Timing controller to perform panel self-refresh using compressed data, method of operating the same, and data processing system including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9514511-B2
Application number	US-201414533346-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 5, 2014
Priority date	Nov 13, 2013
Publication date	Dec 6, 2016
Grant date	Dec 6, 2016

Abstract

A method of operating a timing controller, which communicates with a host through a mobile industry processor interface (MIPI) and communicates with a display panel module through a display interface, is provided. The method includes storing image data compressed by one of the host and the timing controller in a frame memory, decompressing the image data stored in the frame memory, and performing panel self-refresh on the display panel module using the decompressed image data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating a timing controller which communicates with a host through a mobile industry processor interface (MIPI) interface and communicates with a display panel module through a display interface, the method comprising:
storing image data compressed by one of the host and the timing controller in a frame memory;
decompressing the image data stored in the frame memory; and
performing panel self-refresh on the display panel module using the decompressed image data,
wherein when the image data is first image data compressed by the host, the first image data is passed to the frame memory,
wherein when the image data is second image data compressed by the timing controller, a first portion of the second image data and a second portion of the second image data are stored in the frame memory at different timings,
wherein the first image data is passed to the frame memory in a single-mode operation and the first portion is generated by compressing first uncompressed image data corresponding to the first portion and storing the first portion in the frame memory in a dual-mode operation,
wherein the second portion is generated by compressing second uncompressed image data corresponding to the second portion and storing the second portion in the frame memory in the dual-mode operation.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the decompressing the image data comprises:
assembling and synchronizing the first portion and the second portion which are output from the frame memory; and
decompressing the first portion and the second portion that have been synchronized with each other.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the timing controller receives first uncompressed image data and second uncompressed image data, and
the first uncompressed image data and second uncompressed image data are compressed at different timings by different compression circuits, which are implemented in the timing controller to, respectively, correspond to the first portion and the second portion.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first uncompressed image data is received from the host through a first sub interface of the MIPI interface and the second uncompressed image data is received from the host through a second sub interface of the MIPI interface.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first image data and the first portion of the second image data are output to the frame memory through one processing circuit.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a command from the host through the MIPI interface and analyzing the command; and
adjusting an interval of a tearing off (TE) signal based on an analysis result.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the command comprises information about a size of a vertical blank area.

8. A timing controller which is connected with a host through a
mobile industry processor interface (MIPI) interface and connected with a display panel module through a display interface, the timing controller comprising:
a frame memory configured to store image data compressed by one of the host and the timing controller;
a decoder configured to decompress the image data stored in the frame memory;
an image processing circuit configured to perform panel self-refresh on the display panel module using the decompressed image data;
a processing circuit configured to pass the image data to the frame memory when the image data is first image data compressed by the host and to store a first portion of the image data and a second portion of the image data in the frame memory at different timings when the image data is second image data compressed by the timing controller,
wherein the processing circuit comprises:
a first processing circuit configured to pass the first image data to the frame memory in a single-mode operation and to generate the first portion by compressing first uncompressed image data corresponding to the first portion and store the first portion in the frame memory in a dual-mode operation, and
a second processing circuit configured to generate the second portion by compressing second uncompressed image data corresponding to the second portion and store the second portion in the frame memory in the dual-mode operation.

9. The timing controller of claim 8 , further comprising:
a line assembler configured to assemble and synchronize the first portion and the second portion which are output from the frame memory and to output synchronized image data to the decoder,
wherein the decoder decompresses the synchronized image data.

10. The timing controller of claim 8 , further comprising:
a second decoder configured to analyze a command received from the host through the MIPI interface and output a timing control signal according to an analysis result,
wherein the image processing circuit adjusts an interval of a tearing effect (TE) signal based on the timing control signal and transmits an interval-adjusted TE signal to the host.

11. The timing controller of claim 10 , wherein the command comprises information about a size of a vertical blank area.

12. The timing controller of claim 8 , wherein the first uncompressed image data and second uncompressed image data are compressed at different timings by different compression circuits which are implemented in the timing controller to, respectively, correspond to the first portion and the second portion.

13. A data processing system comprising:
the timing controller and the display panel module of claim 8 ;
wherein the host and the timing controller are external to each other and connected through the MIPI, and the timing controller and the display panel module are external to each other and connected through the display interface.

14. The data processing system of claim 13 , wherein: the timing controller further comprises a line assembler configured to assemble and synchronize the first portion and the second portion which are output from the frame memory and to output synchronized image data to the decoder; and
the decoder decompresses the synchronized image data.

15. The data processing system of claim 13 , wherein:
the timing controller further comprises a second decoder configured to analyze a command received from the host through the MIPI interface and output a timing control signal according to an analysis result; and
the image processing circuit adjusts an interval of a tearing effect (TE) signal based on the timing control signal and transmits an interval-adjusted TE signal to the host.

16. The data processing system of claim 15 , wherein the command comprises information about a size of a vertical blank area.

17. A timing controller for receiving image data from a host through a mobile industry processor interface (MIPI) and connected with a display panel module, the timer controller comprising:
an interface comprising MIPI first and second sub-interfaces for receiving image data from the host;
a first processing circuit configured to receive first image data from the first sub-interface, and including at least one selector, a first encoder, and a first write controller;
a second processing circuit configured to receive second image data from the second sub-interface, and including a second encoder and a second write controller;
a frame memory for storing the image data;
a decoder configured to decompress the image data stored in the frame memory; and
an image processing circuit configured to perform panel self-refresh on the display panel module using the decompressed image data,
wherein in a single-mode operation, the first sub-inter

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Jae Chul
• Kim Jong Seon
• Dustin Wai
• Ryu Keun Ho
• Lee Jong Sung

Classifications

• G09G2320/10

  Special adaptations of display systems for operation with variable images · CPC title

• G09G2360/18

  Use of a frame buffer in a display terminal, inclusive of the display panel · CPC title

• G09G5/39

  Control of the bit-mapped memory · CPC title

• G09G2340/0435

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

• G09G2370/10

  Use of a protocol of communication by packets in interfaces along the display data pipeline · CPC title