KR20160005839A - Display device - Google Patents

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a display device comprises: a display panel, a data driver which applies an image signal to the display panel; and a timing controller which controls the data driver to alternately repeat an image update section and a holding section in which an updated image is held.

Description

Display device {DISPLAY DEVICE}

The present invention relates to a display device.

2. Description of the Related Art [0002] With the development of information electronic devices for realizing high-resolution and high-quality images such as portable telephones (portable phones), notebooks, computers, and HDTVs, flat panel displays Devices are increasingly in demand. As such flat panel display devices, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a plasma display panel (PDP), a field emission display (FED), and an organic light emitting diode (OLED) have been actively studied. However, And realization of a large area screen, a liquid crystal display (LCD) is in the spotlight at present.

1, the driving frequency is defined according to the number of images scattered on the screen per second, and the liquid crystal display device having the driving frequency set to 60 Hz generates a new image of 60 frames per second .

In the conventional liquid crystal display device, a technique of driving at low speed in the case of a still image has been developed in order to reduce power consumption.

Since it is determined that the still image is a still image and only the still image is driven at a low speed, there is a problem that the effect of reducing the power consumption is insufficient due to limitation of the image.

A display device and a driving method thereof according to an embodiment of the present invention provide a display device capable of realizing low-speed driving or high-speed driving according to an image and a driving method thereof.

A display device and a driving method thereof according to an embodiment of the present invention are a display device capable of driving a frame free of flicker and afterimage at a high-speed driving timing and holding the remaining sections to improve image quality and reduce power consumption, Method.

A display apparatus and a driving method thereof according to an embodiment of the present invention also provide a display apparatus and a driving method thereof that can realize low consumption by turning off logic power in a holding period.

A display device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a display panel; A data driver for applying a video signal to the display panel; And a timing controller for controlling the data driver to alternately repeat the video update interval and the holding interval in which the updated video is held.

In the display device according to the embodiment of the present invention, the timing controller turns off the data driver during the holding period.

In the display device according to the embodiment of the present invention, the timing controller may include a frame comparing unit comparing the current frame with the previous frame to discriminate between a moving image and a still image; A driving frequency setting unit for setting a driving frequency of the display panel based on an image discrimination signal from the frame comparing unit; And a system signal generator for generating a data control signal to be supplied to the data driver based on a frequency setting signal from the drive frequency setting unit.

In the display apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the timing controller further includes a power control section controlled by the system signal generating section to control power of the data driver.

In the display device according to the embodiment of the present invention, the timing controller further includes a setting information storage unit for storing a system signal corresponding to the frequency setting signal.

In the display apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the system signal generation unit generates the data control signal with reference to the setting information storage unit.

In the display device according to the embodiment of the present invention, the driving frequency setting unit sets a high driving frequency higher than the fundamental frequency in the moving picture and sets a low driving frequency lower than the fundamental frequency on the still picture.

In the display device according to the embodiment of the present invention, the display device in which the fundamental frequency is n (n is a natural number) Hz and the high-speed driving frequency is k * n Hz where k is k .

In the display device according to the embodiment of the present invention, the image update interval is a period in which any one of n images is updated for 1 / (k * n) seconds.

In the display apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the holding period may be set such that one of the n images is updated, and the updated image is displayed for 1 / (k * n) * (k-1) Is held.

In the display device according to the embodiment of the present invention, the basic frequency is n (n is a natural number) Hz and the low-speed driving frequency is m (m is a natural number smaller than n) Hz.

In the display device according to an embodiment of the present invention, the image update interval is a period in which one of m images is updated for 1 / n second.

In the display device according to the embodiment of the present invention, the holding interval may be set such that the updated image for 1 / n * (n / m-1) sec seconds after any one of the m images is updated And a holding section.

The display controller may further include a gamma voltage setting unit for generating a plurality of gamma voltages and supplying the generated gamma voltages to the data driver, wherein the timing controller controls the gamma voltage setting unit Off state.

A display device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a display panel; A data driver for applying a video signal to the display panel; And a timing controller for controlling the data driver to alternately repeat the video update interval and the holding interval in which the updated video is held, wherein the timing controller analyzes the input video data to separate the video and still images Controls the data driver at different driving frequencies, and turns off the data driver during the holding period.

In the display device according to the embodiment of the present invention, the timing controller sets a high-speed driving frequency higher than the fundamental frequency in the moving picture, and sets a low-speed driving frequency lower than the fundamental frequency on the still picture.

