Patent Publication Number: US-2010117996-A1

Title: Display device capable of performing left/right change display and display method thereof

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2005-0116889, filed on Dec. 2, 2005, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to a display device and, more particularly, to a display device capable of performing left/right change display and a display method thereof. 
     2. Discussion of Related Art 
     A display device includes chips that transmit data corresponding to an image for display to a display panel. In a display device including two chips, the different transmission regions to which data is transmitted and the data transmission orders of the chips are fixed in hardware. In a display device including two chips, the chips may be divided into a master and a slave according to a set value of a master-slave signal. For example, the display device can recognize a chip for which the master-slave signal is set to a low logic level “L” as the master and recognize a chip for which the aster-slave signal is set to a high logic level “H” as the slave. The data transmission order of the master takes precedence over the transmission order of the slave. 
     The master and slave chips respectively transmit data for display to the right and left regions of a display panel. The display panel may be equally divided into the right and left regions on the basis of source output directions of the chips. The transmission regions of the display panel to which the master and slave chips transmit data may be recognized according to logic states of a left enable signal and a right enable signal. 
       FIG. 1A  illustrates the data   displayed on a conventional display device  10 . Referring to  FIG. 1A , the conventional display device  10  includes two chips (not shown) that transmit data such as   to a display panel  11 . The chips transmit   and   to a left region corresponding t. L 1  through Ln, and a right region corresponding to R 1  through Rn of the display panel  11 , respectively. In  FIG. 1A , a transmission direction signal XDS is set to a low logic level “L”. The transmission direction signal XDS represents the direction in which the data   is displayed on the panel  11 . When a transmission direction signal XDS, which is at a low logic level “L”, for example, is applied to the display device  10 , the display device  10  transmits the data   from the left to right of the panel  11 , as indicated by the arrow in  FIG. 1A . 
     In cases where, for example, the positions of the chips are changed or the display panel is upside-down, left/right change display of the data is required.  FIG. 1B  illustrates the data   incorrectly left/right-changed and displayed on the display device  10  of  FIG. 1A  when the data transmission direction is changed. Referring to  FIG. 1B , the transmission direction signal XIS which is at a high logic level “H” is applied to the display device  10  for left/right change display. That is, the logic level of the transmission direction signal XDS of  FIG. 1B  is different from that of  FIG. 1A . 
     Since the transmission direction signal XDS is at a high logic level “H”, the two chips of the display device  10  (not shown) transmit the data   from the right to left of the panel  11  for display, as indicated by the arrow in  FIG. 1B . That is, as the transmission direction signal XDS is changed from a low logic level “L” to a high logic level “H”, the data   is transmitted from Ln to L 1  and the data   is transmitted from Rn to R 1 . As illustrated in  FIG. 1B , incorrectly left/right-changed data is displayed on the panel  11 . This is because the data   is not left/right changed for the entire region L 1  through Rn of the panel  11 , but instead for each of the transmission regions L 1  through Ln and R 1  through Rn of the two chips. That is,   and   are independently left/right-changed. 
       FIG. 2A  illustrates data   displayed on another display device  20 . The operations of the display device  20  correspond to the operations of the display device  10  of  FIG. 1A , but the positions of two chips included in the display device  20  and the logic level of the transmission direction signal XDS are different from those of the display device  10  of the  FIG. 1A . The data   is displayed on the display panel as illustrated in  FIG. 2A . 
     is  FIG. 2B  illustrates the data   incorrectly left/right-changed and displayed on the display device  20  when the transmission direction is changed. The logic level of the transmission direction signal XDS is inverted from the logic level of the transmission direction signal XDS of  FIG. 2A  and applied to the display device  20  for left/right change display. The data   is incorrectly left/right-changed and displayed, as described above with reference to  FIG. 1B . 
     Conventional display devices may incorrectly perform left/right change display of data when the transmission direction of the data to a display panel is changed for the left/right change display. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a display device including a panel to display data and a plurality of chips that respectively transmit the data to transmission regions of the panel according to transmission orders. The transmission regions and transmission orders are fixed. The plurality of chips transmits the data according to changed transmission orders different from the fixed transmission orders in response to an order change signal. 
