Driving liquid crystal displays

• US 8,670,004 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2009
• Issued: 03/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: John Gilmore
• Original Assignee: Pixel Qi Corporation
• Inventors: Vieri, Carlin J., Bolotski, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Haley, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): ILUYOMADE, IFEDAYO B
• Application Number:
  US12/630,800
• Publication Number:
  US 20100231614A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,559 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/690
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0842 forming a memory circuit, e.g. a dynamic memory with one capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0224 Details of interlacing
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0267 Details of drivers for scan electrodes, other than drivers for liquid crystal, plasma or OLED displays
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0275 Details of drivers for data electrodes, other than drivers for liquid crystal, plasma or OLED displays, not related to handling digital grey scale data or to communication of data to the pixels by means of a current
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0238 Improving the black level
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3677 suitable for active matrices only

Abstract

In an embodiment, a pixel driving circuit comprises: one or more source drivers for enabling a first subpixel of a subpixel pair to receive first data and a second subpixel of the subpixel pair to receive second data; one or more source drivers for driving the first data to the first subpixel and the second data to the second subpixel, wherein the first data is different than the second data.

Claims

1. A pixel driving circuit comprising:

wherein the pixel driving circuit is a part of a display that comprises one or more subpixel pairs including a subpixel pair and that is capable of operating in a transmissive mode, a reflective mode, and a transflective mode;

a gate row driver for enabling one or more subpixels of the one or more subpixel pairs to receive data;

a source driver for driving the data to the one or more subpixels;

switching logic configured to cause the pixel driving circuit to operate in a plurality of configurations comprising;

a first configuration wherein the gate row driver enables a first subpixel of the subpixel pair to receive first data from the source driver,

wherein the first data comprises a first value, wherein the first value is to cause the first subpixel to display a first luminance,

a second configuration wherein the gate row driver enables a second subpixel of the subpixel pair to receive second data from the source driver, the second data being different than the first data,

wherein the second data comprises a second value, wherein the second value is to cause the second subpixel to display with a second luminance different from the first luminance;

wherein the switching logic is further configured to cause the pixel driving circuit to operate in a third configuration wherein the gate row driver enables the first subpixel to receive third data from the source driver and the second subpixel to receive the third data from the source driver.

3. The pixel driving circuit of claim 1, wherein the first subpixel of the subpixel pair is a transmissive subpixel and the second subpixel of the subpixel pair is a reflective subpixel.

4. The pixel driving circuit of claim 1, wherein the second data is a black voltage value.

5. The pixel driving circuit of claim 1, wherein the subpixel pair represents a pixel in a plurality of pixels arranged in rows and columns.

6. The pixel driving circuit of claim 1, further comprising:

mode selection logic configured to cause the display to operate in a plurality of modes comprising the transmissive mode, the reflective mode, and the transflective mode.

2. A pixel driving circuit comprising:

wherein the pixel driving circuit is a part of a display that comprises a subpixel pair and that is capable of operating in a transmissive mode, a reflective mode, and a transflective mode;

a gate row driver configured to enable a first subpixel of the subpixel pair to receive first data and to enable a second subpixel of the subpixel pair to receive second data;

wherein the first data comprises a first value, wherein the first value is to cause the first subpixel to display a first luminance, wherein the second data comprises a second value, wherein the second value is to cause the second subpixel to display with a second luminance different from the first luminance;

a first source driver configured to drive the first data to the first subpixel;

a second source driver configured to drive the second data to the second subpixel, wherein the second data is different than the first data;

wherein the gate row driver is further configured to enable a third subpixel of a second subpixel pair to receive third data;

a third source driver configured to drive the third data to the third subpixel.

7. The pixel driving circuit of claim 2, wherein the first subpixel of the subpixel pair is a transmissive subpixel and the second subpixel of the subpixel pair is a reflective subpixel.

8. The pixel driving circuit of claim 2, wherein the second data is a black voltage value.

9. The pixel driving circuit of claim 2, wherein the subpixel pair represents a pixel in a plurality of pixels arranged in rows and columns.

10. The pixel driving circuit of claim 2, further comprising:

mode selection logic configured to cause the display to operate in a plurality of modes comprising the transmissive mode, the reflective mode, and the transflective mode.

11. A display panel comprising:

a plurality of subpixel pairs representing pixels in the display panel; and

a pixel driving circuit comprising;

wherein the pixel driving circuit is a part of a display that comprises one or more subpixel pairs including a subpixel pair and that is capable of operating in a transmissive mode, a reflective mode, and a transflective mode;

a gate row driver for enabling one or more subpixels of the one or more subpixel pairs to receive data;

a source driver for driving the data to the one or more subpixels;

switching logic configured to cause the pixel driving circuit to operate in a plurality of configurations comprising;

a first configuration wherein the gate row driver enables a first subpixel of the subpixel pair to receive first data from the source driver,

wherein the first data comprises a first value, wherein the first value is to cause the first subpixel to display a first luminance,

a second configuration wherein the gate row driver enables a second subpixel of the subpixel pair to receive second data from the source driver, the second data being different than the first data,

wherein the second data comprises a second value, wherein the second value is to cause the second subpixel to display with a second luminance different from the first luminance;

wherein the switching logic is further configured to cause the pixel driving circuit to operate in a third configuration wherein the gate row driver enables the first subpixel to receive third data from the source driver and the second subpixel to receive the third data from the source driver.

