Patent Publication Number: US-10317748-B2

Title: Display panels and the array substrates thereof

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present disclosure relates to display technology, and more particularly to a display panel and the array substrate thereof. 
     2. Discussion of the Related Art 
     With respect to liquid crystal panel technology, a white sub-pixel (W) is additionally configured in the RGBW pixel design when compared to the traditional RGB pixel design. With such configuration, the display brightness of the liquid crystal panel is increased, and the power consumption may be reduced, wherein when the R, G, and B sub-pixel of one pixel cell are turned on, the W sub-pixel is turned on. Otherwise, the W sub-pixel is in an off state. 
     Thus, when the RGBW display panel displays a pure-color or a colorful image, compared to the RGB liquid crystal panel, the pure-color brightness of the RGBW may be reduced when the background is the same. The displayed image may be distorted, which seriously affects the optical performance of the displayed image. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure relates to a display panel and the array substrate thereof to solve the issues of the RGBW display panel, including low brightness, distorted display images, and the poor optical performance. 
     In one aspect, an array substrate includes: a plurality of pixel cells including a plurality of colorful sub-pixels and one white sub-pixel, wherein each of the sub-pixels includes at least one sub-pixel electrode and at least one sub-pixel transistor corresponding to each of the sub-pixel electrode, the sub-pixel transistors is configured within the white sub-pixel to enhance an aperture rate of the colorful sub-pixels, with respect to the same pixel cell, the white sub-pixel is turned on when all of the colorful sub-pixels are turned on, and the colorful sub-pixels includes a red sub-pixel, a green sub-pixel, and a blue sub-pixel. 
     In another aspect, an array substrate includes: a plurality of pixel cells comprising a plurality of colorful sub-pixels and one white sub-pixel, wherein each of the sub-pixels comprises at least one sub-pixel electrode and at least one sub-pixel transistor corresponding to each of the sub-pixel electrode, and the sub-pixel transistors is configured within the white sub-pixel to enhance an aperture rate of the colorful sub-pixels. 
     Wherein with respect to the same pixel cell, the white sub-pixel is turned on when all of the colorful sub-pixels are turned on. 
     Wherein the pixel cells are arranged in a matrix, and the white sub-pixel is configured in any one of cells in the matrix. 
     Wherein the sub-pixel transistors within the white sub-pixel also includes at least one virtual sub-pixel transistor. 
     Wherein the sub-pixel transistors is a thin film transistor (TFT), a first connecting end, a second connecting end, and a control end of the sub-pixel transistor respectively corresponds to a drain, a source, and a gate of the TFT. 
     Wherein the array substrate further includes a plurality of scanning lines and a plurality of data lines, wherein the first connecting end of each of the sub-pixel transistors within each of the pixel cells connects to the corresponding sub-pixel electrode, the second connecting end of each of the sub-pixel transistors within each of the pixel cells connects to the corresponding data line, and the control end of each of the sub-pixel transistors within each of the pixel cells connects to the corresponding scanning line. 
     Wherein the colorful sub-pixels includes a red sub-pixel, a green sub-pixel, and a blue sub-pixel. 
     In another aspect, a display panel includes: the above array substrate, a common substrate opposite to the array substrate, and a liquid crystal layer between the array substrate and the common substrate. 
     Wherein with respect to the same pixel cell, the white sub-pixel is turned on when all of the colorful sub-pixels are turned on, and the colorful sub-pixels includes a red sub-pixel, a green sub-pixel, and a blue sub-pixel. 
     Wherein the pixel cells are arranged in a matrix, and the white sub-pixel is configured in any one of cells in the matrix. 
     Wherein the sub-pixel transistors within the white sub-pixel also includes at least one virtual sub-pixel transistor. 
     Wherein the sub-pixel transistors is a thin film transistor (TFT), a first connecting end, a second connecting end, and a control end of the sub-pixel transistor respectively corresponds to a drain, a source, and a gate of the TFT. 
     Wherein the array substrate further includes a plurality of scanning lines and a plurality of data lines, wherein the first connecting end of each of the sub-pixel transistors within each of the pixel cells connects to the corresponding sub-pixel electrode, the second connecting end of each of the sub-pixel transistors within each of the pixel cells connects to the corresponding data line, and the control end of each of the sub-pixel transistors within each of the pixel cells connects to the corresponding scanning line. 
