Display device for improving display quality and display panel thereof

Abstract

Disclosed are a display device improving display quality and a display panel thereof. The display device according to an embodiment of the disclosure can include a display panel including a first area corresponding to a first resolution, a second area corresponding to a second resolution lower than the first resolution, and a third area corresponding to a third resolution lower than the second resolution, and a sensor disposed under the panel to overlap at least a portion of the third area. Wherein, a plurality of pixels are disposed in the first area based on a first arrangement corresponding to a first pixel group including a plurality of sub-pixels; a plurality of pixels are disposed in the second area based on a second arrangement corresponding to a second pixel group, the second pixel group being different from the first pixel group in that at least one of the plurality of sub-pixels of the first pixel group is omitted; a plurality of pixels are disposed in the first arrangement on at least a portion of the third area; and a light transmission portion is disposed on another portion of the third area.

Description

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0145135, filed on October 28, 2021, which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes, as if fully set forth herein. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates to display devices and display panels for improving display quality. Background Technology

[0004] Electronic devices such as smartphones and tablets contain a variety of sensors and display devices. Examples of various sensors include, for instance, camera sensors.

[0005] Typically, camera sensors are positioned below a through-hole that runs through the bezel of an electronic device. However, with recent reductions in bezel size to expand the display area, research is actively underway into structures where the camera sensor is positioned behind the display area, taking advantage of the light transmittance of the display area.

[0006] In the display area, the area overlapping with the camera sensor requires, for example, a low resolution of pixels per inch (PPI) to ensure sufficient light transmittance. Therefore, the display area can include areas with different resolutions, such as high-resolution areas and low-resolution areas.

[0007] When a display area contains both high-resolution and low-resolution regions, the boundary between these regions can be identified. Furthermore, the low-resolution region may become visible due to reduced brightness, potentially degrading display quality. Therefore, methods are needed to improve display quality by reducing the visibility of the boundary between regions with different resolutions. Summary of the Invention

[0008] In one or more implementations, the purpose of embodiments of this disclosure is to provide a display device and display panel capable of improving the degraded display quality caused by identifying a boundary between two regions with different resolutions.

[0009] However, the purpose of this disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned purposes, but may include other technical purposes described herein.

[0010] In one aspect of this disclosure, a display device is provided, comprising: a display panel including a first region corresponding to a first resolution, a second region corresponding to a second resolution lower than the first resolution, and a third region corresponding to a third resolution lower than the second resolution; and a sensor disposed below the panel to overlap with at least a portion of the third region, wherein a plurality of pixels are disposed in the first region based on a first arrangement corresponding to a first pixel group including a plurality of sub-pixels; a plurality of pixels are disposed in the second region based on a second arrangement corresponding to a second pixel group, the second pixel group differing from the first pixel group in that at least one sub-pixel of the plurality of sub-pixels of the first pixel group is omitted; a plurality of pixels are disposed in the first arrangement on at least a portion of the third region; and a light-transmitting portion is disposed on another portion of the third region.

[0011] In another aspect of the present invention, a display panel is provided, the display panel including a first region corresponding to a first resolution, a second region corresponding to a second resolution lower than the first resolution, and a third region corresponding to a third resolution lower than the second resolution, wherein a plurality of pixels are disposed in the first region based on a first arrangement corresponding to a first pixel group including a plurality of sub-pixels; a plurality of pixels are disposed in the second region based on a second arrangement corresponding to a second pixel group, the second pixel group differing from the first pixel group in that at least one sub-pixel of the plurality of sub-pixels of the first pixel group is omitted; a plurality of pixels are disposed in the first arrangement on at least a portion of the third region; and a light-transmitting portion is disposed on another portion of the third region.

[0012] Specific details of other implementation methods are included in the detailed embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0013] According to the display device and display panel of this disclosure, display quality can be improved by arranging pixels with at least one subpixel omitted between two regions with different resolutions to reduce the visibility of the boundary.

[0014] The effects that can be obtained from this disclosure are not limited to those mentioned above. Those skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains can clearly understand other effects not mentioned based on the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 The display area of ​​a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0016] Figure 2 It shows the overlapping structure of the display area and the sensor along... Figure 1 The cross-sectional view of line I-I' in the display area shown.

[0017] Figure 3 This is a block diagram illustrating the circuit configuration of a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 4 An example is shown of setting areas with different resolutions in the display area of ​​a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 5 The pixel arrangement of a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0020] Figure 6 The pixel arrangement of a display device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0021] Figure 7 This is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of areas with different resolutions in a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional view of a region with different resolution in a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0023] Implementations of this disclosure will now be described in detail, examples of which can be shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0024] In the following description, unless otherwise stated, the structures, embodiments, implementations, methods, and operations described herein are not limited to one or more specific examples set forth herein, and may be varied as is known in the art. Unless otherwise stated, the same reference numerals always denote the same elements. The names of the various elements used in the following description have been chosen solely for the convenience of writing this disclosure and may therefore differ from the names used in actual products.

[0025] The advantages and features of this disclosure, as well as methods of implementing them, will become clear from the following detailed description of embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, this disclosure may be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the exemplary embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these exemplary embodiments are provided so that this disclosure may be sufficiently thorough and complete to assist those skilled in the art in fully understanding its scope. Furthermore, the scope of protection of this disclosure is defined by the claims and their equivalents. In the following description, detailed descriptions of relevant known functions or configurations may be omitted where such descriptions might unnecessarily obscure aspects of this disclosure.

[0026] While considering the functions in this disclosure, the terminology used in the embodiments has been selected as widely used and common terms as much as possible. These terms may vary depending on the intent of those skilled in the art, precedents, or the emergence of new technologies. Additionally, in specific cases, there may be terms arbitrarily chosen by the applicant, and in such cases, the meaning of the term will be described in detail in the corresponding description. Therefore, the terms used in this disclosure should be defined based on their meaning and the entirety of this disclosure, rather than on their simple names.

[0027] Throughout the disclosure, when a portion “includes” a specific element, it indicates, unless otherwise stated, that other elements may also be included, rather than excluding other elements.

