Mitigation of screen burn-in for a foldable IHS
Certain IHSs (Information Handling Systems) may utilize displays that are foldable. Foldable displays may utilize OLED (organic light-emitting diode) display technology, which is particularly susceptible to screen burn-in. Embodiments implement procedures for mitigation of screen burn-in of a foldable display. When folded, a foldable display is logically divided into screen portions based on the locations of the folds. Embodiments mitigate screen burn-in separately in each these screen portions that are created by folding the display. A gap may be displayed along the length of the folds of a folded display, thus separating the different screen portions. Embodiments may implement procedures for mitigating screen burn-in from displaying such a gap. Embodiments may also determine screen portions of a folded display that are actively in use and may implement procedures for mitigating screen burn-in in inactive portions of the folded display.
1. An Information Handling System (IHS) comprising: a foldable display folded along a folded portion into a first screen portion and a second screen portion; a logic unit configured via firmware instructions to determine a posture of the IHS; and a processor configured via software instructions to: determine, based on the posture, content to display in the first screen portion and content to display in the second screen portion; designate the first screen portion or the second screen portion as an active screen portion based on detected user activity; designate as an inactive screen portion the first screen portion or the second screen portion that is not designated as the active screen portion; and within the inactive screen portion, periodically select at random pixel outputs of the content displayed in the inactive screen portion, wherein the periodic select of the content displayed in the inactive screen portion is not perceptible to the user and prevents screen burn-in in the inactive screen portion.
2. The IHS of claim 1 , wherein the logic unit is further configured by the firmware instructions to determine whether the detected user activity is directed at the first screen portion or the second screen portion, and wherein the screen portion to which the user activity directed is designated as the active screen portion.
3. The IHS of claim 2 , wherein the logic unit is further configured to detect a gaze of the user.
4. The IHS of claim 3 , wherein the logic unit is further configured to determine whether the user activity is directed at the first screen portion or the second screen portion based on a direction of the gaze of the user.
5. The IHS of claim 4 , wherein the direction of the gaze of the user is determined based on images captured by a camera of the IHS.
6. The IHS of claim 2 , wherein the detected user activity comprises user inputs directed at the first screen portion or the second screen portion.
7. The IHS of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured via software instructions to initiate a first graphics process that controls display of content in the first screen portion and mitigates screen burn-in in the first screen portion using a first technique and to initiate a second graphics process that controls display of content in the second screen portion and mitigates screen burn-in in the second screen portion using a second technique.
8. The IHS of claim 7 , wherein the first graphics process utilizes a first shifting technique to mitigate screen burn-in based on a type of the content displayed in the first screen portion and the second graphics process utilizes a second shifting technique to mitigate screen burn-in based on a type of the content displayed in the second screen portion.
9. A method for mitigation of screen burn-in of a foldable display of an IHS (Information Handling System), the method comprising: detecting the foldable display being folded along a folded portion into a first screen portion and a second screen portion; determining a posture of the IHS, wherein the posture is determined based in part on an angle at which the display is folded along the folded portion; determining, based on the posture, content to display in the first screen portion and content to display in the second screen portion; designating the first screen portion or the second screen portion as an active screen portion based on detected user activity; designating as an inactive screen portion the first screen portion or the second screen portion that is not designated as the active screen portion; and within the inactive screen portion, periodically selecting at random pixel outputs of the content displayed in the inactive screen portion, wherein the periodic selecting of the content displayed in the inactive screen portion is not perceptible to the user and prevents screen burn-in in the inactive screen portion.
10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising determining whether detected user activity is directed at the first screen portion or the second screen portion, and wherein the screen portion to which the user activity directed is designated as the active screen portion.
11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising detecting a gaze of the user.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising determining whether the user activity is directed at the first screen portion or the second screen portion based on a direction of the gaze of the user.
13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the detected user activity comprises user inputs directed at the first screen portion or the second screen portion.
14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising initiating a first graphics process that controls display of content in the first screen portion and mitigates screen burn-in in the first screen portion using a first technique and initiating a second graphics process that controls display of content in the second screen portion and mitigates screen burn-in in the second screen portion using a second technique.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first graphics process utilizes a first shifting technique to mitigate screen burn-in based on a type of the content displayed in the first screen portion and the second graphics process utilizes a second shifting technique to mitigate screen burn-in based on a type of the content displayed in the second screen portion.
16. A computer-readable storage device of an IHS (Information Handling System), where the storage device comprises program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by a one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: detecting a foldable display of the IHS being folded along a folded portion into a first screen portion and a second screen portion; determine a posture of the IHS, wherein the posture is determined based in part on an angle at which the display is folded along the folded portion; determine, based on the posture, content to display in the first screen portion and content to display in the second screen portion; designate the first screen portion or the second screen portion as an active screen portion based on detected user activity; designate as an inactive screen portion the first screen portion or the second screen portion that is not designated as the active screen portion; and within the inactive screen portion, periodically selecting at random pixel outputs of the content displayed in the inactive screen portion, wherein the periodic selecting of the content displayed in the inactive screen portion is not perceptible to the user and prevents screen burn-in in the inactive screen portion.
17. The storage device of claim 16 , wherein execution of the instructions further causes the one or more processors to determine whether detected user activity is directed at the first screen portion or the second screen portion, and wherein the screen portion to which the user activity directed is designated as the active screen portion.