Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
  • G09G—ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION
  • G09G3/00—Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes
  • G09G3/20—Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters
  • G09G3/34—Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters by control of light from an independent source
  • G09G3/36—Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters by control of light from an independent source using liquid crystals
  • G09G3/3611—Control of matrices with row and column drivers
  • G09G3/3622—Control of matrices with row and column drivers using a passive matrix
  • G09G3/3629—Control of matrices with row and column drivers using a passive matrix using liquid crystals having memory effects, e.g. ferroelectric liquid crystals
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
  • G09G—ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION
  • G09G2310/00—Command of the display device
  • G09G2310/06—Details of flat display driving waveforms
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
  • G09G—ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION
  • G09G2320/00—Control of display operating conditions
  • G09G2320/02—Improving the quality of display appearance
  • G09G2320/0204—Compensation of DC component across the pixels in flat panels
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
  • G09G—ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION
  • G09G2320/00—Control of display operating conditions
  • G09G2320/02—Improving the quality of display appearance
  • G09G2320/0209—Crosstalk reduction, i.e. to reduce direct or indirect influences of signals directed to a certain pixel of the displayed image on other pixels of said image, inclusive of influences affecting pixels in different frames or fields or sub-images which constitute a same image, e.g. left and right images of a stereoscopic display

Definitions

• This invention relates to ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) devices, and particularly to a method and apparatus for driving the liquid crystal elements of such devices.
• FLC ferroelectric liquid crystal
• a ferroelectric liquid crystal has a permanent electric dipole which interacts with the applied electric field. Hence, ferroelectric liquid crystals exhibit fast response times, which make them suitable for use in display, switching and information processing applications.
• An example of an FLC device is described in a paper by N. A. Clarke et al, entitled “Submicrosecond bistable electro-optic switching in liquid crystals" in Appl. Phys. Lett. Volume 36, 1980, pp 899-901.
• the stimulus to which an FLC device responds is a dc field, and its response is a function of the applied voltage (V) and the length of time (t) for which it is applied.
• the response is not a linear function of V x t, and there may be a voltage level at which, irrespective of the length of time for which the voltage is applied, switching of the device will not occur. There may also be a length of time of application of the voltage which will be too short for switching to occur, irrespective of the magnitude of the voltage.
• An FLC device which can be multiplexed needs to have at least two different states (called latched states) which the liquid crystal can adopt in the absence of an applied field. These can be the same states as the states (called switched states) obtained when a field of either polarity is applied, or they can be different states.
• the liquid crystal can change from one switched state to another switched state when a field is applied thereto, without necessarily going to a latched state when the field is removed.
• the voltage at which the liquid crystal switches from one state to the other by 10% is called the switching threshold at 10% switching
• the voltage at which the liquid crystal switches fully from one state to the other state is called the switching threshold at 100% switching (Tsi ⁇ g).
• the voltage at which the liquid crystal will go fully into one of the latched states when the field is removed is called the latching threshold at 100% latching voyage at which the liquid crystal no longer goes into either of two different states when the field is removed is called the latching threshold at 0% latching
• a ferroelectric l quid crystal element is switched to one state by the application of a voltage of a given polarity across its electrodes, and is switched to the other state by the application thereto of a voltage of the opposite polarity. It is essential that an overall dc voltage shall not be applied across such an element for an appreciable period, so that the elements remain charge-balanced, thereby avoiding decomposition of the crystal material. Pulsed operation of such elements has therefore been effected, with a pulse of one polarity being immediately followed by a pulse of the other polarity, so that there is no resultant dc polarisation.
• the liquid crystal elements are commonly arranged in matrix formation and are operated selectively by energising relevant row and column lines.
• Time-division multiplexing is effected by applying pulses cyclically to the row (strobe) lines in sequence and by applying pulses, in synchronism therewith, to selected column (data) lines.
• a method of driving a ferroelectric liquid crystal device matrix in a time-division multiplex mode comprising applying strobing signals cyclically to strobe lines coupled to two-state liquid crystal elements of the display and applying data signals selectively to data lines coupled to the elements, wherein each strobing signal comprises a.
• the data signals comprise a first data signal operative in combination with the strobing signal to set a selected liquid crystal element in a first one of its states, and a second data signal operative in combination with the strobing signal to set the selected liquid crystal element in the other of its states, and wherein one or each of the first and second data signals comprises at least two consecutive pulses of opposite polarities and of substantially equal amplitudes.
