Gate driving circuit having forward and reverse scan directions and display apparatus implementing the gate driving circuit

1. A gate driving circuit, comprising:

a shift register including first to N-th circuit stages sequentially providing first to N-th gate-on signals to first to N-th gate lines, respectively, at least one reverse dummy stage adjacent to the first circuit stage, and at least one forward dummy stage adjacent to the N-th circuit stage, wherein N is a natural number; and

a vertical start line electrically connected to the first circuit stage or the N-th circuit stage according to a scan direction of the gate lines, wherein the vertical start line transfers a vertical start signal to the first or N-th circuit stage, wherein the shift register includes an n-th circuit stage, wherein n is a natural number, outputting an n-th gate-on signal, wherein the n-th circuit stage comprises:

a pull-up control part applying a carry signal of one of previous circuit stages to a control node in response to the carry signal of one of the previous circuit stages before the n-th gate-on signal is outputted according to the scan direction;

a pull-up part outputting a clock signal as the n-th gate-on signal in response to a signal applied to the control node;

a carry part outputting the clock signal as an n-th carry signal in response to the signal applied to the control node;

a first pull-down part pulling down the signal applied to the control node to a first off signal in response to a carry signal of a first next circuit stage after the n-th gate-on signal is outputted; and

a second pull-down part pulling down the n-th gate-on signal to the first off signal in response to the carry signal of the first next circuit stage, wherein the n-th circuit stage further comprises:

a reset part pulling down the signal applied to the control node to a second off signal in response to a carry signal of a second next circuit stage, and wherein when the scan direction is the forward direction, the shift register further includes a first forward dummy stage including a carry part electrically connected to first and second pull-down parts of the N-th circuit stage and a second forward dummy stage electrically connected to a reset part of the N-th circuit stage, and

when the scan direction is the reverse direction, the shift register further includes a first reverse dummy stage including a carry part electrically connected to first and second pull-down parts of the first circuit stage and a second reverse dummy stage electrically connected to a reset part of the first circuit stage.

2. A gate driving circuit, comprising:

a shift register including first to N-th circuit stages sequentially providing first to N-th gate-on signals to first to N-th gate lines, respectively, at least one reverse dummy stage adjacent to the first circuit stage, and at least one forward dummy stage adjacent to the N-th circuit stage, wherein N is a natural number;

a vertical start line electrically connected to the first circuit stage or the N-th circuit stage according to a scan direction of the gate lines, wherein the vertical start line transfers a vertical start signal to the first or N-th circuit stage;

a falling circuit including first to N-th falling stages which sequentially drop the first to the N-th gate-on signals applied to the first to N-th gate lines to the first off signal; and

an auxiliary off line connected to the first to N-th falling stages, wherein the first off signal is transferred to the auxiliary off line, wherein each of the first to N-th falling stages comprises:

a forward direction transistor dropping a gate-on signal applied to a gate line to the first off signal when the scan direction is the forward direction; and

a reverse direction transistor dropping a gate-on signal applied to a gate line to the first off signal when the scan direction is the reverse direction, wherein the falling circuit includes an n-th falling stage, wherein n is a natural number, and wherein when the scan direction is the forward direction,

the forward direction transistor of the n-th falling stage includes a control electrode electrically connected to an (n+1)-th gate line, an input electrode electrically connected to an n-th gate line, and an output electrode electrically connected to the auxiliary off line, and

the reverse direction transistor of the n-th falling stage includes a control electrode which is electrically floated.

3. A gate driving circuit, comprising:

a shift register including first to N-th circuit stages sequentially providing first to N-th gate-on signals to first to N-th gate lines, respectively, at least one reverse dummy stage adjacent to the first circuit stage, and at least one forward dummy stage adjacent to the N-th circuit stage, wherein N is a natural number;

a vertical start line electrically connected to the first circuit stage or the N-th circuit stage according to a scan direction of the gate lines, wherein the vertical start line transfers a vertical start signal to the first or N-th circuit stage;

a falling circuit including first to N-th falling stages which sequentially drop the first to the N-th gate-on signals applied to the first to N-th gate lines to the first off signal; and

an auxiliary off line connected to the first to N-th falling stages, wherein the first off signal is transferred to the auxiliary off line, wherein each of the first to N-th falling stages comprises:

a forward direction transistor dropping a gate-on signal applied to a gate line to the first off signal when the scan direction is the forward direction; and

a reverse direction transistor dropping a gate-on signal applied to a gate line to the first off signal when the scan direction is the reverse direction, wherein the falling circuit includes an n-th falling stage, wherein n is a natural number, and wherein when the scan direction is the reverse direction,

the reverse direction transistor of the n-th falling stage includes a control electrode electrically connected to an (n−1)-th gate line, an input electrode electrically connected to an n-th gate line, and an output electrode electrically connected to the auxiliary off line, and the forward direction transistor of the n-th falling stage includes a control electrode which is electrically floated.