In the display device according to the embodiment of the present invention, the fundamental frequency is n (n is a natural number) Hz, and the high-speed driving frequency is k * n Hz where k is kHz (k is a natural number of 2 or more) The image update interval is a period in which any one of n images is updated for 1 / (k * n) seconds, and the holding interval is 1 / ( k * n) * (k-1) seconds.

In the display device according to the embodiment of the present invention, the basic frequency is n (n is a natural number) Hz, the low-speed driving frequency is m (m is a natural number smaller than n) (N / m-1) sec seconds after any one of the m images is updated, and the holding period is a period during which one of the m images is updated for 1 / And the updated image is held.

The display device and the driving method thereof according to the embodiment of the present invention can realize low-speed driving or high-speed driving in accordance with the image, and the display device and the driving method thereof according to the embodiment of the present invention can prevent the flicker and after- The display device according to the embodiment of the present invention and the driving method thereof can realize the low consumption by turning off the logic power in the holding period And a method of driving the same.

1 is a schematic diagram of an image output to a display panel according to a driving frequency.
2 is a view showing a structure of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is an operational flowchart of the timing controller according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a detailed block diagram of a timing controller according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 5A and 5B are views for explaining the operation of the display apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
6 is an operational flowchart of the timing controller according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a configuration diagram of a timing controller according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8A and 8B are diagrams illustrating a method of updating an image at a high driving frequency.
9A and 9B are diagrams illustrating a method of updating an image at a high driving frequency.
10 and 11 are views showing a high-speed driving mode of a display device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
12 and 13 are views showing a low-speed driving mode of the display device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the display device according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The following embodiments are provided by way of example so that those skilled in the art can fully understand the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below, but may be embodied in other forms. In the drawings, the size and thickness of an apparatus may be exaggerated for convenience. Like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the specification.

2 is a view showing a structure of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in the drawing, the display device of the present invention includes a display panel 100 in which a plurality of gate lines GL and data lines DL are intersected and a pixel is defined at a crossing point thereof, a gate line GL, A gate driver and data drivers 110 and 120 for driving the display panel 100 through a data line DL and a timing signal and an image signal from an external system And a timing controller 130 for determining a driving frequency.

The display panel 100 includes a plurality of gate lines GL on a transparent substrate and a plurality of data lines DL arranged in a matrix in a direction perpendicular to the gate lines GL, A region is defined. In each pixel region, a thin film transistor T is formed, and a liquid crystal cell CLC controlled by the thin film transistor and a storage capacitor are formed, thereby displaying a screen.

The thin film transistor T described above is turned on when a scanning signal from the gate line GL, that is, a gate high voltage, is applied to apply the data voltage from the data line DL to the liquid crystal cell CLC. Also, the thin film transistor T is turned off when a gate line voltage is applied from the gate line GL, so that the data voltage charged in the liquid crystal cell CLC is maintained for one frame.

The liquid crystal cell CLC includes a pixel electrode and a common electrode represented by a capacitor, and includes a common electrode facing the liquid crystal and a pixel electrode connected to the thin film transistor T. The liquid crystal cell CLC is connected to the storage capacitor so that the charged data voltage stably remains until the next data voltage is charged. The arrangement state of the liquid crystal is changed according to the data voltage charged through the thin film transistor T so that the light transmittance of the liquid crystal cell CLC is controlled to realize the gray level.

A gate driver 110 including a plurality of shift registers is provided on one end of the display panel 100 and is electrically connected to the gate wiring GL formed on the display panel 100 to sequentially form gate electrodes And outputs a driving signal.

The gate driver 110 turns on the thin film transistor T arranged on the display panel 100 in response to the gate control signal GCS applied from the timing controller 130, The data voltage of the analog waveform supplied from the data driver 120 is applied to the liquid crystal cell CLC connected to each thin film transistor T. [

As the gate control signal GCS, the gate control signal GCS includes a gate start pulse (GSP), a gate shift clock (GSC), a gate output enable (GOE), and the like . The gate start pulse GSP is a signal for controlling the first gate pulse to be applied to the shift register for generating the first gate pulse among the plurality of shift registers constituting the gate driver 110, (GSC) is a clock signal commonly input to all shift registers, and is a clock signal for shifting the gate start pulse (GSP). The gate output enable (GOE) controls the output of the shift registers to prevent turn-on of the thin film transistors overlapped with each other in the different horizontal sections.

