Driving system for active-matrix displays

1. A method of using raw grayscale image data, representing images to be displayed in successive frames, to drive a display having pixels that include a drive transistor and an organic light emitting device, said method comprising:

defining high and low ranges of raw grayscale image data, and

determining whether the raw grayscale image data for each pixel falls within said high range or said low range,

converting said raw grayscale image to higher grayscale values that fall within said high range,

responsive to said raw grayscale image data falling within said low range, driving said pixels with currents corresponding to said higher grayscale values during a first sub-frame time period that is shorter than a complete frame time period,

responsive to said raw grayscale image data falling within said high range, driving said pixels with currents corresponding to said raw grayscale image data during a second sub-frame time period that is shorter than a complete frame time period and longer than the first sub-frame time period, and

processing said raw grayscale image data by a smoothing function so as to avoid contorting effects by:

responsive to said raw grayscale image data falling within said low range, driving said pixels according to said smoothing function during said second sub-frame time period, and

responsive to said raw grayscale image data falling within said high range, driving said pixels according to said smoothing function during said first sub-frame time period.

2. The method of claim 1 which includes making gamma corrections by adjusting both said higher grayscale values and said raw grayscale image data falling within said high range according to a preselected gamma curve before using them to drive said pixels.

3. The method of claim 2 which includes selecting said high and low ranges according to said preselected gamma curve used for said gamma corrections.

4. The method of claim 1 in which a lookup table is used to convert said raw grayscale image data that falls within said low range to said higher grayscale values.

5. The method of claim 1 in which said display is an AMOLED display.

6. The method of claim 1 in which said higher grayscale values contain an indicator that they have been converted from raw grayscale image data.

7. The method of claim 1 in which said gamma corrections of both said higher-grayscale values converted from raw grayscale image data falling within said low range, and said raw grayscale image values falling within said high range, are made according to the same gamma correction curve.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said-pixels are organized in rows of pixels, the pixels in a row being simultaneously driven, and

the time period of the first sub-frame does not overlap with the time period of the second sub-frame.

9. The method of claim 2 , further comprising sensing ambient light around the display via an ambient light sensor, and

adjusting the overall luminance of the display-based on the sensed level of ambient light.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the adjusting the overall luminance is carried out by preselecting the gamma curve from a plurality of gamma curves, and the preselection is based on the sensed level of ambient light.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein a middle range of raw grayscale data is defined, the pixels with currents corresponding to said middle range of grayscale values being driven during a time period of the frame other than the time periods of the pixels with higher grayscale values.

12. An apparatus for using raw grayscale image data representing images to be displayed in successive frames, to drive a display having an array of pixels that each include a drive transistor and an organic light emitting device, multiple select lines coupled to said array for delivering signals that select when each pixel is to be driven, and multiple data lines for delivering drive signals to the selected pixels, said apparatus comprising:

a source driver coupled to said data lines and including

a processing circuit for

receiving said raw grayscale image data,

determining whether the raw grayscale image data for each pixel falls within a preselected high range or a preselected low range, and

converting said raw grayscale image data that falls within said low range to higher grayscale values that fall within said high range, and

said source driver further includes:

a memory for storing said higher grayscale values corresponding to raw grayscale image data that falls within said low range, and raw grayscale image data that falls within said high range,

a gamma correction circuit for retrieving the data stored in said memory and making gamma corrections to that data,

a controller supplying control signals to said gamma correction circuit for controlling the timing of the retrieval of said data stored in said memory by said gamma correction circuit, and

a digital-to-analog converter for converting gamma-corrected data from said gamma correction circuit to corresponding analog signals for driving said pixels,

wherein said source driver is adapted

to supply said pixels with currents corresponding to said higher grayscale values during a first sub-frame time period that is shorter than a complete frame time period responsive to said raw grayscale image data falling within said low range,

to supply said pixels with currents corresponding to said raw grayscale image data during a second sub-frame time period that is shorter than a complete frame time period and longer than the first sub-frame time period responsive to said raw grayscale image data falling within said high range, and

to process said raw grayscale image data by a smoothing function so as to avoid contorting effects by:

responsive to said raw grayscale image data falling within said low range, driving said pixels according to said smoothing function during said second sub-frame time period, and

responsive to said raw grayscale image data falling within said high range, driving said pixels according to said smoothing function during said first sub-frame time period.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 in which said gamma correction circuit makes gamma corrections to both said higher grayscale values and said raw grayscale image data falling within said high range according to a preselected gamma curve before using them to drive said pixels.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 in which said gamma correction circuit is adapted to select said high and low ranges according to the gamma curve used for said gamma correction.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 in which said processing circuit includes a switch for selecting either a normal driving mode in which said pixels are driven with currents corresponding to said raw grayscale image data without converting any of the grayscale values to higher values, and a hybrid driving mode in which raw grayscale image data that falls within said low range is converted to higher grayscale values, and said pixels are driven with currents corresponding to said higher grayscale values during time periods that are shorter than a complete frame time period.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 in which said processing circuit includes a lookup table to convert said grayscale image data that falls within said low range to higher grayscale values.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 in which said display is an AMOLED display.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 in which said higher grayscale values contain an indicator that they have been converted from raw grayscale image data.

19. The apparatus of claim 12 in which said preselected time periods for image data converted from said high range are major portions of complete frame time periods, and said preselected time periods for image data converted from said low range are minor portions of complete frame time periods.

20. The apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising an ambient light sensor sensing ambient light around the display, the ambient light sensor coupled to the controller, wherein the controller adjusts the overall luminance of the array pixels based on the level of sensed ambient light.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the controller selects one of a plurality of gamma curves based on the level of sensed ambient light, the selected one of the plurality of gamma curves being used by the gamma correction circuit to make the gamma corrections.

22. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the processing circuit determines whether each pixel falls within a preselected middle range of raw grayscale data, the pixels with currents corresponding to said middle range of grayscale values being driven during a time period of the frame other than the time periods of the pixels with higher grayscale values.