KR102584486B1 - Display panel and controlling method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

A display device according to an embodiment includes a pixel line, a gate driver for applying a preset voltage to the pixel line, a sensor for detecting an output voltage of the gate driver, and whether the gate driver is deteriorated based on the detected output voltage. and may include a control unit that compensates for the operation of the gate drive when it is determined that the gate driver is deteriorated.

Description

Display device and control method of the display device {DISPLAY PANEL AND CONTROLLING METHOD THEREOF}

The present invention relates to a display device and a method of controlling the display device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a display device and a method of controlling the display device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a display device using an external sensor to detect whether the gate driver of the display device is deteriorated, and when a gate driver malfunctions due to deterioration, the gate driver is detected. This invention concerns technology that allows gate drivers to operate normally by changing the electrical signals input to the driver.

A display device, which is a liquid crystal display device, includes a substrate including a pixel electrode, a substrate including a common electrode, and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the substrates. The display device largely applies a voltage to the two electrodes to generate an electric field in the liquid crystal layer. An LCD display device that displays colors externally by controlling the transmittance of light passing through the liquid crystal layer by controlling the intensity of this electric field and an electroluminescence phenomenon that emits light when a current flows through a fluorescent organic compound There are OLED display devices that display colors externally using self-emitting organic materials that emit light.

Specifically, the display device includes a display device and a display device driver, and the display device includes a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of data lines. The display device driver includes a gate driver that provides gate signals to the plurality of gate lines and a data driver that provides data voltages to the data lines.

The gate driver includes a gate driver circuit including a plurality of switching elements, and the switching elements may be implemented as thin film transistors.

The gate driver applies a high voltage to the gate electrode of the output pull-up switching element due to the bootstrap effect. Accordingly, a change in the threshold voltage of the pull-up switching device occurs, power consumption increases due to an increase in leakage current, and the output signal voltage is lowered, causing malfunction of the gate driving circuit.

Existing display devices drive the gate driver (or gate driver) line-by-line to drive the matrix of the display device, and the display is not an external integrated circuit (IC). The gate driver integrated within the device is placed on the bezel of the display device. Accordingly, mechanical/electrical stress on the display device may cause malfunction of the gate driver inside the bezel, resulting in deterioration, and when deterioration occurs, there is a problem in which the pixels of the display device are not displayed normally.

A display device and a control method of the display device according to an embodiment are an invention designed to solve the problems described above, and include a display device that compensates for malfunction of the gate driver due to deterioration of the gate driver in the panel of the display device, and The object is to provide a method for controlling a display device.

Specifically, the display device and the control method of the display device according to an embodiment detect the form of the output voltage of the gate driver with a sensor, determine whether the gate driver is malfunctioning based on the detected result, and determine whether the gate driver is malfunctioning. The purpose is to provide a display device and a control method for the display device that can more quickly resolve malfunctions of the gate driver by changing the electrical signal input to the gate driver when a gate driver exists.

A display device according to an embodiment includes a pixel line, a gate driver for applying a preset voltage to the pixel line, a sensor for detecting an output voltage of the gate driver, and whether the gate driver is deteriorated based on the detected output voltage. and may include a control unit that compensates for the operation of the gate drive when it is determined that the gate driver is deteriorated.

The control unit may determine whether the gate driver is deteriorated based on whether the waveform of the output voltage of the gate driver deviates from a preset waveform.

If the magnitude of the output voltage of the gate driver does not change for a preset time, the control unit may determine that the gate driver is deteriorated.

The control unit may determine that the gate driver is deteriorated when the magnitude of the output voltage of the gate driver is fixed to a specific value for a preset time.

If it is determined that the gate driver is deteriorated, the control unit may compensate for the operation of the gate driver by changing the electrical characteristics of the driving clock of the gate driver.

The control unit changes at least one of the size, frequency, period, rising time, falling time, and duty ratio of the driving clock signal to control the gate driver. Operation can be compensated.

When the control unit determines that the level of the output voltage of the gate driver is fixed to 0 or that the waveform of the output voltage of the gate driver is output later than a preset waveform, the size of the high signal of the driving clock can increase.

The control unit may reduce the magnitude of the low signal of the clock signal when the magnitude of the output voltage of the gate driver is fixed to a specific value other than 0.

If it is determined that the gate driver is deteriorated, the control unit may lower the frequency of the driving clock.

The control unit may be located outside the display device panel in a structure independent of the display device panel, and may be electrically connected to the gate driver and the sensor.

A display device, wherein the sensor includes a sequential logic circuit such as a flip-flop.

A display device according to an embodiment includes a first pixel line and a second pixel line, a first gate driver and a second gate driver that apply preset voltages to the first pixel line and the second pixel line, respectively, and the first pixel line. A sensor detects the output voltage of the gate driver and the second gate driver, and compares the waveforms of the output voltage of the first gate driver and the second gate driver to determine whether the first gate driver and the second gate driver are deteriorated. It may include a control unit that determines and, if a deteriorated gate driver exists, compensates for the operation of the deteriorated gate driver.

The sensor may include combinational logic circuits such as XOR, NOR, or XNOR, or analog circuits such as comparators.

A display device according to an embodiment includes a first pixel line, a second pixel line, and a third pixel line, each of which applies a preset voltage to the first pixel line, the second pixel line, and the third pixel line. A first gate driver, a second gate driver and a third gate driver, a first sensor detecting the output voltages of the first gate driver and the second gate driver, the output voltages of the second gate driver and the third gate driver It is determined whether the first gate driver and the second gate driver are deteriorated based on the results detected by the second sensor and the first sensor and the results detected by the second sensor, and whether the first gate driver and the second gate driver are deteriorated. When a gate driver is present, it may include a control unit that compensates for the operation of the deteriorated gate drive.

The first sensor and the second sensor may include a combinational logic circuit such as an inverter.

