JP2021196448A - Electronic apparatus and screen burn-in correction control method - Google Patents

Abstract

To increase the possibility that screen burn-in correction for a display device is normally performed.SOLUTION: An electronic apparatus comprises: a display cumulative time determination unit that determines whether a display cumulative time of a display device included in the electronic apparatus becomes equal to or more than a threshold; and a correction control unit that, in response to the fact that the display cumulative time determination unit determines that the display cumulative time becomes equal to or more than the threshold, controls such that screen burn-in correction is executed in a non-use time zone that is set assuming that a user does not use the electronic apparatus.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

The present invention relates to an electronic device and a screen burn-in correction control method.

In a self-luminous display device such as an OLED, screen burn-in (screen burn-in) occurs due to deterioration of pixels with the passage of display time. Therefore, there is known a technique for periodically correcting screen burn-in (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-26406

In order for the screen burn-in correction to be performed normally, it is required to satisfy a predetermined condition regarding the temperature of the display panel of the display device. If such a condition is not satisfied, the result may be that the screen burn-in correction is not performed normally.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to increase the possibility that screen burn-in correction of a display device is normally performed.

One aspect of the present invention that solves the above-mentioned problems is the display cumulative time determination unit that determines whether or not the display cumulative time of the display device included in the electronic device exceeds the threshold value, and the display cumulative time determination unit. Correction control that controls screen burn-in correction to be executed during the non-use time zone set as the user is not using the electronic device according to the determination that the cumulative time has exceeded the threshold value. It is an electronic device equipped with a unit.

Further, one aspect of the present invention is a step of determining whether or not the cumulative display time of the display device included in the electronic device is equal to or longer than the threshold value, and determining that the cumulative display time is equal to or longer than the threshold value. Accordingly, it is a screen burn-in correction control method including a step of controlling the screen burn-in correction to be executed in a non-use time zone set as the user is not using the electronic device.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to increase the possibility that the screen burn-in correction of the display device is normally performed.

It is a perspective view which shows the appearance example of the electronic device in this embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the appearance example of the electronic device in this embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the appearance example of the electronic device in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the configuration example of the hardware of the electronic device in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the primary guidance screen, the secondary guidance screen, and the execution setting screen in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the functional structure example of the electronic device in this embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the example of the processing procedure which the electronic device in this embodiment executes about the measurement of the display cumulative time. It is a flowchart which shows the example of the processing procedure which the electronic device in this embodiment executes in relation to the start setting of screen burn-in correction. It is a flowchart which shows the example of the processing procedure which the electronic device in this embodiment executes in relation to the execution of screen burn-in correction.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which the housing 2 of the electronic device 1 according to the present embodiment is expanded 180 degrees. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the housing 2 of the electronic device 1 is expanded by approximately 90 degrees. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which the housing 2 of the electronic device 1 is closed.

The electronic device 1 according to the present embodiment is a clamshell type personal computer (so-called notebook type personal computer). The electronic device 1 may be a tablet terminal, a mobile phone, a smartphone, an electronic organizer, or the like.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the electronic device 1 includes a housing 2 and a display 14.
The housing 2 includes a first housing member 4, a second housing member 5, and a hinge 6. The first housing member 4 and the second housing member 5 are each formed in a thin box shape having a rectangular shape in a plan view, and one sides adjacent to each other are connected to each other via a pair of hinges 6 so as to be relatively rotatable. .. The housing 2 is in a fully open state (FIG. 1) from a completely closed state (FIG. 3) in which the first housing member 4 and the second housing member 5 are 0 degrees around the rotation axis of the hinge 6 to 180 degrees. ) And can be opened and closed.

In the following description, the surface of the housing 2 on which the display 14 is arranged is the front surface, and the surface of the housing 2 opposite to the front surface in the thickness direction is the back surface. In the closed form, the housing 2 is folded so that the front surface of the first housing member 4 and the front surface of the second housing member 5 face each other.

The first housing member 4 and the second housing member 5 are made of, for example, a metal such as stainless steel, magnesium, or aluminum, a resin containing strength-enhancing fibers such as carbon fiber, or the like.

The housing 2 supports the display 14 on the front surface. Further, a cover 8 is provided on the back surface 7 of the housing 2. The cover 8 is provided to protect the back surface 7.
The display 14 (an example of a display device) is continuously provided on the first housing member 4 and the second housing member 5. The display 14 is configured to include, for example, an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode). The OLED is a self-luminous display. Further, the display 14 is configured as a touch panel. Further, the display 14 can be bent.
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the display 14 supported by the housing 2 is in a flat state as the housing 2 is opened and closed between the fully open state and the fully closed state. It opens and closes between the folded state and the folded state.

FIG. 4 shows a configuration example of the hardware of the electronic device 1 in the present embodiment.
The electronic device 1 in the figure is a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a main memory 12, a video subsystem 13, a display 14, a chipset 21, a BIOS (Basic Input Output System) memory 22, and an SSD ( Solid State Drive) 23, USB (Universal Serial Bus) connector 24, audio system 25, network card 26, embedded controller 30, input interface 27, power supply circuit 28, battery 29, RTC (Real- Time Clock) 31 is provided.