4. A display apparatus, comprising:

a display panel including a display area and a peripheral area surrounding the display area, the display panel including first to N-th gate lines sequentially arranged in a forward direction in the display area, wherein N is a natural number;

a data driving circuit sequentially providing data signals to the display panel n the forward direction;

a shift register disposed in the peripheral area, the shift register including first to N-th circuit stages respectively generating first to N-th gate-on signals, at least one reverse dummy stage adjacent to the first circuit stage, and at least one forward dummy stage adjacent to the N-th circuit stage;

a vertical start line electrically connected to the first circuit stage and electrically floated with respect to the N-th circuit stage, wherein the vertical start line transfers a vertical start signal to the first circuit stage;

a falling circuit in the peripheral area opposite to an area in which the shift register is disposed, the falling circuit including first to N-th falling stages which sequentially drop the first to N-th gate-on signals applied to the first to N-th gate lines to the first off signal, wherein each of the first to N-th falling stages includes a forward direction transistor and a reverse direction transistor; and

an auxiliary off line adjacent to the falling circuit,

wherein the first off signal is transferred to the auxiliary off line,

wherein the falling circuit includes an n-th falling stage,

wherein the forward direction transistor of the n-th falling stage includes a control electrode electrically connected to an (n+1)-th gate line, an input electrode electrically connected to the n-th gate line, and an output electrode electrically connected to the auxiliary off line, and the reverse direction transistor of the n-th falling stage includes a control electrode which is electrically floated.

5. A display apparatus, comprising:

a display panel including a display area and a peripheral area surrounding the display area, the display panel including first to Nth gate lines sequentially arranged in a forward direction in the display area, wherein N is a natural number;

a data driving circuit sequentially providing data signals to the display panel in a reverse direction opposite to the forward direction;

a shift register disposed in the peripheral area, the shift register including first to N-th circuit stages respectively generating first to N-th gate-on signals, at least one reverse dummy stage adjacent to the first circuit stage, and at least one forward dummy stage adjacent to the N-th circuit stage; and

a vertical start line electrically connected to the N-th circuit stage and is electrically floated with respect to the first circuit stage,

wherein the vertical start line transfers a vertical start signal to the first circuit stage, wherein the shift register includes an n-th circuit stage (n is a natural number) outputting an n-th gate-on signal,

wherein the n-th circuit stage comprises:

a pull-up control part applying an (n+1)-th carry signal of an (n+1)-th circuit stage to a control node in response to the (n+1)-th carry signal;

a pull-up part outputting a clock signal as the n-th gate-on signal in response to the (n+1)-th carry signal applied to the control node;

a carry part outputting the clock signal as an n-th carry signal in response to the (n+1)-th carry signal applied to the control node;

a first pull-down part pulling down the (n+1)-th carry signal applied to the control node to a first off signal in response to an (n−1)-th carry signal of an (n−1) -th circuit stage;

a second pull-down part pulling down the n-th gate-on signal to the first off signal in response to the (n−1)-th carry signal; and

a reset part pulling down the (n+1)-th carry signal applied to the control node to a second off signal in response to an (n−2)-th carry signal of an (n−2)-th circuit stage.

6. The display apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the shift register comprises:

a first reverse dummy stage including a carry part electrically connected to first and second pull-down parts of the first circuit stage; and

a second reverse dummy stage electrically connected to a reset part of the first circuit stage.

7. The display apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising:

a clock line transferring the clock signal to the first to N-th circuit stages and the at least one reverse dummy stage,

wherein the clock line is electrically floated with respect to at least one forward dummy stage.

8. A display apparatus, comprising:

a display panel including a display area and a peripheral area surrounding the display area, the display panel including first to N-th gate lines sequentially arranged in a forward direction in the display area, wherein N is a natural number;

a data driving circuit sequentially providing data signals to the display panel in a reverse direction opposite to the forward direction;

a shift register disposed in the peripheral area, the shift register including first to N-th circuit stages respectively generating first to N-th gate-on signals, at least one reverse dummy stage adjacent to the first circuit stage, and at least one forward dummy stage adjacent to the N-th circuit stage;

a vertical start line electrically connected to the N-th circuit stage and is electrically floated with respect to the first circuit stage, wherein the vertical start line transfers a vertical start signal to the first circuit stage;

a falling circuit in the peripheral area opposite to an area in which the shift register is disposed, the falling circuit including first to N-th falling stages which sequentially drop the first to N-th gate-on signals applied to the first to N-th gate lines to the first off signal, wherein each of the first to N-th falling stages includes a forward direction transistor and a reverse direction transistor; and

an auxiliary off line adjacent to the falling circuit, wherein the first off signal is transferred to the auxiliary off line,

wherein the falling circuit includes an n-th falling stage, wherein the reverse direction transistor of the n-th falling stage includes a control electrode electrically connected to an (n−1)-th gate line, an input electrode electrically connected to the n-th gate line, and an output electrode electrically connected to the auxiliary off line, and

the forward direction transistor of the n-th falling stage includes a control electrode which is electrically floated.