A method of controlling a display device according to an embodiment includes the steps of applying a preset voltage to the gate driver, using a sensor to control the display device including a plurality of pixel lines and a plurality of gate drivers. Detecting the output voltage of the driver, determining whether a deteriorated gate driver exists among the gate drivers based on the waveform detected by the sensor, and generating a compensation signal if the deteriorated gate driver exists. Afterwards, it may include inputting the generated compensation signal to the deterioration gate drive.

The sensor may include a sequential logic circuit such as a flip-flop, a combinational logic circuit such as an XOR or an inverter, or an analog circuit such as a comparator. .

The display device according to one embodiment has the effect of preventing a blackout phenomenon of the display device at an early stage by immediately compensating for a malfunction of a gate driver in the display device panel.

Specifically, in the display device according to one embodiment, when malfunction of the gate driver occurs due to deterioration of the device itself within the display device or deterioration of the gate driver of the display device due to various stresses such as electrical stress, mechanical stress, and optical stress. , Gate driver malfunction can be compensated for by changing the electrical signal input to the gate driver using an external IC, which has the effect of providing a gate driver that is more resistant to stress.

Accordingly, the display device according to one embodiment can easily detect the deterioration of the deteriorated gate driver and effectively compensate for it, so it is not subject to a lot of mechanical and electrical stress like a flexible, foldable, or stretchable display device. There is an advantage in that the durability of the panel of the received display device can be secured more easily than in the prior art.

In addition, in the display device according to one embodiment, only a sensor is added to the display device, and the role of the external IC can be performed by an existing controller, so there is no need for additional components, so the bezel of the display device is There is an advantage in being able to more quickly compensate for gate driver malfunctions while minimizing size increase.

1 is a block diagram showing internal components of a display device according to the prior art.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a situation in which deterioration occurs in a gate driver of a display device.
Figure 3 is a diagram showing a situation in which blackout occurs in a display device due to gate driver deterioration.
Figure 4 is a diagram showing the internal structure of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating a case where gate driver deterioration occurs according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figures 6 and 7 are diagrams showing waveforms and corresponding sensor output values when the gate driver output value is normal and when it is not.
Figure 8 is a diagram showing a compensation signal generated when the output of the gate driver is fixed to 0.
Figure 9 is a diagram showing a compensation signal generated when the output of the gate driver is fixed to 1.
Figure 10 is a diagram showing the principle of compensating the output signal of the gate drive by changing the frequency.
Figure 11 is a diagram showing a circuit diagram when the sensor according to the present invention is implemented including an XOR sensor.
FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating waveforms output by the sensor according to FIG. 11 when the gate driver operates normally and when the gate driver does not operate normally.
Figure 13 is a diagram showing a circuit diagram when the sensor according to the present invention is implemented including a flip-flop.
FIG. 14 shows waveforms output when the gate driver operates normally and when the sensor according to FIG. 13 does not operate normally.
Figure 15 is a diagram showing a circuit diagram when the sensor according to the present invention is implemented as an inverter.
FIG. 16 is a diagram showing waveforms output by the sensor when the gate driver operates normally and when the sensor according to FIG. 15 does not operate normally.
Figure 17 is a diagram showing a circuit diagram when the sensor according to the present invention is implemented including an invertor sensor.
FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating waveforms output by the sensor according to FIG. 17 when the gate driver operates normally and when it does not.
Figure 19 is a diagram showing a circuit diagram when the sensor according to the present invention is implemented including a comparator.
FIG. 20 is a diagram showing waveforms output by the sensor when the gate driver operates normally and when the sensor according to FIG. 19 does not operate normally.

Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. When adding reference signs to components in each drawing, it should be noted that the same components are given the same reference numerals as much as possible even if they are shown in different drawings. Additionally, when describing embodiments of the present invention, if detailed descriptions of related known configurations or functions are judged to impede understanding of the embodiments of the present invention, the detailed descriptions will be omitted. In addition, embodiments of the present invention will be described below, but the technical idea of the present invention is not limited or limited thereto and may be modified and implemented in various ways by those skilled in the art.

Additionally, the terms used in this specification are used to describe embodiments and are not intended to limit and/or limit the disclosed invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In this specification, terms such as “comprise,” “provide,” or “have” are intended to designate the presence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification. It does not exclude in advance the existence or addition of other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

In addition, throughout the specification, when a part is said to be “connected” to another part, this refers not only to the case where it is “directly connected” but also to the case where it is “indirectly connected” with another element in between. Terms including ordinal numbers, such as “first” and “second,” used in this specification may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by the terms.

Below, with reference to the attached drawings, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present invention.

Figure 1 is a block diagram showing a display device according to the prior art, Figure 2 is a diagram showing a situation in which deterioration occurs in the gate driver of the display device, and Figure 3 shows blackout in the display device due to the deterioration of the gate driver. This is a drawing showing the situation that occurred.

Referring to FIG. 1, a display device panel 10 according to the prior art may include a bezel 20 including a plurality of gate drivers and pixels 30 driven by each gate driver.

The bezel 20 may include a plurality of gate drivers 21, 22, 23, and 24. Although a total of four gate drivers are shown in Figures 1 and 2 due to space limitations, the number of gate drivers included in the display device may increase depending on the size of the display device.

The first gate driver 21 may supply power to the first pixel line 31, and the second gate driver 22 may supply power to the second pixel line 32. Accordingly, when N gate drivers are included in the display device panel 10, the N gate driver can supply power to the N pixel line among the plurality of pixel lines in the pixel. And, when the gate drivers operate normally, the output voltages of the gate drivers may output pulse waves 41, 42, 43, and 44 having a constant period as shown in FIG. 2.

Meanwhile, the display device panel 10 can be driven line-by-line only by each gate driver included in the bezel 20 of the display device panel 10 to drive a matrix, which is a collection of pixel lines within a pixel.

