Display panel, display device and inspection method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9773440-B2
Application number	US-201615082119-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2016
Priority date	Jan 28, 2016
Publication date	Sep 26, 2017
Grant date	Sep 26, 2017

Abstract

A display panel, a display device and an inspection method are provided. The display panel comprises a plurality of scanning lines, a plurality of data lines including a plurality of first-type data lines and a plurality of second-type data lines, and a plurality of sub-pixels arranged in an array. The second-type data lines are closer to a center of the display panel than the first-type data lines along a first direction. The first-type data line is connected to at least one second-type data line, and the connected first-type data line and the at least one second-type data line are connected to the sub-pixels having a same color in a same sub-pixel row, respectively. The first-type data line receives a voltage signal from an external circuit, and the at least one second-type data line receives the voltage signal from the connected first-type data line.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display panel, comprising:
a plurality of scanning lines;
a plurality of data lines insulated from the scanning lines and including a plurality of first-type data lines and a plurality of second-type data lines; and
a plurality of sub-pixels arranged in an array defined by the scanning lines and the data lines intersecting the scanning lines,
wherein the data lines have an orientation direction along a first direction,
the second-type data lines are closer to a center of the display panel than the first-type data lines along the first direction,
the first-type data line is connected to at least one second-type data line,
the connected first-type data line and the at least one second-type data line are connected to the sub-pixels having a same color in a same sub-pixel row, respectively,
the first-type data line receives a voltage signal from an external circuit, and
the at least one second-type data line receives the voltage signal from the connected first-type data line.

2. The display panel according to claim 1 , wherein:
the data lines are sequentially numbered starting at 1 and increasing incrementally along the first direction;
an N th data line along the first direction is the first-type data line;
an M th data line along the first direction is the second-type data line; and
N and M are positive integers, and N<M.

3. The display panel according to claim 2 , wherein:
N≦3 and M<(a total number of the data lines−3), or
N≦6 and M<(a total number of the data lines−6).

4. The display panel according to claim 3 , wherein:
groups of three sub-pixels are repeatedly arranged in a row direction of the array;
M=N+3n, n is a positive integer;
the three sub-pixels include a red sub-pixel (R), a green sub-pixel (G), and a blue sub-pixel (B);
groups of three sub-pixels have a same arrangement of the three sub-pixels;
the row direction of the array is the same as the first direction.

5. The display panel according to claim 2 , wherein:
N≦2 and M<(a total number of the data lines−2), or
N≦4 and M<(a total number of the data lines−4).

6. The display panel according to claim 5 , wherein:
groups of four sub-pixels arranged in a 2×2 sub-pixel matrix are repeatedly arranged in a row direction of the array;
M=N+2n, n is a positive integer;
the four sub-pixels include a red sub-pixel (R), a green sub-pixel (G), a blue sub-pixel (B), and a white sub-pixel (W);
groups of four sub-pixels have a same arrangement of the four sub-pixels; and
the row direction of the array is the same as the first direction.

7. The display panel according to claim 2 , wherein:
N≦4 and M<(a total number of the data lines−4), or
N≦8 and M<(the total number of the data lines−8).

8. The display panel according to claim 7 , wherein:
groups of four sub-pixels are repeatedly arranged in a row direction of the array;
M=N+4n, n is a positive integer;
the four sub-pixels include a red sub-pixel (R), a green sub-pixel (G), a blue sub-pixel (B), and a white sub-pixel (W);
groups of four sub-pixels have a same arrangement of the four sub-pixels; and
the row direction of the array is the same as the first direction.

9. The display panel according to claim 1 , further including:
a plurality of switching units, wherein the switching unit is configured to connect the first-type data line and the at least one second-type data line to control a connection between the first-type data line and the at least one second-type data line.

10. The display panel according to claim 9 , wherein:
the switching unit includes a first thin film transistor (TFT) and a control line.

11. The display panel according to claim 10 , wherein:
a gate electrode of the first TFT is electrically connected to the control line;
a first terminal of the first TFT is electrically connected to the first-type data line; and
a second terminal of the first TFT is electrically connected to the at least one second-type data line connected to the first-type data line.

12. The display panel according to claim 1 , wherein:
the sub-pixel includes a second TFT and a pixel electrode, wherein a source electrode or a drain electrode of the second TFT is electrically connected to one data line.

13. A display device comprises the display panel according to claim 1 .

14. An inspection method for a display panel comprising a plurality of scanning lines, a plurality of data lines including a plurality of first-type data lines and a plurality of second-type data lines, and insulated from the scanning lines; and a plurality of sub-pixels arranged in an array defined by the scanning lines and the data lines intersecting the scanning lines, wherein the data lines have an orientation direction along a first direction, the second-type data lines are closer to a center of the display panel than the first-type data lines along the first direction, the first-type data line is connected to at least one second-type data line, the connected first-type data line and the at least one second-type data line are connected to the sub-pixels having a same color in a same sub-pixel row respectively, the first-type data line receives a voltage signal from an external circuit, and the at least one second-type data line receives the voltage signal from the connected first-type data line, the inspection method comprising:
providing the voltage signal to the first-type data line;
detecting whether the sub-pixels corresponding to the at least one second-type data line connected to the first-type data line are able to display correctly or not,
wherein if the sub-pixels corresponding to the at least one second-type data line connected to the first-type data line are able to display correctly, the first-type data line is identified to be connected correctly.

15. The inspection method for the display panel according to claim 14 , wherein the display panel further includes a plurality of switching units, the switching unit includes a first thin film transistor (TFT) and a control line, and the first TFT has a gate electrode electrically connected to the control line, a first terminal electrically connected to the first-type data line and a second terminal electrically connected to the at least one second-type data line connected to the first-type data line, the inspection method further including:
providing a connecting signal to the control line, such that the first TFT is switched on;
providing the voltage signal to the first-type data line, such that the voltage signal is transferred to the at least one second-type data line connected the first-type data line through the first TFT;
detecting whether the sub-pixels corresponding to the at least one second-type data line connected to the first-type data line are able to display correctly or not,
wherein if the sub-pixels corresponding to the at least one second-type data line connected to the first-type data line are able to display correctly, the first-type data line is identified to be connected correctly.

16. The inspection method for the display panel according to claim 14 , wherein:
an N th data line along the first direction is the first-type data line;
an M th data line along the first direction is the second-type data line; and
N and M are positive integers, and N<M.

17. The inspection method for the display panel according to claim 16 , wherein:
N≦3 and M<(a total number of the data lines−3), or
N≦6 and M<(a total number of the data lines−6).

18. The inspection method for the display panel according to claim 17 , wherein:

Assignees

• Xiamen Tianma Micro Electronics Co Ltd
• Tianma Microelectronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yan Huasheng

Classifications

• G09G2320/0295

  by monitoring each display pixel · CPC title

• G09G3/006 Primary

  Electronic inspection or testing of displays and display drivers, e.g. of LED or LCD displays (testing individual LED's G01R31/2635; testing lamps G01R31/44; testing of optical features of LCD displays G02F1/1309) · CPC title

• G09G3/2003

  Display of colours (specific for liquid crystal displays G09G3/3607) · CPC title

• G09G2320/0233

  Improving the luminance or brightness uniformity across the screen · CPC title

• G02F1/1309 Primary

  Repairing; Testing · CPC title