Display apparatus and driving method thereof

• US 9,230,511 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2014
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Jeon, Jae-Gwan, Kim, Yong-Bum, Park, Jaehyoung, Jeon, ByungKil, Takegama, Akihiro, Lee, Junpyo, Sohn, Youngsoo
• Primary Examiner(s): Mistry, Ram
• Application Number:
  US14/178,669
• Publication Number:
  US 20150035875A1
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0443 with several sub-pixels for the same colour in a pixel, not specifically used to display gradations G09G3/364 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3648 using an active matrix G09G3/367 - G09G3/3696 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/10 Intensity circuits

Abstract

A display apparatus includes a plurality of pixels connected to a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of data lines and a timing controller, in which each pixel includes a first sub-pixel and a second sub-pixel. In such a display apparatus, the timing controller provides the first sub-pixel and the second sub-pixel with a first data signal and a second data signal corresponding to one of a high gray scale curve and a low gray scale curve, alternately every frame, when the image signal is a first type of image signal, and the timing controller provides the first sub-pixel with a first data signal corresponding to the high gray scale curve and the second sub-pixel with a second data signal corresponding to the low gray scale curve when the image signal is a first type of image signal.

Claims

1. A display apparatus, comprising:

a display panel comprising a plurality of pixels connected to a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of data lines, wherein each pixel comprises a first sub-pixel and a second sub-pixel;

a gate driver configured to drive the plurality of gate lines;

a data driver configured to drive the plurality of data lines; and

a timing controller configured to control the gate driver and the data driver and to output a first data signal and a second data signal for the first sub-pixel and the second sub-pixel, respectively, in response to an image signal,

wherein when the image signal is a first type of image signal, both of the first data signal and the second data signal correspond to one of a high gray scale curve and a low gray scale curve lower than the high gray scale curve, alternately every frame;

wherein when the image signal is a second type of image signal, the first data signal corresponds to the high gray scale curve and the second data signal corresponds to the low gray scale curve, and

wherein

the timing controller determines the image signal as the first type of image signal when an image signal of a previous frame is different from an image signal of a current frame, and

the timing controller determines the image signal as the second type of image signal when the image signal of the previous frame is substantially equal to the image signal of the current frame.

2. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the timing controller comprises:

a first conversion unit configured to convert the image signal into a first dynamic data signal and a second dynamic data signal corresponding to the high gray scale curve and the low gray scale curve;

a second conversion unit configured to convert the image signal into a first static data signal and a second static data signal corresponding to the high gray scale curve and the low gray scale curve;

an image determination unit configured to compare the image signal of the previous frame and the image signal of the current frame and to output a selection signal corresponding to a result of comparison; and

a selection circuit configured to receive the first and second dynamic data signals and the first and second static data signals and to output the first and second data signals in response to the selection signal.

3. The display apparatus of claim 2, wherein

the first conversion unit outputs the first and second dynamic data signals corresponding to the high gray scale curve during a first frame of two consecutive frames, and

the first conversion unit outputs the first and second static data signals corresponding to the high gray scale curve during a second frame of the two consecutive frames.

4. The display apparatus of claim 2, wherein

the second conversion unit outputs the first static data signal corresponding to the high gray scale curve and the second static data signal corresponding to the low gray scale curve.

5. The display apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first conversion unit comprises:

a high gray scale conversion unit configured to receive the image signal and to output a high gray scale signal corresponding to the high gray scale curve;

a low gray scale conversion unit configured to receive the image signal and to output a low gray scale signal corresponding to the low gray scale curve; and

a selector configured to output one of the high gray scale signal and the low gray scale signal as the first dynamic data signal and the second dynamic data signal every frame.

6. The display apparatus of claim 2, wherein the second conversion unit comprises:

a high gray scale conversion unit configured to receive the image signal and to output the first static data signal corresponding to the high gray scale curve; and

a low gray scale conversion unit configured to receive the image signal and to output a second static data signal corresponding to the low gray scale curve.

7. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the timing controller compares the image signal of the current frame and the image signal of the previous frame on a pixel-by-pixel basis.

8. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the timing controller comprises:

a double frame conversion unit configured to convert the image signal into a first image signal and a second image signal;

a first conversion unit configured to convert the first image signal and the second image signal into a dynamic data signal corresponding to the high gray scale curve and the low gray scale curve, alternately every frame;

a first selector configured to select one of the first image signal and the dynamic data signal as an intermediate data signal in response to a selection signal;

a second conversion unit configured to convert the intermediate data signal into a first static data signal corresponding to the high gray scale curve and a second static data signal corresponding to the low gray scale signal;

a second selector configured to receive the first and second static data signals and the intermediate data signal and to output the first data signal and the second data signal in response to the selection signal.

9. The display apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first conversion unit comprises:

a high gray scale conversion unit configured to receive the first image signal and to output a high gray scale signal corresponding to the high gray scale curve;

a low gray scale conversion unit configured to receive the second image signal and to output a low gray scale signal corresponding to the low gray scale curve; and

a third selector configured to output one of the high gray scale signal and the low gray scale signal as the dynamic data signal every frame.

10. The display apparatus of claim 8, wherein the second conversion unit comprises:

a high gray scale conversion unit configured to receive the intermediate data signal and to output the first static data signal corresponding to the high gray scale curve; and

a low gray scale conversion unit configured to receive the intermediate data signal and to output the second static data signal corresponding to the low gray scale curve.

11. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the timing controller comprises:

a double frame conversion unit configured to convert the image signal into a first image signal and a second image signal;

a first conversion unit configured to convert the first image signal and the second image signal into a first dynamic data signal and a second dynamic data signal;

a second conversion unit configured to convert the first image signal and the second image signal into a first static data signal corresponding to the high gray scale curve and a second static data signal corresponding to the low gray scale signal; and

a selector configured to receive the first and second dynamic data signals and the first and second static data signals and to output the first data signal and the second data signal in response to a selection signal.

12. The display apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first conversion unit comprises:

a high gray scale conversion unit configured to receive the first image signal and to output a high gray scale signal corresponding to the high gray scale curve;

a low gray scale conversion unit configured to receive the second image signal and to output a low gray scale signal corresponding to the low gray scale curve; and

an output unit configured to output the high gray scale signal and the low gray scale signal as the first dynamic data signal and the second dynamic data signal,

wherein during a first frame of two consecutive frames, the output unit outputs the high gray scale signal as the first dynamic data signal and the low gray scale signal as the second dynamic data signal, and

wherein during a second frame of the two consecutive frames, the output unit outputs the low gray scale signal as the first dynamic data signal and the high gray scale signal as the second dynamic data signal.

13. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the first and second sub-pixels of each pixel are connected to a same gate line of the plurality of gate lines and connected to two different data lines of the plurality of data lines, respectively.

14. The display apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first sub-pixel comprises:

a first transistor connected between a first data line of the two different data lines and a first node, and comprising a gate connected to the same gate line; and

a liquid crystal capacitor connected between the first node and a common voltage.

15. The display apparatus of claim 13, wherein the second sub-pixel comprises:

a second transistor connected between a second data line of the two different data lines and a second node, and comprising a gate connected to the same gate line; and

a liquid crystal capacitor connected between the second node and a common voltage.