Stacked display device with OLED and electronic paper displays, and driving circuitry therein

• US 8,884,844 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2013
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fitipower Integrated Technology Inc.
• Original Assignee: Fitipower Integrated Technology Inc.
• Inventors: Yang, Chen-Chi, CHANG, LI-SHEN, LIN, WEN-RONG
• Primary Examiner(s): Tryder, Gregory J
• Assistant Examiner(s): McLoone, Peter D
• Application Number:
  US13/846,938
• Publication Number:
  US 20130241804A1
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• Field of Search: 345/3.1, 345/4, 345/5, 345/156, 345/163
• US Class Current: 345/3.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/023 Display panel composed of stacked panels

Abstract

An exemplary electronic device includes a first display and a second display. The first display includes a number of first pixels. Each first pixel defines a first display region. Each first display region displays first visual content when voltages are applied to the first pixel and displays no first visual content when no voltage is applied to the first pixel. Each first display region is transparent or translucent when displaying no first visual content. The second display includes a number of second pixels. Each second pixel defines a second display region for displaying second visual content. The first visual content is viewable whether or not the second display displays the second visual content, and the second visual content is viewable when one or more first display regions corresponding to the second display region are transparent or translucent.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a first display configured to display first visual content, the first display comprising a plurality of first pixels, each first pixel defining a first display region, each first display region displaying the first visual content when voltages are applied to a corresponding first pixel and no first visual content being displayed by the first display region when no voltage is applied to the corresponding first pixel, and each first display region being transparent or translucent when no first visual content is displayed;

a second display stacked with the first display, comprising a plurality of second pixels and configured to display second visual content, and each second pixel defining a second display region;

wherein the first display is a different type than the second display, the first visual content displayed by the first display is viewable by a user whether or not the second visual content is displayed by the second display, and when one or more first display regions are transparent or translucent, the second visual content displayed by corresponding second display regions is viewable via the transparent or translucent first display regions by the user; and

wherein the first display and the second display comprise a joint source driver or a joint gate driver at least, the joint source driver generates a plurality of first data signals and a plurality of second data signals and separately outputs the first data signals to the first display and the second data signals to the second display;

the joint gate driver generates a plurality of scanning signals and outputs the plurality of scanning signals to the first and second displays.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the second display is an electronic paper display.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the first display is a video display.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the video display is an organic light-emitting diode display.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, further comprising a control circuitry connected to the first and second displays, wherein the control circuitry is operative to:

determine at least one feature of the first and second visual contents; and

selectively enable at least one of the electronic paper display and the organic light-emitting diode display, based on the at least one determined feature, to display the first visual content and/or the second visual content.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the first visual content is dynamic visual content, and the second visual content is static visual content, and the control circuitry is operative to:

distinguish the dynamic visual content having a rate of change above a threshold from the static visual content having a rate of change below the threshold;

selectively enable the electronic paper display to display the static visual content; and

selectively enable the organic light-emitting diode display to display the dynamic visual content.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, further comprising a receiving shell having an opening, wherein the receiving shell receives the first and second displays and the control circuitry, the second display is positioned between the first display and the receiving shell, and the first display is exposed at the opening.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the first display and the second display comprises the joint source driver, the first display further comprises a first gate driver, a plurality of first gate lines, and a plurality of first switches, each first pixel comprises a first pixel electrode, each first switch comprises a control end, a first conductive end and a second conductive end, the control ends of the first switches are connected to the first gate driver via the plurality of first gate lines, the first conductive ends of the first switches are connected to the source driver via the plurality of first data lines, and the second conductive ends of the first switches are respectively connected to the first pixel electrodes;

wherein the second display further comprises a second gate driver, a plurality of second g ate lines, a plurality of first data lines, a plurality of second data lines, and a plurality of second switches, each second pixel comprises a second pixel electrode, each second switch comprises a control end, a first conductive end and a second conductive end, the control ends of the second switches are connected to the second gate driver via the plurality of second gate lines, the first conductive ends of the second switches are connected to the source driver via the plurality of second data lines, and the second conductive ends of the second switches are respectively connected to the second pixel electrodes;

wherein the joint source driver generates a plurality of first data signals and a plurality of second data signals and separately outputs the first data signals and the second data signals, the first gate driver generates a plurality of first scanning signals, the second gate driver generates a plurality of second scanning signals, the control ends of the first switches receive the first scanning signals, the control ends of the second switches receive the second scanning signals, the first conductive ends of the first switches receive the first data signals and output the received first data signals to the first pixel electrodes when the control ends of the first switches are activated by the first scanning signals, and the first conductive ends of the second switches receive the second data signals and output the received second data signals to the second pixel electrodes when the control ends of the second switches are activated by the second scanning signals.

9. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the first display and the second display comprises the joint gate driver, the first display further comprises a first source driver, a plurality of first gate lines, a plurality of first data lines, and a plurality of first switches, each first pixel comprises a first pixel electrode, each first switch comprises a control end, a first conductive end and a second conductive end, the control ends of the first switches are connected to the plurality of first gate lines, the first conductive ends of the first switches are connected to the first source driver via the plurality of first data lines, and the second conductive ends of the first switches are respectively connected to the first pixel electrodes;

wherein the second display comprises a second source driver, a plurality of second gate lines, a plurality of second data lines, and a plurality of second switches, each second pixel comprises a second pixel electrode, each second switch comprises a control end, a first conductive end and a second conductive end, the control ends of the second switches are connected to the gate driver via the plurality of second gate lines, the first conductive ends of the second switches are connected to the second source driver via the plurality of second data lines, the second conductive ends of the second switches are respectively connected to the second pixel electrodes;

wherein the joint gate driver comprises a plurality of outputs, each output is connected to a first gate line and a second gate line, different outputs are connected to different first and second gate lines;

wherein the first source driver generates a plurality of first data signals, the second source driver generates a plurality of second data signals, the gate driver generates a plurality of scanning signals and outputs the plurality of scanning signals to the first and second gate lines, the first and second switches connected to the same output of the gate driver via the corresponding first and second gate lines are simultaneously activated when the corresponding first and second gate lines receive a scanning signal, the first conductive ends of the first switches receive the first data signals and output the received first data signals to the first pixel electrodes when the control ends of the first switches are activated by the scanning signals, and the first conductive ends of the second switches receive the second data signals and output the received second data signals to the second pixel electrodes when the control ends of the second switches are activated by the scanning signals.

10. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the first display and the second display comprises the joint source driver and the joint gate driver, the first display further comprises a plurality of first gate lines, a plurality of first data lines, and a plurality of first switches, each first pixel comprises a first pixel electrode, each first switch comprises a control end, a first conductive end and a second conductive end, the control ends of the first switches are connected to the plurality of first gate lines, the first conductive ends of the first switches are connected to the joint source driver via the plurality of first data lines, and the second conductive ends of the first switches are respectively connected to the first pixel electrodes;

wherein the second display further comprises a plurality of second gate lines, a plurality of second data lines, and a plurality of second switches, each second pixel comprises a second pixel electrode, each second switch comprises a control end, a first conductive end and a second conductive end, the control ends of the second switches are connected to the joint gate driver via the plurality of second gate lines, the first conductive ends of the second switches are connected to the joint source driver via the plurality of second data lines, and the second conductive ends of the second switches are respectively connected to the second pixel electrodes;

wherein the joint gate driver comprises a plurality of outputs, each output is connected to a first gate line and a second gate line, different outputs are connected to different first and second gate lines;

wherein the joint source driver generates a plurality of first data signals and a plurality of second data signals, and separately outputs the first and second data signals, the joint gate driver generates a plurality of scanning signals and outputs the plurality of scanning signals to the first and second gate lines, the first and second switches connected to the same output of the gate driver via the corresponding first and second gate lines are simultaneously activated when the corresponding first and second gate lines receive a scanning signal, the first conductive ends of the first switches receive the first data signals, and output the received first data signals to the first pixel electrodes when the control ends of the first switches are activated by the scanning signals, and the first conductive ends of the second switches receive the second data signals, and output the received second data signals to the second pixel electrodes when the control ends of the second switches are activated by the scanning signals.

11. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the first display and the second display comprises the joint source driver and a plurality of joint data lines, the first display further comprises a first gate driver, a plurality of first gate lines, and a plurality of first switches, each first pixel comprises a first pixel electrode, each first switch comprises a control end, a first conductive end and a second conductive end, the control ends of the first switches are connected to the first gate driver via the plurality of first gate lines, the first conductive ends of the first switches are connected to the source driver via the plurality of data lines, and the second conductive ends of the first switches are respectively connected to the first pixel electrodes;

wherein the second display further comprises a second gate driver, a plurality of second gate lines, a plurality of data lines, and a plurality of second switches, each second pixel comprises a second pixel electrode, each second switch comprises a control end, a first conductive end and a second conductive end, the control ends of the second switches are connected to the second gate driver via the plurality of second gate lines, the first conductive ends of the second switches are connected to the joint source driver via the plurality of data lines, and the second conductive ends of the second switches are respectively connected to the second pixel electrodes;

wherein the joint source driver comprises a plurality of outputs, a different output of the source driver is connected to the first conductive ends of a portion of the first switches and the first conductive ends of a portion of the second switches via a different data line;

wherein the joint source driver generates a plurality of first data signals and a plurality of second data signals, and asynchronously outputs the first data signals and the second data signals to the first conductive ends of the first switches and the first conductive ends of the second switches which are connected to the same data line as the first conductive ends of the first switches, the first gate driver generates a plurality of first scanning signals, the second gate driver generates a plurality of second scanning signals, the control ends of the first switches receive the first scanning signals, the control ends of the second switches receive the second scanning signals, the first conductive ends of the first switches receive the first data signals and output the received first data signals to the first pixel electrodes when the control ends of the first switches are activated by the first scanning signals, and the first conductive ends of the second switches receive the second data signals and output the received second data signals to the second pixel electrodes when the control ends of the second switches are activated by the second scanning signals.

12. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the first display and the second display comprises the joint gate driver, the joint source driver, and a plurality of joint third switches, the first display further comprises a plurality of first gate lines, a plurality of first data lines, and a plurality of first switches, each first pixel comprises a first pixel electrode, each first switch comprises a control end, a first conductive end and a second conductive end, the control ends of the first switches are connected to the plurality of first gate lines, the first conductive ends of the first switches are connected to the plurality of first data lines, and the second conductive ends of the first switches are respectively connected to the first pixel electrodes;

wherein the second display further comprises a plurality of second gate lines, a plurality of second data lines, and a plurality of second switches, each second pixel comprises a second pixel electrode, each second switch comprises a control end, a first conductive end and a second conductive end, the control ends of the second switches are connected to the joint gate driver via the plurality of second gate lines, the first conductive ends of the second switches are connected to the plurality of second data lines, and the second conductive end of each second switch is connected to a second pixel electrode;

wherein the joint gate driver comprises a plurality of outputs, each output is connected to a first gate line and a second gate line, different outputs are connected to different first and second gate lines, the joint source driver comprises a plurality of outputs, a different output of the joint source driver is connected to a different first and second data lines via a different third switch;

wherein the joint source driver generates a plurality of first data signals and a plurality of second data signals, the joint gate driver generates a plurality of scanning signals and outputs the plurality of scanning signals to the first and second gate lines, the first and second switches connected to the same output of the joint gate driver via the corresponding first and second gate lines are simultaneously activated when the corresponding first and second gate lines receive a scanning signal, the third switches selectively output the first data signals and the second data signals according to different control signals.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the third switches selectively outputs the first data signals according to a first control signal, and outputs the second data signals according to a second control signal, the first conductive ends of the first switches receive the first data signals when the third switches selectively output the first data signals from the joint source driver to the first data lines according to the first control signal, and the first conductive ends of the first switches output the received first data signals to the first pixel electrodes when the control ends of the first switches are activated by the scanning signals, and the first conductive ends of the second switches receive the second data signals when the third switches selectively output the second data signals from the joint source driver to the second data lines according to a second control signal, and the first conductive ends of the second switches output the received second data signals to the second pixel electrodes when the control ends of the second switches are activated by the scanning signals.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein each first pixel further comprises a first common electrode opposite to the corresponding first pixel electrode, each second pixel further comprises a second common electrode opposite to the corresponding second pixel electrode, the first common electrode receives a first common voltage, the second common electrode receives a second common voltage, when the third switches selectively output the first data signals to the first conductive ends of the first switches which control ends are connected to one of the outputs of the joint gate driver via a corresponding first gate line, the third switches simultaneously selectively output a first voltage to the first conductive ends of the second switches which control ends are connected to the same one of the outputs of the joint gate driver via a corresponding second gate line;

when the third switches selectively output the second data signals to the first conductive ends of the second switches which control ends are connected to one of the outputs of the joint gate driver via a corresponding second gate line, the third switches simultaneously selectively output a second voltage to the first conductive ends of the first switches which control ends are connected to the same one of the outputs of the gate driver via a corresponding first gate line.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the first voltage equals to the first common voltage and the second voltage equals to the second common voltage.

16. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the first display and the second display further comprises a plurality of joint fourth switches, a different output of the joint gate driver is connected to a different first gate line and a different second gate line via a different fourth switch, the fourth switches selectively output the scanning signals from the gate driver to the control ends of the first switches according to a third control signal, and selectively output the scanning signals from the joint gate driver to the control ends of the second switches according to a fourth control signal.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein when the fourth switches selectively output the scanning signals from the gate driver to the control ends of the first switches which first conductive ends are connected to one of the outputs of the joint source driver, the fourth switches simultaneously selectively output a third voltage to the first control ends of the second switches which first conductive ends are connected to the same one of the outputs of the joint source driver, so as to switch off the second switches;

when the fourth switches selectively output the scanning signals from the joint gate driver to the control ends of the second switches which first conductive ends are connected to one of the outputs of the source driver, the fourth switches simultaneously selectively output the third voltage to the first control ends of the first switches which first conductive ends are connected to the same one of the outputs of the source driver, so as to switch off the first switches.

