Liquid crystal display and method of controlling the same

• US 8,164,564 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2006
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Su-gun, Cho, Tae-hee, Seong, Ki-bum, Jung, Il-yong, Lee, Kye-hoon, Lee, Jun-young, Kim, Jung-hyeon
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-Yi
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAH, PRIYANK J
• Application Number:
  US11/514,242
• Publication Number:
  US 20070052662A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,062 Days
• Field of Search: 345/102, 345/103, 345/212, 345/82, 345/84, 345/87, 345/204, 349 61- 64, 349 69- 70, 362/27, 362/237, 362/241, 362/244, 362 971- 973
• US Class Current: 345/102
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133603 with LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133605 including specially adapted reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/023 total internal reflection
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0646 Modulation of illumination source brightness and image signal correlated to each other
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0686 with two or more screen areas displaying information with different brightness or colours
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/16 Calculation or use of calculated indices related to luminance levels in display data
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3426 the different display panel areas being distributed in two dimensions, e.g. matrix
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3648 using an active matrix G09G3/367 - G09G3/3696 take precedence

Abstract

A liquid crystal display and control method thereof, having a liquid crystal display panel, a light emitting diode device which is disposed on the rear of the liquid crystal display panel and which is divided into a plurality of partitioned areas that are capable of being driven independently, a light guide part disposed for each of the partitioned areas, an image calculating part for dividing the liquid crystal display panel into a plurality of regions and calculating the brightness of each region by using image data, and an inverter and an inverter controller to provide differentiated power to the partitioned areas based on the calculated brightness.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display, comprising:

a liquid crystal display panel;

a light emitting diode device comprising a plurality of partitioned areas, each of the partitioned areas being driven independently of adjacent partitioned areas;

a plurality of light guide parts, the light guide parts for guiding light generated from corresponding ones of the partitioned areas of the light emitting diode device toward the liquid crystal display panel;

an image calculating part for dividing the liquid crystal display panel into a plurality of regions and calculating brightness of each of the regions by using image data, the regions being arranged along a transverse direction and a longitudinal direction of the liquid crystal display panel;

an inverter for providing power to each of the partitioned areas of the light emitting diode device; and

an inverter controller for controlling the inverter to provide power to each of the partitioned areas of the light emitting diode device according to the calculated brightness of corresponding regions of the liquid crystal display panel;

wherein the provided power to each of the partitioned areas of the light emitting diode device by the inverter has a different level from each other according to the calculated brightness of each of the regions; and

wherein the light emitting diode corresponding to the region having a high brightness provides a light of the high brightness, and the light emitting diode corresponding to the region having a low brightness provides a light of the low brightness.

2. The liquid crystal display according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting diode device is disposed on substantially the entire rear surface of the liquid crystal display panel.

3. The liquid crystal display according to claim 2, wherein the light guide part comprises a transparent pillar disposed between the light emitting diode device and the liquid crystal display panel.

4. The liquid crystal display according to claim 3, wherein the transparent pillar substantially encloses the light emitting diode device.

5. The liquid crystal display according to claim 3, wherein a section of the transparent pillar facing the liquid crystal display panel is a rectangular shape.

6. The liquid crystal display according to claim 3, wherein a section of the transparent pillar facing the liquid crystal display panel is a hexagonal shape.

7. The liquid crystal display according to claim 3, wherein a section of the transparent pillar becomes wider toward the liquid crystal display panel.

8. The liquid crystal display according to claim 1, wherein the light guide part comprises a partition that is positioned above the light emitting diode device.

9. The liquid crystal display according to claim 1, wherein the light guide part comprises a partition, wherein the partition comprises a white color film.

10. The liquid crystal display according to claim 1, wherein the light guide part comprises a partition, wherein the partition comprises a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polycarbonate (PC) material.

11. The liquid crystal display according to claim 1, wherein the light guide part comprises a plurality of sub light guide plates, and the light emitting diode device is provided on a light incident plane of each sub light guide plate.

12. The liquid crystal display according to claim 11, wherein the sub light guide plates are disposed on the same plane.

13. The liquid crystal display according to claim 11, wherein the sub light guide plates have a wedge shape.

14. The liquid crystal display according to claim 13, wherein the light emitting diode device is disposed at a side of the sub light guide plates.

15. The liquid crystal display according to claim 11, wherein a light exiting plane of the sub light guide plate is substantially parallel to the liquid crystal display panel.

16. The liquid crystal display according to claim 11, further comprising:

a main light guide plate disposed between the plurality of sub light guide plates and the liquid crystal display panel; and

a light source provided on a light incident plane of the main light guide plate.