12. The display panel of claim 11, wherein the first subpixel of the subpixel pair is a transmissive subpixel and the second subpixel of the subpixel pair is a reflective subpixel.

13. The display panel of claim 11, wherein the second data is a black voltage value.

14. The display panel of claim 11, wherein the subpixel pair represents a pixel in a plurality of pixels arranged in rows and columns.

15. The display panel of claim 11, wherein the pixel driving circuit further comprises:

mode selection logic configured to cause the display to operate in a plurality of modes comprising the transmissive mode, the reflective mode, and the transflective mode.

16. A display panel comprising:

a plurality of subpixel pairs representing pixels in the display panel; and

a pixel driving circuit comprising;

wherein the pixel driving circuit is a part of a display that comprises a subpixel pair and that is capable of operating in a transmissive mode, a reflective mode, and a transflective mode;

a gate row driver configured to enable a first subpixel of the subpixel pair to receive first data and to enable a second subpixel of the subpixel pair to receive second data;

wherein the first data comprises a first value, wherein the first value is to cause the first subpixel to display a first luminance, wherein the second data comprises a second value, wherein the second value is to cause the second subpixel to display with a second luminance different from the first luminance;

a first source driver configured to drive the first data to the first subpixel;

a second source driver configured to drive the second data to the second subpixel, wherein the second data is different than the first data;

wherein the gate row driver is further configured to enable a third subpixel of a second subpixel pair to receive third data;

a third source driver configured to drive the third data to the third subpixel.

17. The display panel of claim 16, wherein the first subpixel of the subpixel pair is a transmissive subpixel and the second subpixel of the subpixel pair is a reflective subpixel.

18. The display panel of claim 16, wherein the second data is a black voltage value.

19. The display panel of claim 16, wherein the subpixel pair represents a pixel in a plurality of pixels arranged in rows and columns.

20. The display panel of claim 16, wherein the pixel driving circuit further comprises:

mode selection logic configured to cause the display to operate in a plurality of modes comprising the transmissive mode, the reflective mode, and the transflective mode.

21. An apparatus comprising:

a plurality of subpixel pairs representing pixels; and

a pixel driving circuit comprising;

wherein the pixel driving circuit is a part of a display that comprises one or more subpixel pairs including a subpixel pair and that is capable of operating in a transmissive mode, a reflective mode, and a transflective mode;

a gate row driver for enabling one or more subpixels of the one or more subpixel pairs to receive data;

a source driver for driving the data to the one or more subpixels;

switching logic configured to cause the pixel driving circuit to operate in a plurality of configurations comprising;

a first configuration wherein the gate row driver enables a first subpixel of the subpixel pair to receive first data from the source driver,

wherein the first data comprises a first value, wherein the first value is to cause the first subpixel to display a first luminance,

a second configuration wherein the gate row driver enables a second subpixel of the subpixel pair to receive second data from the source driver, the second data being different than the first data,

wherein the second data comprises a second value, wherein the second value is to cause the second subpixel to display with a second luminance different from the first luminance;

wherein the switching logic is further configured to cause the pixel driving circuit to operate in a third configuration wherein the gate row driver enables the first subpixel to receive third data from the source driver and the second subpixel to receive the third data from the source driver.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the first subpixel of the subpixel pair is a transmissive subpixel and the second subpixel of the subpixel pair is a reflective subpixel.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the second data is a black voltage value.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the subpixel pair represents a pixel in a plurality of pixels arranged in rows and columns.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the pixel driving circuit further comprises:

mode selection logic configured to cause the display to operate in a plurality of modes comprising the transmissive mode, the reflective mode, and the transflective mode.

26. An apparatus comprising:

a plurality of subpixel pairs representing pixels; and

a pixel driving circuit comprising;

wherein the pixel driving circuit is a part of a display that comprises a subpixel pair and that is capable of operating in a transmissive mode, a reflective mode, and a transflective mode;

a gate row driver configured to enable a first subpixel of the subpixel pair to receive first data and to enable a second subpixel of the subpixel pair to receive second data;

wherein the first data comprises a first value, wherein the first value is to cause the first subpixel to display a first luminance, wherein the second data comprises a second value, wherein the second value is to cause the second subpixel to display with a second luminance different from the first luminance;

a first source driver configured to drive the first data to the first subpixel;

a second source driver configured to drive the second data to the second subpixel, wherein the second data is different than the first data;

wherein the gate row driver is further configured to enable a third subpixel of a second subpixel pair to receive third data;

a third source driver configured to drive the third data to the third subpixel.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the first subpixel of the subpixel pair is a transmissive subpixel and the second subpixel of the subpixel pair is a reflective subpixel.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the second data is a black voltage value.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the subpixel pair represents a pixel in a plurality of pixels arranged in rows and columns.

30. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the pixel driving circuit further comprises:

mode selection logic configured to cause the display to operate in a plurality of modes comprising the transmissive mode, the reflective mode, and the transflective mode.