Suppress status-bar updates if nothing had changed

src/SettingsList.h

@@ -138,9 +138,11 @@ inline const std::vector<SettingInfo> list = {
                         StrId::STR_CAT_READER),
     SettingInfo::Enum(StrId::STR_IMAGES, &CrossPointSettings::imageRendering,
                       {StrId::STR_IMAGES_DISPLAY, StrId::STR_IMAGES_PLACEHOLDER, StrId::STR_IMAGES_SUPPRESS},
-                      "imageRendering", StrId::STR_CAT_READER),
+                      "imageRendering", StrId::STR_CAT_READER)
+        .withSubmenu(StrId::STR_IMAGES),
     SettingInfo::Toggle(StrId::STR_LARGE_IMAGE_PLACEHOLDER, &CrossPointSettings::largeImagePlaceholder,
-                        "largeImagePlaceholder", StrId::STR_CAT_READER),
+                        "largeImagePlaceholder", StrId::STR_CAT_READER)
+        .withSubmenu(StrId::STR_IMAGES),
     SettingInfo::Value(StrId::STR_SCREEN_MARGIN, &CrossPointSettings::screenMargin, {5, 40, 5}, "screenMargin",
                        StrId::STR_CAT_READER)
         .withSubmenu(StrId::STR_MENU_READER_SPACING),

src/activities/Activity.h

@@ -47,6 +47,11 @@ class Activity {
   virtual bool preventAutoSleep() { return false; }
   virtual bool isReaderActivity() const { return false; }
 
+  // Return true to suppress the minute-tick requestUpdate() from ActivityManager when nothing
+  // status-bar-relevant has changed since the last render. Skipping avoids a no-op page render
+  // followed by a no-diff e-ink refresh, which on X3 panels accumulates visible speckle.
+  virtual bool shouldSkipPeriodicUpdate() const { return false; }
+
   // Called by ActivityManager when a globally-configured button action targets the
   // current activity. Override in reader activities to handle reader-specific actions.
   // Non-reader activities can ignore this (default is no-op).

src/activities/ActivityManager.cpp

@@ -111,7 +111,9 @@ void ActivityManager::loop() {
       time_t minute = now / 60;
       if (minute != lastMinute) {
         lastMinute = minute;
-        requestUpdate();
+        if (!currentActivity || !currentActivity->shouldSkipPeriodicUpdate()) {
+          requestUpdate();
+        }
       }
     }
   }

src/activities/reader/EpubReaderActivity.cpp

@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@
 #include <FontDecompressor.h>
 #include <FsHelpers.h>
 #include <GfxRenderer.h>
+#include <HalClock.h>
+#include <HalPowerManager.h>
 #include <HalStorage.h>
 #include <I18n.h>
 #include <Logging.h>
@@ -2256,6 +2258,30 @@ void EpubReaderActivity::renderStatusBar() const {
   const bool isStarred = section && bookmarkStore.has(static_cast<uint16_t>(currentSpineIndex),
                                                       static_cast<uint16_t>(section->currentPage));
   GUI.drawStatusBar(renderer, bookProgress, currentPage, pageCount, title, 0, isStarred);
+
+  lastStatusBarPage = currentPage;
+  lastStatusBarBattery = SETTINGS.statusBarBattery ? static_cast<int>(powerManager.getBatteryPercentage()) : -1;
+  if (SETTINGS.useClock && SETTINGS.statusBarClock && HalClock::isSynced()) {
+    const time_t now = HalClock::now();
+    lastStatusBarClockMinute = now > 0 ? static_cast<int>(now / 60) : -1;
+  } else {
+    lastStatusBarClockMinute = -1;
+  }
+}
+
+bool EpubReaderActivity::shouldSkipPeriodicUpdate() const {
+  if (lastStatusBarPage < 0) return false;  // no baseline yet — let the first render happen
+  const int currentPage = section ? section->currentPage + 1 : -1;
+  if (currentPage != lastStatusBarPage) return false;
+  if (SETTINGS.statusBarBattery) {
+    if (static_cast<int>(powerManager.getBatteryPercentage()) != lastStatusBarBattery) return false;
+  }
+  if (SETTINGS.useClock && SETTINGS.statusBarClock && HalClock::isSynced()) {
+    const time_t now = HalClock::now();
+    const int minute = now > 0 ? static_cast<int>(now / 60) : -1;
+    if (minute != lastStatusBarClockMinute) return false;
+  }
+  return true;
 }
 
