Patent Application
20220101787
This application claims the priority of Chinese Patent Application No. 202011057344.8, filed on Sep. 29, 2020, the content of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The present disclosure generally relates to the field of display technology and, more particularly, relates to a display device and a method for driving a display device.
With the development of science and technology, more and more electronic devices with display functions are widely used in people's work and life, such as handheld devices including mobile phones and tablet computers, and wearable devices including smart watches and smart bracelets.
Due to the small size of wearable devices, such as smart watches and smart bracelets, their battery capacities are difficult to increase due to the volume limitations. Therefore, how to reduce the power consumption of the wearable devices during the display stage is an urgent problem to be solved. The disclosed display devices and methods for driving the display devices are directed to solve one or more problems set forth above and other problems in the art.
One aspect of the present disclosure provides a method for driving a display device. The method may include providing the display device. The display device may include a plurality of sub-pixels arranged as an array. Each row of sub-pixels are connected by a scan line; each column of sub-pixels are connected by a data line; the display device also includes a plurality of multiplexers; each multiplexer includes a number m switch units; the number m switch units include m1 first switch units and m2 second switch units; m, m1, and m2 are all positive integers; output terminals of different switch units of a same multiplexer are connected to different data lines; input terminals of all switch units of the same multiplexer are connected to a same data voltage input terminal; control terminals of different switch units of the same multiplexer are connected to different clock signal lines; and a row display time period of a row of sub-pixels of one frame of display image of the display device includes a data writing phase and a display maintaining phase. The method may also include, in a first stage of the data writing phase, always turning on the m1 first switch units of each multiplexer under a control of the m1 corresponding clock signal lines, and sequentially turning on the m2 second switch units for a preset time in a preset order under a control of the m2 corresponding clock signal lines. Further, the method may include, in a second stage of the data writing phase, keeping the m1 first switch units being always turned on under a control of the corresponding m1 clock signal lines, turning off the m2 second switch units under a control of the corresponding m2 clock signal lines, and writing corresponding data voltage signals to the row of sub-pixels to cause the row of sub-pixels to display under a control of corresponding scan lines. Further, the method includes in the display maintaining phase, displaying same as in the second stage of the data writing phase. At least one of the plurality of first switch units is always turned on under a control of a corresponding clock signal line when at least two continuously scanned rows of sub-pixels are displaying.
Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a display device. The display device may include a display panel and a driving chip. The display panel may include a plurality of sub-pixels arranged as an array; each row of sub-pixels are connected by a scan line; each column of sub-pixels are connected by a data line; the display panel also includes a plurality of multiplexers; each multiplexer includes at least two switch units; output terminals of different switch units of a same multiplexer are connected to different data lines; input terminals of all switch units of the same multiplexer are connected to a same data voltage input terminal; and control terminals of different switch units of the same multiplexer are connected to different clock control signal lines. The driving chip is used to execute the driving method of the display device.
Other aspects of the present disclosure can be understood by those skilled in the art in light of the description, the claims, and the drawings of the present disclosure.
The following drawings are merely examples for illustrative purposes according to various disclosed embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
The present disclosure will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the drawings and embodiments. It can be understood that the specific embodiments described here are only used to explain the present disclosure, but not to limit the present disclosure. In addition, it should be noted that, for ease of description, the drawings only show part of the structure related to the present disclosure, but not all of the structure.
The features and exemplary embodiments of each aspect of the disclosure will be described in detail below. To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the disclosure more clear, the disclosure will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described here are only configured to explain the present disclosure, and not configured to limit the present disclosure. For those skilled in the art, this disclosure can be implemented without some of these specific details. The following description of the embodiments is only to provide a better understanding of the present disclosure by showing examples of the present disclosure.
It should be noted that in this disclosure, relational terms such as first and second are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply one of these entities or operations to have any such actual relationship or order between.
It should be understood that when describing the structure of a component, when a layer or an area is referred to as being “on” or “above” another layer or another area, it can mean that it is directly on the other layer or area, or there are other layers or regions between it and another layer or another region. Further, if the component is turned over, the layer or area will be “below” or “below” another layer or area.