[0028] The expression "at least one of a, b, and c" throughout the description of this disclosure can include configurations such as "a alone," "b alone," "c alone," "a and b," "a and c," "b and c," or "all a, b, and c." The advantages and features of this disclosure, as well as methods for achieving these advantages and features, will become apparent from the embodiments described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0029] The shapes, areas, ratios, angles, numbers, etc., disclosed in the accompanying drawings for explaining the embodiments of this disclosure are exemplary, and the embodiments of this disclosure are not limited to those shown. Furthermore, when describing embodiments, if it is determined that a detailed description of related known technologies might unnecessarily obscure the essential points of the embodiments, such a detailed description will be omitted.

[0030] In the use of terms such as "comprising," "having," "comprising," and "including" in this disclosure, it should be understood that other parts or elements can be added. When an element is represented in the singular, it is understood to include, unless otherwise expressly stated, the plural. Furthermore, in interpreting elements, even without a separate explicit description, it should be understood to include a range of tolerances.

[0031] In descriptions involving spatial relationships, such as when using terms like "on," "above," "above," "below," "under," "below," "below," "near," "close to," or "adjacent" to describe the positional relationship between two elements, unless terms like "directly" or "only" are used, the positional relationship should be interpreted as one or more elements also being "placed" between the elements. A configuration where an element or layer is placed "on" another element or layer includes cases where the element or layer is directly placed on other elements or where additional layers or other elements are placed between them.

[0032] When terms such as "first," "second," etc., are used herein to describe various elements or components, it should be understood that these elements or components are not limited thereto. These terms are used only herein to distinguish one element from other elements. Therefore, the first element mentioned below may be a second element within the technical concept of this disclosure.

[0033] For ease of description, the area, length, or thickness of each component described in the disclosure is shown, but the invention is not necessarily limited to the area and thickness of the components shown.

[0034] Features of each embodiment of this disclosure may be combined or coupled to each other in part or in whole, and may be linked or operated in various technical ways. Furthermore, each embodiment may be implemented independently of each other, or may be implemented together in a related relationship.

[0035] Furthermore, the terms described later are defined with reference to the functionality in the implementation of this disclosure, and these terms may vary depending on the intent or habits of the user or operator. Therefore, they should be defined based on the content of this disclosure.

[0036] The transistors constituting the pixel circuit of this disclosure may include at least one of oxide thin film transistors (oxide TFTs), amorphous silicon TFTs (a-Si TFTs), and low-temperature polycrystalline silicon TFTs (LTPS TFTs).

[0037] The following embodiments will primarily describe organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display devices. However, the embodiments of this disclosure are not limited to organic light-emitting display devices, but can be applied to inorganic light-emitting display devices that include inorganic light-emitting materials. For example, the embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to quantum dot display devices.

[0038] Expressions such as "first," "second," and "third" are terms used to classify configurations according to embodiments, and embodiments are not limited to these terms. Therefore, it should be noted that, according to embodiments, even the same terms may refer to different components.

[0039] In the following description, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0040] Figure 1 The display area of ​​a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 2 It shows the overlapping structure of the display area and the sensor along... Figure 1 The cross-sectional view of line I-I' in the display area shown.

[0041] The display device according to embodiments of this disclosure may be an electroluminescent display device. An electroluminescent display device may include an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display device, a quantum dot light-emitting diode (QLED) display device, or an inorganic light-emitting diode display device.

[0042] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 The display device according to the embodiments may include a panel 100 having a display area DA with a plurality of pixels for displaying images, and a border area BZ surrounding the outer portion of the display area DA. The display area DA may be represented as a pixel array area or an active area. In some embodiments, the border area BZ may be very small or may be omitted.

[0043] Panel 100 may also include a touch sensor screen that senses a user's touch by overlapping the display area DA, and the touch sensor screen may be embedded in panel 100 or disposed on the display area DA of panel 100.

[0044] The display area DA of panel 100 may include a high-resolution area HA, a boundary area BA, and a low-resolution area LA. The high-resolution area HA occupies the largest proportion of the display area DA and may have a predetermined first resolution. The high-resolution area HA has a high pixel density pixel arrangement structure, wherein the unit pixel is set to achieve a high PPI (pixels per inch).

[0045] The boundary region BA can have a second resolution lower than the first resolution. Within a unit pixel of the boundary region BA, one of the multiple sub-pixels constituting a unit pixel of the high-resolution region HA can be omitted. For example, if a unit pixel of the high-resolution region HA includes one red sub-pixel, two green sub-pixels, and one blue sub-pixel, then a unit pixel of the boundary region BA can include one red sub-pixel, one green sub-pixel, and one blue sub-pixel. The boundary region BA can be positioned between the high-resolution region HA and the low-resolution region LA.

[0046] The low-resolution region LA may include an area overlapping with the sensor 120 disposed behind the panel 100. The low-resolution region LA may include an area containing pixels (a light-emitting area) and a light-transmitting portion for transmitting light. Compared to the high-resolution region HA and the boundary region BA, the low-resolution region LA may have a pixel arrangement structure with a lower pixel density due to its lower PPI. That is, the low-resolution region LA may have a third resolution lower than the second resolution. A unit pixel disposed in the light-emitting area of ​​the low-resolution region LA may correspond to a unit pixel in the high-resolution region HA. For example, if a unit pixel in the high-resolution region HA includes one red sub-pixel, two green sub-pixels, and one blue sub-pixel, a unit pixel in the low-resolution region LA may also include one red sub-pixel, two green sub-pixels, and one blue sub-pixel.

[0047] The sensor 120, overlapping with the low-resolution region LA, can sufficiently ensure the transmittance of incident or emitted light passing through the low-resolution region LA via a light-transmitting portion (i.e., a light-transmitting portion). To ensure the light transmittance of the sensor 120, the area occupied by the transmitting portion in the low-resolution region LA can be larger than the area occupied by the pixel region. Furthermore, to ensure the light transmittance of the sensor 120, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the size of the low-resolution region LA can be larger than the size of the area where the low-resolution region LA overlaps with the sensor 120.

