Display device and its driving method

Abstract

This invention provides a display device and its driving method. The display device includes: a display panel including gate lines, data lines, sensing lines, and pixels electrically connected to the gate lines, data lines, and sensing lines, and displaying an image based on input image data; a gate driving unit that outputs gate signals to the gate lines; a data driving unit that outputs data voltages to the data lines; a sensing unit that outputs sensing voltages to the sensing lines to sense characteristic information of the pixels, and performs external compensation of the pixels based on the characteristic information; and a driving control unit that controls the gate driving unit, the data driving unit, and the sensing unit. In this process, the sensing unit senses deviations in the capacitance values ​​of sensing capacitors on a plurality of first sensing lines, and replaces the first sensing lines with second sensing lines based on the deviations, thereby sensing the characteristic information of the pixels.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a display device and a driving method thereof, and more specifically, to a display device and a driving method thereof for sensing characteristic values ​​of driving transistors inside pixels. Background Technology

[0002] Typically, a display device includes a display panel and a display panel driving unit. The display panel may include a plurality of gate lines, a plurality of data lines, and a plurality of sensing lines. The display panel driving unit may include a gate driving unit that provides gate signals to the plurality of gate lines, a data driving unit that provides data voltages to the data lines, and a sensing unit that provides sensing voltages to the sensing lines.

[0003] On the other hand, the sensing line connecting the pixel and the sensing unit may include a sensing capacitor. The sensing capacitor can store the characteristic value or change of characteristic value of the first thin-film transistor included in the pixel as a voltage. At this time, if the deviation of the capacitance value between the sensing capacitors becomes large, the dispersion of the overall capacitance value of the sensing unit will become larger, which may reduce the sensing efficiency and may cause the undesirable phenomenon of vertical stripes observed on the display panel due to noise generation. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this situation, the technical problem of the present invention has been proposed, and the object of the present invention is to provide a display device that uses an additional sensing line to replace the sensing line to sense characteristic information based on the deviation of the capacitance value of the sensing line.

[0005] Another object of the present invention is to provide a driving method for a display device that uses an additional sensing line to replace the sensing line to sense characteristic information based on the deviation of the capacitance value of the sensing line.

[0006] However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described objectives, and various extensions can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0007] An embodiment of a display device for achieving the above-described objectives of the present invention may include: a display panel including gate lines, data lines, sensing lines, and pixels electrically connected to the gate lines, data lines, and sensing lines, and displaying an image based on input image data; a gate driving unit that outputs gate signals to the gate lines; a data driving unit that outputs data voltages to the data lines; a sensing unit that outputs sensing voltages to the sensing lines to sense characteristic information of the pixels, and performs external compensation of the pixels based on the characteristic information; and a drive control unit that controls the gate driving unit, the data driving unit, and the sensing unit. In this case, the sensing unit senses deviations in the capacitance values ​​of sensing capacitors on a plurality of first sensing lines, and replaces the first sensing lines with second sensing lines based on the deviations, thereby sensing the characteristic information of the pixels.

[0008] In one embodiment, the first sensing line and the second sensing line can be connected by a dual transistor.

[0009] In one embodiment, the dual transistors may be composed of NMOS transistors.

[0010] In one embodiment, the drive control unit may adjust the level of the logic voltage applied to the gate electrode of the dual transistor based on the deviation.

[0011] In one embodiment, the sensing unit can sense the characteristic information of the pixel through the first sensing line when it receives the application of a logic high (HIGH) voltage from the driving control unit.

[0012] In one embodiment, the sensing unit can sense the characteristic information of the pixel through the second sensing line when it receives the application of a logic low (LOW) voltage from the driving control unit.

[0013] In one embodiment, the display device may further include: a deviation information acquisition unit, which applies a DC voltage to the sensing unit to sense the deviation, and acquires deviation information to transmit the deviation information to the drive control unit.

[0014] In one embodiment, when the second sensing line is used instead of the first sensing line to sense the characteristic information of the pixel, the deviation information acquisition unit may apply a DC voltage to the sensing unit to confirm whether the deviation has been improved.

[0015] In one embodiment, the second sensing line may be connected to a plurality of the first sensing lines respectively.

[0016] In one embodiment, the second sensing line may replace the first sensing line with the largest deviation among a plurality of first sensing lines to sense the characteristic information of the pixel.

[0017] In one embodiment, there may be multiple second sensing lines.

[0018] An embodiment of a display device driving method for achieving other objects of the present invention described above may include: a step of outputting a sensing voltage to a sensing line to sense characteristic information of a pixel; and a step of performing external compensation of the pixel based on the characteristic information. In this case, the step of sensing the characteristic information of the pixel may sense deviations in the capacitance values ​​of sensing capacitors on a plurality of first sensing lines, and based on these deviations, replace the first sensing lines with second sensing lines, thereby sensing the characteristic information of the pixel.