The CPU 11 executes various arithmetic processes by, for example, executing a program stored in the main memory 12, and controls each part of the electronic device 1. The main memory 12 includes, for example, a plurality of DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) chips. The main memory 12 functions as a read area for a program executed by the CPU 11. Further, the main memory 12 functions as a work area for writing the processing data of the program executed by the CPU 11. The program executed by the CPU 11 includes, for example, an OS (operating system, operating system), various drivers for operating peripheral devices by hardware, various services / utilities, application programs, and the like.

The video subsystem 13 includes, for example, a video controller and a video memory.
The video subsystem 13 is a subsystem for realizing a function related to image display. The video controller processes the drawing command output from the CPU 11 and writes the processed drawing information to the video memory. Further, the video controller reads drawing information from the video memory and outputs the read drawing information to the display 14 as drawing data (display data). The display 14 is, for example, a liquid crystal display. The display 14 displays a display screen based on drawing data (display data) output from the video subsystem 13.

The chipset 21 includes controllers such as USB, serial ATA (AT Attachment), SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) bus, PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) bus, PCI-Express bus, and LPC (Low Pin Count) bus. A plurality of devices are connected to the chipset 21. In the present embodiment, the chipset 21 is connected to the BIOS memory 22, the SSD 23, the USB connector 24, the audio system 25, the network card 26, the embedded controller 30, and the RTC 31 as devices.

The BIOS memory 22 includes, for example, an electrically rewritable non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) or a flash ROM. The BIOS memory 22 stores parameters, BIOS, system firmware for controlling the embedded controller 30, and the like.

The SSD 23 is a storage device. The SSD 23 stores an OS, various drivers, various services / utilities, application programs, and various data.
The USB connector 24 is a connector for connecting peripheral devices using USB to the electronic device 1. The audio system 25 records, reproduces, and inputs / outputs sound data. The network card 26 connects to the network and performs data communication. The network card 26 may be connected to a network via, for example, a wireless LAN.
Instead of the SSD 23, another storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) may be provided.

The embedded controller 30 is a one-Chip Microcomputer that monitors and controls various devices (peripheral devices, sensors, etc.) regardless of the operation mode of the electronic device 1. The embedded controller 30 includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, a plurality of channels of A / D input terminals, a D / A output terminal, a timer, and a digital input / output terminal (not shown). For example, an input interface 27 and a power supply circuit 28 are connected to the digital input / output terminals of the embedded controller 30.

The embedded controller 30 has a power supply management function for controlling the power supply circuit 28. The embedded controller 30 controls, for example, the electric power supplied to the CPU 11 by controlling the power supply circuit 28.

The input interface 27 is an input device such as a keyboard, a pointing device, or a touch pad.

The power supply circuit 28 includes, for example, a DC / DC converter, a charge / discharge unit, an AC / DC adapter, and the like. The power supply circuit 28 operates based on the control from the embedded controller 30. The power supply circuit 28 converts the DC voltage supplied from the AC / DC adapter or the battery 29 into a voltage for operating the electronic device 1. The power supply circuit 28 supplies electric power of the converted voltage to each part of the electronic device 1.
The battery 29 is a storage battery and is charged by the power supply circuit 28. Further, the electric power stored in the battery 29 is discharged to each part of the electronic device 1 by being discharged under the control of the power supply circuit 28.

The RTC 31 measures the date and time. By receiving power supply from, for example, a backup battery, the RTC 31 can constantly measure the date and time even when the electronic device 1 is shut down and the power supply is stopped from the power supply circuit 28.

The display 14 is configured to include an OLED. In the OLED, the screen (display surface) is burned (screen burn-in) due to the deterioration of the pixels with the passage of the display time.
Therefore, the electronic device 1 of the present embodiment can perform, for example, screen burn-in correction.

The screen burn-in correction refers to setting a gradation control value applied to a pixel in correspondence with a desired brightness, for example, so as to eliminate a variation in brightness due to deterioration of each pixel. After the screen burn-in correction is performed, the pixels are driven by the set improved control value, so that the burn-in phenomenon when the image is displayed on the display 14 is alleviated.

In order for screen burn-in correction to be performed normally, it is necessary to satisfy all of the following conditions (normal correction conditions).
One condition is that the surface temperature of the display panel on the display 14 is within a predetermined range (for example, 10 ° to 40 °) and is uniform at the start of screen burn-in correction (normal correction condition 1). ).
For example, it is highly possible that the normal correction condition 1 is not satisfied because the surface temperature of the display panel is in a state of rising immediately after the use of the electronic device 1 is finished. Further, when the battery 29 of the electronic device 1 is being charged (particularly, high-speed charging), the battery 29 and the power supply circuit 28 are in a high temperature state, so that heat is transferred to the display panel to raise the surface temperature. Since it tends to rise, it is highly possible that the normal correction condition 1 is not satisfied.

Another condition is that the surface temperature of the display panel of the display 14 rises to 3 degrees or less from the start to the end of the screen burn-in correction (normal correction condition 2). ..
For example, the electronic device 1 as a personal computer can execute various processes under the control of the OS, but when the screen burn-in correction is executed under the control of the OS, the temperature rises due to the influence of various other processes. May rise. In this case, there is a high possibility that the normal correction condition 2 will not be satisfied.