[0048] In an implementation, the sensor 120 that uses light passing through the low-resolution region LA of the display region DA can be a camera sensor, but is not limited thereto, and can include at least one of various optical sensors, such as an infrared sensor, an illuminance sensor, a red-green-blue (RGB) sensor, or a fingerprint sensor.

[0049] For example, such as Figure 1 As shown in (a), the display area DA of the panel (or display panel) 100 included in the display device may include a low-resolution area LA surrounded by a high-resolution area HA and a boundary area BA, and the sensor 120 using the transmitted light from the low-resolution area LA may be a camera sensor. For another example, such as... Figure 1 As shown in (b), the display area DA of panel 100 may include multiple low-resolution areas LA, each low-resolution area LA being surrounded by a high-resolution area HA and a boundary area BA. Each sensor overlapping with each of the multiple low-resolution areas LA may correspond to at least one of a camera sensor, an illumination sensor, and a fingerprint sensor. Specifically, for example, the sensor overlapping with the low-resolution area LA at a first location may be a camera sensor, and the sensor overlapping with the low-resolution area LA at a second location may be an infrared sensor.

[0050] According to the implementation method, the number of low-resolution regions LA disposed in the display area DA can be varied, and the shape of the low-resolution regions LA can also be varied. This will be discussed later. Figure 4 A more specific example describing the shape of the low-resolution region LA.

[0051] Figure 3 This is a block diagram illustrating the circuit configuration of a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0052] Reference Figure 3 The display device (or display apparatus) may include a display panel 100, a gate driver 200, a data driver 300, and a timing controller 400. In some embodiments, the gate driver 200 and the data driver 300 may be referred to as panel drivers for driving the display panel 100. Alternatively, the gate driver 200, the data driver 300, and the timing controller 400 may be referred to as drivers or drive units for driving the display device (or display panel 100).

[0053] The display area DA of panel 100 may include multiple unit pixels. Each of the multiple unit pixels of display area DA may use red sub-pixels (R), green sub-pixels (G), and blue sub-pixels (B) to display an image. Each unit pixel may consist of at least one sub-pixel.

[0054] For example, a unit pixel in a high-resolution region HA and a unit pixel in a low-resolution region LA can include four sub-pixels: R, G, B, and G. Among the four sub-pixels constituting a unit pixel in the high-resolution region HA, the red sub-pixel (R) and the blue sub-pixel (B), excluding the green sub-pixel (G), can be arranged alternately in the horizontal or x-axis direction. The green sub-pixel (G) can be positioned perpendicular to the red sub-pixel (R) and the blue sub-pixel (B). Two green sub-pixels (G) are included in the unit pixel and can be arranged in the horizontal or x-axis direction.

[0055] As another example, a unit pixel of a boundary region BA may include three sub-pixels R, G, and B. Of the three sub-pixels constituting a unit pixel of the boundary region BA, the red sub-pixel (R) and the blue sub-pixel (B), excluding the green sub-pixel (G), may be arranged alternately in the horizontal direction or the x-axis direction. The green sub-pixel (G) may be positioned perpendicular to the red sub-pixel (R) and the blue sub-pixel (B).

[0056] The following will refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 To provide a more detailed description related to the arrangement of subpixels.

[0057] The area of ​​the high-resolution region HA can be the largest within the display region DA. The boundary region BA can be surrounded by the high-resolution region HA. The low-resolution region LA can be surrounded by the boundary region BA.

[0058] In this embodiment, each sub-pixel constituting a unit pixel may include a light-emitting element and a pixel circuit that independently drives the light-emitting element. The light-emitting element may include an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), a quantum dot light-emitting diode (QLED), or an inorganic light-emitting diode (ILED). The pixel circuit may include a plurality of thin-film transistors (TFTs) and a storage capacitor. The plurality of TFTs include at least a driving TFT for driving the light-emitting element and a switching TFT for providing data signals to the driving TFT. The storage capacitor is used to store a driving voltage corresponding to the data signal provided by the switching TFT and to provide the driving voltage to the driving TFT.

[0059] According to the implementation, the pixel circuit may further include multiple TFTs, which are used to initialize each of the three electrodes (gate, source, and drain) of the driving TFT, connect the driving TFT to a diode structure for threshold voltage compensation, or control the emission time of the light-emitting element. The pixel circuit configuration can be implemented differently, such as 3T1C (3 TFTs and 1 capacitor), 7T1C (7 TFTs and 1 capacitor), etc.

[0060] For example, each pixel may include a pixel circuit, which includes at least: a light-emitting element connected between a power line for providing a high-potential driving voltage (first driving voltage; EVDD) and a common electrode for providing a low-potential driving voltage (second driving voltage; EVSS), and a first switching TFT and a second switching TFT for independently driving the light-emitting element, as well as a driving TFT and a storage capacitor.

[0061] The light-emitting element may include an anode connected to the source node of the driving TFT, a cathode connected to the EVSS line, and an organic light-emitting layer between the anode and cathode. The anode is independent for each sub-pixel, but the cathode may be a common electrode shared by all sub-pixels. In the light-emitting element, when a driving current is supplied from the driving TFT, electrons from the cathode are injected into the organic light-emitting layer, and holes from the anode are injected into the organic light-emitting layer. Light with a brightness proportional to the value of the driving current is generated by the emission of light from a fluorescent or phosphorescent material due to the recombination of electrons and holes in the organic light-emitting layer.

[0062] The first switching TFT is driven by a scan pulse supplied from the gate driver 200 to a gate line, and a data voltage supplied from the data driver 300 to a data line is applied to the gate node of the driving TFT.

[0063] The second switching TFT is driven by a sensing pulse supplied from the gate driver 200 to another gate line, and a reference voltage supplied from the data driver 300 to the reference line is supplied to the source node of the driving TFT. Simultaneously, in sensing mode, the second switching TFT can supply a current to the reference line that reflects the characteristics of the driving TFT or the characteristics of the light-emitting element.

[0064] The storage capacitor connected between the gate node and the source node of the driving TFT charges the voltage difference between the data voltage and the reference voltage supplied to the gate node and the source node through the first switch TFT and the second switch TFT, respectively, as the driving voltage of the driving TFT, and maintains the charged driving voltage during the light emission period when the first switch TFT and the second switch TFT are off.

