Color display panel and apparatus

• US 5,920,299 A
• Filed: 12/24/1996
• Issued: 07/06/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Aratani, Shuntaro, Inoue, Hiroshi, Ohshima, Masamichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Mark K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kovalick, Vincent E.
• Application Number:
  US08/772,777
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• Field of Search: 345/63, 345/72, 345/77, 345/84, 345/88, 345/89, 345/90, 345/147, 345/149, 345/150, 345/152, 345/431, 345/432, 349/85, 349/144
• US Class Current: 345/88
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0452 Details of colour pixel setup, e.g. pixel composed of a red, a blue and two green components
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0227 related to multiple interlacing, i.e. involving more fields than just one odd field and one even field
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/04 Partial updating of the display screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/103 Detection of image changes, e.g. determination of an index representative of the image change
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0428 Gradation resolution change
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/02 Graphics controller able to handle multiple formats, e.g. input or output formats
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2003 Display of colours specific for liquid crystal displays G09G3/3607
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2074 using sub-pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3629 using liquid crystals having memory effects, e.g. ferroelectric liquid crystals

Abstract

A color display panel has a multiplicity of pixels each including a first color dot composed of a plurality of sub-dots having mutually different areas and a second color dot composed of a plurality of sub-dots having mutually different areas. Each of the first and second color dots includes at least one first sub-dot and at least one second sub-dot having an effective area smaller than that of the first sub-dot. The first or second sub-dot of the second color dot is disposed between the first and second sub-dots of the second color dot. The thus-constituted color display panel allows easy resolution conversion and multi-level gradational display.

Claims

1. A display apparatus comprising:

a color display panel; and

drive means for driving said color display panel, wherein

said color display panel comprises a multiplicity of pixels each comprising a first color dot comprising a plurality of sub-dots having mutually different areas and a second color dot comprising a plurality of sub-dots having mutually different areas, wherein

each of the first and second color dots comprises at least one first sub-dot and at least one second sub-dot having an effective area smaller than that of the first sub-dot, and

the first or second sub-dot of the second color dot is disposed between the first and second sub-dots of the first color dot; and

said drive means for the display panel includes data signal supply means for,

in a high-resolution display mode, supplying data signals corresponding to date for one pixel among original picture data selectively to either one of the first and second sub-dots, and

in a low-resolution display mode, supplying data signals corresponding to the data for one pixel to both the first and second sub-dots.

2. A display apparatus according to claim 1, with each pixel further including a third color dot comprising a plurality of sub-dots having mutually different areas.

3. A display apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first to third color dots are in red, green and blue, respectively.

4. A display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each sub-dot has an area defined by a light-interrupting member and a color filter.

5. A display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each sub-dot is caused to have a display state determined by a combination of voltages applied to a scanning line and a data line associated with the sub-dot.

6. A display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each sub-dot assumes an optical state of either bright or dark.

7. A display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display panel is a liquid crystal display panel using a liquid crystal.

8. A display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display panel is a liquid crystal display panel using a nematic liquid crystal showing two metastable states.

9. A display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display panel is a liquid crystal display panel using a chiral smectic liquid crystal.

10. A display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each pixel further includes a third color dot comprising at least one first sub-dot are at least one second sub-dot having an effective area smaller than that of the first sub-dot.

11. A display apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the first or second sub-dots of the third color dot is further disposed between the first and second sub-dots of the first color dot.

12. A display apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the second sub-dot of the second color dot is disposed between the first sub-dot of the first color dot and the first sub-dot of the third sub-dot, and the first sub-dot of the second color dot is disposed between the second sub-dot of the third color dot and the first sub-dot of the second color dot.

13. A display apparatus according to claim 10, wherein each color dot further includes third and fourth sub-dots each having an effective area different from either of the effective areas of the first and second sub-dots, and the third and fourth sub-dots are disposed on columns on which the first and second sub-dots, respectively, are disposed.

14. A display apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the first and second sub-dots of each color dot are disposed on a common scanning line, and the third and fourth sub-dot of the color dots are disposed on another common scanning line.

15. A display apparatus according to claim 13, wherein each color dot further includes fifth and sixth sub-dots each having an effective area different from any of the effective areas of the first to fourth sub-dots.

16. A display apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the first and second sub-dots of each color dot are disposed on a first scanning line, the third and fourth sub-dots of the color dot are disposed on a second scanning line, and the fifth and fourth sub-dots of the color dot are disposed on a third scanning line.

17. A display apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the first, third and fifth sub-dots of each color dot are disposed on a first data line, and the second, fourth and sixth sub-dots of the color dot are disposed on a second data line.