18. An electronic device, comprising:

a first display configured to display first visual content, the first display comprising a plurality of first pixels, each first pixel defining a first display region, each first display region displaying the first visual content when voltages are applied to a corresponding first pixel and no first visual content being displayed by the first display region when no voltage is applied to the corresponding first pixel, and each first display region being transparent or translucent when no first visual content is displayed;

a second display stacked with the first display, comprising a plurality of second pixels and configured to display second visual content, and each second pixel defining a second display region;

wherein the first display is a different type than the second display, the first visual content displayed by the first display is viewable by a user whether or not the second visual content is displayed by the second display, and when one or more first display regions are transparent or translucent, the second visual content displayed by corresponding second display regions is viewable via the transparent or translucent first display regions by the user; and

wherein the first display and the second display comprises a joint source driver, the first display further comprises a first gate driver, a plurality of first gate lines, and a plurality of first switches, each first pixel comprises a first pixel electrode, each first switch comprises a control end, a first conductive end and a second conductive end, the control ends of the first switches are connected to the first gate driver via the plurality of first gate lines, the first conductive ends of the first switches are connected to the source driver via the plurality of first data lines, and the second conductive ends of the first switches are respectively connected to the first pixel electrodes;

wherein the second display further comprises a second gate driver, a plurality of second g ate lines, a plurality of first data lines, a plurality of second data lines, and a plurality of second switches, each second pixel comprises a second pixel electrode, each second switch comprises a control end, a first conductive end and a second conductive end, the control ends of the second switches are connected to the second gate driver via the plurality of second gate lines, the first conductive ends of the second switches are connected to the source driver via the plurality of second data lines, and the second conductive ends of the second switches are respectively connected to the second pixel electrodes;

wherein the joint source driver generates a plurality of first data signals and a plurality of second data signals and separately outputs the first data signals and the second data signals, the first gate driver generates a plurality of first scanning signals, the second gate driver generates a plurality of second scanning signals, the control ends of the first switches receive the first scanning signals, the control ends of the second switches receive the second scanning signals, the first conductive ends of the first switches receive the first data signals and output the received first data signals to the first pixel electrodes when the control ends of the first switches are activated by the first scanning signals, and the first conductive ends of the second switches receive the second data signals and output the received second data signals to the second pixel electrodes when the control ends of the second switches are activated by the second scanning signals.

19. An electronic device, comprising:

a first display configured to display first visual content, the first display comprising a plurality of first pixels, each first pixel defining a first display region, each first display region displaying the first visual content when voltages are applied to a corresponding first pixel and no first visual content being displayed by the first display region when no voltage is applied to the corresponding first pixel, and each first display region being transparent or translucent when no first visual content is displayed;

a second display stacked with the first display, comprising a plurality of second pixels and configured to display second visual content, and each second pixel defining a second display region;

wherein the first display is a different type than the second display, the first visual content displayed by the first display is viewable by a user whether or not the second visual content is displayed by the second display, and when one or more first display regions are transparent or translucent, the second visual content displayed by corresponding second display regions is viewable via the transparent or translucent first display regions by the user; and

wherein the first display and the second display comprises a joint gate driver, the first display further comprises a first source driver, a plurality of first gate lines, a plurality of first data lines, and a plurality of first switches, each first pixel comprises a first pixel electrode, each first switch comprises a control end, a first conductive end and a second conductive end, the control ends of the first switches are connected to the plurality of first gate lines, the first conductive ends of the first switches are connected to the first source driver via the plurality of first data lines, and the second conductive ends of the first switches are respectively connected to the first pixel electrodes;

wherein the second display comprises a second source driver, a plurality of second gate lines, a plurality of second data lines, and a plurality of second switches, each second pixel comprises a second pixel electrode, each second switch comprises a control end, a first conductive end and a second conductive end, the control ends of the second switches are connected to the gate driver via the plurality of second gate lines, the first conductive ends of the second switches are connected to the second source driver via the plurality of second data lines, the second conductive ends of the second switches are respectively connected to the second pixel electrodes;

wherein the joint gate driver comprises a plurality of outputs, each output is connected to a first gate line and a second gate line, different outputs are connected to different first and second gate lines;

wherein the first source driver generates a plurality of first data signals, the second source driver generates a plurality of second data signals, the gate driver generates a plurality of scanning signals and outputs the plurality of scanning signals to the first and second gate lines, the first and second switches connected to the same output of the gate driver via the corresponding first and second gate lines are simultaneously activated when the corresponding first and second gate lines receive a scanning signal, the first conductive ends of the first switches receive the first data signals and output the received first data signals to the first pixel electrodes when the control ends of the first switches are activated by the scanning signals, and the first conductive ends of the second switches receive the second data signals and output the received second data signals to the second pixel electrodes when the control ends of the second switches are activated by the scanning signals.