PIXEL CIRCUIT, DRIVING METHOD THEREOF AND DISPLAY DEVICE

• US 20200135109A1
• Filed: 06/18/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd., Hefei Xinsheng Optoelectronics Technology Company Limited (BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd., Hefei Xinsheng Optoelectronics Technology Company Limited (BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: YUAN, Zhidong, LI, Yongqian, LI, Meng, YUAN, Can, XU, Haixia, WANG, Jun, FENG, Xuehuan
• Granted Patent: US 10,872,568 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0426 Layout of electrodes and connections
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/043 Compensation electrodes or other additional electrodes in matrix displays related to distortions or compensation signals, e.g. for modifying TFT threshold voltage in column driver
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/061 for resetting or blanking
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0295 by monitoring each display pixel
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3233 with pixel circuitry controlling the current through the light-emitting element
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3258 with pixel circuitry controlling the voltage across the light-emitting element
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3266 Details of drivers for scan electrodes

Abstract

A pixel circuit, a driving method and a display device. The pixel circuit includes a light emitting unit; a drive transistor configured to drive the light emitting unit to emit light to display an image frame; and a control circuit configured to control the drive transistor according to signals on control lines. The method of controlling includes: resetting, in a reset stage of an image frame, a voltage of the first electrode of the drive transistor by applying a reset voltage, and sensing, in a sense stage, a threshold voltage of the drive transistor by applying a reference voltage. The control circuit is further configured to control, in an offset elimination stage at the beginning of the image frame and prior to the reset stage, the drive transistor to be switched off, which was in an ON state at the end of a previous image frame.

Claims

1. A pixel circuit, comprising:

a light emitting unit;

a drive transistor comprising a first electrode being connected to a first terminal of the light emitting unit, and configured to drive the light emitting unit to emit light so as to display an image frame; and

a control circuit connected with a gate of the drive transistor and the first electrode of the drive transistor and configured to control the drive transistor according to signals of control lines, the controlling comprising;

resetting, in a reset stage of the image frame, a voltage of the first electrode of the drive transistor by applying a reset voltage, and sensing, in a sense stage, a threshold voltage of the drive transistor by applying a reference voltage,

the control circuit being further configured to control, in an offset elimination stage arranged at the beginning of the image frame and prior to the reset stage, the drive transistor to be switched off, which drive transistor was in an ON state at the end of a previous image frame.

2. The pixel circuit according to claim 1, wherein the drive transistor comprises a second electrode being connected to a first voltage terminal, a second terminal of the light emitting unit is connected to a second voltage terminal, and the control lines comprises a first gate line, a second gate line, a data line and a sense line, the control circuit further comprising:

a first transistor, comprising a gate being connected to the first gate line, a first electrode being connected to the date line, and a second electrode being connected to the gate of the drive transistor, and the first transistor being configured to be switched off under control of the first gate line in the offset elimination stage; and

a second transistor, comprising a gate being connected to the second gate line, a first electrode being connected to the first electrode of the drive transistor, a second electrode being connected to the sense line, and the second transistor being configured to be switched on under control of the second gate line in the offset elimination stage such that the first electrode of the drive transistor conductively connects with the sense line and the voltage of the first electrode of the drive transistor is elevated by charging a parasitic capacitor of the sense line;

wherein the drive transistor is configured to be switched off in the offset elimination stage when the voltage of the first electrode of the drive transistor is elevated to a level that makes a gate-source voltage of the drive transistor smaller than a threshold voltage.

3. The pixel circuit according to claim 2, wherein the first transistor is further configured to be switched on under control of the first gate line in the reset stage to output the reference voltage on the data line to the gate of the drive transistor;

the second transistor is further configured to be switched on under control of the second gate line in the reset stage to output the reset voltage on the sense line to the first electrode of the drive transistor; and

the reference voltage and the reset voltage are so set that the drive transistor is switched on.

