Display device, on-vehicle display device, electronic apparatus, and display method

• US 20060055639A1
• Filed: 08/25/2005
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Yamada, Tadashi
• Application Number:
  US11/210,894
• Publication Number:
  US 20060055639A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/77
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/331 Electroluminescent elements
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0842 forming a memory circuit, e.g. a dynamic memory with one capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0861 with additional control of the display period without amending the charge stored in a pixel memory, e.g. by means of additional select electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/027 Details of drivers for data electrodes, the drivers handling digital grey scale data, e.g. use of D/A converters
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0242 Compensation of deficiencies in the appearance of colours
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/029 by monitoring one or more pixels in the display panel, e.g. by monitoring a fixed reference pixel
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/043 Preventing or counteracting the effects of ageing
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/048 using evaluation of the usage time
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0666 for control of colour parameters, e.g. colour temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/14 Solving problems related to the presentation of information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/325 the data current flowing through the driving transistor during a setting phase, e.g. by using a switch for connecting the driving transistor to the data driver

Abstract

Aspects of the invention can provide a display device having at least two sets of chromatic balance coordinates which define reference colors for a display color.

Claims

1. A display device, comprising:

at least two sets of chromatic balance coordinates that define reference colors for a display color.

2. The display device according to claim 1,

one of the at least two sets of chromatic balance coordinates defining white.

3. The display device according to claim 1,

one of the at least two sets of chromatic balance coordinates representing a first set of coordinates in a chromaticity diagram having (x, y) space;

and

a different set of chromatic balance coordinates representing a set of coordinates other than the first set of coordinates in the chromaticity diagram.

4. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a coordinate-switching control unit that sets a utilization factor of chromatic balance coordinates defining white to be less than a utilization factor of chromatic balance coordinates defining another color.

5. The display device according to claim 1,

the display device having pixels, each pixel including at least two pixel components having different optical spectrum characteristics;

and

the at least two sets of chromatic balance coordinates defining reference colors for a display color on the pixel.

6. The display device according to claim 5,

the pixel including a first pixel component that emits a light component having a first peak wavelength, a second pixel component that emits a light component having a second peak wavelength, and a third pixel component that emits a light component having a third peak wavelength;

the at least two sets of chromatic balance coordinates having a first set of chromatic balance coordinates and a second set of chromatic balance coordinates;

the first set of chromatic balance coordinates representing white; and

the second set of chromatic balance coordinates representing a color other than white.

7. The display device according to claim 6,

the second set of chromatic balance coordinates representing a color obtained by mixing, at a predetermined ratio, the light components emitted by the first, second, and third pixel components;

and

representing a color obtained by mixing the light components which are emitted by the first, second, and third pixel components with the ratio of the light component of one pixel component set to be greater than the light components of the other pixel components, the one pixel component having the least long-term emission-luminance deterioration among the first, second, and third pixel components.

8. The display device according to claim 6, further comprising:

a display color control unit which controls the display color by using the first set of chromatic balance coordinates when a natural image is displayed, and which controls the display color by using the second set of chromatic balance coordinates when a measuring instrument image indicating a result of measurement by a measuring instrument is displayed.

9. An on-vehicle display device, having the configuration of the display device as set forth in claim 1 in a form installable in a vehicle.

10. The on-vehicle display device according to claim 9, the on-vehicle display device being provided on an instrument panel in the vicinity of a driver'"'"'s seat in the vehicle.

11. An electronic apparatus, including the display device as set forth in claim 1.

12. A display method, comprising:

setting at least two sets of chromatic balance coordinates which define reference colors for a display color.

13. The display method according to claim 12,

one of the at least two sets of chromatic balance coordinates defining white;

and

a utilization factor of the set of chromatic balance coordinates which defines white being less than a utilization factor of a different set of chromatic balance coordinates.

14. The display method according to claim 13,

an image being displayed by using pixels, each pixel including at least two pixel components having different optical spectrum characteristics;

and

the different set of chromatic balance coordinates representing a color obtained by mixing, at a predetermined ratio, light components emitted by the pixel components of the pixel, and representing a color obtained by mixing the light components emitted by the pixel components, with the ratio of the light component of one pixel component set to be greater than the light components of the other pixel components, the one pixel component having the least the long-term emission-luminance deterioration among the pixel components.

15. The display method according to claim 13,

when the result of measurement by a measuring instrument is displayed, the different set of chromatic balance coordinates being used for display;

and

when information other than the result of the measurement is displayed, the set of chromatic balance coordinates defining white being used for display.

16. A display device, comprising:

a color control unit which has at least two sets of chromatic balance coordinates defining reference colors for a display color on a display portion, and which controls the display color on the display portion by using one of the at least two sets of chromatic balance coordinates; and

a luminance control unit which controls a luminance of the display portion.

