Abstract:
An LCD panel ( 110 ) includes a substrate ( 112 ), a gate driver IC ( 117 ), a source driver IC ( 118 ) and a flexible circuit board ( 119 ). The substrate includes a display area ( 114 ) and a circuit area ( 116 ) abutting an outer side of the display area. The flexible circuit board includes a plurality of conducting wires ( 1193, 1194 ) extending to connect to the gate driver IC and the source driver IC. The gate driver IC and the source driver IC are on a central part of the circuit area. One of the gate driver IC and the source driver IC is positioned distal from the display area, and the other of the gate driver IC and the source driver IC is positioned generally between the display area and said one of the gate driver IC and the source driver IC. The flexible circuit board is connected to an outer portion of the circuit area.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to liquid crystal display (LCD) panels.  
       GENERAL BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     Because LCD devices have the advantages of portability, low power consumption, and low radiation, they have been widely used in various portable information products such as notebooks, personal digital assistants (PDAs), video cameras, and the like. Furthermore, LCD devices are considered by many to have the potential to completely replace CRT (cathode ray tube) monitors and televisions.  
         [0003]      FIG. 3  is a schematic, top plan view of a conventional LCD panel, showing hidden portions thereof in phantom. The LCD panel  10  includes a glass substrate  12  having a display area  14  and a circuit area  16  surrounding the display area  14  on a surface of the substrate  12 , a source driver IC  18  and a gate driver IC (integrated circuit)  20  positioned on the circuit area  16 , and a flexible printed circuit board  22  connected to an edge of the circuit area  16 .  
         [0004]     The flexible printed circuit board  22  includes a circuit, which includes a plurality of conducting wires  24 ,  25 . The conducting wires  24 ,  25  are electrically connected to the source driver IC  18 , the gate driver IC  20 , and electrodes (not shown) on the glass substrate  12 , for connecting the LCD panel  10  to an external electronic devices (not shown), and for transmitting signals to the source driver IC  18  and the gate driver IC  20 . The source driver IC  18  and the gate driver IC  20  control displaying of images on the LCD panel  10  by inputting signals to the electrodes (not shown) on the glass substrate  12 . In addition, the flexible circuit board  112  can be a flexible printed circuit (FPC) board, a flexible copper clad laminate (FCCL), or a tape carrier package (TCP).  
         [0005]     The source driver IC  18  and the gate driver IC  20  are positioned on different sides of the circuit area  16  for respectively controlling data lines (not shown) and scanning lines (not shown) of the LCD panel  10 . This makes the conducting lines (not labeled) extending from the source driver IC  18  and the gate driver IC  20  to the display area  14  of the LCD panel  10  asymmetrical. Then, crosstalk can be appeared on the LCD panel  10  because the asymmetrcal distribution of the conducting wires extending from the source driver IC  18  and the gate driver IC  20  to the display area  14 .  
         [0006]     It is desired to provide an LCD panel which overcomes the above-described deficiencies.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0007]     An LCD panel includes a substrate, a gate driver IC, a source driver IC, and a flexible circuit board. The substrate includes a display area and a circuit area abutting an outer side of the display area. The flexible circuit board includes a plurality of conducting wires extending to connect to the gate driver IC and the source driver IC. The gate driver IC and the source driver IC are on a central part of the circuit area. One of the gate driver IC and the source driver IC is positioned distal from the display area, and the other of the gate driver IC and the source driver IC is positioned generally between the display area and said one of the gate driver IC and the source driver IC. The flexible circuit board is connected to an outer portion of the circuit area.  
         [0008]     Advantages and novel features of the above-described LCD panels will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]      FIG. 1  is a schematic, top plan view of an LCD panel according to a first embodiment of the present invention, showing hidden portions thereof in phantom.  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is a schematic, top plan view of an LCD panel according to a second embodiment of the present invention, showing hidden portions thereof in phantom.  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is a schematic, top plan view of a conventional LCD panel, showing hidden portions thereof in phantom. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0012]     Reference will now be made to the drawings to describe the present invention in detail.  
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a schematic, top plan view of an LCD panel  110  according to a first embodiment of the present invention, showing hidden portions thereof in phantom. The LCD panel  110  includes a glass substrate  112 , a plurality of first conducting wires  1161 , a plurality of second conducting wires  1163   a,    1163   b,  a gate driver IC  117 , a source driver IC  118 , and a flexible circuit board  119 .  
