Liquid crystal display and test method thereof

• US 7,705,924 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2006
• Issued: 04/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Dong-Gyu
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim; Richard H
• Application Number:
  US11/359,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20060186913A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,525 Days
• Field of Search: 349/54, 349/192, 349/40, 324/770
• US Class Current: 349/40
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0426 Layout of electrodes and connections
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0443 with several sub-pixels for the same colour in a pixel, not specifically used to display gradations G09G3/364 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0447 for multi-domain technique to improve the viewing angle in a liquid crystal display, such as multi-vertical alignment [MVA]
• 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 2300/0823 used to establish symmetry in driving, e.g. with polarity inversion
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/006 Electronic inspection or testing of displays and display drivers, e.g. of LED or LCD displays testing individual LED's G01R31/2635; testing lamps G01R31/44; testing of optical features of LCD displays G02F1/1309
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3648 using an active matrix G09G3/367 - G09G3/3696 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3666 with the matrix divided into sections

Abstract

A liquid crystal display includes a plurality of pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix and having first and second sub-pixel electrodes differentiated in size from each other. First and second switching elements are connected to the first and second sub-pixel electrodes, respectively. First and second gate lines are connected to the first and second switching elements, respectively. A data line is connected to the first and second switching elements to transmit a data voltage. First and second gate shorting bars are connected to the first and second gate lines, respectively. The gate lines connected to the respective sub-pixels are connected to two or four gate shorting bars to allow an array test and a visual inspection test, and to thereby detect a bridge between respective sub-pixel electrode neighbors in a simplified manner.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display comprising:

a plurality of pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix, each pixel electrode having first and second sub-pixel electrodes differentiated in size from each other;

first and second switching elements connected to the first and second sub-pixel electrodes, respectively;

first and second gate lines connected to the first and second switching elements, respectively;

a data line connected to the first and second switching elements and transmitting a data voltage; and

first and second gate shorting bars connected to the first and second gate lines, respectively.

2. The liquid crystal display of claim 1, wherein first and second gate test signals different from each other are applied to the first and second gate shorting bars, respectively.

3. The liquid crystal display of claim 2, wherein a positive data voltage is applied to the data line under application of the first gate test signal, and a negative data voltage is applied to the data line under application of the second gate test signal.

4. The liquid crystal display of claim 3, wherein the positive and negative data voltages have a substantially same dimension.

5. The liquid crystal display of claim 1, further comprising a data shorting bar connected to the data line.

6. The liquid crystal display of claim 5, wherein the data shorting bar is formed in a same layer of the liquid crystal display as the first and second gate lines.

7. The liquid crystal display of claim 1, further comprising a shielding electrode overlapped with the data line and disposed between two neighboring pixel electrodes.

8. The liquid crystal display of claim 7, wherein the shielding electrode is overlapped with at least one of the first and second gate lines.

9. The liquid crystal display of claim 1, wherein data voltages applied to the first and second sub-pixel electrodes are differentiated in dimension from each other, and are obtained from one set of image information.

10. The liquid crystal display of claim 9, wherein the first sub-pixel electrode is larger in size than the second sub-pixel electrode, and the dimension of the data voltage applied to the first sub-pixel electrode is smaller than the dimension of the data voltage applied to the second sub-pixel electrode.

11. The liquid crystal display of claim 1, wherein the first and second gate shorting bars are formed in a same layer of the liquid crystal display as the data line.

12. The liquid crystal display of claim 1, wherein the first and second gate shorting bars are substantially parallel to the data line.

13. The liquid crystal display of claim 1, wherein the first and second gate shorting bars fall outside a periphery of a display panel for the liquid crystal display.

14. The liquid crystal display of claim 1, further comprising gate pads connected to the first and second gate lines, respectively, and gate extension lines connecting the gate pads to the first and second gate shorting bars, respectively.

15. A liquid crystal display comprising:

a plurality of pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix, each pixel electrode having first and second sub-pixel electrodes differentiated in size from each other;

first and second switching elements connected to the first and second sub-pixel electrodes, respectively;

first and second gate lines connected to the first and second switching elements, respectively;

a data line connected to the first and second switching elements and transmitting a data voltage;

first and second gate shorting bars connected to the first and second gate lines at odd-numbered pixel rows; and

third and fourth gate shorting bars connected to the first and second gate lines at even-numbered pixel rows.

16. The liquid crystal display of claim 15, wherein first to fourth gate test signals are applied to the first to fourth gate shorting bars, respectively.

17. The liquid crystal display of claim 16, wherein a positive data voltage is applied to the data line under application of the first and fourth gate test signals, and a negative data voltage is applied to the data line under application of the second and third gate test signals.

18. A liquid crystal display comprising:

a plurality of pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix, each pixel electrode having first and second sub-pixel electrodes differentiated in size from each other;

first and second switching elements connected to the first and second sub-pixel electrodes, respectively;

a gate line connected to the first and second switching elements;

first and second data lines crossing the gate line and connected to the first and second switching elements, respectively; and

first and second data shorting bars connected to the first and second data lines, respectively.

19. The liquid crystal display of claim 18, wherein data voltages differentiated in polarity from each other are applied to the first and second data shorting bars.

20. The liquid crystal display of claim 19, wherein the data voltages differentiated in polarity from each other have substantially same dimension.

21. The liquid crystal display of claim 18, further comprising a gate shorting bar connected to the gate line.

22. The liquid crystal display of claim 18, wherein data voltages applied to the first and second sub-pixel electrodes are differentiated in dimension from each other, and are obtained from one image information set.

23. The liquid crystal display of claim 22, wherein the first sub-pixel electrode is larger in size than the second sub-pixel electrode, and the dimension of the data voltage applied to the first sub-pixel electrode is smaller than the dimension of the data voltage applied to the second sub-pixel electrode.

24. The liquid crystal display of claim 18, wherein the first and second data shorting bars are formed in a same layer of the liquid crystal display as the gate line.

25. The liquid crystal display of claim 18, wherein the first and second data shorting bars are substantially parallel to the gate line.

26. The liquid crystal display of claim 18, wherein the first and second data shorting bars fall outside a periphery of a display panel for the liquid crystal display.