The present invention relates to a display device driven by a small amount of power, and more particularly to a low-power driven electronic display device, which is a combination of a solar cell and a liquid crystal device, not requiring recharging and a method for controlling it.
There have been proposed many display devices powered by a power supply using a solar cell or the like. For example, JP-A-2001-184033 discloses a display device which has a display area formed of a solar cell and a liquid crystal material having a memory property and does not need power for displaying. JP-A-5-73117 discloses a technology which connects a power buffer for storing electric power between a solar cell and a display device to drive a display circuit.
A display device having a solar cell as its power supply has a considerable change in supplied electric power depending on an amount of light radiated to the solar cell. Then, when the electric power becomes insufficient, a display cannot be driven, and the display disappears. Therefore, it has been general to add an auxiliary power supply unit for compensation of the power to make it possible to perform the display drive by combining the solar cell with a rechargeable secondary battery even if the solar cell output stops. JP-A-2000-112441 discloses a drive method by which an illumination sensor for detecting an amount of light incident on the solar cell is disposed to reduce power consumption by limiting the power of a backlight for adjusting display luminance when peripheral illumination is high. In recent years, an organic solar cell using a high-molecular or low-molecular organic film is attracting attention as a lightweight and thin unit for realizing a high power capacity. This type of organic solar cell is described in detail in a paper by A. Konno entitled “Present and future of organic solar cell” “Applied Physics” Vol. 71, No. 4 (pp 425 to 428) issued by Japan Society of Applied Physics Association, Apr. 10, 2002.
As described above, the existing display device having the solar cell as the power supply is generally provided with a large-capacity secondary battery or the like, which can provide power required for the display drive, in addition to the solar cell. Therefore, the device becomes heavy in weight and has a large thickness. It is necessary to connect the display device to an external power supply through an electric cable to recharge the secondary battery, and the portable device cannot be carried when it is being recharged, resulting in limitation of usability. Besides, it is general for a display device provided with an auxiliary lighting device such as a backlight, a front light or the like to switch a display mode so to control the power supply for the backlight so that the power is supplied to the auxiliary lighting device from the solar cell when peripheral illumination, namely brightness of outside light, is intense or from the secondary battery when the illumination is low. When the secondary battery is used to supply power for displaying, it is general to lower the brightness of the display screen in order to suppress the battery from exhausting. As a result, the quality of a displayed image is considerably degraded. No sufficient measures have been considered in order to solve the above-described problems.
It is an object of the invention to provide a display device which is provided with a solar cell and a storage element for continuously storing electric power and has a low-power drive mode, so that its power is self-contained to eliminate the necessity of recharging and power supplying wiring.
In order to achieve the above object, the display device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a power supply unit for supplying power, a display unit for displaying an image, a data input circuit for inputting display data corresponding to an image to be displayed on the display unit and a control circuit, wherein:
the power supply unit includes a power supply which varies a power supply ability with time, switches plural different power supply abilities or has average produced power lower than average power required to rewrite one image screen, a power storage unit which has a capacity of stored electric power for holding power higher than the average power required to rewrite one image screen and a stored power detecting circuit which detects an amount of electric power stored in the power storage unit;
the power supply is connected to the display unit via the power storage unit;
the display unit includes a matrix display area, in which a large number of pixels having an optical modulating function capable of changing brightness, a reflectance, a transmittance and colors by a voltage or a current are arranged in a matrix, and a driving circuit including a sequence circuit for driving the matrix display area;
an input of the data input circuit is connected to a data input terminal, and an output is connected to the driving circuit of the display unit;
the pixels have a pixel memory for holding display data and are driven according to a pixel rewrite period for rewriting a display content of the display unit and a pixel holding period for holding the display content; and
the control circuit controls the driving circuit to rewrite the display content of the display unit in response to output of a stored power detection signal having detected an amount of stored electric power not less than the average power required to rewrite at least a screen from the stored power detecting circuit so to rewrite the screen of the display unit.
The display device according to another aspect of the invention includes the solar cell, the display unit and the power storage unit which is between them and stores power required to drive a display by a secondary battery or a capacitor and supplies electric power to the display unit via this power storage element. The display device includes a stored power detecting circuit which is connected to the power storage unit, monitors an amount of stored electric power and generated electric power, and generates stored power level signals indicating that power required for driving, power capable of performing scan driving to rewrite a display content and power for continuous rewriting are stored.
The display device according to another aspect of the invention includes a pixel memory for storing a display content and a pixel driving circuit for driving the pixel for each pixel of the display unit. The pixel memory rewrites the contents of the pixel memory by line sequential scanning drive, and the pixel driving circuit changes a transmission and a reflectance according to the display content stored by the pixel's memory function so to display.
The display device according to another aspect of the invention includes a display turning instruction unit such as a push button switch, a mouse, a pen or the like for instructing a display of a still picture, turning of a still picture and a change of a moving picture display mode and a control circuit for controlling the scanning drive to conduct a rewrite operation for rewriting a display when a signal of a rewritable stored power level is effective.
