A pixel control circuit and a display module
By combining a current detection module and a voltage regulation module, abnormal current in the pixel control circuit is automatically detected and adjusted, solving the leakage current problem of thin-film transistors caused by factors such as temperature, and ensuring stable display of the LCD panel.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202410190495.2
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-02-20
- Publication Date
- 2025-10-31
- Estimated Expiration
- 2044-02-20
AI Technical Summary
In the prior art, when a liquid crystal panel is displayed, the thin-film transistors are affected by factors such as temperature, brightness, and voltage, which causes abnormal current (leakage current) between the pixel electrode and the input terminal, resulting in abnormal display or crosstalk. Furthermore, manual adjustment of the power manager can easily damage the control terminal components.
A current detection module is used to automatically detect whether abnormal current is generated at the output terminal of the drive module, and a voltage regulation module is used to automatically adjust the voltage at the control terminal of the pixel controller to solve the abnormal current problem.
It enables automatic detection and accurate judgment of leakage current, avoids damage to control components, and ensures circuit stability and normal display.
Smart Images

Figure CN117854450B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention belongs to the field of pixel circuit design technology, specifically relating to a pixel control circuit and a display module. Background Technology
[0002] Currently, when displaying images on an LCD panel, it is usually necessary to charge each pixel electrode in the display area of the panel, and after charging is completed, each pixel electrode is kept in a voltage holding state.
[0003] However, the thin-film transistors connected to the input terminals of each pixel electrode are easily affected by factors such as temperature, brightness, and voltage over a long period of time, which can cause their characteristics to deviate. For example, the I-V curve may become negatively biased, which can lead to abnormal current (leakage current) between the pixel electrode and the input terminal connected to the thin-film transistor. This can result in abnormal pixel electrode voltage, and the display screen on the LCD panel may show abnormal images or crosstalk.
[0004] In the prior art, when the display screen shows abnormalities or crosstalk, the power manager is manually controlled to lower the VGL voltage to keep the input voltage of each pixel electrode stable. However, this adjustment method can easily damage the control components at the control end.
[0005] Therefore, the abnormal current generated by the thin-film transistors inside the pixel circuit has become an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention
[0006] In view of the above-mentioned defects or deficiencies in the prior art, it is desirable to provide a pixel control circuit that can use a current detection module to automatically detect whether an abnormal current is generated at the output terminal of the drive module, and use a voltage regulation module to automatically adjust the voltage at the control terminal of the pixel controller to solve the problem of abnormal current generated at the output terminal of the drive module.
[0007] According to a first aspect of this application, a pixel control circuit is provided, including: a driving module, a current detection module, and a voltage regulation module;
[0008] The drive module is connected to the input terminal of the pixel controller through the output terminal, and is used to charge the pixel electrode through the output terminal and the input terminal of the pixel controller;
[0009] The current detection module is connected to the output terminal of the drive module to detect whether an abnormal current is generated at the output terminal and outputs a detection signal to the voltage regulation module; the detection signal is used to characterize whether an abnormal current is generated at the output terminal.
[0010] The voltage regulation module is used to adjust the control terminal voltage of the pixel controller in response to the detection signal, based on whether an abnormal current is generated at the output terminal, until the abnormal current at the output terminal stops being generated.
[0011] In addition, the pixel control circuit of this application may also have the following additional technical features:
[0012] Preferably, the current detection module includes: a first detection module and a second detection module;
[0013] The first detection module is connected to at least one first output terminal of the drive module and is used to determine whether an abnormal current is generated at the first output terminal based on the relationship between the voltage of the first output terminal and the preset voltage of the first detection module.
[0014] The second detection module is connected to at least one second output terminal of the drive module and is used to determine whether an abnormal current is generated at the second output terminal based on the relationship between the voltage of the second output terminal and the preset voltage of the second detection module.
[0015] Preferably, the first output terminal inputs a high-level signal to the pixel electrode;
[0016] The first detection module is specifically used to determine that an abnormal current is generated at the first output terminal and output a first signal if the voltage at the first output terminal is greater than the preset voltage of the first detection module; otherwise, it determines that no abnormal current is generated at the first output terminal and outputs a second signal.
[0017] Preferably, the second output terminal inputs a low-level signal to the pixel electrode;
[0018] The second detection module is specifically used to determine that an abnormal current is generated at the second output terminal if the voltage at the second output terminal is less than the preset voltage of the second detection module, and to output a first signal; otherwise, it determines that no abnormal current is generated at the second output terminal and outputs a second signal.
[0019] Preferably, the voltage regulation module is connected to the first detection module and the second detection module respectively;
[0020] The voltage regulation module is specifically used to receive the detection signals output by the first detection module and the second detection module respectively. If there is a detection signal in the detection signals output by the first detection module and the second detection module that is used to characterize the abnormal current generated at the output terminal, the control terminal voltage of the pixel controller will be lowered.
[0021] Preferably, the current detection module is also used to output a new detection signal to the voltage regulation module if an abnormal current is detected at the output terminal after the voltage regulation module pulls down the control terminal voltage of the pixel controller.
[0022] The voltage regulation module is also used to lower the control terminal voltage of the pixel controller according to the new detection signal until the detection signal output by the current detection module indicates that no abnormal current is generated at the output terminal.
[0023] Preferably, the voltage regulation module includes a control module and a power management module; the output terminals of the first detection module and the second detection module are respectively connected to the input terminal of the control module, and the first output terminal of the control module is connected to the power management module.
[0024] The control module is used to output a voltage regulation signal to the power management module if there is a detection signal in the detection signals output by the first detection module and the second detection module that indicates an abnormal current generated at the output terminal.
[0025] The power management module is used to pull down the control terminal voltage of the pixel controller in response to a voltage regulation signal.