As shown in FIG. 2, when deterioration occurs in the second gate driver 22 among the plurality of gate drivers 21, 22, 23, and 24 included in the bezel 20 of the display device panel 10, Among the plurality of pixel lines 31, 32, 33, and 34, stress occurs in the second pixel line 32, which is electrically connected to the second gate driver 22. If this stress continues, the second pixel line 32 is electrically connected to the second gate driver 22. The pixel line 32 may become a stress line that does not operate normally. And, when one pixel within a plurality of pixels is stressed and does not function properly, a black out phenomenon occurs in the N pixel line 32, as shown in (a) of FIG. 3. There is a problem.

In addition, when a blackout phenomenon occurs, display devices generally have an active matrix structure and are driven sequentially for each channel (line-by-line), so the output of the N channel goes into the input of the N+1 channel. Have. Therefore, if the gate driver of one channel is deteriorated and cannot operate normally, the gate driver of that channel continues to receive malfunctioning input signals, making normal operation impossible.

Therefore, when deterioration occurs in the second gate driver 22 and a blackout phenomenon occurs in the second pixel line 32, the voltage is higher than that of the second pixel line 32 as shown in (b) of FIG. 3. The screen 41 for the pixels above operates normally, but the N+1 pixel line and N+2 pixel line below the 2nd pixel line 32 are affected by the 2nd pixel line 32. Therefore, as shown in (b) of FIG. 3, a problem occurs in which all pixels of the screen 42 below the second pixel line 32 are blacked out.

Therefore, the display device and the control method of the display device according to one embodiment are an invention designed to solve the problem described above. When a deterioration phenomenon that causes malfunction of the gate driver is detected within the display device panel, the gate driver in which the deterioration occurred is detected. The purpose is to provide a display device and a control method for the display device that can more quickly resolve malfunctions of the gate driver by changing the electrical signal input to the driver. The structure and specific features of the present invention will be described through the drawings below.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the internal structure of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a case where gate driver deterioration occurs according to an embodiment of the present invention. For convenience of description below, in FIG. 5, it is assumed that the first gate driver 121 and the third gate driver 123 operate normally, but the second gate driver 122 does not operate normally due to deterioration. Let me explain.

Referring to FIG. 4, the display device 100 according to an embodiment may include a display device panel 110 and a control unit 160, and the display device panel 110 includes a plurality of gate drivers 121 to 123. and a bezel 120 including a plurality of sensors 131 to 133 and a pixel 140 including a plurality of pixel lines 151 to 143 driven by each gate driver.

Specifically, the bezel 120 according to the present invention is a first gate driver 121, a second gate driver 122, a third gate driver 123, and a second gate driver 121 that senses the output voltage of the first gate driver 121. It may include a first sensor 131, a second sensor 132 that senses the output voltage of the second gate driver 122, and a third sensor 133 that senses the output voltage of the third gate driver 123. . In Figure 4, due to space limitations, the number of gate drivers and sensors is limited to three, but the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to this, and gate drivers may be mounted corresponding to the number of pixels of the display device panel 110. You can.

In addition, examples and operating principles of the sensor according to the present invention are described in detail through FIGS. 11 to 20, but the embodiment of the present invention is not limited thereto and the sensor can detect the waveform of the output voltage of the gate driver. Any sensor can be included in the sensor of the present invention regardless of its type. As an example, various types of logic gates included in digital logic gates may be included.

The first sensor 131 may detect the output voltage of the first gate driver 121 and transmit the detected result to the control unit 160. If the first gate driver 121 operates normally, the waveform of the output voltage of the first gate driver 121 is the waveform 151 shown in FIG. 4.

The second sensor 132 and the third sensor 133 can also detect the output voltages of the second gate driver 122 and the third gate driver 123, respectively, and transmit the detected results to the control unit 160. , if the second gate driver 122 and the third gate driver 123 operate normally, normal pulse waves 152 and 153 are output as shown in FIG. 4.

The control unit 160 is a component that controls the overall operation of the display device 100 and can control the operation of a plurality of gate drivers based on results received from sensors present in the display device panel 110. The control unit 160 according to the present invention is a processor and may be implemented in the form of an integrated circuit (IC), and may be located inside the display device panel 110 or display in a structure independent of the display device panel 110. It may exist outside the device panel 110 and be electrically connected to the gate driver and sensors.

The control unit 160 may determine whether the gate driver is operating normally based on the results collected from the sensors.

If the gate driver is operating normally, the waveform of the voltage output to the gate driver is periodically output as pulse waveforms 151, 152, and 153, as shown in FIG. 4. Therefore, if the output waveforms of the gate drivers received from the sensors are the same as the pulse waveforms, the control unit 160 determines that all gate drivers 121, 122, and 123 are operating normally and does not take any action.

However, as shown in FIG. 5, when deterioration occurs in the second gate driver 122, the waveform 152 of the voltage output from the second gate driver 122 is different from the first gate driver 121 and the second gate driver 122. A waveform in a different form from the waveform output from the 3 gate driver 123 (periodically pulse-shaped waveforms 151 and 153) is output. For example, the output of the second gate driver 122 in which deterioration has occurred may output a waveform 152 that is fixed to 0. In this case, since the second gate driver 122 does not output a normal voltage, normal power is not supplied to the second pixel line 142 connected to the second gate driver 122, resulting in the blackout phenomenon described above. This happens.

Therefore, in this case, the control unit 160 determines that the second gate driver 122 is not operating normally due to deterioration, and generates a compensation signal to enable the second gate driver 122 to operate normally. Can be sent.

Specifically, the control unit 160 may generate a compensation signal based on the output waveform of the second gate driver 122 and then transmit the generated compensation signal to the first gate driver 121, and send the compensation signal to the first gate driver 121. The second gate driver 122 received through the gate driver 121 outputs a voltage corresponding to the compensation signal, so the second gate driver 122 outputs a voltage close to the normal signal, and accordingly, the second pixel Line 142 may also operate normally. Below, we will look in detail at what criteria the control unit 160 determines whether the gate driver is abnormal based on the results detected by the sensor.

