Circuit and method for driving an array of light emitting pixels

• US 8,941,697 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2013
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGNIS Innovation Incorporated
• Original Assignee: IGNIS Innovation Incorporated
• Inventors: Nathan, Arokia, Vygranenko, Yuriy, Jafarabadiashtiani, Shahin, Servati, Peyman
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia, Prabodh M
• Application Number:
  US14/046,480
• Publication Number:
  US 20140028738A1
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• Field of Search: 345 76- 84, 345204-211, 370/354, 347/235, 315/169.3, 315/307, 315/291
• US Class Current: 345/690
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0417 Special arrangements specific to the use of low carrier mobility technology
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0809 Several active elements per pixel in active matrix panels
• 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 2320/0646 Modulation of illumination source brightness and image signal correlated to each other
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3241 the current through the light-emitting element being set using a data current provided by the data driver, e.g. by using a two-transistor current mirror
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/325 the data current flowing through the driving transistor during a setting phase, e.g. by using a switch for connecting the driving transistor to the data driver
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3266 Details of drivers for scan electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3283 in which the data driver supplies a variable data current for setting the current through, or the voltage across, the light-emitting elements
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/60 Circuit arrangements for operating LEDs comprising organic material, e.g. for operating organic light-emitting diodes [OLED] or polymer light-emitting diodes [PLED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/30 Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED]

Abstract

A technique for driving a column of pixels that include light emitting elements. The technique incorporates feedback data provided from feedback data sources connected to the data line and to feedback line of the array, pixel driving circuit with feedback path. The technique can also include block of the reference elements for input signal corrections.

Claims

1. A pixel circuit for use in a display, the display comprising a plurality of pixels with each pixel having a select line, a signal line, and a feedback line, each of the pixels comprising:

a light emitting element;

a drive part for providing a drive current to the light emitting element, the drive part having a storage capacitor, a switch use transistor, a drive use transistor, and a feedback transistor; and

an on-pixel feedback conductive path between the drive use transistor and a reference potential for generating a feedback voltage representing a drive current provided to the light emitting element, the feedback voltage being provided to the feedback line via the feedback transistor; and

a reference circuit providing reference signals to the on-pixel feedback conductive path for improving the light output characteristics and compensating for different factors that can cause instability or non-uniformity.

2. The pixel circuit according to claim 1, wherein the switch use transistor includes a gate terminal connected to the select line, and a first terminal connected to the signal line, and a second terminal connected to the storage capacitor, and the drive use transistor includes a gate terminal connected to the second terminal of the switch use transistor, a first terminal connected to the light emitting element, and a second terminal, and the feedback switch includes a first terminal connected to the drive use transistor, and a second terminal connected to the feedback line.

3. The pixel circuit according to claim 1, wherein the reference circuit includes a feedback circuit that provides the on-pixel feedback conductive path, the feedback circuit including a resistor, a diode, or the light emitting element connected between the drive use transistor and the reference potential, the reference potential being ground.

4. The pixel circuit according to claim 3, wherein the feedback circuit comprises a resistor connected between the second terminal of said drive use transistor and a potential providing the feedback voltage at a level proportional to the drive current.

5. The pixel circuit according to claim 1, wherein the storage capacitor is connected to ground or to the first terminal of the feedback switch.

6. The pixel circuit according to claim 1, wherein the drive part further comprises:

a second drive use transistor having a gate terminal, a first terminal and a second terminal,

the feedback switch and the drive use transistor arranged to form a current mirror structure,

the gate terminals of the drive use transistor and the second drive use transistor connected to the second terminal of the switch use transistor,

the first terminal of the feedback switch and the first terminal of the second drive use transistor connected to a power supply node.

7. The pixel circuit according to claim 1, wherein each of the pixels further comprises

a resistor connected to the second terminal of the drive use transistor, wherein the reference potential is ground.

8. The pixel circuit according to claim 1, wherein the drive part further comprises

a second drive use transistor having a gate terminal, a first terminal and a second terminal,

the drive use transistor and the second drive use transistor being arranged to form a current mirror structure,

the gate terminals of the drive use transistor and the second drive use transistor being connected to the second terminal of the switch use transistor,

the second terminal of the drive use transistor is connected to ground.

