Patents by Inventor Christopher P. Tann
Christopher P. Tann has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 10600379Abstract: The disclosure describes procedures for dynamically employing a variable refresh rate at an LCD display of a consumer electronic device, such as a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a mobile phone, or a music player device. In some configurations, the consumer electronic device can include a host system portion, having one or more processors and a display system portion, having a timing controller, a buffer circuit, a display driver, and a display panel. The display system can receive image data and image control data from a GPU of the host system, evaluate the received image control data to determine a reduced refresh rate (RRR) for employing at the display panel, and then transition to the RRR, whenever practicable, to conserve power. In some scenarios, the transition to the RRR can be a transition from a LRR of 50 hertz or above to a RRR of 40 hertz or below.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2018Date of Patent: March 24, 2020Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Prasanna Nambi, Jason N. Gomez, Fenghua Zheng, Paolo Sacchetto, Sandro H. Pintz, Taesung Kim, Christopher P. Tann, Marc Albrecht, David W. Lum
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Publication number: 20200082783Abstract: An electronic device may include a display panel to display an image and a display pipeline to process image data for the image. The display pipeline may include a controller to determine a first potential presentation time based on a maximum refresh rate of the display panel. The controller may also determine if a second target presentation time of a second image is equal to the first potential presentation time before a pipeline configuration time, and if the second target presentation time of the second image is equal to a second potential presentation time that occurs after the first potential presentation time and before a first pre-notification time occurring before the pipeline configuration time. The controller may output a first pre-notification signal at the first pre-notification time that instructs the display panel to pause self-refreshes until after the second image is displayed.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 11, 2018Publication date: March 12, 2020Inventors: Peter F. Holland, Arthur L. Spence, Christopher P. Tann
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Publication number: 20200064902Abstract: The configuration buffer may be divided into partitions that may effectively function as multiple linked configuration buffers. The linked partitions may each be associated with a portion of the display pipeline (e.g., an image process block) and may each be responsible for loading configuration entries into the programmable register(s) of a portion of the display pipeline. In this manner, the partitions may load the associated programmable register(s) of the display pipeline substantially simultaneously, reducing the time used to configure the entire display pipeline. Since configuration of the display pipeline may occur during the blanking period, a reduction in display pipeline configuration time may reduce the blanking period and increase the time for driving pixels of the display, thereby improving perceived image quality (e.g., pixel yield of the display panel).Type: ApplicationFiled: August 23, 2018Publication date: February 27, 2020Inventors: Peter F. Holland, Christopher P. Tann, Malcolm D. Gray, Hari Ganesh R. Thirunageswaram, Kristan Jon Monsen
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Patent number: 10482806Abstract: Devices and methods for reducing or eliminating spatiotemporal dithering image artifacts are provided. By way of example, a method includes providing positive polarity and negative polarity data signals to a plurality of pixels of a display during a first frame period, in which the first frame period corresponds a first spatiotemporal rotation phase. The method includes providing the positive polarity signals and the negative polarity signals to the plurality of pixels of the display during a second frame period, in which the second frame period corresponds a second spatiotemporal rotation phase. A spatiotemporal rotation phase sequence provided to the display comprises the first spatiotemporal rotation phase and the second spatiotemporal rotation phase. One of the first spatiotemporal rotation phase and the second spatiotemporal rotation phase of the spatiotemporal rotation phase sequence is altered during the first frame period or the second time period.Type: GrantFiled: March 2, 2015Date of Patent: November 19, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Marc Albrecht, David S. Zalatimo, Christopher P. Tann, Sandro H. Pintz
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Patent number: 10453375Abstract: A data processing system can store a long-term history of pixel luminance values in a secure memory and use those values to create burn-in compensation values that are used to mitigate burn-in effect on a display. The long-term history can be updated over time with new, accumulated pixel luminance values.Type: GrantFiled: January 18, 2018Date of Patent: October 22, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Paul S. Drzaic, Tae-Wook Koh, Ross Thompson, Guy Cote, Christopher P. Tann, Jerrold V. Hauck, Yifan Zhang, Jean-Pierre Guillou, Ian C. Hendry, Vanessa C. Heppolette, Arthur L. Spence
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Patent number: 10438561Abstract: Systems and methods for interpolating overdrive values using a lookup table to compensate for potential display artifacts. Interpolating includes applying a first interpolation type to a first portion of the lookup table when a point to be interpolated is in the first portion of the lookup table. However, interpolating includes applying a second interpolation type to a second portion of the lookup table when the point to be interpolated is in the second portion of the lookup table. The interpolated values are then used to drive pixels of a display panel.Type: GrantFiled: December 14, 2017Date of Patent: October 8, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Shereef Shehata, Christopher P. Tann, Guy Côté