Figures 6 and 7 are diagrams showing waveforms and corresponding sensor output values when the gate driver output value is normal and when it is not. Specifically, Figure 6 (a) shows the output when the gate driver is operating normally. It is a diagram showing the waveform and the corresponding sensor detection result, and FIG. 6(b) is a diagram showing the output waveform and the corresponding sensor detection result when the output of the gate driver is fixed to 0, and FIG. 7 (b) is a diagram showing the output waveform and the corresponding sensor detection result. a) is a diagram showing the output waveform and the resulting sensor detection result when the gate driver's output is fixed to a specific value (1), and Figure 7 (b) shows the gate driver's output as a normal output. This is a diagram showing the output waveform and the resulting sensor detection results when the signal is output later than usual.

Referring to (a) of FIG. 6, if the first gate driver 121 is operating normally, the output voltage is a specific value (1V) in a specific period (t1 to t2) as the output voltage, as shown in the figure. Since this waveform is a normal waveform, the first sensor 131 does not output a special value and outputs the sensing value as 0 in all sections. Therefore, if the sensing value of the first sensor 131 received by the first sensor 131 is 0 in all sections, the control unit 160 can determine that the first gate driver 121 is operating normally. , in this case, no compensation signal is generated. Throughout this specification, the specific value of the pulse form periodically output by the gate driver is limited to 1V for convenience of explanation. The magnitude of the voltage output when the gate driver operates normally is 1V. May vary depending on design and manufacturing environment.

Meanwhile, if the first gate driver 121 does not operate normally, it may output a waveform in a different form than when it operates normally. For example, when deterioration occurs in the first gate driver 121 and the output voltage value of the first gate driver 121 is fixed to 0V as shown in (b) of FIG. 6, the first sensor (131) does not require the output value of the first gate driver 121 to exist in a specific section (t1-t2), so output information is generated by setting the sensing value to 1 in the t1-t2 section, and the generated information is It can be transmitted to the control unit 160.

Additionally, if the first gate driver 121 is deteriorated and does not operate normally, the output voltage value of the first gate driver 121 may be fixed to 1V as shown in (a) of FIG. 8 and continue to be output. there is. In this case, the voltage is output at a specific value even though it should be output at 0V in the section other than the specific section (t1-t2), so the first sensor 131 uses the sensing value with this information as output information and sends it to the control unit 160. It can be sent to .

Meanwhile, for convenience of explanation, it is assumed in (b) of FIG. 6 that when the output value of the first gate driver 121 is continuously fixed to 0, the value output by the first sensor 131 is 1.

In addition, when the first gate driver 121 does not operate normally and the output voltage value of the first gate driver 121 is output later than normal as shown in (b) of FIG. 8, the output voltage value of the first gate driver 121 is output later than the normal case, Information that the output voltage at (X1) is not operating normally can be transmitted to the control unit 160 as output information.

Therefore, when deterioration occurs in the gate driver and the output voltage of the gate driver is not output as shown in Figure 6 (a), but as shown in Figure 6 (b), Figure 7 (a), and Figure 7 (b) , the control unit 160 may determine that the gate driver is not operating normally, generate a compensation signal, and then transmit the generated compensation signal to the gate driver. Hereinafter, we will look at how to generate a compensation signal for various embodiments.

Figures 8 to 10 are diagrams showing the principle of generating a compensation signal according to an embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, Figure 8 is a diagram explaining the principle of a compensation signal generated when the output of the gate driver is fixed to 0. , FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the principle of the compensation signal generated when the output of the gate driver is fixed to 1, and FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the principle of compensating the output signal of the gate drive by changing the frequency.

Referring to (a) of FIG. 8, if deterioration occurs in the second gate driver 122 in the (n-1) frame and the voltage output by the second gate driver 122 is fixed to 0, the voltage should be output. Since the voltage is not output in the (t1-t2) section, the sensing value (Y) output by the second sensor 132 in the (t1-t2) section is output as 1. Accordingly, in this case, the control unit 160 determines that the second gate driver 122 is malfunctioning, and generates a compensation signal at the n frame, which is the next frame of the (n-1) frame, and transmits it to the gate driver.

Specifically, the control unit 160 increases the size of the signal input to the gate driver by increasing the high signal among the output signals of the gate driver driving clock 170 to a larger size than the conventional size (V1 -> V2) in n frames. I order it. That is, the second gate driver 122 is currently deteriorated and cannot generate an output voltage with the size of the currently input signal. However, if the size of the signal transmitted by the gate drive driving clock 170 is increased, the second gate driver 122 may be deteriorated. Since the size of the signal input from the second gate driver 122 increases, the second gate driver 122 can normally output voltage.

Therefore, when this compensation signal is input to the second gate driver 122, as shown in (b) of FIG. 8, the waveform of the output voltage of the second gate driver 122 has the same shape as the waveform in the normal state. A waveform of is output, and since the waveform of the output voltage of the second gate driver 122 is a steady-state waveform, the output value of the second sensor 132 is also output as 0.

Conversely, if deterioration occurs in the second gate driver 122 in the (n-1) frame and the voltage output from the second gate driver 122 is output in a fixed state at 1, the second sensor 132 Outputs 1 as an abnormal value in the section (t1-t2), as shown in (a) of FIG. 9. Accordingly, in this case, the control unit 160 determines that the second gate driver 122 is malfunctioning, and generates a compensation signal at the n frame, which is the next frame of the (n-1) frame, and transmits it to the gate driver.

