JP3396929B2 - Image display device - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image display device which performs gradation display using a matrix type liquid crystal display panel, and more specifically, to display characteristics (response speed, CR (contrast ratio), visual). The present invention relates to an improved image display device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art LCD screen displays have high resolution,
High-performance and high-quality display functions such as high gradation, high-speed response, and high contrast are required. TN as the display method
(Twisted Nematic) type, STN (Supertwisted Nemati)
c) type is used, and the driving method is TFT (Thin Film)
Active matrix drive using a transistor and simple matrix drive are adopted. There are two types of image display devices, the simple matrix system and the TFT system, and it is said that the TFT is superior in image quality and response speed. That is, the simple matrix has the drawbacks that i) the response time is slow due to the influence of the cumulative response, and ii) the margin is small and the contrast is low due to the high duty.

Particularly, the response of liquid crystal is slow, and when STN is adopted, the contrast is improved but the response is further deteriorated.

Further, in such a conventional image display device, since the image quality is determined by the number of control bits, the circuit scale and the number of wirings are increased in order to obtain a high quality display. There was a problem. For example, if the number of bits can be reduced in a liquid crystal drive circuit that displays gradation on a liquid crystal by pulse width modulation (PWM), the number of wirings and the circuit scale can be reduced, and the device cost can be reduced. However, it was difficult to improve the image quality without reducing the number of bits.

Further, since the liquid crystal display panel generally operates by a cumulative response effect, it has a property of slow response speed.

LCDs (liquid crystal display devices) currently used have a response speed on the order of several tens of ms or more, except for ferroelectric LCDs. In particular, STN-LCD used in liquid crystal display panels of OA equipment in recent years is ON + OFF = 2.
00 ms or more is common. This largely depends on the characteristics of the STN-LCD, and the improvement is slow.

Therefore, a memory for storing image data is provided, data between old and new frames are compared, and display data corresponding to the data is created by a data conversion circuit using a ROM, so that the liquid crystal display panel is appropriately formed. An image display device using a speed-up circuit for overdriving has been proposed.

Here, as a conventional example, particularly the response speed, C
FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 are block diagrams of an image display device using an STN-LCD, taking a TV having severe R and visual characteristics as an example.

FIG. 7 is an overall configuration diagram of a conventional high quality image display device using the speed-up circuit, and FIG. 8 is a circuit diagram of the data 2 frame comparison circuit of FIG.

7 and 8, the image display device 10 is shown.
Is composed of a liquid crystal display panel 11, a signal electrode drive circuit 12, a scan electrode drive circuit 13, an A / D converter 14, a data 2 frame comparison circuit 15 (FIG. 8) and a controller 16.

In the liquid crystal display panel 11, a plurality of scanning electrodes and a plurality of signal electrodes are arranged so as to face each other with a liquid crystal layer in between and arranged in a matrix, and a signal electrode drive circuit 12 for driving the signal electrodes and a scanning operation. And a scan electrode drive circuit 13 for driving the electrodes.

The analog video signal (RGB signal) is input to a synchronous processing circuit (not shown), and the odd field and the even field are discriminated from the composite video signal in order to drive by inverting the polarity of the video signal for each field. The field discrimination signal is output to the controller 16.

The A / D converter 14 converts the analog video signal into image data digitized into a predetermined bit according to a binary code format and outputs the image data to the data 2 frame comparison circuit 15.

The data 2 frame comparison circuit 15 is also provided.
Is generally called a speed-up circuit (hereinafter abbreviated as SPU as appropriate), and is composed of a first frame memory 21, a second frame memory 22, a multiplexer 23, and first and second frame data comparison / conversion ROM 24. Has been done.

The first frame memory 21 and the second frame memory 22 are composed of two RAMs, and the A / D converter 14 is controlled by a control signal from the controller 16.
It is a frame memory for temporarily storing the image data digitized into predetermined bits.

Here, in the image display device, a period for scanning the entire one screen is called one frame, and one screen is displayed in one field of the video signal, so that the cycle (frame frequency) is 1 / 60S. The image display device displays one screen twice by scanning the liquid crystal display panel 11 twice during 1/60 S, and the frequency is 120 Hz. In order to realize this, in this example, two frame memories (first frame memory 21, second frame memory 22) are used.
Is provided and the data once stored in the frame memory is read twice at a predetermined timing to increase the frame frequency.

