Patent Application
20240339090
The present invention relates to an active matrix display device such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) for use in fault-critical systems, where it is important that the display device remains operational, such as in avionics systems.
For safety critical applications the availability and reliability of the equipment is very important. This can be realized in different ways. One solution can be that several copies of the same device are used. For example, an aerospace cockpit system contains several identical displays for redundancy reasons. Recently there is a trend that the displays become larger which reduce the number of displays in a cockpit, hence making it even more important that the display remains operational. This invention aims at a solution to make a large display single fail tolerant so it will be usable in safety critical environments with a high availability.
US patent US10056045B2 discloses an embodiment wherein each horizontal and vertical conductor of a TFT array may be in electrical contact with a first and second control system. Initially, the entire display is driven by the first control system. When/if a failure occurs in the first control system, it is powered down and the second control system maintains operation of the entire display. Each control system may contain a set of source/gate drivers, display interface board, and power supply. A reversionary button may allow the user to manually switch between control systems. Alternatively, failure may be detected by the display interface boards or a graphics processor. This approach of complete redundancy may be very expensive and not always suitable for large screens. Indeed, it would seem that one of the control systems is always offline and is thus not used efficiently.
US patent application US20180226042A1 discloses fault-tolerant liquid crystal displays delineated for avionics systems. At least some example embodiments are methods including providing an avionics display full screen on the LCD, the providing being implemented by driving source signal lines of the LCD by way of a first source driver circuit through a first set of FETs; driving gate signal lines of the LCD by way of a first gate driver circuit through a second set of FETs; preventing back biasing of a second source driver circuit by electrically isolating the source signal lines from the second source driver circuit; and preventing back biasing of a second gate driver circuit by electrically isolating the gate signal lines from the second gate driver circuit. The electrically isolating of the gate signal lines is hereby achieved by way of sets of FETs coupled between driver and signal lines. Hereby, the FETs are additional elements in the display which make the display more expensive and more difficult to produce. Furthermore, the FETs are additional electronical elements coupled in between the essential elements of the display, and can break down and cause problems for a proper functioning of the display. Hence, although the use of FETs to increase fault-tolerance of the display, the presence of the FETs themselves may actually increase the probability of a breakdown of the display.
The present invention relates to a fault-tolerant active matrix display device for avionics systems comprising:
The main principle behind the invention is to allow one of the gate driver circuits taking over for the other in case of a failure in the other gate driver circuit, while allowing both gate driver circuits to be used during normal operation, i.e. operation of the display device when no failure has occurred in the gate driver circuits. Furthermore, in case of failure of one of the gate driver circuits, all gate signal lines can still be driven. This is in contrast with prior art devices which:
The invention is described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the exemplary embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, the size and relative sizes of layers and regions may be exaggerated for clarity.
It will be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being “on” another element or layer, the element or layer can be directly on another element or layer or intervening elements or layers. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on” another element or layer, there are no intervening elements or layers present. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the present invention.
Spatially relative terms, such as “lower”, “upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe the relationship of one element or feature to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation, in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “lower” relative to other elements or features would then be oriented “upper” relative the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term “lower” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
Embodiments of the invention are described herein with reference to illustrations that are schematic illustrations of idealized embodiments (and intermediate structures) of the invention. As such, variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result, for example, of manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances, are to be expected. Thus, embodiments of the invention should not be construed as limited to the particular shapes of regions illustrated herein but are to include deviations in shapes that result, for example, from manufacturing. For example, an implanted region illustrated as a rectangle will, typically, have rounded or curved features and/or a gradient of implant concentration at its edges rather than a binary change from implanted to non-implanted region. Likewise, a buried region formed by implantation may result in some implantation in the region between the buried region and the surface through which the implantation takes place. Thus, the regions illustrated in the figures are schematic in nature and their shapes are not intended to illustrate the actual shape of a region of a device and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.
In what follows, reference will be made to an LCD, which is a preferred embodiment, but the same arguments and features apply for other types of an active matrix display device. Hence, in embodiments of the present invention, the active matrix display device is an LCD, an AMOLED or a microLED.
As indicated above, the present invention relates to a fault-tolerant active matrix display device, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), for avionics systems comprising:
The example system of the prior art further comprises a driver circuit (210). The driver circuit (210) electrically couples to each of the source signal lines (202) and each of the gate signal lines (204). The driver circuit (210) electrically couples to driver electronics (212) and a power supply (214). The power supply (214) receives input power in any suitable form (e.g., 12 Volts, 24 Volts in avionics systems or any other desired voltage), and converts the power to suitable voltages (e.g., 3.3 Volts or any other desired voltage) for the driver circuit (210) and the driver electronics (212). The driver electronics (212) receives an avionics display signal (e.g., from a master avionics unit, not specifically shown), converts the avionics display signal into appropriate source signals and gate signals, and provides the signals to the driver circuit (210). The driver circuit (210), in turn, drives the source signal lines (202) and gate signal lines (204) to facilitate showing the avionics display (e.g., including the various regions) on the screen area of the LCD (102). Thus, the avionics system (100) may provide an avionics display full screen on the LCD using the driver circuit (210), driver electronics (212), and power supply (214). The prior art system shown in
In the present invention, the LCD comprises a source driver circuit coupled to at least a portion of the source signal lines. The source driver circuit is configured to drive the source signal lines.