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Patent number: 10410568Abstract: A data processing system can store a long-term history of pixel luminance values in a secure memory and use those values to create burn-in compensation values that are used to mitigate burn-in effect on a display. The long-term history can be updated over time with new, accumulated pixel luminance values.Type: GrantFiled: January 18, 2018Date of Patent: September 10, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Paul S. Drzaic, Ross Thompson, Guy Cote, Christopher P. Tann, Jerrold V. Hauck, Yifan Zhang, Jean-Pierre Guillou, Ian C. Hendry, Vanessa C. Heppolette, Tae-Wook Koh, Arthur L. Spence
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Patent number: 10410569Abstract: A data processing system can store a long-term history of pixel luminance values in a secure memory and use those values to create burn-in compensation values that are used to mitigate burn-in effect on a display. The long-term history can be updated over time with new, accumulated pixel luminance values.Type: GrantFiled: January 18, 2018Date of Patent: September 10, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Paul S. Drzaic, Ross Thompson, Guy Cote, Christopher P. Tann, Jerrold V. Hauck, Yifan Zhang, Jean-Pierre Guillou, Ian C. Hendry, Vanessa C. Heppolette, Tae-Wook Koh, Arthur L. Spence
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Patent number: 10403192Abstract: Devices and methods for error diffusion and spatiotemporal dithering are provided. By way of example, a method of operating a display includes receiving a pixel input, a set of pixel coordinates, and a current frame number. A kernel and a particular kernel bit of the kernel is selected from a set of kernels, based upon the pixel input, the pixel coordinates, the frame number, or any combination thereof. A dithered output is determined based at least in part upon the kernel bit. When the display is in a diamond pixel configuration, the dithered output is applied in accordance with a diamond pattern formed by red, blue, or red and blue pixel channels.Type: GrantFiled: July 20, 2017Date of Patent: September 3, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Marc Albrecht, Mahesh B. Chappalli, Christopher P. Tann, Jim C. Chou, Guy Cote
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Publication number: 20190189082Abstract: Systems and methods for interpolating overdrive values using a lookup table to compensate for potential display artifacts. Interpolating includes applying a first interpolation type to a first portion of the lookup table when a point to be interpolated is in the first portion of the lookup table. However, interpolating includes applying a second interpolation type to a second portion of the lookup table when the point to be interpolated is in the second portion of the lookup table. The interpolated values are then used to drive pixels of a display panel.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 14, 2017Publication date: June 20, 2019Inventors: Shereef Shehata, Christopher P. Tann, Guy Côté
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Publication number: 20190172380Abstract: System and method for improving displayed image quality of an electronic display that displays a first image frame by applying a first voltage to a display pixel and a second image frame directly before the first image frame by applying a second voltage to the display pixel. A display pipeline is communicatively coupled to the electronic display and receives first image data corresponding with the first image frame, where the image data includes a first grayscale value corresponding with the display pixel. Additionally the display pipeline determines an inversion balancing grayscale offset based at least in part on the first grayscale value when polarity of the first voltage and polarity of the second voltage are the same and determines magnitude of the first voltage by applying the inversion balancing grayscale offset to the first grayscale value to reduce likelihood of a perceivable luminance spike when displaying the first image frame.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 6, 2019Publication date: June 6, 2019Inventors: Christopher P. Tann, Taesung Kim, Sandro H. Pintz
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Patent number: 10276085Abstract: This application relates to systems, methods, and apparatus for compensating voltage for pixels of a display panel based on the location of the pixels within the display panel. An amount of voltage compensation is assigned to each pixel or a group of pixels within the display panel in accordance with a calibration of the display panel. During operation of the display panel, pixel data is generated for a location of the display panel, and the pixel data is modified according to the amount of voltage compensation corresponding to the location. By modifying the pixel data in this way, spatial variations in voltage across the display panel can be mitigated in order to reduce the occurrence of certain display artifacts at the display panel.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2015Date of Patent: April 30, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Chaohao Wang, Paolo Sacchetto, Marc Albrecht, Christopher P. Tann, Shih-Chyuan Fan Jiang, Howard H. Tang, James E. C. Brown, Zhibing Ge
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Patent number: 10261632Abstract: One embodiment describes an electronic display that includes display driver circuitry that displays at least a first image frame and a second image frame on the electronic device using a first display pixel and a second display pixel. A timing controller of the electronic display determines at least a first insertion time for a first intra-frame pause for the first image frame and a second insertion time for a second intra-frame pause for the second image frame, which pause rendering of image data to allow the touch sensing circuitry to detect user interaction. The insertion times for the first and second intra-frame pauses are varied from one another by a determined step size.Type: GrantFiled: July 20, 2017Date of Patent: April 16, 2019Assignee: APPLE INC.Inventors: Peter F. Holland, Christopher P. Tann, Malcolm D. Gray
