Display control circuit, electro-optical device, display device and display control method

• US 7,123,247 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2002
• Issued: 10/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Morita, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): LESPERANCE, JEAN E
• Application Number:
  US10/158,565
• Publication Number:
  US 20020196243A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,601 Days
• Field of Search: 345 87-100, 345/204, 345/205
• US Class Current: 345/204
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0842 forming a memory circuit, e.g. a dynamic memory with one capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0232 Special driving of display border areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/04 Partial updating of the display screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3233 with pixel circuitry controlling the current through the light-emitting element
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/325 the data current flowing through the driving transistor during a setting phase, e.g. by using a switch for connecting the driving transistor to the data driver
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3611 Control of matrices with row and column drivers
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3677 suitable for active matrices only
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3688 suitable for active matrices only
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

A display control circuit, an electro-optical device, a display device and a display control method, which can make a high image quality and a low power consumption compatible and which are suited for an active matrix type liquid crystal panel. An LCD controller comprises a control circuit, a RAM, a host I/O and an LCD I/O. The control circuit includes a command sequencer, a command setting register and a control signal generation circuit. The command setting register includes a signal driver setting register, a scan driver setting register and a control register. On the basis of the command setting register set by a host, the command sequencer sets a display area (or a non-display area) at a line block unit for a signal driver and a scan driver. The LCD controller supplies the image data corresponding to the set display area and controls the display timing for those drivers and a power circuit.

Claims

1. A display control circuit which controls display of an electro-optical device having pixels specified by 1st to N-th scan lines (N is a natural number) and 1st to M-th signal lines (M is a natural number) intersecting each other, the display control circuit comprising:

an area-block-display control data storing section which stores area-block-display control data used to set a display area or a non-display area in units of area blocks each of which includes a plurality of the signal lines and a plurality of the scan lines;

a controller which;

sets the display area or the non-display area in units of the area blocks on the basis of the area-block-display control data, for a scan drive circuit which sequentially performs scan-driving of at least part of the 1st to N-th scan lines corresponding to the display area;

and which sets the display area or the non-display area in units of the area blocks on the basis of the area-block-display control data, for a signal drive circuit which drives at least part of the 1st to M-th signal lines corresponding to the display area;

a band-partial-display control data holding section which holds band-partial-display control data used to set the display area or the non-display area in units of line blocks each of which includes a plurality of the scan lines; and

a mode switching section which performs switching between a first mode and a second mode;

wherein the display area or the non-display area is specified in units of the area blocks for the scan drive circuit and the signal drive circuit on the basis of the area-block-display control data, in the first mode; and

wherein the display area or the non-display area is specified in units of the line blocks for only the scan drive circuit of the scan drive circuit and the signal drive circuit on the basis of the band-partial-display control data, in the second mode.

2. An electro-optical device comprising:

pixels specified by 1st to N-th scan lines (N is a natural number) and 1st to M-th signal lines (M is a natural number) intersecting each other;

a scan drive circuit which performs scan-driving of the 1st to N-th scan lines;

a signal drive circuit which drives the 1st to M-th signal lines on the basis of image data; and

the display control circuit as defined in claim 1.

3. The electro-optical device as defined in claim 2, wherein the signal drive circuit includes:

a block output select data holding section which holds block output select data used to instruct whether or not signal-driving is performed in units of line blocks each of which includes a plurality of the signal lines;

a partial display data holding section which holds partial display data used to set a display area or a non-display area in units of line blocks each of which includes a plurality of the signal lines; and

a signal line drive section which makes an output to a signal line in a line block instructed not to perform signal-driving by the block output select data into the high impedance state, performs one of signal-driving based on image data and provision of a given non-display level voltage, on the basis of the partial display data, for a signal line in a line block instructed to perform signal-driving by the block output select data, and

wherein the display control circuit includes;

a block output select data setting section which sets the block output select data in the block output select data holding section of the signal drive circuit;

a partial display data conversion section which converts first partial display data which sets the display area or the non-display area in units of the line blocks, into second partial display data which is obtained by shifting data in a P-th block (P is a natural number) of the first partial display data to data in a (P+1)-th block, when the P-th block set as the display area is instructed not to perform signal-driving by the block output select data; and

a partial display data setting section which sets the second partial display data in the partial display data holding section of the signal drive circuit.