Further, in the present invention, the LCD comprises
wherein the first gate driver circuit and the second gate driver circuit are configured to drive the gate signal lines collaboratively, and wherein the first gate driver circuit is configured, upon a failure in the second gate driver circuit, to induce a floating state in the gate line output of each register cell of the second gate driver circuit, preferably by powering off the second driver circuit, and wherein the second gate driver circuit is configured, upon failure in the first gate driver circuit, to induce a floating state in the gate line output of each register cell of the first gate driver circuit, preferably by powering off the first gate driver circuit.
Hence, in the present invention, fault intolerance is increased in a different way as in prior art devices. An embodiment of the present invention is shown in
The first gate driver circuit (305) comprises a set of first gate driver cells (311), and the second gate driver comprises a set of second gate driver cells (312). Each gate line (309) is connected on the first side with a gate line output of a gate driver cell (311) of the set of first gate driver cells and on the second side with a gate line output of a gate driver cell (312) of the set of second gate driver cells. The gate driver cells are configured to drive a gate line of the LCD in function of gate driver cell input signals. In normal operation, i.e. if both the first gate driver circuit and the second gate driver circuit are operational, the gate driver cells connected on either side of the same gate line, cooperate to drive the gate line. If one of the gate drivers fails, the other gate driver is configured to drive the gate lines without the failing gate driver. In order to allow this, each of the gate driver cells is configured to have its gate line output in a floating state in case power to the gate driver cell is turned off.
An exemplary embodiment of gate driver cells is illustrated in
The gate driver cells comprise a set of at least one power input (Q2), which preferably is a DC voltage at a predefined fixed voltage level. The power input allows the gate driver cell to impose a voltage on the gate line output: depending on the output value OUTi of the gate driver cell, the gate line output is set to its value. The power input (Q2) to the gate driver cells of the first set of gate driver cells is preferably a common power input for all gate driver cells of this first set, and/or the power input (Q2) to the gate driver cells of the second set of gate driver cells is preferably a common power input for all gate driver cells of this second set.
In an embodiment, the first gate driver circuit is configured, upon a failure in the second gate driver circuit, to at least partially power off the second gate driver circuit, thereby inducing the floating state in the gate line output of each gate driver cell of the second gate driver circuit, and the second gate driver circuit is configured, upon failure in the first gate driver circuit, to at least partially power off the first gate driver circuit, thereby inducing a floating state in the gate line output of each gate driver cell of the first gate driver circuit. Cutting power to only the output stage of the faulty gate driver circuit, e.g. to the buffers of the gate driver cells, may give a tri-stated output which is enough to have the desired result to allow the other gate driver circuit to operate normally. In a concrete implementation it is preferred to cut all power signals and ground of the faulty gate driver circuit.
In some case, failure of one of the gate driver circuits may occur. In the present invention, each gate driver circuit is configured to power off the power input to the other gate driver circuit in case a failure in the other gate driver circuit occurs. This can preferably be achieved by turning off the power input (Q2) to the gate driver cell of the failing gate driver circuit, preferably each gate driver cell of the failing gate driver circuit, which power input (Q2) powers the gate line output of the gate driver cell of the failing gate driver circuit, preferably of each gate driver cell of the failing gate driver circuit. As a result, the gate signal line is not anymore being driven by the gate driver cells of the failing gate driver circuit. Moreover, the gate line output is hereby in a floating state, such that the gate driver cells of the working gate driver circuit can impose the correct gate signal to the full gate signal line.
A floating state of the gate line output refers to the gate line output being in a state in which the gate signal is not imposed by the electronics of the gate line. A floating state can be achieved actively, whereby the gate line output is effectively decoupled from electronical signals of the gate line by an active interruption signal, or a floating state can be achieved passively whereby the gate line output is effectively decoupled from electronic signals of the gate line by the absence of a driving signal. Preferably, the floating state of the gate line output is achieved passively.
The working gate driver circuit can induce a floating state in the gate line output of a driver cell of the failing gate driver circuit, and preferably in each driver cell of the failing gate driver circuit in a number of ways. In an embodiment, the first gate driver circuit and/or the second gate driver circuit comprises a system manager module configured for sensing a health status of the second gate driver circuit and/or the first gate driver circuit respectively. Said system manager module may preferably be configured to induce the floating state in the faulty gate driver circuit.
