1. Technical Field
The disclosed embodiments relate to an electronic device and a method for switching between a first display unit and a second display unit.
2. Description of Related Art
Traditional electronic devices include a single display for outputting visual content. For example, a traditional device may include a liquid crystal display (LCD) or organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display for outputting color visual content. In another example, a traditional device may include an electronic paper display for outputting black-and-white visual content using minimal power. The type of display included in a traditional electronic device is typically based on an assumption about the visual content it will most often display because different types of displays may be optimal, in performance or efficiency, for different types of visual content. For example, an LCD or OLED display may be optimal for high-resolution or dynamic color content while an electronic paper display may be optimal for relatively static black-and-white content.
However, a traditional device may display multiple types of visual content even though its display may only be optimal for a single type of visual content.
Therefore, there is room for improvement in the art.
Many aspects of the embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout four views.
Referring to
The first display unit 20 is used for displaying static images, and the second display unit 30 is used for displaying dynamic images. In this embodiment, the first display unit 20 is an electronic paper display (EPD), the second display unit 30 is a liquid crystal display.
The processor 40 determines at least one feature of the visual content, and controls the gate driver 50 and the source driver 60 to selectively drive at least one of the first display unit 20 and the second display unit 30, based on the at least one determined feature, to display the visual content. When the first display unit 20 displays the visual content, the backlight of the second display unit 30 is used as an external light source for illuminating the first display unit 20.
In a first embodiment, the visual content is an image file, the at least one feature of the image file includes a filename extension of the image file; the processor 40 controls the gate driver 50 and the source driver 60 to drive the first display unit 20 to display the image files having the same filename extension as one of doc, docx, pdf, pdb, kwl, lit, poc, rte, azw; and controls the gate driver 50 and the source driver 60 to drive the second display unit 30 to display all other image files not having the same filename extension as one of doc, docx, pdf, pdb, kwl, lit, poc, rte, azw.
In a second embodiment, the at least one feature of the visual content includes a rate of change of the visual content, the processor 40 controls the gate driver 50 and the source driver 60 to drive the first display unit 20 to display the visual content if the rate of change is below a threshold; and controls the gate driver 50 and the source driver 60 to drive the second display unit 30 to display the visual content if the rate of change is above the threshold.
In a third embodiment, the at least one feature of the visual content includes a color composition of the visual content, the processor 40 controls the gate driver 50 and the source driver 60 to drive the first display unit 20 to display the visual content if the color composition is below a threshold; and controls the gate driver 50 and the source driver 60 to drive the second display unit 30 to display the visual content if the color composition is above the threshold.
Referring to
Each first microcup 24 is disposed between the first common electrode 26 and the first pixel electrode 28. The first common electrode 26 is transparent, the first pixel electrode 28 is transparent.
The second display unit 30 includes a plurality of second display cells 32. Each second display cell 32 includes a second microcup 34, a second common electrode 35, a color filter 36, and a second pixel electrode 38. The second microcup 34 is formed from the microcup composition 240 and filled with a second display fluid 342 and the sealing composition 244 that allows the second display fluid 342 to be seamlessly sealed. In this embodiment, the second display fluid 342 is a liquid crystal fluid, and the microcup composition 240 and the sealing composition 244 are also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,023,071, for clarity, it is not described herein.
Each second microcup 34 is disposed between the second common electrode 35 and the second pixel electrode 38, and the color filter 36 is disposed on the second common electrode 35. In this embodiment, the second common electrode 35 and the second pixel electrode 38 are transparent.
The first display cells 22 and the second display cells 32 are arranged in a same layer and are disposed as a matrix. In detail, each first display cell 22 is adjacent to one of the second display cells 32.
Each first microcup 24, a corresponding first common electrode 26 and a corresponding first pixel electrode 28 are defined as an EPD pixel (hereinafter referred as EPD). Each second microcup 34, a corresponding second common electrode 35 and a corresponding second pixel electrode 38 are defined as a LCD pixel. Accordingly, the LCD pixel corresponding to a red color filter 36A is defined as red pixel (hereinafter referred as R), the LCD pixel corresponding to a green color filter 36B is defined as green pixel (hereinafter referred as G), and the LCD pixel corresponding to a blue color filter 36C is defined as blue pixel (hereinafter referred as B).
