Patent Publication Number: US-2007120788-A1

Title: Display devices and panel modules

Description:
This application claims the benefit of Taiwan application Serial No. 94142044 filed Nov. 30, 2005, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to a display device, and in particular relates to a panel module with a memory device for storing optics and image references related to a display array.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
      In a conventional liquid crystal display (LCD) device, a memory device, such as an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), is used to store optics references and image references related to a panel module within LCD device. The memory device is disposed on a circuit board of a timing controller, a circuit board of a scalar, or a common circuit board of a timing controller and a scalar. Referring to  FIG. 1 , a conventional display device comprises a system module  10  and a panel module  11 . The system module  10  comprises a timing controller  100  and a scalar  101 , which are disposed on the same or different circuit boards.  FIG. 1  shows the timing controller  100  and the scalar  101  disposed on the same circuit board  12 . The panel module  11  comprises a data driver  110 , a scan driver  111 , a backlight unit  112 , a driver  113  for driving the backlight unit  112 , and a display array  114 . The driver  113  is generally an inverter. Referring to  FIG. 1 , the data driver  110  is coupled to a circuit board  13 , the scan driver  111  is coupled to a circuit board  14 , and the driver  113  is coupled to a circuit board  15 . The display device  1  further comprises a memory device  16 , which is disposed on the circuit board  12  and stores optics references and image references related to the panel module  11 . The optics and image references comprise white balance references, color regulation reference, response time of liquid crystal molecules, and the like.  
      The disposition of the memory device  16 , however, causes problems in collocation of the system module  10  and the panel module  11 . The panel module  11  must operate with a system module of the particular specification, so that applications of the panel module  11  can be greatly reduced. Moreover, after the optics and image references are optimized and stored in the memory device  16 , the optics and image references are required to be regulated again in the system setting process, thereby increasing the complexity of the panel module manufacture.  
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a display device comprising a glass substrate, a display array, a backlight unit, at least one first driver, a second driver, a scalar, a timing controller, a first circuit board, and a second circuit board. The display array is disposed on the glass substrate and comprises a plurality of pixel units. The backlight unit provides light to the display array. The at least one first driver controls the pixel units. The second driver drives the backlight unit. The scalar processes an image input signal and outputs a digital image signal. The timing controller is disposed on the first circuit board and receives the digital image signal and provides at least one control signal to the at least one first driver. The memory device is disposed on the second circuit board and stores optics and image references of the display array.  
      In some embodiments of the present invention, the at least one first driver is coupled to the second circuit board. In other embodiments, the second driver is coupled to the second circuit board.  
      According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a display device comprising a glass substrate, a display array, a backlight unit, at least one first driver, a second driver, a scalar, and a timing controller. The display array is disposed on the glass substrate and comprises a plurality of pixel units. The backlight unit provides light to the display array. The at least one first driver controls the pixel units. The second driver drives the backlight unit. The scalar processes an image input signal and outputs a digital image signal. The timing controller receives the digital image signal and provides at least one control signal to the at least one first driver. The memory device stores optics and image references of the display array and is disposed on the glass substrate.  
      A detailed description is given in the following embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The present invention can be more fully understood by reading the subsequent detailed description and examples with references made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
       FIG. 1  depicts a conventional display device;  
       FIG. 2  depicts an exemplary embodiment of a display device;  
       FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b  depict the coupling of the data driver and the scan driver of  FIG. 2 ;  
       FIG. 4  depicts the timing controller and the scalar of  FIG. 2  disposed on the different circuit boards;  
       FIG. 5  depicts an exemplary embodiment of a display device;  
       FIG. 6  depicts an exemplary embodiment of a display device; and  
       FIG. 7  depicts an exemplary embodiment of a display device. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
      The following description is of the best-contemplated mode of carrying out the invention. This description is made for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the present invention and should not be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the present invention is best determined by the appended claims.  
      Display devices are provided. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, as shown in.  FIG. 2 , a display device  2  comprises a system module  20  and a panel module  21 . The system module  20  comprises a timing controller  200  and a scalar  201 , which are disposed on the same or different circuit boards.  FIG. 2  shows the timing controller  200  and the scalar  201  disposed on the same circuit board  22 . The panel module  21  comprises a data driver  210 , a scan driver  211 , a backlight unit  212 , a driver  213  for driving the backlight unit  212 , and a display array  214 . The driver  213  can be an inverter. Referring to  FIG. 2 , the data driver  210  is coupled to a circuit board  23   a  or  23   b  or to the circuit boards  23   a  and  23   b . The scan driver  211  is coupled to a circuit board  24 , and the driver  213  is coupled to a circuit board  25 . The display device  2  further comprises a memory device  26 , which stores characteristic references related to the panel module  21 . The characteristic references comprise optics and image references of the display array  214 , such as white balance, color regulation, response time of liquid crystal molecules, and the like. Note that the memory device  26  is disposed on the circuit board  23   a  or  23   b . In  FIG. 2 , the memory device  26  is disposed on the circuit board  23   a.    
      In the system module  20 , the scalar  201  receives an image input signal S 1 . After processing the image input signal S 1 , the scalar  201  outputs a digital image signal S 2 . The timing controller  200  receives the digital image signal S 2  and provides control signals to the data driver  210  and the scan driver  211 , respectively.  
      In the display module  21 , the display array  214  comprises a plurality of pixel units disposed on rows and columns for displaying images. The display array  214  is disposed on a glass substrate  215 . The scan driver  211  sequentially provides scan signals to the display array  14  to tune on the pixels unit on each row. The data driver  210  provides image signals to the turned-on pixel units to display images. The driver  213  drives the backlight unit  212  to provide light to the display array  214 .  