Specifically, the control unit 160 generates a compensation signal using the low signal among the output signals of the gate driver driving clock 170 in n frames as a signal lower than the conventional signal (V1->V2), and drives the second gate driver. In (122), the voltage is not output in the section where there should be no voltage output (section excluding t1-t2). That is, the second gate driver 122 is currently deteriorated and continues to output voltage even though there is no signal being input, so a signal opposite to this is input to the second gate driver 122 to drive the second gate driver ( 122) can be prevented from outputting voltage.

Therefore, when this compensation signal is input to the second gate driver 122, as shown in (b) of FIG. 8, the waveform of the output voltage of the second gate driver 122 has the same shape as the waveform in the normal state. The waveform is output, and since the waveform of the output voltage of the second gate driver 122 is output as a steady-state waveform, the output values of the second sensor 132 are also output as 0.

In addition, when the second gate driver 122 exhibits a phenomenon in which the output waveform is output later than the normal waveform, the control unit 160 prevents malfunction of the gate driver by changing the operating frequency of the second gate driver 122. Compensation is possible. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10, when the gate drivers are operating at the f1 frequency in the (n-1) frame, if it is determined that a specific gate driver is malfunctioning due to deterioration, the pulse waveform in the n frame Malfunctions due to gate driver deterioration can be compensated for by lengthening the time of the high signal section (lowering the operating frequency).

So far, we have described how the control unit 160 generates a compensation signal for each type of malfunction of the gate driver. Below, we will look at various structures for sensors that can be used in the present invention by embodiment.

Figures 11 to 20 are diagrams showing the configuration of various embodiments of the present invention and output waveforms accordingly, and Figure 11 is a diagram showing a circuit diagram when the sensor according to the invention is implemented including an XOR sensor. , FIG. 12 is a diagram showing waveforms output by the sensor according to FIG. 11 when the gate driver is operating normally and when the gate driver is not operating normally.

Referring to FIG. 11, when the sensor of the present invention is implemented including an XOR sensor, due to the characteristics of the XOR sensor, there is no need to connect a sensor to each gate, and even if only one The output waveform for the gate can be detected.

Specifically, the first sensor 131 may include a first XOR 141 and a first MOSFET (M1) element, and the first XOR 141 may include a first gate driver 121 and a second gate driver 122 ) can sense the output voltage. The second sensor 132 may also include a second XOR (142) and a second MOSFET (M2) element, and the second The output voltage can be sensed.

In FIG. 11, due to space limitations, the number of gate drivers is limited to 4 and the number of sensors is limited to 2. However, the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to this, and the number of gate drivers may be increased, and the number of sensors and gate drivers may be increased. It can be provided as much as 1/2 of .

If the first gate driver 121 and the second gate driver 122 operate normally, the output waveforms of the first gate driver 121 and the second gate driver 122 will be output as shown in (a) of FIG. 12. However, if the first gate driver 121 deteriorates and does not operate normally, the output waveform will not be output normally.

Specifically, when the output voltage of the first gate driver 121 is output as 0, the same result as the normal operating state is output in the t2-t3 section as shown in (b) of FIG. 12, but in the t1-t2 section The value output by the first sensor 131 will be 0. Therefore, through this waveform, the control unit 160 can see that the first gate driver 121 is not operating normally and the output voltage continues to be output as 0.

Conversely, when the output voltage of the first gate driver 121 is output as 1, the value output by the first sensor 131 in the t2-t3 section will be 0, as shown in (c) of FIG. 12. , Through this waveform, the control unit 160 can see that the first gate driver 121 is not operating normally and the output voltage continues to be output as 1.

In addition, if a phenomenon occurs in which the output of the first gate driver 121 is output later than normal, the waveform output by the first sensor 131 will be output as shown in (d) of FIG. 12, Through this waveform, the control unit 160 can determine that the first gate driver 121 is not operating normally.

Therefore, by generating a compensation signal based on the waveform detected by the first sensor 131 of the control unit 160 and then transmitting the generated compensation signal to the first gate driver 121, the first gate driver 121 ) can compensate for malfunctions. The method for generating the compensation signal has been described above and will be omitted.

Figure 13 is a circuit diagram when the sensor according to the present invention is implemented including a flip-flop, and Figure 14 shows the sensor according to Figure 13 when the gate driver is operating normally and when it is not. This is the side that shows the waveform output by.

Referring to FIG. 13, when the sensor of the present invention is implemented including a flip-flop, the first sensor 131 may include a first flip-flop 151 and a first MOSFET (M1) element, and the first flip-flop The flop 151 can sense the output voltage of the first gate driver 121.

The second sensor 132 may include a second flip-flop 152 and a second MOSFET (M2) element, and the second flip-flop 152 may sense the output voltage of the second gate driver 122. .

In Figure 13, due to space limitations, the number of gate drivers is limited to 2 and the number of sensors is limited to 2. However, the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to this and the number of gate drivers can be increased, and the number of sensors and gate drivers is also limited to 2. It can be provided in the same amount.

In addition, the sensor in FIGS. 12 and 13 shows an example that can be borrowed from the circuit in FIG. 12, and the embodiment of the present invention is not limited thereto, and the sensor in FIG. 12 can use sequential logic. Any sensor can be included.

If the first gate driver 121 operates normally, the output waveform of the first gate driver 121 will be output as shown in FIG. 14 (a). However, if the first gate driver 121 deteriorates and does not operate normally, the output waveform will not be output normally.

Specifically, when the output voltage of the first gate driver 121 is output as 0, the value output by the first sensor 131 in the entire period will be 0, as shown in (b) of FIG. 14. Through the waveform, the control unit 160 can determine that the first gate driver 121 is not operating normally.

On the contrary, when the output voltage of the first gate driver 121 is output as 1, the value output by the first sensor 131 in the entire period will be 0, as shown in (c) of FIG. 14, and this waveform Through this, the control unit 160 can know that the first gate driver 121 is not operating normally.

