OLED display modules for large-format OLED displays
View Patent ↗OLED display modules for large-format displays are disclosed. The OLED display module includes a matrix of OLEDs, with each OLED having an anode and a cathode, and an OLED drive circuit having electrical connections defined by rows and columns that electrically connect to the OLEDs in the OLED matrix. Groups of adjacent rows are arranged in parallel and groups of adjacent columns are arranged in parallel, thereby defining super pixels each having an array of four or more OLEDS, wherein the OLEDs in a given super pixel cannot be individually activated. The modules can be combined to form the large-format display.
1. A organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display module, comprising:
a matrix of OLEDs, with each OLED having an anode and a cathode; and
an OLED drive circuit having electrical connections defined by rows and columns that electrically connect to the OLEDs in the OLED matrix,
wherein:
groups of i adjacent rows are arranged in parallel and groups of j adjacent columns are arranged in parallel, thereby defining super pixels each having an i×j array of OLEDS, wherein i and j are integers equal to or greater than 2,
the OLEDs in a given super pixel cannot be individually activated,
the OLED display module includes n rows and k columns of super pixels, wherein n and k are integers equal to or greater than 2, and
the OLED drive circuit has a common-anode configuration, including only k current sinks and only k column switches, with each super pixel column including one of the current sinks and one of the column switches, and the OLED drive circuit including only n voltage inputs and only n row switches with each super pixel row including one of the voltage inputs and one of the row switches.
2. The OLED display module according to claim 1 , wherein the OLEDs in the matrix of OLEDs emit light of substantially the same wavelength.
3. The OLED display module according to claim 1 , wherein OLEDs within one of the super pixels emit a different color of light than other OLEDs within the same super pixel.
4. The OLED display module according to claim 3 , wherein at least one OLED within the super pixel emits red light, at least one OLED within the super pixel emits green light and at least one OLED within the super pixel emits blue light.
5. The OLED display module according to claim 3 , wherein the colors of light emitted by OLEDs within the super pixel include two or more of red, green, blue, yellow, white, orange, magenta or cyan.
6. The OLED display module according to claim 1 , wherein some of the super pixels are edge super pixels, and wherein at least some of the edge super pixels are inactive.
7. The OLED display module according to claim 1 , wherein some of the super pixels have edge sub-pixels, and wherein one or more of the edge sub-pixels are inactive.
8. The OLED display module according to claim 7 , wherein each of the edge sub-pixels in each super pixel is inactive.
9. The OLED display module according to claim 1 , further including a circuit controller electrically connected to the rows and columns.
10. The OLED display module according to claim 1 , wherein the circuit controller is electrically connected to the rows and columns via a ball-grid-array (B GA) structure.
11. The OLED display module according to claim 1 , wherein the OLED display module includes a plurality of monochrome modules arranged in a layered configuration, at least one of the monochrome modules configured to emit a different color of light than another one of the monochrome modules, further wherein each of the monochrome modules includes at least one of the matrix of OLEDs defining super pixels, wherein the OLEDs in at least one super pixel in at least one monochrome module cannot be individually activated.
12. The OLED display module according to claim 1 , wherein some of the super pixels are edge super pixels, and wherein the display module does not emit light visible to an observer from regions where at least some of the edge super pixels are located.
13. The OLED display module according to claim 1 , wherein some of the super pixels have edge sub-pixels, and wherein the display module does not emit light visible to an observer from regions where one or more of the edge sub-pixels are located.
14. The OLED display module according to claim 1 , further wherein the OLED drive circuit includes only n row switches and only k column switches, each super pixel row including one of the row switches and each super pixel column including one of the column switches.
15. A large-format OLED display, comprising:
a plurality of OLED display modules according to claim 1 ; and
one or more panels, with each panel operably supporting one or more of the modules.
16. The large-format OLED display of claim 15 , wherein the OLED display modules are color modules.
17. A method of displaying a large-format display image, comprising:
providing a matrix of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), the matrix of OLEDs being electrically connected so as to define an OLED display having super pixels, wherein each super pixel includes a group of four or more OLEDs and wherein the OLEDs in each super pixel cannot be activated individually;
providing a video signal representative of the display image to the OLED display; and
displaying the display image on the OLED display using the super pixels,
wherein some of the super pixels are edge super pixels, and the display module does not emit light visible to an observer from regions where at least some of the edge super pixels are located.