Further, the display panel of the display 14 of the present embodiment can change its state between a flat state and a state of being folded in half according to the opening and closing of the housing 2. When screen burn-in correction is performed while the display panel of the display 14 is folded, for example, the surface temperature of the display panel tends to fluctuate. Therefore, in order to properly perform the screen burn-in correction, the display panel of the display 14 is in a flat state at the time when the screen burn-in correction is started, and there is nothing in contact with the display panel. Is a condition (normal correction condition 3).

Further, as for the frequency of screen burn-in correction, for example, the cumulative time (display cumulative time) displayed by the display 14 may be once every 3000 to 4000 hours, for example. Further, since the power consumption is constantly increased after the first screen burn-in correction is executed, it is not preferable to perform the screen burn-in correction more frequently than the above.

Further, during the screen burn-in correction, the display 14 displays a white scan line with respect to the black screen, and the behavior is different from the normal one. If the user sees such a display 14 without knowing that the screen burn-in correction is being executed, the user may be suspicious. Further, during the execution of the screen burn-in correction, the display state as described above is obtained, so that the user cannot use the electronic device 1.
For this reason, it is preferable to allow the user to know in advance the time when the screen burn-in correction is performed.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, as will be described later, guidance regarding the execution of screen burn-in correction is given to the user.
When the user is using the electronic device 1, the display 14 is in a state of displaying. The electronic device 1 measures the cumulative display time when the display 14 is displaying in this way. The display cumulative time is the cumulative value of the time that the display 14 has been displaying from the first display 14 to the present when the screen burn-in correction has not been executed even once. Further, when the screen burn-in correction has been executed in the past, it is the cumulative value of the time during which the display 14 has been displaying from the time when the last screen burn-in correction was performed to the present.

The electronic device 1 compares the measured cumulative display time with a predetermined threshold value. The threshold value is set based on the time required for the pixels to deteriorate to the extent that screen burn-in correction is required, and is, for example, a predetermined value set in the range of about 3000 hours to 4000 hours.

When the cumulative display time exceeds the threshold value in the electronic device 1 in use, the primary guidance screen for simply informing that it is necessary to perform screen burn-in correction on the display 14 first. Is displayed.

FIG. 5A shows an example of the primary guidance screen. The primary guidance screen in the figure shows a mode displayed as a toast message. The display as the primary guidance screen is not limited to the toast message, and may be displayed as, for example, a pop-up window.

On the primary guidance screen of the figure, a message is displayed to notify the user that screen burn-in correction is necessary because the cumulative display time has exceeded a certain level. Further, in the primary guidance screen of the figure, the execution postponement button Bt1 and the execution confirmation button Bt2 are arranged.
The operation for the execution postponement button Bt1 or the execution confirmation button Bt2 may be, for example, a touch operation for the position where the execution postponement button Bt1 and the execution confirmation button Bt2 are displayed on the display 14 as a touch panel. Alternatively, the operation for the execution postponement button Bt1 or the execution confirmation button Bt2 may be performed by an input device such as a mouse or a keyboard.

For example, when the user wants to prevent the screen burn-in correction from being executed this time, the user operates the execution postponement button Bt1. When the execution postponement button Bt1 is operated, the primary guidance screen as a toast message is deleted. In this case, the primary guidance screen may be displayed again at the timing when the display 14 is started in response to the user starting to use the electronic device 1. Alternatively, for example, the threshold value may be updated to postpone about 100 hours, and then the primary guidance screen may be displayed again when the cumulative display time exceeds the updated threshold value.

The user operates the execution confirmation button Bt2 to execute the screen burn-in correction. In response to the operation of the execution confirmation button Bt2, the display 14 displays the secondary guidance screen instead of erasing the primary guidance screen as a toast message. The secondary guidance screen is a screen that provides the user with more detailed guidance regarding screen burn-in correction.

FIG. 5B shows an example of the secondary guidance screen P1 displayed in response to the operation of the execution confirmation button Bt2. The secondary guidance screen P1 in the figure is displayed in the pop-up window WD.

In the pop-up window WD, tabs Tb1, Tb2, and Tb3 are arranged. The tab Tb1 is a tab selected when displaying the secondary guidance screen P1. The tab Tb2 is a tab selected when displaying the execution setting screen. The tab Tb3 is a tab selected when displaying the correction history screen.

Tab Tb1 is selected in the pop-up window WD that is displayed first when the execution confirmation button Bt2 is operated, and the secondary guidance screen P1 is displayed in the pop-up window WD according to the selection of tab Tb1. It is in a state.

On the secondary guidance screen P1, the detailed guidance area AR11 and the animation area AR12 are arranged.
In the detailed guidance area AR11, items to be communicated to the user in causing the electronic device 1 to execute the screen burn-in correction are shown. Specifically, in the detailed guidance area AR11, the following transmission items 1 to 4 are shown.

