Patent Publication Number: US-2011050673-A1

Title: Display module and display apparatus

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This Non-provisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) on Patent Application No(s). 098128818 filed in Taiwan, Republic of China on Aug. 27, 2009, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     The present invention relates to a display module and a display apparatus. 
     2. Related Art 
     The display apparatuses have been sufficiently improved from the traditional CRT display apparatuses. For example, the LCD apparatus, OLED display apparatus, and E-paper display apparatus are developed recently, and they all have the advantages of reduced volume and weight. Thus, they can be widely applied to the communication products, information products and consumer electronics products. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1A , a conventional display apparatus includes an LCD display module  1 A, which has a first substrate  11 , a data driving unit  13 , and a scan driving unit  14 . The data driving unit  13  is electrically connected with the first substrate  11  through a plurality of data lines D 11  to D 1n , and the scan driving unit  14  is electrically connected with the first substrate  11  through a plurality of scan lines S 11  to S 1m . 
     Due to the progress of technologies, the display apparatuses have been developed toward larger size for providing better display quality to the users. For this purpose, the large-sized substrate may be directly manufactured, but this needs many new manufacturing machines. Moreover, every time the size requirement is increased, the new manufacturing machines are needed. This is very uneconomic and cost waste. 
     To solve this problem, the prior art discloses the method to manufacture several small-sized substrate and then assemble them to form a large-sized substrate. In this case, the display module  1 A may further include a second substrate  12 , a data driving unit  15 , and a scan driving unit  16 . The data driving unit  15  is electrically connected with the second substrate  12  through a plurality of data lines D 21  to D 2n , and the scan driving unit  16  is electrically connected with the second substrate  12  through a plurality of scan lines S 21  to S 2m . In addition, the data driving unit  13  and the data driving unit  15  are electrically connected to a timing control unit  17 . 
     The scan lines S 11  to S 1m  and the data lines D 11  to D 1n  are crossly disposed on the first substrate  11  to form a plurality of interlaced areas, and a plurality of pixels  11   11  to  11   mn  are disposed corresponding to the interlaced areas. The scan lines S 21  to S 2m  and the data lines D 21  to D 2n  are crossly disposed on the second substrate  12  to form a plurality of interlaced areas, and a plurality of pixels  12   11  to  12   mn  are disposed corresponding to the interlaced areas. The operation of the display module  1 A will be described hereinbelow. During a first time period, the scan lines S 11  to S 1m  sequentially transmit a voltage signal of high level, so that a first image signal can be written into the pixels  11   11  to  11   mn  through the data lines D 11  to D 1n . During a second time period, the scan lines S 21  to S 2m  sequentially transmit a voltage signal of high level, so that a second image signal can be written into the pixels  12   11  to  12   mn  through the data lines D 21  to D 2n . 
     Besides, a display module  1 B as shown in  FIG. 1B  is also disclosed for solving the above problem. The display module  1 B is different from the display module  1 A in that the display module  1 B has a connecting plate  18  for connecting the first substrate  11  and the second substrate  12 , and the display module  1 B has only one data driving unit  13  and one scan driving unit  14 . 
     The first substrate  11  and the second substrate  12  are transistor substrates. According to the above-mentioned control method, the display modules  1 A and  1 B can be applied for processing more complex displayed screen and the situation needing fast screen switch. Of course, when the display apparatus is applied for processing simpler displayed screen and the situation not needing fast screen switch, the components in the second substrate  12  can be decreased to reduce the power consumption and save manufacturing cost. Therefore, it is an important subject to provide a display module and a display apparatus that have fewer components so as to reduce the power consumption. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing, an objective of the invention is to provide a display module and a display apparatus that have fewer components so as to reduce the power consumption. 
     To achieve the above, the present invention discloses a display module including a first substrate, a second substrate, a driving unit, a plurality of data lines, and a plurality of scan lines. The first substrate has a first pixel electrode array, and the second substrate has a second pixel electrode array. The data lines are electrically connected to the driving unit and the first pixel electrode array, and the scan lines are electrically connected to the driving unit and the first pixel electrode array. In this invention, at least a part of the data lines are electrically connected to the second pixel electrode array through the first substrate, and all of the scan lines are not electrically connected to the second pixel electrode array. 
     In addition, the present invention also discloses a display apparatus including a display module. The display module includes a first substrate, a second substrate, a driving unit, a plurality of data lines, and a plurality of scan lines. The first substrate has a first pixel electrode array, and the second substrate has a second pixel electrode array. The data lines are electrically connected to the driving unit and the first pixel electrode array, and the scan lines are electrically connected to the driving unit and the first pixel electrode array. In this invention, at least a part of the data lines are electrically connected to the second pixel electrode array through the first substrate, and all of the scan lines are not electrically connected to the second pixel electrode array. 
     As mentioned above, the display module and apparatus of the invention include a second substrate, which has a second pixel electrode array and is disposed with several data lines. Compared with the prior art, the scan lines of the invention are not electrically connected with the second pixel electrode array, so that the components of the display module and apparatus can be reduced. This can sufficiently decrease the power consumption. In addition, the second pixel electrode array can operate without the driving signal transmitted through the scan lines. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and accompanying drawings, which are given for illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1A  is a schematic diagram of a conventional display module; 
         FIG. 1B  is a schematic diagram of another convention display module; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram showing an equivalent circuit of a display module according to an embodiment of the invention; and 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram showing the cross-section of the display module according to the embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same references relate to the same elements. 
