System and methods for extraction of threshold and mobility parameters in AMOLED displays

• US 8,576,217 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2011
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGNIS Innovation Incorporated
• Original Assignee: IGNIS Innovation Incorporated
• Inventors: Chaji, Gholamreza, Azizi, Yaser
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, NICHOLAS J
• Application Number:
  US13/112,468
• Publication Number:
  US 20120293478A1
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/212
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/0092 measuring current only all subgroups of G01R19/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/043 Compensation electrodes or other additional electrodes in matrix displays related to distortions or compensation signals, e.g. for modifying TFT threshold voltage in column driver
• 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 2300/0819 used for counteracting undesired variations, e.g. feedback or autozeroing
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0842 forming a memory circuit, e.g. a dynamic memory with one capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0866 by means of changes in the pixel supply voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0251 Precharge or discharge of pixel before applying new pixel voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0291 Details of output amplifiers or buffers arranged for use in a driving circuit
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/08 Details of timing specific for flat panels, other than clock recovery
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0233 Improving the luminance or brightness uniformity across the screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/029 by monitoring one or more pixels in the display panel, e.g. by monitoring a fixed reference pixel
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0295 by monitoring each display pixel
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/043 Preventing or counteracting the effects of ageing
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/045 Compensation of drifts in the characteristics of light emitting or modulating elements
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/028 Generation of voltages supplied to electrode drivers in a matrix display other than LCD
• 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 3/3233 with pixel circuitry controlling the current through the light-emitting element
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3258 with pixel circuitry controlling the voltage across the light-emitting element
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3266 Details of drivers for scan electrodes
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/2171 : with field-effect devices H03F3/2173 - H03F3/2178 take precedence

Abstract

Disclosed is a system and method to improve the extraction of transistor and OLED parameters in an AMOLED display for compensation of programming voltages to improve image quality. A pixel circuit includes an organic light emitting device, a drive device to provide a programmable drive current to the light emitting device, a programming input to provide the programming signal, and a storage device to store the programming signal. A charge-pump amplifier has a current input and a voltage output. The charge-pump amplifier includes an operational amplifier in negative feedback configuration. The feedback is provided by a capacitor connected between the output and the inverting input of the operational amplifier. A common-mode voltage source drives the non-inverting input of the operational amplifier. An electronic switch is coupled across the capacitor to reset the capacitor.

Claims

1. A data extraction system for an organic light emitting device (OLED) based display, the system comprising:

a pixel circuit including an organic light emitting device, a drive device to provide a programmable drive current to the light emitting device, a programming input to provide a programming signal, and a storage device to store the programming signal;

a charge-pump amplifier having a current input and a voltage output, the charge-pump amplifier including an operational amplifier in negative feedback configuration, wherein the feedback is provided by a capacitor connected between the output and the inverting input of the operational amplifier, a common-mode voltage source to drive the non-inverting input of the operational amplifier, and an electronic switch coupled across the capacitor to reset the capacitor;

a switch module including the input coupled to the output of the pixel circuit and an output coupled to the input of the charge-pump amplifier, the switch module including a plurality of electronic switches to steer current in and out of the pixel circuit, provide a discharge path between the pixel circuit and the charge-pump amplifier, and isolate the charge-pump amplifier from the pixel circuit; and

a controller coupled to the pixel circuit, charge-pump amplifier and the switch module, the controller controlling input signals to the pixel circuit, charge-pump amplifier and switch module in a predetermined sequence to produce an output voltage value which is a function of a parameter of the pixel circuit, the sequence including providing a program voltage to the programming input to either;

pre-charge an internal capacitance of the pixel circuit to a charge level and transfer the charge to the charge-pump amplifier via the switch module to generate the output voltage value;

or

provide a current from the pixel circuit to the charge-pump amplifier via the switch module to produce the output voltage value by integration over a certain period of time.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the drive device is an n-type or p-type transistor manufactured in poly-silicon, amorphous-silicon, metal-oxide, or other suitable material.

3. The system of claim 2 further comprising a select transistor coupled between the programming input and the gate of the drive transistor and wherein a select signal is provided by the controller and coupled to the gate of the select transistor to operate it as an electronic switch.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the drive device is connected to the input of the switch module through the source or drain terminal of the drive device.