[0019] In one embodiment, the first sensing line and the second sensing line can be connected by a dual transistor.

[0020] In one embodiment, the dual transistors may be composed of NMOS transistors.

[0021] In one embodiment, the driving method for the display device may further include the step of adjusting the level of the logic voltage applied to the gate electrode of the dual transistor based on the deviation.

[0022] In one embodiment, the step of sensing the characteristic information of the pixel may be performed by sensing the characteristic information of the pixel through the first sensing line when a logic high (HIGH) voltage is applied.

[0023] In one embodiment, the step of sensing the characteristic information of the pixel may be performed by sensing the characteristic information of the pixel through the second sensing line when a logic low (LOW) voltage is applied.

[0024] In one embodiment, the driving method of the display device may further include the step of applying a DC voltage to the first sensing line to sense the deviation and obtain deviation information.

[0025] In one embodiment, the driving method of the display device may further include: when the characteristic information of the pixel is sensed by replacing the first sensing line with the second sensing line, applying a DC voltage to the first sensing line to confirm whether the deviation has been improved.

[0026] In one embodiment, the second sensing line may be connected to a plurality of the first sensing lines respectively.

[0027] (Invention Effects)

[0028] The display device of the present invention can improve image quality defects in the display panel by reducing the deviation in capacitance values ​​between the sensing capacitors. Furthermore, the display device of the present invention can increase the production volume of the display device by reducing the defect rate of the sensing section caused by the increased dispersion of the sensing capacitance. Additionally, the display device of the present invention can reduce production costs by reducing the capacitance of the sensing capacitors.

[0029] However, the effects of the present invention are not limited to those described above, and various extensions can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 2 It is shown Figure 1 A plan view of the display device.

[0032] Figure 3 It is shown Figure 1 The circuit diagram of the pixels.

[0033] Figure 4 This is shown in sensing mode. Figure 3 Timing diagram of the input and output signals of the pixels.

[0034] Figure 5 It's enlarged. Figure 1 An enlarged view of the internal circuitry of the sensing unit.

[0035] Figure 6 This is an example diagram illustrating the case where characteristic information of a pixel is sensed through a first sensing line.

[0036] Figure 7 This is an example diagram illustrating the case where characteristic information of a pixel is sensed via a second sensing line.

[0037] Figure 8 It is shown Figure 1 A sequence diagram of the operation of the display device.

[0038] Figure 9 It is shown in detail Figure 1 The sequence diagram of the operation of the sensing unit.

[0039] Symbol explanation:

[0040] 100: Display panel; 200: Drive control unit; 300: Gate drive unit; 400: Gamma reference voltage generation unit; 500: Data drive unit; 600: Sensing unit; 700: Deviation information acquisition unit. Detailed Implementation

[0041] The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0042] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] Reference Figure 1 The display device includes a display panel 100 and a display panel driving unit. The display panel driving unit may include a driving control unit 200, a gate driving unit 300, a gamma reference voltage generating unit 400, a data driving unit 500, and a sensing unit 600.

[0044] For example, the drive control unit 200 and the data drive unit 500 may be integrated into one unit. For example, the drive control unit 200, the gamma reference voltage generation unit 400, the data drive unit 500, and the sensing unit 600 may be integrated into one unit. A drive module in which at least the drive control unit 200 and the data drive unit 500 are integrated may be named a Timing Controller Embedded Data Driver (TED).

[0045] The display panel 100 may include a display section AA for displaying images and a peripheral section PA disposed adjacent to the display section AA.

[0046] For example, in this embodiment, the display panel 100 may be an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display panel that includes organic light-emitting diodes. Alternatively, the display panel 100 may also be a liquid crystal display panel that includes a liquid crystal layer.

[0047] The display panel 100 may include a plurality of gate lines GL, a plurality of data lines DL, a plurality of sensing lines SL, and a plurality of pixels P electrically connected to the gate lines GL, the data lines DL, and the sensing lines SL, respectively. The gate lines GL may extend in a first direction D1, the data lines DL may extend in a second direction D2 intersecting the first direction D1, and the sensing lines SL may extend in the second direction D2.

[0048] The drive control unit 200 can receive input image data IMG and input control signal CONT from an external device (not shown). For example, the input image data IMG may include red image data, green image data, and blue image data. The input image data IMG may include white image data. The input image data IMG may include magenta image data, yellow image data, and cyan image data. The input control signal CONT may include a master clock signal and a data strobe signal. The input control signal CONT may also include a vertical synchronization signal and a horizontal synchronization signal.

[0049] The drive control unit 200 can generate a first control signal CONT1, a second control signal CONT2, a third control signal CONT3, a fourth control signal CONT4, and a data signal DATA based on the input image data IMG and the input control signal CONT.