17. The liquid crystal display according to claim 1, wherein:

the image calculating part is configured to calculate a color value of each region; and

the inverter controller is configured to control the inverter to provide respective power to the light emitting diode device based on the calculated color value.

18. The liquid crystal display according to claim 1, wherein the partitioned areas for the light emitting diode device and the regions correspond to each other.

19. A method of controlling a liquid crystal display, comprising:

dividing a light emitting diode device into a plurality of partitioned areas, wherein each of the partitioned areas is driven independently of adjacent partitioned areas;

providing a liquid crystal display panel;

providing a plurality of light guide parts, the light guide parts for guiding light generated from corresponding light emitting diodes of the light emitting diode device toward the liquid crystal display panel;

dividing the liquid crystal display panel into a plurality of regions and calculating brightness of each of the regions by using image data, the regions being arranged along a transverse direction and a longitudinal direction of the liquid crystal display panel; and

providing power to each of the partitioned areas of the light emitting diode device based on the calculated brightness of corresponding regions of the liquid crystal display panel;

wherein the provided power to each of the partitioned areas of the light emitting diode device by an inverter has a different level from each other according to the calculated brightness of each of the regions;

wherein the light emitting diode corresponding to the region having a high brightness provides a light of the high brightness, and the light emitting diode corresponding to the region having a low brightness provides a light of the low brightness.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising:

calculating a color value of each region; and

providing respective power to the light emitting diode device based on the calculated color value.

21. A liquid crystal display, comprising:

a liquid crystal display panel;

a light emitting diode device comprising a plurality of partitioned areas, each of the partitioned areas being driven independently of adjacent partitioned areas;

a plurality of light guide parts, the light guide parts for guiding light generated from corresponding ones of the partitioned areas of the light emitting diode device toward the liquid crystal display panel;

an image calculating part for dividing the liquid crystal display panel into a plurality of regions and calculating brightness of each of the regions by using image data, the regions being arranged along a transverse direction and a longitudinal direction of the liquid crystal display panel;

an inverter for providing power to each of the partitioned areas of the light emitting diode device; and

an inverter controller for controlling the inverter to provide power to each of the partitioned areas of the light emitting diode device according to the calculated brightness of corresponding regions of the liquid crystal display panel;

wherein each of the light guide parts comprises a transparent pillar disposed between the light emitting diode device and the liquid crystal display panel;

wherein the provided power to each of the partitioned areas of the light emitting diode device by the inverter has a different level from each other according to the calculated brightness of each of the regions; and

wherein the light emitting diode corresponding to the region having a high brightness provides a light of the high brightness, and the light emitting diode corresponding to the region having a low brightness provides a light of the low brightness.

22. The liquid crystal display according to claim 21, wherein each of the light guide parts comprises a plurality of sub light guide plates, and the light emitting diode device is provided on a light incident plane of each sub light guide plate.

23. The liquid crystal display according to claim 22, wherein the sub light guide plates are disposed on the same plane.

24. The liquid crystal display according to claim 22, wherein the sub light guide plates comprise a wedge shape.

25. The liquid crystal display according to claim 24, wherein the light emitting diode device is disposed at a side of the sub light guide plates.

26. The liquid crystal display according to claim 22, wherein a light exiting plane of the sub light guide plate is substantially parallel to the liquid crystal display panel.

27. The liquid crystal display according to claim 22, further comprising:

a main light guide plate disposed between the plurality of sub light guide plates and the liquid crystal display panel; and

a light source provided on a light incident plane of the main light guide plate.

28. A liquid crystal display, comprising:

a liquid crystal display panel;

a light emitting diode device comprising a plurality of partitioned areas, each of the partitioned areas being driven independently of adjacent partitioned areas;

a plurality of light guide parts, the light guide parts for guiding light generated from corresponding ones of the partitioned areas of the light emitting diode device toward the liquid crystal display panel;

an image calculating part for dividing the liquid crystal display panel into a plurality of regions and calculating brightness of each of the regions by using image data, the regions being arranged along a transverse direction and a longitudinal direction of the liquid crystal display panel;

an inverter for providing power to each of the partitioned areas of the light emitting diode device; and

an inverter controller for controlling the inverter to provide power to each of the partitioned areas of the light emitting diode device according to the calculated brightness and the relative intensity among the plurality of colors of corresponding regions of the liquid crystal display panel;

wherein the provided power to each of the partitioned areas of the light emitting diode device by the inverter has a different level from each other according to the calculated brightness and the relative intensity among the plurality of colors of each of the regions.