[0026] Preferably, the voltage regulation module is also used to output a third signal to the driving module, the third signal being used to instruct the driving module to charge the pixel electrode; after charging is completed, it outputs a fourth signal to the driving module, the fourth signal being used to instruct the driving module to stop charging the pixel electrode.
[0027] Preferably, the voltage regulation module is also used to send a preset charging voltage value to the drive module, instructing the drive module to charge the pixel electrode based on the preset charging voltage value.
[0028] Preferably, the output of the drive module is connected to the source of the pixel controller.
[0029] According to a second aspect of this application, a display module is provided, the display module including a pixel control circuit of the first aspect and a display area; wherein, the display area includes at least one pixel unit, the input terminal of the pixel controller of the pixel unit is connected to the output terminal of the driving module of the pixel control circuit, and the driving module is used to charge the pixel unit through the pixel controller.
[0030] Compared to existing technologies that require manual control of the power manager to lower the VGL voltage to stabilize the input voltage of each pixel electrode when abnormalities or crosstalk occur in the display image, the pixel control circuit and display module provided in this application have a current detection module connected to the output terminal of the pixel driving module, and the output terminal of the pixel driving module connected to the input terminal of the pixel electrode (i.e., the input terminal of the thin-film transistor connected to the pixel electrode). Therefore, on the one hand, the current detection module can automatically detect whether abnormal current is generated between the pixel electrode input terminal and the output terminal of the driving module, thereby determining whether abnormal current (e.g., leakage current as mentioned above) is generated between the input terminals of the thin-film transistor connected to the pixel electrode, thus achieving automatic leakage current detection within the display device. Furthermore, compared to existing technologies that rely on manual observation of abnormal display images to determine leakage current, the sensitivity of the circuit device (i.e., the current detection module) enables more accurate leakage current detection. On the other hand, the voltage adjustment module can automatically adjust the voltage of the pixel controller control terminal based on the specific situation of the abnormal current, thereby solving the problem of abnormal current generation within the pixel control circuit and ensuring the stability of the circuit.
[0031] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description
[0032] Other features, objects, and advantages of this application will become more apparent from the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings:
[0033] Figure 1 This is an implementation environment architecture diagram of a pixel control circuit according to an embodiment of this application;
[0034] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a pixel control circuit 20 provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0035] Figure 3 A schematic diagram illustrating a connection between a pixel controller 204 and a pixel electrode 205 provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0036] Figure 4 This is another schematic diagram of the pixel control circuit 20 provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0037] Figure 5 A schematic diagram illustrating the generation of abnormal current provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0038] Figure 6 Another schematic diagram of abnormal current generation provided in the embodiments of this application;
[0039] Figure 7This is another schematic diagram of the pixel control circuit 20 provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0040] Figure 8 This is a control flowchart of a pixel control circuit 20 provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation
[0041] The present application will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and not intended to limit it. Furthermore, it should be noted that, for ease of description, only the parts relevant to the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings.
[0042] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other. The present application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. Furthermore, the term "and / or" in this document is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. The terms "first" and "second," etc., in the specification and claims of the embodiments of this application are used to distinguish different objects, not to describe a specific order of objects.
[0043] First, the terminology used in this application will be explained as follows:
[0044] (1) Thin Film Transistor (TFT): It is an electronic component used to control each pixel in a liquid crystal display screen; the input terminal of the thin film transistor can be the source or the drain, and the control terminal of the thin film transistor can be the gate.
[0045] (2) Timing Controller (TCON): Used to control the refresh of pixels in the display device and the transmission of pixel drive signals;
[0046] (3) Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC): Used to manage and distribute power in electronic devices;
[0047] (4) Two-wire serial bus (Inter-Integrated Circuit, abbreviated as I2C): It is a serial communication bus protocol used to realize the internal communication of integrated circuits.
[0048] (5) Vertical Gate High (VGH): Used to control the switching state of thin-film transistors in order to control the arrangement of liquid crystal molecules and the brightness of pixels in the display panel;
[0049] (6) Vertical Gate Low (VGL): Used to control the switching state of thin-film transistors in order to control the arrangement of liquid crystal molecules and the brightness of pixels in the display panel;
[0050] (7) Common voltage (VCOM): The voltage used to control the orientation of liquid crystal molecules in a liquid crystal display;
[0051] (8) Comparator: A circuit that can compare an analog voltage signal with a reference voltage; specifically, the two input signals of the comparator can be analog signals, and the output signal can be a binary signal 0 or 1.
[0052] Figure 1 This is an implementation environment architecture diagram of a pixel control circuit provided in an embodiment of this application. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the implementation environment architecture can be a timing control panel 10. The timing control panel 10 may include a source driver 101, a current detection module 102, a timing controller 103, and a power management module 104. For example, the power management module 104 may be a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).
[0053] For example, the current detection module 102 can determine that the source driver 101 is outputting an abnormal current when the output current value of the source driver 101 is greater than the preset current value, based on the comparison result between the output current value of the source driver 101 and the preset current value. Specifically, it can determine whether there is leakage current between the input terminals of the thin-film transistor connected to the source driver 101 based on whether the source driver 101 is outputting an abnormal current.
[0054] For example, when the source driver 101 outputs an abnormal current, it can be determined that there is leakage current at the input terminal of the thin-film transistor connected to the source driver 101. At this time, the current detection module 102 can output a feedback signal to the timing controller 103 based on the abnormal current detection result, so that the timing controller 103 controls the power management module 104 to reduce the VGL voltage. Specifically, the timing controller 103 can output control commands to the power management module 104 through the I2C channel.