The data driver 120 arranges the digital video signals RGB input corresponding to the data control signals input from the timing controller 130 and selects the reference voltages gamma to convert them into analog data voltages do.

The data voltages are latched by one horizontal interval (1H) and input to the display panel 100 simultaneously through all the data lines DL.

The data control signal DCS includes a source start pulse SSP, a source shift clock SSC, a source output enable (SOE), and a polarity signal And Polarity (POL). In this case, the source start pulse SSP is a signal for controlling the data sampling start timing of the data driver 120, and the source sampling clock SSC is a sampling clock for each driving IC Which controls the sampling timing of data. In addition, the source output enable (SOE) serves to control the output timing of the data driver 120.

The timing controller 130 receives timing data such as a clock signal DCLK, a horizontal synchronizing signal Hsync and a vertical synchronizing signal Vsync applied from an external system (not shown) And generates a gate control signal GCS and a data control signal DCS.

Here, the horizontal synchronization signal Hsync represents the time taken to display one line of the screen, and the vertical synchronization signal Vsync represents the time taken to display the screen of one frame. The clock signal DCLK is a signal for which the gate and data drivers 110 and 120 and the timing controller 130 are synchronized to generate various signals.

Although not shown, the timing controller 130 is connected to an external system (not shown) through a predetermined interface, and receives image related signals and timing signals output from the external system at a high speed without error in the timing controller 130 do. As such an interface, a low voltage differential signal (LVDS) method or a transistor-transistor logic (TTL) interface method can be used.

The gamma voltage setting unit 140 of the display device can generate a plurality of gamma voltages and supply the gamma voltages to the data driver 120. [ The data driver 120 may divide the gamma voltage to generate a plurality of gradation voltages.

The power unit 150 of the display device can provide power VDD to the data and gate drivers 110 and 120, the converter 160 and the timing controller 130 and the power received from the timing controller 130 The power of the data driver 120 can be controlled by the control signal PCS.

The converter 150 of the display device may be constituted by a DC-DC converter and supplies a gate high voltage VGH and a gate low voltage VGL to the gate driver 110 and a common voltage Vcom to the display panel 100 .

3 is an operational flowchart of the timing controller according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, the timing controller 130 may determine whether a video signal is a still image or a moving image by using an input data signal Data.

If it is a still image after determining the mode, it can be driven at a low speed, and if it is a moving image, it can be driven at a high speed.

Assuming that the basic driving frequency is 60 Hz, 60 images per second can be updated on the display panel 100.

The low-speed driving frequency means a frequency lower than the basic driving frequency, and the high-speed driving frequency means a frequency higher than the basic driving frequency.

≪ Embodiment 1 >

4 is a detailed block diagram of a timing controller according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

4, the timing controller 130 according to the first embodiment includes a frame comparison unit 131, a driving frequency setting unit 132, a system signal generating unit 133, and a setting information storage unit 134 can do.

The frame comparing unit 131 compares the previous frame with the current frame, and outputs the image discrimination signal DDS by dividing the input image data into a moving image or a still image.

The driving frequency setting unit 132 may set a low driving frequency in case of a still image based on the image discrimination signal DDS and output a frequency setting signal FES in case of a moving image by setting a high driving frequency .

The reference frequency for distinguishing the low-speed and high-speed driving frequencies is a conventional driving frequency, which may be, for example, 60 Hz.

The system signal generating unit 138 receives the frequency setting signal FES and outputs information on the driving frequency included in the frequency setting signal FES and the driving frequency information corresponding to the driving frequency stored in the setting information storage 134 System signal information to generate gate and data control signals (GSC and DSC), which are system signals, and output the generated gate and data control signals (GSC and DSC) to the gate and data drivers (110 and 120).

The gate and data control signals GSC and DSC turn on a thin film transistor T connected to all the gate lines GL on the horizontal line and the vertical line on the display panel 100 according to the driving frequency, The data driver 110 and the data driver 110 can be controlled by a control signal set to provide a data signal, which is a video signal, through the data line DL.

For example, in the case of a driving frequency of 60 Hz, a scan signal is provided on all the gate lines GL 60 times per second, and a data signal is supplied to the thin film transistor T connected on each gate line GL, And update the image.