Communication item 1: Enable the execution of screen burn-in correction on the execution setting screen.
Communication item 2: The display 14 is opened in a flat state while the screen burn-in correction is being executed.
In the animation area AR12, an animation for visually informing the user that the display 14 should be opened in a flat state is repeatedly displayed. Specifically, for example, the housing 2 is opened so as to be expanded 180 degrees from the state expanded to about 90 degrees, the display 14 is in a flat state, and other objects such as a pen and a keyboard. An animation is displayed until the display surface is not touched. Such animation may be in GIF format, for example.
The display device (display 14) included in the electronic device 1 of the present embodiment is foldable, but a display device that cannot be folded, such as a notebook personal computer with a keyboard or a tablet terminal, is used. It is effective to apply the guidance for screen burn-in correction of the present embodiment to the electronic device provided. In such a case, an animation may be displayed in the animation area AR12 so as to show, for example, a state in which the display surface is maintained away from other objects together with the form of the electronic device.
Communication item 3: The screen burn-in correction is started from the state where the electronic device 1 is shut down.
Communication item 4: Make sure that power is supplied from the AC / DC adapter. In order to satisfy the normal correction condition 1, it usually takes about 3 to 4 hours from shutdown to the start of screen burn-in correction. Therefore, at the start timing of screen burn-in correction, in order to keep the battery fully charged before the start of screen burn-in correction so that the temperature does not rise due to the influence of (high-speed) charging, the power is supplied from the AC / DC adapter. Is required to be in a state of being supplied.
Depending on the electronic device, the surface temperature of the display device may not be sufficiently lowered or the timer may not be activated, which will be described later, when the AC / DC adapter is connected. In the case of such an electronic device, as the transmission item 4, contrary to the above, it may be instructed to sufficiently charge the device in advance and then remove the AC / DC adapter to shut down.

The user performs an operation of selecting the tab Tb2 in order to display the execution setting screen according to the transmission item 1.
Depending on the tab Tb2 being selected, the execution setting screen P2 is displayed in the pop-up window WD, for example, as shown in FIG. 5 (C).
On the execution setting screen P2 in the figure, the screen burn-in correction is enabled by turning on the switch SW21, and the screen burn-in correction is started from the start time set in the start time area AR21. Is shown in the message to tell the user.

The start time area AR21 shows the start time set by default. The user confirms the default start time indicated by the start time area AR21. The default start time is set at midnight, for example, in consideration of a time zone (an example of a non-use time zone) in which it is generally assumed that the user is sleeping and does not use the electronic device 1. The time is set. If the default start time is acceptable, the user may perform an operation of turning on the switch SW21 as it is.

On the other hand, if the default start time is not convenient, the user operates on the "EDIT" link in the start time area AR21. Since the operation for the "EDIT" link has been performed, the start time change screen is displayed in the pop-up window WD, although not shown. The user determines the start time according to the time zone that he / she is not surely using, and changes the start time by operating the start time change screen. When the start time is changed, the user closes the start time change screen and returns to the display of the execution setting screen. In this case, the operation of turning on the switch SW21 on the execution setting screen may be performed before the start time is changed, or may be performed after the start time is changed.

Further, the user operates the tab Tb3 when he / she wants to confirm the history of the execution of the burn-in correction so far. Although not shown, the correction history screen is displayed in the pop-up window WD according to the operation of the tab Tb3. On the correction history screen, the execution date, execution result, etc. for each screen burn-in correction executed in the past are displayed. The execution result indicates, for example, success or failure, and if it fails, the reason is indicated.

A close button Bt11 is arranged in the pop-up window WD. The user can close the pop-up window WD by operating the close button Bt11.

When the screen burn-in correction is enabled, the user shuts down the electronic device 1. At this time, the user keeps the housing 2 of the electronic device 1 fully open and the display panel of the display 14 in a flat state, and also keeps the power supplied from the AC / DC adapter.
The electronic device 1 is activated by the BIOS when the start time is reached in the shut down state, and the screen burn-in correction is started under the BIOS mode.

Screen burn-in correction is usually started at a time when it is clearly not used by the user. In this case, it is highly possible that the time when the user shuts down the electronic device 1 in preparation for the screen burn-in correction is considerably earlier than the start time of the screen burn-in correction. Further, it is highly possible that the charging of the battery 29 is completed and the temperature of the battery 29 and the power supply circuit is sufficiently lowered. Therefore, it is highly possible that the temperature of the display panel of the display 14 is uniform within a predetermined range at the timing when the screen burn-in correction is started.
Further, the electronic device 1 of the present embodiment activates the BIOS from the shut down state, and executes the screen burn-in correction under the BIOS mode. That is, the screen burn-in correction of this embodiment is executed under the state that the OS is not started. As a result, while the screen burn-in correction is being executed, the CPU 11 and the SSD 23 are not affected by other processes due to the operation of the OS, so that the heat generation of the CPU 11 and the SSD 23 is also suppressed. Therefore, during the execution of the screen burn-in correction, the surface temperature of the display panel of the display 14 is unlikely to rise due to the influence of heat generated by the CPU 11 or SSD 23.
Further, it is highly possible that the display panel of the display 14 is in a flat state by the user who confirms the transmission items on the secondary guidance screen P1.

That is, in the case of the present embodiment, there is a high possibility that the screen burn-in correction will be executed after the normal correction conditions 1 to 3 are satisfied, and there is a high possibility that the screen burn-in correction will be properly completed.

