JP2007293158A - Liquid crystal display panel, liquid crystal display device, and liquid crystal display system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid crystal display panel, a liquid crystal display device, and a liquid crystal display system that can vary display luminance over a wider range, secure a sufficient viewing angle while suppressing gradation inversion, and suppress complexing of a wiring structure. <P>SOLUTION: The liquid crystal display panel X has source wirings 22a and 22b arrayed as shown by an arrow AB and gate wirings 23a and 23b arrayed as shown by an arrow CD, and also has a plurality of pixels G constituted. The plurality of pixels G each include a plurality of subpixels, wherein a first subpixel among the plurality of subpixels is connected to the source wiring 22a and gate wiring 23a through a switching element 26a and a second subpixel is connected to the first subpixel and gate wiring 23b through a switching element 26b. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an active matrix type liquid crystal display panel, a liquid crystal display device and a liquid crystal display system having, for example, a TFT (Thin Film Transistor) as a switching element.

In recent years, liquid crystal display devices including a liquid crystal display panel have become widespread not only in relatively small information communication devices such as portable information terminals but also in relatively large electrical devices such as monitors and car navigation devices. However, in portable information terminals and car navigation devices, when the amount of external light is large (bright) as in the daytime, it is necessary to increase the display brightness to improve visibility, while at night When the amount of external light is small (dark), it is necessary to reduce the display brightness sufficiently to reduce glare. In view of this, a technique for changing the display luminance has been developed so that a display image can be properly recognized even when the change in the amount of external light is large, and is disclosed in, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3.
JP 2004-212798 A JP 2002-062856 A JP 2002-333870 A

  The technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 employs a backlight (for example, a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CFL)) that can ensure a sufficient display luminance when the amount of external light is large, and the amount of external light is low. When it is small, the display luminance is reduced by reducing the light amount of the backlight. However, in the present technology, for example, when CFL is adopted as the backlight, if the input power is reduced to reduce the light amount, the discharge may not be sufficiently maintained. That is, according to the present technology, the display luminance can be changed only within a relatively narrow range, and thus it is difficult to change the display luminance in a wide range desired in the usage environment of the portable information terminal or the car navigation device.

  In the technique disclosed in Patent Document 2, the gradation of each pixel constituting the display area of the liquid crystal display panel is adjusted to the highest display brightness by adjusting the voltage and frequency (pulse) when the amount of external light is large. Set the gradation to ensure sufficient display brightness, and adjust the voltage and frequency when the amount of external light is small to set the gradation of each pixel to a low display brightness. It is to reduce. However, in order to reduce the display brightness with this technology, low gradation display is frequently used, so that the display is compressed to low gradation. Therefore, when displaying the same image, an image compressed to a low gradation is finer than an image displayed using all gradations (all gradations ranging from a low gradation to a high gradation) ( A gradation having a narrower gradation width is used. Therefore, according to the present technology, gradation inversion is very likely to occur due to frequent use of low gradation display and narrower gradation width, and the viewing angle tends to be narrow. That is, according to the present technology, it is difficult to appropriately suppress the occurrence of gradation inversion and ensure a sufficient viewing angle and to change the display luminance within an appropriate range.

  In the technique disclosed in Patent Document 3, when the amount of external light is large, a plurality of sub-pixels constituting each pixel are all “ON” (lit state) to ensure sufficient display luminance, and the amount of external light is In the case where the pixel size is small, only a part of the plurality of sub-pixels is turned “ON” to reduce the display luminance. However, in the present technology, since a plurality of subpixels in each pixel can be controlled independently, the number of wirings is increased and the wiring structure becomes very complicated. There is a problem that the aperture ratio becomes small.

  The present invention has been conceived under such circumstances, and it is possible to change the display luminance in a wider range, and to secure a sufficient viewing angle while suppressing the occurrence of gradation inversion. An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal display panel, a liquid crystal display device, and a liquid crystal display system that can be performed and that can suppress the complexity of the wiring structure.

