Foldable electronic device for detecting defective region and method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11429149-B2
Application number	US-202017114968-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2020
Priority date	Dec 9, 2019
Publication date	Aug 30, 2022
Grant date	Aug 30, 2022

Abstract

A foldable electronic device includes: a display panel including a pixel array, a first region, a second region, and a folding region interposed between the first region and the second region, a plurality of gate lines connected with respective gates of a plurality of transistors included in the pixel array and extending in a first direction, a plurality of data lines connected with respective sources of the plurality of transistors and extending in a second direction crossing the first direction, a gate driving circuit connected with the plurality of gate lines, a display driver integrated circuit (DDI) connected with the plurality of data lines, a first detection line connecting a first gate line of the plurality of gate lines corresponding to the folding region with the DDI, a processor, and a memory operatively connected with the processor. The foldable electronic device is configured to be folded as the folding region is bent such that the first region corresponds to the second region, the DDI is configured to detect a first gate driving voltage applied to the first gate line by the gate driving circuit using the first detection line, and to transmit, to the processor, defect information indicating that the folding region is defective based on the first gate driving voltage being less than a reference voltage, and the memory stores instructions which when executed, cause the processor to: receive the defect information from the DDI, identify at least a portion of the folding region and/or the second region, based on the defect information as a defective region, and control the display panel to display an execution screen on the first region based on the identified defective region.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A foldable electronic device comprising:
a display panel including a pixel array and including a first region, a second region, and a folding region interposed between the first region and the second region;
a plurality of gate lines connected with respective gates of a plurality of transistors included in the pixel array and extending in a first direction;
a plurality of data lines connected with respective sources of the plurality of transistors and extending in a second direction crossing the first direction;
a gate driving circuit connected with the plurality of gate lines;
a display driver integrated circuit (DDI) connected with the plurality of data lines;
a first detection line connecting a first gate line of the plurality of gate lines corresponding to the folding region, with the DDI;
a processor; and
a memory operatively connected with the processor,
wherein the foldable electronic device is configured to be folded as the folding region is bent such that the first region corresponds to the second region,
wherein the DDI is configured to:
detect a first gate driving voltage applied to the first gate line by the gate driving circuit using the first detection line, and
transmit, to the processor, defect information indicating that the folding region is defective based on the first gate driving voltage being less than a reference voltage,
wherein the memory stores instructions which when executed, cause the processor to:
receive the defect information from the DDI,
identify at least a portion of the folding region and/or the second region as a defective region based on the defect information, and
display an execution screen on the first region based on the identified defective region.

2. The foldable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to:
transmit, to the DDI, information on an adjusted resolution of the execution screen such that the execution screen is displayed on the first region based on the defect information.

3. The foldable electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second detection line connecting a second gate line of the plurality of gate lines corresponding to the second region with the DDI;
wherein the DDI is configured to:
detect a second gate driving voltage applied to the second gate line using the second detection line, and
transmit, to the processor, defect information indicating that the second region is defective based on the second gate driving voltage being less than the reference voltage.

4. The foldable electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of gate lines includes a second gate line corresponding to the first region, and
wherein the first gate driving voltage is applied to the first gate line after a first time from application of a second gate driving voltage to the second gate line by the gate driving circuit.

5. The foldable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to:
control the display panel to display the execution screen on the first region, the second region, and the folding region before identifying the defective region, and
display a portion displayed on the second region and the folding region of the execution screen on the first region after identifying the defective region.

6. The foldable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the foldable electronic device is configured to be folded such that the first region and the second region are viewed.

7. The foldable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the DDI is configured to:
detect the first gate driving voltage based on the display panel being activated.

8. The foldable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the second region is closer to the DDI than the first region.

9. The foldable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first region, the folding region, and the second region are arranged in the second direction.

10. A method for detecting a defective region of a foldable electronic device including a display panel including a pixel array, and including a first region, a second region, and a folding region interposed between the first region and the second region, the method comprising:
detecting a first gate driving voltage applied by a gate driving circuit to a first gate line of a plurality of gate lines corresponding to the folding region and connected with respective gates of a plurality of transistors included in the pixel array;
comparing the first gate driving voltage with a reference voltage;
identifying defect information indicating that the folding region is defective based on the first gate driving voltage being less than the reference voltage;
identifying, as the defective region, at least a portion of the folding region and/or the second region based on the defect information; and
displaying an execution screen on the first region based on the identified defective region.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
adjusting a resolution of the execution screen based on the defect information such that the execution screen is displayed on the first region.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
detecting a second gate driving voltage applied by the gate driving circuit to a second gate line of the plurality of gate lines corresponding to the second region; and
identifying defect information indicating that the second region is defective based on that the second gate driving voltage being less than the reference voltage.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
applying the first gate driving voltage to the first gate line after a first time from application of a second gate driving voltage to a second gate line of the plurality of gate lines corresponding to the first region.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
displaying the execution screen on the first region, the second region, and the folding region before identifying the defective region, and
displaying a portion displayed on the second region and the folding region of the execution screen on the first region after identifying the defective region.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the detecting of the first gate driving voltage is performed based on the display panel being activated.

16. A foldable electronic device comprising:
a display panel including a pixel array and including a first region, a second region, and a folding region interposed between the first region and the second region;
n gate lines connected with respective gates of a plurality of transistors included in the pixel array and extending in a first direction, wherein n is a natural number;
a plurality of data lines connected with respective sources of the plurality of transistors and extending in a second direction crossing the first direction;
a gate driving circuit connected with the n gate lines;
a display driver integrated circuit (DDI) connected with the plurality of data lines;
a first detection line connected with an m-th gate line of the n gate lines, wherein m is a natural number less than n;
a processor; and
a memory operatively connected with the processor,
wherein the foldable electronic device is configured to be folded as the folding region is bent such that the first region corresponds to the second region,
wherein the memory stores instructions which when executed, cause the processor to:
output an execution screen on a region corresponding to an (m- 1 )-th gate line from a first gate line, of the n gate lines, based on defect information, and
wherein the defect information is

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Song Byoungryoul
• Bae Jungbae
• An Jungchul

Classifications

• G09G3/006 Primary

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