[0065] The driving TFT controls the current supplied from the EVDD line according to the driving voltage provided by the storage capacitor, and provides a driving current determined by the driving voltage to the light-emitting element to emit light.

[0066] In this implementation, the gate driver 200 can be controlled according to a plurality of gate control signals provided from the timing controller 400, and can drive the gate lines of the panel 100 individually. The gate driver 200 provides a scan signal of the gate on voltage to the corresponding gate line during the driving period of each gate line, and provides a gate off voltage to the corresponding gate line during the non-driving period of each gate line.

[0067] In this implementation, the data driver 300 is controlled according to a data control signal provided by the timing controller 400, converting digital data provided by the timing controller 400 into analog data signals and providing corresponding data signals to each data line of the panel 100. In this case, the data driver 300 converts digital data into analog data signals using grayscale voltage, in which multiple reference gamma voltages provided by a gamma voltage generator are further divided. The data driver 300 can provide reference voltages to reference lines.

[0068] Meanwhile, in sensing mode, the data driver 300, under the control of the timing controller 400, provides a data voltage for sensing to the data line to drive each pixel. The data driver 300 can sense the pixel current, which represents the electrical characteristics of the driven pixel, as a voltage through a reference line, and convert the voltage into digital sensing data to be provided to the timing controller 400.

[0069] The timing controller 400 can control the gate driver 200 and the data driver 300 using timing control signals provided from an external system and timing setting information stored in the timing controller. The timing control signals may include one or more of a dot clock, a data enable signal, a vertical synchronization signal, and a horizontal synchronization signal. The timing controller 400 can generate multiple gate control signals for controlling the drive timing of the gate driver 200 and provide these gate control signals to the gate driver 400. The timing controller 400 can also generate multiple data control signals for controlling the drive timing of the data driver 300 and provide these data control signals to the data driver 300.

[0070] In this implementation, the timing controller 400 can perform various image processing operations on the provided input image data and output the image-processed data to the data driver 300. The timing controller 400 can also perform image quality improvement processing on the image data, such as compensation for initial characteristic deviations of each pixel and compensation for degradation (afterimage).

[0071] In this embodiment, the timing controller 400 controls the gate driver 200 and the data driver 300 to drive the panel 100 in a sensing mode. The data driver 300 can also perform a sensing function to sense the threshold voltage of the driving TFT, the mobility of the driving TFT, and the threshold voltage of the light-emitting element, reflecting characteristic deviations and degradation of each pixel of the panel 100. The timing controller 400 can use the sensing results to perform image quality improvement processing to compensate for characteristic deviations and degradation of each pixel. The timing controller 400 can accumulate data in each sub-pixel as stress data and can also perform image quality improvement processing to compensate for degradation of each sub-pixel based on the accumulated stress data.

[0072] Figure 4 An example is shown of setting areas with different resolutions in the display area of ​​a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 4 Various shapes of the boundary region BA and the low-resolution region LA on the display area DA of a display device (or a display panel included in the display device) are shown. Although not shown, the high-resolution region HA may be disposed around the boundary region BA.

[0073] Figure 4 (a) illustrates an example where a low-resolution region LA is arranged in an elliptical shape, and a boundary region BA is arranged in an elliptical shape to surround the low-resolution region LA. The boundary region BA is the area located between the low-resolution region LA and the high-resolution region HA (not shown). To improve display quality, it is necessary to reduce the visibility of the boundary region BA as perceived by the user.

[0074] The display device according to embodiments of this disclosure can improve display quality by differentiating the configuration of unit pixels in the boundary region BA and the low-resolution region LA from the configuration of unit pixels in the high-resolution region HA. This will be discussed later with reference to the first plane 451. Figure 5 and Figure 6 To describe the relevant description, the first plane 451 includes Figure 4 A portion of each of the low-resolution region LA, the boundary region BA, and the high-resolution region HA in (a).

[0075] In the low-resolution region LA Figure 4 In the case of the elliptical arrangement shown in (a), the arrangement of the low-resolution region LA, the boundary region BA, and the high-resolution region HA can be distinguished from the arrangement on the first plane 451. This will be discussed later. Figure 7 To describe specific examples related to this.

[0076] Figure 4 (b) shows an example where the low-resolution region LA is arranged in a hexagonal shape and the boundary region BA is arranged in an elliptical shape to surround the low-resolution region LA.

[0077] Figure 4 (c) shows an example where the low-resolution region LA is arranged in a rectangular or quadrilateral shape, and the boundary region BA is arranged in an elliptical shape to surround the low-resolution region LA.

[0078] Figure 4 (d) shows an example where the low-resolution region LA is arranged in a circular shape, and the boundary region BA is arranged in a circular shape to surround the low-resolution region LA.

[0079] In the implementation, the low-resolution region LA can be implemented in various forms, and the boundary region BA can be implemented in various forms as an adjacency to and surrounding the low-resolution region LA.

[0080] In the following text, for ease of description, the unit pixels of the high-resolution region HA and the low-resolution region LA will be referred to as the first pixel group, and the unit pixels of the boundary region BA will be referred to as the second pixel group. Furthermore, the high-resolution region HA will be referred to as the first region, the boundary region BA as the second region, and the low-resolution region LA as the third region; however, the implementation of this disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0081] Figure 5 The pixel arrangement of a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Specifically, Figure 5 Based on Figure 4A plane 451 is used to illustrate a first region (or high-resolution region), a second region (or boundary region), and a third region (or low-resolution region) of a display device (or a display panel included in the display device).

[0082] Reference Figure 5 Plane 451 may include at least a portion of a first region A1, at least a portion of a second region A2, and at least a portion of a third region A3. The second region A2 may be located adjacent to the first region A1, and the third region A3 may be located adjacent to the second region A2. The second region A2 may be positioned between the first region A1 and the third region A3.