≪ Driving method of display device according to the first embodiment of the present invention &

FIGS. 5A and 5B are views for explaining the operation of the display apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5A, in the case of a still image, the driving frequency setting unit 132 sets a low-speed high-speed driving frequency. When the low-speed driving frequency has a frequency of 5 Hz, five images of one second (sec) can be updated on the display panel 100.

In addition, the data signal may repeat the positive and negative polarities for each frame according to the polarity control signal POL generated by the system signal generator 133. Therefore, the polarity of the data signal may be reversed every five frames.

Referring to FIG. 5B, the driving frequency setting unit 132 sets a high-speed driving frequency. The high-speed driving frequency may be, for example, 120 Hz. When the high-speed driving frequency has a frequency of 120 Hz, 120 images of 1 second (sec) can be updated on the display panel 100.

In addition, the data signal may repeat the positive and negative polarities for each frame according to the polarity control signal POL generated by the system signal generator 133. Therefore, the polarity of the data signal may be reversed every 120 frames.

If the driving frequency set by the driving frequency setting unit 132 is a low driving frequency, for example, 5 Hz, only the video of 5 frames per second can be updated. As described above, in the case of a still image, power consumption can be reduced by lowering the driving frequency.

In addition, if the driving frequency set by the driving frequency setting unit 132 is a high-speed driving frequency, for example, 120 Hz, images of 120 frames per second may be updated. In this way, by increasing the driving frequency of a moving image, a motion blur phenomenon can be reduced.

≪ Embodiment 2 >

6 is an operational flowchart of the timing controller according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, the timing controller 130 may determine whether a video signal is a still image or a moving image by using an input data signal Data.

In the case of a still image after the mode determination, it is driven at a low driving frequency, the update interval and the holding interval are distinguished based on 1 second, the image is output in the update interval, and the power of the data driver 120 is turned off in the holding interval .

Also, in case of a moving image after the mode is determined, it is driven at a high-speed driving frequency, the update interval and the holding interval are distinguished based on 1 second, the image is continuously updated in the update interval, and the power of the data driver 120 Off.

7 is a configuration diagram of a timing controller according to an embodiment of the present invention.

7, the timing controller 130 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a frame comparing unit 131, a driving frequency setting unit 132, a system signal generating unit 133, a setting information storing unit 134, And a power control unit 135 may be provided.

The frame comparing unit 131 compares the n-1 frame and the n frame with each other and compares the frame with the moving image or the still image.

The frame comparing unit 131 may include a delay unit for delaying the n-1 frame and a comparing unit for comparing the n-1 frame and the n frame delayed by the delay unit, And a comparing unit for reading the n-1 frame stored in the storing unit and comparing the n-1 frame with the n-frame.

The frame comparing unit 131 receives the n-1 frame and the n frame, compares the received signals, and outputs an image discrimination signal (DDS) indicating whether the comparison result is a moving image or a still image.

The driving frequency setting unit 132 receives the image discrimination signal DDS from the frame comparing unit 131 and can set a driving frequency according to the image discrimination signal DDS.

The driving frequency setting unit 132 may set one of a low driving frequency which is lower than the basic driving frequency and a high driving frequency which is higher than the basic driving frequency based on the image discrimination signal DDS.

The basic driving frequency may be set to a frequency of 60 Hz. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. The frequency at which the flicker and afterimage can be minimized can be preset as a basic driving frequency in consideration of flicker and afterimage of an image.

The low-speed driving frequency may be a frequency of only 60 Hz.

The low drive frequency may be at least 1 Hz.

The high-speed driving frequency may be a frequency greater than 60 Hz, for example, 120 Hz, 180 Hz, or 240 Hz.

The driving frequency setting unit 132 may output a frequency setting signal FES having information on a driving frequency set to one of a low driving frequency and a high driving frequency.

Meanwhile, the driving frequency setting unit 132 may perform a function of determining the driving frequency of the display device by analyzing characteristics of the image data (Data) received from the external system.

Specifically, the image that the display device implements has characteristics of different flicker degree depending on the driving frequency and the gradation. Accordingly, the driving frequency setting unit 132 can selectively determine the driving frequency according to the gradation period of the image, the number of the pixels per gradation period, and the closeness of the pixel. In this case, the frame comparison unit 131 The driving frequency can be directly applied to the driving frequency setting unit 132.

The system signal generator 133 may set the gate and data control signals GCS and DCS which are system signals based on the frequency setting signal FES output from the driving frequency setting unit 132. [

Based on the frequency setting signal FES, the system signal generating unit 133 reads information on the system signal from the setting information storage unit 134 that stores the system signal corresponding to the system setting signal FES, , DCS) can be set.