[0050] The drive control unit 200 can generate a first control signal CONT1 for controlling the operation of the gate drive unit 300 based on the input control signal CONT, and then output it to the gate drive unit 300. The first control signal CONT1 may include a vertical start signal and a gate clock signal.

[0051] The drive control unit 200 can generate a second control signal CONT2 for controlling the operation of the data drive unit 500 based on the input control signal CONT, and then output it to the data drive unit 500. The second control signal CONT2 may include a horizontal start signal and a load signal.

[0052] The drive control unit 200 generates a data signal DATA based on the input image data IMG. The drive control unit 200 can output the data signal DATA to the data drive unit 500.

[0053] The drive control unit 200 can generate a third control signal CONT3 for controlling the operation of the gamma reference voltage generation unit 400 based on the input control signal CONT, and then output it to the gamma reference voltage generation unit 400.

[0054] The gate driving unit 300 can generate a gate signal for driving the gate line GL in response to the first control signal CONT1 input from the driving control unit 200. The gate driving unit 300 can output the gate signal to the gate line GL. For example, the gate driving unit 300 can output the gate signal to the gate line GL sequentially.

[0055] In this embodiment, the gate driving portion 300 may be integrated on the peripheral portion PA of the display panel 100.

[0056] The gamma reference voltage generation unit 400 generates a gamma reference voltage VGREF in response to the third control signal CONT3 input from the drive control unit 200. The gamma reference voltage generation unit 400 provides the gamma reference voltage VGREF to the data drive unit 500. The gamma reference voltage VGREF may have a value corresponding to each data signal DATA.

[0057] In one embodiment of the present invention, the gamma reference voltage generation unit 400 may be configured within the drive control unit 200 or within the data drive unit 500.

[0058] The data driving unit 500 receives the second control signal CONT2 and the data signal DATA from the driving control unit 200, and receives the gamma reference voltage VGREF from the gamma reference voltage generation unit 400. The data driving unit 500 can use the gamma reference voltage VGREF to convert the data signal DATA into an analog data voltage. The data driving unit 500 can output the data voltage to the data line DL.

[0059] The sensing unit 600 can generate a sensing voltage in response to the fourth control signal CONT4 input from the drive control unit 200. The sensing unit 600 can output the sensing voltage to the pixel P. The sensing unit 600 can sense characteristic information of the pixel P. The sensing unit 600 can perform external compensation on the pixel P based on the characteristic information.

[0060] In one embodiment of the present invention, the sensing unit 600 may be configured within the drive control unit 200 or within the data drive unit 500.

[0061] Figure 2 It is shown Figure 1 A plan view of the display device.

[0062] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 The display device may include a printed circuit board assembly (PBA), a first printed circuit (P1), and a second printed circuit (P2). The PBA may be connected to the first printed circuit (P1) and the second printed circuit (P2). For example, the drive control unit 200 may be configured within the PBA.

[0063] The display device may include a plurality of flexible circuits FP connected to the first printed circuit P1 and the display panel 100. Furthermore, the display device may include a plurality of flexible circuits FP connected to the second printed circuit P2 and the display panel 100.

[0064] Multiple readout chips (RSICs) of the data driver unit 500 can be configured within the flexible circuit FP. The readout chips (RSICs) can be integrated circuit chips.

[0065] Figure 3 It is shown Figure 1 The circuit diagram of pixel P. Figure 4 This is shown in sensing mode. Figure 3 Timing diagram of the input and output signals of pixel P.

[0066] Reference Figures 1 to 4The pixel P may include a first thin-film transistor T1 that applies a first power supply voltage ELVDD to a second node N2 in response to a signal from a first node N1, a second thin-film transistor T2 that outputs a data voltage VDATA to the first node N1 in response to a first signal S1, a third thin-film transistor T3 that outputs a signal from the second node N2 to a sensing node in response to a second signal S2, an energy storage capacitor CS that includes a first terminal connected to the first node N1 and a second terminal connected to the second node N2, and a light-emitting element EE that includes a first electrode connected to the second node N2 and a second electrode to which a second power supply voltage ELVSS is applied.

[0067] Here, the second power supply voltage ELVSS may be lower than the first power supply voltage ELVDD. For example, the light-emitting element EE may be an organic light-emitting diode.

[0068] The pixel P may also include a switch SW that writes a sensing initialization voltage VINIT to the second node N2. The switch SW may be turned on and off based on a third signal S3.

[0069] For example, in the sensing initialization step, the second signal S2 and the third signal S3 can be activated to apply the sensing initialization voltage VINIT to the second node N2.

