IP Library › Granted Patent US 8,204,170
Granted Patent B2
US 8,204,170 · App. 12/959,378 · Granted Jun 19, 2012

Shift register circuit

Assignee: AU Optronics Corp.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,204,170
App. No.
12/959,378
Granted
Jun 19, 2012
Kind
B2
Abstract

A shift register circuit includes plural shift register stages for providing plural gate signals. Each shift register stage includes a pull-up unit, a pull-up control unit, an input unit, a first pull-down unit, a second pull-down unit, and a pull-down control unit. The pull-up control unit generates a first control signal according to a driving control voltage and a first clock. The pull-up unit pulls up a corresponding gate signal according to the first control signal. The input unit is utilized for inputting the gate signal of a preceding shift register stage to become the driving control voltage according to a second clock having a phase opposite to the first clock. The pull-down control unit generates a second control signal according to the driving control voltage. The first and second pull-down units pull down the corresponding gate signal and the first control signal respectively according to the second control signal.

Claims (48)

1. A shift register circuit for providing plural gate signals to plural gate lines, the shift register circuit comprising a plurality of shift register stages, an Nth shift register stage of the shift register stages comprising:

a pull-up unit, electrically connected to an Nth gate line of the gate lines, for pulling up an Nth gate signal of the gate signals according to a first control signal and a high power voltage;

a pull-up control unit, electrically connected to the pull-up unit, for generating the first control signal according to a driving control voltage and a first clock;

an input unit, electrically connected to the pull-up control unit and an (N−1)th shift register stage of the shift register stages, for inputting an (N−1)th gate signal of the gate signals to become the driving control voltage according to an input control signal;

an energy-store unit, electrically connected to the pull-up control unit and the input unit, for performing a charging process or a discharging process based on the (N−1)th gate signal;

a first pull-down unit, electrically connected to the Nth gate line and the pull-up unit, for pulling down the Nth gate signal according to a second control signal;

a pull-down control unit, electrically connected to the input unit and the first pull-down unit, for generating the second control signal according to the driving control voltage and the high power voltage; and

a second pull-down unit, electrically connected to the pull-down control unit and the pull-up control unit, for pulling down the first control signal according to the second control signal.

2. The shift register circuit of claim 1 , further comprising:

an input control unit, electrically connected to the input unit, for inputting a second clock to become the input control signal according to the high power voltage, wherein the second clock has a phase opposite to the first clock.

3. The shift register circuit of claim 2 , wherein:

the input unit comprises a first transistor, the first transistor comprising:

a first end electrically connected to the (N−1)th shift register stage for receiving the (N−1)th gate signal;

a gate end for receiving the input control signal; and

a second end electrically connected to the pull-up control unit, the pull-down control unit and the energy-store unit;

the input control unit comprises a second transistor, the second transistor comprising:

a first end for receiving the second clock;

a gate end for receiving the high power voltage; and

a second end, electrically connected to the gate end of the first transistor, for providing the input control signal;

the pull-up unit comprises a third transistor, the third transistor comprising:

a first end for receiving the high power voltage;

a gate end electrically connected to the pull-up control unit for receiving the first control signal; and

a second end electrically connected to the Nth gate line and the first pull-down unit; and

the first pull-down unit comprises a fourth transistor, the fourth transistor comprising:

a first end electrically connected to the Nth gate line;

a gate end electrically connected to the pull-down control unit for receiving the second control signal; and

a second end for receiving a low power voltage.

4. The shift register circuit of claim 1 , wherein:

the second pull-down unit comprises a first transistor, the first transistor comprising:

a first end electrically connected to the pull-up control unit and the pull-up unit;

a gate end electrically connected to the pull-down control unit for receiving the second control signal; and

a second end for receiving a low power voltage;

the pull-up control unit comprises:

a second transistor comprising a first end for receiving the first clock, a gate end electrically connected to the input unit for receiving the driving control voltage, and a second end; and

a third transistor comprising a first end electrically connected to the gate end of the second transistor, a gate end electrically connected to the second end of the second transistor, and a second end electrically connected to the pull-up unit and the first end of the first transistor; and

the energy-store unit comprises a capacitor electrically connected between the gate and second ends of the second transistor.

5. The shift register circuit of claim 4 , wherein the third transistor is an amorphous-Si thin film transistor, and a width/length ratio of the amorphous-Si thin film transistor is greater than that of the first transistor.

6. The shift register circuit of claim 1 , wherein the pull-down control unit comprises:

a first transistor comprising a first end for receiving the high power voltage, a gate end electrically connected to the first end, and a second end electrically connected to the first and second pull-down units; and

a second transistor comprising a first end electrically connected to the second end of the first transistor, a gate end electrically connected to the input unit for receiving the driving control voltage, and a second end for receiving a low power voltage.

7. The shift register circuit of claim 1 , wherein the pull-down control unit comprises:

a first transistor comprising a first end for receiving the high power voltage, a second end electrically connected to the first and second pull-down units, and a gate end;

a second transistor comprising a first end electrically connected to the second end of the first transistor, a gate end electrically connected to the input unit for receiving the driving control voltage, and a second end for receiving a low power voltage;

a third transistor comprising a first end for receiving the high power voltage, a gate end electrically connected to the first end of the third transistor, and a second end electrically connected to the gate end of the first transistor; and

a fourth transistor comprising a first end electrically connected to the second end of the third transistor, a gate end electrically connected to the input unit for receiving the driving control voltage, and a second end for receiving the low power voltage.

8. The shift register circuit of claim 1 , wherein:

the energy-store unit performs the charging process based on the (N−1)th gate signal when the input unit inputs the (N−1)th gate signal having high voltage level to become the driving control voltage according to the input control signal; and

the energy-store unit performs the discharging process based on the (N−1)th gate signal when the input unit inputs the (N−1)th gate signal having low voltage level to become the driving control voltage according to the input control signal.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 3, 2010
From: LIN, CHIH-YING; LIN, KUN-YUEH; YANG, YU-CHUNG; HSU, KUO-HUA
To: AU OPTRONICS CORP.
Reel/Frame 025446/0096 →
Priority Claims (1)
TW 98142479 A · Dec 11, 2009 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20110142192A1 · Jun 16, 2011