4. The electro-optical device as defined in claim 3, further comprising:

an image data generation section which generates second image data obtained by shifting image data in the P-th block of first image data supplied to the signal drive circuit as image data in (P+1)-th block, when the P-th block set as the display area by the first partial display data which sets the display area or the non-display area in units of line blocks each of which includes a plurality of the signal lines; and

an image data providing section which provides the second image data to the signal drive circuit.

5. A display device comprising:

an electro-optical device having pixels specified by 1st to N-th scan lines (N is a natural number) and 1st to M-th signal lines (M is a natural number) intersecting each other;

a scan drive circuit which performs scan-driving of the 1st to N-th scan lines;

a signal drive circuit which drives the 1st to M-th signal lines on the basis of image data; and

the display control circuit as defined in claim 1.

6. A display control circuit which controls display of an electro-optical device having pixels specified by 1st to N-th scan lines (N is a natural number) and 1st to M-th signal lines (M is a natural number) intersecting each other, the display control circuit comprising:

an area-block-display control data storing section which stores area-block-display control data used to set a display area or a non-display area in units of area blocks each of which includes a plurality of the signal lines and a plurality of the scan lines;

a controller which;

sets the display area or the non-display area in units of the area blocks on the basis of the area-block-display control data, for a scan drive circuit which sequentially performs scan-driving of at least part of the 1st to N-th scan lines corresponding to the display area; and

which sets the display area or the non-display area in units of the area blocks on the basis of the area-block-display control data, for a signal drive circuit which drives at least part of the 1st to M-th signal lines corresponding to the display area;

wherein the scan drive circuit is controlled such that scan-driving is performed on a display scan line which is at least part of the 1st to N-th scan lines corresponding to the display area, for every frame period, and that scan-driving is also performed on a non-display scan line which is at least part of the 1st to N-th scan lines except the display scan line, for every three or more odd frame periods from a given reference frame.

7. The display control circuit as defined in claim 6,

wherein the reference frame is next to a frame in which a given display control event has occurred.

8. The display control circuit as defined in claim 7,

wherein the scan drive circuit is controlled such that scan-driving is performed on the non-display scan line in the frame in which the display control event has occurred, for at least one scan period after the occurrence of the display control event.

9. The display control circuit as defined in claim 8,

wherein the display control event occurs on the basis of at least one of the generation, extinguishment, movement and size change of the display area or the non-display area.

10. The display control circuit as defined in claim 7,

wherein the display control event occurs on the basis of at least one of the generation, extinguishment, movement and size change of the display area or the non-display area.

11. A display control circuit which controls display of an electro-optical device having pixels specified by 1st to N-th scan lines (N is a natural number) and 1st to M-th signal lines (M is a natural number) intersecting each other, the display control circuit further comprising:

a band-partial-display control data holding section which holds band-partial-display control data used to set a display area or a non-display area in units of area blocks each of which includes a plurality of the scan lines; and

a controller which sets the display area or the non-display area in units of the area blocks on the basis of the band-partial-display control data, for a scan drive circuit which performs scan-driving of the 1st to N-th scan lines;

wherein the scan drive circuit is controlled such that scan-driving is performed on a display scan line which is at least part of the 1st to N-th scan lines corresponding to the display area, for every frame period, and that scan-driving is also performed on a non-display scan line which is at least part of the 1st to N-th scan lines except the display scan line, for every three or more odd frame periods from a given reference frame.

12. The display control circuit as defined in claim 11,

wherein the reference frame is next to a frame in which a given display control event has occurred.

13. The display control circuit as defined in claim 12,

wherein the scan drive circuit is controlled such that scan-driving is performed on the non-display scan line in the frame in which the display control event has occurred, for at least one scan period after the occurrence of the display control event.

14. The display control circuit as defined in claim 13,

wherein the display control event occurs on the basis of at least one of the generation, extinguishment, movement and size change of the display area or the non-display area.

15. The display control circuit as defined in claim 12,

wherein the display control event occurs on the basis of at least one of the generation, extinguishment, movement and size change of the display area or the non-display area.