     Wherein the colorful sub-pixels includes a red sub-pixel, a green sub-pixel, and a blue sub-pixel. 
     In view of the above, as the sub-pixel transistors are configured within the same white sub-pixel, the brightness of the white sub-pixel may be decreased. At the same time, the aperture rate of the colorful sub-pixels may be greatly enhanced so as to enhance the performance of colorful images. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Embodiments of the invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the invention are shown. Apparently, the accompanying drawings are only some embodiments of the claimed invention. Those of ordinary skill can derive other drawings from these drawings without creative efforts. 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view of the array substrate in accordance with one embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic view of the pixel cell in the first embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic view of the array substrate in accordance with a second embodiment. 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic view of the display panel in accordance with the first embodiment. 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic view of the display device in accordance with the first embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     Embodiments of the invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the invention are shown. 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic view of the array substrate in accordance with one embodiment.  FIG. 2  is a schematic view of the pixel cell in the first embodiment. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the array substrate  100  includes a plurality of pixel cells  10 , each of the pixel cells  10  includes a plurality of colorful sub-pixels and one white sub-pixel  12 , the colorful sub-pixels are respectively a red sub-pixel  14 , a green sub-pixel  16 , and a blue sub-pixel  18 . Each of the sub-pixels includes at least one sub-pixel electrode and at least one sub-pixel transistor corresponding to each of the sub-pixel electrode. The sub-pixel transistors are configured within the white sub-pixel  12  to enhance the aperture rate of the colorful sub-pixel. 
     The array substrate  100  is configured with the sub-pixel transistor, and the sub-pixel transistors are configured within the white sub-pixel  12  so as to decrease the brightness of the white sub-pixel  12  and to increase the aperture rate of the colorful sub-pixel. Thus, the distortion of the colorful image may be reduced such that optical performance of the colorful image may be enhanced. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , each of the sub-pixels includes the sub-pixel transistor and the sub-pixel transistor is configured in accordance with each of the sub-pixel electrodes. The white sub-pixel  12  includes a white sub-pixel electrode  122  and a white sub-pixel transistor  124  corresponding to the white sub-pixel electrode  122 . The red sub-pixel  14  includes a red sub-pixel  142  and a red sub-pixel transistor  144  corresponding to the red sub-pixel  142 . The green sub-pixel  16  includes a green sub-pixel electrode  162  and a green sub-pixel transistor  164  corresponding to the green sub-pixel electrode  162 . The blue sub-pixel  18  includes a blue sub-pixel electrode  182  and a blue sub-pixel transistor  184  corresponding to the blue sub-pixel electrode  182 . Wherein the white sub-pixel transistor  124 , the red sub-pixel transistor  144 , the green sub-pixel transistor  164 , and the blue sub-pixel transistor  184  are configured within the white sub-pixel  12 . 
     The pixel cells  10  are arranged in a matrix, the white sub-pixel  12  may be arranged in any one of the cells in the matrix. Specifically, the pixel cells  10  are arranged in a square-shaped configuration including 2×2 grids, and the white sub-pixel  12  is configured in any one of the cells in the square-shaped pixel cell  10 . In one example, the white sub-pixel  12  is arranged in a top-left cell of the square-shaped configuration. In another example, the white sub-pixel  12  is arranged in a down-left, top-right, or down-right cell of the square-shaped configuration. The pixel cells may be arranged in a dash-shaped configuration or a pipe-shaped configuration. That is, the sub-pixels are arranged in one column or in one column, and the white sub-pixel is arranged in one of the cell as long as the sub-pixel transistor is configured within the white sub-pixel. 
     With respect to the same pixel cell  10 , the white sub-pixel  12  is only turned on when the red sub-pixel  14 , the green sub-pixel  16 , and the blue sub-pixel  18  are turned on. Due to the white sub-pixel  12 , the brightness of the displayed image may be greatly enhanced while the power consumption may be lower or the same. When the pure-color image or the display image having only two colors, the white sub-pixel  12  is not turned on for the reason that the white sub-pixel  12  may affect the color purity of the displayed image, which results in color distortion. Thus, within the same pixel cell, the white sub-pixel may be turned on only when the colorful sub-pixels are turned on. 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic view of the array substrate in accordance with a second embodiment. 