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Publication number: 20190080666Abstract: An electronic display pipeline may process image data for display on an electronic display. The electronic display pipeline may include burn-in compensation statistics collection circuitry and burn-in compensation circuitry. The burn-in compensation statistics collection circuitry may collect image statistics based at least in part on the image data. The statistics may estimate a likely amount of non-uniform aging of the sub-pixels of the electronic display. The burn-in compensation circuitry may apply a gain to sub-pixels of the image data to account for non-uniform aging of corresponding sub-pixels of the electronic display. The applied gain may be based at least in part on the image statistics collected by the burn-in compensation statistics collection circuitry.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 3, 2018Publication date: March 14, 2019Inventors: Mahesh B. Chappalli, Christopher P. Tann, Peter F. Holland, Guy Côté, Stephan Lachowsky
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Patent number: 10229622Abstract: System and method for improving displayed image quality of an electronic display that displays a first image frame by applying a first voltage to a display pixel and a second image frame directly before the first image frame by applying a second voltage to the display pixel. A display pipeline is communicatively coupled to the electronic display and receives first image data corresponding with the first image frame, where the image data includes a first grayscale value corresponding with the display pixel. Additionally the display pipeline determines an inversion balancing grayscale offset based at least in part on the first grayscale value when polarity of the first voltage and polarity of the second voltage are the same and determines magnitude of the first voltage by applying the inversion balancing grayscale offset to the first grayscale value to reduce likelihood of a perceivable luminance spike when displaying the first image frame.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 2017Date of Patent: March 12, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Christopher P. Tann, Taesung Kim, Sandro H. Pintz
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Publication number: 20190027114Abstract: In situations with reduced image changes, display panels, such as the ones disclosed herein, may reduce their power consumption by performing self-refresh cycles, in which they may display locally stored data in the display panel instead of retrieving it from an image buffer. Methods and circuitry for management of the self-refresh cycle may reduce jitter, luminance errors, and/or flickers that may be caused by untimely self-refresh cycles that may occur as a result of latency in the image buffer. In some implementations, the display panel may have a dedicated low latency input that notifies an arrival of an incoming image. In some implementations, the self-refresh cycles of the panel may be managed by a host or a buffer that is responsible for sending the images.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 27, 2017Publication date: January 24, 2019Inventors: Yue Jack Chu, Christopher P. Tann, Arthur L. Spence, Brad W. Simeral, Yafei Bi, Jiayi Jin, Ruo-Gu Huang, Haifeng Li, Weijun Yao, Chaohao Wang
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Patent number: 10163385Abstract: A display may have an array of pixels controlled by display driver circuitry. Gate driver circuitry supplies gate line signals to rows of the pixels. The gate driver circuitry may include gate driver integrated circuits. Each gate driver integrated circuit may have a shift register that supplies the gate line signals to the rows of pixels. The display driver circuitry supplies a clock signal to the gate driver integrated circuits. Each gate driver integrated circuit may have one or more clock trees that are selectively enable and disabled. Each gate driver integrated circuit may have a controller and a buffer that is controlled by a control signal from the controller. The buffer may be adjusted to supply or to not supply the clock signal to an associated clock tree in that gate driver integrated circuit.Type: GrantFiled: September 16, 2015Date of Patent: December 25, 2018Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Fenghua Zheng, Christopher P. Tann, David S. Zalatimo, James E. C. Brown, Sandro H. Pintz
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Publication number: 20180350295Abstract: A data processing system can store a long-term history of pixel luminance values in a secure memory and use those values to create burn-in compensation values that are used to mitigate burn-in effect on a display. The long-term history can be updated over time with new, accumulated pixel luminance values.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 18, 2018Publication date: December 6, 2018Inventors: PAUL S. DRZAIC, TAE-WOOK KOH, ROSS THOMPSON, GUY COTE, CHRISTOPHER P. TANN, JERROLD V. HAUCK, YIFAN ZHANG, JEAN-PIERRE GUILLOU, IAN C. HENDRY, VANESSA C. HEPPOLETTE, ARTHUR L. SPENCE
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Publication number: 20180350296Abstract: A data processing system can store a long-term history of pixel luminance values in a secure memory and use those values to create burn-in compensation values that are used to mitigate burn-in effect on a display. The long-term history can be updated over time with new, accumulated pixel luminance values.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 18, 2018Publication date: December 6, 2018Inventors: ROSS THOMPSON, GUY COTE, CHRISTOPHER P. TANN, JERROLD V. HAUCK, IAN C. HENDRY, VANESSA C. HEPPOLETTE, ADAM J. MACHALEK, ALAN M. DUNN, ALI SAZEGARI, LARS M. LINDBERG, ARTHUR L. SPENCE
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Publication number: 20180350290Abstract: A data processing system can store a long-term history of pixel luminance values in a secure memory and use those values to create burn-in compensation values that are used to mitigate burn-in effect on a display. The long-term history can be updated over time with new, accumulated pixel luminance values.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 18, 2018Publication date: December 6, 2018Inventors: PAUL S. DRZAIC, ROSS THOMPSON, GUY COTE, CHRISTOPHER P. TANN, JERROLD V. HAUCK, YIFAN ZHANG, JEAN-PIERRE GUILLOU, IAN C. HENDRY, VANESSA C. HEPPOLETTE, TAE-WOOK KOH, ARTHUR L. SPENCE