The multiplexer 23 passes through the image data stored in the first frame memory 21 or the image data stored in the second frame memory 22 as it is based on the control signal of the controller 16 or switches the image data for output. Circuit.

First and second frame data comparison and conversion ROM
Reference numeral 24 stores a ROM table in which the values of the previous frame and the current frame are tabulated in order to convert the gradation signal.

That is, the first and second frame data comparison / conversion ROM 24 has a ROM table in which the values of the previous frame and the current frame are tabulated.
The table is referred to convert the gradation signal to speed up the process. For example, when the previous frame is “0”, the current frame is “0”, the table data is “0”, the previous frame is “2”, and the current frame is “1”.
When it is "0", the table data is "15". In this way, the display data (gradation signal) of the video signal is not directly applied to the signal electrode drive circuit 12 of the liquid crystal display panel 11, but the converted display data transformed by using the ROM table is applied. Thereby, the response speed can be increased.

The controller 16 outputs a control signal to each section on the basis of the synchronization signal input from the synchronization processing circuit and controls each section and the entire apparatus.

In the above configuration, the controller 16 uses the sync signal from the sync processing circuit and the internal oscillation CK to control the scan electrode drive circuit control signal, the signal electrode drive circuit control signal, the data 2 frame comparison circuit control signal, and the A / D converter. A control signal is generated and output to the scan electrode drive circuit 13, the signal electrode drive circuit 12, the data 2 frame comparison conversion circuit 15, and the A / D converter 14 to control these circuits. Further, the liquid crystal display panel 11 includes a scanning electrode driving circuit 13 and a signal electrode driving circuit 12
Display is performed by being driven by the scanning signal and the display signal from. The A / D converter 14 A / D-converts the analog video signal (RGB signal) from the synchronization processing circuit and outputs the designated bit.
The number is input to the data 2 frame comparison conversion circuit 15. Here, only the operation of the data 2 frame comparison / conversion circuit 15 will be described, and detailed description of the other parts will be omitted.

FIG. 8 shows a data 2 frame comparison conversion circuit 1
As shown in the internal structure diagram of FIG. 5, the data 2 frame comparison conversion circuit 15 is generally called a speed-up circuit (SPU), and the A / D converted nbit data is first stored in the first frame memory first frame. Write in the memory 21. Next, when the first frame ends and the second frame is reached, the data is written in the second frame memory 22, and at the same time, the data first frame data is read from the first frame memory 21.

At this time, since the second frame memory 22 is in the write mode, the second frame memory 22 is in the floating state and the switching data is the output of the second frame memory 22. Then, the switching data, the current second frame data, and the A / D conversion data are input to the addresses of the first and second frame data comparison and conversion ROMs 24 and already written in the first and second frame data comparison and conversion ROMs 24. Access SPU data. This operation is repeated thereafter, and the current data is determined according to how the data one frame before and the current data have changed.

[0024]

The data of the SPU is, for example, 01 when the data one frame before is 3 bits.
0, and if the current data is 011 then 10
Set to 0. On the contrary, if it changes from 011 to 010, 00
Set to 1. This is because in the case of STN-LCD, the changing speed from the halftone to the halftone becomes slower due to the changing speed from 000 to 111 or vice versa. For this reason, this method is a kind of differentiating circuit method that makes only the change speed of the halftone faster. However, 000 → 111, 010 → 111, 01
There is no effect when the current data is 000 or 111, such as 1 → 000. Further, depending on how the conversion data is set, there may be no effect even in the case of changing from halftone to halftone.

Further, when the response speed of the STN-LCD is slower or the duty ratio is further increased, the change speed of 000 → 111 becomes slow and the effect is lost. At present, the limit is about 1/100 duty.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an image display device which can obtain a speed-up effect even if the response of the STN-LCD is further delayed.

[0027]

The invention according to claim 1 is
In order to achieve the above purpose , the continuous first frame in the video data
Frame data, second frame data and third frame data
A memory for storing data, there is no change between the first frame data and second frame data that is read from the memory, when there is and change between the second frame data and the third frame data Data conversion means for outputting the third frame data as display data for the second frame;
Display means for performing display based on the display data for the second frame output from the data converting means.

The data conversion means may be, for example, in claim 2.
The first read from the memory as described.
Compare 1 frame data and 2nd frame data, and
Comparing the second frame data and the third frame data,
The result of this comparison is the first frame data and the second frame data.
No change between the second frame data and the third frame
If there is a change with the ram data, the third frame
Frame data as display data for the second frame
You may do it.