The setting information storage unit 134 may store setting information as a reference for generating the gate control signal GCS and the data control signal DSC in a lookup table (LUT) manner.

The configuration information storage unit 134 may be implemented as a nonvolatile memory such as an EEPROM (electrically erasable and programmable read only memory).

The power control unit 135 can output a power control signal PCS to the power unit 150 that can control the power of the data driver 120 based on the system signal output from the system signal generation unit 133 have.

The power unit 150 may control the power of the data driver 120 based on the power control signal PCS.

≪ Driving Method of Display Device According to Second Embodiment of the Present Invention &

8A and 8B are diagrams illustrating a method of updating an image at a high driving frequency.

Referring to FIG. 8A, the basic driving frequency is 60 Hz, and the driving frequency setting unit 132 sets the high driving frequency. The first high-speed driving frequency may be 120 Hz which is twice the basic driving frequency.

The system signal generating unit 133 receives from the setting information storage unit 134 a system control signal based on the frequency setting signal FES based on the frequency setting signal FES received from the driving frequency setting unit 132 Can be referred to.

The setting information storage unit 134 may store information for outputting only the number of frames updated at a basic driving frequency per second at the first high-speed driving frequency and for holding the remaining periods.

The system signal generator 133 refers to the setting information storage unit 134 to update the frame to be updated at a basic driving frequency per second to the first high-speed driving frequency and to output the data control signal DSC) to the data driver 120. [

That is, the first high-speed driving frequency is 120 Hz, and since the frequency corresponding to half of the first high-speed driving frequency is 60 Hz, 60 images are outputted instead of 120 times per second. However, the updated image is updated 60 times every 1/120 sec. Accordingly, it is possible to update 60 images under the first high-speed driving frequency and to hold the remaining 60 frames during the output time of the frame.

The power control unit 135 controls the power control signal PCS to turn off the power of the data driver 120 in the frame held based on the data control signal DSC of the system signal generating unit 133, (150).

Also, the polarity control signal POL may be output at a frequency corresponding to the first high-speed driving frequency. Thus, in the update period in which the image is updated, only the positive polarity data signal is supplied, and in the holding period during which the polarity control signal POL is negative, since the data driver 120 is off, Is not output.

Also, as in 8b, the polarity control signal POL can be the basic driving frequency. Thus, the polarity of the data signal output from the data driver 120 can be changed for each image update period. That is, the polarity can be reversed every two frames.

9A and 9B are diagrams illustrating a method of updating an image at a high driving frequency.

Referring to FIG. 9A, the basic driving frequency is 60 Hz, and the driving frequency setting unit 132 sets the second high-speed driving frequency. The second high-speed driving frequency may be 180 Hz which is three times the basic driving frequency.

The system signal generating unit 133 can output the gate and data control signals GSC and DSC by referring to the setting information storage unit 134 with information on the system signal in accordance with the frequency setting signal FES.

The data driver 120 can output 60 images per second at the second high-speed driving frequency in accordance with the data control signal DSC output from the system signal generator 133. [ The data driver 120 can be turned off by the power control unit 135 during the holding time.

By having the polarity control signal POL also have the second high-speed driving frequency, the polarity is reversed every time the image is updated, or the polarity control signal POL has the basic driving frequency as shown in FIG. 9B, Each time it is updated, the polarity can be reversed.

<High-speed drive mode>

The basic driving frequency is set to n (n is a natural number) Hz, and in the case of moving picture, the driving frequency setting unit 132 can set the high driving frequency.

When the high-speed driving frequency has a frequency of k (k is a natural number of 2 or more) times of the basic driving frequency, n images can be updated to the k * n frequency. In the remaining period, the data driver 120 can be powered off in the holding period.

That is, when the high-speed driving frequency is k * n, each of the n images for 1 second can be updated for 1 / (k * n) seconds according to the relationship between the period and the frequency T = 1 / f. Since the update interval and the holding interval for updating the image may alternately occur, after one of the n images is updated, the corresponding image is held for 1 / (k * n) * (k-1) (K * n) * (k-1) hours after the other image is updated for 1 / (k * n) seconds. And the data driver 120 may be turned off during the holding period.

