KR20170118279A - Display device - Google Patents

Abstract

A display device according to the present invention includes a display module, a control board, and an interface module. The display module has a first pin. The control board includes a timing controller and a first transmitting unit. The timing controller generates a first signal for driving the display module. The first transmitting unit transmits the first signal from the timing controller. The interface module includes a first receiver and a second pin. The first receiving unit receives the first signal from the first transmitting unit. The second pin contacts the first pin to supply a signal from the first receiver to the first pin. The interface module is detachably coupled to the display module.

Description

Display device {DISPLAY DEVICE}

The present invention relates to a display device having an interface module detachably coupled to a display module.

Various flat panel display devices capable of reducing weight and volume, which are disadvantages of CRT (Cathode Ray Tube), have been developed. Examples of such flat panel display devices include a liquid crystal display (LCD), a field emission display (FED), a plasma display panel (PDP), and an organic light emitting diode (OLED) : Organic Light Emitting Display).

A liquid crystal display device displays an image by controlling an electric field applied to liquid crystal molecules in accordance with a data voltage. Liquid crystal display devices have been widely used for display devices ranging from small mobile devices to large-sized televisions due to their low cost and improved performance owing to the development of process technology and driving technology.

In addition, the organic light emitting diode display device is a self-emission type display device that excites an organic compound to emit light, and does not require a backlight used in a liquid crystal display device, so that the organic light emitting diode display device is advantageous in being lightweight and thin as well as simplifying the process. The organic light emitting diode display device is widely used because it can be manufactured at a low temperature, has a response speed of 1 ms or less and has a high response speed as well as low power consumption, wide viewing angle, and high contrast.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, new display devices having various forms have been attracting attention based on the weight reduction and thinning technology of display devices. For example, new display devices such as wallpaper-type display devices provided for users to easily mount and detach on the wall have been developed.

In order to implement a display device such as a wall paper, it is necessary to minimize the weight and thickness of the display module itself in which the input image is displayed. However, since the conventional display module has a limitation in reducing its weight and thickness in spite of its improved weight saving and thinning technology, it is required to develop a new structure different from the existing structure.

In addition, the display devices may have different interface methods depending on the application, and there has been a problem that the display module itself needs to be changed in order to cope with the interface method. In other words, conventionally, an interface for communication with an external system is built in the display module itself. Therefore, when the interface system of the external system is changed, it is necessary to change the display module itself. This deteriorates the compatibility of the display module, and efforts to improve it are required.

The present invention relates to a display device in which a timing controller is separated from a display module to minimize the weight and thickness of the display module. In addition, the present invention provides a display device having an interface module detachably coupled to a display module, thereby improving compatibility and user convenience.

 In order to achieve the above object, a display device according to the present invention includes a display module, a control board, and an interface module. The display module has a first pin. The control board includes a timing controller and a first transmitting unit. The timing controller generates a first signal for driving the display module. The first transmitting unit transmits the first signal from the timing controller. The interface module includes a first receiver and a second pin. The first receiving unit receives the first signal from the first transmitting unit. The second pin contacts the first pin to supply a signal from the first receiver to the first pin. The interface module is detachably coupled to the display module.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention separates the timing controller and the host system from the outside of the display module, unlike the related art. Accordingly, since the preferred embodiment of the present invention can minimize the weight and thickness of the display module, the present invention can be applied to various types of display devices, such as wallpaper, and the like, and thus can be used in various fields.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is sufficient to replace various interface type interface modules provided corresponding to the change of the interface type according to conditions, and it is not necessary to replace the display module itself every time the interface type is changed. That is, the preferred embodiment of the present invention can provide a display device with improved compatibility and user-friendliness because it can flexibly respond to changes in conditions (or external environment) by providing a detachable interface module.

