IP Library Patent Application 10510286
Patent Application
App. No. 10/510,286

Liquid crystal display device

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US None
App. No.
10/510,286
Abstract

A difference in potential between a common power supply voltage and a data signal voltage required for driving an active-type liquid crystal display device is used, thereby making it possible to display a pictogram without additionally input a new signal to an opposite side. Moreover, a gray scale of a data signal is adjusted, thereby reducing a direct-current component in pictogram driving. A pictogram electrode in a pictogram display area is driven by a part of extra output terminals of a data driver for driving a moving image display area. With this, in a liquid crystal display device using thin-film transistors (TFTs) with a common substrate being an electrode on its entire surface, a simple structure including a moving image area and a pictogram display area is provided.

Claims (30)

1 . A liquid crystal display device capable of displaying a moving image display area for displaying moving images and a pictogram display area, wherein the moving image display area is formed by arranging display electrodes in a matrix, the display electrode being driven by thin-film transistor elements, and the pictogram display area is formed by disposing a segment electrode in a shape of a predetermined pictogram, wherein

a common electrode is provided on an entire position that is opposed to both the moving image display area and the pictogram display area,

a scan-side integrated circuit for driving scan lines is provided so as to be connected to the scan lines connected to the thin-film transistors arranged in a row direction in the moving image display area,

a data-side integrated circuit for driving data lines is provided so as to be connected to the data lines connected to the thin-film transistors arranged in a column direction in the moving image display area, and the data-side integrated circuit is provided with a larger number of output terminals than the data lines, and

the segment electrode is connected to an output terminal, which is different from an output terminal to which data line for moving images is connected, of the data-side integrated circuit, and a difference between a potential of the common electrode and a potential of an output signal from the data-side integrated circuit, which is generated due to driving based on polarity of the common electrode, is used to display the pictogram in the pictogram display.

2 . The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 , wherein

an output signal from the data-side integrated circuit to the segment electrode is generated so that an output potential is varied for each predetermined period.

3 . The liquid crystal display device according to claim 2 , wherein

the output potential varied for each predetermined period is made within a voltage range of the potential of the common electrode, thereby suppressing a direct-current component caused by a difference between the potential of the data output signal and the potential of the common electrode.

4 . The liquid crystal display device according to claim 2 , wherein

the predetermined period is a period required for inverting a polarity of the common electrode.

5 . The liquid crystal display device according to claim 3 , wherein

the output potential varied for each predetermined period is controlled by an input signal defining a gray tone to the data-side integrated circuit.

6 . A liquid crystal display device capable of displaying a moving image display area for displaying moving images and a pictogram display area, wherein the moving image display area is formed by arranging display electrodes in a matrix, the display electrodes being driven by moving-image thin-film transistor elements, and the pictogram display area is formed by disposing a pictogram electrode in a shape of a predetermined pictogram, the pictogram electrode being driven by a pictogram thin-film transistor element, wherein

a common electrode is provided on an entire position that is opposed to the moving image display area and the pictogram display area,

a scan-side integrated circuit for driving scan lines is provided so as to be connected to the scan lines connected to the moving-image thin-film transistors arranged in a row direction in the moving image display area,

a data-side integrated circuit for driving data lines is provided so as to be connected to the data lines connected to the moving-image thin-film transistors arranged in a column direction in the moving image display area, and to the data-side integrated circuit output terminals are provided in a number that is greater than the number of data lines, and

either one of a source terminal or a drain terminal of the pictogram thin-film transistor is connected to, among a plurality of output terminals of the data-side integrated circuit, an output terminal that is different from output terminals to which the data lines connected to the moving-image thin-film transistors are connected, and other terminal of the pictogram thin-film transistor is connected to the pictogram electrode, a gate terminal of the pictogram thin-film transistor is connected to an output terminal of the scan-side integrated circuit, and a difference between a potential of the common electrode and a potential of the drain terminal of the pictogram thin-film transistor is used to display the pictogram in the pictogram display area.

7 . The liquid crystal display device according to claim 6 , wherein

the pictogram display area is provided with a plurality of the pictogram electrodes and a plurality of the pictogram thin-film transistors, and gate terminals of the pictogram thin-film transistors are connected to a same output terminal of the scan-side integrated circuit.

8 . The liquid crystal display device according to claim 6 , wherein

the pictogram display area is provided with a plurality of the pictogram electrodes and a plurality of the pictogram thin-film transistors, and gate terminals of the plurality of pictogram thin-film transistors are connected to different output terminals of the scan-side integrated circuit.

9 . The liquid crystal display device according to claim 6 , wherein

one pictogram electrode has connected thereto a plurality of the pictogram thin-film transistors.

10 . The liquid crystal display device according to claim 9 , wherein

gate terminals of a plurality of the pictogram thin-film transistors connected to a same pictogram electrode are connected to different output terminals of the scan-side integrated circuit.

11 . The liquid crystal display device according to claim 6 , wherein

a gate terminal of the pictogram thin-film transistor is connected to, among a plurality of output terminals of the scan-side integrated circuit, an output terminal that is different from output terminals to which scan lines connected to the moving image thin-film transistor are connected.

12 . The liquid crystal display device according to claim 6 , wherein

the pictogram display area is provided with the plurality of the pictogram electrodes and the plurality of the pictogram thin-film transistors, and any one of source terminals and drain terminals, which are connected to the pictogram electrodes, of the plurality of the pictogram thin-film transistors, are connected to a same output terminal of the data-side integrated circuit, and other terminals of the plurality of pictogram thin-film transistors are connected to different output terminals of the scan-side integrated circuit.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 16, 2007
From: CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD.
To: CITIZEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 019301/0503 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 6, 2004
From: YANO, TAKAKAZU; TAKAHASHI, KAZUTOSHI; MIYABE, KOSEI; SEKIGUCHI, KANETAKA; WATANABE, TAKAHIKO; ISHIYAMA, TOSHIAKI; IKEDA, SHINYA
To: CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD; NEC LCD TECHNOLOGIES, LTD
Reel/Frame 016551/0633 →