IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,869,435
Granted Patent B2
US 11,869,435 · App. 17/920,425 · Granted Jan 9, 2024

Display device and proximity sensor control method

Inventor: Shigetsugu Yamanaka (Sakai, JP)
Assignee: SHAR KABUSHIKI KAISHA
G09G3/3233G09G2300/0819G09G2300/0842G09G2300/0861G09G2310/0202G09G2310/08G09G2320/046G09G2360/14
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,869,435
App. No.
17/920,425
Granted
Jan 9, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

In an organic EL display device including a proximity sensor, deterioration in display quality due to irradiation with IR light is suppressed. In a display period during which an image is displayed on a display unit, an emitting unit of the proximity sensor emits the IR light only in a period including a part of an IR light irradiation region turn-off period during which a plurality of light-emission control lines are driven such that no current is supplied to each of organic EL elements included in pixel circuits in a row corresponding to the IR light irradiation region, the period being before a time point at which the writing of a data signal into each of the pixel circuits in each of rows corresponding to the IR light irradiation region is started.

Claims (79)

1. A display device provided with a pixel circuit including a display element driven by a current, the display device comprising:

a display unit that includes

a plurality of the pixel circuits of a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns,

a plurality of data signal lines configured to supply data signals to a plurality of the pixel circuits in corresponding respective columns,

a plurality of scanning signal lines configured to control writing of the data signals into a plurality of the pixel circuits in corresponding respective rows, and

a plurality of light-emission control lines configured to control whether to supply a current to the display element included in each of a plurality of the pixel circuits in the corresponding respective rows; and

a proximity sensor that includes

an emitting unit configured to emit infrared light from a back surface of the display unit, and

a light receiving unit configured to receive reflected light of the infrared light, wherein

in a display period during which an image is displayed on the display unit, the emitting unit emits the infrared light only in a period including a part of an infrared light irradiation region turn-off period during which the plurality of light-emission control lines are driven such that no current is supplied to the display element included in each of a plurality of the pixel circuits in each of rows corresponding to an infrared light irradiation region that is irradiated with the infrared light, the period being before a time point at which writing of the data signals into a plurality of the pixel circuits in each of rows corresponding to the infrared light irradiation region is started.

2. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of light-emission control lines are driven such that a period during which a state where no current is supplied to the display element included in each pixel circuit is maintained is longer than a period during which the plurality of scanning signal lines are driven so as to cause the data signals to be written into all of a plurality of the pixel circuits in the infrared light irradiation region row by row.

3. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of light-emission control lines are driven such that a period during which a state where no current is supplied to the display element included in each pixel circuit is maintained is longer than a sum of a period during which the plurality of scanning signal lines are driven so as to cause the data signals to be written into all of a plurality of the pixel circuits in the infrared light irradiation region row by row and a period during which the infrared light is emitted from the emitting unit.

4. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein a whole of a period during which the infrared light is emitted from the emitting unit is included in the infrared light irradiation region turn-off period.

5. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein

the plurality of light-emission control lines are respectively connected to a plurality of the pixel circuits in rows of a number equal to a number of rows corresponding to the infrared light irradiation region, and

all of a plurality of the pixel circuits in the infrared light irradiation region are connected to a same light-emission control line.

6. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein in a non-display period during which no image is displayed on the display unit, the emitting unit emits the infrared light without synchronizing with driving operations of the plurality of data signal lines, the plurality of scanning signal lines, and the plurality of light-emission control lines.

7. The display device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a first power line configured to supply a high-level power supply voltage;

a second power line configured to supply a low-level power supply voltage; and

an initialization power line configured to supply an initialization voltage, wherein

each pixel circuit includes

a control node,

the display element including a first terminal and a second terminal connected to the second power line,

a drive transistor having a control terminal connected to the control node, a first conduction terminal, and a second conduction terminal,

a holding capacitor having one end connected to the first power line and the other end connected to the control node,

a first initialization transistor having a control terminal connected to one of the plurality of scanning signal lines, a first conduction terminal connected to the control node, and a second conduction terminal connected to the initialization power line,

a write control transistor having a control terminal connected to one of the plurality of scanning signal lines, a first conduction terminal connected to one of the plurality of data signal lines, and a second conduction terminal connected to the first conduction terminal of the drive transistor,

a threshold voltage compensation transistor having a control terminal connected to one of the plurality of scanning signal lines, a first conduction terminal connected to the second conduction terminal of the drive transistor, and a second conduction terminal connected to the control node,

a power supply control transistor having a control terminal connected to one of the plurality of light-emission control lines, a first conduction terminal connected to the first power line, and a second conduction terminal connected to the first conduction terminal of the drive transistor, and

a light-emission control transistor having a control terminal connected to one of the plurality of light-emission control lines, a first conduction terminal connected to the second conduction terminal of the drive transistor, and a second conduction terminal connected to the first terminal of the display element.

8. The display device according to claim 7 , wherein the first initialization transistor and the threshold voltage compensation transistor have a dual-gate structure.