1 is a block diagram showing a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a block diagram of a control block according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 to 6 are block diagrams of an interface module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a connection relationship between a control board and an interface module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 to 11 are views showing the configuration of a display module and an interface module according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
12 and 13 are views showing a structure of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Like reference numerals throughout the specification denote substantially identical components. In the following description, a detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted when it may make the subject matter of the present invention rather unclear.

The names of components used in the following description are selected in consideration of ease of specification, and may be different from actual product names.

Terms including ordinals, such as first, second, etc., may be used to describe various elements, but the elements are not limited to these terms. The terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

The display device according to the present invention can be applied to a liquid crystal display (LCD), a field emission display (FED), a plasma display panel (PDP), an organic light emitting diode (OLED), an electrophoresis display (EPD), a quantum dot display (QDD), and the like. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the case where the display device is a liquid crystal display device is described as an example.

The display device of the present invention may be implemented in any known liquid crystal mode such as TN (Twisted Nematic) mode, VA (Vertical Alignment) mode, IPS (In Plane Switching) mode, FFS (Fringe Field Switching) Further, the display device of the present invention can be implemented in any form such as a transmissive display device, a transflective display device, a reflective display device, and the like.

Hereinafter, a display device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a block diagram of a control block according to an embodiment of the present invention. 4 to 6 are block diagrams of an interface module according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a connection relationship between a control board and an interface module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

 1 to 4, a display device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a display module 100, a control board 200, and an interface module 300.

The display module 100 includes a display panel driving circuit for writing data of an input image to the display panel PNL and the display panel PNL. A backlight unit for uniformly irradiating light to the display panel PNL may be disposed below the display panel PNL.

The display panel PNL may include an upper substrate and a lower substrate facing each other with the liquid crystal cell Clc therebetween. In the display panel (PNL), image data is displayed in a pixel array area where pixels are arranged in a matrix form. The pixel array may include a thin film transistor (TFT) array formed on the lower substrate and a color filter array formed on the upper substrate. When a color filter on TFT (COT) process is used, a color filter may be formed on the thin film TFT substrate array of the lower substrate.

The TFT array includes data lines DL and gate lines GL. The pixels may be defined by an intersection structure of the data lines DL and the gate lines GL. A data voltage is applied to the data line DL, and a gate pulse is applied to the gate line GL.

A TFT may be formed at an intersection of the data lines DL and the gate lines GL. The TFT supplies a data voltage from the data line DL to the pixel electrode 1 in response to a gate pulse from the gate line GL. The liquid crystal cells Clc are driven by the voltage difference between the pixel electrode 1 and the common electrode 2 to which the common voltage is applied. A storage capacitor Cst for maintaining the voltage of the liquid crystal cell Clc for a predetermined period is connected to the liquid crystal cell Clc. Each of the pixels displays the input image by adjusting the amount of light transmitted through the liquid crystal cells Clc. A polarizing plate may be attached to each of the upper substrate and the lower substrate of the display panel (PNL), and an alignment layer may be provided to form a pre-tilt angle of the liquid crystal.

The display panel driving circuit writes the input image data to the pixels. The display panel drive circuit includes a data driver and a gate driver. The data driver includes at least one source drive IC (integrated circuit) 10_1 (SIC). The source channels of the source drive ICs 10_1 may be connected to the data lines DL, respectively. The gate driver includes at least one gate driver IC 10_2 (GIC). The gate channels of the gate drive ICs 10_2 may be connected to the gate lines GL, respectively. The source drive IC 10_1 and the gate drive IC 10_2 may be mounted on a flexible circuit board such as a COF 125 (FIG. 9) (Chip On Film). One end of the COF 125 may be bonded to one side of the front surface of the lower substrate. The COF 125 may be bent in the backward direction along the edge of the lower substrate, so that the other end of the COF 125 may be positioned on the back side of the lower substrate. The other end of the COF 125 may be bonded to a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) 130. The front means the side where the input image is displayed on the display device and the back side means the side opposite the front side where the user can not recognize the displayed input image. The gate drive IC 10_2 can be disposed directly on the bezel area of the display panel PNL according to the scheme of a gate-driver In Panel (GIP) circuit.