 10 and 11 are views showing a high-speed driving mode of a display device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 10, when the high-speed driving frequency is 120 Hz and the basic driving frequency is 60 Hz in the high-speed driving mode set to the high-speed driving frequency, n is 60 and k is 2 in the above-

In this case, 120 frames can be calculated numerically for 1 second. Of the 120 frames, only 60 frames are actually updated, and the remaining 60 frames can be a holding period.

In the x (x is a natural number) frame, the actual image data is updated to 120 Hz, and the update time is 1/120 sec. Then, the holding period is performed for 1/120 sec in the (x + 1) th frame, which is the next frame. In this case, the image of the x-th frame is held on the display panel 100 in a holding state. Then, a new image of the (x + 2) th frame is updated, and the holding interval is started in the (x + 3) th frame, so that the updated image in the (x + 2) th frame can be maintained.

In this manner, each of the 60 images is updated for 1/120 sec. Thus, the update interval is maintained for 1/60 sec, and the remaining interval is maintained for the remaining 1/60 sec interval. During the holding interval, The power can be turned off.

Referring to FIG. 11, when the high-speed driving frequency is 180 Hz and the basic driving frequency is 60 Hz in the high-speed driving mode set to the high-speed driving frequency, n is 60 and k is 3 in the above-

In this case, 180 frames can be calculated numerically for 1 second. Of the 180 frames, the actual image is updated only in 60 frames, and the remaining 120 frames can be the holding period.

In the X (x is a natural number) frame, the actual image data is updated to 180 Hz, and the update time is 1/180 sec. A holding period is formed for 1/180 sec in the (x + 1) th frame, which is the next frame, and a holding period is formed for 1/80 sec in the (x + 2) th frame, which is the next frame. That is, the holding period is performed for a total of 1/90 sec according to the above-described equation 1 / (k * n) * (k-1). In this case, the image of the x-th frame is held on the display panel 100 during the x + 1 and x + 2-th frames.

In this manner, each of the 60 images is updated for 1/180 sec. Therefore, the update interval has a total of 1/30 sec and the remaining interval is 2/30 sec. During the holding interval, the data driver 120 The power can be turned off.

On the other hand, when it is assumed that the data voltage charged in the liquid crystal cell CLC on the display panel 100 is maintained for a frame based on 60 Hz, a period in which both the image update period and the holding period are combined at the high-speed driving frequency is substantially equal to 60 Hz The updated image can still be held on the display panel 100 in the holding period.

<Low speed drive mode>

(N is a natural number) Hz, and in the case of still images, the driving frequency setting unit 132 may set the basic driving frequency to a low driving frequency.

For example, if the basic driving frequency is n Hz and the low driving frequency is set to m (m is a natural number smaller than n) Hz, m images per second may be updated. In this case, each of the m images may be updated with 1 / nsec and held for the remaining time. That is, since each of the nm frames has a holding period of 1 / n sec, n / m-1 frames are 1 / n * (n / m-1) seconds after one image is updated for 1 / A holding interval is formed for 1 / n * (n / m-1) sec after another image is updated for 1 / n sec, and the update interval and the holding interval may be repeated.

For example, if the low-speed driving frequency is 1 Hz, 1/60 sec of the 1 second updating and holding one image becomes the update interval, and the remaining 59/60 sec can be the holding interval. And the power of the data driver 120 may be turned off during the holding period.

12 and 13 are views showing a low-speed driving mode of the display device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 12, when the basic driving frequency is 60 Hz and the low driving frequency is set to 6 Hz, 6 images per second can be updated. In this case, the first image is updated for 1/60 sec in the x-th frame, and the holding interval is performed 9 times for the remaining 1/60 sec. Therefore, a holding period is performed for a total of 9/60 sec x + 1 to x + 10th frames. Then, the second image is updated in the (x + 11) th frame, and the holding interval of the (x + 12) th to (x + 20) th frames is continued for 9/60 sec.

At this time, in the holding period, the image immediately before the start of the holding period is held on the display panel 100 in a holding state, and the power of the data driver 120 may be turned off.

Referring to FIG. 13, when the basic driving frequency is 60 Hz and the low-speed driving frequency is set to 1 Hz, one image per second can be updated.

In this case, the data voltage is applied to the thin film transistor T along all the gate lines GL for 1 / 60sec, the applied image data is held as the holding period for the remaining 59 / 60sec, and the data driver 120 may be turned off.

