Display device and driving method thereof

• US 9,530,380 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2014
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Jang, Dae-Gwang, Hwang, Hyun Sik, Kim, Gi Geun
• Primary Examiner(s): SHENG, TOM V
• Application Number:
  US14/168,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20140313236A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/413 Classification of content, e.g. text, photographs or tables
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0247 Flicker reduction other than flicker reduction circuits used for single beam cathode-ray tubes
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/10 Special adaptations of display systems for operation with variable images
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/103 Detection of image changes, e.g. determination of an index representative of the image change
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0435 Change or adaptation of the frame rate of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/16 Calculation or use of calculated indices related to luminance levels in display data
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3648 using an active matrix G09G3/367 - G09G3/3696 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/02 characterised by the way in which colour is displayed details of colour display specific for CRTs G09G1/28; specific for flat matrix panels other than liquid crystal displays G09G3/2003; specific for liquid crystal displays G09G3/3607

Abstract

A display device configured to consume less power is disclosed. In one aspect, the display device includes a display panel comprising a pixel connected to a gate line and a data line, a data driver connected to the data line to apply a data voltage, and a gate driver connected to the gate line to sequentially apply a gate-on voltage. The display device additionally includes a signal controller configured to determine image data as corresponding to one of a motion picture, a still image, and a text screen. Furthermore, the signal controller is configured to drive the display panel, the data driver, and the gate driver at one of a motion picture frequency for displaying the motion picture, a still image frequency lower than the motion picture frequency for displaying the still image, and an ultra-low frequency of about 10 Hz or less for displaying the text screen.

Claims

1. A display device, comprising:

a display panel comprising a pixel connected to a gate line and a data line;

a data driver connected to the data line to apply a data voltage;

a gate driver connected to the gate line to sequentially apply a gate-on voltage; and

a signal controller configured to determine image data as corresponding to one of a motion picture and a text screen,

wherein the signal controller is further configured to drive the display panel, the data driver, and the gate driver at one of a motion picture frequency for displaying the motion picture and an ultra-low frequency lower than the motion picture frequency for displaying the text screen,

wherein the signal controller is configured to make a determination of whether or not the image data corresponds to the text screen based on a combination of a determination of whether a ratio of a number of pixels within a low gray region and a high gray region to a total number of pixels exceeds a predetermined ratio, and a determination of whether a number of dominant gray levels exceeds a predetermined number, wherein a percentage of pixels having each dominant gray level is greater than a predetermined percentage of the total number of pixels.

2. The display device of claim 1, wherein:

the motion picture frequency is about 60 Hz, and wherein the ultra-low image frequency is about 10 Hz or less.

3. The display device of claim 2, wherein:

the signal controller is configured to receive an externally generated panel self-refresh (PSR) signal to determine whether the image data corresponds one of the motion picture and a still image.

4. The display device of claim 3, wherein:

the signal controller is further configured to determine whether the image data corresponds to the text screen or not by dividing pixels of one frame of the image data into one of the low gray region, a medium gray region, and the high gray region based on gray levels of the pixels, and determining whether the ratio exceeds the predetermined ratio.

5. The display device of claim 3, wherein:

the signal controller is further configured to determine whether the image data corresponds to the text screen or not by determining whether a number of pixels having the dominant gray levels within the pixels of one frame exceeds a predetermined number.

6. The display device of claim 3, wherein:

the signal controller comprises a driving condition setting unit configured to determine whether the image data corresponds to the text screen or not and configured to select a driving frequency and a register value.

7. The display device of claim 6, wherein:

the driving condition setting unit comprises;

a histogram checking unit configured to determine whether the image data corresponds to the text screen or not by dividing pixels of one frame of the image data into one of a low gray region, a medium gray region, and a high gray region based on gray levels of the pixels, and determining whether a ratio of a number of pixels within the low gray region and the high gray region to a total number of pixels exceeds a predetermined ratio;

a gray checking unit configured to determine whether the image data corresponds to the text screen or not by determining whether a number of pixels having the dominant gray levels within the pixels of one frame exceeds a predetermined number;

a combining unit configured to receive outputs of the histogram checking unit and the gray checking unit and performing one of an AND operation and an OR operation;

a frequency selection unit configured to select a driving frequency according to the output of the combining unit; and

a register selection unit configured to select a register value according to the selected driving frequency.

