Summary of the invention
For overcoming the shortcoming of known technology, the reaction velocity measurement that the present invention is display panel provides a kind of preferably solution, can effectively integrate display panel and control and the picture quality measurement, and the reaction velocity that also can be applied under the Gao Gengxin rate is measured.
One of purpose of the present invention is to provide a kind of measuring appliance, in order to measure the reaction velocity of a display panel.Display panel couples and is controlled by a display controller.Measuring appliance comprises a microcontroller, one or more OPTICAL SENSORS (photosensor), a signal amplifier and a converter.Microcontroller couples display controller, and provides a steering order according to a test command to display controller, makes display controller be able to provide test pictures data according to steering order to display panel, and each test pictures data correlation is in a test pictures; In one embodiment, steering order can make display controller automatically to display panel, periodically interlock the test pictures data of a plurality of different GTGs are provided.OPTICAL SENSORS is in order to be relevant to the test pictures of test pictures data on the sensing display panel, and the sensing signal of a correspondence is provided.Sensing signal is associated with brightness and a reaction signal.Signal amplifier couples OPTICAL SENSORS, in order to adjust the size of sensing signal, to produce a first signal.Converter is coupled between signal amplifier and microcontroller, in order to first signal is converted to a secondary signal, and secondary signal is transferred to microcontroller.According to secondary signal, microcontroller can provide the measurement result of a correspondence.Wherein, first signal and secondary signal can be respectively a simulating signal and a digital signal, and converter is an analog-to-digital converter.
In one embodiment, when display controller sends test pictures data to display panel, can send an interruption (interrupt) signal to microcontroller in the lump, in order to indicate the sequential of test pictures; That is look-at-me is associated with the sequential of each test pictures data, in order to synchronous this measuring appliance and this display controller.Microcontroller can receive this look-at-me by display controller.
In one embodiment, measuring appliance comprises a plurality of OPTICAL SENSORS, the picture that each OPTICAL SENSORS all shows in order to the sensing display panel, and corresponding sensing signal is provided.For example, different OPTICAL SENSORS can be used to the brightness of diverse location on the sensing same panel.Measuring appliance more can comprise a multiplexer, be coupled between each OPTICAL SENSORS and signal amplifier, optionally one of them of the sensing signal of all OPTICAL SENSORS is associated to reaction signal, makes reaction signal via signal amplifier and converter and transfer to microcontroller.For example, multiplexer can make the sensing signal of different OPTICAL SENSORS be chosen as reaction signal and transfer to signal amplifier in turn.
In one embodiment, measuring appliance more comprises a gain control unit, couples signal amplifier, in order to adjust the gain of signal amplifier, makes the range of signal of first signal be met the dynamic range (dynamicrange) of converter.For example, before measuring reaction velocity, microcontroller can make display panel show white picture (high gray) via steering order, and measures its brightness by OPTICAL SENSORS, produces corresponding sensing signal; If this sensing signal has exceeded the dynamic range of converter after the gain of signal amplifier is amplified, gain control unit can reduce the gain of signal amplifier; If not yet reach the upper limit of dynamic range, can increase the gain of signal amplifier.In one embodiment, signal amplifier can be the amplifier of its gain of an available digital signal controlling.
In one embodiment, measuring appliance comprises a mainboard and an external daughter board.Mainboard is in order to carry microcontroller, multiplexer, signal amplifier and converter; External daughter board is coupled to mainboard via signal wire, in order to carry OPTICAL SENSORS.Different OPTICAL SENSORS can be installed on different external daughter boards.In one embodiment, OPTICAL SENSORS is installed on external daughter board in pluggable mode; Different types of OPTICAL SENSORS is used in plug, can carry out different feature measurements, expands the function of measuring appliance, to meet follow-up newly-increased measurement demand.In one embodiment, can use the signal wire of different length between external daughter board and mainboard, on the display panel that is applied in different size, coordinate factory to produce line allotment Production requirement.
Measuring appliance more can comprise an interface port, is coupled to microcontroller, in order to be connected in a computer.The interface port can receive the test command sent by computer, and transfers to microcontroller.The interface port also can export the measurement result of measuring appliance to computer.Computer can move a testing tool formula, with the carrying out of robotization ground control survey.
Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a kind of measuring method of display panel reaction velocity, for a measuring appliance, coordinating a display controller, so that a display panel is measured; The method comprises: display controller is exported to a steering order, make display controller provide test pictures data to display panel; With on an OPTICAL SENSORS sensing display panel corresponding to a test pictures of test pictures data, to produce a corresponding sensing signal, it is associated with brightness; And, export a reaction signal according to sensing signal; Wherein, reaction signal is in order to calculate the reaction velocity of display panel.
