Method for driving liquid crystal display device having a display pixel region and a dummy pixel region

1. A method for driving a liquid crystal display device comprising:

a pixel region in which a pixel comprising a switching element, a pixel electrode, and a liquid crystal is arranged at each intersection point in matrix between a plurality of scanning lines arranged in parallel in a horizontal direction and a plurality of signal lines arranged in parallel in a vertical direction,

wherein the pixel region comprises a display pixel region used for displaying an image and a dummy pixel region arranged around an outer periphery of the display pixel region, the dummy pixel region comprising a dummy pixel entirely covered by a shield film and having no aperture,

the method comprising the step of:

applying an optimum voltage, which is lower than an upper-limit voltage value by which a reverse twisted domain is generated and higher than a lower-limit voltage value by which a light leakage is generated in a boundary area located between the display pixel region and the dummy pixel region, to liquid crystals of at least a part of the dummy pixel region.

2. The method for driving a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 , wherein the upper-limit voltage value is set lower than a maximum value of a video signal voltage to be applied to the liquid crystal of the display pixel region.

3. The method for driving a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 , wherein the upper-limit voltage value is set lower than a maximum value of a video signal voltage to be applied to the liquid crystal of the display pixel region for an amount of voltage drop after one frame period caused by a photoelectric current leakage of the switching element.

4. The method for driving a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 , wherein values of the optimum voltage are a plurality of different values which, as a result of a plurality of application to the liquid crystals in the dummy pixel region, are lower than the upper-limit voltage value and also higher than the lower-limit voltage value.

5. The method for driving a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 , wherein:

the optimum voltage for m-time (n>m) frame among continuous n-time frames is the minimum value of the video signal voltage to be applied to the liquid crystal of the display pixel region or larger than the minimum value; and

the optimum voltage for remaining (n−m) frames is the maximum value of the video signal voltage to be applied to the liquid crystal of the display pixel region or smaller than the maximum value.

6. The method for driving a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 , comprising the steps of, at the time of actuating the liquid crystals by a scanning line inversion driving method:

applying the optimum voltage, which is lower than an upper-limit voltage value by which a reverse twisted domain is generated and higher than a lower-limit voltage value by which a light leakage is generated in a boundary area between the display pixel region and the dummy pixel region, to the liquid crystals of the dummy pixel region being arranged on the left and right of the display pixel region; and

applying a voltage which is higher than the lower-limit voltage value to the liquid crystals of the dummy pixel region being arranged on top and bottom of the display pixel region.

7. The method for driving a liquid crystal display device according to claim 6 , wherein the upper-limit voltage value is set lower than a maximum value of the video signal voltage to be applied to the liquid crystal of the display pixel region.

8. The method for driving a liquid crystal display device according to claim 6 , wherein the upper-limit voltage value is set lower than a maximum value of a video signal voltage to be applied to the liquid crystal of the display pixel region for an amount of voltage drop after one frame period caused by a photoelectric current leakage of the switching element.

9. The method for driving a liquid crystal display device according to claim 6 , wherein values of the optimum voltage are plurality of different values which, as a result of a plurality of application to the liquid crystals in the dummy pixel region, are lower than the upper-limit voltage value and also higher than the lower-limit voltage value.

10. The method for driving a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 , wherein, at the time of using a scanning line inversion driving method:

for m-time (n>m) frame among continuous n-time frames, the optimum voltage which is applied to the liquid crystals of the dummy pixel region arranged in left and right of the display pixel region is the minimum value of the video signal voltage to be applied to the liquid crystal of the display pixel region or larger than the minimum value; and

for remaining (n−m) frames, the optimum voltage which is applied to the liquid crystals of the dummy pixel region arranged in left and right of the display pixel region is the maximum value of the video signal voltage to be applied to the liquid crystal of the display pixel region or smaller than the maximum value.