Further, in the present embodiment, the user confirms the transmission items on the secondary guidance screen P1 and confirms the start time on the execution setting screen P2 before the screen burn-in correction is executed. For this reason, even if the user sees a state in which the display 14 is displaying with an unusual behavior due to the execution of the screen burn-in correction, there is no particular suspicion, but rather the screen is displayed on time. It will be possible to confirm that the burn-in correction has been executed.

Further, in the present embodiment, the electronic device 1 measures the cumulative display time of the display 14, and the screen burn-in correction is performed according to the measured cumulative display time exceeding the threshold value. .. As a result, for example, it is possible to prevent the screen burn-in correction from being executed more frequently than necessary at the discretion of the user.

Hereinafter, a configuration example for realizing the control related to the screen burn-in correction of the present embodiment as described above will be described.
FIG. 6 shows an example of the functional configuration of the electronic device 1 related to the screen burn-in correction of the present embodiment. The electronic device 1 in the figure includes a control unit 10, a display cumulative time storage unit 201, and a start time storage unit 202. In the figure, together with the above-mentioned parts, a display 14 to be corrected for screen burn-in and a video subsystem 13 interposed between the display 14 and the control unit 10 are shown.

The control unit 10 executes control related to screen burn-in correction. The function as the control unit 10 is realized, for example, by the CPU 11 executing a program corresponding to the OS and the BIOS.
The control unit 10 includes a display cumulative time determination unit 101, a guidance control unit 102, an execution setting unit 103, and a correction control unit 104.

The display cumulative time determination unit 101 measures the display cumulative time of the display 14. Then, the display cumulative time determination unit 101 determines whether or not the measured display cumulative time is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value. The state in which the cumulative display time exceeds the threshold value corresponds to the state in which the screen burn-in correction may be executed.
The guidance control unit 102 guides the user to execute the screen burn-in correction in response to the determination that the cumulative display time has exceeded the threshold value.

The execution setting unit 103 makes settings related to the execution of screen burn-in correction. Specifically, the execution setting unit 103 sets whether to enable or disable the execution of the screen burn-in correction according to the user's operation. Further, the execution setting unit 103 changes the start time at which the execution of the screen burn-in correction is started according to the user's operation. In the present embodiment, the start time at which the screen burn-in correction is executed is set to a predetermined time by default, but the start time can be changed to a time other than the default by the user.
The correction control unit 104 executes control related to screen burn-in correction of the display 14.

The display cumulative time storage unit 201 stores the display determination time measured by the display cumulative time determination unit 101.
The start time storage unit 202 stores the start time of the screen burn-in correction. The start time storage unit 202 stores the default start time. When the start time is changed by the user's operation, the start time storage unit 202 stores the changed start time according to the control of the execution setting unit 103.

An example of a processing procedure executed by the electronic device 1 regarding the measurement of the cumulative display time will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 7. The process of the figure is executed by the display cumulative time determination unit 101. The processing as the display cumulative time determination unit 101 in the figure may be realized, for example, as an operation constantly performed in the background of the OS.

Step S101: In the electronic device 1, the display cumulative time determination unit 101 waits for the display to start under the state where the display is not displayed on the display 14. The display cumulative time determination unit 101 determines that the display of the display 14 has started in response to, for example, the occurrence of an OS boot, the occurrence of a display start event (screen on event) during the operation of the OS, and the like. It's okay. The display start event may be generated in response to, for example, opening the closed housing 2 or returning from the standby mode or the hibernation mode by operating a certain key or the like.

Step S102: When it is determined in step S101 that the display has started, the display cumulative time determination unit 101 starts measuring the display cumulative time. The display cumulative time determination unit 101 measures the time from the display start time of the display 14, and cumulatively adds the measured time to, for example, the display cumulative time stored in the BIOS memory 22 to accumulate the display. We will measure the time. As a result, the cumulative display time stored in the BIOS memory 22 is updated so that the time during which the display 14 is displaying is accumulated.

Step S103: After starting the measurement of the cumulative display time in step S102, the display cumulative time determination unit 101 waits for the display 14 to be stopped. The display cumulative time determination unit 101 determines that the display of the display 14 has been stopped in response to an event such as an OS shutdown or a display stop event (screen off event) during the operation of the OS. good. The display stop event may be generated, for example, when the housing 2 is closed or when a predetermined key operation or the like causes a transition to a standby mode or a hibernation mode.

Step S104: When it is determined in step S103 that the display of the display 14 is stopped, the display cumulative time determination unit 101 stops the measurement of the display cumulative time so far. After the processing in step S104, the processing is returned to step S101.

With reference to the flowchart of FIG. 8, the electronic device 1 displays the primary guidance screen (FIG. 5 (A)) and the pop-up window WD (FIG. 5 (B), FIG. 5 (C)), and sets the start of screen burn-in correction. An example of the processing procedure to be executed in relation to is described. The processing of the figure is executed by the display cumulative time determination unit 101, the guidance control unit 102, and the execution setting unit 103. The processing executed by the display cumulative time determination unit 101, the guidance control unit 102, and the execution setting unit 103 in the figure may be realized as an operation on the OS.

Step S201: In the electronic device 1, the display cumulative time determination unit 101 is waiting for the display 14 to be measured at present and to reach the threshold value or more while the display 14 is being displayed.