16. An electro-optical device comprising:

pixels specified by 1st to N-th scan lines (N is a natural number) and 1st to M-th signal lines (M is a natural number) intersecting each other;

a scan drive circuit which performs scan-driving of the 1st to N-th scan lines;

a signal drive circuit which drives the 1st to M-th signal lines on the basis of image data; and

the display control circuit as defined in claim 11.

17. The electro-optical device as defined in claim 16, wherein the signal drive circuit includes:

a block output select data holding section which holds block output select data used to instruct whether or not signal-driving is performed in units of line blocks each of which includes a plurality of the signal lines;

a partial display data holding section which holds partial display data used to set a display area or a non-display area in units of line blocks each of which includes a plurality of the signal lines; and

a signal line drive section which makes an output to a signal line in a line block instructed not to perform signal-driving by the block output select data into the high impedance state, performs one of signal-driving based on image data and provision of a given non-display level voltage, on the basis of the partial display data, for a signal line in a line block instructed to perform signal-driving by the block output select data, and

wherein the display control circuit includes;

a block output select data setting section which sets the block output select data in the block output select data holding section of the signal drive circuit;

a partial display data conversion section which converts first partial display data which sets the display area or the non-display area in units of the line blocks, into second partial display data which is obtained by shifting data in a P-th block (P is a natural number) of the first partial display data to data in a (P+1)-th block, when the P-th block set as the display area is instructed not to perform signal-driving by the block output select data; and

a partial display data setting section which sets the second partial display data in the partial display data holding section of the signal drive circuit.

18. The electro-optical device as defined in claim 17, further comprising:

an image data generation section which generates second image data obtained by shifting image data in the P-th block of first image data supplied to the signal drive circuit as image data in (P+1)-th block, when the P-th block set as the display area by the first partial display data which sets the display area or the non-display area in units of line blocks each of which includes a plurality of the signal lines; and

an image data providing section which provides the second image data to the signal drive circuit.

19. A display device comprising:

an electro-optical device having pixels specified by 1st to N-th scan lines (N is a natural number) and 1st to M-th signal lines (M is a natural number) intersecting each other;

a scan drive circuit which performs scan-driving of the 1st to N-th scan lines;

a signal drive circuit which drives the 1st to M-th signal lines on the basis of image data; and

the display control circuit as defined in claim 11.

20. A display control circuit which controls display of an electro-optical device having pixels specified by 1st to N-th scan lines (N is a natural number) and 1st to M-th signal lines (M is a natural number) intersecting each other, the display control circuit comprising:

a controller which;

sets a display area or a non-display area for a scan drive circuit which performs scan-driving of the 1st to N-th scan lines; and

which controls the scan drive circuit such that scan-driving is performed on a display scan line which is at least part of the 1st to N-th scan lines corresponding to the display area, for every frame period, and that scan-driving is also performed on a non-display scan line which is at least part of the 1st to N-th scan lines except the display scan line, for every three or more odd frame periods from a given reference frame.

21. The display control circuit as defined in claim 20,

wherein the reference frame is next to a frame in which a given display control event has occurred.

22. The display control circuit as defined in claim 21,

wherein the scan drive circuit is controlled such that scan-driving is performed on the non-display scan line in the frame in which the display control event has occurred, for at least one scan period after the occurrence of the display control event.

23. The display control circuit as defined in claim 22,

wherein the display control event occurs on the basis of at least one of the generation, extinguishment, movement and size change of the display area or the non-display area.

24. The display control circuit as defined in claim 21,

wherein the display control event occurs on the basis of at least one of the generation, extinguishment, movement and size change of the display area or the non-display area.

25. An electro-optical device comprising:

pixels specified by 1st to N-th scan lines (N is a natural number) and 1st to M-th signal lines (M is a natural number) intersecting each other;

a scan drive circuit which performs scan-driving of the 1st to N-th scan lines;

a signal drive circuit which drives the 1st to M-th signal lines on the basis of image data; and

the display control circuit as defined in claim 20.

