Display Apparatus

• US 20050134549A1
• Filed: 09/17/2004
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citizen Holdings Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Citizen Watch Co Limited (Citizen Electronics Company Limited)
• Inventors: Kamiya, Kiyoshi, Tajima, Eiichi, Ochi, Isao
• Granted Patent: US 7,508,478 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/103
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134309 characterised by their geometrical arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0439 Pixel structures
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/04 Electronic labels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3648 using an active matrix G09G3/367 - G09G3/3696 take precedence

Abstract

In displaying a price label, the price can be displayed at low resolution without any problem, but a bar code requires a high resolution display. In view of this, the invention provides an electrode structure for a display apparatus that can suppress increases in cost and power consumption while preventing image quality degradation, even when a low-resolution display area and a high-resolution display area are mixed on the same display. A liquid crystal panel 10 has a main display section 11 and a sub-display section 12. In the main display section 11, pixels are arranged in a matrix pattern. In the sub display section 12, rectangle-shaped pixels are arranged in a single row, and the pixel pitch in the sub display section 12 is m/n of that in the main display section 11 (n and m are integers).

Claims

1. A display apparatus which comprises an electro-optical conversion material placed between a plurality of signal electrodes and a plurality of scanning electrodes, and which produces a display by changing optical properties of said electro-optical conversion material by applying a prescribed voltage to each of a plurality of display pixels formed where said signal electrodes overlap said scanning electrodes, wherein

said plurality of display pixels are divided on each of said signal electrodes into at least two groups, one consisting of main display pixels and the other consisting of sub-display pixels,

said main display pixels are arranged one spaced apart from another in a direction in which said scanning electrodes are scanned, and

at least two of said sub-display pixels are arranged in overlapping fashion, in the direction in which said scanning electrodes are scanned, and are arranged, one spaced apart from the other, in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which said scanning electrodes are scanned.

2. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said signal electrodes comprises a main signal electrode portion on which said main display pixels are formed, and sub-signal electrode portions connected to said main signal electrode portion and arranged one spaced apart from the other in the direction orthogonal to said scanning direction in corresponding relationship to said sub display pixels.

3. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sub-signal electrode portions are connected to said main signal electrode portion by a portion formed in the shape of a narrow path.

4. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said sub-signal electrode portions are connected to said main signal electrode portion by a portion formed in the shape of a narrow path.

5. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said scanning electrodes are divided into two groups, one consisting of main scanning electrodes arranged in a main display section where said main display pixels are formed and the other consisting of sub-scanning electrodes arranged in a sub-display section where said sub-display pixels are formed, and said sub-scanning electrodes include at least an upper sub-scanning electrode and a lower sub-scanning electrode, said upper and lower sub-scanning electrodes each comprising wiring electrode portions extending parallel to each other in the direction orthogonal to said scanning direction and a plurality of comb-shaped electrode portions protruding from the respective wiring electrode portions of said upper and lower sub-scanning electrodes in directions opposing each other, wherein said comb-shaped electrode portions of said upper sub-scanning electrode and said comb-shaped electrode portions of said lower sub-scanning electrodes are arranged in alternating fashion in the direction orthogonal to said scanning direction.

6. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said scanning electrodes are divided into two groups, one consisting of main scanning electrodes arranged in a main display section where said main display pixels are formed and the other consisting of sub-scanning electrodes arranged in a sub-display section where said sub-display pixels are formed, and said sub-scanning electrodes include at least an upper sub-scanning electrode and a lower sub-scanning electrode, said upper and lower sub-scanning electrodes each comprising wiring electrode portions extending parallel to each other in the direction orthogonal to said scanning direction and a plurality of comb-shaped electrode portions protruding from the respective wiring electrode portions of said upper and lower sub-scanning electrodes in directions opposing each other, wherein said comb-shaped electrode portions of said upper sub-scanning electrode and said comb-shaped electrode portions of said lower sub-scanning electrodes are arranged in alternating fashion in the direction orthogonal to said scanning direction.

7. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said scanning electrodes are divided into two groups, one consisting of main scanning electrodes arranged in a main display section where said main display pixels are formed and the other consisting of sub-scanning electrodes arranged in a sub-display section where said sub-display pixels are formed, and said sub-scanning electrodes include at least an upper sub-scanning electrode and a lower sub-scanning electrode, said upper and lower sub-scanning electrodes each comprising wiring electrode portions extending parallel to each other in the direction orthogonal to said scanning direction and a plurality of comb-shaped electrode portions protruding from the respective wiring electrode portions of said upper and lower sub-scanning electrodes in directions opposing each other, wherein said comb-shaped electrode portions of said upper sub-scanning electrode and said comb-shaped electrode portions of said lower sub-scanning electrodes are arranged in alternating fashion in the direction orthogonal to said scanning direction.

8. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said scanning electrodes are divided into two groups, one consisting of main scanning electrodes arranged in a main display section where said main display pixels are formed and the other consisting of sub-scanning electrodes arranged in a sub-display section where said sub-display pixels are formed, and said sub-scanning electrodes include at least an upper sub-scanning electrode and a lower sub-scanning electrode, said upper and lower sub-scanning electrodes each comprising wiring electrode portions extending parallel to each other in the direction orthogonal to said scanning direction and a plurality of comb-shaped electrode portions protruding from the respective wiring electrode portions of said upper and lower sub-scanning electrodes in directions opposing each other, wherein said comb-shaped electrode portions of said upper sub-scanning electrode and said comb-shaped electrode portions of said lower sub-scanning electrodes are arranged in alternating fashion in the direction orthogonal to said scanning direction.

9. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said scanning electrodes forming said sub-display pixels include a middle sub-scanning electrode in addition to said upper sub-scanning electrode and said lower sub-scanning electrode, and wherein said middle sub-scanning electrode is disposed between said upper sub-scanning electrode and said lower sub-scanning electrode, and is formed in a corrugated shape to conform with the shapes of said upper sub-scanning electrode and said lower sub-scanning electrode.

10. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein said scanning electrodes forming said sub-display pixels include a middle sub-scanning electrode in addition to said upper sub-scanning electrode and said lower sub-scanning electrode, and wherein said middle sub-scanning electrode is disposed between said upper sub-scanning electrode and said lower sub-scanning electrode, and is formed in a corrugated shape to conform with the shapes of said upper sub-scanning electrode and said lower sub-scanning electrode.

11. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said scanning electrodes forming said sub-display pixels include a middle sub-scanning electrode in addition to said upper sub-scanning electrode and said lower sub-scanning electrode, and wherein said middle sub-scanning electrode is disposed between said upper sub-scanning electrode and said lower sub-scanning electrode, and is formed in a corrugated shape to conform with the shapes of said upper sub-scanning electrode and said lower sub-scanning electrode.

12. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein said scanning electrodes forming said sub-display pixels include a middle sub-scanning electrode in addition to said upper sub-scanning electrode and said lower sub-scanning electrode, and wherein said middle sub-scanning electrode is disposed between said upper sub-scanning electrode and said lower sub-scanning electrode, and is formed in a corrugated shape to conform with the shapes of said upper sub-scanning electrode and said lower sub-scanning electrode.

13. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said electro-optical conversion material is a liquid crystal material.

14. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said electro-optical conversion material is a liquid crystal material.

15. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein interconnections for connecting said scanning electrodes and said signal electrodes to an external circuit that applies a prescribed voltage between said electrodes are provided on one side of a display substrate, and said one side of said substrate is located on a sub-display pixel side.

16. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein interconnections for connecting said scanning electrodes and said signal electrodes to an external circuit that applies a prescribed voltage between said electrodes are provided on one side of a display substrate, and said one side of said substrate is located on a sub-display pixel side.

17. A display apparatus comprising:

a plurality of signal lines connected to a plurality of pixel electrodes via switching devices;

a plurality of scanning lines for controlling the switching of said switching devices;

a common electrode disposed opposite said plurality of pixel electrodes; and

an electro-optical conversion material sandwiched between said common electrode and said pixel electrodes, wherein

said plurality of pixel electrodes are divided on each of said signal lines into at least two groups, one consisting of main pixel electrodes and the other consisting of sub-pixel electrodes,

said main pixel electrodes are arranged one spaced apart from another in a direction in which said scanning lines are scanned, and

at least two of said sub-pixel electrodes are arranged in overlapping fashion in the direction in which said scanning lines are scanned, and are arranged, one spaced apart from the other, in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which said scanning lines are scanned.

18. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein said electro-optical conversion material is a liquid crystal material.

19. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein interconnections, for connecting said pixel electrodes and said common electrode to an external circuit that applies a prescribed voltage between said electrodes, are provided on one side of a display substrate, and said one side of said substrate is located on a sub-display pixel side.

20. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein interconnections, for connecting said pixel electrodes and said common electrode to an external circuit that applies a prescribed voltage between said electrodes, are provided on one side of a display substrate, and said one side of said substrate is located on a sub-display pixel side.