• Jung Woo Shik
• Johnston Scott R

Classifications

• G09G2360/144

  the light being ambient light · CPC title

• G09G2340/0421

  Horizontal resolution change · CPC title

• G09G2340/0414

  Vertical resolution change · CPC title

• G09G2340/0407

  Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas · CPC title

• G09G2320/0271

  Adjustment of the gradation levels within the range of the gradation scale, e.g. by redistribution or clipping · CPC title