Display panel and a display apparatus including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024164195-A1
Application number	US-202318233248-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 11, 2023
Priority date	Nov 16, 2022
Publication date	May 16, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A display panel includes: a substrate comprising a display area and a corner area, the corner area located outside the display area and having curved sides or polygonal sides; a plurality of pixels in the display area in a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction; a driving portion in the corner area and comprising a plurality of normal stages and a plurality of dummy stages between the plurality of normal stages, the plurality of normal stages being configured to output electrical signals to the plurality of pixels; and an alignment mark in the corner area, wherein the corner area includes a notch area that is defined based on the alignment mark, and some of the plurality of dummy stages are in the notch area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A display panel, comprising:
a substrate comprising a display area and a corner area, the corner area located outside the display area and having curved sides or polygonal sides; a plurality of pixels in the display area in a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction; a driving portion in the corner area and comprising a plurality of normal stages and a plurality of dummy stages between the plurality of normal stages, the plurality of normal stages being configured to output electrical signals to the plurality of pixels; and an alignment mark in the corner area, wherein the corner area includes a notch area that is defined based on the alignment mark, and some of the plurality of dummy stages are in the notch area.

2 . The display panel of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of normal stages and the plurality of dummy stages are arranged along a virtual line corresponding to the curved sides or polygonal sides, and
a number of dummy stages arranged for each unit length is determined based on an angle between the virtual line and the first direction.

3 . The display panel of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of normal stages and the plurality of dummy stages comprises an input terminal, an output terminal, a first power terminal, and a second power terminal,
the first power terminal of each of the plurality of normal stages and the plurality of dummy stages is configured to receive a first gate voltage, and the second power terminal of each of the plurality of normal stages and the plurality of dummy stages is configured to receive a second gate voltage.

4 . The display panel of claim 3 , wherein the input terminal of each of the plurality of normal stages is configured to receive an external start signal or a carry signal output by a neighboring preceding normal stage, and
the input terminal of each of the plurality of dummy stages is configured to receive the first gate voltage.

5 . The display panel of claim 3 , wherein the output terminal of each of the plurality of dummy stages is floating.

6 . The display panel of claim 1 , wherein the alignment mark comprises a first alignment mark and a second alignment mark, the first alignment mark and the second alignment mark being symmetrical with respect to a first virtual center line passing through a center of the display area and extending in the second direction, and
the notch area comprises a first notch area defined with respect to the first alignment mark and a second notch area defined with respect to the second alignment mark.

7 . The display panel of claim 6 , wherein the alignment mark further comprises a third alignment mark and a fourth alignment mark, the third alignment mark and the fourth alignment mark being symmetrical with respect to a second virtual center line passing through the first and second alignment marks and the center of the display area, and extending in the first direction, and
the notch area comprises a third notch area defined with respect to the third alignment mark and a fourth notch area defined with respect to the fourth alignment mark.

8 . The display panel of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of normal stages do not overlap the notch area.

9 . The display panel of claim 1 , wherein the driving portion comprises a first driving portion and a second driving portion spaced apart from the first driving portion,
a structure of a normal stage in the first driving portion is identical to a structure of a dummy stage in the first driving portion, and a structure of a normal stage in the second driving portion is identical to a structure of a dummy stage in the second driving portion.

10 . The display panel of claim 9 , wherein the first driving portion comprises an emission control circuit and a first scan driving circuit, and
the second driving portion comprises a second scan driving circuit.

11 . A display apparatus comprising:
a display panel; a cover panel on a rear surface of the display panel and including an alignment notch, wherein the display panel comprises: a substrate comprising a display area and a corner area, the corner area being outside the display area and having curved sides or polygonal sides; a plurality of pixels in the display area in a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction; a driving portion in the corner area and comprising a plurality of normal stages and a plurality of dummy stages between the plurality of normal stages, the plurality of normal stages being configured to output electrical signals to the plurality of pixels; and an alignment mark in the corner area, wherein the alignment notch of the cover panel overlaps some of the plurality of dummy stages of the display panel in a thickness direction thereof.

12 . The display apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of normal stages and the plurality of dummy stages are arranged along a virtual line corresponding to the curved sides or the polygonal sides, and
a number of dummy stages arranged for each unit length is determined based on an angle between the virtual line and the first direction.

13 . The display apparatus of claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of normal stages and the plurality of dummy stages comprises an input terminal, an output terminal, a first power terminal, and a second power terminal,
a first gate voltage is applied to the first power terminal of each of the plurality of normal stages and the plurality of dummy stages, and a second gate voltage is applied to the second power terminal of each of the plurality of normal stages and the plurality of dummy stages.

14 . The display apparatus of claim 13 , wherein an external start signal or an output signal of a neighboring preceding normal stage is applied to the input terminal of each of the plurality of normal stages, and
the first gate voltage is applied to the input terminal of each of the plurality of dummy stages.

15 . The display apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the output terminal of each of the plurality of dummy stages is floating.

16 . The display apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the driving portion comprises a first driving portion and a second driving portion spaced apart from the first driving portion,
a structure of a normal stage in the first driving portion is identical to a structure of a dummy stage in the first driving portion, and a structure of a normal stage in the second driving portion is identical to a structure of a dummy stage in the second driving portion.

17 . The display apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the first driving portion comprises an emission control circuit and a first scan driving circuit, and
the second driving portion comprises a second scan driving circuit.

18 . The display apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the alignment mark comprises a first alignment mark and a second alignment mark, the first alignment mark and the second alignment mark being symmetrical with respect to a first virtual center line passing through a center of the display area and extending in the second direction, and
the alignment notch comprises a first alignment notch corresponding to the first alignment mark and a second alignment notch corresponding to the second alignment mark.

19 . The display apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the alignment mark further comprises a third alignment mark and a fourth alignment mark, the third alignment mark and the fourth alignment mark being symmetrical with respect to a second virtual c

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jung Sukyo
• Kim Daesuk
• Youn Ilgoo

Classifications

• H10W46/301

  for alignment · CPC title

• H10W46/00

  Marks applied to devices, e.g. for alignment or identification · CPC title

• H10K59/88 Primary

  Dummy elements, i.e. elements having non-functional features · CPC title

• H10K59/121 Primary

  characterised by the geometry or disposition of pixel elements · CPC title

• G09G2310/0286

  Details of a shift registers arranged for use in a driving circuit · CPC title