The data conversion means may read data from the memory as described in claim 3, for example .
How to increase 3 frame data compared to 2nd frame data
The 3rd frame data to the 2nd frame
You may make it output as display data for.

The data conversion means may be further read from the memory as described in claim 4, for example.
Between the first frame data and the second frame data
And the second frame data and the third frame data
If there is no change between the first frame data and the second frame
The corrected frame data determined by the frame data is
To include means to output as display data for RAM
You may. Also, for example, it is described in claim 5.
As described above, the first frame data, the second frame data and
And frame data corresponding to the third frame data is output
Comprising a memory for storing a conversion table for the data
The conversion means is configured to convert the first frame data and the second frame data.
Data and frame data corresponding to the third frame data
Read from the conversion table stored in the memory
However , the frame data may be output as the display data for the second frame .

[0031]

[0032]

[0033]

According to the first aspect of the invention, the consecutive motion picture data
The first frame data, the second frame data and the third frame data
System data is stored in the memory. Read from memory
Between the first frame data and the second frame data
There is no change, and the second frame data and the third frame data
If there is a change between the
It is output as display data for two frames. Is output
Display based on the display data for the second frame
It

[0034]

Therefore, since the next frame data is displayed in the display frame, the response speed is unconditionally increased by one frame, and the response of the LCD can be improved.

[0036]

Embodiments Embodiments will be described below with reference to FIGS.

FIGS. 1 to 6 are views showing one embodiment of the liquid display device, which is an example applied to a high quality image display device using a speed-up circuit (SPU). In the description of this embodiment, the same components as those of the conventional example shown in FIGS. 7 and 9 are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description of the duplicated portions will be omitted.

First, the structure will be described. FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a conventional high-quality image display device using the speed-up circuit, and FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of the data 3 frame comparison circuit of FIG.

1 and 2, the image display device 30 is shown.
Is composed of a liquid crystal display panel 11, a signal electrode drive circuit 12, a scan electrode drive circuit 13, an A / D converter 14, a data 3 frame comparison circuit 31 (FIG. 2) and a controller 32.

In the liquid crystal display panel 11, a plurality of scanning electrodes and a plurality of signal electrodes are arranged so as to face each other with a liquid crystal layer sandwiched therebetween and arranged in a matrix, and a signal electrode drive circuit 12 for driving the signal electrodes and a scanning operation. And a scan electrode drive circuit 13 for driving the electrodes.

The analog video signal (RGB signal) is input to a synchronization processing circuit (not shown), and the odd field and the even field are discriminated from the composite video signal in order to drive by inverting the polarity of the video signal for each field. The field discrimination signal is output to the controller 16.

The A / D converter 14 converts the analog video signal into image data digitized into a predetermined bit in accordance with the binary code format and outputs it to the data 3 frame comparison circuit 31.

The data 3 frame comparison circuit 31 is also provided.
Is a speed-up circuit (S
PU), the first frame memory 21, the second frame memory 22, the third frame memory 33, the first, second and third frame data switching circuits 34 and the first, second and third frame data comparison and conversion ROM 35. It consists of

The first frame memory 21, the second frame memory 22, and the third frame memory 33 are three RAMs.
And a frame memory for temporarily storing image data digitized into predetermined bits by the A / D converter 14 in accordance with a control signal from the controller 32.

The first, second and third frame data switching circuit 34 includes the image data stored in the first frame memory 21, the second frame memory 22 or the third frame memory 3.
3 is a switching circuit for directly passing through or switching the image data stored in No. 3 based on the control signal of the controller 32 or outputting the image data.

The first, second and third frame data comparison / conversion ROM 35 is a ROM table in which conversion data (SPU data) corresponding to the display frame data and the display frame data is tabulated in order to convert the gradation signals. Is a ROM for storing the conversion data (SPU data) stored by using the pre-display frame data and the display frame data as address inputs.

The controller 32 outputs a control signal to each section based on the synchronization signal or the like input from the synchronization processing circuit and controls each section and the entire apparatus.

