Multi-primary liquid crystal display

• US 7,483,095 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2004
• Issued: 01/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Genoa Color Technologies Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Malka, Doron, Ben-Chorin, Moshe, Roth, Shmuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelms; David C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THANH NHAN P
• Application Number:
  US11/009,515
• Publication Number:
  US 20050134785A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,506 Days
• Field of Search: 349/108, 349/106, 349/109, 349/144, 345/690
• US Class Current: 349/106
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/52 RGB geometrical arrangements
• 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 2300/0465 Improved aperture ratio, e.g. by size reduction of the pixel circuit, e.g. for improving the pixel density or the maximum displayable luminance or brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0457 Improvement of perceived resolution by subpixel rendering
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2003 Display of colours specific for liquid crystal displays G09G3/3607
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3607 for displaying colours or for displaying grey scales with a specific pixel layout, e.g. using sub-pixels display of colours in flat matrix panels other than liquid crystal displays G09G3/2003; grey scales specific for television H04N3/127
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3611 Control of matrices with row and column drivers

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention include a method, device and/or system for displaying a color image having a plurality of more-than-three primary color pixels The device may include, for example, an array of sub-pixel elements of at least four different primary colors, wherein the total number of sub-pixel elements in the array is significantly smaller than a multiplication product of the number of more-than-three-primary color pixels in the image multiplied by the number of the at least four different primary colors. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A color display device comprising an array of sub-pixel elements of at least four different colors arranged in first and second sequences each including a plurality of sub-pixel elements, wherein at least one of said at least four different colors occurs in each of said first and second sequences, wherein said first color sequence includes at least one sub-pixel element of a color not included in said second sequence, and wherein said first and second sequences repeat alternatingly to substantially fill each row of sub-pixels.

2. The display device of claim 1, comprising a controller able to selectively activate at least some sub-pixel elements of said array to produce one or more attenuation patterns based on sub-pixel data representing pixels of said color image.

3. The display device of claim 2, wherein said controller is able to activate sub-pixel elements of said first and second color sequences based on sub-pixel data corresponding to at least first and second pixels of said color image.

4. The display device of claim 3, wherein said controller is able to activate at least one sub-pixel element of at least one of said first and second sequences, based on a value determined by a combination of sub-pixel data of said at least first and second pixels.

5. The display device of claim 4, wherein said at least one sub-pixel element to be activated comprises the sub-pixel element of the color not included in said second sequence, and wherein said sub-pixel data comprises sub-pixel data of said at least first and second pixels corresponding to the color not included in said second sequence.

6. The display device of claim 3, wherein said controller is able to activate a sub-pixel element of said second sequence based on a value determined by a combination of sub-pixel data of the sub-pixel element to be activated and the color not included in said second sequence.

7. The display device of claim 6, wherein said controller is able to activate a green sub-pixel element of said second sequence based on a value determined by a combination of green and cyan sub-pixel data of said second pixel.

8. The display device of claim 6, wherein said controller is able to activate a blue sub-pixel element of said second sequence based on a value determined by a combination of blue and cyan sub-pixel data of said second pixel.

9. The display device of claim 6, wherein said controller is able to activate a cyan sub-pixel element of said second sequence based on a value determined by a combination of blue and cyan sub-pixel data of said second pixel.

10. The display device of claim 3, wherein said controller is able to:

activate a first sub-pixel element of said second sequence based on a value determined by a combination of sub-pixel data of said second pixel corresponding to the color of said first sub-pixel element, and a first correction component;

activate a second sub-pixel element of said second sequence based on a value determined by a combination of sub-pixel data of said second pixel corresponding to the color of said second sub-pixel element, and a second correction component; and

activate the sub-pixel element of the color not included in said second sequence based on a value determined by a combination of sub-pixel data of said first pixel corresponding to the color not included in said second sequence, and a third correction component.

11. The display device of claim 10, wherein said controller is able to determine at least one of said first, second and third correction components based on a relation between the luminance reproduced by said first sub-pixel element, said second sub-pixel element and the sub-pixel element of the color not included in said second sequence.

12. The display device of claim 11, wherein said controller is able to determine at least one of said first, second and third correction components such that a value corresponding to the luminance reproduced by the sub-pixel element of the color not included in said second sequence is substantially equal to the sum of the luminance reproduced by said first and second sub-pixel elements.

13. The display of claim 10, wherein said first and second sub- pixel elements comprise green and blue sub-pixel elements, and wherein the sub-pixel element of the color not included in said second sequence comprises a cyan sub-pixel element.

14. The display device of claim 1, wherein said second color sequence includes at least one sub-pixel element of a color not included in said first sequence.

15. The display device of claim 1, wherein said at least four different colors comprise at least five colors.

16. The display device of claim 15, wherein said at least five colors comprise red, yellow, green, cyan and blue.

17. The display device of claim 1, wherein the sub-pixel elements of said array are arranged in a repeatable pattern including sub-pixel elements of each of said at least four colors, said pattern including less sub-pixel elements of a first color than sub-pixel elements of a second color.

18. The display device of claim 17, wherein said at least four colors comprise at least five colors, wherein said repeatable pattern includes sub-pixel elements of blue, cyan, green, red and yellow colors, and wherein the number of blue and cyan sub-pixel elements in said pattern is smaller than the number of green, red and yellow sub-pixel elements in said pattern.

19. The display device of claim 17, wherein said pattern comprises eight sub-pixel elements.

20. The display device of claim 19, wherein said eight sub-pixel elements are arranged in one row.

21. The display device of claim 20, wherein said sub-pixel elements are arranged in the order red-yellow-green-cyan-red-yellow-green-blue.