[0083] In this implementation, the first region A1 corresponds to the high-resolution region HA with a PPI equal to or greater than a first value, the second region A2 may correspond to the boundary region BA with a PPI less than the first value but equal to or greater than the second value, and the third region A3 may correspond to the low-resolution region LA with a PPI less than the second value. Here, the first value can be a value greater than the second value.

[0084] In an implementation, the first region A1 and the third region A3 may have a pixel arrangement structure of a first pixel group P1 (or a first unit pixel). In the first region A1 and the third region A3, multiple sub-pixels may be disposed in each pixel of the multiple pixels based on the pixel arrangement of the first pixel group P1 (hereinafter referred to as the first arrangement). In an exemplary implementation, the second region A2 may have a pixel arrangement structure of a second pixel group P2. Hereinafter, for ease of description, one of the pixels disposed in the first region A1 is used to describe the first pixel group P1, and one of the pixels disposed in the second region A2 is used to describe the second pixel group P2.

[0085] In an implementation, the plurality of sub-pixels of the first pixel group P1 may include one red sub-pixel (R), two green sub-pixels (G), and one blue sub-pixel (B). In an implementation, the shape of each of the red sub-pixel (R) and the blue sub-pixel (B) may correspond to a quadrilateral or a rectangle, and the shape of the green sub-pixel (G) may correspond to an ellipse or a circle. In an implementation, the size of the red sub-pixel (R) may be smaller than the size of the blue sub-pixel (B). The shapes and sizes of the sub-pixels described herein are merely examples, and implementations are not limited to these examples; each of the red sub-pixel (R), green sub-pixel (G), and blue sub-pixel (B) may have various shapes (e.g., triangles, rhombuses, pentagons) and may be implemented in various sizes.

[0086] In this implementation, red sub-pixels (R) and blue sub-pixels (B) can be arranged in a first row along the x-axis, and two green sub-pixels (G) can be arranged in a second row separate from the first row along the x-axis. That is, as shown in the figure, red sub-pixels (R) and blue sub-pixels (B) are arranged horizontally side-by-side to form the first row. Two green sub-pixels (G) can be arranged horizontally side-by-side to form another row (i.e., the second row) at the top (or bottom) of the first row containing red sub-pixels (R) and blue sub-pixels (B). Each of the plurality of sub-pixels in the first pixel group P1 can be arranged in a zigzag pattern (or alternately) as shown in the first and second rows.

[0087] In one implementation, the two green sub-pixels (G) may have an elliptical shape, and in this case, the two green sub-pixels (G) may be arranged symmetrically with respect to the y-axis.

[0088] In this implementation, one of the two green sub-pixels (G) can be positioned along a first diagonal direction, while the other can be positioned along a second diagonal direction. For example, one of the two green sub-pixels (G) can be positioned along a first diagonal direction at an angle of 45° relative to the x-axis, while the other can be positioned along a second diagonal direction at an angle of -45° relative to the x-axis.

[0089] The sub-pixels of the second pixel group P2 may include a red sub-pixel (R), a green sub-pixel (G), and a blue sub-pixel (B). The sub-pixels of the second pixel group P2 may be such that one of the green sub-pixels (G) from the multiple sub-pixels of the first pixel group P1 is omitted.

[0090] In an implementation, if the two green sub-pixels (G) of the first pixel group P1 are arranged along a first diagonal direction and a second diagonal direction, respectively, then in the second pixel group P2, the green sub-pixel (G) arranged along the second diagonal direction can be omitted. In some cases, the green sub-pixel (G) along the first diagonal direction can be omitted. Specific examples related to this can be found in [reference needed]. Figure 6 .

[0091] In this embodiment, each of the first regions A1 may include a plurality of pixels corresponding to a first arrangement of the first pixel group P1. Each of the second regions A2 may include a plurality of pixels corresponding to a second arrangement of the second pixel group P2. The third region A3 may include a plurality of pixels corresponding to the first arrangement of the first pixel group P1 and a light transmission portion AG for transmitting light.

[0092] In this implementation, the distance between the first region A1 and the third region A3 can correspond to the length of a unit pixel. The length of a unit pixel can correspond to the length of the first pixel group P1 or the length of the second pixel group P2. For example... Figure 5 As shown, if the horizontal and vertical lengths of the first pixel group P1 or the second pixel group P2 are not constant, the distance between the first region A1 and the third region A3 can be determined as one of the diagonal length or vertical length of the first pixel group P1 or the second pixel group P2.

[0093] In an embodiment, at least one light-transmitting portion may be disposed between at least two pixels of a plurality of pixels in the third region A3. For example, as shown, when the third region A3 includes a first pixel 501 and a second pixel 502, at least one of the light-transmitting portions AG may be disposed between the first pixel 501 and the second pixel 502.

[0094] Although not shown, the sensor may be positioned below the third region A3. The sensor may include at least one of an optical sensor, a camera sensor, an infrared sensor, and an ultraviolet sensor. The sensor may sense various information based on light transmitted through the light-transmitting portion AG.

[0095] In implementation, the light-transmitting portion AG (or the plane of the light-transmitting portion AG) can be implemented in various shapes. For example, the plane of the light-transmitting portion can be implemented as a circle or a polygon.

[0096] In a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a second region A2 with medium resolution is disposed between a first region A1 with high resolution and a third region A3 with low resolution, thereby reducing the visibility of the boundary between the first region A1 and the third region A3 as perceived by the user (or viewed from the front of the display panel), thereby improving the display quality of the display device.

[0097] Figure 6 The pixel arrangement of a display device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Specifically, Figure 6 The following example is shown: the green sub-pixel (G) of the second pixel group and Figure 5 The situations are arranged differently. In the following text, the distinction between... Figure 5 Overlapping descriptions.

[0098] Reference Figure 6One of the two green sub-pixels (G) in the first pixel group P1 can be set in a first diagonal direction, while the other can be set in a second diagonal direction. For example, one of the two green sub-pixels (G) can be set in a first diagonal direction tilted at 45° relative to the x-axis, while the other can be set in a second diagonal direction tilted at -45° relative to the x-axis.

