Shift register circuit and display device using the same

• US 9,129,578 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2012
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InnoLux Corporation
• Original Assignee: Innocom Technology Limited, InnoLux Corporation
• Inventors: Yamashita, Keitaro, Lee, Te-Yu
• Primary Examiner(s): EURICE, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US13/630,597
• Publication Number:
  US 20140093252A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: 345/80, 345/175
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/43 Arrangements comprising a plurality of opto-electronic elements and associated optical interconnections
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13312 Circuits comprising photodetectors for purposes other than feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0408 Integration of the drivers onto the display substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0286 Details of a shift registers arranged for use in a driving circuit
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0289 Details of voltage level shifters 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 2360/14 Detecting light within display terminals, e.g. using a single or a plurality of photosensors
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/20 for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3225 using an active matrix
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3266 Details of drivers for scan electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3275 Details of drivers for data electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3677 suitable for active matrices only
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/60 OLEDs integrated with inorganic light-sensitive elements, e.g. with inorganic solar cells or inorganic photodiodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 65/00 Integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one organic light-emitting element and at least one organic radiation-sensitive element, e.g. organic opto-couplers organic image sensors integrated with organic light-emitting devices H10K39/34; OLED displays integrated with photosensors H10K59/13

Abstract

The display device according to the present invention comprises a substrate and at least one optical coupler having an optical receiver and an optical transmitter formed on the substrate, wherein the optical transmitter transmits an optical signal to the optical receiver.

Claims

1. A display device, comprising:

a substrate; and

a shift register circuit, comprising a plurality of shift registers optically coupled in series, each shift register comprising;

an optical receiver, for receiving an optical signal from the previous shift register;

an optical transmitter for transmitting the optical signal to the next shift register;

a first switch, wherein a first terminal of the first switch is connected to the optical receiver, a second terminal of the first switch is coupled to a clock signal, and a third terminal of the first switch is connected to an output terminal;

a second switch, wherein a first terminal of the second switch is connected to the optical receiver, a second terminal of the second switch is coupled to the clock signal, and a third terminal of the second switch is connected to the optical transmitter; and

a bootstrapping capacitor, wherein a first terminal of the bootstrapping capacitor is connected to the optical receiver, the first terminal of the first switch and the first terminal of the second switch, and a second terminal of the bootstrapping capacitor is connected to the output terminal,

wherein the optical transmitter comprises an organic light emitting diode (OLED), the optical receiver comprises an optical thin film transistor (TFT), and the conductance of the optical thin film transistor is controlled by the optical signal; and

wherein the optical coupler further comprises an optical reflector for reflecting the optical signal from the optical transmitter to the optical receiver.

2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the optical transmitter transforms an electrical signal to the optical signal, and the optical receiver transforms the optical signal to the electrical signal.

3. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the optical transmitter and the optical receiver are vertically arranged on the substrate.

4. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of pixels, each of which comprises a light emitting unit for displaying.

5. The display device according to claim 4, wherein each of the light emitting unit and the optical transmitter is an organic light-emitting diode (OLED).

6. The display device according to claim 4, wherein the wavelength of the optical signal is different from the wavelength of the light emitted by the light emitting unit for displaying.

7. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the optical signal controls the optical receiver to electrically charge the bootstrapping capacitor such that the first switch and the second switch are turned on so as to output a pulse signal on the output terminal and transfer the optical signal from the optical transmitter, wherein the optical receiver is controlled by the optical signal to couple a first voltage potential to the first terminals of the first switch and the second switch.

8. The display device according to claim 7, wherein the shift register further comprises:

a reset switch for coupling the first terminal of the first switch to a second voltage potential or the other optical signal from the next shift register.

9. The display device according to claim 7, wherein two nodes of the optical transmitter are respectively coupled to the second switch and a third voltage potential.

10. The display device according to claim 9, wherein the shift register further comprises:

a discharging switch controlled by a reset signal for coupling the output terminal to the third voltage potential.

11. A shift register circuit comprising:

an optical receiver, for receiving an optical signal from a previous shift register;

an optical transmitter for transmitting the optical signal to a next shift register;

a first switch, wherein a first terminal of the first switch is connected to the optical receiver, a second terminal of the first switch is coupled to a clock signal, and a third terminal of the first switch is connected to an output terminal;

a second switch, wherein a first terminal of the second switch is connected to the optical receiver, a second terminal of the second switch is coupled to the clock signal, and a third terminal of the second switch is connected to the optical transmitter; and

a bootstrapping capacitor, wherein a first terminal of the bootstrapping capacitor is connected to the optical receiver, the first terminal of the first switch and the first terminal of the second switch, and a second terminal of the bootstrapping capacitor is connected to the output terminal,

wherein the optical transmitter comprises an organic light emitting diode (OLED), the optical receiver comprises an optical thin film transistor (TFT), and the conductance of the optical thin film transistor is controlled by the optical signal; and

wherein the optical coupler further comprises an optical reflector for reflecting the optical signal from the optical transmitter to the optical receiver.

12. The shift register circuit according to claim 11, wherein the optical signal controls the optical receiver to electrically charge the bootstrapping capacitor such that the first switch and the second switch are turned on so as to output a pulse signal on the output terminal and transfer the optical signal from the optical transmitter, wherein the optical receiver is controlled by the optical signal to couple a first voltage potential to the first terminals of the first switch and the second switch.

13. The shift register circuit according to claim 12, wherein the shift register further comprises:

a reset switch for coupling the first terminal of the first switch to a second voltage potential or the other optical signal from the next shift register.

14. The shift register circuit according to claim 12, wherein two nodes of the optical transmitter are respectively coupled to the second switch and a third voltage potential.

15. The shift register circuit according to claim 14, wherein the shift register further comprises:

a discharging switch controlled by a reset signal for coupling the output terminal to the third voltage potential.