Panel module and the power saving method used thereon

• US 20070273682A1
• Filed: 01/24/2007
• Published: 11/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AU Optronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: AU Optronics Corporation
• Inventors: Yi, Chien-Yu, Shen, Kuo-Liang
• Granted Patent: US 7,893,933 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/211
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/022 in absence of operation, e.g. no data being entered during a predetermined time
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0435 Change or adaptation of the frame rate of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3611 Control of matrices with row and column drivers
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3696 Generation of voltages supplied to electrode drivers

Abstract

A panel module and the power saving method used thereon, which use a timing controller to receive and compare a first frame image data and a second frame image data in order to obtain an image data comparison result and accordingly determine whether a plurality of source drivers, a plurality of gate drivers and a DC-DC converter have to enter a power saving mode.

Claims

1. A power saving method for a panel module, comprising the steps of:

(A) using a timing controller to receive a first frame image data and a second frame image data;

(B) using the timing controller to compare the first frame image data and the second frame image data to obtain an image data comparison result; and

(C) determining whether a plurality of driving circuitry devices enter a power saving mode according to the image data comparison result.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the driving circuitry device includes at least one of a source driver, a gate driver, and a DC-DC converter.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the driving circuitry devices include a plurality of source drivers, a plurality of gate drivers, and a DC-DC converter;

the DC-DC converter powers the gate drivers to output a plurality of gate control signals, and the source drivers to output a plurality of source control signals.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein in the step (C) when the image data comparison result indicates that the second frame image data relative to the first frame image data is of a dynamic frame, the timing controller controls the source drivers, the gate drivers and the DC-DC converter to enter a regular operating mode.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein in the step (C) when the image data comparison result indicates that the second frame image data relative to the first frame image data is of a static frame, the timing controller controls the source drivers, the gate drivers and the DC-DC converter to enter the power saving mode.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein in the step (C) when the image data comparison result indicates that the second frame image data relative to the first frame image data is of a partial dynamic frame, the timing controller controls the gate drivers not associated with the partial dynamic frame to enter the power saving mode.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the power saving mode indicates changing a regular refreshing frequency into a predetermined refreshing frequency, which is lower than the regular refreshing frequency.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein in the step (C) when the image data comparison result indicates that at least one static picture is contained, the driving circuitry devices corresponding to the at least one static picture are controlled to reduce a refreshing frequency applied to the at least one static picture.

9. A panel module, comprising:

a display panel;

a plurality of source drivers, each of the source drivers being electrically connected to the display panel;

a plurality of gate drivers, each of the gate drivers being electrically connected to the display panel;

a DC-DC converter electrically connected to the source drivers and the gate drivers in order to power the drivers; and

a timing controller electrically connected to the source drivers, the gate drivers and the DC-DC converter for controlling operating modes thereof, and for receiving and comparing a first frame image data and a second frame image data to obtain an image data comparison result to determine whether the source drivers, the gate drivers and the DC-DC converter enter a power saving mode.

10. The panel module of claim 9, wherein when the image data comparison result indicates that the second frame image data relative to the first frame image data is of a dynamic frame, the timing controller controls the source drivers, the gate drivers and the DC-DC converter to enter a regular operating mode.

11. The panel module of claim 9, wherein when the image data comparison result indicates that the second frame image data relative to the first frame image data is of a static frame, the timing controller controls the source drivers, the gate drivers and the DC-DC converter to enter the power saving mode.

12. The panel module of claim 9, wherein when the image data comparison result indicates that the second frame image data relative to the first frame image data is of a partial dynamic frame, the timing controller controls the gate drivers not associated with the partial dynamic frame to enter the power saving mode.

13. The panel module of claim 9, wherein the power saving mode indicates changing a regular refreshing frequency into a predetermined refreshing frequency, which is lower than the regular refreshing frequency.

14. The panel module of claim 9, wherein the display panel is divided into a plurality of driving areas, and each driving area is under the control of one of the source drivers and one of the gate drivers.

15. The panel module of claim 14, wherein when the image data comparison result indicates that a part or parts of the second frame image data relative to the first frame image data is of a partial dynamic frame, the timing controller controls the gate and the source drivers associated with the driving areas corresponding to the partial dynamic frame to enter a regular operating mode.

16. The panel module of claim 15, wherein the timing controller controls the gate drivers associated with the other driving areas to enter the power saving mode.

17. The panel module of claim 9, further comprising a frame buffer electrically connected to the timing controller for temporarily storing a frame image data received by the timing controller.

18. The panel module of claim 9, wherein when the image data comparison result indicates that at least one static picture is contained, the timing controller controls the source drivers, the gate drivers and the DC-DC converter, which correspond to at least one static picture, to reduce a refreshing frequency applied to the at least one static picture.

19. A power saving method for a panel module, the panel module having a display module, a plurality of source drivers, a plurality of gate drivers and a DC-DC converter, the method comprising the steps of:

(A) using the timing controller to receive a frame image data;

(B) using the timing controller to compare the frame image data and a previous frame image data to obtain an image data comparison result for determining whether to enter-a power saving mode; and

(C) using the timing controller to control the gate drivers corresponding to at least one static picture in order to reduce a refreshing frequency applied to the at least one static picture when the image data comparison result indicates the at least one static picture contained and entering the power saving mode is determined.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein in the step (C) when the image data comparison result indicates that the frame image data relative to the previous frame image data is of a static frame, the timing controller controls the source drivers, the gate drivers and the DC-DC converter to enter the power saving mode.