Step S202: When it is determined in step S201 that the cumulative display time has exceeded a certain level, the guidance control unit 102 displays the primary guidance screen with a toast message on the display 14 as illustrated in FIG. 5 (A). Display.

Step S203: While the primary guidance screen is displayed, the guidance control unit 102 determines whether or not the execution confirmation operation has been performed. The execution confirmation operation is an operation for the execution confirmation button Bt2 on the primary guidance screen of FIG. 5A.

Step S204: When it is determined that the execution confirmation operation has been performed, the guidance control unit 102 erases the primary guidance screen and then displays the secondary guidance screen P1 on the display 14. That is, as illustrated in FIG. 5B, the guidance control unit 102 causes the display 14 to display the pop-up window WD in which the secondary guidance screen P1 is arranged.

Step S205: In the state where the secondary guidance screen P1 is displayed, the guidance control unit 102 determines whether or not the execution setting screen display operation has been performed. The execution setting screen display operation is an operation for instructing a transition to the execution setting screen, and is an operation for tab Tb2 in the pop-up window WD.

Step S206: When the execution setting screen display operation is performed, the guidance control unit 102 displays the execution setting screen in the pop-up window WD.

Step S207: The user can perform the execution setting operation while the execution setting screen is displayed. The execution setting operation is an operation related to the execution of screen burn-in correction. Specifically, the execution setting operation includes an operation in which the user switches the switch SW21 on and off to enable or disable the screen burn-in correction. Further, the execution setting operation includes an operation of changing the start time of the execution of the screen burn-in correction after displaying the start time change screen.
The execution setting unit 103 receives an execution setting operation performed by the user. The execution setting unit 103 effectively sets the execution of the screen burn-in correction according to the operation of turning on the switch SW21 as the execution setting operation. Further, the execution setting unit 103 sets the execution of the screen burn-in correction to be invalid according to the operation of turning off the switch SW21 as the execution setting operation. Further, when the operation of changing the start time of the execution of the screen burn-in correction is performed, the execution setting unit 103 changes the start time according to the operation. The execution setting unit 103 stores the start time set at the timing when the switch SW21 is turned on when the screen burn-in correction execution is enabled in response to the switch SW21 being turned on. Store in unit 202. The storage of the start time in the start time storage unit 202 corresponds to, for example, setting the activation of the screen burn-in correction mode by the timer function of the RTC 31 under the hardware configuration of FIG.
The process of step S207 may be skipped if the execution setting operation is not performed.

Step S208: After the processing of step S207, or when it is determined in step S205 that the execution setting screen display operation is not performed, the guidance control unit 102 determines whether or not the correction history screen display operation has been performed. .. The correction history screen display operation is an operation for the tab Tb3.

Step S209: When the correction history screen display operation is performed, the guidance control unit 102 displays the correction history screen in the pop-up window WD.

Step S210: After the processing of step S209, or when it is determined in step S208 that the correction history screen display operation is not performed, the guidance control unit 102 determines whether or not the secondary guidance screen display operation has been performed. do. The secondary guidance screen display operation is an operation for the tab Tb1. If it is determined that the secondary guidance screen display operation has been performed, the process is returned to step S204.

Step S211: When it is determined in step S210 that the secondary guidance screen display operation is not performed, the guidance control unit 102 determines whether or not the closing operation for the pop-up window WD has been performed. The close operation is an operation for the close button Bt11 arranged in the pop-up window WD. If it is determined that the screen closing operation is not performed, the process is returned to step S205.

Step S212: When it is determined in step S211 that the closing operation has been performed, the guidance control unit 102 erases the pop-up window WD.

Step S213: When it is determined in step S203 that the execution postponement button Bt1 has been operated, the guidance control unit 102 erases the primary guidance screen.

An example of a processing procedure executed by the electronic device 1 in connection with the execution of the screen burn-in correction will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

Step S301: In the electronic device 1, the correction control unit 104 waits for the current time to reach the start time stored in the start time storage unit 202 under the shut down state.
Step S302: When it is determined by step S301 that the current time has reached the start time, the correction control unit 104 activates the BIOS from the shutdown state.
In the processing of steps S301 and S302 as the correction control unit 104, for example, the RTC 31 activates the BIOS when the time (date and time) measured by itself reaches the start time set in its timer. It is realized by the function of starting the timer.

Step S303: The correction control unit 104 controls the display 14 so that the screen burn-in correction is performed. The control of the screen burn-in correction by the correction control unit 104 may be realized by the driver for the screen burn-in correction control activated on the BIOS. When the screen burn-in correction control in step S303 is being executed, the OS has not been started.
The correction control unit 104 may store the result of the screen burn-in correction this time in the SSD 23, the BIOS memory 22, or the like as history information according to the end of the screen burn-in correction. Further, the correction control unit 104 may reset the display cumulative time stored in the display cumulative time storage unit 201 according to the completion of the screen burn-in correction.

Hereinafter, a modification of the present embodiment will be described. The modifications described below may be combined as appropriate.