     The display device may include an order change signal generator that transmits the order change signal to the plurality of chips in response to a transmission direction signal that represents a direction of transmission of the data to the panel. 
     The display device may include two chips. The panel may be divided into the left and right regions based on source output directions of the chips. The size of the left and right regions may be substantially equal. The two chips may respectively correspond to a master and a slave, wherein a transmission order of the master takes precedence over a transmission order of the slave. 
     The master and the slave may be determined by a logic state of a master-slave signal. The order change signal may have a logic state different from the logic state of the master-slave signal. 
     The order change signal generator an exclusive NOR may include a logical gate and first, second and third multiplexers. The logical gate performs an exclusive NOR operation on the transmission direction signal and the master-slave signal and outputs the resultant signal as a first control signal. The first and second multiplexers select one of the master-slave signal or an inverted signal of the master-slave signal in response to the first control signal. The third multiplexer outputs one of the output signals of the first or second multiplexers as the order change signal in response to a second control signal. The second control signal is a left enable signal that enables the left region. 
     According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a display method of a display device including a panel to display data and a plurality of chips to transmit data to the panel according to transmission regions and transmission orders, wherein the transmission regions and transmission orders are fixed. The method includes applying changed transmission orders different from the fixed transmission orders to the plurality of chips, and transmitting the data to the transmission regions of the panel according to the changed transmission orders. 
     The display device may include two chips, wherein the two chips respectively correspond to a master and a slave, and wherein a transmission order of the master takes precedence over a transmission order of the slave. 
     In the applying the changed transmission orders to the two chips, the transmission order of the slave may be applied to the master and the transmission order of the master may be applied to the slave. 
     In the applying the changed transmission orders, the changed transmission orders may be applied to the two chips when a direction of transmission of the data to the panel is changed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will become readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art when descriptions of exemplary embodiments thereof are read with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
         FIG. 1  illustrates data displayed on a conventional display device. 
         FIG. 1   b  illustrates data wrongly left/right-changed and displayed on the display device of  FIG. 1   a  when a transmission direction is changed; 
         FIG. 2A  illustrates data displayed on a conventional display device. 
         FIG. 2B  illustrates data incorrectly left/right-changed and displayed on the display device of  FIG. 2A  when a transmission direction is changed. 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram of a display device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4A  is a table representing hardware settings for the transmission of data in the display device of  FIG. 3 , according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4B  illustrates data displayed on the display device of  FIG. 3  that is set according to the hardware settings of table of  FIG. 4A . 
         FIG. 4C  illustrates data correctly left-right-changed and displayed on the display device of  FIG. 3 , which is set according to the hardware settings of table of  FIG. 4A , when a transmission direction is changed. 
         FIG. 5A  is a table representing hardware setting for the transmission of data in the display device of  FIG. 3  according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5B  illustrates data displayed on the display device of  FIG. 3  that is set according to the hardware settings of table of  FIG. 5A . 
         FIG. 5C  illustrates data left-right-converted and displayed on the display device of  FIG. 3 , which is set according to the hardware settings of table of  FIG. 5A , when a transmission direction is changed. 
         FIG. 6  is a circuit diagram of an order change signal generator of  FIG. 3 , according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a flow chart showing a display method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
     Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Like reference numerals refer to similar or identical elements throughout the description of the figures. 
       FIG. 3  is a block diagram of a display device  100  according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Referring to  FIG. 3 , the display device  100  includes a panel  110  and first and second chips  120  and  130 . The panel  110  displays data DDTA. The first and second chips  120  and  130  respectively transmit the data DDTA to their transmission regions of the panel  110  according to their transmission orders. The transmission regions and transmission orders of the first and second chips  120  and  130  are fixed, for example, set in hardware. It is to be understood that the display device  100  may include a plurality of chips to transmit the display data. 