  A liquid crystal display panel according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a plurality of source lines arranged in a first direction and a plurality of gate lines arranged in a second direction intersecting the source lines. A liquid crystal display panel including pixels, wherein each of the plurality of pixels includes a plurality of sub-pixels, and the first sub-pixel in the plurality of sub-pixels includes the plurality of sub-pixels via a first switching element. The nth (n is a natural number of 2 or more) subpixel is connected to one of the source lines and the first gate line, and the (n−1) th subpixel and the nth gate are connected via the nth switching element. It is characterized by being connected to wiring.

  In the present liquid crystal display panel, it is preferable that all of the nth subpixels among the plurality of subpixels in each pixel are connected to one gate wiring.

  In the present liquid crystal display panel, each of the sub-pixels preferably includes a color filter through which at least part of light incident on the sub-pixel passes.

  In the present liquid crystal display panel, each of the sub-pixels is preferably configured such that the transmittance when no voltage is applied is minimized.

  A liquid crystal display device according to a second aspect of the present invention includes the liquid crystal display panel according to the first aspect of the present invention, and a backlight disposed to face one main surface of the liquid crystal display panel. Yes.

  A liquid crystal display system according to a third aspect of the present invention is a liquid crystal display device including the liquid crystal display panel according to the first aspect of the present invention, and for controlling a signal propagating through the nth gate line. And a control means.

  It is preferable that the liquid crystal display system further includes a sensor that detects the amount of external light, and the control unit controls the signal according to the amount of light detected by the sensor.

  In the liquid crystal display panel according to the first aspect of the present invention, each of the plurality of pixels includes a plurality of sub-pixels, and the first sub-pixel in the plurality of sub-pixels includes a plurality of source lines via the first switching element. The nth subpixel is connected to the (n−1) th subpixel and the nth gate wiring through the nth switching element. Therefore, in this liquid crystal display panel, a plurality of subpixels in each pixel can be individually driven independently, and the area of the subpixel to be driven can be adjusted by appropriately selecting the subpixel to be driven in each pixel. . Therefore, in the present liquid crystal display panel, the display luminance can be changed by adjusting the area of the sub-pixel to be driven without changing the light amount of the backlight (for example, in a state where the light amount is set to the maximum light amount). . That is, in this liquid crystal display panel, the display luminance can be changed in a wider range without being restricted by, for example, the CFL discharge state.

  Further, in the present liquid crystal display panel, the above-described configuration allows the gradation of each pixel to be adjusted without adjusting the voltage and frequency applied to each subpixel. That is, in the present liquid crystal display panel, even when the display luminance is reduced, the display is performed using all gradations in each sub-pixel, so that a sufficiently large gradation width can be ensured. Therefore, in the present liquid crystal display panel, all gradations can be used and the gradation width can be sufficiently secured, so that a sufficient viewing angle can be secured while suppressing occurrence of gradation inversion.

  Further, in the present liquid crystal display panel, the n-th subpixel is connected (subordinated) to the (n−1) -th subpixel, so that each subpixel can be driven independently. Thus, the wiring structure can be simplified, and as a result, it is possible to secure a larger aperture ratio of each pixel. In this way, when the aperture ratio of the pixel is increased, the light transmittance and the reflectance can be increased, so that the luminance of the transmissive display can be further increased when the same backlight is used, and the same ambient light amount. In addition, the brightness of the reflective display can be further increased.

  In the present liquid crystal display panel, when all the n-th subpixels among the plurality of subpixels in each pixel are connected to one gate wiring, a control signal is sent to the one gate wiring (nth gate wiring). In addition to being able to collectively control the n-th sub-pixel of each pixel, the wiring structure can be simplified (for example, the number of wirings and the number of drive circuits can be reduced).

  In the present liquid crystal display panel, when each of the sub-pixels includes a color filter through which at least a part of the light incident on each of the sub-pixels passes, it is preferable for color display of the image display.

  In the present liquid crystal display panel, when each subpixel is configured so that the transmittance when voltage is not applied is minimized, it is suitable for black display of the subpixel not to be displayed. As described above, when the sub-pixels that are not displayed are appropriately displayed in black, it is possible to prevent the color purity of the entire display image from being reduced due to light leakage from the sub-pixels that are not displayed. Further, the subpixels that are not displayed can be appropriately displayed in black only by turning off the switching elements that control “ON” and “OFF” of the subpixels that are not displayed.