 void EpubReaderActivity::navigateToHref(const std::string& hrefStr, const bool savePosition) {

src/activities/reader/EpubReaderActivity.h

@@ -262,6 +262,12 @@ class EpubReaderActivity final : public Activity {
   void displayPreRenderedPage(const Page& page, int orientedMarginTop, int orientedMarginRight,
                               int orientedMarginBottom, int orientedMarginLeft);
   void renderStatusBar() const;
+  // Snapshot of the three status-bar signals that can change while a page is otherwise idle.
+  // Compared in shouldSkipPeriodicUpdate() to suppress no-op minute-tick re-renders that on
+  // X3 panels accumulate visible speckle via repeated no-diff FAST refreshes.
+  mutable int lastStatusBarPage = -1;
+  mutable int lastStatusBarBattery = -1;
+  mutable int lastStatusBarClockMinute = -1;
   void silentIndexNextChapterIfNeeded(uint16_t viewportWidth, uint16_t viewportHeight);
   void saveProgress(int spineIndex, int currentPage, int pageCount);
   // Jump to a percentage of the book (0-100), mapping it to spine and page.
@@ -314,6 +320,7 @@ class EpubReaderActivity final : public Activity {
   void loop() override;
   void render(RenderLock&& lock) override;
   bool isReaderActivity() const override { return true; }
+  bool shouldSkipPeriodicUpdate() const override;
   void onButtonAction(CrossPointSettings::BUTTON_ACTION action) override;
 
   // Renders the last saved page to the frame buffer without flushing to display.

src/activities/reader/MdReaderActivity.cpp

@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 #include <FontCacheManager.h>
 #include <GfxRenderer.h>
+#include <HalClock.h>
+#include <HalPowerManager.h>
 #include <HalStorage.h>
 #include <I18n.h>
 #include <Serialization.h>
@@ -881,6 +883,29 @@ void MdReaderActivity::renderStatusBar() const {
     title = txt->getTitle();
   }
   GUI.drawStatusBar(renderer, progress, currentPage + 1, totalPages, title);
+
+  lastStatusBarPage = currentPage + 1;
+  lastStatusBarBattery = SETTINGS.statusBarBattery ? static_cast<int>(powerManager.getBatteryPercentage()) : -1;
+  if (SETTINGS.useClock && SETTINGS.statusBarClock && HalClock::isSynced()) {
+    const time_t now = HalClock::now();
+    lastStatusBarClockMinute = now > 0 ? static_cast<int>(now / 60) : -1;
+  } else {
+    lastStatusBarClockMinute = -1;
+  }
+}
+
+bool MdReaderActivity::shouldSkipPeriodicUpdate() const {
+  if (lastStatusBarPage < 0) return false;
+  if (currentPage + 1 != lastStatusBarPage) return false;
+  if (SETTINGS.statusBarBattery) {
+    if (static_cast<int>(powerManager.getBatteryPercentage()) != lastStatusBarBattery) return false;
+  }
+  if (SETTINGS.useClock && SETTINGS.statusBarClock && HalClock::isSynced()) {
+    const time_t now = HalClock::now();
+    const int minute = now > 0 ? static_cast<int>(now / 60) : -1;
+    if (minute != lastStatusBarClockMinute) return false;
+  }
+  return true;
 }
 