[0070] In order to compensate for the deviation of the characteristic value of the first thin-film transistor T1, which acts as a driving transistor, the display device according to one embodiment of the present invention needs to sense the characteristic value or change of the characteristic value of each first thin-film transistor T1. For this purpose, the display device may include a configuration for sensing the characteristic value or change of the characteristic value of the first thin-film transistor T1 within a sensing range for sub-pixels having a 3T1C structure or a structure based on this.

[0071] like Figure 4 As shown, in sensing mode, the first signal S1 can be activated, thereby applying a data voltage VDATA to the first node N1 through the second thin-film transistor T2. At this time, the data voltage VDATA can be the sensing data voltage used to sense the threshold voltage VTH of the first thin-film transistor T1.

[0072] The first thin-film transistor T1 can be turned on based on the sensing data voltage applied to the first node N1 in the sensing mode and the sensing initialization voltage VINIT applied to the second node N2 in the sensing initialization step.

[0073] Furthermore, since the second signal S2 is also activated in the sensing mode, the third thin-film transistor T3 can be turned on, and the signal VR of the second node N2 is output to the sensing node through the third thin-film transistor T3.

[0074] An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) can be configured at the sensing node, which can convert the signal VR of the second node N2 into a digital sensing signal, thereby sensing the characteristic information of the first thin-film transistor T1. For example, the sensing unit 600 can sense information such as the threshold voltage VTH, mobility information, and degradation information of the light-emitting element EE of the first thin-film transistor T1 included in each pixel P.

[0075] In this sensing mode, the third signal S3 may not be activated, thereby preventing the sensing initialization voltage VINIT from being output to the sensing node. Furthermore, since the second power supply voltage ELVSS is high in this sensing mode, the pixel P may not emit light.

[0076] On the other hand, the sensing line connecting pixel P and sensing unit 600 may include a sensing capacitor. The sensing capacitor can store the characteristic value or change in characteristic value of the first thin-film transistor T1 as a voltage. In this case, if the deviation in capacitance values ​​between the sensing capacitors becomes large, the overall capacitance distribution of sensing unit 600 will increase, which may reduce sensing efficiency and may cause undesirable phenomena such as vertical stripes observed on the display panel due to noise generation. To prevent the phenomena described above, the display device of the present invention can sense the deviation in capacitance values ​​of the sensing capacitors on the sensing line. The display device can sense characteristic information by replacing the sensing line with an additional sensing line based on the capacitance value deviation.

[0077] Figure 5 It's enlarged. Figure 1 An enlarged view of the internal circuitry of the sensing unit 600.

[0078] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 5The display device may include a sensing unit 600. The sensing unit 600 can output the sensed voltage to the pixel P. The sensing unit 600 can sense characteristic information of the pixel P. Furthermore, the sensing unit 600 can perform external compensation on the pixel P based on the characteristic information. Specifically, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) may be configured at the sensing node, which can convert the signal VR of the second node N2 into a digital sensing signal, thereby sensing characteristic information of the first thin-film transistor T1. For example, the sensing unit 600 can sense information such as the threshold voltage VTH, mobility information, and degradation information of the light-emitting element EE of the first thin-film transistor T1 included in each pixel P.

[0079] In one embodiment, the sensing unit 600 may include a plurality of first sensing lines SU1 and second sensing lines SU2. The sensing unit 600 can sense deviations in the capacitance values ​​of sensing capacitors on the plurality of first sensing lines SU1. Based on these deviations, the sensing unit 600 can replace the first sensing lines SU1 with second sensing lines SU2 to sense characteristic information of pixel P. Specifically, the sensing unit 600 may include a plurality of first sensing lines SU1, and the second sensing lines SU2 may be connected to the plurality of first sensing lines SU1 respectively. Figure 5 As shown, there may be one second sensing line SU2, but the second sensing line SU2 involved in this invention is not limited to this. That is, there may also be multiple second sensing lines SU2. When there are multiple second sensing lines SU2, each second sensing line SU2 may be connected to multiple first sensing lines SU1 respectively. For example, each second sensing line SU2 may be connected to multiple first sensing lines SU1 respectively through a dual transistor. The dual transistor connecting the first sensing line SU1 and the second sensing line SU2 may be composed of an NMOS transistor.

[0080] The sensing unit 600 can sense the characteristic information of pixel P by replacing the first sensing lines SU1 with second sensing lines SU2 based on the deviation of the capacitance values ​​of the sensing capacitors on the plurality of first sensing lines SU1. When the deviation of each first sensing line SU1 is large, the sensing unit 600 can replace the first sensing line SU1 with the largest deviation among the plurality of first sensing lines SU1 with second sensing lines SU2. In this case, the second sensing line SU2 can sense the characteristic information of pixel P using a sensing voltage.