4. The pixel circuit according to claim 2, wherein the first transistor is further configured to be switched on under control of the first gate line in the sense stage to output the reference voltage to the gate of the drive transistor;

the second transistor is further configured to be switched off under control of the second gate line in the sense stage to elevate the voltage of the first electrode of the drive transistor from the reset voltage; and

the drive transistor is configured to be switched off in the sense stage when the voltage of the first electrode of the drive transistor is elevated to a level that makes the gate-source voltage of the drive transistor smaller than the threshold voltage.

5. The pixel circuit according to claim 2, further comprising:

a tank circuit, comprising a first terminal being connected to the gate of the drive transistor, and a second terminal being connected to the first electrode of the drive transistor,

wherein the first transistor is configured to be switched on under control of the first gate line in a data-writing stage subsequent to the sense stage so as to store the data voltage of the data line in the tank circuit.

6. The pixel circuit according to claim 5, wherein the first transistor is configured to be switched off under control of the first gate line in a light emitting stage subsequent to the data-writing stage, the second transistor is configured to be switched off under control of the second gate line in the light emitting stage, and the tank circuit is configured to discharge the gate of the drive transistor in the light emitting stage to keep the drive transistor switched on, so as to drive the light emitting unit to emit light.

7. The pixel circuit according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting unit is an organic light emitting diode.

8. The pixel circuit according to claim 3, wherein the first transistor is further configured to be switched on under control of the first gate line in the sense stage to output the reference voltage to the gate of the drive transistor;

the second transistor is further configured to be switched off under control of the second gate line in the sense stage to elevate the voltage of the first electrode of the drive transistor from the reset voltage; and

the drive transistor is configured to be switched off in the sense stage when the voltage of the first electrode of the drive transistor is elevated to a level that makes the gate-source voltage of the drive transistor smaller than the threshold voltage.

9. A method for driving a pixel circuit according to claim 1, the method comprising:

resetting, in the reset stage, a voltage of the first electrode of the drive transistor by applying the reference voltage and the reset voltage, and

sensing, in the sense stage, the threshold voltage of the drive transistor by applying the reference voltage,

the method further comprising;

controlling, in an offset elimination stage that is arranged at the beginning of the image frame and prior to the reset stage, the drive transistor to be switched off, which drive transistor was in an ON state at the end of a previous image frame.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein in the pixel circuit, a second electrode of the drive transistor is connected to a first voltage terminal, a second terminal of the light emitting unit is connected to a second voltage terminal, and the control lines comprise a first gate line, a second gate line, a data line and a sense line, and the control circuit further comprises:

a first transistor comprising a gate being connected to the first gate line, a first electrode being connected to the data line, and a second electrode being connected to the gate of the drive transistor;

a second transistor comprising a gate being connected to the second gate line, a first electrode being connected to the first electrode of the drive transistor, and a second electrode being connected to the sense line;

the drive transistor being configured to be switched off in the offset elimination stage when the voltage of the first electrode of the drive transistor is elevated to a level that makes a gate-source voltage of the drive transistor smaller than the threshold voltage,

wherein in the offset elimination stage the method comprises;

inputting an OFF signal into the first gate line to control the first transistor to be switched off;

inputting an ON signal into the second gate line to control the second transistor to be switched on such that the first electrode of the drive transistor conductively connects with the sense line and the voltage of the first electrode of the drive transistor is elevated by charging a parasitic capacitor of the sense line.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein in the reset stage the method comprises:

inputting an ON signal into the first gate line and a reference voltage into the data line to switch on the first transistor and output the reference voltage to the gate of the drive transistor;

inputting an ON signal into the second gate line and a reset voltage into the sense line to switch on the second transistor and output the reset voltage to the first electrode of the drive transistor;

in the sense stage the method comprises;

inputting an ON signal into the first gate line and a reference voltage into the data line to switch on the first transistor and output the reference voltage to the gate of the drive transistor;

