Drive circuit, electro-optical device, electronic apparatus including electro-optical device, and movable body including electronic apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11074843-B2
Application number	US-202016827999-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 24, 2020
Priority date	Mar 25, 2019
Publication date	Jul 27, 2021
Grant date	Jul 27, 2021

Abstract

A drive circuit 1000 is provided with an input terminal and an output terminal configured to be coupled to an external device 2000 ; a drive signal generation circuit 400 configured to use a synchronizing signal that is input from the external device 2000 via the input terminal to perform signal generation processing to generate a drive signal that drives an electro-optical panel 10 ; a state signal generation circuit 510 configured to generate a state signal indicating an operating state of the drive signal generation circuit 400 ; a return signal generation circuit 520 configured to generate a return signal obtained by superimposing the state signal on the synchronizing signal; and the output circuit 2000 configured to output the return signal from output terminals 581 and 582 to the external device 2000.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A drive circuit that drives an electro-optical panel, comprising:
an input terminal and an output terminal configured to be coupled to an external device;
a drive signal generation circuit configured to use a synchronizing signal that is input from the external device via the input terminal to generate a drive signal that drives the electro-optical panel;
a state signal generation circuit configured to generate a state signal indicating an operating state of the drive signal generation circuit;
a return signal generation circuit configured to generate a return signal obtained by superimposing the state signal on the synchronizing signal; and
an output circuit configured to output the return signal from the output terminal to the external device.

2. The drive circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the return signal generation circuit superimposes the state signal to generate the return signal in a period after a predetermined period of time had elapsed from a pulse of the synchronizing signal.

3. The drive circuit according to claim 1 , wherein
the operating state includes a normal state indicating normal operation, and an abnormal state indicating abnormal operation, and
the state signal indicates a content of an abnormality in the abnormal state.

4. The drive circuit according to claim 3 , wherein
the drive signal generation circuit is supplied with image data indicating an image to be displayed on the electro-optical panel, a power source voltage, and a control signal that is used to generate the drive signal, and
the content of the abnormality includes at least one of a transmission error in the image data, an abnormality in the power source voltage, and an abnormality in the control signal.

5. The drive circuit according to claim 1 , wherein
the drive signal generation circuit is supplied with image data indicating an image to be displayed on the electro-optical panel, and with a control signal that is used to generate the drive signal, and
the external device is a host device configured to generate the image data, or is a control device configured to generate the control signal.

6. The drive circuit according to claim 1 , wherein
the electro-optical panel includes a first scanning line and a second scanning line,
the drive signal generation circuit includes a scanning line drive circuit configured to drive the first scanning line and the second scanning line, and
the synchronizing signal is a vertical start pulse signal of which one is transmitted to the scanning line drive circuit in one vertical scan.

7. The drive circuit according to claim 1 , wherein
the electro-optical panel includes a first data line and a second data line,
the drive signal generation circuit includes a data line drive circuit configured to drive the first data line and second data line, and
the synchronizing signal is a horizontal start pulse signal of which one is transmitted to the data line drive circuit in one horizontal scan.

8. An electro-optical device comprising:
the drive circuit according to claim 1 , and
an electro-optical panel configured to be driven based on the drive signal.

9. An electronic apparatus comprising the electro-optical device according to claim 8 .

10. A movable body comprising the electronic apparatus according to claim 9 .

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Numano Gaku
• Hara Taro
• Muraki Norichika

Classifications

• 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

• G09G3/3688

  suitable for active matrices only · CPC title

• G09G3/001 Primary

  using specific devices not provided for in groups G09G3/02 - G09G3/36, e.g. using an intermediate record carrier such as a film slide; Projection systems; Display of non-alphanumerical information, solely or in combination with alphanumerical information, e.g. digital display on projected diapositive as background (slide projectors per se G03B23/00 = 42 HP) · CPC title

• G09G2380/10

  Automotive applications · CPC title

• G09G2310/08

  Details of timing specific for flat panels, other than clock recovery · CPC title