In addition, if a phenomenon occurs in which the output of the first gate driver 121 is output later than normal, the waveform output by the first sensor 131 will be output as shown in (d) of FIG. 13, Through this waveform, the control unit 160 can determine that the first gate driver 121 is not operating normally.

Therefore, by generating a compensation signal based on the waveform detected by the first sensor 131 of the control unit 160 and transmitting the compensation signal to the first gate driver 121, malfunction of the first gate driver 121 is prevented. can compensate. The method for generating the compensation signal has been described above and will be omitted.

Figure 15 is a circuit diagram when the sensor according to the present invention is implemented as an inverter, and Figure 16 shows the waveform output by the sensor according to Figure 15 when the gate driver is operating normally and when it is not. This is a drawing.

Referring to FIG. 15, when the sensor of the present invention is implemented including an inverter sensor, due to the characteristics of the inverter sensor, the sensor is not connected 1:1 to each gate driver, but two gates connected in series are connected to the driver. It can be implemented by connecting an inverter sensor.

Specifically, the first sensor 131 corresponding to the inverter is connected to the first gate driver 121 and the second gate driver 122, respectively, and the first sensor 131 of the first gate driver 121 and the second gate driver 122 The output voltage can be sensed, and the inverter may include a first MOSFET (M1), a second MOSFET (M2), and a third MOSFET (M3). As shown in the figure, the first gate driver 121 has a second MOSFET (M2). ) is connected, and a third MOSFET (M3) may be connected to the second gate driver 122.

The second sensor 132 is connected to the second gate driver 122 and the third gate driver 123, respectively, and can sense the output voltages of the second gate driver 122 and the third gate driver 123. .

In Figure 15, due to space limitations, the number of gate drivers is limited to 3 and the number of sensors is limited to 2. However, the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to this, and the number of gate drivers can be increased, and the number of sensors and gate drivers is also limited to 2. It can be provided in response to.

If the first gate driver 121 and the second gate driver 122 operate normally, the output waveforms of the first gate driver 121 and the second gate driver 122 will be output as shown in (a) of FIG. 15. However, if the first gate driver 121 is deteriorated and does not operate normally, the output waveform of the first gate driver 121 will not be output normally.

Specifically, when the output voltage of the first gate driver 121 is output as 0, the value output by the first sensor 131 in all sections including the t1-t2 section as shown in (b) of FIG. 15 will be 0, and through this change, the control unit 160 can know that the first gate driver 121 is not operating normally and the output voltage continues to be output at 0.

Conversely, when the output voltage of the first gate driver 121 is output as 1, the value output by the first sensor 131 in the t2-t3 section is a normal value, as shown in (c) of FIG. 11. It doesn't work. Accordingly, the control unit 160 can know from these results that the first gate driver 121 is not operating normally and the output voltage continues to be output as 1.

In addition, when a phenomenon occurs in which the output of the first gate driver 121 is output later than normal, the waveform output by the first sensor 131 returns to normal after time t1, as shown in (d) of FIG. 15. An incorrect waveform will be output for a while, and through this change, the control unit 160 can know that the first gate driver 121 is not operating normally.

Therefore, by generating a compensation signal based on the waveform detected by the first sensor 131 of the control unit 160 and transmitting the compensation signal to the first gate driver 121, malfunction of the first gate driver 121 is prevented. can compensate

Meanwhile, the sensor in FIGS. 15 and 16 shows an example that can be borrowed from the circuit in FIG. 15, and the embodiment of the present invention is not limited thereto, and the sensor in FIG. 15 can use combinational logic. Any sensor can be included.

Figure 17 is a circuit diagram when the sensor according to the present invention is implemented including an invertor sensor, and Figure 18 shows the output by the sensor according to Figure 17 when the gate driver is operating normally and when it is not. This is a diagram showing the waveform.

In the case of the first sensor 131 according to FIG. 17 and the first sensor 131 according to FIG. 15, the operating principle is the same in that the sensor is implemented using an inverter, but as shown in the drawing, the configuration of the inverter There is a difference in that the type of transistor connected to the gate driver is different due to the different arrangement of the transistors.

Specifically, in FIG. 15, the second MOSFET (M2) is connected to the first gate driver 121, and the third MOSFET (M3) is connected to the second gate driver 122, but in FIG. 17, the first gate driver 121 The inverter was implemented in a structure in which the first MOSFET (M1) is connected to and the third MOSFET (M3) is connected to the second gate driver 122.

If the first gate driver 121 and the second gate driver 122 operate normally, the output waveforms of the first gate driver 121 and the second gate driver 122 will be output as shown in (a) of FIG. 18.

However, if the first gate driver 121 deteriorates and does not operate normally, the output waveform will not be output normally.

Specifically, when the output voltage of the first gate driver 121 is output as 0, the sensing value is output in the t1-t2 section where the sensing value should not be output, as shown in (b) of FIG. 18, and the sensing value It can be seen that the sensing value is not output in the t2-t3 section where it should be output. Therefore, based on this sensing value, the control unit 160 can determine that the first gate driver 121 is not operating normally and the output voltage continues to be output at 0.

On the contrary, when the output voltage of the first gate driver 121 is output as 1, the value output by the first sensor 131 in the t2-t3 section is smaller than the normal value, as shown in (c) of FIG. 18. You can see that the value is output. Accordingly, the control unit 160 can know through these sensing values that the first gate driver 121 is not operating normally and the output voltage continues to be output as 1.

In addition, when a phenomenon occurs in which the output of the first gate driver 121 is output later than normal, the waveform output by the first sensor 131 is sensed in a certain section as shown in (d) of FIG. 18. You can see that the value is not output, but the sensing value is output briefly at time t1 and t2. Therefore, the control unit 160 can know that the first gate driver 121 is not operating normally through this waveform.

