Extending asynchronous frame updates with full frame and partial frame notifications

Abstract

Disclosed herein are techniques to provide notification of the type and/or attributes of frame updates. A platform can notify a panel of further frame updates, whether the frame update is a full frame update or a partial frame update and attributes of the frame update. The platform can notify the panel of information about the frame update during a vertical blanking interval by asserting a command or signaling the panel using selected symbols during the vertical blanking interval.

1 - 25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . An apparatus comprising:
 a processor;   a transmitter coupled to the processor, the transmitter to transmit, during a vertical blanking interval, one or more symbols to a display panel, wherein the one or more symbols are indicative of whether a frame update to be sent after the vertical blanking interval is to be a full frame or a partial frame.   
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein the transmitter is further to transmit the frame update in a frame update period that is immediately after the vertical blanking interval. 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein the transmitter is further to transmit one or more symbols indicative of a duration of a subsequent vertical blanking interval. 
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 28 , wherein a link between the transmitter and the display panel is to be powered down during at least part of the subsequent vertical blanking interval. 
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 28 , wherein the duration of the subsequent vertical blanking interval corresponds to a minimum refresh rate of the display panel. 
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of  claim 28 , wherein the duration of the subsequent vertical blanking interval is more than a duration of a vertical blanking interval at a minimum refresh rate of the display panel. 
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein to transmit the one or more symbols to a display panel comprises to:
 send a first packet to the display panel, wherein the first packet indicates that the transmitter will send the frame update after the vertical blanking interval; and   send a second packet different from the first packet to the display panel, wherein the second packet indicates whether the frame update is to be a full frame or a partial frame.   
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein to transmit the one or more symbols to a display panel comprises to send a packet to the display panel, wherein the packet indicates that the transmitter will send the frame update after the vertical blanking interval and indicates whether the frame update is to be a full frame or a partial frame. 
     
     
         34 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , further comprising the display panel, wherein the display panel is to:
 receive, during the vertical blanking interval, the one or more symbols from the transmitter; and   receive the frame update after the vertical blanking interval.   
     
     
         35 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein the transmitter is further to transmit one or more synchronization symbols during one or more stretched vertical blanking intervals. 
     
     
         36 . An apparatus comprising:
 a display panel to:
 receive, during a vertical blanking interval, one or more symbols from a transmitter, wherein the one or more symbols are indicative of whether a frame update to be sent after the vertical blanking interval is to be a full frame or a partial frame; and 
 receive the frame update after the vertical blanking interval. 
   
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of  claim 36 , wherein the display panel is to receive the frame update in a frame update period that is immediately after the vertical blanking interval. 
     
     
         38 . The apparatus of  claim 36 , wherein the display panel is further to receive one or more symbols indicative of a duration of a subsequent vertical blanking interval. 
     
     
         39 . The apparatus of  claim 38 , wherein a link between the transmitter and the display panel is to be powered down during at least part of the subsequent vertical blanking interval. 
     
     
         40 . The apparatus of  claim 36 , wherein to receive the one or more symbols from the transmitter comprises to:
 receive a first packet from the transmitter, wherein the first packet indicates that the transmitter will send the frame update after the vertical blanking interval; and   receive a second packet different from the first packet from the transmitter, wherein the second packet indicates whether the frame update is to be a full frame or a partial frame.   
     
     
         41 . The apparatus of  claim 36 , wherein to receive the one or more symbols from the transmitter comprises to receive a packet from the transmitter, wherein the packet indicates that the transmitter will send the frame update after the vertical blanking interval and indicates whether the frame update is to be a full frame or a partial frame. 
     
     
         42 . The apparatus of  claim 36 , further comprising:
 a processor;   the transmitter, wherein the transmitter is coupled to the processor, wherein the transmitter is to transmit, during the vertical blanking interval, the one or more symbols to the display panel.   
     
     
         43 . The apparatus of  claim 36 , wherein the display panel is further to receive one or more synchronization symbols during one or more stretched vertical blanking intervals. 
     
     
         44 . An apparatus comprising:
 an image source to transmit, during a vertical blanking interval, one or more symbols to an image sink, wherein the one or more symbols are indicative of whether a frame update to be sent after the vertical blanking interval is to be a full frame or a partial frame.   
     
     
         45 . The apparatus of  claim 44 , wherein the image source is further to transmit the frame update in a frame update period that is immediately after the vertical blanking interval. 
     
     
         46 . The apparatus of  claim 44 , wherein the image source is further to transmit one or more symbols indicative of a duration of a subsequent vertical blanking interval. 
     
     
         47 . The apparatus of  claim 46 , wherein a link between the image source and the image sink is to be powered down during at least part of the subsequent vertical blanking interval. 
     
     
         48 . The apparatus of  claim 44 , wherein to transmit the one or more symbols to an image sink comprises to:
 send a first packet to the image sink, wherein the first packet indicates that the image source will send the frame update after the vertical blanking interval; and   send a second packet different from the first packet to the image sink, wherein the second packet indicates whether the frame update is to be a full frame or a partial frame.   
     
     
         49 . The apparatus of  claim 44 , wherein to transmit the one or more symbols to an image sink comprises to send a packet to the image sink, wherein the packet indicates that the image source will send the frame update after the vertical blanking interval and indicates whether the frame update is to be a full frame or a partial frame. 
     
     
         50 . The apparatus of  claim 44 , further comprising the image sink, wherein the image sink is to:
 receive, during the vertical blanking interval, the one or more symbols from the image source; and   receive the frame update after the vertical blanking interval.