[0081] In one embodiment, the display device may further include a deviation information acquisition unit 700. For example... Figure 5As shown, the display device can use the deviation information acquisition unit 700 to sense the deviation of the capacitance values ​​of the sensing capacitors on a plurality of first sensing lines SU1. The deviation information acquisition unit 700 may be located inside the sensing unit 600, thus forming part of the sensing unit 600. Conversely, the deviation information acquisition unit 700 may also be located inside the drive control unit 200, thus forming part of the drive control unit 200. Specifically, the deviation information acquisition unit 700 can apply a DC voltage to the sensing unit 600 to sense the deviation and obtain deviation information DD. For example, the deviation information acquisition unit 700 can apply a deviation detection voltage Vcal to the sensing unit 600 to sense the deviation. In one embodiment, the deviation detection voltage Vcal may be a 2V DC voltage, but the deviation detection voltage Vcal of the present invention is not limited to this. The deviation information acquisition unit 700 can apply the deviation detection voltage Vcal to the sensing unit 600 to obtain deviation information DD. The deviation information acquisition unit 700 can transmit the deviation information DD to the drive control unit 200. The drive control unit 200 can receive deviation information DD and adjust the level of the logic voltage applied to the gate electrode of the dual transistor included in the sensing unit 600 based on the deviation information DD. Thus, the drive control unit 200 can sense the characteristic information of pixel P by replacing the first sensing line SU1 with the second sensing line SU2 based on the deviation of the capacitance value of the sensing capacitor.

[0082] Therefore, the display device of the present invention can improve the image quality defects of the display panel by reducing the deviation in capacitance values ​​between the sensing capacitors. Furthermore, the display device of the present invention can increase the production volume of the display device by reducing the defect rate of the sensing unit 600 caused by the increased distribution of sensing capacitance in the display device. In addition, the display device of the present invention can reduce the production cost of the display device by reducing the capacitance of the sensing capacitors.

[0083] Figure 6 This is an example diagram illustrating the case where characteristic information of pixel P is sensed via the first sensing line SU1, and Figure 7 This is an example diagram showing the case where characteristic information of pixel P is sensed through the second sensing line SU2.

[0084] Reference Figure 1 , Figures 5 to 7The drive control unit 200 can receive deviation information DD of the capacitance value of the sensing capacitor from the deviation information acquisition unit 700. The drive control unit 200 can receive the deviation information DD and, based on the deviation information DD, adjust the level of the logic voltage applied to the gate electrode of the dual transistor included in the sensing unit 600. The drive control unit 200 can adjust the level of the logic voltage applied to the gate electrode of the dual transistor to a logic high voltage or a logic low voltage. Specifically, the drive control unit 200 can determine whether the deviation of the first sensing line SU1 is abnormal based on the deviation information DD. If the deviation of the first sensing line SU1 is normal, the drive control unit 200 can apply a logic high voltage to the gate electrode of the dual transistor. The sensing unit 600 can sense the characteristic information of pixel P through the first sensing line SU1 if it receives a logic high voltage from the drive control unit 200. If the deviation of the first sensing line SU1 is abnormal, the drive control unit 200 can determine that the first sensing line SU1 is defective. In the event of a malfunction in the first sensing line SU1, the drive control unit 200 may apply a logic low voltage to the gate electrode of the dual transistor. The sensing unit 600 may then sense characteristic information of pixel P via the second sensing line SU2 even when a logic low voltage is applied from the drive control unit 200.

[0085] In one embodiment, the sensing unit 600 can sense the characteristic information of pixel P through the first sensing line SU1. For example... Figure 6 As shown, the drive control unit 200 can receive deviation information DD from the deviation information acquisition unit 700, and adjust the level of the logic voltage applied to the gate electrode of the dual transistor included in the sensing unit 600 based on the deviation information DD. Specifically, the deviation information acquisition unit 700 can apply a deviation detection voltage Vcal to the sensing unit 600 to obtain the deviation information DD, and transmit the deviation information DD to the drive control unit 200. The drive control unit 200 can receive the deviation information DD from the deviation information acquisition unit 700, and apply a logic high voltage to the gate electrode of the dual transistor when the deviation of the first sensing line SU1 is normal. If a logic high voltage is applied to the gate electrode of the dual transistor, the dual transistor can be switched to apply a sensing voltage to the first sensing line SU1. In this case, the sensing unit 600 can output a sensing voltage to the first sensing line SU1, thereby sensing information such as the threshold voltage VTH of the first thin-film transistor T1 included in the pixel P, mobility information, and degradation information of the light-emitting element EE.

