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Google patents display tech that cuts power by adjusting voltage during writes

Patent drawing
Patent drawing from the official filing.

This patent describes a method for reducing the energy used by display screens, such as those in phones or laptops. It involves a circuit that carefully adjusts the electrical voltage sent to the screen's memory cells while they are being updated. By keeping the voltage just high enough to work, the system prevents unnecessary power drain.

Why it mattersIt offers a specific way to make display screens more energy-efficient, which can help devices last longer on a single charge.

In the filing’s own words

A word line regulator that can control an SRAM cell during a write process is disclosed. The SRAM cell is coupled to bit lines that are driven using a reduced voltage in order to conserve power. The SRAM cell includes a latch that is powered by a power supply in a power domain that is different from the bit lines. The word line regulator is configured to output a voltage that is based on the different power domains to ensure the proper operation of transistors in the SRAM cell during the write process.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. A pixel for a display, the pixel comprising: a latch circuit powered by an upper rail voltage and a lower rail voltage; a first bit line coupled to a first output of the latch circuit by a first transistor, the first transistor controlled in a ON condition during a write operation by a word line voltage on a word line and a LOW bit line voltage on the first bit line; a second bit line coupled to a second output of the latch circuit by a second transistor, the second transistor controlled in an OFF condition during the write operation by the word line voltage and a HIGH bit line voltage on the second bit line; and a word line regulator configured to receive the HIGH bit line voltage as a reference input, and dynamically track the HIGH bit line voltage in real-time, and control the word line voltage on the word line to float above the dynamically tracked HIGH bit line voltage on the second bit line by a threshold voltage to limit a current conducted by the second transistor in the OFF condition during the write operation.

Facts

Company
Google (Google LLC)
Official title
System and method for reducing power consumed by a display
Patent number
US12755675B2
Application number
18913600
Filed
Oct 11, 2024
Granted
Oct 6, 2026
Inventors
2
Claims
20

Classified under

G09G 3/32 Physics & computingG09G 3/2022 Physics & computingG09G 2300/0857 Physics & computingG09G 2300/0866 Physics & computingG09G 2310/0264 Physics & computingG09G 2320/0219 Physics & computing
Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

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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.