       FIG. 3   a  depicts an example of the coupling of the data driver and the scan driver in  FIG. 2 . Referring to  FIG. 3   a , the data driver  210  is coupled to the circuit board  23   a  or  23   b  or to the circuit boards  23   a  and  23   b  by chip-on-film (COF). The scan driver  211  is also coupled to the circuit board  24  by COF.  
       FIG. 3   b  depicts another example of the coupling of the data driver and the scan driver in  FIG. 2 . Referring to  FIG. 3   b , the data driver  210  is coupled to the circuit board  23   a  or  23   b  or to the circuit boards  23   a  and  23   b  by chip-on-glass (COG). The scan driver  211  is also coupled to the circuit board  24  by COG. The same coupling of the data driver  210  and the scan driver  211  is not a limitation. In practice, it is possible to use COF for one driver, and to use COG for the other driver.  FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b  only show the data driver  210 , the scan driver  211 , the display array  214 , the glass substrate  215  and the memory device  26 , and the disposition of the other elements is the same as that shown in  FIG. 2 .  
       FIG. 4  depicts the timing controller  200  and the scalar  201  disposed on different circuit boards. In  FIG. 4 , the timing controller  200  is disposed on a circuit board  27 , and the scalar  201  is disposed on another circuit board  28 .  
      According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a display device  5  comprising a system module  20  and a panel module  21  is shown in  FIG. 5 . The system module  20  comprises a timing controller  200  and a scalar  201 , which are disposed on the same or different circuit boards.  FIG. 5  shows the timing controller  200  and scalar  201  disposed on the same circuit board  22 . The panel module  21  comprises a data driver  210 , a scan driver  211 , a backlight unit  212 , a driver  213  for driving the backlight unit  212 , and a display array  214 . The display array  214  is disposed on the glass substrate  215 . The driver  213  can be an inverter. Referring to  FIG. 5 , the data driver  210  is coupled to a circuit board  23   a  or  23   b  or to the circuit boards  23   a  and  23   b . The scan driver  211  is coupled to a circuit board  24 , and the driver  213  is coupled to a circuit board  25 . The display device  5  further comprises a memory device  50 , which stores characteristic references related to the panel module  21 . The characteristic references comprise optics and image references of the display array  214 , such as white balance, color regulation, response time of liquid crystal molecules, and the like. Note that the memory device  50  is disposed on the circuit board  24 .  
      In  FIGS. 2 and 5 , the elements with the same labels perform the same operations. Moreover, the elements with the same labels use the same coupling, as shown in  FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b.    
      According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a display device  6  comprising a system module  20  and a panel module  21  is shown in  FIG. 6 . The system module  20  comprises a timing controller  200  and scalar  201  which are disposed on the same or different circuit boards.  FIG. 6  shows the timing controller  200  and the scalar  201  disposed on the same circuit board  22 . The panel module  21  comprises a data driver  210 , a scan driver  211 , a backlight unit  212 , a driver  213  for driving the backlight unit  212 , and a display array  214 . The display array  214  is disposed on the glass substrate  215 . The driver  213  can be an inverter. Referring to  FIG. 6 , the data driver  210  is coupled to a circuit board  23   a  or  23   b  or to the circuit boards  23   a  and  23   b . The scan driver  211  is coupled to a circuit board  24 , and the driver  213  is coupled to a circuit board  25 . The display device  6  further comprises a memory device  60 , which stores characteristic references related to the panel module  21 . The characteristic references comprise optics and image references of the display array  214 , such as white balance, color regulation, response time of liquid crystal molecules, and similar. Note that the memory device  60  is disposed on the circuit board  25 .  
      In  FIGS. 2 and 6 , the elements with the same labels perform the same operations. Moreover, the elements with the same labels use the same coupling, as shown in  FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b.    
      In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a display device  7  comprising a system module  20  and a panel module  21  is shown in  FIG. 7 . The system module  20  comprises a timing controller  200  and a scalar  201  which are disposed on the same or different circuit boards.  FIG. 7  shows the timing controller  200  and scalar  201  disposed on the same circuit board  22 . The panel module  21  comprises a data driver  210 , a scan driver  211 , a backlight unit  212 , a driver  213  for driving the backlight unit  212 , and a display array  214 . The display array  214  is disposed on the glass substrate  215 . The driver  213  can be an inverter. Referring to  FIG. 7 , the data driver  210  is coupled to a circuit board  23   a  or  23   b  or to the circuit boards  23   a  and  23   b . The scan driver  211  is coupled to a circuit board  24 , and the driver  213  is coupled to a circuit board  25 . The display device  7  further comprises a memory device  70 , which stores characteristic references related to the panel module  21 . The characteristic references comprise optics and image references of the display array  214 , such as white balance, color regulation, response time of liquid crystal molecules, and similar. Note that the memory device  70  is disposed on the glass substrate  215 .  
      In  FIGS. 2 and 7 , the elements with the same labels perform the same operations. Moreover, the elements with the same labels use the same coupling, as shown in  FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b.    
      As shown in  FIGS. 2, 5 ,  6 , and  7 , a memory device storing optics and image references is disposed on the circuit board to which the data driver is coupled, the circuit board to which the scan driver is coupled, the circuit board to which the backlight driver is coupled, or the glass substrate of the display array, instead of the circuit board to which the timing controller is coupled. In other words, the memory device is disposed on a circuit board of the panel module or the glass substrate, but not on a circuit board of the system module. Thus, the panel module with the memory device is not limited to a system module of the particular specification. In the system setting process, it is not necessary for the optics and image references to be regulated again, thereby decreasing the number of processes required during panel module manufacture.  
      While the present invention has been described by way of example and in terms of the preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Rather, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements as would be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.