Display apparatus and method of testing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9990873-B2
Application number	US-201514621283-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 12, 2015
Priority date	Feb 25, 2014
Publication date	Jun 5, 2018
Grant date	Jun 5, 2018

Abstract

A display apparatus includes: a display unit including a plurality of pixels connected to a plurality of scan lines and a plurality of data lines; an initialization unit for applying an initialization signal to the plurality of data lines; and a wire test unit for applying a wire test signal to the plurality of data lines through a plurality of fan-out lines respectively connected to one end of each of the plurality of data lines.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display apparatus comprising:
a display unit including a plurality of pixels connected to a plurality of scan lines and a plurality of data lines;
an initialization unit configured to apply an initialization signal to the plurality of data lines to initialize the data lines to a first voltage level when scan signals are not supplied to the pixels via the scan lines; and
a wire test unit configured to apply a wire test signal to the plurality of data lines through a plurality of fan-out lines respectively connected at a first end of each of the plurality of data lines to detect a defect in one of the data lines or the fan-out lines after the data lines have been initialized by the initialization signal.

2. The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the initialization signal is configured to be applied before the wire test signal.

3. The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the initialization unit comprises a plurality of first switches respectively located between initialization signal lines and a second end of each of the plurality of data lines.

4. The display apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of first switches comprises:
a first initialization switch between a first initialization signal line of the initialization signal lines and a data line corresponding to a column of first pixels;
a second initialization switch between a second initialization signal line of the initialization signal lines and a data line corresponding to a column of second pixels; and
a third initialization switch between a third initialization signal line of the initialization signal lines and a data line corresponding to a column of third pixels.

5. The display apparatus of claim 4 , wherein
the first pixels and the second pixels are alternately arranged in a same column,
the first initialization switch is between the first initialization signal line and the data line of the column of the first pixels and the second pixels, and
the second initialization switch is between the second initialization signal line and the data line of the column of the first pixels and the second pixels.

6. The display apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the initialization unit is configured to apply a lighting test signal supplied from the initialization signal lines to the plurality of data lines through the plurality of first switches at a time different from a time when the initialization signal is applied.

7. The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the wire test unit comprises a plurality of second switches respectively located between each of the plurality of fan-out lines and a test signal line, wherein the test signal line is configured to provide the wire test signal.

8. The display apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of second switches comprises:
a first test switch between a first test signal line and a first fan-out line of the plurality of fan-out lines connected to a data line corresponding to a column of first pixels;
a second test switch between a second test signal line and a second fan-out line of the plurality of fan-out lines connected to a data line corresponding to a column of second pixels; and
a third test switch between a third test signal line and a third fan-out line of the plurality of fan-out lines connected to a data line corresponding to a column of third pixels.

9. The display apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising a plurality of data pads connected to the plurality of fan-out lines,
wherein the plurality of second switches are respectively located between the plurality of data pads and the test signal line.

10. The display apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of second switches comprises:
a first test switch between a first test signal line and a data pad connected to a first fan-out line of the plurality of fan-out lines, wherein the first fan-out line is connected to a data line corresponding to a column of first pixels;
a second test switch between a second test signal line and a data pad connected to a second fan-out line of the plurality of fan-out lines, wherein the second fan-out line is connected to a data line corresponding to a column of second pixels; and
a third test switch between a third test signal line and a data pad connected to a third fan-out line of the plurality of fan-out lines, wherein the third fan-out line is connected to a data line corresponding to a column of third pixels.

11. The display apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the wire test unit is configured to apply a lighting test signal supplied from the test signal line to the plurality of data lines through the plurality of second switches at a time different from a time the wire test signal is applied.

12. A display apparatus comprising:
a display unit including a plurality of pixels connected to a plurality of scan lines and a plurality of data lines;
an initialization unit comprising a plurality of first switches between a first signal line and a first end of each of the plurality of data lines, the plurality of first switches being configured to apply an initialization signal supplied by the first signal line to the first end of each of the plurality of data lines through the plurality of first switches to initialize the data lines to a first voltage level when scan signals are not supplied to the pixels via the scan lines; and
a wire test unit comprising a plurality of second switches between a second signal line and a plurality of fan-out lines, the plurality of fan-out lines being connected to a second end of each of the plurality of data lines, the plurality of second switches being configured to apply a wire test signal supplied by the second signal line to the second end of each of the plurality of data lines via the plurality of fan-out lines through the plurality of second switches to detect a defect in one of the data lines or the fan-out lines after the data lines have been initialized by the initialization signal.

13. The display apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the initialization signal is configured to be applied before the wire test signal.

14. The display apparatus of claim 12 , wherein each of the plurality of first switches comprises:
a gate connected to a control line;
a first terminal connected to the first signal line; and
a second terminal connected to the first end of one of the plurality of data lines.

15. The display apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the initialization unit comprises a plurality of first signal lines, and
each of the plurality of first switches comprises a gate connected to a control line, a first terminal connected to one of the plurality of first signal lines, and a second terminal connected to the first end of one of the plurality of data lines.

16. The display apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the initialization unit comprises a plurality of first signal lines, and
each of the plurality of first switches comprises a gate connected to one of a plurality of control lines, a first terminal connected to one of the plurality of first signal lines, and a second terminal connected to the first end of one of the plurality of data lines.

17. The display apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of first switches are configured to apply a lighting test signal to the first end of each of the plurality of data lines at a time different from a time when the initialization signal is applied.

18. The display apparatus of claim 12 , wherein each of the plurality of second switches comprises a gate connected to a control line, a first terminal connected to the second signal line, and

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jang Hwan-Soo
• Kwak Won-Kyu
• Jeong Jin-Tae

Classifications

• G01R31/2812

  Checking for open circuits or shorts, e.g. solder bridges; Testing conductivity, resistivity or impedance (of connections G01R31/66) · CPC title

• G09G3/3225

  using an active matrix · 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