IP Library › Granted Patent US 12706010
Granted Patent B2
US 12706010 · App. 19/030,393 · Granted Aug 11, 2026

Foldable display device and method of driving the same

Inventors: Dae-Gwang Jang (Yongin-si, KR); Kuk-Hwan Ahn (Yongin-si, KR); Seungjae Lee (Yongin-si, KR); Seongheon Cho (Yongin-si, KR)
Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
G09G3/035G09G3/2007G09G3/32G09G2300/0819G09G2300/0842G09G2320/0223G09G2320/0233G09G2320/041
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12706010
App. No.
19/030,393
Granted
Aug 11, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A foldable display device includes a display panel including pixels, a folding region that is configured to be folded to form a folding angle based on a folding line, and a non-folding region adjacent the folding region, a data driver configured to provide a data voltage to the display panel, and a driving controller configured to control the data driver, and to calculate a temperature for a position of the display panel based on the folding angle.

Claims (73)

1 . A foldable display device comprising:

a display panel comprising:

pixels;

a folding region that is configured to be folded to form a folding angle based on a folding line; and

a non-folding region adjacent the folding region;

a data driver configured to provide a data voltage to the display panel; and

a driving controller configured to control the data driver, and to calculate a temperature for a position of the display panel based on corresponding to the folding angle based on a driving current and a voltage drop for the position of the display panel,

wherein the driving controller comprises:

a grayscale voltage calculator configured to calculate a grayscale voltage based on a grayscale;

a grayscale current calculator configured to calculate a grayscale current based on the grayscale voltage;

a driving current calculator configured to calculate the driving current based on the grayscale current;

a resistance change calculator configured to calculate a resistance change for the position of the display panel based on the folding angle;

a voltage drop calculator configured to:

apply the resistance change for the position of the display panel to a resistance for the position of the display panel to calculate a resistance for a compensation position of the display panel; and

calculate the voltage drop for the position of the display panel based on the driving current and the resistance for the compensation position of the display panel; and

a temperature calculator configured to calculate the temperature for the position of the display panel based on the driving current and the voltage drop for the position of the display panel.

2 . The foldable display device of claim 1 , wherein the driving controller is configured to:

calculate the resistance change for the position of the display panel;

apply the resistance change to a resistance for the position of the display panel to calculate the resistance for the compensation position of the display panel; and

calculate the temperature for the position of the display panel based on the resistance for the compensation position of the display panel.

3 . The foldable display device of claim 2 , wherein the resistance change for the position of the display panel increases as the folding angle decreases.

4 . The foldable display device of claim 2 , wherein the resistance change for the position of the display panel is based on a distance from the folding line.

5 . The foldable display device of claim 4 , wherein the resistance change for the position of the display panel increases as the distance from the folding line decreases.

6 . The foldable display device of claim 2 , wherein the driving controller is configured to calculate a resistance change for a line position of the display panel corresponding to the folding line based on the folding angle.

7 . The foldable display device of claim 1 , wherein the pixels comprise:

a light-emitting element;

a driving transistor configured to provide the driving current to the light-emitting element; and

a data write transistor configured to provide the data voltage to the driving transistor.

8 . The foldable display device of claim 1 , wherein the driving current calculator is configured to compensate for a deterioration due to a use of the pixels to calculate the driving current.

9 . The foldable display device of claim 1 , wherein the grayscale received by the grayscale voltage calculator corresponds to a deterioration due to a use of the pixels being compensated for.

10 . A method of driving a foldable display device comprising:

calculating a temperature for a position of a display panel based on a folding angle based on a folding line of the display panel, the temperature being based on a driving current and a voltage drop for the position of the display panel;

generating a data voltage based on input image data and based on the temperature for the position of the display panel; and

providing the data voltage to the display panel,

wherein calculating the temperature for the position of the display panel comprises:

calculating a grayscale voltage based on a grayscale;

calculating a grayscale current based on the grayscale voltage;

calculating the driving current based on the grayscale current;

calculating a resistance change for the position of the display panel based on the folding angle;

applying the resistance change for the position of the display panel to a resistance for the position of the display panel to calculate a resistance for a compensation position of the display panel;

calculating the voltage drop for the position of the display panel based on the driving current and the resistance for the compensation position of the display panel; and

calculating the temperature for the position of the display panel based on the driving current and the voltage drop for the position of the display panel.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

calculating the resistance change for the position of the display panel;

applying the resistance change for the position of the display panel to a resistance for the position of the display panel to calculate the resistance for the compensation position of the display panel; and

calculating the temperature for the position of the display panel based on the resistance for the compensation position of the display panel.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the resistance change for the position of the display panel increases as the folding angle decreases.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the resistance change for the position of the display panel is based on a distance from the folding line.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the resistance change for the position of the display panel increases as the distance from the folding line decreases.

15 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising calculating a resistance change for a line position of the display panel corresponding to the folding line based on the folding angle.

16 . The method of claim 10 , wherein pixels of the display panel comprise:

a light-emitting element;

a driving transistor configured to provide the driving current to the light-emitting element; and

a data write transistor configured to provide the data voltage to the driving transistor.

17 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the driving current is calculated by additionally compensating for a deterioration due to a use of pixels of the display panel.

18 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the grayscale received by the grayscale voltage calculator is based on compensating for a deterioration due to a use of pixels of the display panel.

19 . An electronic device comprising a foldable display device comprising:

a display panel comprising:

pixels;

a folding region that is configured to be folded to form a folding angle based on a folding line; and

a non-folding region adjacent the folding region;

a data driver configured to provide a data voltage to the display panel; and

a driving controller configured to control the data driver, and to calculate a temperature for a position of the display panel based on the folding angle based on a driving current and a voltage drop for the position of the display panel,

wherein the driving controller comprises:

a grayscale voltage calculator configured to calculate a grayscale voltage based on a grayscale;

a grayscale current calculator configured to calculate a grayscale current based on the grayscale voltage;

a driving current calculator configured to calculate the driving current based on the grayscale current;

a resistance change calculator configured to calculate a resistance change for the position of the display panel based on the folding angle;

a voltage drop calculator configured to:

apply the resistance change for the position of the display panel to a resistance for the position of the display panel to calculate a resistance for a compensation position of the display panel; and

calculate the voltage drop for the position of the display panel based on the driving current and the resistance for the compensation position of the display panel; and

a temperature calculator configured to calculate the temperature for the position of the display panel based on the driving current and the voltage drop for the position of the display panel.

20 . The electronic device of claim 19 , wherein the electronic device comprises a smartphone, a television, a monitor, a tablet, an electric vehicle, a mobile phone, a tablet personal computer (PC), a mobile communication terminal, an electronic notebook, an electronic book, a portable multimedia player (PMP), a navigation device, an ultra-mobile PC (UMPC), a laptop computer, a billboard, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, a smartwatch, a watch phone, or a head-mounted display (HMD).