IP Library Granted Patent US 7,924,263
Granted Patent B2
US 7,924,263 · App. 12/777,471 · Granted Apr 12, 2011

Wide flat panel LCD with unitary visual display

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,924,263
App. No.
12/777,471
Granted
Apr 12, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

A flat panel display, particularly a liquid crystal display has a front plate with a plate area defined by a plate perimeter, which is in turn defined by a first and second pair of parallel sides, the pairs of sides in perpendicular relationship to each other. An active display area providing a unitary visual display is located within the plate perimeter. In the invention, this active display area is divided into at least first and second display areas, a visual output of said first and second display areas being separately driven. In some embodiments, one or both of the display areas is subdivided into first and second subdisplay areas, with the visual output of the first and second subdisplay areas being separately driven.

Claims (28)

1. A flat panel liquid crystal display (“LCD”), comprising:

a front plate with a plate area defined by a plate perimeter defined by a plurality of sides, and an active display area providing a unitary visual display within said plate perimeter; and

said active display area divided into at least first and second display areas, a visual output of said first and second display areas being separately driven; wherein a gamma curve for each display area is set to a common gamma curve across a range of gray scale values to provide the unitary visual display.

2. The flat panel LCD of claim 1 , wherein said first and second display areas are defined by said plurality of lines and the first and second display areas are separated by a junction line passing across the plate, the visual output of each of the first and second display areas is driven by a gate driver signal and a source driver signal received along the respective display perimeter.

3. The flat panel LCD of claim 2 , wherein said active display area is divided equally between the first and second display area.

4. The flat panel LCD of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the first and second display areas is further subdivided into first and second subdisplay areas, a visual output of said first and second subdisplay areas being separately driven.

5. The flat panel LCD of claim 2 , wherein a measurement of a video output parameter at a point of the first display area along any line perpendicular to the junction line and at a distance therefrom differs by less than a predetermined amount from a measurement of the video output parameter at a corresponding point of the second display area along the same perpendicular line, when the distance is less than 5% of a total distance from the one of the first set of parallel sides to the junction line.

6. The flat panel LCD of claim 4 , wherein the video output parameter is selected from the group consisting of peak brightness, contrast, and white point color temperature.

7. The flat panel LCD of claim 4 , wherein said first and second subdisplay areas are defined by said plurality of lines, the junction line passing across the plate, and a subjunction line passing across the plate separating the first and second subdisplay areas, the visual output of each of the first and second subdisplay areas is driven by a gate signal driver and a source signal driver received along the respective display perimeter.

8. The flat panel LCD of claim 4 , wherein each said display area is divided equally between the first and second subdisplay areas.

9. The flat panel LCD of claim 4 , wherein the gamma curve generated from the visual output of each said subdisplay area is adjusted to be close to a common gamma curve across a range of gray scale values to provide the unitary visual display.

10. The flat panel LCD of claim 4 , wherein a measurement of a video output parameter at a point of the first subdisplay area along any line perpendicular to the junction line and at a distance therefrom differs by less than a predetermined amount from a measurement of the video output parameter at a corresponding point of the second subdisplay area along the same perpendicular line, when the distance is less than 5% of a total distance from the one of the first set of parallel sides to the junction line.

11. The flat panel LCD of claim 10 , wherein the video output parameter is selected from the group consisting of peak brightness, contrast, and white point color temperature.

12. The flat panel LCD of claim 1 , wherein said first and second display areas comprising subpixels, said subpixels having subpixel voltages, said subpixel voltages adjusted to a desired optical transmission.

13. The flat panel LCD of claim 1 , wherein said active display areas has an aspect ratio of at least 2.2.

14. The flat panel LCD of claim 1 , wherein the junction line is a centerline of the front plate.

15. The flat panel LCD of claim 1 , wherein said display area is adapted for use as an aircraft instrument panel.

16. A flat panel liquid crystal display (“LCD”), comprising:

a front plate with a plate area defined by a plate perimeter defined by a plurality of sides, and an active display area providing a unitary visual display within said plate perimeter;

said active display area divided into at least first and second display areas divided by a junction line, a visual output of said first and second display areas being separately driven; and

a first and second point on each of said first and second display areas, wherein the values of at least one output parameter is measured, said first and second points of the respective display areas defining correspondingly positioned pairs of points relative to said junction line wherein a gamma curve for each display area is set to a common gamma curve across a range of gray scale values to provide the unitary visual display.

17. The flat panel LCD of claim 16 , wherein the video output parameters of each said pair of points relative to junction line is tuned so as to be within a predetermined allowable variance.

18. The flat panel of claim 17 , wherein the predetermined allowable variance is set less than a visually perceptible difference for the at least one video output parameter, so as to form the unitary visual display.

19. A method for manufacturing a flat panel liquid crystal display (LCD) having a unitary visual display comprising first and second display areas that adjoin along a junction line, a visual output of said first and second display areas being driven by respective first and second driving circuits, comprising the steps of:

providing a flat panel LCD having a front plate for providing the unitary visual display generating a gamma curve for each display area, the respective gamma curves are adjusted to be close to a common gamma curve across a range of gray scale values to provide the unitary visual display;

activating the respective first and second display areas and measuring the value of at least one video output parameter at a first and a second point on each of the first and second display areas, said first points and said second points of the respective display areas defining correspondingly positioned pairs of points relative to said junction line; and

tuning at least one of said first and said second driving circuits such that, after such tuning step, a difference between the measured values for each said at least one video output parameter of each said pair of points is smaller than a predetermined allowable variance.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the predetermined allowable variance is set less than a visually perceptible difference for the at least one video output parameter.

Assignments (9)
NOTICE OF SUCCESSOR AGENT AND ASSIGNMENT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN REEL/FRAME 051010/0381 Recorded Nov 7, 2025
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS PREDECESSOR AGENT
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS SUCCESSOR AGENT
Reel/Frame 073506/0518 →
MERGER Recorded May 3, 2022
From: AMERICAN PANEL CORPORATION
To: MERCURY MISSION SYSTEMS, LLC
Reel/Frame 059798/0226 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 14, 2019
From: AMERICAN PANEL CORPORATION
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
Reel/Frame 051010/0381 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 8, 2018
From: FIFTH THIRD BANK
To: AMERICAN PANEL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 046582/0006 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 14, 2018
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: AMERICAN PANEL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 046093/0910 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE THE FOLLOWING PATENT IS NOT ENCUMBERED BY THIS LIEN: 618107 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 036051 FRAME 0554. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE PATENT SECURITY INTEREST. Recorded Sep 13, 2017
From: AMERICAN PANEL CORPORATION
To: FIFTH THIRD BANK
Reel/Frame 043856/0854 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE REMOVE PATENT NUMBERS 589608, 6075472, 6222469 AND 6356266 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 036051 FRAME: 0554. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SECURITY INTEREST. Recorded Apr 25, 2016
From: AMERICAN PANEL CORPORATION
To: FIFTH THIRD BANK
Reel/Frame 038588/0967 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 9, 2015
From: AMERICAN PANEL CORPORATION
To: FIFTH THIRD BANK
Reel/Frame 036051/0554 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 4, 2011
From: AMERICAN PANEL CORPORATION
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
Reel/Frame 027175/0463 →