In one embodiment, can provide steering order to display controller according to a test command; Wherein, steering order makes display controller periodically interlock a plurality of test pictures data are provided.
In one embodiment, can receive a look-at-me by display controller, this look-at-me is associated with the sequential of test pictures data, in order to synchro measure device and display controller.
In one embodiment, the picture that this display panel of available one second OPTICAL SENSORS sensing shows, to produce the second sensing signal of a correspondence, this second sensing signal also is associated with brightness; And, with a multiplexer optionally according to one of them output-response signal of sensing signal and the second sensing signal.
In one embodiment, the reaction velocity of display panel is calculated according to test pictures and corresponding reaction signal.
For there is to better understanding above-mentioned and other aspect of the present invention, preferred embodiment cited below particularly, and coordinate accompanying drawing, be described in detail below:
Embodiment
Please refer to Fig. 1, what it was illustrated is the measuring appliance 10 according to one embodiment of the invention, for example, in order to measure the characteristic of a display panel 28, reaction velocity.Display panel 28 couples and is controlled by a display controller 30, and for example one shows the control wafer.Include N OPTICAL SENSORS K[n in measuring appliance 10] (n=1 to N, N is more than or equal to 1 integer), a multiplexer 22, a signal amplifier 12, a converter 14, a gain control unit 16 and a microcontroller 20.Multiplexer 22, signal amplifier 12, converter 14, gain control unit 16 can be installed on a mainboard 18 with microcontroller 20; Each OPTICAL SENSORS K[n] can be installed on separately an external daughter board B[n], each external daughter board B[n] via a signal wire L[n] be coupled to mainboard 18(n=1 to N).Measuring appliance 10 also is provided with interface port 24 and 26.
In measuring appliance 10, a computer 32 sees through for example universal serial bus interface port, i.e. a USB interface port of interface port 26() be coupled to microcontroller 20, make microcontroller 20 energy and computer 32 swap datas, for example numerical datas.Computer 32 can be a PC, can move a testing tool formula, controls the carrying out of display panel feature measurement with robotization ground.Interface port 26 can receive the test command CMD that computer 32 sends, and transfers to microcontroller 20.
Measuring appliance 10 is coupled to display controller 30 via interface port 24, makes microcontroller 20 energy and display controller 30 exchange messages and information, for example message and the information of numeral.Via interface port 24, microcontroller 20 couples display controller 30, and provide a steering order SC according to test command CMD to display controller 30, make display controller 30 be able to automatically to display panel 28, provide one or more test pictures data according to steering order SC, as test pictures data TP1, TP2 etc.; Each test pictures data are used so that display panel 28 shows the test pictures of associations.In one embodiment, steering order SC can make display controller 30 that the different GTG test pictures data of a succession of cycle staggering automatically are provided to display panel 28.In another embodiment, when display controller 30 sends test pictures data to display panel 28, can send an interruption (interrupt) signal SQ to microcontroller 20 in the lump, in order to indicate the sequential of test pictures; That is look-at-me SQ is associated with the sequential of each test pictures data.Microcontroller 20 can receive this look-at-me SQ by display controller 30 via interface port 24.
In one embodiment, the switching cycle T of the test pictures that steering order SC can specify display controller 30 to produce, and red, the green and blue component of red, the green and blue component of one first test pictures and one second test pictures; For example, red, the green and blue component of the first test pictures can all equal the test pictures of one first numerical value with corresponding one first GTG, and red, the green and blue component of the second test pictures can all equal the test pictures of a second value with corresponding one second GTG; The first GTG and the second GTG can be different.In this embodiment, the specified switching cycle T according to steering order SC, at first the first test pictures data are provided display controller 30 so that display panel 28 shows the first test pictures, sends a look-at-me SQ to microcontroller 20 simultaneously; Then, after cycle T, provide the second test pictures data to make display panel 28 switchings show the second test pictures, also send look-at-me SQ to microcontroller 20 simultaneously; After another cycle T, provide again display panel 28 first test pictures data, and similarly send look-at-me SQ to microcontroller 20; And, in after another cycle T, provide again display panel 28 second test pictures data, and send again look-at-me SQ to microcontroller 20.So periodically repeat switching, until display controller 30 is received next steering order SC by microcontroller 20.In one embodiment, red, the green and blue component that the test pictures data of display controller 30 can specify respectively it to show for each pixel of display panel 28.For example, the first test pictures data can be to make the specific pixel of display panel 28 show the first GTG, and rest of pixels shows the second GTG.The second test pictures data can make the specific pixel of display panel 28 show the 3rd GTG, and rest of pixels shows the 4th GTG.