         [0014]     The glass substrate  112  includes a central display area  114 , and a circuit area  116  abutting an outer side of the display area  114 . The circuit area  116  includes a first margin area “a”, a second margin area “b”, and a third margin area “c”. Two opposite ends of the first margin area “a” connect to the second margin area “b” and the third margin area “c” respectively. The first margin area “a”, the second margin area “b” and the third margin area “c” abut three of four sides of the display area  114 .  
         [0015]     The gate driver IC  117  and the source driver IC  118  are positioned on a central part of the first margin area “a” of the circuit area  116 . The gate driver IC  117  and the source driver IC  118  are oriented parallel to the outer side of the display area  114 . The source driver IC  118  is positioned between the gate drive IC  117  and the display area  114 . The gate driver IC  117  and the source driver IC  118  can be installed on the glass substrate  112  by chip on glass (COG) technology.  
         [0016]     The first conducting wires  1161  are positioned on the first margin area “a” of the circuit area  116 , and extend from the display area  114  to connect to the source driver IC  118 . The first conducting wires  1161  are arranged in the form of bilateral symmetry.  
         [0017]     The second conducting wires  1163   a,    1163   b  extend from two opposite sides of the display area  114  respectively, to respectively connect to two opposite sides of the gate driver IC  117 . The second conducting wires  1163   a  are positioned on the third margin area “c” and an adjoining part of the first margin area “a”. The overall configuration of the second conducting wires  1163   a  is similar to an “L” shape. The second conducting wires  1163   b  are positioned on the second margin area “b” and an adjoining part of the first margin area “a”. The overall configuration of the second conducting wires  1163   b  is similar to a reversed “L” shape. The internal configuration of each of the second conducting wires  1163   a,    1163   b  is arranged in the form of bilateral symmetry.  
         [0018]     The flexible circuit board  119  is connected to a central outmost perimeter part of the first margin area “a” of the circuit area  116 , abuts the gate driver IC  117 . The flexible circuit board  119  includes a plurality of third conducting wires  1193  and a plurality of fourth conducting wires  1194 . The fourth conducting wires  1194  are connected to the source driver IC  118  via a plurality of fifth conducting wires  1185 . The fifth conducting wires  1185  are positioned on the first margin area “a” at an outer side of the source IC  118 , including below a main body of the gate driver IC  117 . The third conducting wires  1193  are connected to the gate driver IC  117  via a plurality of sixth conducting wires  1176 , which are positioned on the first margin area “a”. In addition, the flexible circuit board  119  can be a flexible printed circuit (FPC) board, a flexible copper clad laminate (FCCL), or a tape carrier package (TCP).  
         [0019]     The flexible circuit board  119  serves as a connector for connecting the LCD panel  110  to an external electronic device (not shown). The third conducting wires  1193  of the flexible circuit board  119  are used to transmit scanning signals directly to the gate driver IC  117 . The fourth conducting wires  1194  are use to transmit image signals directly to the source driver IC  118 . The gate driver IC  117  provides the received scanning signals to electrodes (not shown) on the glass substrate  112  via the second conducting wires  1163   a,    1163   b.  The source driver IC  118  provides the received image signals to electrodes (not shown) on the glass substrate  112  via the first conducting wires  1161 . The source driver IC  118  and the gate driver IC  117  control displaying of images on the LCD panel  110 , by inputting scanning signals and image signals to the electrodes (not shown) on the glass substrate  112 .  
         [0020]     Because the source driver IC  118  and the gate driver IC  117  are disposed in that order at the central part of the first margin area “a” at the same side of the circuit area  116 , the conducting wires  1161 ,  1163   a,    1163   b  can be arranged to have a bilateral symmetry distribution. This avoids crosstalk that may otherwise be caused by the asymmetrcal distribution of the first and second conducting wires  1161 ,  1163   a,    1163   b.  Furthermore, because the second conducting wires  1163   a,    1163   b  extend from two opposite sides of the display area  114  to respectively connect to two opposite sides of the gate driver IC  117 , this leaves a large amount of space on the first margin area “a” at an outside of the gate driver IC  117  for positioning the fifth conducting wires  1185  and the sixth conducting wires  1176 .  