With the development of display technologies, the types of electronic products with screens have become more and more abundant. For example, for mobile phones, people have higher requirements for the fluency of the mobile phone display screen. Thus, the refresh rate has been developed from 60 Hz to 90 Hz, 120 Hz. For smart watches, smart bracelets and other wearable devices, the display content is generally relatively simple, such as time, exercise steps, heart rate, etc., and people have the needs of long battery life. Thus, the refresh rate are reduced (for example, 30 Hz, or 15Hz) to save power consumption.
The present disclosure provides a display device and a method for driving the display device. The display device may include a plurality of sub-pixels arranged as an array. Each row of sub-pixels may be connected by a scan line, and each column of sub-pixels may be connected by a data line. The display device may also include a plurality of multiplexers. Each multiplexer may include m switch units. The m switch units may include m1 first switch units and m2 second switch units. Wherein m, m1 and m2 may all be positive integers. The output terminals of different switch units of a same multiplexer may be connected to different data lines. The input terminals of all switch units of the same multiplexer may be connected to a same data voltage input terminal. The control terminals of different switch units of the same multiplexer may be connected with different clock control signal lines. The row display time period of a row of sub-pixels of a frame of display image in the display device may include a data writing phase and a display maintaining phase.
Step S110: in a first stage of the data writing phase, turning on m1 first switch units of each multiplexer under the control of the corresponding m1 clock signal lines, and sequentially turning on m2 second switch units for a preset time in a preset order under a control of the m2 clock signal lines;
Step S120: in a second stage of the data writing phase, keeping the m1 first switch units being always turned on under a control of the m1 corresponding clock signal lines, turning off the m2 second switch units under a control of the corresponding m2 clock signal lines, and writing the corresponding data voltage signals to the corresponding row of sub-pixels under a control of the scan lines to cause the corresponding row of sub-pixels to display; and
Step S130: in the display maintaining phase, displaying same as in the second stage of the data writing phase.
At least one first switch unit may always be turned on under the control of the corresponding clock signal line when at least two rows of continuously scanned sub-pixels are displaying.
In the driving method of the display device provided by the present disclosure, in the first stage of the data writing phase, the m1 first switch units of each multiplexer may always be turned on under the control of the corresponding m1 clock signal lines, the m2 second switch units may be sequentially turned on for a preset time in a preset order under the control of the corresponding m2 clock signal lines. Thus, the number of jumps of the clock signals that control the first switch units to turn on may be reduced, and the power consumption may be reduced. In the second stage of the data writing phase, the m1 first switch units may always be turned on under the control of the corresponding m1 clock signal lines, and the m2 second switch units may be turned off under the control of the corresponding m2 clock signal lines to avoid the jumps of the clock signals that control the first switch units and the second switch units to prevent the increasing of the power consumption. The scan lines may control the corresponding row of sub-pixels to write the corresponding data voltage signals to make the sub-pixels to display. In the display maintaining phase, the configuration may be same as the second stage of the data writing phase, which may reduce the refresh frequency of the display device. At least one first switch unit may always be turned on under the control of the corresponding clock signal line when at least two rows of continuously scanned sub-pixels are displaying. Thus, the power consumption of the display device may be reduced, and the battery life of the display device may be increased.
The above is the core idea of the driving method of the display device provided by the present disclosure. The specific steps of the driving method provided by the present disclosure will be explained below with reference to specific embodiments. The following embodiments are only exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, but not the limitations of the present disclosure.
It should be noted the configuration that each multiplexer in
On the basis of the previous embodiment, in one embodiment, the driving method of the display device provided in the present disclosure may further include: writing a same fixed gray-scale voltage to the sub-pixels in at least two consecutively scanned rows of sub-pixels corresponding to the same switch unit.
It can be understood that each switch unit may correspond to a column of sub-pixels, and the display device may writes data voltage in a row-by-row scanning manner during display. Referring to
In one embodiment, the display device may include M rows of sub-pixels. In one frame of display picture, at least one switch unit may always be turned on under the control of the corresponding clock signal line when M1 rows of continuously scanned first-type of sub-pixels are displaying; and may be turned on under the control of the corresponding clock signal line with pre-determined order when M2 rows of continuously scanned second type of sub-pixels are displaying. M, M1 and M2 may be all integers, M≥M1+M2, M1≥2 and M2≥0.