[0055] Currently, when displaying images on an LCD panel, it is typically necessary to charge each pixel electrode within the display area, and then maintain the voltage of each pixel electrode after charging. However, the thin-film transistors connected to the input terminals of each pixel electrode are susceptible to characteristic shifts due to factors such as temperature, brightness, and voltage over extended periods. For example, the I-V curve may become negatively biased, leading to abnormal currents (leakage currents) between the pixel electrode and the input terminal connected to the thin-film transistor. This results in abnormal pixel electrode voltages, causing image distortion or crosstalk on the LCD panel.
[0056] In existing technologies, when display anomalies and crosstalk occur, the power manager is manually controlled to lower the VGL voltage to stabilize the input voltage of each pixel electrode. However, this adjustment method is prone to damaging the control components at the control end. Therefore, the abnormal current generated by the thin-film transistors inside the pixel circuit has become a problem that urgently needs to be solved.
[0057] Based on this, this application proposes a pixel control circuit that can use a current detection module to automatically detect whether an abnormal current is generated at the output terminal of the drive module, and use a voltage regulation module to automatically adjust the voltage at the control terminal of the pixel controller to solve the problem of abnormal current generated at the output terminal of the drive module.
[0058] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a pixel control circuit 20 provided in an embodiment of this application. The pixel control circuit 20 can be disposed on the timing control panel 10 and used to control the driving circuit of the display pixels.
[0059] like Figure 2 As shown, the pixel control circuit 20 may include a driving module 201, a current detection module 202, and a voltage regulation module 203.
[0060] Specifically, the drive module 201 is connected to the input terminal of the pixel controller 204 through its output terminal, and is used to charge the pixel electrode 205 through its output terminal and the input terminal of the pixel controller 204; the current detection module 202 is connected to the output terminal of the drive module 201, and is used to detect whether an abnormal current is generated at the output terminal, and output a detection signal to the voltage regulation module 203; the detection signal is used to characterize whether an abnormal current is generated at the output terminal; the voltage regulation module 203 is used to adjust the control terminal voltage of the pixel controller 204 according to whether an abnormal current is generated at the output terminal in response to the detection signal, until the abnormal current is stopped being generated at the output terminal.
[0061] In this embodiment, the pixel electrode 205 can be charged by the driving module 201. Specifically, the output terminal of the driving module 201 can be connected to the input terminal of the pixel controller 204 so that the driving module 201 charges the pixel electrode 205 when the pixel controller 204 is in the on state; wherein, each pixel controller 204 can control one pixel electrode 205.
[0062] In one possible implementation, the driving module 201 may be a source driver for implementing charge and discharge control of the pixel electrode 205.
[0063] For example, the output terminal of the source driver can be the input terminal of the pixel controller 204; wherein, the output signal of the source driver output terminal can be different types of signals, such as odd signals or even signals. Specifically, the power consumption inside the circuit can be reduced by combining any odd signal with any even signal.
[0064] For example, the source driver can apply a positive voltage to the pixel electrode 205 through the pixel controller 204 to put the pixel electrode 205 into a charging state; alternatively, the source driver can apply a reverse voltage to the pixel electrode 205 through the pixel controller 204 to put the pixel electrode 205 into a discharging state.
[0065] In one possible implementation, the pixel controller 204 can be a thin film transistor (TFT) including one control terminal and two input terminals. The control terminal of the TFT can be a gate signal terminal; the two input terminals can be a source signal terminal and a drain signal terminal, respectively.
[0066] For example, Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a connection between the pixel controller 204 and the pixel electrode 205 provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 3 As shown, the drain signal terminal of the pixel controller 204 is connected to the input terminal of the pixel electrode 205.
[0067] For example, when the control terminal of the thin-film transistor is at a high level (i.e., VGH), the thin-film transistor is in the on state; when the control terminal of the thin-film transistor is at a low level (i.e., VGL), the thin-film transistor is in the off state. It should be noted that the input terminal connected to the pixel electrode 205 can be the source or drain of the thin-film transistor, without specific limitations.
[0068] For example, when the pixel controller 204 is in the on state, the drive module 201 can charge the pixel electrode 205 through the pixel controller 204; when the pixel controller 204 is in the off state, the drive module 201 stops charging the pixel electrode 205, and the pixel electrode 205 is in the voltage holding state.
[0069] It should be noted that when the current-voltage curve (i.e., I-V curve) of the pixel controller 204 shows a negative bias, current leakage is likely to occur between the two input terminals of the pixel controller 204, resulting in leakage current. This causes a change in the voltage at the input terminal of the pixel electrode 205 connected to the pixel controller 204.
[0070] In this embodiment, when the pixel controller 204 is in the off state, the voltage at the pixel electrode 205 (i.e., the voltage at the input terminal of the pixel controller 204) is affected by the leakage current and a voltage difference appears between it and the voltage at the output terminal of the drive module 201, thereby causing an abnormal current to be generated at the output terminal of the drive module 201.
[0071] In one possible implementation, the current detection module 202 can detect whether an abnormal current is generated at the output terminal of the drive module 201, and output a detection signal accordingly based on the detection result.
[0072] For example, the current detection module 202 can determine whether an abnormal current is generated at the output terminal of the drive module 201 by comparing the voltage at the output terminal of the drive module 201 with a preset voltage.
[0073] For example, the current detection module 202 can output different detection signals according to whether an abnormal current is generated at the output terminal of the drive module 201.
[0074] In one possible implementation, the voltage adjustment module 203 can receive the detection signal output by the current detection module 202 and adjust the voltage of the control terminal of the pixel controller 204 accordingly based on the specific content of the detection signal.
[0075] For example, when the detection signal output by the current detection module 202 indicates that an abnormal current is generated at the output terminal of the driving module 201, the voltage adjustment module 203 can reduce the voltage at the control terminal of the pixel controller 204 until the detection signal output by the current detection module 202 indicates that the abnormal current is no longer generated at the output terminal of the driving module 201.