8. The display device of claim 6, wherein:

the driving condition setting unit comprises;

a histogram checking unit configured to determine whether the image data corresponds to the text screen or not by dividing pixels of one frame of the image data into one of a low gray region, a medium gray region, and a high gray region based on gray levels of the pixels, and determining whether a ratio of a number of pixels within the low gray region and the high gray region to a total number of pixels exceeds a predetermined ratio;

a gray checking unit configured to determine whether the image data corresponds to the text screen or not by determining whether a number of pixels having the dominant gray levels within the pixels of one frame exceeds a predetermined number;

a combining unit configured to receive outputs of the histogram checking unit and the gray checking unit and performing one of an AND operation and an OR operation;

a frequency selection unit configured to select a driving frequency according to the output of the combining unit and a value of a main gray level received from the gray checking unit; and

a register selection unit configured to select a register value according to the selected driving frequency.

9. The display device of claim 6, wherein:

the driving condition setting unit allows the text screen not to be driven at the ultra-low frequency according to a spatial frequency although the text screen is displayed.

10. The display device of claim 9, wherein:

the driving condition setting unit comprises;

a spatial frequency analyzing unit configured to extract a spatial frequency;

a human eye adaption unit configured to determine a contrast ratio sensitivity of a user according to the extracted spatial frequency;

a frequency selection unit configured to select a driving frequency based on the contrast ratio sensitivity; and

a register selection unit configured to select a register value according to the selected driving frequency.

11. The display device of claim 10, further comprising:

a camera configured to measure a distance between a user and the display device and to transfer the measured distance to the spatial frequency analyzing unit of the driving condition setting unit, wherein

the measured distance is used to determine the spatial frequency in the spatial frequency analyzing unit.

12. A display device, comprising:

a display panel comprising a pixel connected to a gate line and a data line;

a data driver connected to the data line to apply a data voltage;

a gate driver connected to the gate line to sequentially apply a gate-on voltage; and

a signal controller configured to determine image data as corresponding to one of a motion picture and a text screen,

wherein the signal controller is further configured to drive the display panel, the data driver, and the gate driver at one of a motion picture frequency for displaying the motion picture and an ultra-low frequency lower than the motion picture frequency for displaying the text screen,

wherein the signal controller comprises a driving condition setting unit,

wherein the driving condition setting unit comprises;

a spatial frequency analyzing unit configured to extract a spatial frequency;

a human eye adaption unit configured to determine a contrast ratio sensitivity of a user according to the extracted spatial frequency;

a frequency selection unit configured to select a driving frequency based on the contrast ratio sensitivity; and

a register selection unit configured to select a register value according to the selected driving frequency.

13. The display device of claim 12, further comprising:

a camera

configured to measure a distance between a user and the display device and to transfer the measured distance to the spatial frequency analyzing unit of the driving condition setting unit, wherein

the measured distance is used to determine the spatial frequency in the spatial frequency analyzing unit.

14. A driving method of a display device, comprising;

receiving image data;

determining the image data as corresponding to one of a motion picture and a text screen;

selecting a driving frequency for driving the display panel, the data driver, and the gate driver from one of a motion picture frequency for displaying the motion picture and an ultra-low frequency lower than the motion picture frequency for displaying the text screen; and

selecting a register value according to the selected driving frequency,

wherein determining whether or not the image data corresponds to the text screen includes a combination of determining whether a ratio of a number of pixels within a low gray region and a high gray region to a total number of pixels exceeds a predetermined ratio, and determining whether a number of dominant gray levels exceeds a predetermined number, wherein a percentage of pixels having each dominant gray level is greater than a predetermined percentage of the total number of pixels.

15. The driving method of a display device of claim 14, wherein:

the motion picture frequency is about 60 Hz, and wherein the ultra-low frequency is about 10 Hz or less.

16. The driving method of a display device of claim 15, wherein:

receiving of the image data includes receiving a panel self-refresh (PSR) signal, and

determining the input image data includes determining whether the image data corresponds to the motion picture or a still image based on the PSR signal.

17. The driving method of a display device of claim 15, wherein:

determining the image data to be the text screen, includes dividing pixels of one frame of the image data into one of the low gray region, a medium gray region, and the high gray region, and determining whether the ratio exceeds the predetermined ratio.

18. The driving method of a display device of claim 17, wherein:

determining the image data to be the text screen includes determining whether a number of pixels having the dominant gray levels within the pixels of one frame exceeds a predetermined number.

19. The driving method of a display device of claim 15, wherein:

determining the image data to be the text screen includes determining whether a number of pixels having the dominant gray levels exceeds a predetermined number.

20. The driving method of a display device of claim 15, further comprising:

determining contrast ratio sensitivity of a user according to a spatial frequency,

wherein upon determining the image data to be the text screen, the ultra-low frequency of about 10 Hz or less is not selected as the driving frequency for according to the determined contrast ratio sensitivity.

21. The driving method of a display device of claim 20, wherein:

the spatial frequency is determined based on a distance between a user and the display device.