9. The pixel circuit according to claim 1, wherein the on-pixel feedback conductive path includes the light emitting element connected between the second terminal of the drive use transistor and the reference potential.

10. The pixel circuit according to claim 1, wherein each of the pixels further comprise a diode connected between the second terminal of said drive use transistor and a predetermined potential to provide the feedback voltage, and wherein said feedback switch is an insulating gate type field effect transistor having a gate connected to said select line.

11. The pixel circuit according to claim 1, wherein each pixel further includes a second select line, and wherein the feedback switch has a gate terminal connected to the second select line.

12. The pixel circuit according to claim 1, wherein said light emitting element is an organic light emitting diode.

13. The pixel circuits according to claim 1, wherein the transistors are insulating gate type field effect transistors, and wherein the insulating gate type field effect transistors comprise n-channel and p-channel type transistors.

14. The pixel circuit according to claim 1, wherein the reference circuit includes a feedback resistor to provide the feedback voltage having a level proportional to the drive current, the reference circuit further including a reference resistor coupled to a data current source external to the pixels and made from the same material as the feedback resistor.

15. The pixel circuit according to claim 1, wherein the different factors include any two or more of an instability of the pixel circuit, a shift in a characteristic of the drive use transistor, a shift in a characteristic of the light emitting element, non-uniformity of the pixel circuit relative to another pixel circuit on the display, inaccuracy of components of the pixel circuit, temperature drift, error in an drive current level for driving the light emitting element, temperature changes, an instability of organic material of the pixel circuit, instability in luminance of the light emitting device, environment stress, or aging.

16. The pixel circuit according to claim 1, wherein the reference circuit includes a reference diode used as a reference element, or a photo-diode, or a resistor, and wherein the transistors are insulating gate type field effect transistors.

17. The pixel circuit according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit having a module modifying the feedback signal from the pixel circuit based on the reference signals provided by the reference circuit.

18. A pixel circuit for use in a display, the display comprising a plurality of pixels each pixel connected to a select line, a signal line, and a feedback line, each of the pixels comprising:

a light emitting element;

a drive part for providing a drive current to the light emitting element, the drive part including;

a storage capacitor;

a switch use transistor;

a drive use transistor connected to the light emitting element;

an on-pixel feedback circuit for generating a feedback voltage representing a drive current provided to the light emitting element;

a feedback transistor having a gate connected to the select line, a first terminal connected to the drive use transistor and a second terminal connected to the feedback line; and

a reference circuit providing reference signals to the on-pixel feedback conductive path for improving the light output characteristics and compensating for different factors that can cause instability or non-uniformity.

19. The pixel circuit according to claim 18, wherein the switch use transistor includes a gate terminal connected to the select line, a first terminal connected to the signal line and a second terminal, the drive use transistor includes a gate terminal connected to the second terminal of the switch use transistor, a first terminal and a second terminal connected to the light emitting element, and the on-pixel feedback circuit includes a resistor connected between the first terminal of said drive use transistor and a potential.

20. The pixel circuit according to claim 18, wherein the switch use transistor, drive use transistor, and the feedback transistor are p-type, and wherein the storage capacitor is connected between the gate of the drive use transistor and the potential.

21. The pixel circuit according to claim 18, the reference circuit including a photo-sensor optically coupled to a reference light emitting element such that a photocurrent level generated by the photo-sensor is compared with an input current level for adjusting a current through the reference light emitting element to form a luminance feedback.

22. The pixel circuit according to claim 18, wherein the reference cell includes a difference amplifier having an output connected to the signal line, a non-inverting input connected to the feedback line, and an inverting input connected to a reference OLED such that the OLED and the light emitting element form a common cathode OLED array configuration.

23. A method of compensating for pixel instability or non-uniformity in a display having an array of pixel circuits, the method comprising:

providing to a pixel circuit a signal voltage from a control unit external to the pixel circuit to cause a light emitting device of the pixel circuit to turn on;

generating, by an on-pixel feedback circuit that is part of the pixel circuit, a feedback voltage that is representative of a drive current provided to the light emitting device;

providing reference signals on a conductive path from the on-pixel feedback circuit for improving light output characteristics of the pixel circuit and compensating for different factors that can cause instability or non-uniformity based at least in part on the feedback voltage; and

driving the light emitting device according to a drive current based on the signal voltage and the feedback voltage.