This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Taiwanese Patent Application No. 097103014, filed Jan. 25, 2008, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Technical Field
The present invention relates to a flat display apparatus, a control circuit and a control method employed therein, especially a flat display apparatus using different signals to drive horizontal scanning lines of the flat display device, a control circuit and a control method for controlling the flat display apparatus
Description of the Related Art
Flat display devices such as liquid crystal displays have been widely used in all kinds of electronic devices. With the extending demands of customers, sizes of display screen of the flat displays have developed from small size originally employed in portable computers to middle size employed in desktop computers, and then to large size employed in family cinema gradually. It is important to maintain a displaying uniformity of a whole screen with the increasing size of the display screen.
Following the increasing size of the display device, amount of display unit defined in the display device for displaying image called as pixel is also increasing. Even a refresh frequency of an image does not increase, a transition of voltage level of scanning signal must be faster to satisfy a displaying demand because of the increasing pixels. However, the faster transition of voltage level results in a feed-though effect of a capacitor generated by a capacitive coupling effect, which causes a stored voltage of the pixel changed. Therefore, the displaying uniformity is challenged in both horizontal and vertical directions.
Referring to
Referring to
As shown in
If the feed-though voltages Vf in all the display panel 130 are same, a problem caused by the feed-though voltage Vf can easily be solved. However, in fact, the feed-though voltages Vf respectively corresponding to each pixel in all the display panel 130 are different. In the horizontal direction, the difference of the feed-though voltages Vf are mainly caused by a signal delay of the scanning lines which make an operation of turning off the thin film transistors 200 arranged in a same scanning line inconsistent. In the vertical direction, the difference of the feed-though voltages Vf are mainly caused by a voltage drop of a current and a resistance. When the gate high level voltage Vgh and the gate low level voltage Vgl are provided to the display panel 130, the wires layout made from different conducting lines, such as metal lines or thin film lines, generate voltage drop thereof. In any case, when signals transmit along the conducting lines (gate lines), a voltage difference (Vgh−Vgl) of the gate lines is gradually decreased with the signals been transmitted downward along the gate lines. The feed-through voltage Vf can be obtained according to following formula:
wherein CGD,ON is a parasitic capacitor of the conductive thin film transistor 200. That is, if the voltage difference (Vgh−Vgl) of the gate lines varies in the vertical direction, the feed-through voltage Vf is inevitably changes following the variation of the voltage difference.
To solve the above described problems, many solutions are provided. These solutions are all aimed at solving the uneven display generated by the feed-through effect of the scanning lines arranged in the horizontal direction. In fact, these solutions did achieve some improvement in a manner, such as U.S. Pat. No. 6,359,607, U.S. Pat. No. 6,867,760, U.S. Pat. No. 7,027,024 and U.S. published application No. 2006/0077163, et al. However, after experimental proof, these solutions can only solve a problem of uneven display in the horizontal direction and can not solve the uneven display in the vertical direction. The following chart 1 shows a plurality of voltage differences (Vgh−Vgl) at corresponding areas in a 40 inches LCD panel (it is assumed that the 40 inches LCD panel is divided into sixteen areas arranged as a 4×4 matrix) when normal signals are provided to the 40 inches LCD panel.
After employing the technology provided by the U.S. Pat. No. 6,359,607, the voltage differences (Vgh−Vgl) at corresponding areas of the same LCD panel are shown in Chart 2.
To sum up, after using the technology provided by the U.S. Pat. No. 6,359,607, the voltage differences (Vgh−Vgl) in the horizontal direction may be improved in a manner. However, the voltage differences (Vgh−Vgl) in the vertical direction is not only improved, but also become larger than that using original technology in a manner. In other words, after using the technology, the uniformity of displaying in the vertical direction becomes worse.
In one aspect, an exemplary control method for a flat display apparatus is provided. The flat display apparatus includes a plurality of gate driving units each of which controls the operation of a scan line. The method comprises providing a first gate high level voltage signal and a second gate high level voltage signal to the gate driving units such that the first and second gate high level voltage signals are used as voltage signals transmitted to corresponding scan lines. The first and second gate high level voltage signals respectively include a falling edge with a slope. A duration time of the falling edge of the first gate high level voltage signal is longer than that of the falling edge of the second gate high level voltage signal.
