TWI401647B - Method for updating picture frame of e-paper apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Picture update method of electronic paper device

The invention relates to a picture updating method, in particular to a picture updating method of an electronic paper device.

E-paper has the following advantages: it can be flexed, and it only needs to consume electricity at the moment of changing the display data, so it can be clearly displayed without power saving, visual dead space and daylight. E-paper is a new-generation display, and related industries in various advanced countries have been investing in R&D and production. This revolutionary display will bring about major changes in human life, and the prospects are promising.

Existing electronic papers are distinguished by their control methods, and there are two major categories. The first is a matrix type and the second is a direct type. Among them, if you want to display text or patterns that are not specific (and can be changed), you must use matrix electronic paper. Matrix electronic paper must include a power control chip, a clock control chip, a DC transformer chip, and a majority of gate drivers, source drivers, and the like on the printed circuit board.

Please refer to the first figure, which is a block diagram of the electronic paper device. An electronic paper device comprises a memory unit 10, a control unit 20, an electronic paper drive unit 30 and a Electronic paper unit 40. The control unit 20 is electrically connected to the memory unit 10 and the electronic paper drive unit 30; the electronic paper unit 40 is electrically connected to the electronic paper drive unit 30. The electronic paper unit 40 includes at least one pixel (not shown).

When the control unit 20 receives the update command and a certain pixel of the picture of the electronic paper unit 40 needs to be updated, the pixel may actually still perform the current old update instruction. That is to say, when the pixel is still in the current stage of updating, it receives another updated instruction to be updated (of course, it may be that when the new instruction is received, the current old instruction is completed, then Not in the scope of this discussion). That is, the user does not want the screen of the old instruction, but wants the screen of the new update instruction.

For example, the pixel is originally in grayscale 0, and the original old instruction is to be changed to grayscale 8. However, when changing to grayscale 2, an update command is received to change to grayscale 12. That is to say, the original user wants the grayscale 8, but does not want the grayscale 8, but wants the grayscale 12, but the instruction to the grayscale 8 has not been completed yet, and only the grayscale 2 is currently performed. In the presently known technique, an instruction to change from grayscale 0 to grayscale 8 can only be completed first, and then an instruction to be changed to grayscale 12 can be executed. Therefore, the screen change of the electronic paper device of the prior art appears to be rather slow. In particular, when the original instruction is to be discarded and the new instruction is executed, the old instruction must be executed before the new instruction can be executed.

In order to improve the above disadvantages of the prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for updating a picture of an electronic paper device.

In order to achieve the above object of the present invention, the screen of the electronic paper device of the present invention is updated The method is applied to an electronic paper device comprising a control unit, an electronic paper drive unit and an electronic paper unit, the electronic paper unit comprising at least one pixel. The method for updating the screen of the electronic paper device comprises: the control unit accepting a first update instruction, updating the pixel from an initial gray level to a first target gray level; if the pixel is performing the first update instruction Updating and updating to an intermediate gray level, and the control unit accepts a second update instruction to update to a second target gray level, then the control unit calculates that the pixel is updated from the intermediate gray level to the first target After the grayscale is updated to the first time required by the second target grayscale, and a second time after the restoration operation of the pixel is restored to the initial grayscale and then the second update instruction is performed; And if the first time is greater than the second time, the control unit controls the electronic paper driving unit to perform the restoring operation on the pixel.

10‧‧‧ memory unit

20‧‧‧Control unit

30‧‧‧Electronic paper drive unit

40‧‧‧electronic paper unit

S10~S50‧‧‧Steps

GL1‧‧‧ initial grayscale

GL2‧‧‧Intermediate grayscale

GL3‧‧‧ first target grayscale

GL4‧‧‧ second target grayscale

The first picture is a block diagram of an electronic paper device.

The second figure is a flow chart of a screen updating method of the electronic paper device of the present invention.

The third picture is a schematic diagram of the gray scale sequence.

Please refer to the first figure (block diagram of the electronic paper device). The screen updating method of the electronic paper device of the present invention is applied to the electronic paper device shown in the first figure.

Please refer to the third figure, which is a gray scale sequence diagram. In the example of the prior art, the pixel is originally in grayscale 0 (an initial grayscale GL1), and the received old instruction (a first update instruction) is to be changed to grayscale 8 (a first target) Grayscale GL3). However, when changing to grayscale 2 (an intermediate grayscale GL2), However, another update command (a second update command) is received to change to grayscale 12 (a second target grayscale GL4). The instruction to change from grayscale 0 (the initial grayscale GL1) to grayscale 8 (the first target grayscale GL3) (ie, the first update instruction) can be completed first, and then the change to grayscale can be performed. 12 (the second target gray level GL4) instruction (ie, the second update instruction). Therefore, the screen change of the electronic paper device of the prior art will appear slow.

