This application claims the priority benefit of Taiwan application serial no. 96138669, filed on Oct. 16, 2007. The entirety the above-mentioned patent application is hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of specification.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a pixel structure, a driving method thereof, a pixel array structure, in particular and a liquid crystal display panel, to a pixel structure, a driving method thereof, a pixel array structure and a liquid crystal display panel having good display quality.
2. Description of Related Art
Thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) has gradually become the mainstream in today's display market due to its characteristics such as high display quality, high space efficiency, low power consumption, and no radiation. Presently, the design of LCD is going towards high contrast ratio, rapid response, and wide viewing angle, wherein multi-domain vertically alignment (MVA)-LCD and in-plate switching (IPS) LCD are usually adopted to achieve wide-viewing angle display.
Even though wide-viewing angle display can be achieved by a MVA-LCD, color washout, namely, color shift, is usually produced in an image displayed by the MVA-LCD when a user looks at the image from a large viewing angle.
However, the first pixel electrode 120 and the second pixel electrode 130 have to be arranged in a lattice pattern since they have to be disposed corresponding to capacitance electrodes (114 and 116) having different voltage levels, so that when the pixel structure 100 is provided in an LCD, images displayed in the LCD may look coarse-grained. Thereby, the display quality of the pixel structure 100 is still unsatisfactory.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a pixel structure in order to resolve the problem of coarseness in a displayed image caused by pixel electrodes arranged in a lattice pattern.
The present invention is directed to a driving method for improving the display quality of a pixel structure.
The present invention is also directed to a pixel array structure which can be applied in a liquid crystal display (LCD) and improve the display quality of the LCD.
The present invention is also directed to a liquid crystal display (LCD) having good displaying quality.
The present invention provides a pixel structure electrically connected to a data line and a scan line. The pixel structure includes a first active device, a second active device, a first pixel electrode, a second pixel electrode, a first capacitance electrode, and a second capacitance electrode. The first pixel electrode electrically connected to the first active device includes a first electrode block and a second electrode block electrically connected to each other. The second pixel electrode electrically connected to the second active device is electrically insulated from the first pixel electrode. The second pixel electrode electrically insulates the first electrode block and the second electrode block. The first pixel electrode respectively forms a first capacitor and a second capacitor with the first capacitance electrode and the second capacitance electrode, and the second pixel electrode respectively forms a third capacitor and a fourth capacitor with the first capacitance electrode and the second capacitance electrode. The first capacitor and the second capacitor have different capacitances, and the third capacitor and the fourth capacitor have different capacitances.
The present invention also provides a pixel array structure including a plurality of scan lines, a plurality of data lines, a plurality of first active devices, a plurality of second active devices, a plurality of first pixel electrodes, a plurality of second pixel electrodes, a plurality of first capacitance electrodes, and a plurality of second capacitance electrodes. The data lines and the scan lines intersect with each other to define a plurality of pixel regions. The first active devices and the second active devices are electrically connected to the data lines and the scan lines. The first pixel electrodes are electrically connected to the first active devices and are disposed in the pixel regions. Each of the first pixel electrodes includes a first electrode block and a second electrode block electrically connected to each other. The second pixel electrodes electrically connected to the second active devices are disposed in the pixel regions and are electrically insulated from the first pixel electrodes. The second pixel electrodes separate the first electrode blocks and the second electrode blocks. The second capacitance electrodes are disposed between the first capacitance electrodes and the scan lines. Each of the first capacitance electrodes and each of the second capacitance electrodes have different patterns in adjacent pixel regions.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the capacitance of the first capacitor is greater than the capacitance of the second capacitor.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the capacitance of the third capacitor is smaller than the capacitance of the fourth capacitor.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the capacitance of the first capacitor is smaller than the capacitance of the second capacitor.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the capacitance of the third capacitor is greater than the capacitance of the fourth capacitor.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first pixel electrode further includes a connecting portion disposed between the first electrode block and the second electrode block and electrically connecting the two. The material of the connecting portion is metal or a transparent conductive material.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first electrode block and the second electrode block are in approximately triangular or rectangular shape.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the second pixel electrode includes a central electrode block and a first end electrode block and a second end electrode block respectively connected to two ends of the central electrode block. The central electrode block may be disposed between the first electrode block and the second electrode block of the first pixel electrode.
The present invention further provides a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel. The LCD panel comprises an array substrate, an opposite substrate and a liquid crystal layer. The array substrate has a plurality of the abovementioned pixels. The opposite substrate is disposed opposite to the array substrate. The liquid crystal layer is disposed between the array substrate and the opposite substrate.
