IP Library Granted Patent US 9,076,392
Granted Patent B2
US 9,076,392 · App. 12/877,689 · Granted Jul 7, 2015

Display device and driving method thereof

Inventors: Atsushi Umezaki (Kanagawa, JP); Satohiro Okamoto (Shizuoka, JP)
Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
G09G3/344G09G2310/061
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,076,392
App. No.
12/877,689
Granted
Jul 7, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

A new driving method of a display device that makes it possible to reduce power consumption and to improve display quality is proposed. A first gray scale is displayed in all pixels in a first initialization period, a second gray scale is displayed in all the pixels in a second initialization period, an objective image is displayed in a writing period, and the image is held in a holding period. Alternatively, an electrical history of a gray scale storage display element for displaying a number of gray scales is erased in the first initialization period and the second initialization period. Alternatively, a potential of a common electrode is changed in the first initialization period, the second initialization period, the writing period, and the holding period. Alternatively, a potential of a capacitor wiring is changed in synchronization with the potential of the common electrode.

Claims (42)

1. A method for driving a display device comprising a gray scale storage display element wherein the gray scale storage display element comprises a pixel electrode and a common electrode, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying gray by the gray scale storage display element;

displaying black by the gray scale storage display element in a first period by application of a second potential to the pixel electrode and application of the second potential to the common electrode in a first sub-period of the first period and by application of a first potential to the pixel electrode and application of the second potential to the common electrode in a second sub-period of the first period;

displaying white by the gray scale storage display element by application of the second potential to the pixel electrode and application of the first potential to the common electrode in a second period;

displaying a predetermined gray scale by the gray scale storage display element by application of the first potential or the second potential to the pixel electrode and application of the second potential to the common electrode in a third period; and

holding the predetermined gray scale by the gray scale storage display element by application of the first potential or the second potential to the common electrode and application of a potential equal to a potential applied to the common electrode to the pixel electrode in a fourth period.

2. The method for driving the display device according to claim 1 , wherein the black is displayed by the gray scale storage display element by control of a length of a period during which the first potential is applied to the pixel electrode in accordance with a gray scale held by the gray scale storage display element for displaying an image which is displayed before a predetermined image.

3. The method for driving the display device according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined gray scale is displayed by the gray scale storage display element by control of a length of a period during which the first potential is applied to the pixel electrode, and a length of a period during which the second potential is applied to the pixel electrode.

4. The method for driving the display device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the black is a gray scale with which a brightness of the gray scale storage display element is one of a maximum brightness or a minimum brightness, and

wherein the white is a gray scale with which the brightness of the gray scale storage display element is the other of the maximum brightness or the minimum brightness.

5. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein a transistor including an oxide semiconductor material is used as an element for controlling a potential applied to the pixel electrode.

6. The display device according to claim 5 , wherein the oxide semiconductor material is an In—Ga—Zn—O-based amorphous oxide semiconductor material.

7. A method for driving a display device comprising a gray scale storage display element wherein the gray scale storage display element comprises a pixel electrode and a common electrode, the method comprising the steps of:

display a third gray scale by the gray scale storage display element;

displaying a first gray scale by the gray scale storage display element in a first period by application of a second potential to the pixel electrode and application of the second potential to the common electrode in a first sub-period of the first period and by application of a first potential to the pixel electrode and application of the second potential to the common electrode in a second sub-period of the first period;

displaying a second gray scale by the gray scale storage display element by application of the second potential to the pixel electrode and application of the first potential to the common electrode in a second period;

displaying a predetermined gray scale by the gray scale storage display element by application of the first potential or the second potential to the pixel electrode and application of the second potential to the common electrode in a third period; and

holding the predetermined gray scale by the gray scale storage display element by application of the first potential or the second potential to the common electrode and application of a potential equal to a potential applied to the common electrode to the pixel electrode in a fourth period,

wherein a brightness of the third gray scale is between a brightness of the first gray scale and a brightness of the second gray scale.

8. The method for driving the display device according to claim 7 , wherein the first gray scale is displayed by the gray scale storage display element by control of a length of a period during which the first potential is applied to the pixel electrode in accordance with a gray scale held by the gray scale storage display element for displaying an image which is displayed before a predetermined image.

9. The method for driving the display device according to claim 7 , wherein the predetermined gray scale is displayed by the gray scale storage display element by control of a length of a period during which the first potential is applied to the pixel electrode, and a length of a period during which the second potential is applied to the pixel electrode.

10. The method for driving the display device according to claim 7 ,

wherein the first gray scale is a gray scale with which a brightness of the gray scale storage display element is one of a maximum brightness or a minimum brightness, and

wherein the second gray scale is a gray scale with which the brightness of the gray scale storage display element is the other of the maximum brightness or the minimum brightness.

11. The display device according to claim 7 , wherein a transistor including an oxide semiconductor material is used as an element for controlling a potential applied to the pixel electrode.

12. The display device according to claim 11 , wherein the oxide semiconductor material is an In—Ga—Zn—O-based amorphous oxide semiconductor material.

13. A method for driving a display device comprising a gray scale storage display element wherein the gray scale storage display element comprises a pixel electrode and a common electrode, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying a third gray scale by the gray scale storage display element;

displaying a first gray scale in all pixels in a first initialization period by application of a second potential to the pixel electrode and application of the second potential to the common electrode a first sub-period of in the first initialization period and by application of a first potential to the pixel electrode and application of the second potential to the common electrode in a second sub-period of the first initialization period;

displaying a second gray scale in all pixels in a second initialization period by application of the second potential to the pixel electrode and application of the first potential to the common electrode;

displaying a predetermined image in a writing period by application of the first potential or the second potential to the pixel electrode and application of the second potential to the common electrode; and

holding the predetermined image in a holding period by application of the first potential or the second potential to the common electrode and application of a potential equal to a potential applied to the common electrode to the pixel electrode,

wherein a brightness of the third gray scale is between a brightness of the first gray scale and a brightness of the second gray scale, and

wherein the writing period is divided into a plurality of periods of different lengths.

14. The method for driving the display device according to claim 13 , wherein the first gray scale is displayed by the gray scale storage display element by control of a length of a period during which the first potential is applied to the pixel electrode in accordance with a gray scale held by the gray scale storage display element for displaying an image which is displayed before the predetermined image.

15. The method for driving the display device according to claim 13 , wherein the predetermined image is displayed by the gray scale storage display element by control of a length of a period during which the first potential is applied to the pixel electrode, and a length of a period during which the second potential is applied to the pixel electrode.

16. The method for driving the display device according to claim 13 ,

wherein the first gray scale is a gray scale with which a brightness of the gray scale storage display element is one of a maximum brightness or a minimum brightness, and

wherein the second gray scale is a gray scale with which the brightness of the gray scale storage display element is the other of the maximum brightness or the minimum brightness.

17. The display device according to claim 13 , wherein a transistor including an oxide semiconductor material is used as an element for controlling a potential applied to the pixel electrode.

18. The display device according to claim 17 , wherein the oxide semiconductor material is an In—Ga—Zn—O-based amorphous oxide semiconductor material.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 14, 2010
From: UMEZAKI, ATSUSHI; OKAMOTO, SATOHIRO
To: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 024984/0217 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2009-214963 · Sep 16, 2009 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20110063340A1 · Mar 17, 2011