Rockwell Collins is Extending the Life of OLED Displays

Rockwell Collins (Rockwell) has a new issued patent for extending the life of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays.

The luminance of the OLED subpixels degrades over time, with the RGB subpixel arrangement encountering the greatest degradation as blue subpixels degrade faster than others. What results is a common occurrence known as “burn in.”

Displays used in the aerospace industry encounter burn in more frequently, as flight displays typically have a large region representing the sky. In some instances, burn in can be reduced by shifting the image on a display. However, when such a large region of a display is occupied, shifting the images does not avoid issues associated with burn in.

Rockwell’s patent describes a system that uses a subpixel arrangement in conjunction with a selective subpixel voltage application. The subpixel arrangement is split into a first and second data format, enabling the subpixel voltage application to control vector colors associated with an image. This control element reduces the degradation rate, decreasing the likelihood of pixel burn in.

Rockwell’s primary focus is the aviation industry, specifically the application of high-integrity solutions for both commercial and military customers. This is Rockwell’s first patent in the Multi-Primary Color Technology Sector, categorized under “display.”