18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the providing step includes providing the matrix of OLEDs in multiple modules, and forming the OLED display from the multiple modules.
19. The method according to claim 17 , wherein OLEDs within one of the super pixels emits a different color of light than other OLEDs within the same super pixel.
20. The method according to claim 19 , wherein at least one OLED within the super pixel emits red light, at least one OLED within the super pixel emits green light and at least one OLED within the super pixel emits blue light.
21. The method according to claim 19 , wherein the colors of light emitted by OLEDs within the super pixel include red, green, blue, yellow, white, orange, magenta or cyan.
22. The method according to claim 17 , wherein some of the super pixels are edge super pixels, and wherein at least some of the edge super pixels are inactive.
23. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the matrix of OLEDs are electrically connected in either a common-anode configuration or a common-cathode configuration.
24. An organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display module, comprising:
a matrix of OLEDs, with each OLED having an anode and a cathode, wherein some of the OLEDs constitute edge OLEDs; and
an OLED drive circuit having electrical connections defined by rows and columns that electrically connect to the OLEDs in the OLED matrix wherein at least some of the edge OLEDs are not electrically connected to the OLED drive circuit,
wherein:
groups of adjacent rows are arranged in parallel and groups of adjacent columns are arranged in parallel, thereby defining super pixels each having an array of at least four OLEDS,
the OLEDs in a given super pixel cannot be individually activated,
the module is a color module including a plurality of monochrome modules arranged in a layered configuration, at least one of the monochrome modules configured to emit a different color of light than another one of the monochrome modules,
each of the monochrome modules includes one of the matrix of OLEDs defining super pixels, and
the OLEDs in a given super pixel in a given monochrome module cannot be individually activated.
25. The OLED display module according to claim 24 , wherein the OLED display module includes n rows and k columns of super pixels, n and k are integers equal to or greater than 2, and the OLED drive circuit has a common-anode configuration, including only k current sinks, only k column switches, only n voltage inputs and only n row switches, each super pixel column including one of the current sinks and one of the column switches and each super pixel row including one of the voltage inputs and one of the row switches.
26. The OLED display module according to claim 24 , wherein the OLED drive circuit has a common-cathode configuration.
27. The OLED display module according to claim 24 , wherein all of the edge OLEDs are not electrically connected to the OLED drive circuit and are not included in any of the super pixels.
28. The OLED display module according to claim 24 , wherein the module includes four edges, and wherein all of the edge OLEDs that reside along at least one of the four edges of the module are not electrically connected to the OLED drive circuit.
29. The OLED display module according to claim 24 , wherein OLEDs within one of the super pixels emits a different color of light than other OLEDs within the super pixel.
30. The OLED display module according to claim 29 , wherein colors of light emitted by OLEDs within the super pixel include two or more of red, green, blue, yellow, white, orange, magenta and cyan.
31. The OLED display module according to claim 24 , wherein each super pixel includes edge sub pixels, and wherein at least some of the edge sub pixels in each super pixel are inactive.
32. The OLED display module according to claim 31 , wherein all of the edge sub pixels in each super pixel are inactive.
33. The OLED display module according to claim 24 , wherein the OLED display module includes n rows and k columns of super pixels, n and k are integers equal to or greater than 2, and the OLED drive circuit includes only n row switches and only k column switches, each super pixel row including one of the row switches and each super pixel column including one of the column switches.
34. An organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display module, comprising:
a matrix of OLEDs, with each OLED having an anode and a cathode, wherein some of the OLEDs constitute edge OLEDs;
an OLED drive circuit having electrical connections defined by rows and columns that electrically connect to the OLEDs in the OLED matrix wherein at least some of the edge OLEDs are not electrically connected to the OLED drive circuit; and
wherein:
groups of adjacent rows are arranged in parallel and groups of adjacent columns are arranged in parallel, thereby defining super pixels each having an array of at least four OLEDS,
the OLEDs in a given super pixel cannot be individually activated,
the OLED display module includes n rows and k columns of super pixels, wherein n and k are integers equal to or greater than 2, and
the OLED drive circuit has a common-anode configuration, including only k current sinks, only k column switches, only n voltage inputs and only n row switches, each super pixel column including one of the current sinks and one of the column switches and each super pixel row including one of the voltage inputs and one of the row switches.