     For example, the first chip  120  transmits a first data part DDTA 1  of the data DDTA to the left region L 1  through Ln of the panel  110  and the second chip  130  transmits a second data part DDTA 2  of the data DDTA to the right region R 1  through Rn of the panel  110 , where n is a natural number. The panel  110  of  FIG. 3  is substantially equally divided into the left region L 1  through Ln and the right region R 1  through Rn. That is, the sizes of the left region L 1  through Ln and the right region R 1  through Rn may be substantially equal. 
       FIG. 4A  is a table representing hardware settings for the transmission of the data in the display device  100  of  FIG. 3 , according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 4B  illustrates data   displayed on the display device  100  that is set according to the hardware settings of the table of  FIG. 4A . Referring to  FIGS. 4A and 4B , the two chips  120  and  130  of the display device  100   a , according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, respectively correspond to a master  120   a  and a slave  130   a . The master  120   a  and the slave  130   a  may be determined by logic states of a master-slave signal XMS. For example, a chip for which the master-slave signal XMS is set to a low logic level “L” corresponds to the master  120   a , and a chip for which the master-slave signal XMS is set to a high logic level “H” corresponds to the slave  130   a.    
     The transmission order of the master  120   a  takes precedence over the transmission order of the slave  130   a . For example, the master  120   a  transmits   and the slave  130   a  transmits   to the panel  110   a , if the data   is equally divided into   and  . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4A and 4B , in a case when a left enable signal XLEN of the master  120   a  and a right enable signal XREN of the slave  130   a  are set to a high logic level “H”, the master  120   a  transmits   to the left region L 1  through Ln of the panel  110   a  and the slave  130   a  transmits   to the right region R 1  through Rn of the panel  110   a.    
     When a transmission direction signal XDS which is at a low logic level “L” is applied to the display device  100   a  that is set according to the hardware settings of table of  FIG. 4A , the data   is transmitted from the left to the right of the panel  110   a , as indicated by the arrow. That is, the master  120   a  transmits   from L 1  to Ln and the slave  130   a  transmits   from R 1  to Rn, and the data   is displayed as illustrated in  FIG. 4B . 
       FIG. 4C  illustrates data properly left/right-changed and displayed on the display device  100  of  FIG. 3 , which is set according to the hardware settings of table of  FIG. 4A , when a transmission direction is changed. Referring to  FIG. 4C , the transmission direction signal XDS at a high logic level “H” is applied to the display device  100   a  for the left/right change display of the data  . The two chips  120   a  and  130   a  transmit the data   from the right to the left of the panel  110   a , as indicated by the arrow. An order change signal XCHAN having a logic state different from the logic state of the master-slave signal XMS is applied to the chips  120   a  and  130   a.    
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the display device  100  includes an order change signal generator  140 . The order change signal  140  generates the order change signal XCHAN in response to the transmission direction signal that indicates a direction of transmission of the data DDTA to the panel  110 . 
       FIG. 6  is a circuit diagram of the order change signal generator  140  of  FIG. 3 , according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Referring to  FIG. 6 , the order change signal generator  140  includes an exclusive NOR gate  142  and first, second and third multiplexers  143 ,  144  and  145 . The exclusive NOR gate  142  outputs a signal, which is obtained by performing an exclusive NOR operation on the transmission direction signal XDS and the master-slave signal XMS, as a first control signal XC 1 . The first and second multiplexers  143  and  144  select either the master-slave signal XMS or an inverted master-slave signal XMS in response to the first control signal. The third multiplexer  145  outputs either the output signal of the first or multiplexer  143  or the output signal of the second multiplexer  144  as the order change signal XCHAN in response to a second control signal XLEN. For example, the second control signal XLEN can be the left enable signal XLEN that enables the left region L 1  through Ln. 
