Image sticking avoidance in organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays
View Patent ↗Systems and methods for systems and methods for image sticking avoidance in Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) displays. In an illustrative, non-limiting embodiment, an Information Handling System (IHS) may include an OLED screen and a controller coupled to the OLED screen, where the controller is configured to: generate at least one current histogram matrix for a current frame; compare the at least one current histogram matrix against at least one previous histogram matrix generated for a previous frame; and enter a screen protection mode of operation in response to the comparison indicating that the at least one current histogram matrix is different from the at least one previous histogram matrix by an amount equal to or smaller than a threshold.
1. An Information Handling System (IHS), comprising:
an Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) screen; and
a controller coupled to the OLED screen, wherein the controller is configured to:
generate at least one current histogram matrix for a current frame;
compare the at least one current histogram matrix against at least one previous histogram matrix generated for a previous frame, wherein the current frame and the previous frame each consists of a subset of pixels smaller than a total number of pixels present in the OLED screen, and wherein the subset of pixels excludes an area of the OLED screen that is subject to change over time in the absence of any user interaction with any input device coupled to the IHS; and
enter a screen protection mode of operation in response to the comparison indicating that the at least one current histogram matrix is different from the at least one previous histogram matrix by an amount equal to or smaller than a threshold.
2. The IHS of claim 1 , wherein:
at least one current histogram matrix includes: a first red sub-pixel histogram matrix, a first green sub-pixel histogram matrix, and a first blue sub-pixel histogram matrix; and
at least one previous histogram matrix includes a second red sub-pixel histogram matrix, a second green sub-pixel histogram matrix, and a second blue sub-pixel histogram matrix.
3. The IHS of claim 2 , wherein each current and each previous histogram matrix includes, for each given color sub-pixel, a brightness level for the given color sub-pixel, and wherein each of the brightness levels is between 0 and 255.
4. The IHS of claim 1 , wherein the threshold amount is selected based upon at least one of: a noise expected during a switch between the current frame and the previous frame, and a sensitivity of detection desired during the switch between the current frame and the previous frame.
5. The IHS of claim 1 , wherein the difference between the at least one current histogram matrix and the at least one previous histogram matrix is maintained or decreased for a selected amount of time prior to the entering of the screen protection mode.
6. The IHS of claim 1 , wherein the screen protection mode includes: a uniform reduction in brightness of the screen for a first period of time, followed by a warning message displayed on the screen for a second period of time, followed by a turning of the screen black until user interaction with a user input device coupled to the IHS is detected.
7. The IHS of claim 1 , wherein the subset of pixels excludes pixels located at a top portion of the OLED screen and pixels located at a bottom portion of the OLED screen.
8. The IHS of claim 1 , wherein the subset of pixels includes a plurality of detection regions, each detection region including a plurality of neighboring pixels in the OLED screen.
9. The IHS of claim 8 , wherein one or more of the plurality of detection regions include a center of the OLED screen.
10. The IHS of claim 8 , wherein one or more of the plurality detection regions are selected by a user.
11. The IHS of claim 8 , wherein one or more of the detection regions is subject to the generating and comparing operations more often than another one of the detection regions.
12. A hardware memory device of an Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) screen having program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by the controller, cause the OLED screen to:
generate at least one current histogram matrix for a current frame;
compare the at least one current histogram matrix against at least one previous histogram matrix generated for a previous frame, wherein the current frame and the previous frame each consists of a subset of pixels smaller than a total number of pixels present in the OLED screen, and wherein the subset of pixels excludes an area of the OLED screen that is subject to change over time in the absence of user interaction with an input device; and
enter a screen protection mode of operation in response to the comparison indicating that the at least one current histogram matrix is different from the at least one previous histogram matrix by an amount equal to or smaller than a threshold.
13. The hardware memory device of claim 12 , wherein the at least one current histogram matrix includes a first red sub-pixel histogram matrix, a first green sub-pixel histogram matrix, and a first blue sub-pixel histogram matrix, wherein the at least one previous histogram matrix includes a second red sub-pixel histogram matrix, a second green sub-pixel histogram matrix, and a second blue sub-pixel histogram matrix, and wherein each current and each previous histogram matrix includes, for each given color sub-pixel, a brightness level for the given color sub-pixel.
14. The hardware memory device of claim 12 , wherein the threshold amount is selected based upon at least one of: a noise expected during a switch between the current frame and the previous frame, and a sensitivity of detection desired during the switch between the current frame and the previous frame.
15. The hardware memory device of claim 12 , wherein the difference between the at least one current histogram matrix and the at least one previous histogram matrix is maintained or decreased for a selected amount of time prior to the entering of the screen protection mode, wherein the screen protection mode includes: a uniform reduction in brightness of the screen for a first period of time, followed by a warning message displayed on the screen for a second period of time, followed by a turning of the screen black until user interaction with a user input device coupled to the IHS is detected.
16. The hardware memory device of claim 12 , wherein the subset of pixels excludes pixels located at a top portion of the OLED screen and pixels located at a bottom portion of the OLED screen.
17. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
generating at least one current histogram matrix for a current frame displayed by and Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) screen;
comparing the at least one current histogram matrix against at least one previous histogram matrix generated for a previous frame, wherein the current frame and the previous frame each consists of a subset of pixels smaller than a total number of pixels present in the OLED screen, wherein the subset of pixels comprises a plurality of detection regions having a plurality of neighboring pixels in the OLED screen, and wherein one or more of the detection regions is subject to the generating and comparing operations more often than another one of the detection regions; and
entering a screen protection mode of operation in response to the comparison indicating that the at least one current histogram matrix is different from the at least one previous histogram matrix by an amount equal to or smaller than a threshold, wherein each current and each previous histogram matrix includes, for each given color sub-pixel of the OLED screen, a brightness level for the given color sub-pixel.
18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17 , wherein the difference between the at least one current histogram matrix and the at least one previous histogram matrix is maintained or decreased for a selected amount of time prior to the entering of the screen protection mode, wherein the current frame and the previous frame each consist of a subset of pixels smaller than a total number of pixels present in the OLED screen.