For example, the electronic device 1 may be provided with an open / close sensor capable of detecting whether or not the housing 2 is in the fully open state. The correction control unit 104 of the electronic device 1 may determine the open / closed state of the housing 2 when executing the screen burn-in correction based on the output of the open / close sensor.
For example, the correction control unit 104 may determine whether or not the housing 2 is in the fully open state based on the output of the sensor at the timing when the start time is reached. When the housing 2 is in the fully open state, the display panel of the display 14 is in a flat state, but when the housing 2 is not in the fully open state and is in the half-open state or the fully closed state, the display panel of the display 14 is in the flat state. It is broken and not flat.
If the correction control unit 104 determines that the housing 2 is in the fully open state, the correction control unit 104 starts the screen burn-in correction. On the other hand, when the correction control unit 104 determines that the housing 2 is not in the fully open state, the correction control unit 104 prevents the screen burn-in correction from starting. As a result, the screen burn-in correction is not performed while the display panel of the display 14 is folded, and it is possible to prevent the screen burn-in correction from failing.
Further, the correction control unit 104 may be configured to determine the open / closed state of the housing 2 even while the screen burn-in correction is being executed. For example, if the user closes the housing 2 during the screen burn-in correction, the correction control unit 104 determines that the housing 2 is no longer in the fully open state. When it is determined in this way that the housing 2 is no longer in the fully open state, the correction control unit 104 may interrupt, for example, the screen burn-in correction that has been executed so far.

Further, as described above, when the screen burn-in correction is not normally completed because it is determined that the housing 2 is no longer in the fully open state, the correction control unit 104 uses the execution result of the screen burn-in correction as an error. You may handle it. In this case, the correction control unit 104 stores a history indicating that the error was caused by the fact that the housing 2 was not in the fully open state as a result of executing the screen burn-in correction in a predetermined storage unit (for example, BIOS memory 22, SSD 23, etc.). You may memorize it. Then, the notification unit provided in the control unit 10 of the electronic device 1 notifies the user, for example, that the screen burn-in correction was not normally completed because the display 14 was not in a flat state at the next startup. You can do it.

Depending on the specifications of the display panel of the display 14, for example, if it is opened at a certain angle or more even if it is not fully opened, it is possible to satisfy the normal correction conditions 1 and 2 and complete the screen burn-in correction normally. In some cases. In response to such a case, the open / close sensor may be capable of detecting the open angle of the housing 2. The correction control unit 104 may execute the same control related to screen burn-in correction as described above based on the result of determining whether or not the open angle of the housing 2 is equal to or higher than a certain level based on the output of the open / close sensor. ..

The correction control unit 104 of the electronic device 1 may be configured to determine whether or not the power consumption of the electronic device 1 is suppressed in a predetermined state when executing the screen burn-in correction. Here, when it is determined that the power consumption of the electronic device 1 is not a predetermined state in which the power consumption is suppressed, it corresponds to a state in which, for example, the normal correction conditions 1 and 2 are not satisfied.
Specifically, the correction control unit 104 determines whether or not the electronic device 1 is in the shut down state as a predetermined state in which the power consumption of the electronic device 1 is suppressed at the timing when the screen burn-in correction start time is reached. good. In the case of not being shut down, the temperature of the electronic device 1 has been high due to the OS operating and consuming a considerable amount of power so far, so that the power consumption of the electronic device 1 is suppressed. Corresponds to the state of not being done. Therefore, in this case, the correction control unit 104 may be prevented from starting the screen burn-in correction.
Further, the correction control unit 104 determines that the power consumption of the electronic device 1 is no longer suppressed when the OS is started by the user's operation while the screen burn-in correction is being executed. It's okay. When this determination is made, the correction control unit 104 may interrupt the screen burn-in correction that has been executed so far.

Further, the correction control unit 104 determines whether or not the power consumption of the electronic device 1 is suppressed in a predetermined operating state, and the battery 29 charges the battery 29 at the timing when the screen burn-in correction start time is reached. It may be determined whether or not there is no state. When the charging of the battery 29 is not completed, the temperature of the battery 29 and the power supply circuit 28 is high, and there is a high possibility that the normal correction conditions 1 and 2 and the like cannot be satisfied. In this case as well, the correction control unit 104 may be prevented from starting the screen burn-in correction.
Further, the correction control unit 104 may determine that the power consumption of the electronic device 1 is no longer suppressed when, for example, charging of the battery 29 is started while the screen burn-in correction is being executed. Even in such a determination, the correction control unit 104 may interrupt the screen burn-in correction that has been executed so far.

Since it is determined that the power consumption of the electronic device 1 is not suppressed in this way, even if the screen burn-in correction is not completed normally, the correction control unit 104 makes an error in the above determination result. The history of execution of screen burn-in correction as a reason may be stored. Further, the notification unit of the electronic device 1 may notify the user, for example, that the screen burn-in correction has not been normally completed together with the corresponding reason at the next activation.