17. The display device according to claim 16,

the luminance control unit switching the luminance in association with switching of the at least two sets of chromatic balance coordinates used in the color control unit.

18. The display device according to claim 16,

the color control unit switching to use a different set of chromatic balance coordinates in association with a luminance obtained by switching in the luminance control unit.

19. The display device according to claim 16,

the at least two sets of chromatic balance coordinates including a first set of chromatic balance coordinates defining white and a second set of chromatic balance coordinates defining one of colors other than white.

20. The display device according to claim 19,

the color control unit using the first set of chromatic balance coordinates when a luminance obtained by switching in the luminance control unit is less than a predetermined threshold value, and using the second set of chromatic balance coordinates when the luminance is greater than the predetermined threshold value.

21. The display device according to claim 19,

the display device having pixels, each pixel including at least two pixel components having different optical spectrum characteristics;

the at least two sets of chromatic balance coordinates defining reference colors for a color displayed on the pixel;

the pixel including a first pixel component that emits a light component having a first peak wavelength, a second pixel component that emits a light component having a second peak wavelength, and a third pixel component that emits a light component having a third peak wavelength; and

the second set of chromatic balance coordinates representing a color obtained by mixing, at a predetermined ratio, the light components emitted by the first, second, third pixel components, and representing a color obtained by mixing the light components emitted by the first, second, third pixel components, with the ratio of the light component of one pixel component set to be greater than the light components of the other pixel components, the one pixel component having the least long-term emission-luminance deterioration among the first, second, third pixel components.

22. The display device according to claim 16, further comprising:

an illumination detecting unit that detects an illumination in the vicinity of the display portion; and

the luminance control unit switching the luminance based on the detected illumination.

23. The display device according to claim 22,

the illumination control unit having a function of setting the luminance to be greater than a target luminance when the illumination is greater than a predetermined reference value, and setting the luminance to be less than the target luminance when the illumination is less than the predetermined reference value.

24. The display device according to claim 16,

the luminance control unit switching the luminance in association with a display form used in the display portion.

25. The display device according to claim 24,

the display form being one of a natural image representation, a representation of an image other than a natural image, an analog representation of the result of measurement, and a digital representation of the result of measurement.

26. The display device according to claim 19,

the color control unit having a function of using the first set of chromatic balance coordinates to control a display color when a natural image is displayed on the display portion, and using the second set of chromatic balance coordinates to control the display color when an image other than the natural image is displayed on the display portion;

and

the luminance control unit having a function of setting the luminance to be less than a target value when the natural image is displayed on the display portion, and setting the luminance to be greater than the target value when the image other than the natural image is displayed on the display portion.

27. An on-vehicle display device, having the configuration of the display device as set forth in claim 16 in a form installable in a vehicle.

28. The on-vehicle display device according to claim 27,

the on-vehicle display device being provided on an instrument panel in the vicinity of a driver'"'"'s seat in the vehicle.

29. An electronic apparatus including the display device as set forth in claim 16.

30. A display method, comprising:

setting at least two sets of chromatic balance coordinates defining reference colors for a display color on a display portion;

switching the at least two sets of chromatic balance coordinates to control a display color on the display portion by using one set of chromatic balance coordinates;

variably controlling a luminance of the display portion; and

controlling the switching of the at least two sets of chromatic balance coordinates and the variably controlling of the luminance so that the switching of the sets of chromatic balance coordinates and the variably controlling of the luminance are associated with each other.

31. The display method according to claim 30,

the at least two sets of chromatic balance coordinates including a first set of chromatic balance coordinates defining white and a second set of chromatic balance coordinates defining one of colors other than white;

when the luminance needs to be less than a predetermined threshold value, the first set of chromatic balance coordinates is used; and

when the luminance needs to be greater than the predetermined threshold value, the second set of chromatic balance coordinates is used.

32. The display method according to claim 31,

an image being displayed by using pixels, each pixel including at least two pixel components having different optical spectrum characteristics;

and

the second set of chromatic balance coordinates representing a color obtained by mixing, at a predetermined ratio, light components emitted by the pixel components of the pixel, and represents a color obtained by mixing the light components emitted by the pixel components, with the ratio of the light component of one pixel component set to be greater than the light components of the other pixel components, the one pixel component having the least long-term emission-luminance deterioration among the pixel components.

33. The display method according to claim 30,

an illumination in the vicinity of the display portion being detected;

and

the luminance being set to be greater than a target luminance when the illumination is greater than a predetermined reference value, and being set to be less than the target luminance when the illumination is less than the predetermined reference value.

34. The display method according to claim 31,

when the result of measurement by a measuring instrument is displayed, the second set of chromatic balance coordinates is used for display;

and

when information other than the result of the measurement is displayed for display, the first set of chromatic balance coordinates is used.