Therefore, by generating a compensation signal based on the waveform detected by the first sensor 131 of the control unit 160 and transmitting the compensation signal to the first gate driver 121, malfunction of the first gate driver 121 is prevented. can compensate

Figure 19 is a circuit diagram when the sensor according to the present invention is implemented including a comparator, and Figure 20 shows the sensor according to Figure 19 when the gate driver is operating normally and when it is not. This diagram shows the output waveform.

Referring to FIG. 19, when the sensor of the present invention is implemented including a comparator, due to the nature of the comparator, there is no need to connect a sensor to each gate, and even if only one comparator is placed per two gates, the The output waveform can be detected.

Specifically, the first sensor 131 may include a first comparator 161 and a first MOSFET (M1) element, and the first comparator 161 may include a first gate driver 121 and a second gate driver 122. ) can sense the output voltage, and the second sensor 132 may include a second comparator 162 and a second MOSFET (M2) element, and the second comparator 162 may sense the third gate driver 123. and the output voltage of the fourth gate driver 124 can be sensed.

In Figure 19, due to space limitations, the number of gate drivers is limited to 4 and the number of sensors is limited to 2. However, the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to this and the number of gate drivers can be increased, and the number of sensors and gate drivers is also limited to 2. It can be provided as much as 1/2 of .

If the first gate driver 121 and the second gate driver 122 operate normally, the output waveforms of the first gate driver 121 and the second gate driver 122 will be output as shown in (a) of FIG. 20. However, if the first gate driver 121 deteriorates and does not operate normally, the output waveform will not be output normally.

Specifically, when the output voltage of the first gate driver 121 is output as 0, the value output by the first sensor 131 in all sections including the t1-t2 section as shown in (b) of FIG. 20 will be 0, and through this waveform, the control unit 160 can see that the first gate driver is not operating normally and the first gate driver 121 is not operating normally and continues to output an output voltage of 0. .

On the contrary, when the output voltage of the first gate driver 121 is output as 1, as shown in (c) of FIG. 20, there is an abnormal value output by the first sensor 131 in the t2-t3 section. The result will be output, and through this waveform, the control unit 160 can see that the first gate driver 121 is not operating normally and continues to output only an output voltage of 1.

In addition, when a phenomenon occurs in which the output of the first gate driver 121 is output later than normal, the waveform output by the first sensor 131 is abnormal in the t2 section as shown in (d) of FIG. 20. will be output, and through this change, the control unit 160 can know that the first gate driver 121 is not operating normally.

Therefore, by generating a compensation signal based on the waveform detected by the first sensor 131 of the control unit 160 and transmitting the compensation signal to the first gate driver 121, malfunction of the first gate driver 121 is prevented. can compensate.

So far, we have looked at the display device and the control method of the display device according to the present invention in detail through the drawings.

The display device according to one embodiment has the effect of preventing a blackout phenomenon of the display device at an early stage by immediately compensating for a malfunction of a gate driver in the display device panel.

Specifically, in the display device according to one embodiment, when malfunction of the gate driver occurs due to deterioration of the device itself within the display device or deterioration of the gate driver of the display device due to various stresses such as electrical stress, mechanical stress, and optical stress. , Gate driver malfunction can be compensated for by changing the electrical signal input to the gate driver using an external IC, which has the effect of providing a gate driver that is more resistant to stress.

Accordingly, the display device according to one embodiment can easily detect the deterioration of the deteriorated gate driver and effectively compensate for it, so it is not subject to a lot of mechanical and electrical stress like a flexible, foldable, or stretchable display device. There is an advantage in that the durability of the panel of the received display device can be secured more easily than in the prior art.

In addition, in the display device according to one embodiment, only a sensor is added to the display device, and the role of the external IC can be performed by an existing controller, so there is no need for additional components, so the bezel of the display device is There is an advantage in being able to more quickly compensate for gate driver malfunctions while minimizing size increase.

The device described above may be implemented with hardware components, software components, and/or a combination of hardware components and software components. For example, devices and components described in embodiments may include, for example, a processor, a controller, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), a digital signal processor, a microcomputer, a field programmable array (FPA), It may be implemented using one or more general-purpose or special-purpose computers, such as a programmable logic unit (PLU), microprocessor, or any other device capable of executing and responding to instructions. A processing device may perform an operating system (OS) and one or more software applications that run on the operating system. Additionally, a processing device may access, store, manipulate, process, and generate data in response to the execution of software. For ease of understanding, a single processing device may be described as being used; however, those skilled in the art will understand that a processing device includes multiple processing elements and/or multiple types of processing elements. It can be seen that it may include. For example, a processing device may include multiple processors or one processor and one controller. Additionally, other processing configurations, such as parallel processors, are possible.

Software may include a computer program, code, instructions, or a combination of one or more of these, which may configure a processing unit to operate as desired, or may be processed independently or collectively. You can command the device. Software and/or data may be used on any type of machine, component, physical device, virtual equipment, computer storage medium or device to be interpreted by or to provide instructions or data to a processing device. It can be embodied in . Software may be distributed over networked computer systems and stored or executed in a distributed manner. Software and data may be stored on one or more computer-readable recording media.

The method according to the embodiment may be implemented in the form of program instructions that can be executed through various computer means and recorded on a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium may include program instructions, data files, data structures, etc., singly or in combination. Program instructions recorded on the medium may be specially designed and configured for the embodiment or may be known and available to those skilled in the art of computer software. Examples of computer-readable recording media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes, optical media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs, and magnetic media such as floptical disks. -Includes optical media (magneto-optical media) and hardware devices specifically configured to store and execute program instructions, such as ROM, RAM, flash memory, etc. Examples of program instructions include machine language code, such as that produced by a compiler, as well as high-level language code that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter, etc.