         [0021]      FIG. 2  is a schematic, top plan view of an LCD  120  panel according to a second embodiment of the present invention, showing hidden portions thereof in phantom. The LCD panel  120  includes a central glass substrate  122 , a plurality of first conducting wires  1261 , a plurality of second conducting wires  1263   a,    1263   b,  a gate driver IC  127 , a source driver IC  128 , and a flexible circuit board  129 .  
         [0022]     The circuit area  126  includes a first margin area “a”, a second margin area “b”, and a third margin area “c”. Two opposite ends of the first margin area “a” connect to the second margin area “b” and the third margin area “c” respectively. The first margin area “a”, the second margin area “b” and the third margin area “c” abut three of four sides of the display area  124 .  
         [0023]     The gate driver IC  127  and the source driver IC  128  are orderly positioned on a central part of the first margin area “a” of the circuit area  126 . The gate driver IC  127  and the source driver IC  128  are oriented parallel to the outer side of the display area  124 . The gate driver IC  127  is positioned between the source drive IC  128  and the display area  124 .  
         [0024]     The first conducting wires  1261  extend from the display area  124  to directly connect to the source driver IC  128 . The first conducting wires  1261  are positioned on the first margin area “a” of the circuit area  126 , including below a main body of the gate driver IC  127 . The first conducting wires  1261  are arranged in the form of bilateral symmetry.  
         [0025]     The conducting wires  1263   a,    263   b  extend from two opposite sides of the display area  124  respectively, to respectively connect to two opposite sides of the gate driver IC  127 . The second conducting wires  1263   a  are positioned on the third margin area “c” and an adjoining part of the first margin area “a”. The overall configuration of the second conducting wires  1263   a  is similar to an “L” shape. The second conducting wires  1263   b  are positioned on the second margin area “b” and an adjoining part of the first margin area “a”. The overall configuration of the second conducting wires  1263   b  is similar to a reversed “L” shape. The internal configuration of each of the second conducting wires  1163   a,    1163   b  is arranged in the form of bilateral symmetry.  
         [0026]     The flexible circuit board  129  is connected to a central outmost perimeter part of the first margin area “a” of the circuit area  126 , abuts the source driver IC  128 . The flexible circuit board  129  includes a plurality of third conducting wires  1293  and a plurality of fourth conducting wires  1294 . The fourth conducting wires  1294  are connected to the source driver IC  128  via a plurality of fifth conducting wires  1285 . The third conducting wires  1293  are connected to the gate driver IC  127  via a plurality of sixth conducting wires  1276 . The sixth conducting wires are positioned on the first margin area “a” at an outer side of the gate IC  127 , including below a main body of the source driver IC  128 , including below a main body of the source driver IC  128 .  
         [0027]     The flexible circuit board  129  serves as a connector for connecting the LCD panel  120  to an external electronic devices (not shown). The third conducting wires  1293  of the flexible circuit board  129  are used to transmit scanning signals directly to the gate driver IC  127 . The fourth conducting wires  1294  are use to transmit image signals directly to the source driver IC  128 . The gate driver IC  127  provides the received scanning signals to the electrodes (not shown) on the glass substrate  122  via the second conducting wires  1263   a,    1263   b.  The source driver IC  128  provides the received image signals to the electrodes (not shown) on the glass substrate  122  via the first conducting wires  1261 . The source driver IC  128  and the gate driver IC  127  control displaying of images on the LCD panel  120 , by inputting scanning signals and image signals to the electrodes (not shown) on the glass substrate  122 .  
         [0028]     Because the second conducting wires  1263   a,    1263   b  extend from two opposite sides of the display area  124  to respectively connect to two opposite sides of the gate driver IC  127 , this leaves a large mount of space on the first margin area “a” at a outside of the gate driver IC  127  for positioning the first conducting wires  1161 .  
         [0029]     The present invention can be applied to various LCD panels, such as amorphous silicon thin film transistor LCD panels. In addition, the present invention can be applied to any information products that require a symmetrical display, such as a smart phone or a cellular phone. Besides, the shape of the glass substrate and the flexible circuit board is not limited to rectangle, and can also be a regular octagon or an isosceles trapezoid.  
         [0030]     Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that numerous modifications and alterations of the above-described devices may be made without departing from the scope of the principles of the present invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims or equivalents thereof.