     In the embodiment, the sub-pixel transistors are thin film transistors (TFTs), a first connecting end, a second connecting end, and a control end of the sub-pixel transistors respectively correspond to a drain, a source, and a gate of the TFT. Specifically, taking the sub-pixel transistor  224  of the secondary lens  22  as one example, the sub-pixel transistor  224  is the TFT, the first connecting end  2242 , the second connecting end  2244 , and the control end  2246  of the sub-pixel transistor  224  respectively correspond to the drain, the source, and the gate of the TFT. The sub-pixel transistors of other colorful sub-pixels may be configured in a similar way. The sub-pixel transistor  224  of the secondary lens  22  will be taken as one example in the below. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the signal controller  200  further includes a plurality of scanning lines  23  and a plurality of data lines  25 , wherein the first connecting end  2242  of each of the sub-pixels within each of the pixel cells connects to the corresponding sub-pixel electrode  222 , the second connecting end  2244  of each of the sub-pixels within each of the pixel cells connects to the corresponding data lines  25 , and the control end  2246  of each of the sub-pixels within each of the pixel cells connects to the corresponding scanning lines  23 . 
     With respect to the configuration of the signal controller  200 , the sub-pixel transistors within the white sub-pixel  22  also includes at least one virtual sub-pixel transistor  226 . Currently, the display panel are designed to have an even number of columns. In the embodiments, the first column and the latest column have to be specially configured. When there are no other sub-pixels configured above the white sub-pixel  22  corresponding to the first column, only two TFTs are required for the sub-pixel in the left side and the white sub-pixel  22 . To keep the aperture rate of the white sub-pixel  22  the same, two virtual sub-pixel transistors  226  are configured for the white sub-pixel  22  in the first column, wherein the virtual sub-pixel transistor  226  do not operate itself. When there are no other sub-pixels configured below the white sub-pixel  22  corresponding to the latest column, to keep the aperture rate of the white sub-pixel  22  the same, the TFT of the sub-pixel corresponding to the latest column is configured to be below the display area of the sub-pixel. 
     The array substrate  200  may be implemented without changing the wiring configuration. Not only the parasitic capacitance between the sub-pixels may be effectively decreased, the aperture rates of the R, G, and B sub-pixels may be greatly increased. Thus, the distortion regarding the pure-color or colorful images displayed by the RGBW configuration may be enhanced, and the brightness of the display panel may not be affected. 
     The sub-pixel transistors are TFTs. When the TFTs are configured within the colorful sub-pixels, the TFTs do not emit lights. Thus, the aperture rate of the colorful sub-pixels may loss to some extent. In view of the above, the sub-pixel transistors of the pixel cell is configured within the same white sub-pixel, which greatly increases the aperture rate of the colorful sub-pixel, i.e., the aperture rate is increased from 50% to 70%. The corresponding aperture rate of the white sub-pixel is decreased, which results in a lower brightness of the white sub-pixel. Also, the impact from the white light beams to the colorful images may be reduced so as to enhance the performance of the colorful images. 
       FIG. 4  is a schematic view of the display panel in accordance with the first embodiment. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the display panel  1  includes the array substrate  100 , the common substrate  101  opposite to the array substrate  100 , and a liquid crystal layer  102  between the array substrate and the common substrate. 
     Wherein the structure of the array substrate  100  may be reference in the above disclosure, and thus are omitted hereinafter. 
       FIG. 5  is a schematic view of the display device in accordance with the first embodiment. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , a display device  2  including a housing  201  and the above display panel  1 , and the display panel  1  is arranged within the housing  201 . 
     The structures of the scanning driving circuit  1  and the array substrate  300  may be referred to the above disclosure, and thus are omitted hereinafter. 
     In view of the above, the array substrate is configured with the sub-pixel transistor, and the sub-pixel transistors are configured within the white sub-pixel so as to decrease the brightness of the white sub-pixel and to increase the aperture rate of the colorful sub-pixel. Thus, the distortion of the colorful image may be reduced such that optical performance of the colorful image may be enhanced. 
     It is believed that the present embodiments and their advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the examples hereinbefore described merely being preferred or exemplary embodiments of the invention.