[0099] In this case, the second pixel group P2 can be a pixel group in which one of the green sub-pixels (G) of the first pixel group P1 is omitted or excluded. For example, if the two green sub-pixels (G) of the first pixel group P1 are arranged in the first diagonal direction and the second diagonal direction respectively, the green sub-pixel (G) in the first diagonal direction can be excluded in the second pixel group P2.

[0100] Figure 7 This is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of areas with different resolutions in a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Specifically, Figure 7 It is used for explanation Figure 4 The diagram of the second plane 452.

[0101] Reference Figure 7 If the third region A3 is a curved region, then the second region A2 can be adjacent to the third region A3 and can be set to surround the third region A3.

[0102] In one implementation, the third region A3 can be arranged in a stepped shape to form a curve. In this case, the second region A2 can also be arranged in a stepped shape to surround the third region A3. The first region A1 can be located outside the second region A2.

[0103] When the third region A3 is arranged in a stepped shape to form a curve, as shown in the figure, as the pixel arrangement in the third region A3 ends and the pixel arrangement in the second region A2 begins, a stepped region (hereinafter referred to as the stepped region) 701 can be formed. In the stepped region 701, the second region A2 can be set to be thicker than the region (hereinafter referred to as the flat region) 702, in which the pixels of the third region A3 are continuously arranged.

[0104] Specifically, refer to Figure 7 In the stepped region 701, the length of the second region A2 can be set to twice the length of a unit pixel. In this case, the length between the first region A1 and the third region A3 can correspond to twice the length of a unit pixel. On the other hand, in the flat region 702, the second region A2 can be set to correspond to a unit pixel length. In this case, the length between the first region A1 and the third region A3 can correspond to a unit pixel length. Since already referenced... Figure 5 The length per unit pixel is described, so its detailed description will be omitted.

[0105] Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional view of a region with different resolution in a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 8 A cross-section of the regions where the second region A2 and the third region A3 are adjacent to each other is conceptually shown.

[0106] Figure 8 In this context, TFT represents the driving transistor DT of the pixel circuit. (See reference...) Figure 8 Circuit layers, light-emitting element layers, etc., can be stacked on a substrate PI in the pixel region PIX. The substrate PI may include a first PI substrate (not shown) and a second PI substrate (not shown). An inorganic layer (not shown) can be positioned between the first PI substrate and the second PI substrate. The inorganic layer can prevent water penetration.

[0107] A first buffer layer BUF1 may be formed on a substrate PI (e.g., on a second PI substrate PI2). A first metal layer BSM may be formed on the first buffer layer BUF1, and a second buffer layer BUF2 may be formed on the first buffer layer BUF1 to surround the first metal layer BSM. Each of the first buffer layer BUF1 and the second buffer layer BUF2 may be formed of an inorganic insulating material and may include one or more insulating layers.

[0108] In some cases, the first metal layer BSM can be formed below the first buffer layer BUF1. In this case, the first buffer layer BUF1 and the second buffer layer BUF2 can be formed on the first metal layer BSM.

[0109] The first metal layer BSM can be patterned during a photolithography process. The first metal layer BSM may include a light-shielding pattern. The light-shielding pattern can block external light, preventing light from incident on the active layer of the TFT, thereby preventing photocurrent of the TFT formed in the pixel region. If the light-shielding pattern is formed of a metal with a lower absorption coefficient for the laser wavelength used in the laser ablation process compared to the metal layer (e.g., cathode) to be removed from the sensing region SA, the light-shielding pattern can be used as a shielding layer to block the laser beam LB in the laser ablation process.

[0110] The active layer ACT can be formed from semiconductor material on the second buffer layer BUF2 and patterned using a photolithography process. The active layer ACT can include active patterns for each of the TFTs in the pixel circuit and the TFTs in the gate driver. A portion of the active layer ACT can be metallized by ion doping. The metallized portion can be used as a jumper pattern to connect the metal layer at some nodes of the pixel circuit, thereby connecting the components of the pixel circuit.

[0111] The gate insulating layer GI can be formed on the second buffer layer BUF2 to cover the active layer ACT. The gate insulating layer GI can be formed of an inorganic insulating material.

[0112] The second metal layer (Gate) can be formed on the gate insulating layer (GI). The second metal layer (Gate) can be patterned using a photolithography process. The second metal layer (Gate) can be used as a gate line, a gate electrode, the lower electrode of a storage capacitor, and a jumper pattern connecting the patterns of the first metal layer (BSM) and the third metal layer (TM).

[0113] A first interlayer insulating layer ILD1 can be formed on the gate insulating layer GI to cover the second metal layer Gate. A third metal layer TM can be formed on the first interlayer insulating layer ILD1, and a second interlayer insulating layer ILD2 can cover the third metal layer TM. The third metal layer TM can be patterned by a photolithography process. The third metal layer TM can include metal patterns, such as the upper electrode of a storage capacitor. The first interlayer insulating layer ILD1 and the second interlayer insulating layer ILD2 can include inorganic insulating materials.

[0114] A fourth metal layer SD1 can be formed on the second interlayer insulating layer ILD2, and an inorganic insulating layer PAS1 and a first planarization layer PLN1 can be stacked on the fourth metal layer SD1. A fifth metal layer SD2 can be formed on the first planarization layer PLN1. The first planarization layer PLN1 and the second planarization layer PLN2 can be formed of an organic insulating material for planarizing the surface.

[0115] The fourth metal layer SD1 can be connected to the first and second electrodes of the TFT, which are connected to the active pattern of the TFT through contact holes penetrating the second interlayer insulating layer ILD2. Data lines and power lines can be implemented using either the fourth metal layer SD1 or the fifth metal layer SD2.

[0116] The anode electrode (hereinafter referred to as the anode) AND, which is the first electrode layer of the OLED light-emitting element, can be formed on the second planarization layer PLN2. The anode AND can be connected to the electrode of the driving TFT through a contact hole through the second planarization layer PLN2. The anode AND can be formed of a transparent electrode material or a semi-transparent electrode material.

[0117] The pixel defining layer (or embankment) BNK can cover the anode AND of the OLED light-emitting element. The pixel defining layer BNK can be formed in a pattern defining a light-emitting region (or opening region) through which light is transmitted from each pixel to the outside. Spacer cells (SPCs) can be formed on the pixel defining layer BNK.