The source drive IC 10_1 samples the data of the input image under the control of the timing controller 12, latches the data, and converts the data into data of a parallel data system. The source drive IC 10_1 generates a data voltage by converting the digital video data into an analog gamma compensation voltage using a digital to analog converter (DAC) under the control of the timing controller 12, And supplies them to the data lines DL. The gate drive IC 10_2 sequentially supplies a gate pulse synchronized with the data voltage from the first gate line GL to the nth gate line GL under the control of the timing controller 12. [

The control board 200 includes a timing controller 12 and a transmission unit 220. The timing controller 12 transmits the data of the input image received from the host system 14 to the source drive ICs 10_1. The timing controller 12 receives timing signals such as a vertical synchronization signal Vsync, a horizontal synchronization signal Hsync, a data enable signal DE and a main clock CLK from the host system 14. These timing signals are synchronized with the digital video data of the input image. The timing controller 12 controls the source timing control signal for controlling the operation timing of the source drive ICs 10_1 and the operation timing of the gate drive ICs 10_2 using the timing signals Vsync, Hsync, DE, and CLK And generates a gate timing control signal. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, only the source drive IC 10_1 of the drive ICs 10_1 and 10_2 will be described as an example.

The transmission unit 220 transmits data and control signals (hereinafter referred to as "signals") generated from the timing controller 12 to the interface module 300 in order to drive the display module 100.

The host system 14 may be implemented in any one of a television system, a set-top box, a navigation system, a DVD player, a Blu-ray player, a personal computer (PC), a home theater system, But is not limited thereto. The host system 14 converts the digital video data RGB of the input image into a format suitable for the display panel PNL. The host system 14 transmits timing signals (Vsync, Hsync, DE, MCLK) to the timing controller 12 together with the digital video data of the input video. The circuit board of the host system 14 may be provided in the control board 200 or may be provided separately from the control board 200 if necessary. That is, the control board 200 may include at least some circuitry of the host system 14.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the timing controller 12 and the host system 14 are separated to the outside of the display module 100 in order to reduce the weight and thickness of the display module 100 do. Since the preferred embodiment of the present invention can minimize the weight and thickness of the display module 100, the present invention can be applied to various types of display devices such as a wallpaper type and the like, and thus can be used in various fields.

The interface module 300 includes a receiving unit 320 and a processing unit 350. The interface module 300 electrically connects the control board 200 and the display module 100. The control board 200 and the display module 100 transmit / receive signals via the interface module 300. That is, the interface module 300 receives a signal from the timing controller 12 of the control board 200 and outputs the signal to the display panel driving circuit of the display module 100.

The receiving unit 320 receives a signal from the transmitting unit 220 of the control board 200 through a wired / wireless interface. The receiving unit 320 may convert the video data of the input image received from the transmitting unit 220 into a signal of a TTL (Transistor-Transistor Logic) / LVDS (Low Voltage Differential Signal) format and output the converted signal. However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

The transmitting unit 220 of the control board 200 and the receiving unit 320 of the interface module 300 can transmit and receive signals using either a wire or a wireless interface, . 7, the interface module 300 may be connected to the control board 200 through a wireless communication method 305a such as Li-Fi (Light Fidelity) or WiGig (Wireless Gigabit Alliance) . Accordingly, there is an effect that the external line exposed to the outside can be minimized to improve the esthetics. Also, the interface module 300 may be connected to the control board 200 through a separate cable 305b.

6, the processing unit 350 may convert the signal received through the receiving unit 320 into a signal format suitable for driving the source drive IC 10_1, and transmit the signal to the display module 100. FIG. For this, the processing unit 350 may use an interface protocol that meets the standard interface specification. For example, the processing unit 350 may include a transmission signal generating unit 351 (EPI Gen) using an Embedded Panel Interface (EPI) protocol.