9. The display device according to claim 7 , wherein each pixel circuit includes a second initialization transistor having a control terminal connected to one of the plurality of scanning signal lines, a first conduction terminal connected to the first terminal of the display element, and a second conduction terminal connected to the initialization power line.

10. The display device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a first power line configured to supply a high-level power supply voltage; and

a second power line configured to supply a low-level power supply voltage, wherein

each pixel circuit includes

a control node,

the display element having a first terminal and a second terminal connected to the second power line,

a drive transistor having a control terminal connected to the control node, a first conduction terminal connected to the first power line, and a second conduction terminal,

a write control transistor having a control terminal connected to one of the plurality of scanning signal lines, a first conduction terminal connected to one of the plurality of data signal lines, and a second conduction terminal connected to the control node,

a light-emission control transistor having a control terminal connected to one of the plurality of light-emission control lines, a first conduction terminal connected to the second conduction terminal of the drive transistor, and a second conduction terminal connected to the first terminal of the display element, and

a holding capacitor having one end connected to the control node and the other end connected to the second conduction terminal of the drive transistor.

11. A display device provided with a pixel circuit including a display element driven by a current, the display device comprising:

a display unit that includes

a plurality of the pixel circuits of a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns,

a plurality of data signal lines configured to supply data signals to a plurality of the pixel circuits in corresponding respective columns, and

a plurality of scanning signal lines configured to control writing of the data signals into a plurality of the pixel circuits in corresponding respective rows; and

a proximity sensor that includes

an emitting unit configured to emit infrared light from a back surface of the display unit, and

a light receiving unit configured to receive reflected light of the infrared light, wherein

in a display period during which an image is displayed on the display unit, the emitting unit emits the infrared light only in a period including at least a part of a vertical retrace period, the period being before a time point at which selection of scanning signal lines each connected to a plurality of the pixel circuits in each of rows corresponding to an infrared light irradiation region that is irradiated with the infrared light is started.

12. The display device according to claim 11 , wherein a whole of a period during which the infrared light is emitted from the emitting unit is included in the vertical retrace period.

13. The display device according to claim 11 , wherein

the proximity sensor is provided, on a back surface of the display unit, on one end side in a direction in which the plurality of data signal lines extend, and

the plurality of scanning signal lines are driven such that writing of the data signals into the plurality of the pixel circuits of the plurality of rows and the plurality of columns is sequentially performed row by row from a side where the proximity sensor is provided.

14. The display device according to claim 11 , wherein in a non-display period during which no image is displayed on the display unit, the emitting unit emits the infrared light without synchronizing with driving operations of the plurality of data signal lines and the plurality of scanning signal lines.

15. The display device according to claim 11 , further comprising:

a first power line configured to supply a high-level power supply voltage; and

a second power line configured to supply a low-level power supply voltage, wherein

each pixel circuit includes

a control node,

the display element having a first terminal and a second terminal connected to the second power line,

a drive transistor having a control terminal connected to the control node, a first conduction terminal connected to the first power line, and a second conduction terminal connected to the first terminal of the display element,

a write control transistor having a control terminal connected to one of the plurality of scanning signal lines, a first conduction terminal connected to one of the plurality of data signal lines, and a second conduction terminal connected to the control node, and

a holding capacitor having one end connected to the control node and the other end connected to the second conduction terminal of the drive transistor.

16. A control method for a proximity sensor mounted on a display device,

the display device including a display unit that includes

a plurality of pixel circuits of a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, each of the plurality of pixel circuits including a display element driven by a current,

a plurality of data signal lines configured to supply data signals to a plurality of pixel circuits in corresponding respective columns,

a plurality of scanning signal lines configured to control writing of the data signals into a plurality of pixel circuits in corresponding respective rows, and

a plurality of light-emission control lines configured to control whether to supply a current to the display element included in each of a plurality of pixel circuits in the corresponding respective rows,

the proximity sensor including

an emitting unit configured to emit infrared light from a back surface of the display unit, and

a light receiving unit configured to receive reflected light of the infrared light,

the control method comprising:

an emission starting step of starting emission of the infrared light from the emitting unit; and

an emission stopping step of stopping the emission of the infrared light from the emitting unit, wherein

in a display period during which an image is displayed on the display unit, the emission starting step and the emission stopping step are performed in such a manner that the infrared light is emitted from the emitting unit only in a period including a part of an infrared light irradiation region turn-off period during which the plurality of light-emission control lines are driven such that no current is supplied to the display element included in each of a plurality of the pixel circuits in each of rows corresponding to an infrared light irradiation region that is irradiated with the infrared light, the period being before a time point at which writing of the data signals into a plurality of pixel circuits in each of rows corresponding to the infrared light irradiation region is started.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 21, 2022
From: YAMANAKA, SHIGETSUGU
To: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 061492/0648 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230298520A1 · Sep 21, 2023
Cited By (1)
US 12,307,931