In particular, the controller 32 outputs a control signal to the first frame memory 21, the second frame memory 22, the third frame memory 33, the first, second and third frame data switching circuits 34 to output 3 frames. In the comparison, the first frame and the second frame are compared by the conventional method, the second frame and the third frame are compared, and the data of the second frame is determined.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

The overall operation controller 32 outputs the scan electrode drive circuit control signal, the signal electrode drive circuit control signal, the data 3 frame comparison circuit control signal, and the A / D converter control signal by the synchronization signal from the synchronization processing circuit and the internal oscillation CK. Scan electrode drive circuit 13, signal electrode drive circuit 12, data 3 frame comparison conversion circuit 31, A
It outputs to the / D converter 14 and controls these circuits. Further, the liquid crystal display panel 11 is driven by the scanning signal and the display signal from the scanning electrode driving circuit 13 and the signal electrode driving circuit 12 to display. The A / D converter 14 A / D-converts the analog video signal (RGB signal) from the synchronization processing circuit, and sets the specified number of bits to the data 3 frame comparison conversion circuit 3
Enter 1.

Operation in Data 3 Frame Comparison Conversion Circuit 31 As shown in FIG. 2, the first and second frames of the A / D converted nbit A / D conversion data are stored in the first frame memory 21 and the second frame memory 22, respectively. Write. When the second frame ends and the third frame is reached, data is written in the third frame memory 33, and at the same time, the first frame data and the second frame data are read from the first frame memory 21 and the second frame memory 22, respectively.

At this time, since the third frame memory 33 is in the write mode, the third frame data is in a floating state, the pre-display frame data is the first frame data, and the display frame data is the second frame data. Then, the pre-display frame data, the display frame data, and the current third frame data (current frame data) are input to the addresses of the first, second, and third frame data comparison and conversion ROMs 35, and the first, second, and third frames are already input. The SPU data written in the frame data comparison and conversion ROM 35 is accessed. This operation is repeated thereafter, and the data one frame before is determined according to how the data two frames before, the data one frame before, and the current data changed.

Here, an example of data conversion in the case of 3 bits is shown in Table 1 of FIG. In Table 1, display frame data
(A) (B) (C) (D) and conversion data (A ') (B') (C ') (output from the first, second and third frame data comparison conversion ROM 35 using this data as an address Focusing on D '), (A) →
Since (A ') does not change the display frame data and A / D conversion data, the conventional speed-up circuit (SP) shown in FIG.
U) It becomes the same operation as 15.

Further, in (B) → (B ′), there is no change in the display frame data and the display frame data, and there is a change in the display frame data and the A / D conversion data. It does not operate and the next data is displayed in the previous frame. (D) →
(D ′) is the same as (B) → (B ′), but the data is 111. In the case of Table 1, data 000 is STN-LCD
If the negative display is black and 111 is white, then the display pre-frame data ≤ display frame data ≤ A / D conversion data, but pre-display frame data ≤ display frame data ≥ A / D conversion data, display If the previous frame data ≧ display frame data ≧ A / D conversion data, the conventional S
Only PU operation is available. This is for the following reason.

In the case of a TV using a normal STN-LCD,
The number of subdivisions will be 100 or more. Therefore, if the 1/100 duty and the 1/200 duty are STN-
Table 2 shown in FIG. 4 when comparing the characteristics with the LCD panel.
It is generally like this. As can be seen from Table 2, τd is 50 to 60 ms for both 1/100 duty and 1/200 duty, while τr is nearly doubled.

Further, as shown in the voltage-transmittance curve (VT curve) in FIG. 5, Δnd of the compensation cell (here, Δn
d is the product of the refractive index anisotropy Δn and the element gap d,
(Contrast, viewing angle characteristics and coloring are affected), and if the conditions such as the pretilt angle of the driving cell are changed, V-
The shape of the T-curve has changed, and is represented by A and B in FIG. In A, the γ (steepness) characteristic becomes sharp and the difference between τr and τd becomes small, but TOFF becomes large and CR (contrast ratio) decreases. In addition, the visual characteristics deteriorate.
In B, the γ characteristic becomes slightly dull and the difference between τr and τd becomes large, but TOFF becomes small and CR increases. Also, the visual characteristics are improved.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the VT curve shown in FIG. 4B is used to improve the characteristics of the STN-LCD. From the above, τr is slow and τd is fast, so τr
The above operation is used only for
It is operated only by the operation corresponding to PU.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a response curve for the relationship of Table 1 (D) → (D ′) in FIG.

