Display device, driving device, and method for driving the display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10586483-B2
Application number	US-201615386617-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2016
Priority date	Sep 9, 2016
Publication date	Mar 10, 2020
Grant date	Mar 10, 2020

Abstract

A display device, a driving device, and a method that eliminates or reduces an image defect in a curved area of a display area of a display device. A display device includes a display area including a first pixel, a second pixel disposed along a curved edge of the display area, and a third pixel not corresponding to the curved edge, and a processor configured to drive the first pixel to have a first brightness, drive the second pixel to have a second brightness that is brighter than the first brightness, and drive the third pixel to have a third brightness that is brighter than the second brightness.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display device, comprising:
an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display panel having a display area comprising a first pixel, a second pixel disposed along a curved edge of the display area, and a third pixel not corresponding to the curved edge;
a non-display area having a curved boundary that corresponds to the curved edge of the display area, wherein the non-display area comprises a dummy pixel that is ordinarily off while other pixels are turned on; and a processor configured to:
receive a grayscale value corresponding to an intended voltage for each pixel of the display panel to have an intended brightness;
drive the first pixel with a first voltage less than the intended voltage of the first pixel to have a first brightness less than the intended brightness of the first pixel;
drive the second pixel with a second voltage less than the intended voltage of the second pixel to have a second brightness that is brighter than the first brightness and less than the intended brightness of the second pixel;
drive the third pixel with a third voltage less than or equal to the intended voltage of the third pixel to have a third brightness less than or equal to the intended brightness of the third pixel that is brighter than the second brightness; and
turn on the dummy sub-pixel to correct a color at the curved edge of the display area.

2. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the display area further comprises a fourth pixel corresponding to the curved edge and wherein the processor is configured to drive the fourth pixel with a fourth voltage less than the intended voltage of the fouth pixel to have a fourth brightness that is brighter than the first brightness, less than the second brightness, and less than the intended brightness of the fourth pixel.

3. The display device of claim 2 , wherein the curved edge comprises the first pixel, the second pixel, and the fourth pixel arranged in a column.

4. The display device of claim 3 , wherein each of the first pixel, second pixel, third pixel, fourth pixel, and the dummy pixel is at least one of a red sub-pixel, a green sub-pixel, or a blue sub-pixel.

5. The display device of claim 1 , wherein each of the first pixel, the second pixel, the third pixel, the fourth pixel, and the dummy pixel is a unit pixel comprising a red sub-pixel, a green sub-pixel, and a blue sub-pixel.

6. The display device of claim 1 , wherein each of the first pixel, the second pixel, the third pixel, the fourth pixel, and the dummy pixel is a unit pixel comprising:
a red sub-pixel and a green sub-pixel, or
a blue sub-pixel and the green sub-pixel.

7. A method of displaying an image on an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display device, comprising:
receiving, by a processor of the OLED display device, a grayscale value corresponding to an intended voltage for each pixel of the OLED display device to have an intended brightness;
sending, by the processor of the OLED display device, instructions to a data driver to supply a pixel with a first voltage equal to the intended voltage corresponding to a first grayscale value when the processor determines that location information of a pixel does not correspond to a curved edge in a curved area of a display area of the display device;
sending, by the processor, instructions to the data driver to supply the pixel with a second voltage less than the intended voltage corresponding to a second grayscale value that is less than the first grayscale value when the processor determines that the location information of the pixel corresponds to a step end of the curved edge;
sending, by the processor, instructions to the data driver to supply the pixel with a third voltage less than the intended voltage and greater than the second voltage corresponding to a third grayscale value that is greater than the second grayscale value and less than the first grayscale value when the processor determines that the location information of the pixel does not correspond to the step end of the curved edge; and
sending, by the processor, instructions to turn on a dummy pixel that is ordinarily off while other pixels are turned on in order to correct a color at the curved edge of the display area, the dummy pixel disposed in a non-display area having a curved boundary that corresponds to the curved edge of the display device.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the method further comprises:
receiving, by the processor, image information specifying the first grayscale value corresponding to the first voltage for supplying the pixel in the display area of the display device;
receiving, by the processor, the location information for the pixel;
determining, by the processor, whether the location information of the pixel corresponds to the curved edge in the curved area of the display area;
determining, by the processor, whether the location information of the pixel corresponds to the step end of the curved edge when the processor determines that the location information of the pixel corresponds to the curved edge in the curved area; and
determining, by the processor, whether the location information of the pixel corresponds to a location furthest from the step end;
sending, by the processor, instructions to the data driver to supply the pixel with the third voltage corresponding to the third grayscale value that is less than the first grayscale value and greater than the second grayscale value when the processor determines that the location information of the pixel corresponds to the location furthest from the step end; and
sending, by the processor, instructions to the data driver to supply the pixel with a fourth voltage less than the intended voltage, less than the third voltage, and greater than the second voltage corresponding to a fourth grayscale value that is greater than the second grayscale value and less than the third grayscale value.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein each of the pixel in the display area and the dummy pixel is at least one of a red sub-pixel, a green sub-pixel, or a blue sub-pixel.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein each of the pixel in the display area and the dummy pixel is a unit pixel comprising at least one of a red sub-pixel, a green sub-pixel, and a blue sub-pixel.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein:
the first grayscale value corresponds to a maximum brightness for display in the display area, and
the second grayscale value corresponds to a minimum brightness for display in the display area.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein:
the third grayscale value corresponds to a first intermediate brightness that is less than the maximum brightness but greater than the minimum brightness, and
the fourth grayscale value corresponds to a second intermediate brightness that is greater than the minimum brightness but less than the first intermediate brightness.

13. A driving device, comprising: a processor configured to:
receive a grayscale value corresponding to an intended voltage for each pixel of an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display device to have an intended brightness;
drive a first pixel in a display area of the OLED display device with a first voltage less than the intended voltage of the first pixel to have a first brightness less than the intended brightness of the first pixel;
drive a second pixel in the display area with a second voltage less than the intended voltage of the second pixel to have a second brightness that is brighter than the first brightness and less than the intended brightness of the second pixel; and
turn on a dummy pixel that is ordinarily off while other pixels are turned on in order to correct a col

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Jae Wan
• Oh Hyun-Uk
• Jung Keuntae
• Oh Eunjung

Classifications

• G09G2320/0233

  Improving the luminance or brightness uniformity across the screen · CPC title

• G09G3/3233 Primary

  with pixel circuitry controlling the current through the light-emitting element · 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

• G09G2320/0242

  Compensation of deficiencies in the appearance of colours · CPC title

• G09G2310/0232

  Special driving of display border areas · CPC title