11. The method for driving a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 , comprising the steps of, at the time of using a signal line inversion driving method:

applying the optimum voltage, which is lower than an upper-limit voltage value by which a reverse twisted domain is generated and higher than a lower-limit voltage value by which a light leakage is generated in a boundary area between the display pixel region and the dummy pixel region, to the liquid crystals of the dummy pixel region being arranged on top and bottom of the display pixel region; and

applying a voltage which is higher than the lower-limit voltage value to the liquid crystals of the dummy pixel region being arranged on the left and right of the display pixel region.

12. The method for driving a liquid crystal display device according to claim 11 , wherein the upper-limit voltage value is set lower than the maximum value of the video signal voltage to be applied to the liquid crystal of the display pixel region.

13. The method for driving a liquid crystal display device according to claim 11 , wherein the upper-limit voltage value is set lower than the maximum value of a video signal voltage to be applied to the liquid crystal of the display pixel region for an amount of voltage drop after one frame period caused by a photoelectric current leakage of the switching element.

14. The method for driving a liquid crystal display device according to claim 11 , wherein values of the optimum voltage are plurality of different values which, as a result of a plurality of application to the liquid crystals in the dummy pixel region, are lower than the upper-limit voltage value and also higher than the lower-limit voltage value.

15. The method for driving a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 , wherein, at the time of using a signal line inversion driving method:

for m-time (n>m) frame among continuous n-time frames, the optimum voltage which is applied to the liquid crystals of the dummy pixel region arranged on top and bottom of the display pixel region is the minimum value of the video signal voltage to be applied to the liquid crystal of the display pixel region or larger than the minimum value; and

for remaining (n−m) frames, the optimum voltage which is applied to the liquid crystals of the dummy pixel region arranged on top and bottom of the display pixel region is the maximum value of the video signal voltage to be applied to the liquid crystal of the display pixel region or smaller than the maximum value.

16. The method for driving a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 , comprising the steps of, at the time of using a dot inversion driving method:

applying the optimum voltage, which is lower than an upper-limit voltage value by which a reverse twisted domain is generated and higher than a lower-limit voltage value by which a light leakage is generated in a boundary area between the display pixel region and the dummy pixel region, to the liquid crystals of the dummy pixel region being arranged in the periphery of the display pixel region.

17. The method for driving a liquid crystal display device according to claim 16 , wherein the upper-limit voltage value is set lower than the maximum value of the video signal voltage to be applied to the liquid crystal of the display pixel region.

18. The method for driving a liquid crystal display device according to claim 16 , wherein the upper-limit voltage value is set lower than the maximum value of a video signal voltage to be applied to the liquid crystal of the display pixel region for an amount of voltage drop after one frame period caused by a photoelectric current leakage of the switching element.

19. The method for driving a liquid crystal display device according to claim 16 , wherein values of the optimum voltage are plurality of different values which, as a result of a plurality of application to the liquid crystals in the dummy pixel region, are lower than the upper-limit voltage value and also higher than the lower-limit voltage value.

20. The method for driving a liquid crystal display device according to claim 16 , wherein, at the time of using a dot inversion driving method:

for m-time (n>m) frame among continuous n-time frames, the optimum voltage which is applied to the liquid crystals of the dummy pixel region arranged in a periphery of the display pixel region is the minimum value of the video signal voltage to be applied to the liquid crystal of the display pixel region or larger than the minimum value; and

for remaining (n−m) frames, the optimum voltage which is applied to the liquid crystals of the dummy pixel region arranged in the periphery of the display pixel region is the maximum value of the video signal voltage to be applied to the liquid crystal of the display pixel region or smaller than the maximum value.

21. The method for driving a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 , wherein a reverse twisted domain occurs when a voltage, which is applied to the dummy pixel region is the maximum value of a video signal voltage applied to the display pixel region.

22. The method for driving a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 , wherein light leakage occurs when a voltage is applied to the display pixel region such that a boundary between the dummy pixel region and the display pixel region appears white.