1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a gamma voltage conversion device, and more particularly, to a gamma voltage conversion device capable of transforming a gray level signal to be a gamma voltage conformed to a gamma curve or another gamma curve.
2. Description of the Prior Art
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However, the conventional gamma conversion device is only capable of converting the gray level signal DIN to the gamma driving voltage VOUT, which is only conformed to one gamma curve (gamma A). However, not all of the gamma curves, applied for the LCD panels of other types, are the same as the gamma curve gamma A. For instance, a gamma curve gamma B is applied for a 5-volt LCD panel. Hence, the conventional gamma conversion device can only applied for the 3-volt LCD panel but not for the 5-volt LCD panel, causing a great inconvenience.
The present invention provides a gamma voltage conversion device for generating a gamma driving voltage according to a gray level signal. The gray level signal and the gamma driving voltage are conformed to a first gamma curve or a second gamma curve. The gamma voltage conversion device comprises a gamma voltage conversion circuit, an operational amplifier, and a gamma voltage adjusting circuit. The gamma voltage conversion circuit is utilized for generating a first gamma voltage according to the gray level signal. The gray level signal and the first gamma voltage are conformed to the first gamma curve. The operational amplifier comprises a first input end coupled to the gamma voltage conversion circuit for receiving the first gamma voltage, a second input end, and an output end. The operational amplifier outputs the first gamma voltage or a second gamma voltage as the gamma driving voltage according to the first input end of the operational amplifier and the second input end of the operational amplifier. The gray level signal and the second gamma voltage are conformed to the second gamma curve. The gamma voltage adjusting circuit is coupled between the second input end of the operational amplifier and the output end of the operational amplifier for controlling the operational amplifier outputting the first gamma voltage or the second gamma voltage as the gamma driving voltage according to the gray level signal and a gamma curve selection signal.
These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings.
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The gamma voltage conversion circuit 410 is utilized for, according to a gray level signal DIN, outputting a gamma voltage VGA conformed to the gamma curve gamma A, as the input voltage VIN1, to the operational amplifier OP. The gray level signal DIN abovementioned is a 6-bit digital signal, for example. The gamma voltage conversion circuit 410 comprises a decoder 411, sixty-four switches SWA1˜SWA64 and a resistor series 412.
The resistor series 412 is coupled between a reference voltage source VREF and a constant voltage source VSS (a ground end). The resistor series 412 comprises sixty-five resistors RA0˜RA64 connected in series, wherein every resistor has a predetermined resistance for providing a resistor partial voltage (the resistor partial voltages V1˜V64 are shown in
The decoder 411 is utilized for receiving the gray level signal DIN and accordingly decoding the received gray level signal DIN to be the decoded signal DO1˜DO64 with the corresponding values. As described above, the gray level signal DIN is a 6-bit signal. When the gray level signal DIN is [000000], only the decoded signal DO1 is logic “1” and the rest decoded signals are logic “0”. When the gray level signal DIN is [111111], only the decoded signal DO64 is logic “1” and the rest decoded signals are logic “0”.