The present invention further provides a driving method suitable for driving a pixel structure. In the driving method, a first voltage is provided to a first capacitance electrode, and a second voltage is provided to a second capacitance electrode, wherein the first voltage is different from the second voltage so that the luminance in the region of the first pixel electrode is made different from the luminance in the region of the second pixel electrode.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the difference between the first voltage and the second voltage is higher than 0V and lower than 20V.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the driving method further includes providing an image data signal to the first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode.
In the present invention, the first pixel electrodes and the second pixel electrodes having different display voltages are arranged evenly so that when the pixel array structure provided by the present invention is applied in an LCD, coarseness in lattice pattern is not produced in images displayed by the LCD and accordingly the display quality of the LCD is improved. Moreover, in the present invention, the first pixel electrodes and the second pixel electrodes are disposed along with different patterns of capacitance electrodes so that the display voltages of the pixel electrodes can be adjusted or changed according to different design requirement.
The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
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.
When the pixel structure 200 is applied in a liquid crystal display (LCD) for displaying images, color shift produced at large viewing angles can be reduced because the first pixel electrode 230 and the second pixel electrode 240 have different display voltages. Additionally, in the present embodiment, the first pixel electrode 230 and the second pixel electrode 240 in the pixel structure 200 are further disposed in a staggered way so that the coarseness in a displayed image caused by pixel electrodes arranged in lattice pattern can be avoided. To be specific, in the present embodiment, the first pixel electrode 230 and the second pixel electrode 240 are disposed approximately in a region defined by the scan line 204 and the data line 202, namely, the first pixel electrode 230 and the second pixel electrode 240 form approximately a rectangular display region. The second pixel electrode 240 includes a central electrode block 242, a first end electrode block 244, and a second end electrode block 246. The central electrode block 242 is located between the first electrode block 232 and the second electrode block 234 so as to separate the two. The first end electrode block 244 and the second end electrode block 246 are respectively connected to two ends of the central electrode block 242. The first electrode block 232 and the second electrode block 234 are in approximately triangular shape. However, in other embodiments of the present invention, the first electrode block 232 and the second electrode block 234 may also be in rectangular shape or in other shapes.
Substantially, the first pixel electrode 230 further includes a connecting portion 236 which may be a strip-shaped metal pattern and is connected between the first electrode block 232 and the second electrode block 234. The first electrode block 232 and the second electrode block 234 may be connected through a contact hole and the connecting portion 236. Because the second pixel electrode 240 separates the first electrode block 232 and the second electrode block 234, the connecting portion 236 partially overlaps the second pixel electrode 240 and accordingly a parasitic capacitor CC is produced. One end of the connecting portion 236 is connected to the second electrode block 234 and the other end thereof is electrically coupled to the first electrode block 232 so that the first electrode block 232 and the second electrode block 234 can be electrically coupled. However, the connecting portion 236 may also be electrically connected to the first electrode block 232 directly. The first electrode block 232 and the second electrode block 234 can have the same display voltage through the connection of the connecting portion 236.
As described above, the first pixel electrode 230 and the second pixel electrode 240 are evenly distributed in the rectangular region defined by the scan line 204 and the data line 202, so that when the pixel structure 200 is applied in an LCD, display areas having different luminance are evenly distributed so that coarseness will not be felt in an image displayed by the LCD. In addition, a plurality of alignment protrusions or main slits 206 may be selectively disposed in the pixel structure 200 in order to allow the pixel structure 200 to achieve a wide-angel display. The disposition of the alignment protrusions or main slits 206 is determined according to the actual requirement; however, the present invention is not limited herein.
The design of the first pixel electrode 230 and the second pixel electrode 240 can reduce the coarseness in a displayed image and accordingly improve the display quality of the pixel structure 200. However, a driving method or capacitor design corresponding to foregoing design has to be provided in order to allow the first pixel electrode 230 and the second pixel electrode 240 to have different display voltages. In the present disclosure, a capacitor design is provided to allow the first pixel electrode 230 and the second pixel electrode 240 to have different display voltages without adopting any additional device; however, the present invention is not limited to the capacitor design.
Referring to
In a driving method of the pixel structure 200, an image data signal may be first provided to the first pixel electrode 230 and the second pixel electrode 240. In addition, a first voltage is provided to the first capacitance electrode 250, and a second voltage is provided to the second capacitance electrode 260, wherein the first voltage is different from the second voltage, and the difference between the two is higher than 0V and lower than 20V. The first capacitance electrode 250 and the second capacitance electrode 260 may produce coupling effect with the first pixel electrode 230 and the second pixel electrode 240 so as to produce the first capacitor Cst1, the second capacitor Cst2, the third capacitor Cst3, and the fourth capacitor Cst4.
