Display device with variable image resolution

A method of operating a display device that includes an array of pixels addressed by a set of data lines and a set of scan lines, the method comprising presenting, by the display device, a first frame of image content, including by:

• addressing the set of data lines with first image data for a first portion of the first frame of image content, including using multiple multiplexers to route the first image data to the set of data lines, each multiplexer of the multiple multiplexers being configured to route image data to a corresponding subset of data lines within the set of data lines, such that the set of data lines includes multiple subsets of data lines corresponding to the multiple multiplexers;
• sending a first scan signal to a first line of pixels of the array of pixels, using a first scan line of the set of scan lines, to move the first image data from the set of data lines to the first line of pixels;
• activating the first line of pixels to emit light after the first scan signal has been sent to the first line of pixels;
• after sending the first scan signal, sending a second scan signal to a second line of pixels of the array of pixels, using a second scan line of the set of scan lines, without the multiple multiplexers having routed image data to the set of data lines after the set of data lines was addressed with the first image data;
• and
• activating the second line of pixels to emit light after the second scan signal has been sent to the second line of pixels.

A method of operating a display device that includes an array of pixels addressed by a set of data lines and a set of scan lines, wherein the display device includes a display driver integrated circuit, the method comprising presenting, by the display device, a first frame of image content, including by:

• addressing the set of data lines with first image data for a first portion of the first frame of image content, including sending, by the display driver integrated circuit, control signals to multiple multiplexers to route the first image data to the set of data lines, each multiplexer of the multiple multiplexers being configured to route image data to a corresponding subset of data lines within the set of data lines, such that the set of data lines includes multiple subsets of data lines corresponding to the multiple multiplexers;
• sending a first scan signal to a first line of pixels of the array of pixels, using a first scan line of the set of scan lines, to move the first image data from the set of data lines to the first line of pixels;
• activating the first line of pixels to emit light after the first scan signal has been sent to the first line of pixels;
• after sending the first scan signal, sending a second scan signal to a second line of pixels of the array of pixels, using a second scan line of the set of scan lines, wherein the display driver integrated circuit does not send control signals to the multiple multiplexers, between the sending of the first scan signal and the sending of the second scan signal, to route image data to the set of data lines;
• and
• activating the second line of pixels to emit light after the second scan signal has been sent to the second line of pixels.

A method of operating a display device that includes an array of pixels addressed by a set of data lines and a set of scan lines, the method comprising:

• receiving a signal indicating that the display device is to switch from a higher-resolution mode of operation to a reduced-resolution mode of operation as a result of a battery of a device in which the display device is housed being determined to have a power level that fell below a threshold power level;
• and
• presenting, by the display device, a first frame of image content, including by:
• addressing the set of data lines with first image data for a first portion of the first frame of image content;
• sending a first scan signal to a first line of pixels of the array of pixels, using a first scan line of the set of scan lines, to move the first image data from the set of data lines to the first line of pixels;
• activating the first line of pixels to emit light after the first scan signal has been sent to the first line of pixels;
• sending a second scan signal to a second line of pixels of the array of pixels, using a second scan line of the set of scan lines, without having addressed the set of data lines with image data after having addressed the set of data lines with the first image data as a result of the display device operating in the reduced-resolution mode of operation, the second scan signal sent after the first scan signal;
• and
• activating the second line of pixels to emit light after the second scan signal has been sent to the second line of pixels, wherein:
• the reduced-resolution mode of operation of the display device provides a same horizontal resolution as the higher-resolution mode of operation;
• and
• the reduced-resolution mode of operation of the display device provides a decrease in vertical resolution with respect to the higher-resolution mode of operation, the decrease in vertical resolution provided by the reduced-resolution mode of operation with respect to the higher-resolution mode of operation resulting from the display device not addressing the set of data lines with image data, after the first scan signal is sent to the first line of pixels and before sending the second scan signal to the second line of pixels.

A display device, comprising:

• an array of pixels comprising multiple pixel rows;
• a set of data lines;
• a set of scan lines, each scan line corresponding to one of the multiple pixel rows;
• and
• a controller configured to perform operations comprising:
• operating the display device in a first resolution mode comprising addressing, using the set of data lines and the set of scan lines, all pixel rows of the multiple pixel rows with first image data for a first frame of image content;
• and
• operating the display device in a second resolution mode comprising addressing, using the set of data lines and the set of scan lines, fewer than all pixel rows of the multiple pixel rows with second image data for a second frame of image content, including sending scan signals sequentially to each of the multiple pixel rows using the set of scan lines, including:
• sending a first scan signal to a first pixel row of the multiple pixel rows;
• and
• sending a second scan signal to a second pixel row of the multiple pixel rows, the second pixel row being an immediately next pixel row after the first pixel row, without writing image data to the set of data lines between sending the first scan signal and sending the second scan signal.

A display device, comprising:

• an array of pixels comprising multiple pixel rows;
• a set of data lines;
• a set of scan lines, each scan line corresponding to one of the multiple pixel rows;
• and
• a controller configured to perform operations comprising:
• addressing the set of data lines with first image data for a first portion of a first frame of image content;
• sending a first scan signal to a first pixel row of the multiple pixel rows, using a first scan line of the set of scan lines, to move the first image data from the set of data lines to the first pixel row;
• activating the first pixel row to emit light after the first scan signal has been sent to the first pixel row;
• sending a second scan signal to a second pixel row of the multiple pixel rows, using a second scan line of the set of scan lines, without having addressed the set of data lines with image data after having addressed the set of data lines with the first image data, the second scan signal sent after the first scan signal, wherein:
• after the first scan signal is sent to the first pixel row, the first image data that was addressed to the set of data lines decays in intensity to a decayed version of the first image data;
• and
• sending the second scan signal to the second pixel row moves the decayed version of the first image data to the second pixel row;
• and
• activating the second pixel row to emit light after the second scan signal has been sent to the second pixel row.