  The liquid crystal display device according to the second aspect of the present invention can enjoy the same effects as the liquid crystal display panel according to the first aspect of the present invention described above. That is, in the present liquid crystal display device, for example, even when CFL is adopted as the backlight, the display luminance can be changed in a wider range without being restricted by the discharge state of the CFL. In addition, since the liquid crystal display device can adjust the gradation of each pixel without adjusting the voltage and frequency acting on each sub-pixel, the gradation step can be sufficiently widened, and gradation inversion can be performed. A sufficient viewing angle can be ensured while suppressing the occurrence. Furthermore, this liquid crystal display device can simplify the wiring structure compared to a case where each subpixel can be independently driven, and accordingly, it can ensure a larger aperture ratio of the pixel. Therefore, the transmittance and reflectance of light can be increased, and consequently the luminance of transmissive display or reflective display can be further increased.

  Since the liquid crystal display system according to the third aspect of the present invention includes the liquid crystal display device including the liquid crystal display panel according to the first aspect of the present invention, the first aspect of the present invention described above is provided. The same effect as the liquid crystal display panel according to the side surface can be enjoyed. That is, in the present liquid crystal display system, even when CFL is adopted as the backlight of the liquid crystal display device, for example, the display luminance can be changed in a wider range without being restricted by the discharge state of the CFL. . In addition, since the liquid crystal display system can adjust the gradation of each pixel without adjusting the voltage and frequency acting on each sub-pixel, the gradation step becomes sufficiently wide and gradation inversion can be performed. A sufficient viewing angle can be ensured while suppressing the occurrence. Furthermore, the present liquid crystal display system can simplify the wiring structure compared to a case where each subpixel can be independently driven, thereby ensuring a larger aperture ratio of the pixel. Therefore, the transmittance and reflectance of light can be increased, and as a result, the luminance of transmissive display or reflective display can be further increased.

  The liquid crystal display system further includes a sensor that detects the amount of external light, and when the control unit controls the signal according to the amount of light detected by the sensor, the display brightness is adjusted to an appropriate display luminance according to the amount of external light. can do. That is, the liquid crystal display system of this configuration is suitable for automatically maintaining appropriate display luminance (for example, display luminance suitable for visual recognition) regardless of the amount of external light.

  FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic configuration of a liquid crystal display panel X according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of one pixel of the liquid crystal display panel X shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG.

  The liquid crystal display panel X includes a liquid crystal layer 10, a first base 20, a second base 30, and a sealing member 40, with the liquid crystal layer 10 interposed between the first base 20 and the second base 30, By sealing the liquid crystal layer 10 with the sealing member 40, a display region P including a plurality of pixels G for displaying an image is formed.

  The liquid crystal layer 10 is a layer including liquid crystal that exhibits electrical, optical, mechanical, or magnetic anisotropy and has both solid regularity and liquid fluidity. Examples of the liquid crystal include nematic liquid crystal, cholesteric liquid crystal, and smectic liquid crystal. In the present embodiment, nematic liquid crystal is used.

  The first substrate 20 includes a transparent substrate 21, source wirings 22a and 22b, gate wirings 23a and 23b, auxiliary capacitor wiring 24, sub-pixel electrodes 25a and 25b constituting the pixel electrode 25, switching elements 26a and 26b, and an alignment film. 27.

  The transparent substrate 21 is a member that supports subpixel electrodes 25a and 25b and an alignment film 27, which will be described later, and contributes to sealing the liquid crystal layer 10, and appropriately transmits light in a direction intersecting the main surface. It is set as the structure which can permeate | transmit. Examples of the material constituting the transparent substrate 21 include materials having predetermined translucency (for example, transmissivity that allows the transmitted light to be visually recognized) such as glass and translucent plastic.

  The source wirings 22a and 22b are for propagating a predetermined signal (image signal) to subpixel electrodes 25a and 25b described later, and a plurality of source wirings 22a and 22b are arranged so as to mainly extend in the arrow AB direction.

