Display apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10186191-B2
Application number	US-201615210842-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 14, 2016
Priority date	Dec 2, 2015
Publication date	Jan 22, 2019
Grant date	Jan 22, 2019

Abstract

A display apparatus includes a substrate, a display unit on the substrate and including a display region including a first display region having a plurality of first pixel circuits configured to drive a plurality of first light-emitting devices, and a second display region having a plurality of second pixel circuits configured to drive a plurality of second light-emitting devices, a plurality of scan lines crossing the display region in a first direction, and a plurality of data lines crossing the display region in a second direction, wherein resolutions of the first and second display regions are different, wherein a total number of the first light-emitting devices driven by one of the first pixel circuits is different from a total number of the second light-emitting devices driven by one of the second pixel circuits, and wherein the display unit and the substrate define at least one through portion in the second display region.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display apparatus comprising:
a substrate;
a display unit on the substrate and comprising:
a display region comprising:
a first display region having therein a plurality of first pixel circuits, and a plurality of first light-emitting devices configured to be driven by the plurality of first pixel circuits; and
a second display region having therein a plurality of second pixel circuits, and a plurality of second light-emitting devices configured to be driven by the plurality of second pixel circuits;

a plurality of scan lines crossing the display region in a first direction; and
a plurality of data lines crossing the display region in a second direction that is different from the first direction,

wherein each of the plurality of first light-emitting devices and the plurality of second light-emitting devices comprises a pixel electrode and an intermediate layer comprising an organic emission layer on the pixel electrode,
wherein a total number of the first light-emitting devices driven by one of the first pixel circuits is less than a total number of the second light-emitting devices driven by one of the second pixel circuits, and
wherein the display unit and the substrate collectively define at least one through portion in the second display region.

2. The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a number of the first light-emitting devices per unit area is equal to a number of the second light-emitting devices per unit area.

3. The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of data lines comprise:
a first data line disconnected at the at least one through portion in the second display region, and directly connected to the one of the second pixel circuits; and
a second data line continuously extending over the first display region and the second display region, electrically connected to the first data line by a first connection line, and directly connected to the one of the first pixel circuits.

4. The display apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of data lines further comprise a third data line aligned with the first data line, and separated from the first data line by the at least one through portion,
wherein the second data line and the third data line are electrically connected to each other by a second connection line, and
wherein a same data signal is applied to the first data line and the third data line.

5. The display apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the second data line terminates at a boundary between the first display region and the second display region.

6. The display apparatus of claim 4 , wherein each of the second pixel circuits comprises:
a thin film transistor comprising:
an active layer;
a gate electrode;
a source electrode; and
a drain electrode, and

a storage capacitor comprising:
a second electrode; and
a first electrode that comprises the gate electrode of the thin film transistor, and

wherein the first connection line and the second connection line are at a same layer as the gate electrode, the source electrode, the drain electrode, or the second electrode.

7. The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least two of the second light-emitting devices are simultaneously driven by one second pixel circuit, and
wherein the pixel electrodes of the at least two second light-emitting devices are electrically connected to each other.

8. The display apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the intermediate layers of the at least two second light-emitting devices are configured to emit light having a same color.

9. The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the first pixel circuits comprises a first thin film transistor,
wherein each of the second pixel circuits comprises a second thin film transistor, and
wherein a magnitude of a driving current of the first thin film transistor is different from a magnitude of a driving current of the second thin film transistor.

10. The display apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a thin film encapsulation layer that encapsulates the display unit, and that comprises at least one organic layer and at least one inorganic layer,
wherein the display unit comprises a non-display region at an edge of the at least one through portion to surround the at least one through portion, and
wherein the thin film encapsulation layer extends to the non-display region.

11. The display apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising a dam unit that surrounds the at least one through portion at the non-display region,
wherein an end of the organic layer faces or contacts a lateral surface of the dam unit facing the display region,
wherein the inorganic layer covers the dam unit, and
wherein an end of the inorganic layer is closer to the at least one through portion than to the dam unit.

12. The display apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the inorganic layer contacts a lateral surface of the substrate exposed by the at least one through portion.

13. A display apparatus comprising:
a substrate;
a display unit on the substrate, the substrate and the display unit collectively defining at least one through portion; and
a thin film encapsulation layer that encapsulates the display unit, and that comprises an organic layer and an inorganic layer,
wherein the display unit comprises:
a display region comprising first and second display regions having different resolutions;
a non-display region at an edge of, and surrounding, the at least one through portion; and
a dam unit within the non-display region and surrounding the at least one through portion,

wherein the organic layer faces or contacts a lateral surface of the dam unit that faces the display region, and
wherein the inorganic layer covers the dam unit, and contacts a lateral surface of the substrate exposed by the at least one through portion.

14. The display apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising:
a plurality of first pixel circuits;
a plurality of first light-emitting devices configured to be driven by the plurality of first pixel circuits in the first display region,
a plurality of second pixel circuits; and
a plurality of second light-emitting devices configured to be driven by the plurality of second pixel circuits in the second display region,
wherein a number of first light-emitting devices driven by one of the first pixel circuits is less than a number of second light-emitting devices driven by one of the second pixel circuits.

15. The display apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the at least one through portion is in the second display region.

16. The display apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the display unit further comprises:
a plurality of scan lines crossing the display region in a first direction; and
a plurality of data lines crossing the display region in a second direction that is different from the first direction,
wherein the plurality of data lines comprise:
a first data line in the second display region and disconnected at the at least one through portion; and
a second data line continuously extending over the first display region and the second display region, and

wherein the first data line and the second data line are electrically connected to each other by a first connection line.

17. The display apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the first data line is directly connected only to the one of the second pixel circuits, and
wherein the second data line is directly connected only to the one of the first pixel circuits.

18. The display apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of data lines further comprise a third data line aligned w

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kang Kinyeng
• Choi Jonghyun
• Kim Sunkwang
• Sim Suyeon
• Yoon Joosun

Classifications

• G09G2310/0262

  The addressing of the pixel, in a display other than an active matrix LCD, involving the control of two or more scan electrodes or two or more data electrodes, e.g. pixel voltage dependent on signals of two data electrodes · CPC title

• G09G2340/0407

  Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas · CPC title

• G09G2300/0426

  Layout of electrodes and connections · CPC title

• G09G2300/0439

  Pixel structures · CPC title

• G09G3/20 Primary

  for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix {no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters} · CPC title