Further, one or more predetermined parts of the electronic device 1 may be made capable of being measured by a temperature sensor. Then, the correction control unit 104 may determine whether or not the normal correction condition 1 is satisfied based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor, for example, at the timing when the screen burn-in correction start time is reached. The correction control unit 104 may determine that the normal correction condition 1 is satisfied, for example, when the temperature measured by the temperature sensor is within a predetermined range.
The correction control unit 104 starts the screen burn-in correction when it is determined that the normal correction condition 1 is satisfied, and does not start the screen burn-in correction when it is determined that the normal correction condition 1 is not satisfied. May be made.
Further, the correction control unit 104 is configured to determine whether or not the normal correction condition 2 is satisfied based on the change in temperature measured by the temperature sensor while the screen burn-in correction is being executed. It's okay. The correction control unit 104 states that, for example, when the difference between the minimum value and the maximum value of the temperature measured by the temperature sensor becomes a certain value or more while the screen burn-in correction is being executed, the normal correction condition 2 is not satisfied. You may judge. When it is determined that the normal correction condition 2 is not satisfied, the correction control unit 104 may interrupt the screen burn-in correction.
As described above, even when the screen burn-in correction is not normally completed due to the determination that the normal correction condition 1 or the normal correction condition 2 is not satisfied based on the output of the temperature sensor, the correction control unit 104 is described above. The history of the execution result of the screen burn-in correction using the determination result of the above as the reason for the error may be stored. Further, the notification unit of the electronic device 1 may notify the user, for example, that the screen burn-in correction has not been normally completed together with the corresponding reason at the next activation.

The threshold value compared with the cumulative display time in step S201 may be changed according to the number of times the screen burn-in correction has been executed so far. This makes it possible to deal with a case where the cumulative display time, which is appropriate until the next screen burn-in correction is performed, may change depending on the number of times the screen burn-in correction is executed, for example, due to the characteristics of the display 14. .. For example, when the threshold value corresponding to the first screen burn-in correction is set in the range of about 3000 hours to 4000 hours, the threshold value corresponding to the second and subsequent screen burn-in corrections is set in the range of, for example, about 2000 hours to 3000 hours. In some cases, a better screen burn-in correction result can be expected by setting a value smaller than the first time.

In the above embodiment, the default start time is fixedly set. However, the default start time may be set, for example, based on the usage history of the electronic device 1 by the user. That is, the electronic device 1 estimates the non-use time zone that is estimated not to be used by the user based on the information of the use time zone of the electronic device 1 shown in the usage history. The electronic device 1 may set a default start time based on the estimated non-use time zone. The electronic device 1 may set, for example, the time required for the surface temperature of the display 14 to drop to a range satisfying the normal correction condition 1 from the start time of the non-use time zone as the default start time. ..

The electronic device 1 of the above embodiment is a portable type such as a clamshell type personal computer, a tablet terminal, a smartphone, etc., and has a mode in which a display device is integrally attached to a housing. However, the electronic device according to the present embodiment may be one in which the main body of the individual device and the display device are connected to each other, such as a desktop personal computer. Further, the electronic device according to the present embodiment may be a television receiver, a monitor display for displaying an input image, or the like.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and includes designs and the like within a range that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention. The configurations described in the above embodiments can be arbitrarily combined as long as they do not conflict with each other.

1 electronic device, 11 CPU, 12 main memory, 13 video subsystem, 14 display, 21 chipset, 22 BIOS memory, 23 SSD, 24 USB connector, 25 audio system, 26 network card, 27 input interface, 28 power supply circuit, 29 Battery, 30 Embedded controller, 31 RTC, 101 Display cumulative time determination unit, 102 Guidance control unit, 103 Execution setting unit, 104 Correction control unit, 201 Display cumulative time storage unit, 202 Start time storage unit

Claims (10)

A display cumulative time determination unit that determines whether or not the display cumulative time of the display device provided in the electronic device has exceeded the threshold value, and a display cumulative time determination unit.
In response to the determination by the display cumulative time determination unit that the display cumulative time has exceeded the threshold value, the screen burn-in correction is performed in the non-use time zone set as the user not using the electronic device. An electronic device equipped with a correction control unit that controls to be executed. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the correction control unit starts the screen burn-in correction when the start time set in the non-use time zone is reached. The electronic device according to claim 2, further comprising an execution setting unit capable of changing the start time as a setting for executing the screen burn-in correction. The electronic device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the correction control unit executes the screen burn-in correction in an environment in which the basic program is executed without starting the operating system. From claim 1, the present invention comprises a guidance control unit that guides the user to execute the screen burn-in correction in response to the determination by the display cumulative time determination unit that the display cumulative time has exceeded the threshold value. The electronic device according to any one of 4. One of claims 1 to 5, wherein the correction control unit executes control related to the screen burn-in correction based on the result of determining the open / closed state of the foldable display device when executing the screen burn-in correction. The electronic device described in. The correction control unit executes control related to the screen burn-in correction based on the result of determining whether or not the power consumption of the electronic device is suppressed in a predetermined state when the screen burn-in correction is executed. The electronic device according to any one of Items 1 to 6. The correction control unit controls the screen burn-in correction based on the result of determining whether or not a predetermined condition is satisfied based on the temperature of a predetermined portion of the electronic device measured at the time of executing the screen burn-in correction. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 7. A claim including a notification unit for notifying that the execution result of the screen burn-in correction is an error, together with the reason for the error corresponding to the determined result when the execution result of the screen burn-in correction is an error. Item 5. The electronic device according to any one of Items 6 to 8. A step of determining whether or not the cumulative display time of the display device of the electronic device has exceeded the threshold value, and
In response to the determination that the cumulative display time is equal to or greater than the threshold value, control is performed so that the screen burn-in correction is executed in the non-use time zone set as the user is not using the electronic device. Screen burn-in correction control method including steps and.

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