Display device

• US 7,236,164 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2002
• Issued: 06/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Keystone Technology LLC
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Kimura, Mutsumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala; Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kovalick; Vincent E.
• Application Number:
  US10/321,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20030071772A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,651 Days
• Field of Search: 345/7, 345/55, 345/76, 345/77, 345/80, 345/90, 345/92, 345/147, 345/214, 315/169.3
• US Class Current: 345/214
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0417 Special arrangements specific to the use of low carrier mobility technology
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0852 being a dynamic memory with more than one capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/027 Details of drivers for data electrodes, the drivers handling digital grey scale data, e.g. use of D/A converters
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0233 Improving the luminance or brightness uniformity across the screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2074 using sub-pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3258 with pixel circuitry controlling the voltage across the light-emitting element
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3291 in which the data driver supplies a variable data voltage for setting the current through, or the voltage across, the light-emitting elements

Abstract

In a display device in accordance with the present invention, each pixel includes a plurality of luminescent elements having different luminous intensities to represent gray scales by controlling the turning ON/OFF of the luminescent elements. A digital signal is transmitted to each pixel to carry out control by thin film transistors connected in series with the luminescent elements. The luminous intensities of the luminescent elements are the geometric progressions of a common ratio of 2. The ON resistance of the thin film transistors is set to be lower than the ON resistance of the luminescent elements, while the OFF resistance of the thin film transistors is set to be higher than the OFF resistance of the luminescent elements. These features have reduced the nonuniformity in the luminous intensities of the luminescent elements caused by the nonuniformity in the conductance of the transistors, thus achieving improved image quality.

Claims

1. A display device, comprising:

a plurality of scanning lines;

a plurality of signal lines;

a plurality of pixels;

each pixel of the plurality of pixels comprising;

a first thin film transistor having a first gate electrode that is connected to a corresponding scanning line of the plurality of scanning lines;

a luminescent element; and

a second thin film transistor connected to the luminescent element in series and controlling current flow to the luminescent element,

a digital signal from a corresponding signal line of the plurality of signal lines being transmitted to a retention capacitor through the first thin film transistor when the corresponding scanning line is selected,

a gate of the second thin film transistor being connected to the retention capacitor,

the luminescent element emitting a light by a direct current flowing through the second thin film transistor in an ON state, and

the resistance of the second thin film transistor in the ON state being lower than that of the luminescent element.

2. The display device according to claim 1, the luminescent element being an organic EL element.

3. A display device, comprising:

a plurality of scanning lines;

a plurality of signal lines;

a plurality of pixels;

each pixel of the plurality of pixels comprising;

a first thin film transistor having a first gate electrode that is connected to a corresponding scanning line of the plurality of scanning lines;

a luminescent element; and

a second thin film transistor connected to the luminescent element in series and controlling current flow to the luminescent element,

a digital signal from a corresponding signal line of the plurality of signal lines being transmitted to a retention capacitor through the first thin film transistor when the corresponding scanning line is selected,

a gate of the second thin film transistor being connected to the retention capacitor,

the luminescent element emitting a light by a direct current flowing through the second thin film transistor in an ON state,

the luminescent element being in an OFF state and emitting no light when the second thin film transistor is in an OFF state, and

the resistance of the second thin film transistor in the OFF state being higher than that of the luminescent element in the OFF state.

4. The display device according to claim 3, the luminescent element being an organic EL element.

5. A display device, comprising:

a plurality of scanning lines;

a plurality of signal lines;

a plurality of pixels;

each pixel of the plurality of pixels comprising;

a first thin film transistor having a first gate electrode that is connected to a corresponding scanning line of the plurality of scanning lines;

a luminescent element; and

a second thin film transistor connected to the luminescent element in series and controlling current flow to the luminescent element,

a digital signal from a corresponding signal line of the plurality of signal lines being transmitted to a retention capacitor through the first thin film transistor when the corresponding scanning line is selected,

a gate of the second thin film transistor being connected to the retention capacitor,

the luminescent element emitting a light by a direct current flowing through the second thin film transistor in an ON state,

the luminescent element being in an OFF state and emitting no light when the second thin film transistor is in an OFF state,

the resistance of the second thin film transistor in the ON state being lower than that of the luminescent element, and

the resistance of the second thin film transistor in the OFF state being higher than that of the luminescent element in the OFF state.

6. The display device according to claim 5, the luminescent element being an organic EL element.

7. A display device, comprising:

a plurality of scanning lines;

a plurality of signal lines that convey a digital signal;

a plurality of pixels;

each pixel of the plurality of pixels comprising;

a plurality of luminescent elements; and

a plurality of thin film transistors connected to the plurality of luminescent elements in series and controlling current flow to the luminescent elements,

each of the plurality of luminescent elements emitting a light by a direct current flowing through a corresponding thin film transistor of the plurality of thin film transistors in an ON state, and

the resistance of the thin film transistor in the ON state being lower than that of the luminescent element.

8. The display device according to claim 7,

each of the luminescent elements taking any one of an ON state and an OFF state, and the luminescent intensities of the plurality of luminescent elements being different from each other.

9. The display device according to claim 7,

the resistance of the thin film transistor in the OFF state being higher than that of the luminescent element in the OFF state.

10. A display device, comprising:

a plurality of scanning lines;

a plurality of signal lines that convey a digital signal;

a plurality of pixels;

each pixel of the plurality of pixels comprising;

a luminescent element; and

a thin film transistor connected to the luminescent element in series and controlling current flow to the luminescent element, and

the luminescent element emitting a light by a direct current flowing through the thin film transistor in an ON state,

the resistance of the thin film transistor in the ON state being lower than that of the luminescent element.

11. A display device, comprising:

a plurality of scanning lines;

a plurality of signal lines that convey a digital signal;

a plurality of pixels;

each pixel of the plurality of pixels comprising;

a luminescent element; and

a thin film transistor connected to the luminescent element in series and controlling current flow to the luminescent element,

the luminescent element emitting a light by a direct current flowing through the thin film transistor in an ON state, and

the resistance of the thin film transistor in the OFF state being higher than that of the luminescent element in the OFF state.