[0118] In some cases, the same organic insulating material can be used to integrate the pixel-defining layer (BNK) and the spacer (SPC). The spacer (SPC) ensures a gap between the fine metal mask (FMM) and the anode AND, so that the FMM does not come into contact with the anode AND during the deposition of the light-emitting layer (or organic compound) EL.

[0119] The light-emitting layer EL can be formed in each light-emitting region of the pixel defined by the pixel defining layer BNK. The cathode CAT, which is the second electrode layer of the OLED light-emitting element, can be formed on the entire surface of the display device 100 to cover the pixel defining layer BNK, the spacer SPC, and the light-emitting layer EL. The cathode CAT can be connected to a low-potential driving voltage (e.g., EVSS) line formed by any of the underlying metal layers.

[0120] Although not shown, a cover layer CPL may be disposed on the cathode CAT. The cover layer CPL may cover the cathode CAT. The cover layer CPL may be formed of an inorganic insulating material to block air penetration and outgassing of the organic insulating material applied to the cover layer CPL, thereby protecting the cathode CAT. An encapsulation layer may be disposed on the cover layer CPL. According to an embodiment, the cover layer CPL may be included in the encapsulation layer.

[0121] The encapsulation layer may include inorganic insulating layers PAS2 and PAS3, and a foreign material compensation layer (PCL) between the inorganic insulating layers PAS2 and PAS3. For example, the lower inorganic insulating layer PAS2 may cover the capping layer CPL, and the PCL may be formed on the lower inorganic insulating layer PAS2. The PCL may include an organic insulating material. The upper inorganic insulating layer PAS3 may be formed on the PCL.

[0122] The touch configuration can be disposed on the upper inorganic insulating layer. For example, the touch buffer ToE-BUF and the touch insulating layer ToE-ILD can be disposed on the upper inorganic insulating layer. The touch bridge ToE-B and the touch sensor ToE-S can be disposed in holes formed in at least a portion of the touch insulating layer. At least a portion of the touch sensor ToE-S can be disposed on the touch bridge ToE-B, and at least another portion of the touch sensor ToE-S can be disposed on the touch insulating layer ToE-ILD. Opto-acrylic PAC can be disposed on the touch insulating layer ToE-ILD and the touch sensor ToE-S. The opto-acrylic PAC can be an organic insulating layer.

[0123] Reference Figure 8The cathode CAT is disposed within the pixel region PIX, but can be omitted from the light-transmitting portion AG between the pixel regions PIX. Therefore, an opening with the cathode CAT omitted can be formed. That is, the cathode CAT can be formed to the boundary of the opening. In this case, the opening can be formed as a region corresponding to the light-transmitting portion AG. The opening can be formed by forming the cathode CAT on the pixel-defining layer BNK and then simultaneously etching both the cathode CAT and the pixel-defining layer BNK. However, this disclosure is not limited to this, and the opening can be formed in various ways.

[0124] A sensor (or optical sensor) 800 may be disposed below the third region A3. Specifically, the sensor 800 may be disposed in at least a portion of the region corresponding to the third region A3 of the display panel. The sensor 800 may include, but is not limited to, an optical sensor, and may include various types of sensors, such as infrared sensors and ultraviolet sensors.

[0125] A display device according to embodiments of this disclosure may include a panel and a sensor. The panel includes a first region corresponding to a first resolution, a second region corresponding to a second resolution lower than the first resolution, and a third region corresponding to a third resolution lower than the second resolution. The sensor is disposed below the panel to overlap with at least a portion of the third region. In this case, multiple pixels may be disposed in the first region based on a first arrangement corresponding to a first pixel group comprising multiple sub-pixels, and multiple pixels may be disposed in the second region based on a second arrangement corresponding to a second pixel group, the second pixel group differing from the first pixel group in that at least one sub-pixel of the multiple sub-pixels of the first pixel group is omitted. Furthermore, multiple pixels may be disposed in the first arrangement on at least a portion of the third region, and a light-transmitting portion may be disposed on another portion of the third region.

[0126] In an implementation, the multiple sub-pixels of the first pixel group may include one red sub-pixel, two green sub-pixels, and one blue sub-pixel.

[0127] In the implementation, the shape of each of the red and blue sub-pixels can correspond to a rectangle, and the shape of the green sub-pixel can correspond to an ellipse or a circle.

[0128] In one implementation, the second pixel group differs from the first pixel group in that one of the green sub-pixels in the first pixel group is omitted.

[0129] In one implementation, red and blue sub-pixels can be arranged horizontally in the first row, and two green sub-pixels can be arranged horizontally in the second row, separate from the first row.

[0130] In one implementation, one of the two green sub-pixels can be arranged in a first diagonal direction tilted at 45° relative to the horizontal direction, and the other green sub-pixel can be arranged in a second diagonal direction tilted at -45° relative to the horizontal direction.

[0131] In one implementation, the two green sub-pixels can be arranged symmetrically with respect to the vertical axis.

[0132] In one implementation, the second pixel group differs from the first pixel group in that the green sub-pixel arranged in the first diagonal direction is omitted from the multiple sub-pixels of the first pixel group.

[0133] In one implementation, the second pixel group differs from the first pixel group in that the green sub-pixel arranged in the second diagonal direction among the multiple sub-pixels of the first pixel group is omitted.

[0134] In an implementation, the second region may be located between the first region and the third region.

[0135] In an implementation, the third region may include a first pixel and a second pixel corresponding to the first arrangement, and the light-transmitting portion may be disposed between the first pixel and the second pixel.

[0136] In an implementation, the sensor may include at least one of an optical sensor, a camera sensor, an infrared sensor, and an ultraviolet sensor.

[0137] In an implementation, the plane of the light-transmitting portion can correspond to a circle or a polygon.

[0138] In the implementation, the plane of the third region can correspond to a circle or a polygon.

[0139] In the implementation, the second region can surround the perimeter of the third region and be adjacent to the third region at the same time, and the first region can surround the perimeter of the second region and be adjacent to the second region at the same time.

