Method and apparatus for stereoscopic display employing an array of pixels each employing an organic light emitting diode

• US 20070035483A1
• Filed: 08/09/2005
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sin-Min Chang
• Original Assignee: Sin-Min Chang
• Inventors: Chang, Sin-Min
• Granted Patent: US 7,345,659 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/76
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/24 involving temporal multiplexing, e.g. using sequentially activated left and right shutters
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/36 using refractive optical elements, e.g. prisms, in the optical path between the images and the observer
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0814 used for selection purposes, e.g. logical AND for partial update
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0842 forming a memory circuit, e.g. a dynamic memory with one capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0852 being a dynamic memory with more than one capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0256 with the purpose of reversing the voltage across a light emitting or modulating element within a pixel
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/061 for resetting or blanking
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/043 Preventing or counteracting the effects of ageing
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/30 using electroluminescent panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3233 with pixel circuitry controlling the current through the light-emitting element
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/341 using temporal multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof

Abstract

An improved stereoscopic display apparatus and methodology includes an array of OLED-based pixels that are cleared (i.e., placed in a “dark” state) before being loaded with the desired analog voltage potential signal for display during both left perspective image display periods and right perspective image display periods. In this manner, cross-frame image interference between the left and right perspective images is avoided and the quality of the stereoscopic viewing experience is improved. In another aspect, an improved stereoscopic display apparatus and methodology includes an array of OLED-based pixels. During right perspective image display periods, the pixels of the array are loaded with analog voltage potential signals corresponding to a left perspective image while displaying the preceding right perspective image. Likewise, during left perspective image display periods, the pixels of the array are loaded with analog voltage potential signals corresponding to a right perspective image while displaying the preceding left perspective image. In this manner, cross-frame image interference is avoided and the left and right perspective image display periods can be expanded.

Claims

1. A display apparatus comprising:

means for receiving at least one video signal representing a sequence of image pairs including a left perspective image and a right perspective image;

an array of pixels, each pixel comprising first and second drive transistors with corresponding control electrodes, a first storage capacitor coupled to the control electrode of the first drive transistor, and a second storage capacitor coupled to the control electrode of the second drive transistor;

means for deriving a first set of analog voltage signals for the pixels of said array in accordance with corresponding portions of said at least one video signal representing a left perspective image;

first means, operating during a right perspective image display period, for loading the first set of analog voltage signals into the first storage capacitors of the corresponding pixels of the array concurrently with driving the organic light emitting diodes with current supplied by the second drive transistors of the pixels of the array in accordance with analog voltage signals stored by the second storage capacitors of the pixels of the array;

means for deriving a second set of analog voltage signals for the pixels of said array in accordance with corresponding portions of said at least one video signal representing a right perspective image; and

second means, operating during a left perspective image display period, for loading the second set of analog voltage signals into the second storage capacitors of the corresponding pixels of the array concurrently with driving the organic light emitting diodes with current supplied by the first drive transistors of the pixels of the array in accordance with analog voltage signals stored by the first storage capacitors of the pixels of the array.

2. A display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the array comprises a plurality of gate line pairs each corresponding to a unique row of pixels, a plurality of source lines each corresponding to a unique column of pixels, and first and second control lines shared by all of the pixels, each pixel further comprising third, fourth and fifth and sixth transistors, the third transistor having a control electrode and one gate line of a corresponding gate line pair electrically coupled thereto for selective activation of a conduction path from a corresponding source line to the first storage capacitor, the fourth transistor having a control electrode and the first control line electrically coupled thereto for selective activation of a conduction path through the first drive transistor to the organic light emitting diode device, the fifth transistor having a control electrode and the other gate line of a corresponding gate line pair electrically coupled thereto for selective activation of a conduction path from the corresponding source line to the second storage capacitor, and the sixth transistor having a control electrode and the second control line electrically coupled thereto for selective activation of a conduction path through the second drive transistor to the organic light emitting diode device;

the first means comprises column driver circuitry that is adapted to supply voltage potential signals to the source lines of said array and gate driver circuitry that is adapted to i) activate the one gate line of the corresponding gate line pair to load the voltage potential signals from the source lines into the first storage capacitors of the pixels of the array, and ii) activate the second control line to drive the organic light emitting diodes with current supplied by the second drive transistors of the pixels of the array in accordance with analog voltage signals stored by the second storage capacitors of the pixels of the array; and

the second means comprises column driver circuitry that is adapted to supply voltage potential signals to the source lines of said array and gate driver circuitry that is adapted to i) activate the other gate line of the corresponding gate line pair to load the voltage potential signals from the source lines into the second storage capacitors of the pixels of the array, and ii) activate the first control line to drive the organic light emitting diodes with current supplied by the first drive transistors of the pixels of the array in accordance with analog voltage signals stored by the first storage capacitors of the pixels of the array.