In the normal response measurement, 100 is set to 0%,
The point saturated with 111 is 100%, and 0 to 90% thereof is τr. If τr = 100 ms, in the case of TV, one frame is about 33 ms, so T = 33 ms, and the apparent response τr ′ is 67 ms. Here, the transmittance at the point C becomes a problem, but it is 2
If it is about 0%, there is no problem. Further, as the VT curve of FIG. 5B is made gentle, the transmittance at point C of FIG. 6 decreases.

In the present embodiment, the SPU has been used together in the past, but in some cases it may not be used together for τr. Further, the present invention may be used in combination to operate with priority.

As described above, the image display device 30 of this embodiment includes the liquid crystal display panel 11 and the signal electrode drive circuit 1.
2, a scan electrode drive circuit 13, an A / D converter 14, and a data 3 frame comparison circuit 31 and a controller 32 that form a speed-up circuit (SPU) for performing inter-frame comparison, and the data 3 frame comparison circuit 31 includes The first frame memory 21, the second frame memory 22, the third frame memory 33, the first, second and third frame data switching circuits 34, and the values of the previous frame and the current frame in order to convert the gradation signal. A first table, a second table, and a third frame data comparison and conversion ROM 35 that store a look-up table (LUT) that is a table. Furthermore, if the second frame and the third frame are compared and the data of the display frame and the next frame change in the τr direction, Since the data of the second frame is determined so that the frame data is displayed in the display frame, the next frame data can be displayed in the display frame, and τr is unconditionally increased by 1 frame to improve the response of the LCD. be able to.

In the present embodiment, the image display device using the speed-up circuit is used as the image display device, but any device can be used as long as it compares three frame data and outputs display data according to the comparison data. Of course, it may be applied to such a device.

Needless to say, the circuits and matrixes of the image display device, the number of gates, their types, etc. are not limited to those in the above-described embodiments.

[0064]

According to the present invention, by displaying the next frame data in the display frame, the response speed can be unconditionally increased by one frame, and the response of the LCD can be improved. As a result, it is possible to realize an image display device that can obtain a speed-up effect even if the response of the STN-LCD is slower.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of an image display device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of a data 3 frame comparison circuit of the image display device of the same embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of data conversion in the case of 3 bits of the image display device of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an STN-LC of the image display device of the embodiment under the same conditions of 1/100 duty and 1/200 duty.
It is the figure which compared the characteristic by D panel.

FIG. 5 is a characteristic diagram showing a voltage-transmittance curve (VT curve) of the image display device of the example.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a response curve of FIG. 3 of the image display device of the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram of a conventional image display device.

FIG. 8 is a circuit diagram of a data 3 frame comparison circuit of a conventional image display device.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 LCD display panel 12 Signal electrode drive circuit 13 Scan electrode drive circuit 14 A / D converter 30 image display device 31 data 3 frame comparison circuit 32 controller 33 Third Frame Memory 34 First, Second, and Third Frame Data Switching Circuits 35 First, second and third frame data comparison conversion ROM

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. A continuous first frame data in moving image data.
Over data, a memory for serial <br/>憶the second frame data and the third frame data, the first frame data that is read from the memory second
No change between the frame data, and if there is a change between the second frame data and the third frame data
Data conversion means for outputting the third frame data as display data for the second frame , and display based on the display data for the second frame output from the data conversion means. An image display device comprising: a display unit for performing. 2. The data conversion means from the memory
First frame data and second frame data to be read
And comparing the second frame data with the third frame data.
Data is compared, and the comparison result is the first frame data and the first frame data.
No change between 2 frame data and 2nd frame
There was a change between the data and the third frame data
In this case, the 3rd frame data is changed to the display data for the 2nd frame.
The image display device according to claim 1, wherein the image display device outputs the image as a data. 3. The data conversion means, wherein the third frame data read from the memory is second frame data.
3rd frame data when it changes in an increasing direction with respect to
Is output as display data for the second frame . 4. The data conversion means further comprises the memory.
The first frame data and the second frame data read from
There is a change between the second frame data and
If there is no change with the 3 frame data, the first frame
Correction frame determined by the frame data and the second frame data
A method to output the data as display data for the second frame
The image display device according to claim 1, further comprising a step . 5. A memory is provided for storing a conversion table for outputting frame data corresponding to the first frame data, the second frame data and the third frame data, wherein the data converting means comprises the first frame data, the Two
5. The frame data corresponding to the frame data and the third frame data is read out from the conversion table stored in the memory, and the frame data is output as the display data for the second frame. The image display device according to any one of claims.