In one embodiment, the first-type of sub-pixels and the second-type of sub-pixels may be alternately arranged. M, M1, and M2 may all be integers, and M≥M1+M2, M1≥2, M2≥1.
It should be noted that, in the previously described embodiments, the first type of row sub-pixels may refer to that the switch unit corresponding at least one sub-pixel of the row of sub-pixels may always be turned on when the at least one sub-pixel in the row of sub-pixels is displaying, and not all switch units corresponding to the row of sub-pixels are always turned on. In some embodiments, M1 and M2 may be set according to actual conditions. For example, when M is an even number, M1 and M2 may be respectively M/2, which can be flexibly selected according to actual conditions during the specific implementation.
In one embodiment, from the n-th frame of display image to the (n+i)-th frame of display image, the switch units that are always on when the M1 rows of continuously scanned sub-pixels may be sequentially turned on with a preset order from the (n+i+1)-th frame of display imaged to the (n+i+j+1)-th frame of display image when the M1 rows of continuously scanned sub-pixels. From the n-th frame of display image to the (n+i)-th frame of image, the switch units that are turned on sequentially with the present order may be always turned on when the M2 rows of continuous scanned sub-pixels are displayed are displaying. n, i, and j may be positive integers.
Among them, the sub-pixels corresponding to the always-on switch units may all be written with the same fixed grayscale data voltage, for example, 0 grayscale voltage. In particular, the display is in a black state. The sub-pixels corresponding to the switch units that are sequentially turned on in the preset order may be sequentially written with the data voltage for normal display.
In some embodiments, i and j may be other positive integers, and the values of i and j may be the same or different; and may not be limited in the present disclosure.
In another embodiment, the switch units that are always on when the continuously scanned M1 rows of sub-pixels are displaying at the k-th frame may be sequentially turned on with a preset order at the (k+1)-th frame. The switch units that are sequentially turned on with a preset order when the sub-pixels of the continuously scanned M2 rows of sub-pixels at the k-th frame may be turned on at the (k+1)-th frame. k is a positive integer.
In one embodiment, the display device may include M rows of sub-pixels, and in one frame of display picture, at least one switch unit may always be turned on under the control of the corresponding clock signal line when all rows of sub-pixels are displaying.
It can be understood that, in one embodiment, by setting at least one switch unit to be always on in one frame of display image, comparing with the existing driving method, the time sequence signals of a column of sub-pixels corresponding to the always-on switch units may all not jump. Thus, the power consumption may be effectively reduced.
In one embodiment, in one frame of display image, the clock signals corresponding to multiple multiplexers may be same when each row of sub-pixels are displaying.
It can be understood that a display device may generally include multiple columns of sub-pixels, and one multiplexer generally may not be able to cover all columns of sub-pixels. Thus, the display device may need to be provided with multiple multiplexers.
In one embodiment, in one frame of display image, the data lines corresponding to the sub-pixels in the same row of sub-pixels may be written with the same data voltage signal in two adjacent data writing phases. In particular, the two adjacent data writing phases may be understood as two adjacent sub-pixels located in the same row may be sequentially written with the same data voltage signal, or two sub-pixels located in the same row but arranged at intervals may be sequentially written with the same data voltage signal. Thus, the same data voltage signal may be ensured to be written in the adjacent data writing phases; and the number of data voltage jumps may be reduced, and the power consumption may be reduced.
By writing the same data voltage signal to the data lines corresponding to the sub-pixels in the same row of sub-pixels in at least two adjacent data writing phases, the number of the data voltage signal jumps may be reduced, and the power consumption may be further reduced.
In some embodiments, the multiplexer may include two switch units, six switch units or twelve switch units, etc.
Among different display devices, smart watches, smart bracelets and other wearable devices may often use 1:6 or 1:12 multiplexers. 1:2 multiplexers may be used in mobile phones. In the specific implementation, the number of switch units in a multiplexer may be selected according to the actual situation; and is not limited in the present disclosure.