22. The display device of claim 19, wherein said pattern comprises two adjacent rows of four sub-pixel elements.

23. The display device of claim 22, wherein said pattern comprises a row of sub-pixel elements arranged in the order green-cyan-green-blue, and an adjacent row of sub-pixel elements arranged in the order red-yellow-red-yellow.

24. The display device of claim 17, wherein said pattern comprises sixteen sub-pixel elements.

25. The display device of claim 24, wherein said sixteen sub-pixel elements are arranged in first and second adjacent rows, each row including eight of said sub-pixel elements.

26. The display device of claim 25, wherein sub-pixel elements of said first row are arranged in the order yellow-green-red-cyan-yellow-green-re-d-blue, and sub-pixel elements of said second row are arranged in the order yellow-green-red-blue-yellow-green-red-cyan.

27. The display device of claim 25, wherein sub-pixel elements of said first row are arranged in the order red-yellow-green-cyan-red-yellow-green-blue, and sub-pixel elements of said second row are arranged in the order red-yellow-green-blue-red-yellow-green-cyan.

28. The display device of claim 24, wherein said sixteen sub-pixel elements are arranged in four adjacent rows, each including four of said sub-pixel elements.

29. The display device of claim 28, wherein sub-pixel elements of each of the first and third rows of said pattern are arranged in the order red-yellow-red-yellow, wherein sub-pixel elements of the second row of said pattern are arranged in the order green-cyan-green-blue, and wherein sub-pixel elements of the fourth row of said pattern are arranged in the order green-blue-green-cyan.

30. The display device of claim 1, wherein said first sequence is adjacent to said second sequence.

31. The display device of claim 1, wherein at least one of said color sequences comprises sub-pixel elements of at least four colors.

32. The display device of claim 31, wherein at least one of said first and second color sequences includes a sub-sequence of sub-pixel elements of three or more colors.

33. The display device of claim 32, wherein said sub-sequence comprises green, red and yellow sub-pixel elements.

34. The display device of claim 1, wherein at least a first color and a second color repeat in said array of sub-pixel elements in first and second different frequencies, respectively.

35. A method comprising selectively activating at least some sub-pixel elements of an array of sub-pixel elements to produce one or more attenuation patterns based on sub-pixel data representing pixels of said color image,

wherein said array comprises sub-pixel elements of at least four different colors arranged in first and second sequences of three or more sub-pixel elements, wherein at least one of said at least four different colors occurs in each of said first and second sequences, wherein said first color sequence includes at least one sub-pixel element of a color not included in said second sequence, and wherein said first and second sequences repeat alternatingly to substantially fill each row of sub-pixels.

36. The method of claim 35, comprising activating sub-pixel elements of said first and second color sequences based on sub-pixel data corresponding to at least first and second pixels of said color image.

37. The method of claim 36 comprising activating at least one sub-pixel element of at least one of said first and second sequences, based on a value determined by a combination of sub-pixel data of said at least first and second pixels.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein said at least one sub-pixel element to be activated comprises the sub-pixel element of the color not included in said second sequence, and wherein said sub-pixel data comprises sub-pixel data of said at least first and second pixels corresponding to the color not included in said second sequence.

39. The method of claim 36 comprising activating a sub-pixel element of said second sequence based on a value determined by a combination of sub-pixel data of the sub-pixel element to be activated and the color not included in said second sequence.

40. The method of claim 39 comprising activating a green sub-pixel element of said second sequence based on a value determined by a combination of green and cyan sub-pixel data of said second pixel.

41. The method of claim 39, comprising activating a blue sub-pixel element of said second sequence based on a value determined by a combination of blue and cyan sub-pixel data of said second pixel.

42. The method of claim 39, comprising activating a cyan sub-pixel element of said second sequence based on a value determined by a combination of blue and cyan sub-pixel data of said second pixel.

43. The method of claim 36 comprising:

activating a first sub-pixel element of said second sequence based on a value determined by a combination of sub-pixel data of said second pixel corresponding to the color of said first sub-pixel element, and a first correction component;

activating a second sub-pixel element of said second sequence based on a value determined by a combination of sub-pixel data of said second pixel corresponding to the color of said second sub-pixel element, and a second correction component; and

activating the sub-pixel element of the color not included in said second sequence based on a value determined by a combination of sub-pixel data of said first pixel corresponding to the color not included in said second sequence, and a third correction component.

44. The method of claim 43 comprising determining at least one of said first, second and third correction components based on a relation between the luminance reproduced by said first sub-pixel element, said second sub-pixel element and the sub-pixel element of the color not included in said second sequence.

45. The method of claim 44 comprising determining at least one of said first, second and third correction components such that a value corresponding to the luminance reproduced by the sub-pixel element of the color not included in said second sequence is substantially equal to the sum of the luminance reproduced by said first and second sub-pixel elements.

46. The method of claim 43, wherein said first and second sub-pixel elements comprise green and blue sub-pixel elements, and wherein the sub-pixel element of the color not included in said second sequence comprises a cyan sub-pixel element.

47. The method of claim 35, wherein said at least four different colors comprise at least five colors.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein said at least five colors comprise red, yellow, green, cyan and blue.

49. The method of claim 35, wherein at least one of said color sequences comprises sub-pixel elements of at least four colors.

50. The method of claim 35, wherein at least a first color and a second color repeat in said array of sub-pixel elements in first and second different frequencies, respectively.