The processing unit 350 may further include an HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) When the path for transmitting and receiving a digital signal is encrypted (or coded) according to the HDCP standard, the encrypted signal is authenticated and decrypted by the HDCP authentication unit 353. Accordingly, the video data of the input image input to the receiving unit 320 can be converted into decoded normal data and transmitted to the display panel driving circuit of the display module 100.

The processing unit 350 may further include an AGP (Auto Generated Pattern) generation unit 355 and a signal selection unit 356. The AGP generator 355 generates a selection signal and generates AGP data by discriminating a valid video signal from the presence or absence of an input signal and / or an input signal. The signal selection unit 356 can transmit the AGP data generated from the AGP generation unit 355 to the display module 100 when there is no input signal or there is no valid video signal in the input signal. The transmitted AGP data can be displayed in the pixel array area of the display panel (PNL), and the user can recognize the current state through the displayed image.

The processing unit 350 may further include a power generation unit 357 (Power Gen). The power generator 357 generates power and supplies it to the source drive IC 10_1 and / or the display panel PNL. The power generating unit 357 may be a battery, but is not limited thereto.

7, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, unidirectional communication is performed from the control board 200 to the display module 100 via the interface module 300, Directional communication between the control board 200 and the display module 100 is performed. The interface module 300 is further provided with a second transmission unit for transmitting a signal supplied from the display module 100 to the control board 200 for bidirectional communication, And a second receiving unit for receiving a signal from the transmitting unit.

For example, in the case of an organic light emitting diode display device provided with a compensation circuit for compensating for uneven driving characteristics of pixels, bidirectional communication can be performed. In this case, the processing unit 350 may further include a sensing data conversion unit 358 and a sensing data transmission unit 359. The sensing data conversion section 358 can receive the TFT sensing data from the source drive IC 10_1 in a serial manner and convert the received TFT sensing data into byte-based data. The sensing data transmission unit 359 transmits the sensed data to the timing controller 12 of the control board 200. Although not shown in the figure, the control board 200 may further include a sensing data receiving unit 320 for receiving the sensed data.

Hereinafter, configurations of the display module and the interface module will be described with reference to Figs. 8 to 11. Fig. 8 to 11 are views showing the configuration of a display module and an interface module according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 8, a first link region 101 is defined on at least one surface of the display module 100. The first link area 101 is preferably defined on the back of the display module 100, which is not perceived by the user viewing the image. The first link area 101 may be defined as a plurality of first areas, and a plurality of first areas may be respectively defined at predetermined positions. The first link region 101 is preferably disposed adjacent to the corresponding source drive IC 10_1. At least one first pin (110) is provided in the first link region. The input terminal of the source drive IC 10_1 is electrically connected to the first pins 110 provided in the first link region 101. [

The interface module 300 has a separate housing that is separate from the display module 100. Accordingly, the interface module 300 may be detachably coupled to the display module 100. The housing may be of a hexahedral shape, but is not limited thereto, and may have various shapes as required.

As described above, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, signals are transmitted / received between the display module 100 and the control board 200 via the interface module 300. The interface module 300, which serves as an interface, is detachably attached to the display module 100, so that compatibility can be improved.

More specifically, in the related art, when the interface method is changed, there is a problem that the display module itself needs to be replaced so as to be able to cope with the change. In contrast, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, when the interface mode of the control board 200 is changed, it is sufficient to replace only the interface module 300 corresponding to the changed interface mode of the control board 200. [

In other words, it is sufficient for the preferred embodiment of the present invention to replace the interface modules 300 of various interface types provided in accordance with the change of the interface mode according to the condition, and the display module 100 itself There is no need to replace the battery. Accordingly, the preferred embodiment of the present invention can provide a display device with improved compatibility and user convenience because it can flexibly respond to changes in conditions (or external environment) by providing the removable interface module 300 .