The gate line output of a gate driver cell, and preferably of the buffer thereof, may preferably have three failure modes: “stuck high”, “stuck low” and “open”. They are further described below with references to
We note here that
In the shown embodiment, the gate driver cell comprises a shift register cell to which an output buffer is connected, which on its turn is connected to the gate signal line via the gate line output. This is the case for each side of the gate signal line. Implementation of the output buffer may exist in multiple configurations. In a preferred embodiment, the gate driver cells, and more preferably the buffers of the gate driver cells, are configured to use three or more levels to drive the gate signal line. Hereby, preferably the gate cell driver, and preferably the buffer thereof, comprises a set of switches such that the gate signal line is connected to relative low impedance sources for high cycle, mid cycle and low cycle signals.
A floating state can be induced at the gate line output of a faulty gate driver in a number of ways. In one embodiment, the floating state can be induced by interrupting the connection between the gate line output and the gate signal line. Alternatively, or additionally, the floating state can be induced by disconnecting the gate line output from a power input (Q2) and/or a ground, preferably from a power input (Q2) and a ground. This may be achieved in a number of ways which may depend upon the exact configuration of the gate driver and/or gate driver cells, and/or which may depend on the type of failure. We will discuss a number of options below for the examples shown in the figures.
Preferably, the gate driver circuits comprise a tri-state when powered down. A faulty gate driver circuit can put the gate lines in a state that they cannot be driven to produce an image and as such eliminate the wished result of the redundancy.
“Open” gate line drive: This is illustrated in
“Stuck low” gate line drive: This is illustrated in
“Stuck high” gate line drive: This is illustrated in
When on one side the top or bottom transistor is open the current will be significant lower on one side and higher on the other side. This can be used as detection signature of the failure mode. The balance of the current between left and right will give indication of which transistor, i.e. of which gate driver circuit, is failing.
Preferably, the floating state is induced by disconnecting the faulty gate driver cell from the power input and the ground. This allows to deal with all of the above described failure types. In a preferred embodiment, the floating state is induced by disconnecting tall driver cells of the faulty gate driver circuit from the power input and the ground. This allows to deal with a faulty gate driver circuit even if it is not known which of the gate driver cells of said faulty gate driver circuit is failing.
Hence, in an embodiment of the present invention, the display device is configured to detect and identify a failing gate driver circuit via a current signature on the gate signal line.
Another way, of detecting failures in the gate driver circuits is by monitoring feedback of a gate driver start pulse vertical (STV) signal. The feedback can preferably be monitored on each gate driver circuit, hence allowing identification of the failing gate driver circuit in case of a failure. Hence, in an embodiment, the display device is configured to monitor feedback of a gate driver STV signal. An STV signal propagates through each of the gate driver circuits as illustrated in
and so on for the following gate driver cells of the gate driver circuit, and the corresponding gate lines. This STV signal is propagated synchronously through the first and second set of gate driver cells.
After the STV signal has reached the final gate driver cell (‘OUT_N’, 713), the output signal from the final gate driver cell can be fed back and monitored (‘STV_return’, 714). If the STV signal has arrived on the final gate driver cell, and thus also on the final gate signal line, after a predefined number of clock counts, then the gate driver circuit and its gate driver cells are functional. If, however, for one of the gate driver circuits, the STV signal has not arrived on the final gate driver cell after the predetermined number of clock counts, that gate driver circuits could be deemed failing.
In a preferred embodiment, the active display matrix comprises at least one system manager module configured for sensing a health status of the first gate driver circuit and/or the second driver circuit. The health status hereby provides information on the correct working of the gate driver circuit, and in particular comprises information on a possible failure of the gate driver circuit. The system manager is preferably configured to, upon sensing a failure of one of the gate driver circuits, to induce a floating state in the failing gate driver circuit.
In a more preferred embodiment, the first gate driver circuit (shown in the top part in
In a preferred embodiment, the first system manager (906) is connected to the second gate driver circuit, and preferably to the gate driver cells thereof, via a first switching module (908) and/or the second system manager (905) is connected to the first gate driver circuit, and preferably to the gate driver cells thereof, via a second switching module (907). Said first switching module and/or said second switching module can preferably be configured to perform the required actions to induce the floating state in the respective gate driver circuit upon instructions from respective system manager. Preferably, the floating state is hereby induced by disconnecting the faulty gate driver cell from the power input and/or the ground, preferably by disconnecting all gate driver cells of the faulty gate driver circuit from the power input and/or the ground. Hereby, the first gate driver circuit is preferably connected to the power input and/or the ground via the second switching module, thus allowing the second switching module to easily disconnect the first gate driver circuit from the power input and/or the ground. Likewise, the second gate driver circuit is preferably connected to the power input and/or the ground via the first switching module, thus allowing the first switching module to easily disconnect the second gate driver circuit from the power input and/or the ground.
In a preferred embodiment, as illustrated in
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21190820.7 | Aug 2021 | EP | regional |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2022/072618 | 8/11/2022 | WO |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 17399352 | Aug 2021 | US |
| Child | 18682468 | US |