Meanwhile, the power of the data driver 120 is turned off according to the control of the power controller 135, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The gamma voltage setting unit 140 may also turn off the power during the holding period, Can be reduced.

As described above, the embodiment according to the present invention can reduce the power consumption by distinguishing the update interval and the holding interval and proceeding to power off the data rate driver 120 during the holding interval. Further, in the case of a still image, power consumption can be reduced by proceeding to a low-speed drive mode.

Also, even in the high-speed driving mode, the image data is updated to the number of images updated at the basic driving frequency at which the flicker and the afterimage do not cause any problem, and the holding period is set in the remaining interval, have.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and example only and is not to be taken by way of limitation, It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention should not be limited to the contents described in the detailed description of the specification, but should be defined by the claims.

100 display panel
110 gate driver
120 data driver
130 Timing controller
131 frame comparison unit
132 Drive frequency setting unit
133 system signal generating unit
134 Configuration information storage unit
135 power control unit
140 gamma voltage setting unit
150 power unit
160 converter

Claims (18)

Display panel;
A data driver for applying a video signal to the display panel; And
And a timing controller for controlling the data driver to alternately repeat the video update period and the holding period in which the updated video is held. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the timing controller turns off the data driver during the holding period. 3. The method of claim 2,
The timing controller includes:
A frame comparing unit comparing the previous frame and the current frame to discriminate a moving image and a still image;
A driving frequency setting unit for setting a driving frequency of the display panel based on an image discrimination signal from the frame comparing unit; And
And a system signal generation unit that generates a data control signal to be supplied to the data driver based on the frequency setting signal from the driving frequency setting unit. The method of claim 3,
The timing controller includes:
And a power control unit controlled by the system signal generating unit to control power of the data driver. 5. The method of claim 4,
The timing controller includes:
And a setting information storage unit for storing a system signal corresponding to the frequency setting signal. 6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the system signal generating unit generates the data control signal by referring to the setting information storage unit. The method of claim 3,
Wherein the driving frequency setting unit comprises:
Set a high-speed driving frequency higher than the fundamental frequency in the moving picture,
And sets a low driving frequency lower than the fundamental frequency on a still picture. 8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein the fundamental frequency is n (n is a natural number) Hz, and the high-speed driving frequency is k * n Hz, where k is kHz (k is a natural number of 2 or more). 9. The method of claim 8,
The image update interval may include:
wherein one of the n images is updated for 1 / (k * n) seconds. 10. The method of claim 9,
The holding section may include:
Wherein the updated image is held for 1 / (k * n) * (k-1) seconds after any one of the n images is updated. 8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein the fundamental frequency is n (n is a natural number) Hz and the low-speed driving frequency is m (m is a natural number smaller than n) Hz. 12. The method of claim 11,
The image update interval may include:
wherein one of the m images is updated for 1 / n second. 13. The method of claim 12,
The holding section may include:
Wherein the updated image is held for 1 / n * (n / m-1) sec seconds after any one of the m images is updated. The method according to claim 1,
And a gamma voltage setting unit for generating a plurality of gamma voltages and supplying the generated gamma voltages to the data driver, wherein the timing controller turns off the gamma voltage setting unit during the holding period. Display panel;
A data driver for applying a video signal to the display panel; And
And a timing controller for controlling the data driver to alternately repeat the video update interval and the holding interval in which the updated video is held,
The timing controller includes:
The video data is analyzed to divide the moving image and the still image, and the data driver is controlled at different driving frequencies,
And turns off the data driver during the holding period. 16. The method of claim 15,
The timing controller includes:
Setting a high-speed driving frequency higher than a fundamental frequency in the moving picture,
And sets a low-speed driving frequency lower than the fundamental frequency on the still picture. 17. The method of claim 16,
Wherein the fundamental frequency is n (n is a natural number) Hz, the high-speed driving frequency is k * n Hz where k is k (k is a natural number of 2 or more)
The image update interval is a period in which any one of n images is updated for 1 / (k * n)
Wherein the holding period is a period in which the updated image is held for 1 / (k * n) * (k-1) seconds after any one of the n images is updated. 17. The method of claim 16,
Wherein the fundamental frequency is n (n is a natural number) Hz, the low-speed driving frequency is m (m is a natural number smaller than n) Hz,
The image update interval is a period in which one of m images is updated for 1 / n second,
Wherein the holding period is a period in which the updated image is held for 1 / n * (n / m-1) sec seconds after any one of the m images is updated.

Images