[0140] In the implementation, the distance between the first region and the third region can correspond to the length of a unit pixel.

[0141] The display panel according to embodiments of this disclosure may include a first region corresponding to a first resolution, a second region corresponding to a second resolution lower than the first resolution, and a third region corresponding to a third resolution lower than the second resolution. In this case, multiple pixels may be provided in the first region based on a first arrangement corresponding to a first pixel group including multiple sub-pixels, and multiple pixels may be provided in the second region based on a second arrangement corresponding to a second pixel group, wherein the second pixel group differs from the first pixel group in that at least one sub-pixel of the multiple sub-pixels of the first pixel group is omitted. Multiple pixels may be provided in the first arrangement on at least a portion of the third region, and a light-transmitting portion may be provided on another portion of the third region.

[0142] In an implementation, the multiple sub-pixels of the first pixel group may include one red sub-pixel, two green sub-pixels, and one blue sub-pixel.

[0143] In the implementation, the shape of each of the red and blue sub-pixels can correspond to a rectangle, and the shape of the green sub-pixel can correspond to an ellipse or a circle.

[0144] In one implementation, the second pixel group differs from the first pixel group in that one of the green sub-pixels in the first pixel group is omitted.

[0145] Although embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications can be made within this scope without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in this disclosure are not intended to limit the spirit of the invention, but rather to illustrate the invention by way of example, and the scope of the spirit of the invention is not limited by these embodiments. Therefore, it should be understood that the above embodiments are illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of protection of the present invention should be interpreted by the appended claims, and all technical concepts within the scope of their equivalents should be interpreted as being included within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A display device, comprising: The panel includes a first region corresponding to a first resolution, a second region corresponding to a second resolution lower than the first resolution, and a third region corresponding to a third resolution lower than the second resolution; as well as A sensor, disposed below the panel, is positioned to overlap with at least a portion of the third region. in, Based on a first arrangement corresponding to a first pixel group comprising multiple sub-pixels, multiple pixels are disposed in the first region; Based on a second arrangement corresponding to the second pixel group, multiple pixels are disposed in the second region, the second pixel group differing from the first pixel group in that at least one of the multiple sub-pixels of the first pixel group is omitted; Based on the first arrangement, a plurality of pixels are disposed on at least a portion of the third region; and The light-transmitting portion is disposed on another part of the third region. The second region includes a touch insulating layer overlapping at least one of the plurality of pixels and a touch sensor overlapping at least a portion of the touch insulating layer, and the third region includes the touch insulating layer extending from the second region.

2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein, The first pixel group includes a red sub-pixel, two green sub-pixels, and a blue sub-pixel.

3. The display device according to claim 2, wherein, The shape of each of the red and blue sub-pixels corresponds to a rectangle, and the shape of each of the two green sub-pixels corresponds to an ellipse or a circle.

4. The display device according to claim 2, wherein, The second pixel group differs from the first pixel group in that it omits one of the green sub-pixels among the multiple sub-pixels of the first pixel group.

5. The display device according to claim 2, wherein, The red and blue sub-pixels are arranged in the first row along the x-axis, and the two green sub-pixels are arranged in the second row, separate from the first row, along the x-axis.

6. The display device according to claim 2, wherein, The two green sub-pixels are arranged symmetrically with respect to the y-axis.

7. The display device according to claim 2, wherein, One of the two green sub-pixels is arranged in a first diagonal direction at an angle of 45° relative to the x-axis, and the other green sub-pixel is arranged in a second diagonal direction at an angle of -45° relative to the x-axis.

8. The display device according to claim 7, wherein, The second pixel group differs from the first pixel group in that it omits one of the two green sub-pixels arranged in the first diagonal direction.

9. The display device according to claim 7, wherein, The second pixel group differs from the first pixel group in that it omits the other green sub-pixel among the two green sub-pixels arranged in the second diagonal direction.

10. The display device according to claim 1, wherein, The second region is located between the first region and the third region.

11. The display device according to claim 1, wherein, The third region includes a first pixel and a second pixel corresponding to the first arrangement, and the light-transmitting portion is disposed between the first pixel and the second pixel.

12. The display device according to claim 1, wherein, The sensor includes at least one of an optical sensor, a camera sensor, an infrared sensor, and an ultraviolet sensor.

13. The display device according to claim 1, wherein, The plane of the light-transmitting portion corresponds to a circle or a polygon.

14. The display device according to claim 1, wherein, The second region surrounds the perimeter of the third region and is adjacent to the third region, and the first region surrounds the perimeter of the second region and is adjacent to the second region.

15. A display panel, comprising: The first region corresponding to the first resolution; The second region corresponds to a second resolution lower than the first resolution; as well as The third region corresponds to a third resolution lower than the second resolution. in, Based on a first arrangement corresponding to a first pixel group comprising multiple sub-pixels, multiple pixels are disposed in the first region; Based on the second arrangement corresponding to the second pixel group, multiple pixels are disposed in the second region. The second pixel group differs from the first pixel group in that at least one sub-pixel of the multiple sub-pixels of the first pixel group is omitted. Based on the first arrangement, a plurality of pixels are disposed in at least a portion of the third region; and The light-transmitting portion is disposed on another part of the third region. The second region includes a touch insulating layer overlapping at least one of the plurality of pixels and a touch sensor overlapping at least a portion of the touch insulating layer, and the third region includes the touch insulating layer extending from the second region.

16. A display device, comprising: A panel, the panel including a first region, a second region and a third region, each having a plurality of pixels, wherein the second region is located between the first region and the third region and is adjacent to the first region and the third region, wherein the resolution of the first region is higher than the resolution of the third region, and wherein a light-transmitting portion is provided on a portion of the third region; as well as The sensor is positioned below the panel to overlap with the light-transmitting portion of the third region. Wherein, the pixels in the first region and the third region include the same sub-pixels, and the pixels in the second region include at least one fewer sub-pixels than the pixels in the first region or the third region. The second region includes a touch insulating layer overlapping at least one of the plurality of pixels and a touch sensor overlapping at least a portion of the touch insulating layer, and the third region includes the touch insulating layer extending from the second region.

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