26. The electro-optical device as defined in claim 25, wherein the signal drive circuit includes:

a block output select data holding section which holds block output select data used to instruct whether or not signal-driving is performed in units of line blocks each of which includes a plurality of the signal lines;

a partial display data holding section which holds partial display data used to set a display area or a non-display area in units of line blocks each of which includes a plurality of the signal lines; and

a signal line drive section which makes an output to a signal line in a line block instructed not to perform signal-driving by the block output select data into the high impedance state, performs one of signal-driving based on image data and provision of a given non-display level voltage, on the basis of the partial display data, for a signal line in a line block instructed to perform signal-driving by the block output select data, and

wherein the display control circuit includes;

a block output select data setting section which sets the block output select data in the block output select data holding section of the signal drive circuit;

a partial display data conversion section which converts first partial display data which sets the display area or the non-display area in units of the line blocks, into second partial display data which is obtained by shifting data in a P-th block (P is a natural number) of the first partial display data to data in a (P+1)-th block, when the P-th block set as the display area is instructed not to perform signal-driving by the block output select data; and

a partial display data setting section which sets the second partial display data in the partial display data holding section of the signal drive circuit.

27. The electro-optical device as defined in claim 26, further comprising:

an image data generation section which generates second image data obtained by shifting image data in the P-th block of first image data supplied to the signal drive circuit as image data in (P+1)-th block, when the P-th block set as the display area by the first partial display data which sets the display area or the non-display area in units of line blocks each of which includes a plurality of the signal lines; and

an image data providing section which provides the second image data to the signal drive circuit.

28. A display device comprising:

an electro-optical device having pixels specified by 1st to N-th scan lines (N is a natural number) and 1st to M-th signal lines (M is a natural number) intersecting each other;

a scan drive circuit which performs scan-driving of the 1st to N-th scan lines;

a signal drive circuit which drives the 1st to M-th signal lines on the basis of image data; and

the display control circuit as defined in claim 20.

29. A display control circuit which controls display of an electro-optical device having pixels specified by 1st to N-th scan lines (N is a natural number) and 1st to M-th signal lines (M is a natural number) intersecting each other, the display control circuit comprising:

a band-partial-display control data holding section which holds band-partial-display control data used to set a display area or a non-display area in units of area blocks each of which includes a plurality of the scan lines; and

a controller which sets the display area or the non-display area in units of the area blocks on the basis of the band-partial-display control data, for a scan drive circuit which performs scan-driving of the 1st to N-th scan lines;

wherein the scan drive circuit is controlled such that scan-driving is performed on a display scan line which is at least part of the 1st to N-th scan lines corresponding to the display area, for every frame period, and that scan-driving is also performed on a non-display scan line which is at least part of the 1st to N-th scan lines except the display scan line, for every three or more odd frame periods from a frame which is next to another frame in which a given display control event has occurred;

wherein the scan drive circuit is controlled such that scan-driving is performed on the non-display scan line in the frame in which the display control event has occurred, for at least one scan period after the occurrence of the display control event; and

wherein the display control event occurs on the basis of at least one of the generation, extinguishment, movement and size change of the display area or the non-display area.

30. An electro-optical device comprising:

pixels specified by 1st to N-th scan lines (N is a natural number) and 1st to M-th signal lines (M is a natural number) intersecting each other;

a scan drive circuit which performs scan-driving of the 1st to N-th scan lines;

a signal drive circuit which drives the 1st to M-th signal lines on the basis of image data; and

the display control circuit as defined in claim 29.

31. A display device comprising:

an electro-optical device having pixels specified by 1st to N-th scan lines (N is a natural number) and 1st to M-th signal lines (M is a natural number) intersecting each other;

a scan drive circuit which performs scan-driving of the 1st to N-th scan lines;

a signal drive circuit which drives the 1st to M-th signal lines on the basis of image data; and

the display control circuit as defined in claim 29.