  The gate wirings 23a and 23b are used for propagating signals (scanning signals) for turning on or off switching elements 26a and 26b, which will be described later, and are mainly in the direction of the arrow CD (in this embodiment, the arrows). A plurality of arrays are arranged so as to extend in a direction substantially orthogonal to the AB direction. Here, “ON” means that a current is flowing between the source wirings 22a and 22b and drain wirings 264 and 264 described later, that is, the subpixel electrode 25a and the subpixel electrode 25b are electrically connected. “OFF” means a state in which no current flows between the source wirings 22a and 22b and the drain wirings 264 and 264, that is, the subpixel electrode 25a and the subpixel electrode 25b are electrically connected. It means the state that is not conducting. In addition, as a material which comprises gate wiring 23a, 23b, chromium (Cr), tantalum (Ta), Al, Al alloy, molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), copper (Cu), etc. are mentioned.

  The auxiliary capacitance portion wiring 24 is for forming a capacitance in parallel with the liquid crystal layer 10 to ensure a sufficient voltage holding state, and is electrically connected to a display electrode 35 of the second base 30 described later. ing. The connection structure of the auxiliary capacitance portion wiring 24 and the display electrode 35 is such that the auxiliary capacitance portion wiring 24 of each pixel G is connected to each other on the first base 20 and a part of the auxiliary capacitance portion wiring 24 is connected to the sealing member 40 described later or the first. This is achieved by connecting to the display electrode 35 of the second substrate 30 by conductive bumps (not shown) interposed between the first substrate 20 and the second substrate 30 (gap).

  The sub-pixel electrodes 25a and 25b are members for applying a predetermined voltage to the liquid crystal of the liquid crystal layer 10 positioned between the display electrodes 35 of the second base 30 described later, and are incident from one (lower) side. It is configured to transmit light to the other (upward) side. The subpixel electrode 25a is connected to the source line 22a and the gate line 23a via a switching element 26a (specifically, a drain line 264) described later. The subpixel electrode 25b is connected to the subpixel electrode 25a and the gate wiring 23b via a switching element 26b (specifically, a drain wiring 264) described later. As a material constituting the sub-pixel electrodes 25a and 25b, a conductive member having a predetermined translucency (for example, a transmissivity that allows the transmitted light to be visually recognized) such as ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) or tin oxide. Can be mentioned. Further, the area ratio of the subpixel electrode 25a and the subpixel electrode 25b in plan view may be appropriately set as necessary, but if the areas of all the subpixel electrodes 25a and 25b are equal, the display luminance is gradually increased. If the area ratio of the sub-pixel electrode 25a and the sub-pixel electrode 25b is 1: 9 (= sub-pixel electrode 25a: sub-pixel electrode 25b), it is possible to This is suitable for adjusting the display brightness to be easily visible when the amount of light changes greatly. In this embodiment, the area ratio between the subpixel electrode 25a and the subpixel electrode 25b is set to 1: 9 (= subpixel electrode 25a: subpixel electrode 25b).

The switching elements 26a and 26b are for controlling whether or not signals from the source wirings 22a and 22b are propagated to the drain wirings 264 and 264, and examples thereof include a thin film transistor (TFT). The switching element 26a includes a gate wiring 23a, a gate insulating film 261, a semiconductor layer 262, an n ⁺ semiconductor layer 263 implanted with impurities, a source wiring 22a, a drain wiring 264, and a passivation layer (insulating layer) 265. Yes. The gate insulating film 261 is a member for insulating the gate wiring 23 a and the semiconductor layer 262. Examples of the constituent material of the gate insulating film 261 include SiN, SiO ₂ , and Ta ₂ O ₃ . The semiconductor layer 262 is a member for changing the resistance value between the source wiring 22 a and the drain wiring 264. An example of a constituent material of the semiconductor layer 262 is Si. The n ⁺ semiconductor layer 263 into which the impurity is implanted is a member for reducing the contact resistance between the semiconductor layer 262 and the source wiring 22a or the drain wiring 264. The drain wiring 264 is a member for propagating a signal from the source wiring 22a to the subpixel electrode 25a through the switching element 26a. Examples of the material constituting the drain wiring 264 include Cr, Ta, Al, Al alloy, Mo, W, and Cu. The passivation layer 265 is a member for protecting the semiconductor layer 262 and the like. Examples of the constituent material of the passivation layer 265 include SiN, SiO ₂ , and Ta ₂ O ₃ . The switching element 26b includes a gate wiring 23b, a gate insulating film 261, a semiconductor layer 262, an n ⁺ semiconductor layer 263, a source wiring 22b, a drain wiring 264, and a passivation layer 265.

