Display device with charge sharing

1. A method of controlling a passive matrix or an active matrix liquid crystal display device operating at a first display rate with pixels arranged in rows and columns, said method comprising:

supplying row voltages to the rows via control lines so as to select the rows;

supplying column voltages to the columns via data lines;

selecting rows consecutively;

transferring a charge applied to a selected row n to a storage capacitor for only a first period of time and then subsequently transferring the charge remaining on the selected row to a reference potential in the case of a transition from the selected row n to another row n+1; and

connecting the storage capacitor to the another row n+1 to transfer a charge to the another row n+1, and subsequently connecting the another row n+1 to a source for providing a required row voltage.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

measuring an image repetition rate of the display device; and

preventing the intermediate draining and the intermediate charging when the image repetition rate of the display device exceeds a threshold.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein transferring the charge to and from the storage capacitor is selectively terminated in response to selection of a second display rate.

4. A method of controlling an active matrix liquid crystal display device with pixels arranged in rows n and columns m, wherein row voltages are supplied to the rows via control lines so as to select said rows, and wherein column voltages are supplied to the columns m via data lines, and wherein the rows are consecutively selected, and in the case of a transition from a selected row n to another row n+1 the charge applied to the selected row n is transferred to an intermediate voltage level corresponding the column voltages supplied to the column for only a first period of time and then the charge remaining on the selected row is transferred to a reference potential, and the another row n+1 is first connected to the storage capacitor at a selected time after the end of the first period of time and is then subsequently connected to a source for providing a finally required row voltage.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein transferring the charge to and from the storage capacitor is selectively terminated in response to selection of a second display rate.

6. A display device comprising:

a thin film transistor (TFT) display having an array of a plurality of pixels arranged in rows and columns;

a row driver configured to selectively supply row voltages to the rows in the TFT display via control lines so as to select rows;

a column driver configured to supply column voltages to the columns in the TFT display via column data lines; and

at least one storage capacitor disposed in a pixel of the plurality of pixels, wherein the at least one storage capacitor is configured to be couplable during a first line sweep when a row n is selected by the row driver to receive a charge applied from the column driver through at least one TFT transistor during the first line sweep and charge the at least one storage capacitor to an intermediate voltage level, and further configured to be connected to another row n+1 to transfer a charge on the at least one storage capacitor to the another row n+1 during a second line sweep subsequent to the first line sweep to bring the voltage of the another row n+1 to the intermediate voltage level; and

wherein the row driver is further configured to bring the voltage level of the another row n+1 to a desired row voltage above the intermediate voltage level during the second line sweep.

7. The display device as defined in claim 6 , wherein the TFT transistor is gated by voltage on row n supplied by the row driver during the first line sweep.

8. The display device as defined in claim 6 , wherein charging of the at least one storage capacitor is selectably turned off when an image repetitions rate of the display device is above a predetermined level.