5. The system of claim 3, further comprising a monitor transistor coupled between the input of the switch module and the source or drain terminal of the drive device and wherein the select signal is coupled to the gate to the monitor transistor to operate it as an electronic switch.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the parameter is the threshold voltage of the drive transistor, an internal capacitance of the pixel is precharged to a level that does not turn the OLED on, the stored charge is allowed to discharge through the switch module and transferred to the charge-pump amplifier until the gate-to-source drive-voltage of the drive transistor is equal to its threshold voltage, and the charge-pump amplifier'"'"'s output voltage value being a function of the threshold voltage, feedback capacitor, the OLED capacitance, and the programming input voltage.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the parameter is the mobility of the drive transistor;

an internal capacitance of the pixel is precharged to a level that does not turn the OLED on;

the stored charge is allowed to partially discharge through the switch module and transferred to the charge-pump amplifier over a shorter integration time; and

the charge-pump amplifier'"'"'s output voltage value is a function of the drive transistor'"'"'s mobility, integration time, feedback capacitor, and the programming input voltage.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the parameter is the turn-on voltage of the OLED;

the OLED capacitance is precharged to a level higher than the turn-on voltage of the OLED;

the charge on the OLED capacitance is then discharged through the OLED until it reaches the turn-on voltage of the OLED;

through the switch module, the remaining charge on the OLED capacitance is then transferred to the charge-pump amplifier; and

the amplifier output is a value of the turn-on voltage of the OLED as a function of the amplifier'"'"'s feedback capacitance and the OLED capacitance.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the parameters are the threshold voltage and mobility of the drive transistor, the program voltage is set to a proper level to turn the drive transistor on, the switch module steers the current of the drive transistor into the charge-pump amplifier to be directly integrated for a certain amount of time, and the amplifier output is a value of the threshold voltage and mobility as a function of the amplifier'"'"'s feedback capacitor, length of integration time, and the program voltage.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the parameter is the turn-on voltage of the OLED, the program voltage set to a proper level to operate the drive transistor as a switch, the switch module steers the current of the OLED into the charge-pump amplifier to be directly integrated for a certain amount of time, and the amplifier output is a value of the OLED'"'"'s turn-on voltage as function of the amplifier'"'"'s feedback capacitor, length of integration time, and the common-mode voltage set at the non-inverting input of the amplifier.

11. A data extraction system for an organic light emitting device (OLED) based display, the system comprising:

a pixel circuit including a drive transistor, an organic light emitting device, and a programming input coupled to the gate of the drive transistor, the drive transistor having a source or a drain coupled to the OLED;

a charge-pump amplifier having an input and an integrated voltage output;

a switch module including an input coupled to the output of the pixel circuit and an output coupled to the input of the charge-pump amplifier, the switch module including switches to steer current in and out of the pixel circuit, provide a discharge path between the pixel circuit and the charge-pump amplifier and isolate the charge-pump amplifier from the pixel circuit; and

a controller coupled to the pixel circuit, charge-pump amplifier and the switch module, the controller controlling voltage inputs to the pixel circuit, charge-pump amplifier and switch module in a predetermined sequence to produce an output voltage value which is a function of a parameter of the pixel circuit, the sequence including providing a program voltage to the programming input to either pre-charge a capacitance of the pixel circuit to a charge level, transferring the charge to the charge-pump amplifier via the switch module to generate the output voltage value or providing a current from the pixel circuit to the charge-pump amplifier via the switch module to produce the output voltage value by integration.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the charge-pump amplifier includes:

an operational amplifier having a negative input and a positive input coupled to a common mode voltage source;

a feedback capacitor coupled in a feed-back loop from the negative input to the output of the amplifier; and

wherein the output of the switch module is coupled to the negative input of the operational amplifier.

13. The system of claim 11 further comprising:

a select transistor coupled between the programming input and the gate of the drive transistor; and

an output transistor having a gate coupled between the source or drain of the drive transistor, and a source or drain coupled to the select transistor and a monitor output, the output transistor enabled via a select signal to the drive transistor and the select transistor.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the drive transistor is an n-type transistor or a p-type transistor.