[0076] It should be noted that when the voltage at the control terminal of the pixel controller 204 decreases, the leakage current between the input terminals of the pixel controller 204 gradually decreases, and the voltage at the input terminal of the pixel electrode 205 gradually returns to a stable state; when the pixel electrode 205 returns to a stable state, the voltage difference between the input terminal of the pixel controller 204 and the output terminal of the drive module 201 decreases, and the output terminal of the drive module 201 stops generating abnormal current.
[0077] Compared to existing technologies that require manual control of the power manager to lower the VGL voltage to stabilize the input voltage of each pixel electrode when abnormalities or crosstalk occur in the display screen, the pixel control circuit 20 provided in this application embodiment connects the current detection module 202 to the output terminal of the pixel driving module 201, and the output terminal of the pixel driving module 201 is connected to the input terminal of the pixel electrode 205 (i.e., the input terminal of the thin-film transistor connected to the pixel electrode 205). Therefore, on the one hand, the current detection module 202 can automatically detect whether an abnormal current is generated between the input terminal of the pixel electrode 205 and the output terminal of the driving module 201, and based on this, determine whether an abnormal current (e.g., the leakage current mentioned above) is generated between the input terminal of the thin-film transistor connected to the pixel electrode 205, thereby realizing automatic detection of leakage current inside the display device; on the other hand, compared to the existing technology that judges leakage current by manually observing abnormal display screens, the sensitivity of the circuit device (i.e., the current detection module 202) enables more accurate leakage current detection. On the other hand, the voltage adjustment module 203 can automatically adjust the voltage at the control terminal of the pixel controller 204 based on the specific situation of the abnormal current, thereby solving the problem of abnormal current generated inside the pixel control circuit and ensuring the stability of the circuit.
[0078] In another embodiment of this application, a current detection method for the current detection module 202 is also described. Exemplarily, the current detection module 202 includes a first detection module 301 and a second detection module 302.
[0079] Specifically, the first detection module 301 is connected to at least one first output terminal of the drive module 201, and is used to determine whether an abnormal current is generated at the first output terminal based on the relationship between the voltage of the first output terminal and the preset voltage of the first detection module 301; the second detection module 302 is connected to at least one second output terminal of the drive module 201, and is used to determine whether an abnormal current is generated at the second output terminal based on the relationship between the voltage of the second output terminal and the preset voltage of the second detection module 302.
[0080] The embodiments of this application can automatically detect abnormal current conditions at different output terminals of the drive module 201 through different detection modules in the current detection module 202, thereby improving the detection efficiency of whether abnormal current is generated at the output terminal of the drive module 201.
[0081] In one possible implementation, the output terminals of the driver module 201 can be classified according to the high or low level of the output signals of each output terminal.
[0082] For example, the output terminal of the driver module 201 that outputs a high-level signal can be designated as the first output terminal, and the output terminal of the driver module 201 that outputs a low-level signal can be designated as the second output terminal.
[0083] In one possible implementation, the first detection module 301 in the current detection module 202 can be connected to at least one first output terminal of the drive module 201. The first detection module 301 can be, for example, a first comparator, and its number is not limited.
[0084] For example, any first detection module 301 in the current detection module 202 can be connected to a first output terminal in one drive module 201. Optionally, any first detection module 301 in the current detection module 202 can be connected to a first output terminal in multiple drive modules 201. Optionally, any first detection module 301 in the current detection module 202 can be connected to all first output terminals in the drive module 201. It should be noted that each first output terminal in the drive module 201 is connected to only one first detection module 301.
[0085] Specifically, the first detection module 301 can determine whether an abnormal current is generated at the first output terminal based on the connection status with the first output terminal and the relationship between the voltage of the first output terminal and its own preset voltage.
[0086] In one possible implementation, the second detection module 302 in the current detection module 202 can be connected to at least one second output terminal of the drive module 201. The second detection module 302 can be, for example, a second comparator, and its number is not limited.
[0087] For example, any second detection module 302 in the current detection module 202 can be connected to a second output terminal in the drive module 201. Optionally, any second detection module 302 in the current detection module 202 can be connected to a plurality of second output terminals in the drive modules 201. Optionally, any second detection module 302 in the current detection module 202 can be connected to all the second output terminals in the drive module 201. It should be noted that each second output terminal in the drive module 201 is also connected to only one second detection module 302.
[0088] Specifically, the second detection module 302 can determine whether an abnormal current is generated at the second output terminal based on the connection status with the second output terminal and the relationship between the voltage of the second output terminal and its own preset voltage.
[0089] For example, Figure 4 This is another schematic diagram of the pixel control circuit 20 provided in the embodiments of this application, as shown below. Figure 4 As shown, when the drive module 201 includes output terminals Y1 to Y12, the first output terminal can be an odd-numbered signal terminal Y1, Y3, Y5, Y7, Y9, Y11; the second output terminal can be an even-numbered signal terminal Y2, Y4, Y6, Y8, Y10, Y12; at this time, the first detection module 301 can be connected to all odd-numbered signal terminals; the second detection module 302 can be connected to all even-numbered signal terminals.
[0090] It should be noted that when the pixel electrode is in a normal voltage holding state, the voltage at the output of the drive module 201 can be equivalent to the VCOM voltage. Therefore, the preset voltages in the first detection module 301 and the second detection module 302 can be set according to the magnitude of the VCOM voltage.
[0091] For example, when the VCOM voltage is 7V, the preset voltage V1 of the first detection module 301 can be 7.1V; the preset voltage V2 of the second detection module 302 can be 6.9V.
[0092] In this embodiment of the application, when the output terminals of the drive module 201 with the same attribute (i.e., all first output terminals or all second output terminals) are connected to the same first detection module 301 or second detection module 302, the current situation of the output terminal of the drive module 201 can be made more obvious, thereby improving the accuracy of the detection result when detecting whether the output terminal of the drive module 201 generates abnormal current.