At least one surface of the housing (hereinafter, referred to as 'the opposite surface of the housing') faces one surface of the interface module 300 provided with the first pin 110. A second link region 301 is defined on the opposite surface of the housing. The second link region 301 is provided with at least one second pin 310 connected to the first pin 110.

The contact between the first pin 110 and the second pin 310 electrically connects the interface module 300 and the display module 100 to enable transmission / reception of necessary signals. The first pin 110 and the second pin 310 may have various shapes as needed. For example, in order to increase the contact area between the first pin 110 and the second pin 310, one of the first pin 110 and the second pin 310 is formed as a concave portion, One may be formed as a convex portion.

9 and 10, the first link region 101 may be defined on the source PCB 130. [ The source PCB 130 may be connected to the other end of the COF 125 on which the source drive IC 10_1 is mounted. The input terminal of the source driver IC 10_1 and the first pins 110 may be electrically connected through the wiring 115 arranged on the source PCB 130. [ In this case, both ends of the wiring 115 can be connected to the input terminal of the corresponding source drive IC 10_1 and the first pin 110, respectively. The output terminal of the source drive IC 10_1 is connected to the corresponding data line DL (FIG. 1).

The display panel driving circuit of the display module 100 may include at least one source PCB 130 and one source PCB 130 may be bonded to at least one COF 125. When two or more source PCBs 130 are provided, at least one first link region 101a, 101b may be defined in the source PCBs 130, respectively. The first pins 110 provided in the first link regions 101a and 101b on the source PCB 130 are electrically connected to the source drive IC 10_1 on the COF 125 bonded to the source PCB 130 And can transmit / receive signals. In order to reduce the thickness, the PCB 130 may be replaced with a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB).

At least one second link region 301 is defined in the interface module 300. As shown in FIG. 10, when only one second link area 301 is defined in one interface module 300, the volume and weight of the interface module 300 itself can be relatively reduced. As shown in FIG. 9, two or more second link areas 301 corresponding to one interface module 300 may be defined together. Accordingly, it is possible to transmit / receive a signal to / from the first pins 110 provided in the two or more first link regions 101 by using one interface module 300. In this case, it is possible to enable communication between the control board 200 and the display module 100 using a relatively small number of the interface modules 300.

As another example, referring to Fig. 11, the first link region 101 may be defined on the back surface of the display module 100. Fig. The input terminal of the source drive IC 10_1 and the first pins 110 may be electrically connected through the wiring 115. [ The wiring 115 may be arranged on the back surface of the display module 100 so that it can be routed from the input terminal of the source drive IC 10_1 to the corresponding first pin 110. [ At this time, the other end of the COF 125 may be attached to the back surface of the display module 100. The other end of the COF 125 may be directly attached to the back surface of the display panel PNL and may be connected to the input terminal of the source drive IC 10_1 and the input terminal of the source driver IC 10_1 via the wiring 115 arranged on the back surface of the display panel PNL. 1 pin 110 may be connected. In this case, since the source PCB 130 can be omitted, the thickness of the display module 100 can be further reduced.

Hereinafter, the structure of a display device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13. FIG. 12 and 13 are views showing a structure of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

12, the display device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention may further include a back cover 400. [ The back cover 400 is attached to the back surface of the display module 100. The back cover 400 supports the rear surface of the display module 100 to reinforce the rigidity of the display module 100. The back cover 400 may include a material having high strength.

The back cover 400 is configured such that the first link region 101 defined in the back surface direction of the display module 100 and the second link region 301 of the interface module 300 are in direct contact with each other, And a hole 410 for exposing the substrate 101. That is, the interface module 300 may be inserted into the hole 410 of the back cover 400 to contact the display module 100.

The shape of the hole 410 preferably corresponds to the shape of the housing that determines the external shape of the interface module 300. When the thickness of the back cover 400 is equal to the thickness of the interface module 300, it is possible to provide a neat appearance and provide a display device with improved aesthetics. As shown, it may be aesthetically pleasing that the back cover 400 has approximately the same area as the display module 100, but is not limited thereto.

