Emission control apparatuses and methods for a display panel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11138918-B2
Application number	US-202017088903-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 4, 2020
Priority date	Jun 5, 2015
Publication date	Oct 5, 2021
Grant date	Oct 5, 2021

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses relating to controlling an emission of a display panel. In one embodiment, a display driver hardware circuit includes row selection logic to select a number of rows in an emission group of a display panel, wherein the number of rows is adjustable from a single row to a full panel of the display panel, column selection logic to select a number of columns in the emission group of the display panel, wherein the number of columns is adjustable from a single column to the full panel of the display panel, and emission logic to select a number of pulses per data frame to be displayed, wherein the number of pulses per data frame is adjustable from one to a plurality and a pulse length is adjustable from a continuous duty cycle to a non-continuous duty cycle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating a micro light emitting diode (LED) display comprising:
sending a first emission clock signal characterized by a first emission phase from a first pulse controller to a corresponding first row of first driver chips distributed across an active area of a display panel, wherein each first driver chip is coupled to a corresponding plurality of pixels of micro LEDs;
sending a second emission clock signal characterized by a second emission phase from a second pulse controller to a corresponding second row of second driver chips distributed across the active area of the display panel, wherein each second driver chip is coupled to a corresponding plurality of pixels of micro LEDs; and
sending a third emission clock signal characterized by a third emission phase from a third pulse controller to a corresponding third row of third driver chips distributed across the active area of the display panel, wherein each third driver chip is coupled to a corresponding plurality of pixels of micro LEDs;
wherein the first emission phase, the second emission phase, and the third emission phase are staggered.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending a first data signal to a first column of driver chips overlapping the first row of first driver chips, the second row of second driver chips, and the third row of third driver chips, and storing pixel data from the first data signal in the first column of driver chips.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising storing an emission counter value of a number of pulses from the first emission clock signal in counters within the first driver chips in the first row of first driver chips.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising comparing the emission counter value with the stored pixel data within a first driver chip in the first row of driver chips and the first column of driver chips, and emitting from the plurality of pixels of micro LEDs coupled to the first driver chip for a specified number of emission clock periods corresponding to the number of pulses within a data frame.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising sending a first emission counter reset signal characterized by the first emission phase from the first pulse controller to the first row of first driver chips distributed across the active area of the display panel.

6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising modulating a grey level of the emission by increasing a pulse length of less than all of the number of pulses in the data frame.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the emission includes the number of pulses at a same amplitude.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising modulating coarse grey level by increasing the pulse length of less than all of the number of pulses in the data frame, and modulating fine grey level with current level.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein each micro LED is characterized by a maximum lateral dimension of 1 to 300 μm.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sending a first group of emission clock signals characterized by the first emission phase from a first plurality of rows of pulse controllers to a corresponding first plurality of rows of first driver chips distributed across the active area of the display panel;
sending a second group of emission clock signal characterized by the second emission phase from a second plurality of rows of pulse controllers to a corresponding second plurality of rows of second driver chips distributed across the active area of the display panel; and
sending a third group of emission clock signals characterized by the third emission phase from a third plurality of rows of pulse controllers to a corresponding third plurality of rows of third driver chips distributed across the active area of the display panel.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first group of emission clock signals includes a first signal bundle from each pulse controller of the first plurality of rows of pulse controllers comprising:
a first red emission clock signal for red emitting micro LEDs;
a first blue emission clock signal for blue emitting micro LEDs; and
a first green emission clock signal for green emitting micro LEDs.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second group of emission clock signals includes a second signal bundle from each pulse controller of the second plurality of rows of pulse controllers comprising:
a second red emission clock signal for red emitting micro LEDs;
a second blue emission clock signal for blue emitting micro LEDs; and
a second green emission clock signal for green emitting micro LEDs.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the third group of emission clock signals includes a third signal bundle from each pulse controller of the third plurality of rows of pulse controllers comprising:
a third red emission clock signal for red emitting micro LEDs;
a third blue emission clock signal for blue emitting micro LEDs; and
a third green emission clock signal for green emitting micro LEDs.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising emitting from the plurality of pixels of micro LEDs coupled to the first row of first driver chips for a plurality of pulses within a data frame.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising modulating a grey level of the emission by increasing a pulse length of less than all of the plurality of pulses in the data frame.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the emission includes the plurality of pulses at a same amplitude.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising modulating coarse grey level by increasing the pulse length of less than all of the plurality of pulses in the data frame, and modulating fine grey level with current level.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Sakariya Kapil V
• Nauta Tore
• Bae Hopil
• Jen Henry C

Classifications

• G09G3/2088

  with use of a plurality of processors, each processor controlling a number of individual elements of the matrix · CPC title

• G09G3/2085 Primary

  Special arrangements for addressing the individual elements of the matrix, other than by driving respective rows and columns in combination · CPC title

• G09G2310/0291

  Details of output amplifiers or buffers arranged for use in a driving circuit · CPC title

• G09G2310/027

  Details of drivers for data electrodes, the drivers handling digital grey scale data, e.g. use of D/A converters · CPC title

• G09G3/2014

  by modulation of the duration of a single pulse during which the logic level remains constant · CPC title