     With reference to  FIG. 2 , a display apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention includes a display module  2 . The display module  2  includes a first substrate  21 , a second substrate  22 , a driving unit  23 , a plurality of data lines D 31  to D 3n , and a plurality of scan lines S 31  to S 3m . 
     The first substrate  21  has a first pixel electrode array  211 , and the second substrate  22  has a second pixel electrode array  221 . In this embodiment, the first substrate  21  can be a transistor substrate, and the second substrate  22  can be a printed circuit board (PCB), a flexible printed circuit (FPC) board, or a glass circuit board. Compared with the prior art, the second substrate  22  of the embodiment is cheaper than the conventional first substrate  11 , so that the manufacturing cost of the display module  2  of the embodiment can be reduced. 
     The scan lines S 31  to S 3m  are electrically connected to the driving unit  23  and the first pixel electrode array  211 , and the data lines D 31  to D 3n  are electrically connected to the driving unit  23  and the first pixel electrode array  211 . Moreover, at least a part of the data lines D 31  to D 3n  are electrically connected to the second pixel electrode array  221  through the first substrate  21 . In this embodiment, the data lines D 31  to D 33  are, for example but not limited to, electrically connected to the second pixel electrode array  221 . 
     In practice, the display module  2  of the embodiment may further include a connecting plate  26  for connecting the first substrate  21  and the second substrate  22 , so that the data lines D 31  to D 33  can be electrically connected with the second pixel electrode array  221 . To be noted, besides the connecting board  26 , the first substrate  21  and the second substrate  22  can also be connected by, for example but not limited to, engaging or adhering. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the scan lines S 31  to S 3m  and the data lines D 31  to D 3n  are crossly disposed on the first substrate  21  to form a plurality of interlaced areas, and a plurality of pixels  21   11  to  21   mn  of the first pixel electrode array  211  are disposed in array and corresponding to the interlaced areas. In this embodiment, the material of the first pixel electrode array  211  can be a conductive material such as, for example but not limited to, metal or transparent conductive material (e.g. ITO). 
     On the second substrate  22 , a plurality of pixels  22   11  to  22   mn  of the second pixel electrode array  221  are electrically connected with the data lines D 31  to D 33 . In this embodiment, the material of the second pixel electrode array  221  can also be a conductive material such as, for example but not limited to, metal or transparent conductive material (e.g. ITO). In this case, the data lines D 31  to D 33  and the second pixel electrode array  221  can be disposed on opposite sides or the same side of the second substrate  22 . Compared with the prior art, the second pixel electrode array  221  is not electrically connected with the scan lines S 31  to S 3m , and layout pattern of the second substrate  22  is much simpler. Accordingly, the display module  2  of the embodiment can have fewer components so as to decrease the power consumption. 
     To be noted, the arrangement of the pixel units on the second substrate  22  can be varied depending on the product or design requirements. In practice, the pixels on the second substrate  22  can be arranged as a 7-segment display, letter pattern, or symbol pattern. 
     The operation of the display module  2  will be described hereinafter with reference to  FIG. 2 . During a first time period, the scan lines S 31  to S 3m  transmit a voltage signal of high level in sequence, so that an image signal can be transmitted through the data lines D 31  to D 3n  and then written into the pixels  21   11  to  21   mn . During a second time period, the scan lines S 31  to S 3m  are not driven, and the data lines D 31  to D 33  transmits a data signal to the second pixel electrode array  221  for displaying an image screen. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the display module  2  of the embodiment further includes a counter electrode unit  27  and an optoelectronic display unit  28 . 
     The counter electrode unit  27  is disposed opposite to the first substrate  21  and the second substrate  22 . In this case, the counter electrode unit  27  can be an electrode layer or an electrode plate. In addition, since the counter electrode unit  27  must be transparent, it can be made of indium tin oxide (ITO), aluminium zinc oxide (AZO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), or cadmium zinc oxide. 
     The optoelectronic display unit  28  is disposed between the counter electrode  27  and the first and second substrates  21  and  22 . In this case, the optoelectronic display unit  28  can be, depending on the design requirement, an optoelectronic display element or an optoelectronic display thin film. In this embodiment, the optoelectronic display unit  28  may include an electrophoresis material or an electrowetting material. 
     As mentioned above, the display module and apparatus of the invention include a second substrate, which has a second pixel electrode array and is disposed with several data lines. Compared with the prior art, the scan lines of the invention are not electrically connected with the second pixel electrode array, so that the components of the display module and apparatus can be reduced. This can sufficiently decrease the power consumption. Compared with the prior art, since the material of the second substrate, such as a printed circuit board, a flexible printed circuit board, or a glass circuit board, is different with that of the first substrate  21 , the manufacturing cost of the display module and apparatus of the invention can be reduced. In addition, the second pixel electrode array can operate without the driving signal transmitted through the scan lines. 
     Although the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, this description is not meant to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications of the disclosed embodiments, as well as alternative embodiments, will be apparent to persons skilled in the art. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claims will cover all modifications that fall within the true scope of the invention.