3. A display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for communicating a synchronization signal to shutter glasses.

4. A display apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

shutter glasses that operate in a left view mode and a right view mode, and that include means for receiving the synchronization signal and using the synchronization signal to synchronize the left and right view modes with the left and right perspective image display periods, respectively.

5. A display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for generating the at least one video signal.

6. A display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein”

the at least one video signal comprises a frame sequential stereo video signal.

7. A display method comprising:

receiving at least one video signal representing a sequence of image pairs including a left perspective image and a right perspective image;

providing an array of pixels, each pixel comprising first and second drive transistors with corresponding control electrodes, a first storage capacitor coupled to the control electrode of the first drive transistor, and a second storage capacitor coupled to the control electrode of the second drive transistor;

deriving a first set of analog voltage signals for the pixels of said array in accordance with corresponding portions of said at least one video signal representing a left perspective image;

during a right perspective image display period, loading the first set of analog voltage signals into the first storage capacitors of the corresponding pixels of the array concurrently with driving the organic light emitting diodes with current supplied by the second drive transistors of the pixels of the array in accordance with analog voltage signals stored by the second storage capacitors of the pixels of the array;

deriving a second set of analog voltage signals for the pixels of said array in accordance with corresponding portions of said at least one video signal representing a right perspective image; and

during a left perspective image display period, loading the second set of analog voltage signals into the second storage capacitors of the corresponding pixels of the array concurrently with driving the organic light emitting diodes with current supplied by the first drive transistors of the pixels of the array in accordance with analog voltage signals stored by the first storage capacitors of the pixels of the array.

8. A display method according to claim 7, wherein:

the array comprises a plurality of gate line pairs each corresponding to a unique row of pixels, a plurality of source lines each corresponding to a unique column of pixels, and first and second control lines shared by all of the pixels, each pixel further comprising third, fourth and fifth and sixth transistors, the third transistor having a control electrode and one gate line of a corresponding gate line pair electrically coupled thereto for selective activation of a conduction path from a corresponding source line to the first storage capacitor, the fourth transistor having a control electrode and the first control line electrically coupled thereto for selective activation of a conduction path through the first drive transistor to the organic light emitting diode device, the fifth transistor having a control electrode and the other gate line of a corresponding gate line pair electrically coupled thereto for selective activation of a conduction path from the corresponding source line to the second storage capacitor, and the sixth transistor having a control electrode and the second control line electrically coupled thereto for selective activation of a conduction path through the second drive transistor to the organic light emitting diode device;

during the right perspective image display period, voltage potential signals are supplied to the source lines of said array and gate driver circuitry and the one gate line of the corresponding gate line pair is activated to load the voltage potential signals from the source lines into the first storage capacitors of the pixels of the array, and the second control line is activated to drive the organic light emitting diodes with current supplied by the second drive transistors of the pixels of the array in accordance with analog voltage signals stored by the second storage capacitors of the pixels of the array; and

during the left perspective image display period, voltage potential signals are supplied to the source lines of said array and the other gate line of the corresponding gate line pair is activated to load the voltage potential signals from the source lines into the second storage capacitors of the pixels of the array, and the first control line is activated to drive the organic light emitting diodes with current supplied by the first drive transistors of the pixels of the array in accordance with analog voltage signals stored by the first storage capacitors of the pixels of the array.

9. A display method according to claim 7, further comprising:

communicating a synchronization signal to shutter glasses.

10. A display method according to claim 9, further comprising:

receiving the synchronization signal at the shutter glasses and using the synchronization signal to synchronize left and right view modes with the left and right perspective image display periods, respectively.

11. A display method according to claim 7, further comprising:

generating the at least one video signal.

12. A display method according to claim 7, wherein:

the at least one stereo signal comprises a frame sequential stereo signal.