The present invention proposes an improved method. In the above example, the pixel is originally at gray level 0 (the initial gray level GL1), and the received old instruction (the first update instruction) is to be changed to gray level 8 (the first target gray level GL3) However, when changing to grayscale 2 (the intermediate grayscale GL2), another update instruction (the second update instruction) is received to change to grayscale 12 (the second target grayscale). At this time, the control unit 20 will calculate to perform a restoration operation from the current gray level 2 (ie, the intermediate gray level GL2) (restore to the original initial gray level GL1, this example is gray scale 0), and then The original initial gray scale GL1 (this example is gray scale 0) changes to gray scale 12 (the second target gray scale GL4), which is faster (for example, a second time); or as originally planned, first Completing an instruction to change from grayscale 0 (the initial grayscale GL1) to grayscale 8 (the first target grayscale GL3) (ie, the first update instruction), and then executing to change to grayscale 12 (the second The instruction of the target gray level GL4) (ie, the second update instruction) will be faster (eg, a first time is required).

If the restoration operation is restored from the current gray level 2 (ie, the intermediate gray level GL2) to the original gray level 0 (the initial gray level GL1), then the original gray level 0 (the initial gray level GL1) is changed to the gray level. 12 (the second target grayscale GL4) is faster: Then the recovery operation is performed. If the original plan is completed, the instruction to change from the grayscale 0 (the initial grayscale GL1) to the grayscale 8 (the first target grayscale GL3) (ie, the first update instruction) is completed, and then the execution is changed to The instruction of the grayscale 12 (the second target grayscale GL4) (the second update instruction) will be faster: it is performed according to the original plan.

That is, if the first time is greater than the second time, the control unit 20 controls the electronic paper driving unit 30 to perform the restoring action on the pixel; if the first time is less than the second time, the control unit The pixel is updated from the intermediate gray level GL2 to the first target gray level GL3, and then updated to the second target gray level GL4. As such, the present invention can greatly improve the problem that the screen change of the conventional electronic paper device is slow.

Please refer to the second figure, which is a flow chart of the screen updating method of the electronic paper device of the present invention. First, the control unit 20 determines whether the pixel needs to be updated (S10). If the control unit 20 accepts the second update instruction, the pixel will need to be updated, and it is determined whether the pixel is in the first update instruction (S20). If the pixel does not perform the first update instruction, the second update instruction is performed (S25). If the pixel is in the first update instruction, it is determined whether the restoration operation of the pixel needs to be restored to the initial gray level (S24): if not, the process proceeds to step S25; if necessary, the process proceeds to the step S30: The control unit 20 calculates whether the time for the pixel to perform the restoration operation to the initial gray scale and then the second update command is shorter (that is, whether it is faster) (S30). If it is not faster, the current first update instruction is continued and the second update instruction is performed (S35). If time If the interval is shorter and therefore faster, the control unit 20 controls the electronic paper drive unit 30 to perform the restoration operation on the pixel (S40). Finally, the control unit 20 controls the electronic paper driving unit 30 to perform the second update instruction on the pixel.

The main point of the present invention is that the conventional technique can only wait for the old instruction to be executed before the new instruction is executed when the update instruction is received. However, the present invention can calculate whether to restore the original grayscale first and then update the instruction faster, or to maintain the new instruction faster after waiting for the old instruction to be executed. If it is restored to the original gray level and then the update command is faster, then the original gray level is restored and the update instruction is executed; if the new instruction is executed faster after the execution of the old instruction is completed, the original instruction execution is maintained. Only after the completion of the new instructions. Therefore, the screen updating method of the electronic paper device of the present invention will be faster than the prior art.

In summary, it is known that the present invention has industrial applicability, novelty and advancement, and the structure of the present invention has not been seen in similar products and public use, and fully complies with the requirements of the invention patent application, and is filed according to the patent law.

S10~S50‧‧‧Steps

Claims (3)

A method for updating an image of an electronic paper device is applied to an electronic paper device comprising a control unit, an electronic paper driving unit and an electronic paper unit, the electronic paper unit comprising at least one pixel, the electronic paper The device updating method includes: a. the control unit accepts a first update instruction, and updates the pixel from an initial gray level to a first target gray level; b. if the pixel is performing the first update When the instruction is updated and updated to an intermediate gray level, and the control unit accepts a second update instruction to update to a second target gray level, the control unit calculates that the pixel is updated from the intermediate gray level to the first After the target gray level is updated to the first time required for the second target gray level, and a second time after the restoration operation of the pixel is restored to the initial gray level and then the second update instruction is performed And c. if the first time is greater than the second time, the control unit controls the electronic paper driving unit to perform the restoring action on the pixel. The method for updating the screen of the electronic paper device according to claim 1 further includes: c1. If the first time is less than the second time, the control unit updates the pixel by the intermediate gray scale. Go to the first target gray level and update to the second target gray level. For example, the method for updating the screen of the electronic paper device of the first application of the patent scope includes: d. The control unit controls the electronic paper driving unit to perform the second update instruction on the pixel.