13, the back cover 400 may be attached to the display module 100 to guide and support the interface module 300 detachably coupled to the display module 100 .

For example, one of the housings of the back cover 400 and the interface module 300 may include a guide groove 460, and the other may include a guide portion 360. The guide groove 460 and the guide portion 360 may be respectively provided on the surfaces of the back cover 400 and the interface module 300 facing each other. The interface module 300 (or the back cover) having the guide portion 360 can move along the guide groove 460 of the back cover 400 (or the interface module). The guide part 360 and the guide groove 460 have a function of guiding the first link area 101 of the display module 100 and the second link area 301 of the interface module 300 to be in contact with each other at an accurate position Can be performed.

The back cover 400 is fixed to the interface module 300 so that the interface module 300 can maintain contact with the display module 100 without being detached from the display module 100 during transmission / Can be performed. That is, although not shown, the back cover 400 may further include fastening means (or fixing means) such as a hook, a magnet, or the like that can prevent the detachment of the interface module 300.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or 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 module 200: Control board
300: interface module 10_1, 10_2: drive IC
12: timing controller 14: host system
220: first transmission unit 320: first reception unit
350: Processor 101: First link area
110: first pin 301: second link area
310: second pin 125: wiring
130: PCB 400: Back cover
410: hole

Claims (14)

A display module having a first pin;
A control board having a timing controller for generating a first signal for driving the display module, and a first transmitter for transmitting the first signal from the timing controller; And
And an interface module having a first receiving section for receiving the first signal from the first transmitting section and a second pin for contacting the first pin and supplying a signal from the first receiving section to the first pin, ,
Wherein the interface module comprises:
The display module being detachably coupled to the display module. The method according to claim 1,
The display module includes:
A display panel for displaying an input image;
A drive IC receiving the first signal for driving the display panel through the first pin; And
And a wiring connecting the first pin and the drive IC. 3. The method of claim 2,
The display module includes:
A COF (Chip On Film) bonded to the display panel on which the drive IC is mounted; And
Further comprising a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) bonded to the COF,
And the first pin is provided on the PCB. 3. The method of claim 2,
The display module includes:
Further comprising a COF bonded to the display panel on which the drive IC is mounted,
And the first pin is provided on the back surface of the display module. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the interface module comprises:
Further comprising: a processing unit configured to convert the first signal input through the receiver into a drive format of the drive IC, and transmit the drive signal to the display module. 6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein,
Further comprising an HDCP (High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection) authentication unit for converting the encrypted first signal into decrypted normal data. 6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein,
An AGP generator for generating AGP (Auto Generated Pattern) data by detecting the presence or absence of an input signal or the presence or absence of a valid video signal in an input signal, and generating a selection signal; And
Further comprising a signal selector for transmitting the AGP data generated from the AGP generator to the display module when there is no input signal or when there is no valid video signal in the input signal. 6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein,
And a power generator for generating a power source and supplying the generated power to the display module. 6. The method of claim 5,
The control board and the display module are connected to each other,
Wherein the display device is capable of bidirectional communication via the interface module. 10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein,
And a second transmitter for transmitting a second signal received from the display module,
The control board includes:
And a second receiver for receiving the second signal. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising a back cover attached to a back surface of the display module,
The back cover includes:
And a hole exposing the first pin of the display module,
Wherein the interface module comprises:
And is drawn into the hole of the back cover to contact the display module. 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein one of the surfaces of the back cover and the interface module facing each other has a guide portion and the other has a guide groove,
Wherein the guide portion is provided movably along the guide groove. 13. The method of claim 12,
The back cover includes:
(Or fixing means) capable of preventing the detachment of the interface module. The method according to claim 1,
The control board includes:
A display device comprising at least some circuits of a host system.

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