inputting an OFF signal into the second gate line to switch off the second transistor, so as to elevate the voltage of the first electrode of the drive transistor from the reset voltage, and the drive transistor being switched off when the voltage of the first electrode of the drive transistor is elevated to a level that makes the gate-source voltage of the drive transistor smaller than the threshold voltage.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the pixel circuit comprises a tank circuit comprising a first terminal being connected to the gate of the drive transistor and a second terminal being connected to the first electrode of the drive transistor, and

after the sense stage, the method further comprises:

in the data-writing stage, inputting an ON signal into the first gate line and a data voltage into the data line to switch on the first transistor and store the data voltage in the tank circuit;

in the light emitting stage, inputting an OFF signal into the first gate line and the second gate line and continuously discharging the gate of the drive transistor by the tank circuit to keep the drive transistor switched on, so as to drive the light emitting unit to emit light.

13. A display device comprising the pixel circuit according to claim 1.

14. The display device according to claim 13, wherein the drive transistor comprises a second electrode being connected to a first voltage terminal, a second terminal of the light emitting unit is connected to a second voltage terminal, and the control line comprises a first gate line, a second gate line, a data line and a sense line, the control circuit further comprising:

a first transistor comprising a gate being connected to the first gate line, a first electrode being connected to the date line, a second electrode being connected to the gate of the drive transistor, and the first transistor being configured to be switched off under control of the first gate line in the offset elimination stage;

a second transistor comprising a gate being connected to the second gate line, a first electrode being connected to the first electrode of the drive transistor, a second electrode being connected to the sense line, and the second transistor being configured to be switched on under control of the second gate line in the offset elimination stage such that the first electrode of the drive transistor conductively connects with the sense line and the voltage of the first electrode of the drive transistor is elevated by charging a parasitic capacitor of the sense line;

the drive transistor being configured to be switched off in the offset elimination stage when the voltage of the first electrode of the drive transistor is elevated to a level that makes a gate-source voltage of the drive transistor smaller than the threshold voltage.

15. The display device according to claim 14, wherein the first transistor is further configured to be switched on under control of the first gate line in the reset stage so as to output the reference voltage on the data line to the gate of the drive transistor;

the second transistor is further configured to be switched on under control of the second gate line in the reset stage so as to output the reset voltage on the sense line to the first electrode of the drive transistor;

the reference voltage and the reset voltage are so set that the drive transistor is switched on.

16. The display device according to claim 14, wherein the first transistor is further configured to be switched on under control of the first gate line in the sense stage to output the reference voltage to the gate of the drive transistor;

the second transistor is further configured to be switched off under control of the second gate line in the sense stage to elevate the voltage of the first electrode of the drive transistor from the reset voltage;

the drive transistor is configured to be switched off in the sense stage when the voltage of the first electrode of the drive transistor is elevated to a level that makes the gate-source voltage of the drive transistor smaller than the threshold voltage.

17. The display device according to claim 14, further comprising:

a tank circuit comprising a first terminal being connected to the gate of the drive transistor, and a second terminal being connected to the first electrode of the drive transistor,

wherein the first transistor is configured to be switched on under control of the first gate line in a data-writing stage subsequent to the sense stage so as to store the data voltage of the data line in the tank circuit.

18. The display device according to claim 17, wherein the first transistor is configured to be switched off under control of the first gate line in a light emitting stage subsequent to the data-writing stage, the second transistor is configured to be switched off under control of the second gate line in the light emitting stage, and the tank circuit is configured to discharge the gate of the drive transistor in the light emitting stage to keep the drive transistor switched on, so as to drive the light emitting unit to emit light.

19. The display device according to claim 13, wherein the light emitting unit is an organic light emitting diode.

20. The display device according to claim 15, wherein the first transistor is further configured to be switched on under control of the first gate line in the sense stage to output the reference voltage to the gate of the drive transistor;

the second transistor is further configured to be switched off under control of the second gate line in the sense stage to elevate the voltage of the first electrode of the drive transistor from the reset voltage;

the drive transistor is configured to be switched off in the sense stage when the voltage of the first electrode of the drive transistor is elevated to a level that makes the gate-source voltage of the drive transistor smaller than the threshold voltage.