Liquid crystal display device

• US 9,019,186 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2011
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sugihara, Toshinori, Tsubata, Toshihide, Yamashita, Yuki, Shimoshikiryoh, Fumikazu, Hirata, Mitsuaki, Hyohdoh, Kenichi, Itsumi, Ikumi, Sugisaka, Akane, Kitayama, Masae
• Primary Examiner(s): Tzeng, Fred
• Application Number:
  US13/575,741
• Publication Number:
  US 20120306732A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,555 Days
• Field of Search: 345/88, 345/92, 345/87, 349/106, 349/107
• US Class Current: 345/92
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/201 in the form of arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133514 Colour filters
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134336 Matrix
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134345 Subdivided pixels, e.g. for grey scale or redundancy
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136286 Wiring, e.g. gate line, drain line
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/52 RGB geometrical arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/30 Gray scale
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0413 Details of dummy pixels or dummy lines in flat panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0426 Layout of electrodes and connections
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0447 for multi-domain technique to improve the viewing angle in a liquid crystal display, such as multi-vertical alignment [MVA]
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0452 Details of colour pixel setup, e.g. pixel composed of a red, a blue and two green components
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0233 Improving the luminance or brightness uniformity across the screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3607 for displaying colours or for displaying grey scales with a specific pixel layout, e.g. using sub-pixels display of colours in flat matrix panels other than liquid crystal displays G09G3/2003; grey scales specific for television H04N3/127
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3614 Control of polarity reversal in general

Abstract

A liquid crystal display device (100) according to the present invention has a plurality of pixels that are arranged in columns and rows to form a matrix pattern and one color display pixel (P) is comprised of four or any other larger even number of pixels. The liquid crystal display device (100) of the present invention includes a plurality of source bus lines (13) which run in a column direction. The even number of pixels that form one color display pixel (P) include larger pixels with a relatively large area and smaller pixels with a relatively small area. Each set of pixels to be supplied with a signal voltage from an associated one of the plurality of source bus lines (13) has substantially the same total area as any other set of pixels. According to the present invention, in a liquid crystal display device in which a plurality of pixels that forms one color display pixel includes the larger and smaller pixels, generation of display unevenness that runs in the column direction can be minimized.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display device, comprising:

a plurality of pixels arranged in columns and rows to define a matrix pattern, each one of the plurality of pixels includes an even number of four or more subpixels;

a plurality of source bus lines which extend in a column direction;

wherein

the subpixels of each of the plurality of pixels include larger subpixels and smaller subpixels which are smaller in area than the larger subpixels;

the larger subpixels are arranged along odd numbered lines parallel to the column direction and the smaller subpixels are arranged along even numbered lines parallel to the column direction and adjacent to the odd numbered lines;

first ones of the plurality of source bus lines are connected to first groups of the subpixels in the odd numbered lines and first groups of the subpixels in the even numbered lines;

second ones of the plurality of source bus lines, which are adjacent to the first ones of the plurality of source bus lines, are connected to second groups of the subpixels in the even numbered lines and second groups of the subpixels in the odd numbered lines;

a total area of all of the subpixels connected to one of the first ones of the plurality of source bus lines is equal to or substantially equal to a total area of all of the subpixels connected to one of the second ones of the plurality of source bus lines; and

the even number of the subpixels are arranged in p rows and q columns (where p and q are integers that are equal to or greater than two).

2. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1, wherein one half of the even number of subpixels are the larger subpixels and another half of the even number of subpixels are the smaller subpixels.

3. The liquid crystal display device of claim 2, wherein each of the first and second groups of the subpixels includes a same number of the larger subpixels and the smaller subpixels.

4. The liquid crystal display device of claim 3, wherein the plurality of pixels are arranged so that a column of the subpixels comprised of the larger subpixels alternates with a column of the subpixels comprised of the smaller subpixels in a display area.

5. The liquid crystal display device of claim 4, wherein

each of the plurality of subpixels includes a switching element that is connected to an associated one of the plurality of source bus lines, and

wherein the switching elements that are connected to an arbitrary one of the source bus lines include:

(i) one group of switching elements of the subpixels included in one of two columns of the subpixels that are adjacent to the arbitrary source bus line and (ii) another group of switching elements of the subpixels included in another column of the subpixels, the one group of switching elements and the another group of switching elements each include a same number of switching elements.

6. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1, wherein

the plurality of pixels include dummy pixels that do not contribute to a display operation, and

wherein the plurality of pixels are arranged so that a column of pixels comprised of the dummy pixels is located outside of a display area, and

wherein switching elements that are connected to two of the plurality of source bus lines that are located at two ends in a row direction include one number of switching elements of the subpixels belong to a column of pixels inside of the display area and a same number of switching elements of the subpixels belonging to another column of pixels outside of the display area.

7. A liquid crystal display device, comprising:

a plurality of pixels arranged in columns and rows to define a matrix pattern, each one of the plurality of pixels includes an even number of four or more subpixels;

a plurality of source bus lines which extend in a column direction;

wherein

the subpixels of each of the plurality of pixels include larger subpixels and smaller subpixels which are smaller in area than the larger subpixels;

the larger subpixels are arranged along odd numbered lines parallel to the column direction and the smaller subpixels are arranged along even numbered lines parallel to the column direction and adjacent to the odd numbered lines;

first ones of the plurality of source bus lines are connected to first groups of the subpixels in the odd numbered lines and first groups of the subpixels in the even numbered lines;

second ones of the plurality of source bus lines, which are adjacent to the first ones of the plurality of source bus lines, are connected to second groups of the subpixels in the even numbered lines and second groups of the subpixels in the odd numbered lines;

a total area of all of the subpixels connected to one of the first ones of the plurality of source bus lines is equal to or substantially equal to a total area of all of the subpixels connected to one of the second ones of the plurality of source bus lines; and

the even number of subpixels include at least red, green, blue, and yellow subpixels.

8. The liquid crystal display device of claim 7, wherein

the red and blue subpixels are the larger subpixels, and

wherein the green and yellow subpixels are the smaller subpixels.

9. A liquid crystal display device, comprising:

a plurality of pixels arranged in columns and rows to define a matrix pattern, each one of the plurality of pixels includes an even number of four or more subpixels;

a plurality of source bus lines which extend in a column direction;

wherein

the subpixels of each of the plurality of pixels include larger subpixels and smaller subpixels which are smaller in area than the larger subpixels;

the larger subpixels are arranged along odd numbered lines parallel to the column direction and the smaller subpixels are arranged along even numbered lines parallel to the column direction and adjacent to the odd numbered lines;

first ones of the plurality of source bus lines are connected to first groups of the subpixels in the odd numbered lines and first groups of the subpixels in the even numbered lines;

second ones of the plurality of source bus lines, which are adjacent to the first ones of the plurality of source bus lines, are connected to second groups of the subpixels in the even numbered lines and second groups of the subpixels in the odd numbered lines;

a total area of all of the subpixels connected to one of the first ones of the plurality of source bus lines is equal to or substantially equal to a total area of all of the subpixels connected to one of the second ones of the plurality of source bus lines; and

the even number of the subpixels are arranged in one row and r columns (where r is an even number that is equal to or greater than four).

10. The liquid crystal display device of claim 9, wherein one half of the even number of subpixels are the larger subpixels and another half of the even number of subpixels are the smaller subpixels.

11. The liquid crystal display device of claim 10, wherein each of the first and second groups of the subpixels includes a same number of the larger subpixels and the smaller subpixels.

12. The liquid crystal display device of claim 11, wherein the plurality of pixels are arranged so that a column of the subpixels comprised of the larger subpixels alternates with a column of the subpixels comprised of the smaller subpixels in a display area.

13. The liquid crystal display device of claim 12, wherein

each of the plurality of subpixels includes a switching element that is connected to an associated one of the plurality of source bus lines, and

wherein the switching elements that are connected to an arbitrary one of the source bus lines include:

(i) one group of switching elements of the subpixels included in one of two columns of the subpixels that are adjacent to the arbitrary source bus line and (ii) another group of switching elements of the subpixels included in another column of the subpixels, the one group of switching elements and the another group of switching elements each include a same number of switching elements.

14. The liquid crystal display device of claim 9, wherein

the plurality of pixels include dummy pixels that do not contribute to a display operation, and

wherein the plurality of pixels are arranged so that a column of pixels comprised of the dummy pixels is located outside of a display area, and

wherein switching elements that are connected to two of the plurality of source bus lines that are located at two ends in a row direction include one number of switching elements of the subpixels belong to a column of pixels inside of the display area and a same number of switching elements of the subpixels belonging to another column of pixels outside of the display area.