  The alignment film 27 is for aligning liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer 10 oriented in a macro-random direction (small regularity) in a predetermined direction, and the pixel electrode 25 and the switching elements 26a and 26b are formed. It is formed on the transparent substrate 21. Examples of the constituent material of the alignment film 27 include polyimide resin. Further, the thickness of the alignment film 27 may be appropriately set as necessary, and is set to 0.05 μm, for example.

  The second base 30 includes a transparent substrate 31, a light shielding member 32, a color filter 33, a planarization film 34, a display electrode 35, and an alignment film 36.

  The transparent substrate 31 is a member that supports the light shielding member 32, the color filter 33, the planarization film 34, the display electrode 35, and the alignment film 36 and contributes to sealing the liquid crystal layer 10. It is configured to be able to appropriately transmit light in the intersecting direction. Examples of the material constituting the transparent substrate 31 include the same materials as those constituting the transparent substrate 21.

  The light blocking member 32 is a member for blocking light (the light transmission amount is set to a predetermined value or less), and is formed between the color filters 33 and between the pixels G. Examples of the material constituting the light shielding member 32 include a resin (for example, an acrylic resin) to which a dye or pigment having a high light shielding property (for example, black) is added, Cr, and the like. By providing such a light shielding member 32, the contrast ratio of the display image can be increased.

  The color filter 33 selectively absorbs a predetermined wavelength of light incident on the color filter 33 and adds a dye or a pigment to a member for selectively transmitting only the predetermined wavelength, for example, an acrylic resin. It is constituted by. Examples of the color filter 33 include a red color filter (R) for selectively transmitting the wavelength of red visible light, a green color filter (G) for selectively transmitting the wavelength of green visible light, and blue visible light. And a blue color filter (B) for selectively transmitting the wavelength. Further, the thickness of the color filter 33 may be set as appropriate in consideration of the amount of transmitted light, but is set to 1.0 μm, for example.

  The flattening film 34 is for flattening unevenness caused by arranging the light shielding member 32 and the color filter 33. Examples of the material constituting the planarizing film 34 include transparent resins such as acrylic resins.

  The display electrode 35 is a member for applying a predetermined voltage to the liquid crystal of the liquid crystal layer 10 positioned between the pixel electrode 25 of the first base 20 and is incident from one (lower) or the other (upper) side. It is configured to transmit light to the other (upper) or one (lower) side. A facing region between the display electrode 35 and the pixel electrode 25 constitutes a pixel G, and in the present embodiment, the pixel G is arranged in a matrix. Examples of the material constituting the display electrode 35 include a light-transmitting conductive member such as ITO and tin oxide. The thickness of the display electrode 35 may be set as appropriate in consideration of resistance, light transmittance, and the like, and is set to 0.12 μm, for example.

  The alignment film 36 is for aligning the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer 10 oriented in a macro-random direction (small regularity) in a predetermined direction (for example, a direction crossing the alignment direction of the alignment film 27). It is formed on the planarizing film 34 on which the display electrode 35 is formed. Examples of the constituent material of the alignment film 36 include polyimide resin. Further, the thickness of the alignment film 36 may be appropriately set as necessary, and is set to 0.05 μm, for example.

  The sealing member 40 contributes to sealing the liquid crystal layer 10 between the first base body 20 and the second base body 30, and the first base body 20 and the second base body 30 are separated from each other at a predetermined interval. For example, an insulating material (such as an insulating resin) or a conductive sealing material (such as a sealing resin containing conductive particles) is used. In the case where an insulating material is employed as the sealing member 40, the first substrate 20 is assisted through a conductive connecting material (such as a conductive bump) in a sealing region formed inside the sealing member 40. When the capacitive wiring 24 and the display electrode 35 of the second base 30 are electrically connected and a conductive sealing material is used as the sealing member 40, the first base 20 is supported via the conductive sealing material. The capacitor portion wiring 24 and the display electrode 35 of the second base 30 are electrically connected.

