Techniques to transmit commands to a target device to reduce power consumption

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, at a display controller, at least one command in a header byte of a secondary data packet, wherein the secondary data packet is in compliance with a DisplayPort specification and the at least one command comprises: an indication of whether a frame is unchanged from another frame sent prior to the frame and provides the same image data as that of the another frame or changed from the another frame and provides different image data as that of the another frame, a command to enter self refresh mode, and a command to reduce power of a link and wherein a single bit represents at least one command;

receiving, at the display controller, the frame associated with the at least one command; and

requesting, at the display controller, performance of an action based on the at least one command, wherein in response to enabled self refresh mode and an indication that a frame is changed from another frame, performance of an action based on the at least one command comprises:

storing the changed frame associated with the command into a buffer and maintaining self refresh mode while using the stored changed frame for self refresh.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein when the at least one command comprises an indication that a frame is changed from the another frame, performance an action based on of the at least one command comprises:

a display system exiting lower power mode prior to the storing the frame; and

the display system entering lower power mode after the storing the frame.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein when the at least one command comprises a command to reduce power of a link, performance of an action based on the at least one command comprises:

reducing power of a main link.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the at least one command is stored in a different bit of header byte HB 2 as defined in section 2.2.5 of the DisplayPort version 1.1a.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving the frame after a vertical blanking interval.

6. A system comprising:

a display;

a memory device;

an interface, the interface to receive at least one command in a header byte of a secondary data packet, wherein the secondary data packet is in compliance with a DisplayPort specification, wherein the at least one command comprises: an indication of whether a frame is unchanged from another frame sent prior to the frame and is to provide the same image data as that of the another frame or whether the frame is changed from another frame and is to provide different image data than that of the another frame, a command to enter self refresh mode, and a command to reduce power of a link, and wherein a different bit is to represent each command and wherein the interface is to receive the frame associated with the at least one command; and

a controller of the display, the controller to perform an action based on the at least one command, wherein in response to enabled self refresh mode and an indication that a frame is changed from another frame, the controller is to store the changed frame associated with the command into a buffer and to maintain a self refresh mode with use of the stored changed frame for self refresh.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein when the at least one command comprises an indication that a frame is changed from the another frame, the controller is to request:

exit from lower power mode prior to storage of the frame into the buffer; and

enter lower power mode after storage of the frame into the buffer.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein when the at least one command comprises a command to reduce power of a link, the controller is to request:

reduction of power of a main link.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein each of the at least one command is stored in a bit of header byte HB 2 as defined in section 2.2.5 of the DisplayPort version 1.1a.

10. The system of claim 6 , wherein the interface is to receive the frame after a vertical blanking interval.

11. The system of claim 6 , further comprising a host system to transmit the secondary data packet to the interface.

12. At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

receive at least one command in a header byte of a secondary data packet, wherein the secondary data packet is in compliance with a DisplayPort specification and the at least one command comprises: an indication of whether a frame is unchanged from another frame sent prior to the frame and provides the same image data as that of the another frame or whether the frame is changed from the another frame and provides different image data than that of the another frame, a command to enter self refresh mode, and a command to reduce power of a link;

receive the frame associated with the at least one command; and

request performance of an action based on the at least one command, wherein in response to enabled self refresh mode and an indication that a frame is changed from another frame, the action comprises storage of the changed frame associated with the command into a buffer and maintain a self refresh mode with use of the stored changed frame for self refresh.

13. The medium of claim 12 , wherein

when the at least one command comprises an indication that a frame is not unchanged from another frame, the at least one command requests:

exit from lower power mode,

storage of the frame associated with the command into a buffer, and

entrance into lower power mode; and

when the at least one command comprises a command to reduce power of a link, the at least one command requests reducing power of a main link.

14. The medium of claim 12 , wherein each of the at least one command is stored in a bit of header byte HB 2 as defined in section 2.2.5 of the DisplayPort version 1.1a.