OPTICAL SENSORS K[n] picture that shows in order to sensing display panel 28, the brightness that for example display panel 28 sends in part, and the sensing signal a[n of a correspondence is provided], to n=1 to N.In one embodiment, different OPTICAL SENSORS K[n] can be used to the brightness that the same display panel of sensing produces in diverse location.Multiplexer 22 is coupled to each OPTICAL SENSORS a[n] and signal amplifier 12 between, optionally make in turn different OPTICAL SENSORS K[n] sensing signal a[n] be transferred to signal amplifier 12, this is transferred to the sensing signal a[n of signal amplifier 12] as a reaction signal S0.According to a gain, signal amplifier 12 is in order to the selected sensing signal a[n of multiplexer 22] (n is one of them of 1 to N), previous reaction signal S0, carry out the adjustment of signal magnitude, to produce the signal S1 of a correspondence.Converter 14 is coupled between signal amplifier 12 and microcontroller 20, in order to signal S1 is converted to signal S2, and signal S2 is transferred to microcontroller 20.Basis signal S2, microcontroller 20 can provide the measurement result S3 of a correspondence.Wherein, sensing signal a[n] with signal S1 can be simulating signal, converter 14 is an analog-to-digital converter, therefore signal S2 can be digital signal, measurement result S3 is digital information.Interface port 26 also can export the measurement result S3 of measuring appliance 10 to computer 32.According to reaction signal S0 and derivative signal S2 or measurement result S3, microcontroller 20 and/or computer 32 just can calculate/count the characteristic of display panel 28, for example reaction velocity and/or reaction time.
In one embodiment, measuring appliance 10 comprises gain control unit 16, couple signal amplifier 12, in order to the gain of adjusting signal amplifier 12 (be signal S1 and sensing signal a[n] between gain), make the range of signal of signal S1 be met the dynamic range of converter 14.While at converter 14, a signal to be converted being converted to after the conversion of a correspondence to signal, the up/down limit of its dynamic range is associated with the extreme value (greatly/little value) of signal after conversion.If signal to be converted has certain a part of effusion dynamic range, the part of effusion dynamic range can be after changing be cut off as extreme value in signal, makes to change rear distorted signals and the variation that can't correctly follow this part.Relatively, if much smaller than dynamic range, can making to change the transformed error (as quantization error) of rear signal, the amplitude of fluctuation of signal to be converted (range of signal) increases.Therefore, the range of signal of signal to be converted should meet the dynamic range of converter 14, makes after corresponding conversion the signal can distortion, and quantization error can be not excessive yet.
In one embodiment, signal amplifier 12 can be the amplifier of its gain of an available digital signal controlling, and accordingly, gain control unit 16 is with the gain of Digital Signals signal amplifier 12.Gain control unit 16 available hardware, firmware or software are realized; For example, the function of gain control unit 16 can be carried out firmware and be realized by microcontroller 20.It should be noted, in other embodiment, the gain of signal amplifier can preset, so measuring appliance can omit gain control unit.In other words, gain control unit is not the necessary element of measuring appliance of the present invention.
The measuring appliance 10 of take coordinates display controllers 30 and method and the flow process of as display panel 28, carrying out feature measurement (as reaction velocity) can be described below.Computer 32 sends the test command CMD that opens the beginning to start measurement procedure to measuring appliance 10.Before actual measurement display panel characteristic, microcontroller 20 is controlled display controller 30 by steering order SC, by display controller 30, make display panel 28 show the white picture of high gray (the brightest), and by each OPTICAL SENSORS K[n] measure its brightness, to produce corresponding sensing signal a[n]; If sensing signal a[n] the signal S1 after the gain of signal amplifier 12 is amplified exceeded the dynamic range of converter 14, and gain control unit 16 can reduce the gain of signal amplifier 12; If not yet reach the upper limit of dynamic range, can increase the gain of signal amplifier 12.After proofreading and correct thus, the range of signal of signal S1 just can meet the dynamic range of converter 14, fully to use the digital conversion resolution of converter 14.