  In the liquid crystal display panel X according to the present embodiment, each of the plurality of pixels G includes subpixel electrodes 25a and 25b, and the subpixel electrode 25a is connected to the source line 22a and the gate line 23a via the switching element 26a. The subpixel electrode 25b is connected to the subpixel electrode 25a and the gate wiring 23b through the switching element 26b. Therefore, in the present liquid crystal display panel X, the sub-pixel electrodes 25a and 25b in each pixel G can be independently driven independently, and the sub-pixel electrodes 25a and 25b driven in each pixel G are driven by appropriately selecting the sub-pixel electrodes 25a and 25b. The area of the pixel electrodes 25a and 25b can be adjusted. Therefore, in the present liquid crystal display panel X, the display luminance is adjusted by adjusting the areas of the sub-pixel electrodes 25a and 25b to be driven without changing the light amount of the backlight (for example, in a state where the light amount is set to the maximum light amount). Can be changed. That is, in the present liquid crystal display panel X, the display luminance can be changed in a wider range without being restricted by, for example, the CFL discharge state.

  In the liquid crystal display panel X, the above-described configuration allows the gradation of each pixel G to be adjusted without adjusting the voltage and frequency applied to the subpixel electrodes 25a and 25b. That is, in the liquid crystal display panel X, even when the display brightness is reduced, the display is performed using all gradations in each sub-pixel constituting each pixel G, so that the gradation width can be sufficiently large. Therefore, in the liquid crystal display panel X, all gradations are used and a sufficient gradation width can be secured, so that a sufficient viewing angle can be secured while suppressing the occurrence of gradation inversion.

  Further, in the present liquid crystal display panel X, the subpixel electrode 25a is connected (subordinated) to the subpixel electrode 25b, so that the subpixel electrodes 25a and 25b can be individually driven independently. Thus, the wiring structure can be simplified, and as a result, the aperture ratio of each pixel G can be ensured to be larger. As described above, when the aperture ratio of the pixel G is increased, the light transmittance can be increased. Therefore, the luminance of transmissive display can be further increased when the same backlight is used.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of a liquid crystal display device Y including the liquid crystal display panel X according to the present invention. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV shown in FIG. The liquid crystal display device Y includes a liquid crystal display panel X, two polarizing plates 50 and 51, a backlight 60, and a housing 70.

  The polarizing plates 50 and 51 are members for selectively transmitting light in a predetermined vibration direction. The polarizing plate 51 in the present embodiment is disposed so as to be orthogonal to the axial direction of the polarizing plate 50 (selectively transmits light having a vibration direction parallel to the axial direction). Such a configuration is suitable for exhibiting a shutter function of light transmitted through the polarizing plates 50 and 51. In addition, you may arrange | position retardation film, a diffusion film, etc. between the polarizing plate 50 and the transparent substrate 21 or between the polarizing plate 51 and the transparent substrate 31 as needed. In the present embodiment, the polarizing plates 50 and 51 are not constituent elements of the liquid crystal display panel X, but may be one of the constituent elements of the liquid crystal display panel X.

  The backlight 60 is a member for irradiating light from one (lower) to the other (upper) of the liquid crystal display panel X, and includes a light source 61 and a light guide plate 62. The light source 61 emits light toward the light guide plate 62, and examples thereof include CFL, LED (Light Emitting Diode), halogen lamp, xenon lamp, and EL (electro-luminescence). The light guide plate 62 is a member for guiding light from the light source 61 substantially uniformly over the entire lower surface of the liquid crystal display panel X. The light guide plate 62 is usually provided on the back surface (lower surface), and is provided on a reflection sheet (not shown) for reflecting light and on the front surface (upper surface), and diffuses the light for more uniform planar light emission. And a prism sheet (not shown) provided on the surface for condensing light in a substantially constant direction. Examples of the constituent material of the light guide plate 62 include transparent resins such as acrylic resin and polycarbonate resin. In the present embodiment, the backlight 60 employs an edge light system in which the light source 61 is disposed on the side surface of the light guide plate 62 as shown in FIG. 4, but the light source 61 is disposed on the back side of the liquid crystal display panel X. Other methods such as the direct method may be adopted.