The display device according to another aspect of the invention includes a control circuit, and the control circuit controls the scanning drive in response to a display turning instruction given by a push button switch, a mouse, a pen or the like for instructing to vary a display so to conduct the rewrite operation for continuously rewriting a display when a signal of a continuously rewritable stored power level is effective.
The display devices according to the aspects of the invention configured as described above perform the display operation according to the following procedure. (a) The solar cell converts incident light energy into electric power. The power storage unit stores the produced electric power. The stored power detecting circuit monitors an amount of stored electric power of the power storage unit and produces signals of plural stored power levels indicating that power required for driving, power capable of conducting scanning drive to rewrite the display content and power capable of rewriting continuously have been stored. (b) The memory function of the pixel stores the display content of each pixel by the line sequential scanning drive, and the pixel driving circuit changes and shows a transmittance and a reflectance according to the display content stored by the memory function of the pixel. (c) The control driving circuit detects the display rewrite instruction which is given by the push button switch, mouse, pen or the like instructing a display change and also detects which of the signals of plural stored power levels is effective, and when a rewritable stored power level signal is effective, controls the scanning drive so to execute the rewrite operation to rewrite the display, and when a continuously rewritable stored power level signal is effective, controls the scanning drive so to conduct the rewriting operation to continuously rewrite the display.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The liquid crystal display device of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings of the embodiments.
The display device of this embodiment is an active matrix type using an active element such as a thin film transistor for selection of pixels of the matrix display unit 8. A liquid crystal display panel (TFT-LCD) using thin-film transistors (TFT) as the active elements will be referred to as an example in the following description. And, the TFT-LCD displays in a reflective display mode, and the driving circuit 4 is integrated on the substrate 10 to have a combined structure of an LSI (Large Scale Integrated Circuit) and a polysilicon (poly-Si) thin-film transistor to realize a high-resolution display. The solar cell is produced by a low-temperature process using an organic thin-film material after forming the polysilicon TFT. The thin-film solar cell is formed by this process on the same substrate as the display device without affecting on the properties of the polysilicon TFT to realize a thin and lightweight type. A switch 9 for generating a signal to switch a display content is also disposed on the substrate 10 to instruct the control circuit 7 to switch the screen.
Both the solar cell 22 and the capacitor 31 are required to have a large capacity, but the solar cell 22 is required to be positioned on the surface of the device in order to obtain high photoelectric conversion efficiency, so that the capacitor 31 can be disposed as the lower layer of the laminated structure to provide a large area. And, there is an advantage that the capacitor 31 can be formed without increasing the number of processes because a thin film formed by the TFT process can be used. It is not shown in the drawing but a single element of the solar cell has a low voltage, so that a voltage necessary for the system can be obtained by disposing plural cells in a series structure.
Thus, the stored power detecting circuit for measuring an amount of electric power stored in the power storage element is comprised of a voltage reference circuit 32 and comparators 34a, 34b, 34c driven by a power supply 33. The voltage reference circuit 32 supplies a different potential to the comparators 34a, 34b, 34c to compare the potential with the voltage of the capacitor 31 so that the stored electric power can be detected accurately. In this embodiment, as a method of rewriting a display, for example three levels, namely a still picture display level signal A capable of displaying and maintaining a still picture, a still picture renewal level signal B corresponding to power capable of rewriting a still picture one time, and a moving picture drive level signal C corresponding to power capable of continuously rewriting at least two still picture screens, are detected.
To configure the solar cell, a thin-film solar cell or a solar cell using an organic thin-film semiconductor such as a conjugated polymer or a dye sensitizing system can be used for amorphous silicon, polysilicon (poly-Si). As shown in
The solar cell 147 has an organic thin-film structure using a conjugated polymer. Because the display device is a reflective display device, it is observed from the surface of the glass substrate 10, which is the TFT substrate, when the display device is used. At this time, light incident on the solar cell 147 is also from the surface of the substrate 10. Therefore, a metal electrode is necessary on the substrate surface, and a transparent electrode structure is necessary on the surface, so that an organic semiconductor layer 190 is formed on an AL electrode 149′ of the wiring layer 165 formed by the polysilicon TFT forming process. First, as an n-type layer, a conductive polymer such as C60, PCBM or MEHCN-PPV, which is a material for an electron acceptor, is dissolved in a solvent of chloroform or the like and is applied by spin coating and dried. The formed film is determined to have a thickness of approximately 50 nm after drying.
Then, as a p-type semiconductor, a π conjugated polymer such as PEDOT, P3DOT, POPT or MDMO-PPVMEH-PPV which is to be an electron donor is dissolved in a solvent of toluene, xylene or the like which has a polarity different from that of a base layer, and a film is laminated by spin coating and dried. The p-type layer is determined to have a thickness of 50 nm after drying. Lastly, as a transparent electrode 150, an ITO is formed as a film having a thickness of 70 nm by ion beam sputtering. An element of the solar cell 147 is degraded its electric generating property by a water content, so that it is sealed together with dry nitrogen airtight by a liquid crystal seal 144 and a solar cell seal 145 for sealing an opposed substrate 142 and a liquid crystal layer 143.