[0093] In another embodiment of this application, a specific detection method of the first detection module 301 is also described. For example, the first output terminal inputs a high-level signal to the pixel electrode 205. Specifically, if the voltage at the first output terminal is greater than a preset voltage of the first detection module 301, the first detection module 301 determines that an abnormal current has been generated at the first output terminal and outputs a first signal; otherwise, the first detection module 301 determines that no abnormal current has been generated at the first output terminal and outputs a second signal.
[0094] In this embodiment, when the first output terminal inputs a high-level signal to the pixel electrode 205 and the pixel electrode 205 is fully charged and in a voltage holding state, a potential difference is formed between the first output terminal and the input terminal of the pixel controller 204 due to leakage current between the input terminals. At this time, the charge moves from the input terminal of the pixel controller 204 to the first output terminal.
[0095] For example, Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of an abnormal current generation provided in an embodiment of this application, such as... Figure 5 As shown, when the driving voltage output from the first output terminal to the pixel electrode 205 is 15V and the pixel electrode 205 is in a voltage holding state, the charge moves from the high-level 15V end (i.e., the end where the pixel controller 204 is connected to the pixel electrode 205) to the low-level 7V end (i.e., the first output terminal) due to the leakage current between the input terminals of the pixel controller 204 and the pixel electrode 205. It should be noted that when the pixel electrode is in a normal voltage holding state, the voltage of the first output terminal can be equivalent to the VCOM voltage of 7V). At this time, it can be determined that an abnormal current is generated at the first output terminal.
[0096] It should be noted that the driving module 201 can output different driving voltages to the pixel electrode 205 as needed for different images displayed on the display panel.
[0097] In one possible implementation, the first detection module 301 can determine whether an abnormal current is generated at the first output terminal based on a comparison between the voltage at the first output terminal and its own preset voltage. A voltage divider resistor is also provided between the first output terminal and the input terminal of the first detection module 301.
[0098] For example, when the first output terminal outputs a high-level signal and there is leakage current between the input terminals of the pixel controller 204, under the action of the voltage divider resistor, the charge moves from the input terminal (i.e., the high-level terminal) of the pixel controller 204 to the first output terminal (i.e., the low-level terminal).
[0099] Therefore, when the voltage at the first output terminal is greater than the preset voltage of the first detection module 301, it can be determined that an abnormal current is generated at the first output terminal, and a first signal is output at this time; otherwise, when the voltage at the first output terminal is not greater than the preset voltage of the first detection module 301, it can be determined that no abnormal current is generated at the first output terminal, and a second signal is output at this time. For example, the first signal can be a Low signal; the second signal can be a High signal.
[0100] In another embodiment of this application, a specific detection method for the second detection module 302 is also described. For example, the second output terminal inputs a low-level signal to the pixel electrode 205. Specifically, if the voltage at the second output terminal is less than a preset voltage of the second detection module 302, the second detection module 302 determines that an abnormal current has been generated at the second output terminal and outputs a first signal; otherwise, the second detection module 302 determines that no abnormal current has been generated at the second output terminal and outputs a second signal.
[0101] In this embodiment, when the second output terminal inputs a low-level signal to the pixel electrode 205 and the pixel electrode 205 is fully charged and in a voltage holding state, a potential difference is formed between the second output terminal and the input terminal of the pixel controller 204 due to leakage current between the input terminals. At this time, the charge moves from the second output terminal to the input terminal of the pixel controller 204.
[0102] For example, Figure 6 This is another schematic diagram of abnormal current generation provided in the embodiments of this application, such as... Figure 6 As shown, when the driving voltage output from the second output terminal to the pixel electrode 205 is 0.2V and the pixel electrode 205 is in a voltage holding state, the charge moves from the high-level 7V end (i.e., the second output terminal; it should be noted that when the pixel electrode is in a normal voltage holding state, the voltage of the second output terminal can be equivalent to the VCOM voltage 7V) to the low-level 0.2V end (i.e., the end where the pixel controller 204 is connected to the pixel electrode 205) due to the leakage current between the input terminals of the pixel controller 204. At this time, it can be determined that an abnormal current is generated at the second output terminal.
[0103] In one possible implementation, the second detection module 302 can determine whether an abnormal current is generated at the second output terminal based on a comparison between the voltage at the second output terminal and its own preset voltage. A voltage divider resistor is also provided between the second output terminal and the input terminal of the second detection module 302.
[0104] For example, when the second output terminal outputs a low-level signal and there is leakage current between the input terminals of the pixel controller 204, under the action of the voltage divider resistor, the charge moves from the second output terminal (i.e., the high-level terminal) to the input terminal of the pixel controller 204 (i.e., the low-level terminal).
[0105] Therefore, when the voltage at the second output terminal is less than the preset voltage of the second detection module 302, it can be determined that an abnormal current is generated at the second output terminal, and the first signal is output at this time; otherwise, when the voltage at the second output terminal is not less than the preset voltage of the second detection module 302, it can be determined that no abnormal current is generated at the second output terminal, and the second signal is output at this time.
[0106] It should be noted that the preset voltage values in the first detection module 301 and the second detection module 302 not only take into account the magnitude of the VCOM voltage, but also need to take into account the voltage dividing effect of the voltage dividing resistor in order to adjust the preset voltage values.
[0107] In another embodiment of this application, a specific adjustment method for the voltage adjustment module 203 is also described. For example, the voltage adjustment module 203 is connected to the first detection module 301 and the second detection module 302, respectively.
[0108] Specifically, the voltage regulation module 203 is used to receive the detection signals output by the first detection module 301 and the second detection module 302 respectively. If there is a detection signal in the detection signals output by the first detection module 301 and the second detection module 302 that is used to characterize the abnormal current generated at the output terminal, then the control terminal voltage of the pixel controller 204 is lowered.