Referring further to
The first display cell 22 and the second display cell 32 are arranged in one of a first form, a second form, a third form, a fourth form, a fifth form, and a sixth form respectively shown below in table 1, table 2, table 3, table 4, table 5 and table 6.
In
The second display unit 30 further includes four first thin film transistors (TFTs) 72 respectively corresponding to the four EPD pixels 22; and the first display unit 20 further includes twelve second thin film transistors (TFTs) 62 respectively corresponding to four red pixels 32A, four green pixels 32B, and four blue pixels 32C. A first pixel electrode 28 of each EPD pixel 22 is connected to a drain of corresponding first TFT 72, a gate of each first TFT 72 is connected to the gate driver 50, a source of each first TFT 72 is connected to the source driver 60. A second pixel electrode 38 of each red pixel 32A is connected to a drain of corresponding second TFT 62, a second pixel electrode 38 of each green pixel 32B is connected to a drain of corresponding second TFT 62, a second pixel electrode 38 of each blue pixel 32C is connected to a drain of corresponding second TFT 62, a gate of each second TFT 62 is connected to the gate driver 50, a source of each second TFT 62 is connected to the source driver 60.
Taking a pixel 55 of the hybrid display unit for example, the pixel 55 includes the red pixel 32A, the green pixel 32B, the EPD pixel 22, and the blue pixel 32C; a first pixel electrode 28 of the EPD pixel 22 is connected to the drain of corresponding first TFT 72, the gate of the first TFT 72 is connected to the gate line G2 of the gate driver 50, and the source of the first TFT 72 is connected to the data line D3 of the source driver 60. A second pixel electrode 38 of the red pixel 32A is connected to the drain of corresponding second TFT 62, the gate of the second TFT 62 is connected to gate line G1 of the gate driver 50, and the source of the second TFT 62 is connected to the data line D3 of the source driver 60. A second pixel electrode 38 of the green pixel 32B is connected to the drain of corresponding second TFT 62, the gate of the second TFT 62 is connected to gate line G1 of the gate driver 50, and the source of the second TFT 62 is connected to the data line D4 of the source driver 60. A second pixel electrode 38 of the blue pixel 32C is connected to the drain of corresponding second TFT 62, the gate of the second TFT 62 is connected to gate line G2 of the gate driver 50, and the source of the second TFT 62 is connected to the data line D4 of the source driver 60.
Step 202, the processor 40 detects the filename extension of the image file.
Step 204, the processor 40 determines whether the filename extension is one of doc, docx, pdf, pdb, kwl, lit, poc, rte, azw; if it is determined that the filename extension is one of doc, docx, pdf, pdb, kwl, lit, poc, rte, azw, the process goes to step 206; if it is determined that the filename extension is not one of doc, docx, pdf, pdb, kwl, lit, poc, rte, azw, the process goes to step 208.
Step 206, the processor 40 controls the gate driver 50 and the source driver 60 to drive the first display unit 20 to display the image files.
Step 208, the processor 40 controls the gate driver 50 and the source driver 60 to drive the second display unit 30 to display all other image files.
In a second embodiment, the processor 40 detects a rate of change of the visual content, therefore step 206 is replaced by the step of controlling the gate driver 50 and the source driver 60 to drive the first display unit 20 to display the visual content if the rate of change is below a threshold; and step 208 is replaced by the step of controlling the gate driver 50 and the source driver 60 to drive the second display unit 30 to display the visual content if the rate of change is above the threshold.
In a third embodiment, the processor 40 detects a color composition of the visual content, therefore step 206 is replaced by the step of controlling the gate driver 50 and the source driver 60 to drive the first display unit 20 to display the visual content if the color composition is below a threshold; and step 208 is replaced by the step of controlling the gate driver 50 and the source driver 60 to drive the second display unit 30 to display the visual content if the color composition is above the threshold.
Alternative embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of what is claimed. Accordingly, the present disclosure should not be deemed to be limited to the above detailed description, but rather only by the claims that follow and the equivalents thereof.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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100147778 | Dec 2011 | TW | national |