Display device and driving method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9530380-B2
Application number	US-201414168966-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2014
Priority date	Apr 22, 2013
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

A display device configured to consume less power is disclosed. In one aspect, the display device includes a display panel comprising a pixel connected to a gate line and a data line, a data driver connected to the data line to apply a data voltage, and a gate driver connected to the gate line to sequentially apply a gate-on voltage. The display device additionally includes a signal controller configured to determine image data as corresponding to one of a motion picture, a still image, and a text screen. Furthermore, the signal controller is configured to drive the display panel, the data driver, and the gate driver at one of a motion picture frequency for displaying the motion picture, a still image frequency lower than the motion picture frequency for displaying the still image, and an ultra-low frequency of about 10 Hz or less for displaying the text screen.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display device, comprising:
a display panel comprising a pixel connected to a gate line and a data line;
a data driver connected to the data line to apply a data voltage;
a gate driver connected to the gate line to sequentially apply a gate-on voltage; and
a signal controller configured to determine image data as corresponding to one of a motion picture and a text screen,
wherein the signal controller is further configured to drive the display panel, the data driver, and the gate driver at one of a motion picture frequency for displaying the motion picture and an ultra-low frequency lower than the motion picture frequency for displaying the text screen,
wherein the signal controller is configured to make a determination of whether or not the image data corresponds to the text screen based on a combination of a determination of whether a ratio of a number of pixels within a low gray region and a high gray region to a total number of pixels exceeds a predetermined ratio, and a determination of whether a number of dominant gray levels exceeds a predetermined number, wherein a percentage of pixels having each dominant gray level is greater than a predetermined percentage of the total number of pixels.

2. The display device of claim 1 , wherein:
the motion picture frequency is about 60 Hz, and wherein the ultra-low image frequency is about 10 Hz or less.

3. The display device of claim 2 , wherein:
the signal controller is configured to receive an externally generated panel self-refresh (PSR) signal to determine whether the image data corresponds one of the motion picture and a still image.

4. The display device of claim 3 , wherein:
the signal controller is further configured to determine whether the image data corresponds to the text screen or not by dividing pixels of one frame of the image data into one of the low gray region, a medium gray region, and the high gray region based on gray levels of the pixels, and determining whether the ratio exceeds the predetermined ratio.

5. The display device of claim 3 , wherein:
the signal controller is further configured to determine whether the image data corresponds to the text screen or not by determining whether a number of pixels having the dominant gray levels within the pixels of one frame exceeds a predetermined number.

6. The display device of claim 3 , wherein:
the signal controller comprises a driving condition setting unit configured to determine whether the image data corresponds to the text screen or not and configured to select a driving frequency and a register value.

7. The display device of claim 6 , wherein:
the driving condition setting unit comprises:
a histogram checking unit configured to determine whether the image data corresponds to the text screen or not by dividing pixels of one frame of the image data into one of a low gray region, a medium gray region, and a high gray region based on gray levels of the pixels, and determining whether a ratio of a number of pixels within the low gray region and the high gray region to a total number of pixels exceeds a predetermined ratio;
a gray checking unit configured to determine whether the image data corresponds to the text screen or not by determining whether a number of pixels having the dominant gray levels within the pixels of one frame exceeds a predetermined number;
a combining unit configured to receive outputs of the histogram checking unit and the gray checking unit and performing one of an AND operation and an OR operation;
a frequency selection unit configured to select a driving frequency according to the output of the combining unit; and
a register selection unit configured to select a register value according to the selected driving frequency.

8. The display device of claim 6 , wherein:
the driving condition setting unit comprises:
a histogram checking unit configured to determine whether the image data corresponds to the text screen or not by dividing pixels of one frame of the image data into one of a low gray region, a medium gray region, and a high gray region based on gray levels of the pixels, and determining whether a ratio of a number of pixels within the low gray region and the high gray region to a total number of pixels exceeds a predetermined ratio;
a gray checking unit configured to determine whether the image data corresponds to the text screen or not by determining whether a number of pixels having the dominant gray levels within the pixels of one frame exceeds a predetermined number;
a combining unit configured to receive outputs of the histogram checking unit and the gray checking unit and performing one of an AND operation and an OR operation;
a frequency selection unit configured to select a driving frequency according to the output of the combining unit and a value of a main gray level received from the gray checking unit; and
a register selection unit configured to select a register value according to the selected driving frequency.

9. The display device of claim 6 , wherein:
the driving condition setting unit allows the text screen not to be driven at the ultra-low frequency according to a spatial frequency although the text screen is displayed.

10. The display device of claim 9 , wherein:
the driving condition setting unit comprises:
a spatial frequency analyzing unit configured to extract a spatial frequency;
a human eye adaption unit configured to determine a contrast ratio sensitivity of a user according to the extracted spatial frequency;
a frequency selection unit configured to select a driving frequency based on the contrast ratio sensitivity; and
a register selection unit configured to select a register value according to the selected driving frequency.

11. The display device of claim 10 , further comprising:
a camera configured to measure a distance between a user and the display device and to transfer the measured distance to the spatial frequency analyzing unit of the driving condition setting unit, wherein
the measured distance is used to determine the spatial frequency in the spatial frequency analyzing unit.

12. A display device, comprising:
a display panel comprising a pixel connected to a gate line and a data line;
a data driver connected to the data line to apply a data voltage;
a gate driver connected to the gate line to sequentially apply a gate-on voltage; and
a signal controller configured to determine image data as corresponding to one of a motion picture and a text screen,
wherein the signal controller is further configured to drive the display panel, the data driver, and the gate driver at one of a motion picture frequency for displaying the motion picture and an ultra-low frequency lower than the motion picture frequency for displaying the text screen,
wherein the signal controller comprises a driving condition setting unit,
wherein the driving condition setting unit comprises:
a spatial frequency analyzing unit configured to extract a spatial frequency;
a human eye adaption unit configured to determine a contrast ratio sensitivity of a user according to the extracted spatial frequency;
a frequency selection unit configured to select a driving frequency based on the contrast ratio sensitivity; and
a register selection unit configured to select a register value according to the selected driving frequency.

13. The display device of claim 12 , further comprising:
a camera
configured to measure a distance between a user and the display device and to transfer the measured distance to the spatial frequency analyzing unit of the driving condition setting unit, wherein
the measured distance is used to deter

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jang Dae-Gwang
• Hwang Hyun Sik
• Kim Gi Geun

Classifications

• G09G2320/10

  Special adaptations of display systems for operation with variable images · CPC title

• G09G3/3648 Primary

  using an active matrix (G09G3/367 - G09G3/3696 take precedence) · CPC title

• G09G2340/0435

  Change or adaptation of the frame rate of the video stream · CPC title

• G09G2330/021

  Power management, e.g. power saving · CPC title

• G09G2360/16

  Calculation or use of calculated indices related to luminance levels in display data · CPC title