Organic electroluminescent image display device

• US 5,982,345 A
• Filed: 01/31/1997
• Issued: 11/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd., TDK Corporation
• Original Assignee: TDK Corporation
• Inventors: Arai, Michio, Takayama, Ichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Saras, Steven J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SURACI, JOHN F
• Application Number:
  US08/797,656
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• Field of Search: 345/76, 345/77, 345/60, 345/65, 345/74, 345/83, 345/208, 345/91, 345/87, 345/93, 313/336, 313/351, 313/506, 313/511, 313/513, 313/504, 313/500, 315/150, 564/309, 564/50
• US Class Current: 345/76
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0208 using active addressing
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0254 Control of polarity reversal in general, other than for liquid crystal displays
• 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 2320/043 Preventing or counteracting the effects of ageing
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0606 Manual adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3216 using a passive matrix
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/12 Active-matrix OLED [AMOLED] displays
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/17 Passive-matrix OLED displays
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/179 Interconnections, e.g. wiring lines or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/84 Parallel electrical configurations of multiple OLEDs
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/841 Applying alternating current [AC] during manufacturing or treatment

Abstract

An image display system having a plurality of light emitting cells (EL₁₁ -EL₄₄) each having a pair of Electro-Luminescence elements (e₁, e₂) coupled in parallel with each other with opposite polarities. The light emitting cells are arranged on a cross point of a matrix, which is addressed through an active addressing method in which a plurality of rows of the matrix are selected simultaneously, and alternate voltage is applied to the matrix.

Claims

1. An image display system comprising:

a plurality of light emitting cells having thin film structure arranged on a planar screen,

wherein each light emitting cell has at least a pair of light emitting elements each having the same rectifying characteristics, and

wherein at least two of said light emitting elements are coupled in parallel with each other with opposite polarities so that an anode of a first light emitting element is connected to a cathode of a second light emitting element and a cathode of the first light emitting element is connected to an anode of the second light emitting element, and

wherein said cells are located on each cross point of a matrix, which is addressed through an active addressing method in which a plurality of rows are selected simultaneously, and alternate voltage is applied to said matrix.

2. An image display system according to claim 1, wherein said light emitting elements in a cell are located on a plane.

3. An image display system according to claim 1, wherein said light emitting elements in a cell are laminated.

4. An image display system according to claim 3, wherein a common transparent electrode is sandwiched between two light emitting elements.

5. An image display system according to claim 1, wherein said light emitting element is an organic electro-luminescence element.