The switches SWA1˜SWA64 are utilized for transmitting the resistor partial voltage provided by the resistor series 412 to the operational amplifier OP according to the decoded signals DO1˜DO64 of the decoder 411, respectively. Each of the switches SWA1˜SWA64 comprises a first end 1, a second end 2 and a control end C. Each first end of the switch SWA1˜SWA64 is coupled to the corresponding resistor in the resistor series 212 for receiving the corresponding resistor partial voltage. Each second end 2 of the switches SWA1˜SWA64 is coupled to a first input end (the positive input end) of the operational amplifier OP for transmitting the received resistor partial voltage (the gamma voltage VGA outputted by the gamma voltage conversion circuit 410) to the operational OP as the input voltage VIN1. Each control end C of the switches SWA1˜SWA64 is coupled to the corresponding output end of the decoder 411 for receiving the corresponding decoded signal so as to accordingly control the first ends 1 of the switches SWA1˜SWA64 coupling to the second ends 2, respectively. More particularly, all the switches SWA1˜SWA64 are short-circuited to the first input end of the operational amplifier OP. For example, when the gray level signal DIN is [000000], only the decoded signal DO1 is logic “1” and the rest decoded signals are logic “0”, and therefore, only the switch SWA1 is turned on so as to transmit the resistor partial voltage V1 to the first input end of the operational amplifier OP. It means that the gamma voltage VGA outputted by the gamma voltage conversion circuit 410 is V1 and is served as the input voltage VIN1 for the operational amplifier OP. When the gray level signal DIN is [000001], only the decoded signal DO2 is logic “1” and the rest decoded signals are logic “0”, and therefore, only the switch SWA2 is turned on so as to transmit the resistor partial voltage V2 to the first input end of the operational amplifier OP. It means that the gamma voltage VGA outputted by the gamma voltage conversion circuit 410 is V2 and is served as the input voltage VIN1 for the operational amplifier OP. When the gray level signal DIN is [111111], only the decoded signal DO64 is logic “1” and the rest decoded signals are logic “0”, and therefore, only the switch SWA64 is turned on so as to transmit the resistor partial voltage V64 to the first input end of the operational amplifier OP. It means that the gamma voltage VGA outputted by the gamma voltage conversion circuit 410 is V64 and is served as the input voltage VIN1 for the operational amplifier OP.
The operational amplifier OP comprises a first input end (the positive input end), a second input end (the negative input end) and an output end. The first input end (the positive input end) of the operational amplifier OP is utilized for receiving the input voltage VIN1. The second end (the negative input end) of the operational amplifier OP is utilized for receiving the input voltage VIN2. The output end of the operational amplifier OP is utilized for outputting the gamma driving voltage VOUT. In
The gamma voltage conversion circuit 420 comprises a gamma curve selection switch SWG, a resistor RX, and a variable resistance circuit 421.
The variable resistance circuit 421 comprises a decoder 4211, a resistor series 4212, and thirty-seven switches SWB1˜SWB37.
The decoder 4211 is utilized for generating the decoded signals DX1˜DX37 according to the decoded signals DO1˜DO64 decoded from the decoder 411.
The switches SWB1˜SWB37 are utilized for, according the decoded signals DX1˜DX37 decoded from the decoder 4211, controlling the equivalent resistance of the resistor series 4212 to the operational amplifier OP. More precisely, the resistor series 4212 can be treated as a variable resistor RV, coupled between the second input end of the operational amplifier OP and the voltage source VSS (the ground end). The switches SWB1˜SWB37 are utilized for controlling the resistance of the variable resistor RV. Each of the switches SWB1˜SWB37 comprises a first end 1, a second end 2 and a control end C. Each first end 1 of the switches SWB1˜SWB37 is coupled to the corresponding resistor in the resistor series 4212. Each second end 2 of the switches SWB1˜SWB37 is coupled to the voltage source VSS (the ground end). Each control end C of the switches SWB1˜SWB64 is coupled to the corresponding output end of the decoder 4211 for receiving the decoded signal so as to control the first ends 1 of the switches SWB1˜SWB37 coupling to the second ends 2 of the switches SWB1˜SWB37, respectively.