After the gain of correction signal amplifier 12, computer 32 can start to carry out feature measurement via test command CMD indication microcontroller 20, for example tests the reaction velocity that display panel 28 switches between the first GTG and the second GTG.Microcontroller 20 can send corresponding steering order SC to display controller 30, make the display panel 28 periodically test pictures of Alternation Display the first GTG and the test pictures of the second GTG, and when each switch test picture to microcontroller 20 passback one look-at-me SQ.When display panel 28 shows test pictures, each OPTICAL SENSORS K[n] also measured.According to look-at-me SQ, microcontroller 20 can with the timing synchronization of Picture switch, control according to this switching of multiplexer 22 and the output of reaction signal S0, and collect signal S2 according to the sequential of Picture switch, to integrate out measurement result S3.Measurement result S3 can be back to computer 32; Having obtained enough measurement results if the testing tool formula of computer 32 is judged, just can send another test command CMD, is for example the reaction velocity that test display panel 28 switches between the 3rd GTG and the 4th GTG.According to this test command CMD, microcontroller 20 can send another steering order SC, allows display controller 30 change and makes display panel 28 periodically repeatedly switch the test pictures that shows the 3rd GTG and the 4th GTG.
Due to the microcontroller 20 of measuring appliance 10, as long as just can make display controller 30 automatically according to the cycle switching of appointment, provide a plurality of different test pictures with single steering order SC, measuring appliance 10 is applicable to the display panel test of Gao Gengxin rate.The display controller 30 of Gao Gengxin rate because the display panel of Gao Gengxin rate 28 can be arranged in pairs or groups, and the functions of Gao Gengxin rate display controller 30 itself are exactly will coordinate the display panel 28 of Gao Gengxin rate and high frequency, picture data at a high speed are provided, therefore display controller 30 natural energies provide the test pictures data of quick switching according to the Gao Gengxin rate; Relatively, just need do not provided by the microcontroller 20 of measuring appliance 10 the test pictures data of high frequency, Gao Gengxin rate yet.So, the cost of measuring appliance 10 just can reduce.Display controller 30 can be carried out suitable firmware to understand and to carry out the steering order SC of microcontroller 20.
Moreover measuring appliance 10 can effectively integrate " display panel control " and " picture quality measurement " these two keys; Display panel is controlled and can be reached via steering order SC, and picture quality is measured and can synchronously be integrated according to look-at-me SQ.Via the test command of computer 32, the feature measurement of display panel can robotization, reduces tester's manpower burden, promotes the overall efficiency of display panel test.
In one embodiment, OPTICAL SENSORS K[n] be installed on external daughter board B[n in pluggable mode] on; Different types of OPTICAL SENSORS is changed in plug, can carry out different feature measurements, expands the function of measuring appliance 10, to meet follow-up newly-increased measurement demand.For example, be furnished with the OPTICAL SENSORS of filter if change, just can for example, in order to measure the brightness of a certain colouring component of display panel (red).In one embodiment, each external daughter board B[n] and mainboard 18 between can use the signal wire L[n of different length], on the display panel that is applied in different size, coordinate factory to produce line allotment Production requirement.For example, if will test the display panel of large-size, can use longer signal wire L[n]; Moreover, also can use more OPTICAL SENSORS K[n] to test how different positions.
Please refer to Fig. 2, what it illustrated is to carry out the schematic diagram of display panel feature measurement according to one embodiment of the invention.Under the control of microcontroller 20, display controller 30 automatically makes display panel 28 repeatedly switch the test pictures that shows GTG Lv1 and Lv2, for example say the test pictures that shows GTG Lv1 at time point t1, the test pictures that shows GTG Lv2 in time point t2 switching, the test pictures that shows once again GTG Lv1 at time point t3, and in the test pictures of time point t4 switching demonstration Lv2, by that analogy.The time interval between time point t1, t2, t3 and t4 is cycle T.Accordingly, each OPTICAL SENSORS K[n] can measure the actual brightness produced of display panel 28; Change and can know the reaction velocity of display panel 28 by inference by brightness, and then display controller 30 can be compensated for the defect of reaction velocity.Microcontroller 20 can be specified GTG Lv1, the numerical values recited of Lv2 and the length of cycle T via steering order SC; The sequential of time point t1 to t4 can be learnt by look-at-me SQ.
In summary, compared to known display panel feature measurement technology, measuring technique of the present invention can effectively integrate display panel and control and the picture quality measurement, and can reduce the measuring appliance cost.Measuring technique of the present invention robotization to heavens, reduce test required human resources and cost.Moreover measurement configuration of the present invention also can have high flexibility and extendibility, be enough to be widely used in various display panels and various different types of display characteristic measurement of different update rate, different size.
In sum, although the present invention discloses as above with preferred embodiment, so it is not in order to limit the present invention.The persond having ordinary knowledge in the technical field of the present invention, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, when being used for a variety of modifications and variations.Therefore, protection scope of the present invention is when by claims, being defined and be as the criterion.