32. A display control circuit which controls display of an electro-optical device having pixels specified by 1st to N-th scan lines (N is a natural number) and 1st to M-th signal lines (M is a natural number) intersecting each other, the display control circuit comprising:

a controller which;

sets a display area or a non-display area for a scan drive circuit which performs scan-driving of the 1st to N-th scan lines; and

which controls the scan drive circuit such that scan-driving is performed on a display scan line which is at least part of the 1st to N-th scan lines corresponding to the display area, for every frame period, and that scan-driving is also performed on a non-display scan line which is at least part of the 1st to N-th scan lines except the display scan line, for every three or more odd frame periods from a given reference frame,

wherein the reference frame is next to another frame in which a given display control event has occurred;

wherein the scan drive circuit is controlled such that scan-driving is performed on the non-display scan line in the frame in which the display control event has occurred, for at least one scan period after the occurrence of the display control event; and

wherein the display control event occurs on the basis of at least one of the generation, extinguishment, movement and size change of the display area or the non-display area.

33. An electro-optical device comprising:

pixels specified by 1st to N-th scan lines (N is a natural number) and 1st to M-th signal lines (M is a natural number) intersecting each other;

a scan drive circuit which performs scan-driving of the 1st to N-th scan lines;

a signal drive circuit which drives the 1st to M-th signal lines on the basis of image data; and

the display control circuit as defined in claim 32.

34. A display device comprising:

an electro-optical device having pixels specified by 1st to N-th scan lines (N is a natural number) and 1st to M-th signal lines (M is a natural number) intersecting each other;

a scan drive circuit which performs scan-driving of the 1st to N-th scan lines;

a signal drive circuit which drives the 1st to M-th signal lines on the basis of image data; and

the display control circuit as defined in claim 32.

35. A display control method of controlling display of an electro-optical device having pixels specified by 1st to N-th scan lines (N is a natural number) and 1st to M-th signal lines (M is a natural number) intersecting each other, the method comprising:

specifying a display area or a non-display area for a signal drive circuit in units of line blocks each of which includes a plurality of the signal lines and for a scan drive circuit in units of line blocks each of which includes a plurality of the scan lines, the signal drive circuit driving 1st to M-th signal lines, and the scan drive circuit performing scan-driving on 1st to N-th scan lines; and

providing image data corresponding to the display area to the signal circuit;

wherein scan-driving is performed on the basis of the image data;

wherein a given non-display level voltage is applied to a signal line in a line block set as the non-display area, and signal-driving is performed on a signal line in a line block set as the display area with a drive voltage corresponding to the image data; and

wherein scan-driving is performed on a scan line in a line block set as the display area for every frame period, and also scan-driving is performed on a scan lines in a line block set as the non-display area for every three or more odd frame periods from a given reference frame.

36. The display control method as defined in claim 35,

wherein the reference frame is next to a frame in which a given display control event has occurred.

37. The display control method as defined in claim 36,

wherein scan-driving is performed on the non-display scan line in the frame in which the display control event has occurred, for at least one scan period after the occurrence of the display control event.

38. The display control method as defined in claim 36,

wherein the display control event occurs on the basis of at least one of the generation, extinguishment, movement and size change of the display area or the non-display area.

39. A display control method of controlling display of an electro-optical device having pixels specified by 1st to N-th scan lines (N is a natural number) and 1st to M-th signal lines (M is a natural number) intersecting each other,

wherein a display area or a non-display area is set an area of the pixels;

and

wherein scan-driving is performed on a display scan line which is at least part of the 1st to N-th scan lines corresponding to the display area, for every frame period, and scan-driving is also performed on a non-display scan line which is at least part of the 1st to N-th scan lines except the display scan line, for every three or more odd frame periods from a given reference frame.

40. The display control method as defined in claim 39,

wherein the reference frame is next to a frame in which a given display control event has occurred.

41. A display control method of controlling display of an electro-optical device having pixels specified by 1st to N-th scan lines (N is a natural number) and 1st to M-th signal lines (M is a natural number) intersecting each other,

wherein a display area or a non-display area is set an area of the pixels;

and

wherein scan-driving is performed on a non-display scan line which is at least part of the 1st to N-th scan lines except the display scan line, for every three or more odd frame periods from a frame which is next to another frame in which a given display control event has occurred;

wherein scan-driving is performed on the non-display scan line in the frame in which the display control event has occurred, for at least one scan period after the occurrence of the display control event; and

wherein the display control event occurs on the basis of at least one of the generation, extinguishment, movement and size change of the display area or the non-display area.