Apple patents display power switch for always-on screens
Apple describes a system that switches the power source for a device's display depending on what is being shown. When the screen displays simple, low-power content, it draws power from the display's internal circuitry. When showing complex, high-power images, it switches to the device's main power management chip to handle the load.
In the filing’s own words
An electronic device may include a display panel. When content of an image frame is expected to consume relatively higher amounts of power, a controller of the electronic device may operate a switch to change a power supply of the display panel to be a power management integrated circuit of the electronic device. However, when content of an image frame is expected to consume relatively less amounts of power, the controller may operate the switch to change the power supply of the display panel to be a power supply of an electronic display, such as a power supply used to power driver circuitry of the electronic display.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. An electronic device, comprising: first circuitry configured to present, based on a timing signal, an image; second circuitry; a first timing generator coupled to the first circuitry and the second circuitry, wherein the first timing generator is configured to generate the timing signal for the first circuitry while the second circuitry is operated in a lower-power mode; and a second timing generator coupled to the first circuitry, the second circuitry, and the first timing generator, wherein the second timing generator is configured to generate the timing signal for the first circuitry while the second circuitry is operated in a higher-power mode, wherein the first timing generator is configured to: generate a synchronization signal to control whether the second timing generator is operated to generate the timing signal; transmit the synchronization signal to the second timing generator; receive a first timing signal from the second timing generator; generate a second timing signal; and transmit a control signal to cause routing circuitry to transmit the first timing signal based on the first timing signal being synchronized to the second timing signal.
Facts
- Company
- Apple (Apple Inc.)
- Official title
- Always-on display signal generator
- Patent number
- US12731520B2
- Application number
- 18389600
- Filed
- Dec 19, 2023
- Granted
- Sep 8, 2026
- Inventors
- 3
- Claims
- 20
Classified under
G09G 3/2092 Physics & computingG09G 2310/08 Physics & computingG09G 2330/023 Physics & computingMore from Apple in Chips & hardware
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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.