In one embodiment, the multiplexer may include twelve switch units counting from a first switch unit to a twelfth switch unit, and the first stage may include twelve data writing moment counting from a first data writing moment to a twelfth data writing moment. In the first stage of the data writing phase, the fourth switch unit to the sixth switch unit and the tenth switch unit to the twelfth switch unit may always be turned on under the control of the corresponding clock signal line. The first switch unit to the third switch unit and the seventh switch unit to the ninth switch unit, respectively, under the control of the corresponding clock signal line, may be turned on for a preset time from the first data writing moment to the third data writing moment, and the seventh data writing moment to the ninth data writing moment. At the same time, the data voltage input terminals may respectively write the data voltage signals to the data line corresponding to the first switch unit to the third switch unit and the seventh switch unit to the ninth switch unit at the first data writing moment to the third data writing moment, and the seventh data writing moment to the ninth data writing moment.
In the above embodiment, there are three data writing moments between the “on” period of the seventh switch unit and the “on” period of the third switch unit. Because the sub-pixels corresponding to the always-on switch units may be written with a same data voltage signal, the seventh switch unit may be turned on earlier to reduce the jump of the data voltage signal. In one embodiment, the multiplexer may include twelve switch units counting from a first switch unit to a twelfth switch unit, and the first stage of the data writing phase may include twelve data writing moment counting from the first data writing moment to the twelfth data writing moment. In the first stage of the data writing phase, the fourth switch unit to the sixth switch unit and the tenth switch unit to the twelfth switch unit may always be turned on under the control of the corresponding clock signal lines, the first switch unit to the third switch unit and the seventh switch unit to the ninth switch unit may be respectively turned on for the preset time under the control of the corresponding clock signal lines at the first data writing moment to the third data writing moment and the fourth data writing moment to the sixth data writing moment. At the same time, the data voltage input terminals may respectively write the data voltage signals to the data lines corresponding the first switch unit to the third switch unit and the seventh switch unit to the ninth switch unit at the first data writing moment to the third data writing moment and the fourth data writing moment to the sixth data writing moment.
In one embodiment, in the display maintaining phase, the status of each switch unit of the multiplexer may be same as the status of the second stage of the data writing phase, or all switch units of the multiplexer may be turned on.
It is understandable that in the display maintaining phase, no data voltage signal may be written, and the screen displayed before may be maintained at this time. Thus, the state of each switch unit may not affect the display effect at this time. In one embodiment, the status of each switch unit of the multiplexer may be the same as the status in the second stage of the data writing phase. The on/off status of the switch unit may be changed after the beginning of the next frame, or it may all be turned on at this stage, and the action may be performed when the next frame is displayed. The status of the switch unit in the display maintaining phase is not limited by the present disclosure.
The present disclosure also includes providing a display device. The display device may include a display panel and a driving chip. The display panel may include a plurality of sub-pixels arranged as an array. Each row of sub-pixels may be connected by a scan line, and each column of sub-pixels may be connected by a data line. The display panel may also include a plurality of multiplexers. Each multiplexer may include at least two switch units. The output terminals of different switch units of the same multiplexer may be connected to different data lines. The input terminals of the switch units in each multiplexer may be connected to a same data voltage input terminals. The control terminals of different switch units of the same multiplexer may be connected to different clock control signal lines. The driving chip may be used to implement any driving method provided by the present disclosure.
The display device provided by the present disclosure may be wearable devices such as watches and smart bracelets, and may also be applied to other scenarios that require low power consumption. The display device may execute any of the driving methods provided in the present disclosure, and may have the advantages of the low power consumption.
It should be noted that the above are only the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure and the applied technical principles. Those skilled in the art will understand that the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein, and various obvious changes, readjustments, mutual combinations and substitutions can be made to those skilled in the art without departing from the protection scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, although the present disclosure has been described in more detail through the above embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments, and can also include more other equivalent embodiments without departing from the concept of the present disclosure. The scope of is determined by the scope of the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 202011057344.8 | Sep 2020 | CN | national |