When an LCD having the pixel structure 200 is displaying an image, the luminance of the region of the first pixel electrode 230 is affected by the first capacitor Cst1 and the second capacitor Cst2, and the luminance of the region of the second pixel electrode 240 is affected by the third capacitor Cst3 and the fourth capacitor Cst4. Thus, the first capacitor Cst1, the second capacitor Cst2, the third capacitor Cst3, and the fourth capacitor Cst4 have to be appropriately adjusted so as to allow the first pixel electrode 230 and the second pixel electrode 240 to have different display voltages when the first pixel electrode 230 and the second pixel electrode 240 are connected to the same scan line 204 and the same data line 202.
In the present embodiment, the first capacitance electrode 250 includes a main portion 252 and a plurality of branch portions 254, and the second capacitance electrode 260 also includes a main portion 262 and a plurality of branch portions 264. The main portion 252 and the branch portions 254 may form a bow-shaped pattern, and the main portion 262 and the branch portions 264 may also form a bow-shaped pattern. As shown in
Referring to both
In the present embodiment, different voltage levels are provided to the first capacitance electrode 250 and the second capacitance electrode 260. Assuming that the coupling effect of the first capacitance electrode 250 increases the display voltage of the positive pixel structure 200 and the coupling effect of the second capacitance electrode 260 reduces the display voltage of the positive pixel structure 200, the first capacitor Cst1 should be greater than the second capacitor Cst2 in order to allow the first pixel electrode 230 to have higher display voltage, namely, to present higher luminance, and the fourth capacitor Cst4 should be greater than the third capacitor Cst3 in order to allow the second pixel electrode 240 to present lower luminance.
Thereby, the overlapped area of the first capacitance electrode 250 and the first pixel electrode 230 may be larger than the overlapped area of the second capacitance electrode 260 and the first pixel electrode 230, and the overlapped area of the first capacitance electrode 250 and the second pixel electrode 240 may be smaller than the overlapped area of the second capacitance electrode 260 and the second pixel electrode 240. Accordingly, the capacitance of the first capacitor Cst1 is greater than the capacitance of the second capacitor Cst2, and the capacitance of the third capacitor Cst3 is smaller than the capacitance of the fourth capacitor Cst4. In other words, the capacitances of the first capacitor Cst1 and the second capacitor Cst2, and the capacitances of the third capacitor Cst3 and the fourth capacitor Cst4 can be made different through different design of the overlapped areas. As a result, the first pixel electrode 230 and the second pixel electrode 240 can present different luminance.
Based on the design concept of the present embodiment, when the pixel structure 200 is a pixel structure having negative polarity design, the capacitance of the first capacitor Cst1 is smaller than the capacitance of the second capacitor Cst2, and the capacitance of the fourth capacitor Cst4 is smaller than the capacitance of the third capacitor Cst3. Thus, the branch portions 254 and 264 located below the first pixel electrode 230 and the second pixel electrode 240 are designed to have other different sizes as shown in
Next, referring to
After that, referring to
Substantially, the first electrode block 562 and the second electrode block 564 are in approximately triangular shape or other geometrical shapes, and the second pixel electrode 570 separates the first electrode block 562 and the second electrode block 564. Besides, the first pixel electrode 560 is electrically insulated from the second pixel electrode 570. Part of the first pixel electrode 560 overlaps the first capacitance electrode 510, and another part of the first pixel electrode 560 overlaps the second capacitance electrode 520. Similarly, part of the second pixel electrode 570 overlaps the first capacitance electrode 510, and another part of the second pixel electrode 570 overlaps the second capacitance electrode 520. These overlapped areas form a plurality of capacitors which affect the voltages of the first pixel electrode 560 and the second pixel electrode 570 and accordingly improve the display quality of the pixel structure 580.
A plurality of V-shaped slits 590 is located between the first pixel electrode 560 and the second pixel electrode 570. In order to allow the pixel structure 580 to achieve a wide-angle display, the step in
In overview, according to the present invention, a first pixel electrode and a second pixel electrode are evenly distributed in a pixel structure in a staggered way, and meanwhile, the regions of the first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode present different luminance. Thus, when the pixel structure and pixel array structure provided by the present invention is provided in an LCD, color shift produced at large viewing angles can be reduced and coarseness in images displayed by the LCD caused by uneven luminance can be avoided. In other words, the pixel structure in the present invention offers good display quality. Moreover, in the present invention, the voltages of the first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode can be adjusted or affected by simply adjusting the pattern of the capacitance electrodes. Accordingly, a good display quality can be achieved by the pixel structure and the pixel array structure provided by the present invention without any complicated driving method or additional device.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations of this invention provided they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.
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