[0109] In this embodiment, when the current detection module 202 determines that an abnormal current is generated at the output terminal of the drive module 201, the voltage adjustment module 203 can lower the control terminal voltage of the pixel controller 204 so that the output terminal of the drive module 201 stops generating abnormal current.
[0110] In one possible implementation, the voltage regulation module 203 can receive the detection signals output by the first detection module 301 and the second detection module 302.
[0111] For example, the voltage regulation module 203 can determine the specific situation of the current detection module 202 output detection signal based on the pull-down status of its own input / output interface (I / O interface).
[0112] For example, when the voltage regulation module 203 detects that the I / O interface is pulled low, the voltage regulation module 203 can determine that the detection signal output by the first detection module 301 or the second detection module 302 contains a Low signal (i.e., the first signal) used to characterize the abnormal current generated at the output terminal.
[0113] It should be noted that when there are multiple first detection modules 301 and second detection modules 302 in the current detection module 202, the voltage adjustment module 203 will lower the control terminal voltage of the pixel controller 204 as long as it determines that the detection signal output by one of the detection modules is used to characterize the abnormal current generated at the output terminal.
[0114] For example, when the detection signal output by the current detection module 202 contains a first signal characterizing an abnormal current generated at the output terminal, the voltage adjustment module 203 can lower the control terminal voltage of the pixel controller 204. For instance, the voltage at the control terminal of the pixel controller 204 can be lowered from -6V to -6.2V.
[0115] In this embodiment, the voltage regulation module 203 can also be connected to a voltage conversion chip to convert the voltage of the pulled-down pixel controller 204 control terminal into the driving voltage of the GOA unit, so that the GOA unit can generate the driving signal of the pixel controller 204 control terminal.
[0116] In another embodiment of this application, a specific adjustment method for the pixel control circuit 20 is also described. For example, the current detection module 202 is further configured to output a new detection signal to the voltage regulation module 203 if an abnormal current is detected at the output terminal after the voltage regulation module 203 pulls down the control terminal voltage of the pixel controller 204; the voltage regulation module 203 is further configured to pull down the control terminal voltage of the pixel controller 204 according to the new detection signal until the detection signal output by the current detection module 202 indicates that no abnormal current has been generated at the output terminal.
[0117] In this embodiment, the current detection module 202 can cyclically detect whether an abnormal current is generated at the output terminal of the drive module 201. When an abnormal current is still generated at the output terminal of the drive module 201, the voltage adjustment module 203 continues to lower the control terminal voltage of the pixel controller 204 until the detection signal output by the current detection module 202 indicates that no abnormal current is generated at the output terminal.
[0118] For example, after the voltage regulation module 203 pulls down the control terminal voltage of the pixel controller 204, the current detection module 202 can continuously output a detection signal to the voltage regulation module 203; wherein, the detection signal may include a first signal for characterizing an abnormal current generated at the output terminal of the drive module 201 and a second signal for characterizing no abnormal current generated at the output terminal of the drive module 201.
[0119] For example, when the voltage regulation module 203 detects that its own I / O port is pulled low again, the voltage regulation module 203 can determine that the output terminal of the drive module 201 is still generating abnormal current. At this time, the voltage regulation module 203 continues to pull down the control terminal voltage of the pixel controller 204 until the voltage regulation module 203 no longer detects that its own I / O port is pulled low (that is, the detection signals output by each detection module in the current detection module 202 indicate that no abnormal current is generated at the output terminal).
[0120] In another embodiment of this application, the specific structural distribution of the voltage regulation module 203 is also described. For example, Figure 7 This is another schematic diagram of the pixel control circuit 20 provided in an embodiment of this application. For example... Figure 7 As shown, the voltage regulation module 203 includes a control module 601 and a power management module 602; the output terminals of the first detection module 301 and the second detection module 302 are respectively connected to the input terminal of the control module 601, and the first output terminal of the control module 601 is connected to the power management module 602.
[0121] Specifically, the control module 601 is used to output a voltage adjustment signal to the power management module 602 when there is a detection signal in the detection signals output by the first detection module 301 and the second detection module 302 that indicates an abnormal current generated at the output terminal; the power management module 602 is used to pull down the control terminal voltage of the pixel controller 204 in response to the voltage adjustment signal.
[0122] In this embodiment, the control module 601 can determine whether an abnormal current is generated at the output terminal of the drive module 201. When an abnormal current is generated at the output terminal of the drive module 201, the control module 601 can output a control command to the power management module 602 so that the power management module 602 pulls down the control terminal voltage of the pixel controller 204.
[0123] In one possible implementation, the control module 601 can receive the detection signals output by the first detection module 301 and the second detection module 302.
[0124] For example, when the control module 601 detects that the I / O interface is pulled low, the control module 601 can determine that the detection signal output by the first detection module 301 or the second detection module 302 contains a first signal for characterizing the abnormal current generated at the output terminal.
[0125] In one possible implementation, when the detection signal contains a first signal for characterizing an abnormal current generated at the output terminal, the control module 601 can output a voltage adjustment signal to the power management module 602 so that the power management module 602 pulls down the control terminal voltage of the pixel controller 204.
[0126] For example, the control module 601 can output a voltage regulation signal to the power management module 602 via the I2C channel.
[0127] It should be noted that when the power management module 602 receives the voltage input signal Vin and the signal Siginal and the backlight is not turned on, the pixel control circuit 20 enters the stage of detecting whether an abnormal current is generated at the output of the drive module 201.
[0128] Secondly, when no abnormal current is generated at the output of the drive module 201, the control module 601 begins to receive the video signal (such as VBO signal or LVDS signal) output from the front end and outputs a backlight enable signal to control the backlight in the display device to turn on and off, thereby adjusting the brightness of the display device.