[0086] In one embodiment, the sensing unit 600 can sense the characteristic information of pixel P through the second sensing line SU2. For example... Figure 7As shown, the drive control unit 200 can receive deviation information DD from the deviation information acquisition unit 700, and adjust the level of the logic voltage applied to the gate electrode of the dual transistor included in the sensing unit 600 based on the deviation information DD. Specifically, the deviation information acquisition unit 700 can apply a deviation detection voltage Vcal to the sensing unit 600 to obtain the deviation information DD, and transmit the deviation information DD to the drive control unit 200. The drive control unit 200 can receive the deviation information DD from the deviation information acquisition unit 700, and apply a logic low voltage to the gate electrode of the dual transistor when the deviation of the first sensing line SU1 is abnormal. If a logic low voltage is applied to the gate electrode of the dual transistor, the dual transistor can be switched to apply a sensing voltage to the second sensing line SU2. In this case, the sensing unit 600 can output a sensing voltage to the second sensing line SU2, thereby sensing information such as the threshold voltage VTH of the first thin-film transistor T1 included in the pixel P, mobility information, and degradation information of the light-emitting element EE. On the other hand, although in Figure 7 The illustration shows a case where there is only one second sensing line SU2, but the second sensing line SU2 involved in this invention is not limited to this. That is, there can also be multiple second sensing lines SU2. When there are multiple second sensing lines SU2, each second sensing line SU2 can be connected to multiple first sensing lines SU1 respectively. For example, each second sensing line SU2 can be connected to multiple first sensing lines SU1 respectively through dual transistors. When the deviation of each first sensing line SU1 is large, the sensing unit 600 can replace each first sensing line SU1 sequentially with a second sensing line SU2, starting from the first sensing line SU1 with the largest deviation among the multiple first sensing lines SU1.

[0087] Therefore, the display device of the present invention can improve the image quality defects of the display panel by reducing the deviation in capacitance values ​​between the sensing capacitors. Furthermore, the display device of the present invention can increase the production volume of the display device by reducing the defect rate of the sensing unit 600 caused by the increased distribution of sensing capacitance in the display device. In addition, the display device of the present invention can reduce the production cost of the display device by reducing the capacitance of the sensing capacitors.

[0088] Figure 8 It is shown Figure 1 A sequence diagram of the operation of the display device.

[0089] Reference Figure 1 , Figures 5 to 8 The display device of the present invention can sense the deviation of the capacitance value of the sensing capacitors of a plurality of first sensing lines SU1 (S110), replace the first sensing line SU1 with a second sensing line SU2 based on the deviation (S120), output a sensing voltage to the sensing line SL to sense the characteristic information of pixel P (S130), and perform external compensation of pixel P based on the characteristic information (S140).

[0090] In one embodiment, the display device can sense the deviation in capacitance values ​​of sensing capacitors on a plurality of first sensing lines SU1 (S110). Specifically, the display device may include a deviation information acquisition unit 700. The display device can use the deviation information acquisition unit 700 to sense the deviation in capacitance values ​​of sensing capacitors on a plurality of first sensing lines SU1. If the deviation in capacitance values ​​between each sensing capacitor becomes large, the overall capacitance value dispersion of the sensing unit 600 becomes large, which may reduce sensing efficiency and may cause a defective phenomenon of vertical stripes observed on the display panel due to noise generation. To prevent this defective phenomenon, the deviation information acquisition unit 700 may apply a deviation detection voltage Vcal to the sensing unit 600 to obtain deviation information DD. The deviation information acquisition unit 700 may transmit the deviation information DD to the drive control unit 200.

[0091] After obtaining the deviation information DD, the display device can replace the first sensing line SU1 with the second sensing line SU2 based on the deviation information DD (S120). Specifically, the drive control unit 200 can receive the deviation information DD and adjust the level of the logic voltage applied to the gate electrode of the dual transistor included in the sensing unit 600 based on the deviation information DD. The sensing unit 600 can replace the first sensing line SU1 with the second sensing line SU2 according to the level of the logic voltage applied to the gate electrode of the dual transistor by the drive control unit 200. For example, if the deviation of each first sensing line SU1 is large, the sensing unit 600 can replace the first sensing line SU1 with the largest deviation among the multiple first sensing lines SU1 with the second sensing line SU2.

[0092] The display device can output a sensing voltage to the sensing line SL to sense the characteristic information of pixel P (S130), and perform external compensation for pixel P based on the characteristic information (S140). Specifically, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) can be configured at the sensing node of the sensing unit 600. The ADC can convert the signal of the second node N2 of pixel P into a digital sensing signal to sense the characteristic information of the first thin-film transistor T1. For example, the sensing unit 600 can sense the threshold voltage VTH, mobility information, and degradation information of the light-emitting element EE of the first thin-film transistor T1 included in each pixel P. At this time, the drive control unit 200 can perform external compensation for pixel P based on the threshold voltage VTH, mobility information, and degradation information of the light-emitting element EE of the first thin-film transistor T1. For example, the drive control unit 200 can control the data drive unit 500 to generate an optimized data voltage in accordance with the threshold voltage VTH, mobility information, and degradation information of the light-emitting element EE of pixel P.