The resistor series 4212 is coupled between the second input end (the negative input end) of the operational amplifier OP and the switches SWB1˜SWB37. The resistor series 4212 comprises thirty-seven resistors RB1˜RB37 connected in series, wherein each resistor has a predetermined resistance. As described above, the resistor series 4212 can be treated as a variable resistor RV coupled between the second input end (the negative input end) of the operational amplifier OP and the voltage source VSS (the ground end). The switches SWB1˜SWB37 are utilized for controlling the resistance of the variable resistor RV. For instance, when the decoded signal DX1 is logic “1”, the switch SWB1 is turned on so that the resistance of the variable resistor RV is equal to the resistance of the resistor RB1. When the decoded signal DX2 is logic “1”, the switch SWB2 is turned on so that the resistance of the variable resistor RV is equal to the sum of the resistances of the resistors (RB1+RB2). When the decoded signal DX3 is logic “1”, the switch SWB3 is turned on so that the resistance of the variable resistor RV is equal to the sum of the resistances of the resistors (RB1+RB2+RB3). When the decoded signal DX37 is logic “1”, the switch SWB37 is turned on so that the resistance of the variable resistor RV is equal to the sum of the resistances of the resistors (RB1+RB2+RB3+ . . . +RB37).
The resistor RX is coupled between the output end of the operational amplifier OP and the second input end (the negative input end) of the operational amplifier OP. The gamma curve selection switch SWG is also coupled between the output end of the operational amplifier OP and the second input end (the negative input end) of the operational amplifier OP. According to the gamma curve selection signal GS, the gamma curve selection switch SWG determines if the output end of the operation amplifier OP is short-circuited to the second input end (the negative input end) of the operational amplifier. If the gamma curve selection switch SWG determines the output end of the operation amplifier OP is short-circuited to the second input end (the negative input end) of the operational amplifier OP, the gamma voltage conversion device 400 of the present invention outputs the gamma driving voltage VOUT conformed to the gamma curve gamma A for driving the 3-volt LCD panel. If the gamma curve selection switch SWG determines the output end of the operation amplifier OP is not short-circuited to the second input end (the negative input end) of the operational amplifier OP, the gamma voltage conversion device 400 of the present invention outputs the gamma driving voltage VOUT conformed to the gamma curve gamma B for driving the 5-volt LCD panel. The operating principle is illustrated as below.
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VOUT=[1+(RX/RV)]×VIN2 (1);
VIN2=VIN1 (2);
VIN1=VGA (3);
where VIN2 represents the voltage on the second input end (the negative input end) of the operational amplifier OP. In such way, according to the resistance of the variable resistor RV, the gamma driving voltage VOUT can be adjusted to be conformed to the gamma curve gamma B. Since the resistance of the variable resistor RV is controlled by the decoded signals DX1˜DX37, which are decoded from the decoder 4211 according to the decoded signals DO1˜DO64 decoded from the gray level signal DIN, the gamma driving voltage VOUT adjusted by the variable resistor RV is ensured to be conformed to the gamma curve gamma B so as to drive the 5-volt LCD panel.
In addition, it is noticeable that since the gray level signal is a 6-bit signal, the resistor series 412 requires sixty-four (26) resistors for generating the gamma voltage VGA corresponding to each level of the gray level signal according to the gamma curve gamma A. Theoretically, the resistor series 4212 of the present invention should require the same number of resistors connected in series. However, in the 6-bit gray level signal DIN, some levels correspond to the same resistance of the variable resistor RV. As a result, the resistor series 4212 and the decoder 4211 do not require the same number of resistors, switches and decoded signals for effectively transforming each level of the 6-bit gray level signal DIN to be the gamma driving voltage VOUT conformed to the gamma curve gamma B so as to drive the 5-volt LCD panel.
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VIN1=VGA=V5 (1);
VIN2=VIN1 (2);
VOUT=[1+(RX/RV)]×VIN2=[1+RX/(RB1+RB2+RB3+RB4+RB5)]×V5 (3);
the gamma driving voltage VOUT and the gray level signal DIN with the value of [001000] derived according to the formulas above, are conformed to the gamma curve gamma B.
In summary, by means of the gamma voltage conversion device provided by the present invention, the gamma curves can be selected as required so as to drive various LCD panels. It is not necessary to redesign gamma voltage conversion device when the type of LCD panel is changed, which reduces the cost of manufacture and causes great convenience.
Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention.
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| 97140404 A | Oct 2008 | TW | national |
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