By configuring as above, the single opposed substrate 142 can serve as the liquid crystal seal 144 and the solar cell seal 145 of the display unit, making the configuration simple. Especially, reduction of reflected light of the opposed electrode 142 in the solar cell unit is advantageous in terms of improvement of the power generating efficiency, so that an antireflective film 151 is coated as a multilayered film on the solar cell unit. As a sealing material, an ultraviolet-curing resin is used for both of the liquid crystal seal 144 and the solar cell seal 145. Thus, thermal processing is eliminated in the sealing process, and the solar cell elements can be prevented from degrading.
As the solar cell, a hole transporting layer of pentacene-evaporated thin film, OMeTAD or the like may be used as a low-molecular-weight conductive organic semiconductor, and as an inorganic semiconductor thin film, an amorphous Si film may be formed by a PECVD method. In either case, the thin-film solar cell is formed after the polysilicon TFT is formed by a low-temperature process at a temperature of not more than the process temperature of the polysilicon TFT. Thus, the properties of the polysilicon TFT can be prevented from degrading, and the display unit and the solar cell can be formed on the same substrate.
As shown in
Then, the drive control of the display unit will be described.
And, for the control of rewriting of a display, the operation of the display changeover switch 9 and the amount of stored electric power are linked to realize a low power type.
When the still picture renewal level signal B is valid and the screen rewrite request signal is effective, the display rewrite operation signal becomes valid, and a scanning drive of the display circuit is performed for one screen only so to rewrite the display. And, when there is a moving picture request signal, a slow-speed moving picture is displayed. Because a display screen changes every time the rewrite power is obtained, a slow moving picture can be displayed. When the moving picture drive level signal C is valid, a still picture is repeatedly displayed when there is a still picture rewrite request signal, and the moving picture is continuously rewritten when there is a moving picture request signal.
Two drive TFTs 87 are connected to the display electrode 85. They are connected to off voltage wiring 88 or on voltage wiring 89, and one of them becomes on depending on the stored state, so that the voltage of the off voltage wiring 88 or the on voltage wiring 89 can be applied selectively to the display electrode 85. The off voltage wiring 88 and the on voltage wiring 89 are mutually connected, 0V is applied to the off voltage wiring 88, and an AC liquid crystal drive voltage of a driving threshold value or more is applied to the on voltage wiring 89. And, 0V is kept applied to the opposed electrode 86. Thus, in the pixel, it can be driven to apply 0V or a liquid crystal drive voltage to the display electrode 85 according to data stored in the memory circuit 84 so to drive to have two states of lighting and non-lighting.
A latch signal is input when one line of data becomes available to transfer data to the line latch 138. Output 140 to drive the display unit is connected to data wiring of the display unit. Switches 131, 132 are disposed on the input side of clock and scan start signals, and it is controlled to turn on when an image can be rewritten, and it is controlled to rewrite a display.
Then, a second embodiment of the invention will be described. The former embodiment has a liquid crystal display panel for the display unit, but this embodiment has an electrophoretic display panel. The electrophoretic display panel has a display system for displaying by dispersing electrically charged fine particles in an insulating medium between the display electrode and the opposed electrode and moving the fine particles to aggregate to the display electrode or the opposed electrode by an electric field given from the outside. It has an advantage that the driving can be conducted by electric power lower than that for the liquid crystal display panel because the display can be maintained for a long time even if no electric field is available from the outside until the display is rewritten after the display is changed. This display device has substantially the same structure as that of the first embodiment on the points that its element structure uses a display element held between two substrates and the like. But the pixel circuit configuring the matrix display unit is different.
As described above, a display device, which has very low power consumption and can vary an image rewrite speed and the number of pixels depending on the supplied power, can be provided by the invention. And, by the display device of the invention, even when the solar cell, whose generated electric power is considerably variable depending on the environment, is used, a display can be made even under the environment where letters are scarcely readable, the switch operation allows to display a still picture clearly in room light, and it becomes possible to switch smoothly the image display between a bright place and a dark place by the switch operation.
Besides, a display device, which can consecutively change a display content in a bright place and can provide a display rich in information amount such as a motion picture, and a portable display device, which can be used without being bothered with the connection of the power wiring or recharging, can be easily configured. And, the present invention can make the display device thin and lightweight because the battery does not become dead even if the display device is kept on and a capacity of a heavy and bulky secondary battery can be reduced considerably as compared with that of an existing one.
According to the invention, a display device with self-contained power regardless of a low capacity of its mounted power buffer, with remarkable portability and with no limited battery life can be provided.
And, the display device according to the invention has characteristics that it does not require management of the power supply and, when the environmental light is enough, the display capacity, image quality and information amount become rich. And, a reasonable display device, whose display control is conducted according to man's visual ability, can be provided.
It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the above-described aspects and embodiments but can be modified in various ways without departing from the technical ideas of the invention.
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