Super low voltage driving of displays

1. A display device comprising: a plurality of switches, each of the switches comprising an operational terminal and controlling a voltage on said operational terminal; a plurality of pixels, each having a pixel state that is driven by a driving voltage differential between a pixel voltage applied to a pixel terminal of the pixel and a common voltage applied to a common terminal of the pixel, said pixel terminal being coupled to a corresponding operational terminal of the switch, wherein both the pixel voltage and the common voltage are DC; a common driver for providing a variable common voltage to the common terminals; and a controller controlling the switches for driving the plurality of pixels, the controller being arranged to control the common driver in a first pixel driving state, wherein pixels are driven to a first color, to provide a common voltage to the common terminals with a first polarity and to control the common driver in a second pixel driving state, wherein pixels are driven to a second color, to provide a common voltage to the common terminals with a second polarity opposite to the first polarity, wherein a swing on the common voltage, which is an absolute value of the difference between the common voltage in the first pixel driving state and the common voltage in the second pixel driving state, is larger than an absolute value of the difference between a maximum and minimum voltage of a pixel voltage, wherein the plurality of switches are semiconductor switching devices, each comprising a first operational terminal, a switching control terminal, and a second operational terminal, the display device further comprising: a column driver connected to the first operational terminals for providing column voltages; and a row driver connected to the switching control terminals for providing a row select voltage switching the semiconductor switching devices of a row to a conductive state and a row non-select voltage switching the semiconductor switching devices of a row to a non-conductive state; wherein the pixel terminal of each of the pixels is coupled to the second operational terminal of the corresponding semiconductor switching device and the pixel voltage being applied to the pixel terminal by providing a column voltage to the first operational terminal of a corresponding semiconductor switching device being in the conductive state; the controller is arranged for controlling the operation of the column driver, the row driver, and the common driver for driving the plurality of pixels, such that the swing on the common voltage is larger than a swing on the column voltage, which is an absolute value of the difference between a maximum column voltage and a minimum column voltage, which is provided by the column driver, wherein a swing on the row voltage, which is an absolute value of the difference between the row select voltage and the row non-select voltage, is larger than a swing on the column voltage, which is an absolute value of the difference between a maximum column voltage and a minimum column voltage, which is provided by the column driver during the first and the second driving state, in such a way that the semiconducting switching devices is switched in their conducting state and in their non-conducting state irrespective of column and pixel voltage levels.

2. The display device according to claim 1 , additionally comprising a storage driver for providing a storage voltage to a storage capacitor, connected between the storage driver and the pixel terminal of the pixel, having a storage voltage swing being proportional to a common voltage swing, wherein the storage driver is controlled by the controller to change the value of the storage voltage with proportional amplitude to and at substantially the same time as the common voltage.

3. The display device according to claim 2 , wherein the common driver and the storage driver are controlled by the controller during a start up phase for an image update before the first or second pixel driving state in a first step to change a value of the common voltage and the storage voltage so that due to the change a value of the pixel voltage is changed to a value that keeps the semiconducting switching device in its non-conducting state, wherein the column driver is controlled by the controller in at least one reset step to reset the value of the pixel voltage and wherein the common driver and the storage driver are controlled by the controller in a second step to change the value of the common voltage and the storage voltage to the value corresponding to the first or second driving state, which ever is applicable.

4. The display device according to claim 3 , wherein the common driver and storage driver are controlled by the controller during the start up phase in a third step to provide a common voltage and storage voltage enabling the provision of a zero voltage over the pixels or a common voltage with a polarity opposite to the polarity of the common voltage during the remainder of the start-up phase.

5. The display device according to claim 2 , wherein the common driver and storage driver are controlled by the controller during a transition phase from the first to the second pixel driving state or vice versa to change the value of the common voltage and the storage voltage in a number of steps from the value corresponding to the first pixel driving state to the second pixel driving state or vice versa, each of the stepwise value changes of the common voltage and storage voltage resulting in a value change of the pixel voltage, wherein the column driver is controlled by the controller in at least a reset step between the steps to change the column voltage in such a way that the value of the pixel voltage is changed in a direction opposite to the direction of the value change of the pixel voltage caused by the value change of the common voltage and the storage voltage.

6. The display device according to claim 2 , wherein the common driver and storage driver are controlled by the controller during a shutdown phase at the end of an image update after the first or second pixel driving state to change the value of the common voltage and the storage voltage in a number of steps to their final values, each of the stepwise value changes of the common voltage and storage voltage resulting in a value change of the pixel voltage, wherein the column driver is controlled by the controller in at least a reset step between the steps to change the column voltage in such a way that the value of the pixel voltage is changed in a direction opposite to the direction of the value change of the pixel voltage caused by the value change of the common voltage and the storage voltage.

7. The display device according to claim 6 , wherein the common driver and the storage driver are controlled by the controller during the shutdown phase, in a further step to provide a common voltage and storage voltage enabling the provision of a zero voltage over the pixels or to provide a common voltage with a polarity opposite to the polarity of the common voltage during the remainder of the shutdown phase.