As described above, although the embodiments have been described with limited examples and drawings, various modifications and variations can be made by those skilled in the art from the above description. For example, the described techniques are performed in a different order than the described method, and/or components of the described system, structure, device, circuit, etc. are combined or combined in a different form than the described method, or other components are used. Alternatively, appropriate results may be achieved even if substituted or substituted by an equivalent. Therefore, other implementations, other embodiments, and equivalents to the claims may also fall within the scope of the claims described below.

100: display device
110: Display device panel
120: Bezel
121: first gate driver
122: Second gate driver
123: Third gate driver
131: first sensor
132: Second sensor
133: Third sensor
160: control unit

Claims (17)

pixel line;
a gate driver that applies a preset voltage to the pixel line;
A sensor that detects the output voltage of the gate driver;
A control unit that determines whether the gate driver is deteriorated based on the detected output voltage and, when it is determined that the gate driver is deteriorated, compensates for the operation of the gate driver,
The control unit,
When the magnitude of the output voltage of the gate driver is fixed to 0, or when it is determined that the waveform of the output voltage of the gate driver is output later than a preset waveform,
When the magnitude of the output voltage of the gate driver is fixed to a specific value other than 0, it is determined that the gate driver is deteriorated,
A display device that compensates for the operation of the gate driver by changing the electrical characteristics of the driving clock (CLOCK) of the gate driver. According to paragraph 1,
The control unit,
A display device that determines whether the gate driver is deteriorated based on whether the waveform of the output voltage of the gate driver deviates from a preset waveform. According to paragraph 1,
The control unit,
A display device that determines that the gate driver is deteriorated when the magnitude of the output voltage of the gate driver does not change for a preset time. According to paragraph 3,
The control unit,
A display device that determines that the gate driver is deteriorated when the magnitude of the output voltage of the gate driver is fixed to a specific value. delete According to paragraph 1,
The control unit,
Compensating the operation of the gate driver by changing at least one of the size, frequency, period, rising time, falling time, and duty ratio of the driving clock signal. , display device. According to clause 6,
The control unit,
When the magnitude of the output voltage of the gate driver is fixed to 0 or the waveform of the output voltage of the gate driver is determined to be output later than a preset waveform, the magnitude of the high signal of the driving clock is increased. Display device. According to clause 6,
The control unit,
A display device that reduces the magnitude of the low signal of the clock signal when the magnitude of the output voltage of the gate driver is fixed to a specific value other than 0. According to paragraph 1,
The control unit,
A display device that lowers the frequency of the driving clock when it is determined that the gate driver is deteriorated. According to paragraph 1,
The control unit,
A display device that has a structure independent of the panel of the display device, is located outside the panel of the display device, and is electrically connected to the gate driver and the sensor. According to clause 10,
The sensor is,
A display device comprising sequential logic circuits such as flip-flops. first pixel line and second pixel line;
a first gate driver and a second gate driver that apply preset voltages to the first pixel line and the second pixel line, respectively;
a sensor that detects output voltages of the first gate driver and the second gate driver;
The waveforms of the output voltages of the first gate driver and the second gate driver are compared to determine whether the first gate driver and the second gate driver are deteriorated, and if a deteriorated gate driver exists, the deterioration is determined. It includes a control unit that compensates for the operation of the gate driver;
The control unit,
When the magnitude of the output voltage of the gate driver is fixed to 0, or when it is determined that the waveform of the output voltage of the gate driver is output later than a preset waveform,
When the magnitude of the output voltage of the gate driver is fixed to a specific value other than 0, it is determined that the gate driver is deteriorated,
A display device that compensates for the operation of the gate driver by changing the electrical characteristics of the driving clock (CLOCK) of the gate driver. According to clause 12,
The sensor is,
A display device comprising combinational logic circuits such as XOR, NOR, or XNOR or analog circuits such as comparators. a first pixel line, a second pixel line, and a third pixel line;
a first gate driver, a second gate driver, and a third gate driver that apply preset voltages to the first pixel line, the second pixel line, and the third pixel line, respectively;
a first sensor that detects output voltages of the first gate driver and the second gate driver;
a second sensor detecting output voltages of the second gate driver and the third gate driver;
Based on the results detected by the first sensor and the results detected by the second sensor, it is determined whether the first gate driver and the second gate driver are deteriorated, and if a deteriorated gate driver exists. , a control unit that compensates for the operation of the deteriorated gate driver; and
The control unit,
When the magnitude of the output voltage of the gate driver is fixed to 0, or when it is determined that the waveform of the output voltage of the gate driver is output later than the preset waveform,
When the magnitude of the output voltage of the gate driver is fixed to a specific value other than 0, it is determined that the deteriorated gate driver exists,
A display device that compensates for the operation of the deteriorated gate driver by changing the electrical characteristics of the driving clock (CLOCK) of the deteriorated gate driver. According to clause 14,
The first sensor and the second sensor,
A display device comprising combinational logic circuitry, such as an inverter. In a method of controlling a display device including a plurality of pixel lines and a plurality of gate drivers,
Applying a preset voltage to the gate driver;
A sensor that detects the output voltage of the gate driver using a sensor;
determining whether a deteriorated gate driver exists among the gate drivers based on the waveform detected by the sensor; and
When the deteriorated gate driver exists, generating a compensation signal and then inputting the generated compensation signal to the deteriorated gate driver,
The step of determining whether the deteriorated gate driver exists is,
When the magnitude of the output voltage of the gate driver is fixed to 0, or when it is determined that the waveform of the output voltage of the gate driver is output later than the preset waveform,
When the magnitude of the output voltage of the gate driver is fixed to a specific value other than 0, it is determined that the deteriorated gate driver exists,
Compensating for the operation of the deteriorated gate driver by changing electrical characteristics of a driving clock (CLOCK) of the deteriorated gate driver. According to clause 16,
The sensor is,
A method of controlling a display device, comprising a sequential logic circuit such as a flip-flop, a combinational logic circuit such as an XOR, an inverter, or an analog circuit such as a comparator. .

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