[0093] Figure 9 It is shown in detail Figure 1The sequence diagram of the operation of the sensing unit.

[0094] Reference Figure 9 The display device of the present invention can apply a DC voltage to a first sensing line SU1 to sense the deviation of the capacitance value of a sensing capacitor (S210), obtain deviation information DD of the first sensing line SU1 (S220), and determine whether the deviation of the first sensing line SU1 is abnormal (S230). If the deviation of the first sensing line SU1 is abnormal (S230: yes), the display device can apply a logic low voltage to the gate electrode of the dual transistor (S240), replace the first sensing line SU1 with a second sensing line SU2 to sense the characteristic information of pixel P (S250), and perform external compensation of pixel P based on the characteristic information (S270). If the deviation of the first sensing line SU1 is normal (S230: no), the display device can use the first sensing line SU1 to sense the characteristic information of pixel P (S260), and perform external compensation of pixel P based on the characteristic information (S270).

[0095] In one embodiment, the display device can apply a DC voltage to the first sensing line SU1 to sense the deviation of the capacitance value of the sensing capacitor (S210), obtain deviation information DD of the first sensing line SU1 (S220), and determine whether the deviation of the first sensing line SU1 is abnormal (S230). Specifically, the display device can use the deviation information acquisition unit 700 to sense the deviation of the capacitance value of the sensing capacitors on a plurality of first sensing lines SU1. The deviation information acquisition unit 700 can apply a DC voltage to the sensing unit 600 to sense the deviation and obtain the deviation information DD. For example, the deviation information acquisition unit 700 can apply a deviation detection voltage Vcal to the sensing unit 600 to sense the deviation. In one embodiment, the deviation detection voltage Vcal can be a 2V DC voltage, but the deviation detection voltage Vcal of the present invention is not limited to this. The deviation information acquisition unit 700 can apply the deviation detection voltage Vcal to the sensing unit 600 to obtain the deviation information DD. The deviation information acquisition unit 700 can transmit the deviation information DD to the drive control unit 200. The drive control unit 200 can receive deviation information DD and determine whether the deviation of the first sensing line SU1 is abnormal. For example, when the deviation of a specific first sensing line SU1 is above a reference deviation, the drive control unit 200 can determine that the corresponding first sensing line SU1 is abnormal. In this case, the reference deviation can be a value preset by the user.

[0096] The sensing unit 600 may include a plurality of first sensing lines SU1 and second sensing lines SU2. The sensing unit 600 can sense deviations in the capacitance values ​​of sensing capacitors on the plurality of first sensing lines SU1. Based on these deviations, the sensing unit 600 can replace the first sensing lines SU1 with second sensing lines SU2 to sense characteristic information of pixel P. Specifically, the sensing unit 600 may include a plurality of first sensing lines SU1, and the second sensing lines SU2 may be connected to each of the plurality of first sensing lines SU1. Figure 5 As shown, there may be one second sensing line SU2, but the second sensing line SU2 involved in this invention is not limited to this. That is, there may also be multiple second sensing lines SU2. When there are multiple second sensing lines SU2, each second sensing line SU2 may be connected to multiple first sensing lines SU1 respectively. For example, each second sensing line SU2 may be connected to multiple first sensing lines SU1 respectively through a dual transistor. The dual transistor connecting the first sensing line SU1 and the second sensing line SU2 may be composed of an NMOS transistor.

[0097] In one embodiment, the display device can apply a logic low voltage to the gate electrode of the dual transistor when the deviation of the first sensing line SU1 is abnormal (S230: Yes) (S240), and use the second sensing line SU2 instead of the first sensing line SU1 to sense the characteristic information of the pixel P (S250). Specifically, the drive control unit 200 can receive deviation information DD from the deviation information acquisition unit 700, and apply a logic low voltage to the gate electrode of the dual transistor when the deviation of the first sensing line SU1 is abnormal. If a logic low voltage is applied to the gate electrode of the dual transistor, the dual transistor can be switched to apply a sensing voltage to the second sensing line SU2. In this case, the sensing unit 600 can output a sensing voltage to the second sensing line SU2, thereby sensing information such as the threshold voltage VTH, mobility information, and degradation information of the light-emitting element EE of the first thin-film transistor T1 included in the pixel P. On the other hand, there can be one or more second sensing lines SU2. When there are multiple second sensing lines SU2, each second sensing line SU2 can be connected to multiple first sensing lines SU1 respectively. For example, each second sensing line SU2 can be connected to a plurality of first sensing lines SU1 via dual transistors. When the deviation of each first sensing line SU1 is large, the sensing unit 600 can replace each first sensing line SU1 with a second sensing line SU2 sequentially, starting from the first sensing line SU1 with the largest deviation among the plurality of first sensing lines SU1.