[0129] In another embodiment of this application, other signals output by the voltage regulation module 203 are also described. For example, the voltage regulation module 203 is also used to output a third signal to the driving module 201, the third signal being used to instruct the driving module 201 to charge the pixel electrode 205; after charging is completed, it outputs a fourth signal to the driving module 201, the fourth signal being used to instruct the driving module 201 to stop charging the pixel electrode 205.
[0130] In this embodiment, the voltage output of the driving module 201 can be controlled by the voltage regulation module 203 so that the driving module 201 can charge the pixel electrode 205. This allows the detection of whether an abnormal current is generated at the output of the driving module 201 when the pixel electrode 205 is fully charged and in a voltage holding state.
[0131] In one possible implementation, the voltage regulation module 203 can output a third signal to the drive module 201 so that the drive module 201 can charge the pixel electrode 205.
[0132] For example, the control module 601 in the voltage regulation module 203 can output a third signal to the drive module 201. Specifically, the third signal can be used to indicate that the pixel controller 204 is in an on state, at which time the drive module 201 can charge the pixel electrode 205 through the input terminal of the pixel controller 204; wherein, the power management module 602 in the voltage regulation module 203 can turn on the pixel controller 204.
[0133] For example, when the pixel controller 204 is an N-type thin-film transistor, the power management module 602 outputs a high-level signal to the control terminal of the pixel controller 204 to make the pixel controller 204 in the on state.
[0134] It should be noted that the driver module 201 may also include an output buffer. Specifically, each output terminal in the driver module 201 may be connected to the output buffer.
[0135] For example, when the control module 601 outputs a third signal to the drive module 201, the output buffer can be used to amplify the drive signal output by the output terminal of the drive module 201.
[0136] In one possible implementation, after the pixel electrode 205 finishes charging, the voltage regulation module 203 can output a fourth signal to the drive module 201 to stop the drive module 201 from charging the pixel electrode 205.
[0137] For example, when the pixel control circuit 20 enters the stage of detecting whether an abnormal current is generated at the output of the driving module 201, after the charging of a frame corresponding to the display screen ends, the pixel electrode 205 corresponding to that frame can enter the Blanking interval (i.e., the VBK interval). At this time, the voltage adjustment module 203 outputs a fourth signal to the driving module 201.
[0138] For example, the control module 601 in the voltage regulation module 203 can output a fourth signal to the drive module 201; wherein, the fourth signal can be a transmission control character (ControlCharacter, abbreviated as XON signal).
[0139] For example, the XON signal can be used to indicate disconnecting each output terminal in the drive module 201 from the OutputBuffer, and to connect each output terminal in the drive module 201 to the current detection module 202, so that the current detection module 202 can detect whether an abnormal current is generated at the output terminal of the drive module 201.
[0140] Specifically, each output terminal in the drive module 201 can be disconnected from the OutputBuffer via a path selection device and connected to a different detection module in the current detection module 202 via the path selection device. For example, the odd-numbered signal terminals in the drive module 201 can be connected to the first detection module 301, and the even-numbered signal terminals in the drive module 201 can be connected to the second detection module 302.
[0141] In another embodiment of this application, the specific content output by the voltage adjustment module 203 is also described. For example, the voltage adjustment module 203 is further configured to send a preset charging voltage value to the driving module 201, instructing the driving module 201 to charge the pixel electrode 205 based on the preset charging voltage value.
[0142] In this embodiment, the abnormal current at the output of the driving module 201 can be made more apparent by increasing the potential difference between the voltage at the input terminal of the pixel electrode 205 and the voltage at the output terminal of the driving module 201.
[0143] In one possible implementation, a preset charging voltage value can be sent from the voltage regulation module 203 to the drive module 201, so that the pixel electrode 205 can display a special image based on the preset charging voltage value. This allows for the detection of any abnormal current generated at the output of the drive module 201 when the special image is displayed. Specifically, the difference between the drive voltage and the VCOM voltage is relatively large when the pixel electrode 205 displays the special image.
[0144] For example, the special image displayed by the pixel electrode 205 can be a white image, at which time the difference between the driving voltage of the pixel electrode 205 and the VCOM voltage is the largest.
[0145] Specifically, when the special image displayed by the pixel electrode 205 is a white image, the voltage adjustment module 203 sends a charging voltage value of 15V to the first output terminal of the drive module 201 and a charging voltage value of 0.2V to the second output terminal of the drive module 201.
[0146] In another embodiment of this application, one manifestation of the driving module 201 is also described. For example, the output of the driving module 201 is connected to the source of the pixel controller 204.
[0147] In this embodiment, the driving module 201 is a source driver and the pixel controller 204 is a TFT. Therefore, the source of the TFT is connected to the output terminal of the source driver.
[0148] In another embodiment of this application, a display module is also described. Exemplarily, the display module includes the pixel control circuit 20 described above and a display area; wherein, the display area includes at least one pixel unit, the input terminal of the pixel controller 204 of the pixel unit is connected to the output terminal of the driving module 201 of the pixel control circuit 20, and the driving module 201 is used to charge the pixel unit through the pixel controller 204.
[0149] In another embodiment of this application, a control method for a pixel control circuit 20 is also described. For example, Figure 8 This is a control flowchart of a pixel control circuit 20 provided in an embodiment of this application. For example... Figure 8 As shown, the process includes the following steps:
[0150] Step 801: Input voltage to control module 601;
[0151] In one possible implementation, the voltage input to the control module 601 can be 12V.
[0152] Step 802: In response to the control module 601 receiving a voltage, the power management module 602 outputs the default gate turn-off voltage VGL;
[0153] In one possible implementation, the default gate turn-off voltage VGL output by the power management module 602 can be -6V.
[0154] In step 803, in response to the power management module 602 outputting the default gate turn-off voltage VGL, the control module 601 outputs a special screen.
[0155] In one possible implementation, the special screen output by the control module 601 can be a white screen. It should be noted that when the control module 601 outputs the special screen, the output signal of the drive module 201 does not reverse.