18. A display apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said first and third sub-dots are simultaneously selected.

19. A display apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the first sub-dot has an effective area which is twice that of the second sub-dot for each color dot.

20. A display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first sub-dot of the first color dot is disposed adjacent to the second sub-dot of the second color dot.

21. A display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first sub-dot of the first color dot is disposed on a column, on which is provided a third sub-dot of the first color dot having an effective area different from either of the effective areas of the first and second sub-dots.

22. A display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second sub-dots of the first color dot and the first and second sub-dots of the second color dot are disposed on a common scanning line.

23. A display apparatus, comprising:

a color display panel; and

drive means for driving said color display panel, wherein

said color display panel comprises a multiplicity of pixels each comprising a first color dot comprising a plurality of sub-dots having mutually different areas and a second color dot comprising a plurality of sub-dots having mutually different areas;

wherein

each of the first and second color dots comprises at least one first sub-dot and at least one second sub-dot having an effective area smaller than that of the first sub-dot, and

the first or second sub-dot of the second color dot is disposed between the first and second sub-dots of the first color dot; and

said drive means for said color display panel includes data signal supply means for,

in a first gradation display mode, supplying data signals corresponding to data for one pixel among original picture data selectively to either one of the first and second sub-dots, and

in a second gradation display mode for displaying a larger number of gradation levels than in the first gradation display mode, supplying data signals corresponding to the data for one pixel to both the first and second sub-dots.

24. A display apparatus according to claim 23, with each pixel further including a third color dot comprising a plurality of sub-dots having mutually different areas.

25. A display apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the first to third color dots are in red, green and blue, respectively.

26. A display apparatus according to claim 23, wherein each sub-dot has an area defined by a light-interrupting member and a color filter.

27. A display apparatus according to claim 23, wherein each sub-dot is caused to have a display state determined by a combination of voltages applied to a scanning line and a data line associated with the sub-dot.

28. A display apparatus according to claim 23, wherein each sub-dot assumes an optical state of either bright or dark.

29. A display apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said display panel is a liquid crystal display panel using a liquid crystal.

30. A display apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said display panel is a liquid crystal display panel using a nematic liquid crystal showing two metastable states.

31. A display apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said display panel is a liquid crystal display panel using a chiral smectic liquid crystal.

32. A display apparatus according to claim 23, wherein each pixel further includes a third color dot comprising at least one first sub-dot and at least one second sub-dot having an effective area smaller than that of the first sub-dot.

33. A display apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the first or second sub-dots of the third color dot is further disposed between the first and second sub-dots of the first color dot.

34. A display apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the second sub-dot of the second color dot is disposed between the first sub-dot of the first color dot and the first sub-dot of the third sub-dot, and the first sub-dot of the second color dot is disposed between the second sub-dot of the third color dot and the first sub-dot of the second color dot.

35. A display apparatus according to claim 32, wherein each color dot further includes third and fourth sub-dots each having an effective area different from either of the effective areas of the first and second sub-dots, and the third and fourth sub-dots are disposed on columns on which the first and second sub-dots, respectively, are disposed.

36. A display apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the first and second sub-dots of each color dot are disposed on a common scanning line, and the third and fourth sub-dots of the color dot are disposed on another common scanning line.

37. A display apparatus according to claim 35, wherein each color dot further includes fifth and sixth sub-dots each having an effective area different from any of the effective areas of the first to fourth sub-dots.

38. A display apparatus according to claim 37, wherein the first and second sub-dots of each color dot are disposed on a first scanning line, the third and fourth sub-dots of the color dot are disposed on a second scanning line, and the fifth and fourth sub-dots of the color dot are disposed on a third scanning line.

39. A display apparatus according to claim 38, wherein the first, third and fifth sub-dots of each color dot are disposed on a first data line, and the second, fourth and sixth sub-dots of the color dot are disposed on a second data line.

40. A display apparatus according to claim 38, wherein said first and third sub-dots are simultaneously selected.

41. A display apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the first sub-dot has an effective area which is twice that of the second sub-dot for each color dot.

42. A display apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the first sub-dot of the first color dot is disposed adjacent to the second sub-dot of the second color dot.

43. A display apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the first sub-dot of the first color dot is disposed on a column, on which is provided a third sub-dot of the first color dot having an effective area different from either of the effective areas of the first and second sub-dots.

44. A display apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the first and second sub-dots of the first color dot and the first and second sub-dots of the second color dot are disposed on a common scanning line.