8. The display device according to claim 1 wherein the semiconductor switching device is a TFT.

9. A method for driving a display device comprising: a plurality of switches, each of the switches comprising an operational terminal and controlling the voltage on said operational terminal; a plurality of pixels, each having a pixel state that is driven by a driving voltage differential between a pixel voltage applied to a pixel terminal of the pixel and a common voltage applied to a common terminal of the pixel, the pixel terminal being coupled to a corresponding operational terminal of the switch, wherein both the pixel voltage and the common voltage are DC; and a common driver for providing a variable common voltage to the common terminals; the method comprising: controlling the switches for driving the plurality of pixels and controlling the common driver in a first pixel driving state, wherein pixels are driven to a first color, to provide a common voltage to the common terminals with a first polarity and in a second pixel driving state, wherein pixels are driven to a second color, to provide a common voltage to the common terminals with a second polarity opposite to the first polarity, wherein a swing on the common voltage, which is an absolute value of the difference between the common voltage in the first pixel driving state and the common voltage in the second driving state, is larger than an absolute value of the difference between a maximum and minimum voltage of a pixel voltage, wherein the plurality of switches are semiconductor switching devices, each comprising a first operational terminal, a switching control terminal, and a second operational terminal, the display device further comprising: a column driver connected to the first operational terminals for providing column voltages; and a row driver connected to the switching control terminals for providing a row select voltage switching the semiconductor switching devices of a row to a conductive state and a row non-select voltage switching the semiconductor switching devices of a row to a non-conductive state; wherein the pixel terminal of each of the pixels is coupled to the second operational terminal of the corresponding semiconductor switching device and the pixel voltage being applied to the pixel terminal by providing a column voltage to the first operational terminal of a corresponding semiconductor switching device being in the conductive state; the method comprising the step of controlling the operation of the column driver, the row driver, and the common driver for driving the plurality of pixels, such that the swing on the common voltage, is larger than a swing on the column voltage, which is an absolute value of the difference between a maximum column voltage and a minimum column voltage, which is be provided by the column driver, wherein a swing on the row voltage, which is an absolute value of the difference between the row select voltage and the row non-select voltage, is larger than a swing on the column voltage, which is an absolute value of the difference between a maximum column voltage and a minimum column voltage, which is provided by the column driver during the first and the second driving state, in such a way that the semiconducting switching devices is switched in their conducting state and in their non-conducting state irrespective of column and pixel voltage levels.

10. The method according to claim 9 , comprising the further step of controlling a storage driver of the display device for providing a storage voltage to a storage capacitor, connected between the storage driver and the pixel terminal of the pixel and having a storage voltage swing being proportional to a common voltage swing, to change the pixel voltage with proportional amplitude to and at substantially the same time as the common voltage, with proportional amplitude to and at substantially the same time as the common voltage.

11. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising controlling the common driver and storage driver during a start up phase for an image update before the first or second pixel driving state in a first step to change the common voltage and the storage value to such a value that a value of the pixel voltage is changed to a value that keeps the semiconducting switching device in its non-conducting state, controlling the column driver in at least one reset step to reset the value of the pixel voltage and controlling the common driver and storage driver in a second step to change the value of the common voltage and the storage voltage to the value corresponding to the first or second driving state, which ever is applicable.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the common driver and storage driver are controlled during the start up phase in a third step, which is executed before the first step, to provide a common voltage and a storage voltage, enabling the provision of a zero voltage over the pixels or to provide a common voltage with a polarity opposite to the polarity of the common voltage during the remainder of the start-up phase.

13. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising controlling the common driver and the storage driver during a transition phase from the first to the second pixel driving state or vice versa to change the value of the common voltage and storage voltage in a number of steps from the value corresponding to the first pixel driving state to the second pixel driving state or vice versa, each of the stepwise value changes of the common voltage and storage voltage resulting in a value change of the pixel voltage, and controlling the column driver in at least a reset step between the steps to change the column voltage in such a way that the value of the pixel voltage is changed in a direction opposite to the direction of the value change of the pixel voltage caused by the value change of the common voltage and storage voltage.

14. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising controlling the common driver and storage driver during a shutdown phase at the end of an image update after the first or second pixel driving state to change the absolute value of the common voltage and storage voltage in a number of steps to their final values, each of the stepwise value changes of the common voltage and storage voltage resulting in a value change of the pixel voltage, and controlling the column driver in at least a reset step between the steps to change the column voltage in such a way that the value of the pixel voltage is changed in a direction opposite to the direction of the value change of the pixel voltage caused by the value change of the common voltage and storage voltage.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the common driver and storage driver are controlled, during the shutdown phase, in a further step to provide a common voltage and a storage voltage, enabling the provision of a zero voltage over the pixels or to provide a common voltage with a polarity opposite to the polarity of the common voltage during the remainder of the shutdown phase.