In the exemplary embodiment, the above described control method firstly generate a original gate high level voltage signal with fixed frequency, a first chamfering control signal, and a second chamfering control signal, then generate the first gate high level voltage signal by gradually decreasing the voltage of the original gate high level voltage signal in an duty cycle of the first chamfering control signal. the second gate high level voltage signal can similarly be generated by gradually decreasing the voltage of the original gate high level voltage signal in another duty cycle of the second chamfering control signal. The duty cycle of the first chamfering control signal is longer than that of the second chamfering control signal.
In another aspect, an exemplary control circuit of a flat display apparatus is provided. The flat display apparatus employs an enable signal to turn on a plurality of scanning lines thereof. The control circuit includes a signal generating module, a first gate driving unit, a second gate driving unit. The signal generating module is configured for generating a first gate high level voltage signal and a second gate high level voltage signal. The first gate driving unit is electrically coupled to the signal generating module and configured for receiving the first gate high level voltage signal as a voltage signal for providing to one of the scanning lines. The second gate driving unit is electrically coupled to the signal generating module and configured for receiving the second gate high level voltage signal as a voltage signal for providing to other one of the scanning lines. The first gate driving unit and the second gate driving unit are electrically coupled to each other so as to sequentially transmit the enable signal. The first gate high level voltage signal and second gate high level voltage signal respectively include a falling edge with a slope. A duration time of the falling edge of the first gate high level voltage signal is longer than that of the falling edge of the second gate high level voltage signal.
In the exemplary embodiment, the above described signal generating module includes the chamfering control signal generating unit and gate high level voltage signal generating unit. The chamfering control signal generating unit is used for generating the first chamfering control signal and the second chamfering control signal with different duty cycles. The gate high level voltage signal generating unit is electrically coupled to the chamfering control signal generating unit so as to receive the first chamfering control signal and the second chamfering control signal and respectively change a falling edge of the original gate high level voltage signal to generate the first and second gate high level voltages according to the first and second chamfering control signal.
Still in another aspect, an exemplary flat display apparatus is provided. The flat display apparatus includes a display panel, a plurality of data driving units, and a control circuit. The display panel includes a plurality of data lines, a plurality of scanning lines, and a plurality of pixel units. The data lines are paralleled extended on the display panel along a first direction for transmitting image data used for display image. The scanning lines are paralleled extended on the display panel along a second direction. The pixel units are positioned adjacent the intersections of the data lines and the scanning lines. The scanning lines are configured for turning on/off the pixel units. The data driving units are respectively electrically coupled to the data lines for providing the image data used for displaying image. The control circuit includes a signal generating module, a first gate driving unit, and a second gate driving unit. The signal generating module is configured for generating a first gate high level voltage signal and a second gate high level voltage signal. The first gate driving unit is electrically coupled to the signal generating module and configured for receiving the first gate high level voltage signal as a voltage signal for providing to one of the scanning lines. The second gate driving unit is electrically coupled to the signal generating module and configured for receiving the second gate high level voltage signal as a voltage signal for providing to other one of the scanning lines. The first gate driving unit and the second gate driving unit are electrically coupled to each other so as to sequentially transmit the enable signal. The first gate high level voltage signal and second gate high level voltage signal respectively include a falling edge with a slope. A duration time of the falling edge of the first gate high level voltage signal is longer than that of the falling edge of the second gate high level voltage signal.
Aforementioned embodiments of the present invention provide different driving signals to different gate driving units, and the falling edges have a same slope and a different duration time. Thus different compensations for different feed-through voltages are provided according to different position of the display panel. An experiment proves that this method can provides a uniform display in the vertical direction.
Other objectives, features and advantages of the touch panel device will be further understood from the further technological features disclosed by the embodiments of display system wherein there are shown and described preferred embodiments of this flat display apparatus, simply by way of illustration of modes best suited to carry out the present invention.
These and other features and advantages of the various embodiments disclosed herein will be better understood with respect to the following description and drawings, in which like numbers refer to like parts throughout, and in which:
Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.