[0156] In step 804, in response to the control module 601 outputting a special screen, the current detection module 202 detects whether an abnormal current is generated at the output terminal of the drive module 201.
[0157] Specifically, when the current detection module 202 detects an abnormal current at the output terminal of the drive module 201, step 805 is executed; otherwise, step 806 is executed.
[0158] Step 805: In response to the current detection module 202 detecting an abnormal current at the output terminal of the drive module 201, the control module 601 controls the power management module 602 to reduce the VGL voltage.
[0159] In one possible implementation, when the default gate turn-off voltage VGL output by the power management module 602 is -6V, the control module 601 controls the power management module 602 to reduce the VGL voltage to -6.2V.
[0160] Step 806: In response to the current detection module 202 detecting that no abnormal current is generated at the output terminal of the drive module 201, the control module 601 starts to receive the video signal output from the front end.
[0161] In one possible implementation, the video signal output from the aforementioned front end can be a VBO signal or an LVDS signal. Specifically, when the control module 601 receives the video signal, it simultaneously outputs a backlight enable signal to control the backlight in the display device to turn on and off, thereby adjusting the brightness of the display device.
[0162] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application and an explanation of the technical principles employed. Those skilled in the art should understand that the scope of disclosure in this application is not limited to technical solutions formed by specific combinations of the above-described technical features, but should also cover other technical solutions formed by arbitrary combinations of the above-described technical features or their equivalents without departing from the foregoing disclosed concept. For example, technical solutions formed by substituting the above features with (but not limited to) technical features with similar functions disclosed in this application.
Claims
1. A pixel control circuit, characterized in that, include: Drive module, current detection module, and voltage regulation module; The driving module is connected to the input terminal of the pixel controller via its output terminal, and is used to charge the pixel electrode through the output terminal and the input terminal of the pixel controller. The current detection module is connected to the output terminal of the drive module and is used to detect whether an abnormal current is generated at the output terminal and output a detection signal to the voltage regulation module. The detection signal is used to characterize whether an abnormal current is generated at the output terminal; The voltage regulation module is used to respond to the detection signal and adjust the control terminal voltage of the pixel controller according to whether an abnormal current is generated at the output terminal, until the abnormal current is stopped being generated at the output terminal; wherein, when there is a detection signal in the detection signal that represents the abnormal current generated at the output terminal, the control terminal voltage of the pixel controller is lowered. The current detection module includes: a first detection module and a second detection module; The first detection module is connected to at least one first output terminal of the driving module, and is used to determine whether an abnormal current is generated at the first output terminal based on the relationship between the voltage of the first output terminal and the preset voltage of the first detection module. The first output terminal inputs a high-level signal to the pixel electrode. The second detection module is connected to at least one second output terminal of the driving module and is used to determine whether an abnormal current is generated at the second output terminal based on the relationship between the voltage of the second output terminal and the preset voltage of the second detection module. The second output terminal inputs a low-level signal to the pixel electrode.
2. The pixel control circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first detection module is specifically used to determine that an abnormal current is generated at the first output terminal if the voltage at the first output terminal is greater than the preset voltage of the first detection module, and to output a first signal. Otherwise, if it is determined that no abnormal current is generated at the first output terminal, the second signal is output.
3. The pixel control circuit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The second detection module is specifically used to determine that an abnormal current is generated at the second output terminal if the voltage at the second output terminal is less than the preset voltage of the second detection module, and to output a first signal. Otherwise, if it is determined that no abnormal current is generated at the second output terminal, the second signal is output.
4. The pixel control circuit according to claim 3, characterized in that, The voltage regulation module is connected to the first detection module and the second detection module respectively; The voltage regulation module is specifically used to receive the detection signals output by the first detection module and the second detection module respectively. If there is a detection signal in the detection signals output by the first detection module and the second detection module that indicates an abnormal current generated at the output terminal, then the control terminal voltage of the pixel controller is lowered.
5. The pixel control circuit according to claim 4, characterized in that, The current detection module is also used to output a new detection signal to the voltage regulation module if an abnormal current is detected at the output terminal after the voltage regulation module pulls down the control terminal voltage of the pixel controller. The voltage regulation module is further configured to lower the control terminal voltage of the pixel controller according to the new detection signal until the detection signal output by the current detection module indicates that no abnormal current is generated at the output terminal.
6. The pixel control circuit according to claim 5, characterized in that, The voltage regulation module includes a control module and a power management module; the output terminals of the first detection module and the second detection module are respectively connected to the input terminal of the control module, and the first output terminal of the control module is connected to the power management module. The control module is configured to output a voltage regulation signal to the power management module if there is a detection signal in the detection signals output by the first detection module and the second detection module that indicates an abnormal current generated at the output terminal. The power management module is used to pull down the control terminal voltage of the pixel controller in response to the voltage adjustment signal.
7. The pixel control circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The voltage regulation module is further configured to output a third signal to the driving module, the third signal being used to instruct the driving module to charge the pixel electrode; and after charging is completed, to output a fourth signal to the driving module, the fourth signal being used to instruct the driving module to stop charging the pixel electrode.
8. The pixel control circuit according to claim 7, characterized in that, The voltage regulation module is also used to send a preset charging voltage value to the driving module, instructing the driving module to charge the pixel electrode based on the preset charging voltage value.
9. The pixel control circuit according to any one of claims 1-2 and 7-8, characterized in that, The output of the driving module is connected to the source of the pixel controller.
10. A display module, characterized in that, The display module includes a pixel control circuit as described in any one of claims 1-9 and a display area. The display area includes at least one pixel unit. The input terminal of the pixel controller of the pixel unit is connected to the output terminal of the driving module of the pixel control circuit. The driving module is used to charge the pixel unit through the pixel controller.
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