• apparatus for driving a ferroelectric liquid crystal device matrix in a time-division multiplex mode comprising means to apply strobing signals cyclically to strobe lines coupled to two-state liquid crystal elements of the display; and means to apply data signals selectively to data lines coupled to the elements, wherein each strobing signal comprises a first pulse of one polarity followed by a second pulse of the opposite polarity and of different amplitude from the first pulse, and a dc voltage which is effective during a period between the end of the second pulse of a said strobing signal and the beginning of the first pulse of the next strobing signal applied to the same strobe line to substantially cancel a dc voltage Tevel resulting from the difference between the amplitudes of the first and second pulses, which dc voltage will not switch the liquid crystal elements during said period, wherein the data signals comprise a first data signal operative in combination with the strobing signal to set a selected liquid crystal element in a first one
• FIG. 1 is a block schematic diagram of an FLC device drive system
• Figure 2 illustrates strobing and data pulses occurring in a known 4-sTot drive system
• Figure 3 illustrates strobing and data pulses occurring in one embodiment of a 2-slot drive system according to the present invention.
• Figures 4 to 10 illustrate strobing and data pulses occurring f ⁇ second to eighth embodiments, respectively, of the invention.
• a ferroelectric liquid crystal device such as display, comprises a matrix of ferroelectric liquid crystal elements 1 coupled to row (strobe) and column (data) lines 2 and 3, respectively.
• a strobe pulse generator 4 is coupled to the strobe lines
• a data pulse generator 5 is coupled to the data lines.
• the strobe pulse generator continuously applies strobing signals to the strobe lines 2 in sequence
• the data pulse generator applies data signals to the data lines 3, in synchronism with the pulsing of the strobe lines, to set the corresponding element 1 in the required state.
• Figure 2 shows waveforms which would be applied to the lines 2 and 3 in a known 4-slot drive system.
• a strobing signal comprises a positive pulse 6 followed by a negative pulse 7 and, later during the same frame period, a negative pulse 8 followed by a positive pulse 9. All of these pulses are of the same amplitude VR, and there is therefore no residual dc level.
• the data signal may comprise a pulse train 10 ( Figure 2(b)) for setting the addressed element in the ON state or a pulse train 11 ( Figure 2(c)) for setting it in the OFF state, where ON and OFF merely indicate two different states.
• the pulse train 10 comprises positive and negative pulses 12 and 13, respectively, coincident with the pulses 6 and 7, and positive and negative pulses 14 and 15, respectively, coincident with the pulses 8 and 9.
• the pulses 12, 13, 14 and 15 are all of amplitude V ⁇ .
• the pulse train 11 comprises pulses 16, 17, 18 and 19 of the same amplitude as the pulses 12, 13, 14 and 15 but of opposite polarity thereto.
• the data pulses are also applied via the lines 3 to those liquid crystal elements 1 which are not being addressed by the strobing signal. This leads to crosstalk, which is inherent in any multiplexing scheme. In order to reduce visible crosstalk effects there are certain conditions which a multiplexing scheme must satisfy, as follows
• the data voltage V ⁇ must not be large enough to switch the liquid crystal. Switching the liquid crystal will reduce the contrast of the device.
• the strobe voltage plus the data voltage (V s + V d ) must be large enough to switch and latch the liquid crystal so that the correct state (ON or OFF) of the element is achieved.
• V3 - V d The strobe voltage minus the data voltage (V3 - V d ) can switch the liquid crystal since it occcurs only once in every frame scan. However, it must not latch the liquid crystal, since this will reverse the data required, nor must it unlatch the liquid crystal from the original state.
• Figure 3 shows waveforms provided in a first embodiment of the present invention.
• the strobing signal ( Figure 3(a)) comprises a positive pulse 20 of amplitude V ⁇ , followed by a negative pulse 21 of amplitude V 2 , which is less than V ⁇ . This is the only pair of strobe pulses occurring during a frame period.
• the data signal comprises either a positive pulse 22 followed by a negative pulse 23 ( Figure 3(b)) or a negative pulse 24 followed by a positive pulse 25, depending upon the data to be written.
• the pulses 22-25 are all of amplitude V ⁇ (not necessarily equal to V d of Figure 2).
• a small dc voltage 26 is applied to the strobe line between the end of the pulse 21 and the beginning of the pulse 20 of the next frame period.
• Figure 3(d) shows the voltage appearing across the addressed liquid crystal element as a result of the strobe signal and the data signal of Figure 3(b), whilst Figure 3(e) similarly shows the resultant, but for the data signal of Figure 3(c).