 void MdReaderActivity::saveProgress() const {

src/activities/reader/MdReaderActivity.h

@@ -60,6 +60,10 @@ class MdReaderActivity final : public Activity {
 
   void renderPage();
   void renderStatusBar() const;
+  // See EpubReaderActivity for rationale — suppresses no-op minute-tick re-renders.
+  mutable int lastStatusBarPage = -1;
+  mutable int lastStatusBarBattery = -1;
+  mutable int lastStatusBarClockMinute = -1;
 
   void initializeReader();
   bool loadPageAtOffset(size_t offset, bool startInCodeBlock, std::vector<RenderedLine>& outLines, size_t& nextOffset,
@@ -91,5 +95,6 @@ class MdReaderActivity final : public Activity {
   void loop() override;
   void render(RenderLock&&) override;
   bool isReaderActivity() const override { return true; }
+  bool shouldSkipPeriodicUpdate() const override;
   void onButtonAction(CrossPointSettings::BUTTON_ACTION action) override;
 };

src/activities/reader/TxtReaderActivity.cpp

@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 #include <FontCacheManager.h>
 #include <GfxRenderer.h>
+#include <HalClock.h>
+#include <HalPowerManager.h>
 #include <HalStorage.h>
 #include <I18n.h>
 #include <Serialization.h>
@@ -482,6 +484,29 @@ void TxtReaderActivity::renderStatusBar() const {
   }
   const bool isStarred = bookmarkStore.has(0, static_cast<uint16_t>(currentPage));
   GUI.drawStatusBar(renderer, progress, currentPage + 1, totalPages, title, 0, isStarred);
+
+  lastStatusBarPage = currentPage + 1;
+  lastStatusBarBattery = SETTINGS.statusBarBattery ? static_cast<int>(powerManager.getBatteryPercentage()) : -1;
+  if (SETTINGS.useClock && SETTINGS.statusBarClock && HalClock::isSynced()) {
+    const time_t now = HalClock::now();
+    lastStatusBarClockMinute = now > 0 ? static_cast<int>(now / 60) : -1;
+  } else {
+    lastStatusBarClockMinute = -1;
+  }
+}
+
+bool TxtReaderActivity::shouldSkipPeriodicUpdate() const {
+  if (lastStatusBarPage < 0) return false;
+  if (currentPage + 1 != lastStatusBarPage) return false;
+  if (SETTINGS.statusBarBattery) {
+    if (static_cast<int>(powerManager.getBatteryPercentage()) != lastStatusBarBattery) return false;
+  }
+  if (SETTINGS.useClock && SETTINGS.statusBarClock && HalClock::isSynced()) {
+    const time_t now = HalClock::now();
+    const int minute = now > 0 ? static_cast<int>(now / 60) : -1;
+    if (minute != lastStatusBarClockMinute) return false;
+  }
+  return true;
 }
 
 void TxtReaderActivity::saveProgress() const {

src/activities/reader/TxtReaderActivity.h

@@ -39,6 +39,10 @@ class TxtReaderActivity final : public Activity {
 
   void renderPage();
   void renderStatusBar() const;
+  // See EpubReaderActivity for rationale — suppresses no-op minute-tick re-renders.
+  mutable int lastStatusBarPage = -1;
+  mutable int lastStatusBarBattery = -1;
+  mutable int lastStatusBarClockMinute = -1;
 
   void initializeReader();
   bool loadPageAtOffset(size_t offset, std::vector<std::string>& outLines, size_t& nextOffset);
@@ -60,6 +64,7 @@ class TxtReaderActivity final : public Activity {
   void loop() override;
   void render(RenderLock&&) override;
   bool isReaderActivity() const override { return true; }
+  bool shouldSkipPeriodicUpdate() const override;
   void onButtonAction(CrossPointSettings::BUTTON_ACTION action) override;
 
   // Renders the last saved page to the frame buffer without flushing to display.