Active matrix display drive control systems

• US 8,860,708 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2006
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cambridge Display Technology Limited (Sumitomo Chemical Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Cambridge Display Technology Limited (Sumitomo Chemical Company Limited)
• Inventors: Routley, Paul R., Smith, Euan C.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, PREMAL R
• Application Number:
  US12/065,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20090201281A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,972 Days
• Field of Search: 345/82, 345/211, 345/212
• US Class Current: 345/212
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0842 forming a memory circuit, e.g. a dynamic memory with one capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/027 Details of drivers for data electrodes, the drivers handling digital grey scale data, e.g. use of D/A converters
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/029 by monitoring one or more pixels in the display panel, e.g. by monitoring a fixed reference pixel
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/043 Preventing or counteracting the effects of ageing
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3233 with pixel circuitry controlling the current through the light-emitting element

Abstract

This invention relates to methods, apparatus, and computer program code for driving an active matrix display, in particular an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, with reduced power consumption.

Claims

1. A method of reducing the power consumption of an active matrix electroluminescent display, the method comprising:

controlling a power supply voltage to at least one pixel of the display, said power supply voltage being output from a power supply;

monitoring, via a current sensing device, a power supply current based on said power supply voltage, said current sensing device disposed between the power supply and the display;

wherein said current sensing device comprises an analogue-to-digital converter configured to sense voltage drop across a resistor,

wherein said current sensing device directly provides input to a current sense input of a display drive logic for controlling said power supply voltage,

wherein said controlling further comprises progressively reducing said power supply voltage until said power supply current reduces by greater than a threshold,

wherein said active matrix electroluminescent display comprises a plurality of pixels each having a driver transistor, and

wherein said monitoring and controlling comprises at least periodically monitoring said power supply current and controlling said power supply voltage to maintain said active matrix display in an operating region in which the driver transistor of the plurality of driver transistors having the highest drive level is just within saturation.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said active matrix electroluminescent display is a multicolor display, each pixel of the display comprising at least first and second sub-pixels of different colors, said first and second sub-pixels having different respective power supply lines, and wherein the method comprises separate controlling and monitoring of each said sub-pixel power supply line.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said active matrix electroluminescent display has a plurality of spatial sub-divisions, each said spatial sub-division having a separate respective power supply line, and wherein the method comprises separate said controlling and monitoring of each said spatial sub-division power supply line.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising controlling a drive level to one or more pixels of said display to compensate for said power supply voltage reducing.

5. An active matrix OLED display comprising a plurality of pixels each with an OLED display element and an associated driver transistor, and a display driver as claimed in claim 4.

6. The active matrix OLED display as claimed in claim 5 wherein each said pixel comprises at least first and second sub-pixels of different colors, and wherein said two portions comprises said first and second sub-pixels respectively.

7. The active matrix OLED display as claimed in claim 5 wherein said portions include a plurality of spatially separate sub-divisions of said display.

8. The active matrix OLED display as claimed in claim 5 wherein said display comprises at least two portions with separate power supply lines for providing power to said driver transistor.

9. A non-transitory carrier comprising a computer readable storage medium having process control code stored thereon to implement the method of claim 1.

10. An active matrix display driver including the non-transitory carrier of claim 9.

11. The display driver as claimed in claim 10 wherein said active matrix electroluminescent display comprises an OLED display.

12. The non-transitory carrier as claimed in claim 9 wherein said active matrix electroluminescent display comprises an OLED display.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said active matrix electroluminescent display comprises an OLED display.

14. An active matrix display driver, comprising a plurality of pixels, each pixel having a driver transistor, for driving an active matrix electroluminescent display, the driver comprising:

a controller for controlling a power supply voltage to at least one pixel of the display, said power supply voltage being output from a power supply;

a monitor for monitoring, via a current sensing device, a power supply current based on said power supply voltage, said current sensing device disposed between the power supply and the display;

wherein said current sensing device comprises an analogue-to-digital converter configured to sense voltage drop across a resistor,

wherein said current sensing device directly provides input to a current sense input of a display drive logic for controlling said power supply voltage,

wherein said controller progressively reduces said power supply voltage until said power supply current reduces by greater than a threshold, and

wherein the monitor is operable to at least periodically monitor the power supply current and the controller is operable to control the power supply voltage to maintain the display in an operating region in which the driver transistor of the plurality of driver transistors having the highest drive level is just within saturation.

15. The active matrix display driver as claimed in claim 14 wherein said controller is configured to adjust said control signal to progressively reduce said sensed current to a threshold point.

16. The active matrix display driver as claimed in claim 15 wherein said controller is further configured to adjust said control signal to maintain said power supply in the vicinity of said threshold point.

17. The active matrix display driver as claimed in claim 16 wherein said threshold point comprises a point at which the driver transistor of the plurality of driver transistors having the highest drive level is just within saturation.

18. The active matrix display driver as claimed in claim 14 wherein said driver further comprises a voltage sensor to sense a voltage on said power supply line, wherein said controller further comprises a voltage sense input for said voltage sensor;

and wherein said voltage control output is responsive to a sensed voltage signal on said voltage sense input.

19. The active matrix display driver as claimed in claim 14 in combination with a display having a plurality of power supply lines;

wherein said driver is configured to provide a plurality of separately controllable power supplies to said plurality of power supply lines, and to sense current in said plurality of power supply lines; and

wherein said controller is configured to separately control a power supply voltage on each of said plurality of power supply lines responsive to a current in the respective line.

20. A controller for a driver of an active matrix electroluminescent display, the display having a plurality of pixels each having an electroluminescent display element and an associated drive transistor, the display having a power supply line for providing power to the driver transistors of said pixels;

the driver comprising a pixel data driver to drive said display pixels with data for display, a controllable voltage power supply to provide a power supply voltage to said power supply line, and a current sensing device to sense a current in said power supply line;

the controller comprising;

a current sense input for said current sensing device, said current sense input being determined by the sensed current which is based on said power supply voltage, said current sensing device disposed between the power supply and the display;

a voltage control output for said controllable voltage power supply to provide power to at least one pixel of said display; and

a voltage controller to provide a voltage control signal for said voltage control output responsive to a current sense signal from said current sense input,

wherein said current sensing device comprising an analogue-to-digital converter configured to sense voltage drop across a resistor;

wherein said current sensing device directly provides input to said current sense input of a display drive logic for controlling said power supply voltage,

wherein the voltage controller is operable to at least periodically monitor the current sense signal from the current sense input and the controller is operable to control the voltage control output for the controllable supply voltage to maintain the electroluminescent display in an operating region in which the driver transistor of the plurality of driver transistors having the highest drive level is just within saturation.

21. The controller as claimed in claim 20 further configured to adjust said pixel drive data in coordination with said voltage control signal.

22. An active matrix electroluminescent display driver including the controller of claim 20.

23. The controller as claimed in claim 20 wherein said active matrix electroluminescent display comprises an OLED display.