• each strobe and data signal comprises only two pulses, so that the liquid crytal elements are addressed fn only two time slots during a frame period, as compared to four time slots for the known system. This halves the requirement as regards the speed of switching of the liquid crystal elements.
• Figure 4 shows an alternative arrangement of data pulses.
• the strobe pulses ( Figure 4 (a)) are similar to those in Figure 3(a), and the data OF pulses ( Figure 4 (c)) are similar to those in Figure 3(c).
• the data ON signal ( Figure 3(b)) comprises merely a zero voltage level. The various voltages must then satisfy the following conditions.
• Figure 5 shows another alternative arrangement of data pulses.
• the data ON pulses Figures 5(b)
• the data OFF signal Figure (c)
• the voltages must then satisfy the following conditions. V l " d> T L100
• the duration of the element-addressing time can be shortened by reducing the period (t) of either of the strobe pulses and by increasing the voltage (V) of each reduced-length pulse, taking into account the criteria mentioned hereinbefore.
• Figure 6 shows one such configuration of strobe and data pulses.
• a first strobe pulse 27 has an amplitude V ⁇ and a period t ⁇
• a second strobe pulse 28 has a period t 2 which is shorter than t ⁇ , and an amplitude V 2 which is larger than V ⁇ .
• V 1 xt 1 +V xt 2 +V ⁇ jc xt3 must be substantially zero, where t 3 is the length of the period between the end of the pulse 28 and the beginning of the next pulse 27.
• the data ON signal shown in Figure 6(b) comprises a positive-going pulse 29 of amplitude V ⁇ and duration t ls and a negative-going pulse 30 of amplitude V ⁇ and duration t 2 .
• the data OFF signal shown in Figure 6(c) is the inverse of Figure 6(b).
• ⁇ xt ⁇ In order to avoid subjecting the liquid crystal elements to an overall dc level due to the application of the data pulses, ⁇ xt ⁇ must be equal to V cJ2 xt 2 for each data signal.
• the voltages and periods of the strobe and data pulses are preferably selected to obtain optimum working of the liquid crystal elements.
• Figure 7 shows an alternative pulse configuration in which the strobe pulses are the same as in Figure 6, but the first data pulse 31 is of different period from the first strobe pulse 27. The pulse 31 begins later than the beginning of the strobe pulse 27, but the pulses end simultaneously.
• the data OFF signal of Figure 7(c) is the inverse of the data ON signal of Figure 7(b). In this case d3 t 4 must equal V d2 xt 2 , where V d3 and ⁇ are the amplitude and the period, respectively, of the pulse 31.
• Figure 8 shows another pulse configuration in which the strobe pulses are the same as in Figure 6.
• the first data pulse 32 is the same width as the first strobe pulse 27, but the second data pulse 33 is longer than the second strobe pulse 28.
• the pulse 33 may alternatively be shorter than the pulse 28.
• V ⁇ xtg must equal V ⁇ x j , where V ⁇ and t 5 are the voltage and period, respectively, of the pulse 33.
• Figure 9 shows another alternative configuration, in which the first data pulse ' 34 begins simultaneously with the first strobe pulse, but the data pulse is shorter than the strobe pulse.
• the second data pulse 35 is the same length as the second strobe pulse.
• the performance of the FLC device may be improved by including a period of zero voltage between the positive and negative strobe and/or data pulses and/or before and/or after any of those pulses.
• the zero voltage period can be of any suitable length and should be selected to suit the particular liquid crystal elements.
• Such a zero voltage level may be as shown at 36 in the data signal in Figure 9 or as shown in Figure 10, wherein the first and second strobe pulses 37 and 38, respectively, are separated by a period 39 of zero voltage.
• the pulse voltages and lengths will be adjusted to suit the particular type of liquid crystal elements and the particular combination of strobing and data signals.
• the polarity of both the strobe pulses and the data pulses may be reversed.
• a further improvement may be effected by superi mposing an ac voltage at, say, 10-lOOkHz on the pulses. This helps to sharpen the switching thresholds and may also improve the contrast rati o of the data ON and OFF states during multiplexing.

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• 1987
  • 1987-08-12 GB GB8719078A patent/GB2208559B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 1988
  • 1988-08-12 DE DE88906995T patent/DE3886192T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1988-08-12 JP JP50664288A patent/JPH02500936A/ja active Pending
  • 1988-08-12 EP EP19880906995 patent/EP0327627B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
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