     Hereinafter, the order change signal XCHAN applied to the master  120   a  when the display device, which is set according to the hardware settings of table of  FIG. 4A , performs left/right change display as illustrated in  FIG. 4C  will be described. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4A through 4C , the first control signal is at a low logic level “L” because the transmission direction signal XDS is at a high logic level “H” and the master-slave signal XMS of the master  120   a  is at a low logic level, “L”. The first multiplexer  143  outputs the inverted signal XMSB of the master  120   a  and the second multiplexer  144  outputs the master-slave signal XMS of the master  120   a . In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the first multiplexer  143  outputs a logic high signal and the second multiplexer  144  outputs a logic low signal. 
     The third multiplexer  145  outputs the output signal of the first multiplexer  143  as the order change signal XCHAN when the second control signal XLEN, for example, the left enable signal XLEN of the master  120   a , is at a high logic level “H”. For example, the order change signal XCHAN that is at a high logic level “H” is applied to the master  120   a  of  FIG. 4C , and the order change signal XCHAN that is at a low logic level “L” is applied to the slave  130   a  of  FIG. 4C . 
     In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the order change signal XCHAN having a logic state different from that of the master-slave signal XMS is applied to the display device  100   a  when left/right change display is performed, and the display device  100   a  recognizes the master  120   a  as the slave  130   a  and recognizes the slave  130   a  as the master  120   a . The chips  120   a  and  130   a  transmit the data DDTA to the panel  110   a  according to a transmission order based on the logic state of the order change signal XCHAN, and not according to their fixed transmission orders that may be set in hardware. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4C , the transmission orders of the chips  120   a  and  130   a  are changed according to the order change signal XCHAN, and the transmission order of the slave  130   a  takes precedence over the transmission order of the master  120   a . Accordingly, the slave  130   a  transmits   and the master  120   a  transmits   and the incorrect left/right change display shown in  FIG. 1B  is prevented. 
       FIG. 5A  is a table representing hardware setting f r the transmission of data in the display device of  FIG. 3 , according to a exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 5B  illustrates the data   displayed on the display device of  FIG. 3  that is set according to the hardware setting of table of  FIG. 5A . Referring to  FIGS. 5A and 5B , operations of the display device  100   b  correspond to operations of the display device  100   a  of  FIGS. 4A and 4B , but the positions of the chips  120   b  and  130   b  and the logic state of the transmission direction signal XDS are different from those of the display device  100   a  of  FIGS. 4A and 4B .  FIG. 5C  illustrates data left/right-changed and displayed on the display device of  FIG. 3 , which is set according to the hardware setting of table of  FIG. 5A , when a transmission direction is changed. Referring to  FIG. 5C , the logic level of the transmission direction signal XDS is inverted from the logic level of the transmission direction signal XDS in the case of  FIG. 5B  and applied to the display device  100   b  for left/right change display. Here, the data   is correctly left/right changed and displayed, as shown in  FIG. 5C , according to operations as described with reference to  FIG. 4C . 
       FIG. 7  is a flow chart showing a display method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Referring to  FIG. 7 , the display method of a display device including a plurality of chips respectively transmit data to transmission regions of a panel according to the fixed transmission orders includes a step S 220  of applying changed transmission orders different from the fixed transmission orders that may be set in the hardware to the plurality of chips and a step S 230  of transmitting the data to the panel according to the changed transmission orders. 
     In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, there are two chips that respectively correspond to a master and a slave, and the transmission order of the master takes precedence over the transmission order of the slave. 
     In the step S 220 , the transmission order of the slave is applied to the master and the transmission order of the master is applied to the slave. When a direction of transmission of the data to the panel is changed in the step S 210 , transmission orders different from the fixed transmission orders are applied to the plurality of chips. 
     As described above, the display device and method capable of performing left/right change display according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention change the transmission orders of chips, which may be set in hardware, when a direction of transmission of data to a panel is changed, and left/right change display can be performed in a display device including two chips. 
     Although exemplary embodiments of embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings for the purpose of illustration, it is to be understood that the inventive processes and apparatus should not be construed as limited thereby: It will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications to the foregoing exemplary embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims, with equivalents of the claims to be included therein.