[0098] In one embodiment, the display device can sense characteristic information of pixel P using the first sensing line SU1 when the deviation of the first sensing line SU1 is normal (S230: No) (S260). Specifically, the drive control unit 200 can receive deviation information DD from the deviation information acquisition unit 700, and apply a logic high voltage to the gate electrode of the dual transistor when the deviation of the first sensing line SU1 is normal. If a logic high voltage is applied to the gate electrode of the dual transistor, the dual transistor can be switched to apply a sensing voltage to the first sensing line SU1. In this case, the sensing unit 600 can output a sensing voltage to the first sensing line SU1 to sense information such as the threshold voltage VTH of the first thin-film transistor T1 included in pixel P, mobility information, and degradation information of the light-emitting element EE.

[0099] In one embodiment, the display device may perform external compensation for pixel P based on characteristic information (S270). For example, the drive control unit 200 may perform external compensation for pixel P based on information about the threshold voltage VTH of the first thin-film transistor T1, mobility information, and degradation information of the light-emitting element EE. For example, the drive control unit 200 may control the data drive unit 500 to generate an optimized data voltage in accordance with the information about the threshold voltage VTH of pixel P, mobility information, and degradation information of the light-emitting element EE. On the other hand, the display device according to an embodiment of the present invention may use a deviation information acquisition unit 700 to confirm whether the deviation has been improved. For example, when the characteristic information of pixel P is sensed by replacing the first sensing line SU1 with the second sensing line SU2, the deviation information acquisition unit 700 may apply a DC voltage to the sensing unit 600 to confirm whether the deviation has been improved.

[0100] As described above, the display device of the present invention can improve the image quality defects of the display panel by reducing the deviation in capacitance values ​​between the sensing capacitors. Furthermore, the display device of the present invention can increase the production volume of the display device by reducing the defect rate of the sensing unit 600 caused by the increased distribution of sensing capacitance in the display device. Moreover, the display device of the present invention can reduce the production cost of the display device by reducing the capacitance of the sensing capacitors. As a result, according to the present invention, the reliability of the display quality can be improved.

[0101] According to the display device and driving method of the present invention described above, the display device can improve the reliability of display quality.

[0102] The above description refers to various embodiments; however, those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications and alterations can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Claims

1. A display device, characterized in that, include: The display panel includes gate lines, data lines, sensing lines, and pixels electrically connected to the gate lines, data lines, and sensing lines, and displays an image based on input image data. The gate driving section outputs a gate signal to the gate line; The data driver unit outputs data voltage to the data line; The sensing unit outputs a sensing voltage to the sensing line to sense the characteristic information of the pixel, and performs external compensation of the pixel based on the characteristic information; as well as The drive control unit controls the gate drive unit, the data drive unit, and the sensing unit. The sensing unit senses the deviation in capacitance values ​​of sensing capacitors on a plurality of first sensing lines, and replaces the first sensing lines with second sensing lines based on the deviation, thereby sensing the characteristic information of the pixel. The second sensing line replaces the first sensing line with the largest deviation among a plurality of first sensing lines, thereby sensing the characteristic information of the pixel.

2. The display device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first sensing line and the second sensing line are connected by a dual transistor.

3. The display device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The dual transistors are composed of NMOS transistors.

4. The display device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The drive control unit adjusts the level of the logic voltage applied to the gate electrode of the dual transistor based on the deviation.

5. The display device according to claim 4, characterized in that, When the sensing unit receives the application of a logic high voltage from the driving control unit, it senses the characteristic information of the pixel through the first sensing line.

6. The display device according to claim 4, characterized in that, When the sensing unit receives a logic low voltage applied from the drive control unit, it senses the characteristic information of the pixel through the second sensing line.

7. The display device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sensing unit includes: The deviation information acquisition unit applies a DC voltage to the first sensing line to sense the deviation and acquires deviation information to transmit the deviation information to the drive control unit.

8. The display device according to claim 7, characterized in that, When the sensing unit uses the second sensing line instead of the first sensing line to sense the characteristic information of the pixel, the deviation information obtaining unit applies a DC voltage to the first sensing line to confirm whether the deviation has been improved.

9. The display device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second sensing line is connected to a plurality of the first sensing lines respectively.

10. A driving method for a display device, characterized in that, include: The steps of outputting a sensing voltage to a sensing line to sense the characteristic information of a pixel; as well as The step of performing external compensation for the pixel based on the aforementioned characteristic information. The step of sensing the characteristic information of the pixel includes: The step of sensing the deviation of the capacitance values ​​of sensing capacitors on multiple first sensing lines; as well as The step of replacing the first sensing line with a second sensing line based on the deviation, thereby sensing the characteristic information of the pixel. The second sensing line replaces the first sensing line with the largest deviation among a plurality of first sensing lines, thereby sensing the characteristic information of the pixel.

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