  The housing 70 is a member for housing the liquid crystal display panel X, the two polarizing plates 50 and 51, and the backlight 60, and includes an upper housing 71 and a lower housing 72. Examples of the material constituting the housing 70 include a resin such as a polycarbonate resin, and a metal such as stainless steel (SUS) and Al.

  Since the liquid crystal display device Y according to the present invention includes the liquid crystal display panel X, the same effect as the liquid crystal display panel X described above can be obtained.

  FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram showing a main part of a liquid crystal display system Z including the liquid crystal display panel X according to the present invention. The liquid crystal display system Z includes a liquid crystal display panel X, a control unit 80, and a sensor 90.

  The control unit 80 is for collectively controlling the subpixel electrode 25b of the liquid crystal display panel X to switch the subpixel electrode 25b between “ON” and “OFF”, and is connected to one end of the gate wiring 23b. Yes. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the gate wiring 23b is connected to all the switching elements 26b.

  The sensor 90 is for detecting the amount of light (brightness) of light outside the liquid crystal display panel X (external light). In order to propagate the detection data as a signal to the control unit 80, the sensor 90 Are electrically connected.

  In the following, when transmissive display is performed on the liquid crystal display panel X under the control of the control unit 80 based on detection data from the sensor 90, the amount of external light is large (for example, during the day) and the amount of external light is small ( For example, it will be explained separately.

  When the amount of external light is large, first, the switching unit 26b is turned “ON” by applying a predetermined voltage (for example, 15V) to the gate wiring 23b by the control unit 80 while the backlight 60 is turned on. That is, since the gate wiring 23b is connected to all the switching elements 26b, all the switching elements 26b are turned ON. Next, a predetermined potential is supplied to all of the storage capacitor line 24 and the subpixel electrodes 25a, 25b by inputting a signal to the source line 22a at a timing when the gate line 23a is turned "ON". As a result, a predetermined voltage is applied between the sub-pixel electrodes 25a and 25b and the display electrode 35, and the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer 10 are arranged according to the input signal (image data). As described above, transmissive display (color display) can be performed on both the subpixel including the subpixel electrode 25a and the subpixel including the subpixel electrode 25b.

  On the other hand, when the amount of external light is small, first, the switching unit 26b is turned “OFF” by applying a predetermined voltage (for example, −12V) to the gate wiring 23b by the control unit 80 with the backlight 60 turned on. To. That is, since the gate wiring 23b is connected to all the switching elements 26b, all the switching elements 26b are turned “OFF”. Next, a predetermined potential is supplied to all of the storage capacitor line 24 and the sub-pixel electrode 25a by inputting a signal to the source line 22a at a timing when the gate line 23a is turned “ON”. As a result, a predetermined voltage is applied between the sub-pixel electrode 25a and the display electrode 35, and the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer 10 are arranged according to the input signal (image data). As described above, transmissive display (color display) can be performed only on the sub-pixel side including the sub-pixel electrode 25a. By setting the normally black display mode, the transmissive display on the sub-pixel side including the sub-pixel electrode 25b can be set to black display.

  Since the liquid crystal display system Z according to the present invention includes the liquid crystal display panel X, it can enjoy the same effects as the liquid crystal display panel X described above.

  In addition, since the liquid crystal display system Z includes the sensor 90, the display brightness can be adjusted to an appropriate level according to the amount of external light. That is, in the liquid crystal display system Z, it is possible to automatically maintain appropriate display luminance (for example, display luminance suitable for visual recognition) regardless of the amount of external light.

  Further, in the liquid crystal display system Z, since the gate line 23b is connected to all the switching elements 26b (and thus the subpixel including the subpixel electrode 25b), a subordinate signal is sent to the gate line 23b. In addition to being able to collectively control the subpixels including the pixel electrode 25b, the wiring structure can be simplified (for example, the number of wirings and the number of drive circuits can be reduced).

  Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

  In the liquid crystal display panel X, each of the subpixels including the subpixel electrodes 25a and 25b is configured to have a minimum transmittance when no voltage is applied so that the subpixels that are not displayed are appropriately displayed in black. Also good. As described above, when the sub-pixels that are not displayed are appropriately displayed in black, it is possible to prevent the color purity of the entire display image from being reduced due to light leakage from the sub-pixels that are not displayed. Further, the subpixels that are not displayed can be appropriately displayed in black only by turning off the switching elements that control “ON” and “OFF” of the subpixels that are not displayed.

  In the liquid crystal display panel X, at least one of the subpixel electrodes 25a and 25b may be replaced with a reflective subpixel electrode. The reflective subpixel electrode is a member for applying a predetermined voltage to the liquid crystal of the liquid crystal layer 10 positioned between the display electrode 35 of the second substrate 30 and the light incident from the other (upper) side is reflected on the other side. Configured to reflect to the side. Examples of the material constituting the reflective subpixel electrode include Al-based materials such as Al and Al alloys (for example, AlNd and AlTi), Ag-based materials such as silver (Ag) and Ag alloys (for example, AgPd, AgPdCu, and AuCuAg), and titanium. Examples thereof include metals having light reflectivity such as (Ti).

  In the liquid crystal display panel X, the number of subpixel electrodes 25a and 25b in each pixel G is not limited to two, and may be three or more. Thus, when the number of sub-pixels constituting each pixel G is three or more, the display luminance in the liquid crystal display panel can be adjusted in more stages.

It is sectional drawing showing schematic structure of the liquid crystal display panel which concerns on embodiment of this invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating a schematic configuration of one pixel of the liquid crystal display panel illustrated in FIG. 1. It is sectional drawing along the III-III line of FIG. It is a perspective view showing schematic structure of a liquid crystal display device provided with the liquid crystal display panel which concerns on this invention. It is sectional drawing along the VV line shown in FIG. It is a circuit diagram showing the principal part of a liquid crystal display system provided with the liquid crystal display panel shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

X liquid crystal display panel Y liquid crystal display device Z liquid crystal display system 10 liquid crystal layer 20 first substrate 21 transparent substrates 22a and 22b source wirings 23a and 23b gate wirings 24 auxiliary capacitor wirings 25a and 25b subpixel electrodes 26a and 26b switching elements 27 orientation Film 30 Second substrate 31 Transparent substrate 32 Light shielding member 33 Color filter 34 Flattening film 35 Display electrode 36 Orientation film 40 Sealing member 50, 51 Polarizing plate 60 Backlight 70 Housing 80 Control unit 90 Sensor

Claims (7)

A liquid crystal display panel comprising a plurality of source lines arranged in a first direction and a plurality of gate lines arranged in a second direction intersecting the source lines, wherein a plurality of pixels are configured,
Each of the plurality of pixels comprises a plurality of sub-pixels;
The first subpixel in the plurality of subpixels is connected to one source wiring and the first gate wiring among the plurality of source wirings via a first switching element, and the nth (n is a natural number of 2 or more) sub The liquid crystal display panel, wherein the pixel is connected to the (n−1) th subpixel and the nth gate wiring through the nth switching element. 2. The liquid crystal display panel according to claim 1, wherein all of the n-th sub-pixels among the plurality of sub-pixels in each pixel are connected to one gate wiring. 3. The liquid crystal display panel according to claim 1, wherein each of the sub-pixels includes a color filter through which at least part of light incident on the sub-pixel passes. 4. The liquid crystal display panel according to claim 1, wherein each of the sub-pixels is configured to have a minimum transmittance when no voltage is applied. 5. 5. A liquid crystal display device comprising: the liquid crystal display panel according to claim 1; and a backlight disposed opposite to one main surface of the liquid crystal display panel. 5. A liquid crystal display device comprising the liquid crystal display panel according to claim 1, and a control means for controlling a signal propagating through the nth gate wiring. LCD display system. A sensor for sensing the amount of external light;
The liquid crystal display system according to claim 6, wherein the control unit controls the signal according to a light amount sensed by the sensor.

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