Referring to
The data driving module 31 includes a plurality of data driving unit 310, 312 and 314. The control circuit 32 includes a plurality of gate driving units 320, 322, 324 and a signal generating module 330. An equivalent circuit of each pixel unit of the pixel units 360, 362, 364 is shown in
As showing in the
When the scanning lines 350, 352, 354 are used to transmit scanning signals configured for turning on the pixel units 360, 362, 364, the gate driving units 320, 322, 324 need to provide corresponding gate high level voltage signals to the scanning lines 350, 352, 354. In the exemplary embodiment, the gate high level voltage signals provided by the gate driving units 320, 322, 324 and enable signals for controlling those gate driving units 320, 322, 324 to be actuated are generated by the signal generating module 330.
The enable signals are sequentially transmitted along a direction from the gate driving unit 320 to the gate driving units 322, 324 and gradually far from the signal generating module 330. As soon as an enable signal is transmitted to start up one of the gate driving units, such as the gate driving unit 322, the gate driving unit permits the received gate high level voltage signals to be passed therefrom and transmitted to the corresponding scanning line, such as the scanning line 352. In addition, according to feed-through effect with different degrees, the signal generating module 330 generates at least two different gate high level voltage signals and provides to the gate driving units 320, 322, 324.
Referring to
Particularly in the vertical direction, the difference of the feed-through voltages Vf are mainly caused by a voltage drop of a current and a resistance. When the gate high level voltage Vgh and the gate low level voltage Vgl are provided to the display panel 300, and transmitted along metal lines or thin film lines (on the display panel 300), the voltage difference (Vgh−Vgl) of the gate lines is gradually decreased with the signals being transmitted downward along the conductive lines 326 in the control circuit 32. The feed-through voltage Vf can be obtained according to following formula:
wherein, CGD,ON is a parasitic capacitor of a conductive thin film transistor 200 of
The following description will explain how to generate the gate high level voltage signals with different duration time. Referring to
Step S500 is generating an original gate high level voltage signal defined as a basis. Step S510 is generating a plurality of chamfering control signals, each of which has a different duty cycle. Step S520 is generating a plurality of different gate high level voltage signals by respectively gradually decreasing the voltage of the original gate high level voltage signal in the different duty cycles of the corresponding chamfering control signals.
The original gate high level voltage signal generated in step S500 can be denoted by any one of the original gate high level voltage signals 600, 610, 620 as showing in
As showing in
The voltage of the original gate high level voltage signal 600 is gradually decreased in the duty cycle t3 of the chamfering control signal 600a by a fixed slope to form a gate high level voltage signal 600b with a falling edge 601. Similarly, the voltage of the original gate high level voltage signal 610 is gradually decreased in the duty cycle t4 of the chamfering control signal 610a by the fixed slope to form a gate high level voltage signal 610b with a falling edge 611, and the voltage of the original gate high level voltage signal 620 is gradually decreased in the duty cycle t5 of the chamfering control signal 620a by the fixed slope to form a gate high level voltage signal 620b with a falling edge 621.
Although in the exemplary embodiment of
Referring to
The original signal generating unit 712 is firstly employed to generate an original gate high level voltage signal as showing in
Understandably, in an alternative embodiment, the original gate high level voltage signal employed in the gate high level voltage signal generating unit 710 can also be generated by other circuit of the flat display device 30 and then provided to the gate high level voltage signal generating unit 710. The above described exemplary circuit is given by way of example, and not limitation.
Except the above described circuit and method of the exemplary embodiments, a plurality of detailed adjusting parts of an alternative embodiment of the present invention are also provided. For example, referring to
Comparing with
In further alternative embodiments, for example, a plurality of gate driving units can be defined as a gate driving group for using a same gate high level voltage signal. The chamfering control signal generating unit 700 showing in
Because the gate high level voltage signals are generated by decreasing with a same slope in different duration time, the voltage drops in a moment is somewhat changed. Therefore, different compensation effects can be provided according to the feed-through effect generated by the momentary changed voltage drop.
The above description is given by way of example, and not limitation. Given the above disclosure, one skilled in the art could devise variations that are within the scope and spirit of the invention disclosed herein, including configurations of the circuit and/or designs of the control method. Further, the various features of the embodiments disclosed herein can be used alone, or in varying combinations with each other and are not intended to be limited to the specific combination described herein. Thus, the scope of the claims is not to be limited by the illustrated embodiments.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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097103014 A | Jan 2008 | TW | national |
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Number | Date | Country |
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2003208141 | Jul 2003 | JP |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20150116305 A1 | Apr 2015 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 12333292 | Dec 2008 | US |
Child | 14590414 | US |