A driving control method, a driving control circuit and a display device

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to the technical field of display, and discloses a driving control method, a driving control circuit and a display device. The driving control method is applied to a timing controller (TCON IC), a continuous driving duration of a GOA unit is determined through a counting value of a timing module, if the continuous driving duration reaches any one target control duration in a preset control duration set, a target control signal corresponding to the target control duration is sent to a PMIC, so that the PMIC generates a gate line control voltage corresponding to the target control signal, each control duration in the control duration set is determined based on a critical driving voltage curve of a driving transistor included in the GOA unit, and the gate line control voltage is determined according to a critical driving voltage corresponding to the critical driving voltage curve and a preset safety floating value. The scheme that the gate line control voltage changes with the characteristic drift of the driving transistor guarantees the display effect of the display panel and improves the product service life.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of display technology, and provides a driving control method, a driving control circuit, and a display device. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing market application of LCD panels, products such as outdoor billboards, signs, indoor monitoring systems, and educational devices are becoming more and more widely used. These products often employ high-brightness backlighting and frequently operate continuously, for example, 24 / 7.

[0003] In the aforementioned application scenarios, the characteristics of the driving transistors in the Gate On Array (GOA) cells of the array substrate will continuously drift in the same direction. When the characteristics of the driving transistors drift to a certain extent, the constant gate control voltage (VGH / VGL) cannot guarantee the normal operation of the GOA cells, which will lead to multiple rows of gates being turned on simultaneously, resulting in incorrect charging of pixel cells, abnormal image display, and seriously affecting the lifespan of the display panel. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This disclosure provides a driving control method, a driving control circuit, and a display device, which use varying gate line voltage to ensure the display effect of the display panel and improve the product's service life.

[0005] The specific technical solution provided in this disclosure is as follows:

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a drive control method applied to a timing controller TCON IC, wherein Flash and a power management unit PMIC are both coupled to the TCON IC, the PMIC is coupled to a timing conversion unit Level Shift, and Level Shift is coupled to a GOA unit. The method includes:

[0007] The continuous driving duration of the GOA unit is determined by the counting value of the timing module, wherein the timing start point of the counting value is the moment when the GOA unit first provides driving voltage to the gate line;

[0008] If the continuous driving duration reaches any target control duration in the preset control duration set, a target control signal corresponding to the target control duration is sent to the PMIC so that the PMIC generates a gate control voltage corresponding to the target control signal. Each control duration in the control duration set is determined based on the critical drive voltage curve of the driving transistor included in the GOA unit, and the gate control voltage is determined based on the critical drive voltage corresponding to the critical drive voltage curve and the preset safety float value.

[0009] Optionally, the continuous driving duration of the GOA unit is determined by the counting value of the timing module, including:

[0010] When the GOA cell first provides a drive voltage to the gate line, the timing module is started to count and obtain multiple count values;

[0011] Based on each count value and the preset unit count duration, the continuous drive duration of the GOA unit is determined, where the unit count duration is used to characterize the time length corresponding to a single count of the timing module.

[0012] Optionally, after detecting that the GOA cell first provides a drive voltage to the gate line, the timing module is started to count, and after obtaining multiple count values, the following is also included:

[0013] Send multiple count values ​​to Flash so that Flash can store the multiple count values ​​respectively;

[0014] If the GOA unit is powered off and restarted, the largest count value is read from the multiple count values ​​stored in Flash, and the largest count value is used as the starting point for timing.

[0015] Optionally, the method further includes:

[0016] If the GOA unit is powered off and restarted, the current count value stored in the register is read, and the gate line control voltage is obtained from the PMIC;

[0017] The counting range value is determined based on the gate line control voltage and the unit counting duration. The counting range value represents multiple counting values ​​between the minimum and maximum values ​​of the counting range. The minimum value of the counting range is determined based on the first control duration corresponding to the gate line control voltage, and the maximum value of the counting range is determined based on the second control duration, which is the next control duration after the first control duration.

[0018] If the current count value exceeds the count value represented by the count range value, then the minimum value of the count range will be used as the starting point for timing.

[0019] Alternatively, the critical drive voltage curve can be determined in the following way:

[0020] The extreme values ​​of the drive voltage required for normal operation of the GOA unit at each time moment are obtained in advance, wherein the extreme values ​​of the drive voltage include the minimum value of the first drive voltage and the maximum value of the second drive voltage.

[0021] If the extreme value change of any two consecutive driving voltage extreme values ​​exceeds the preset change threshold, then based on the timing start point and the time corresponding to any two consecutive driving voltage extreme values, two control durations are determined respectively, and a control duration set is determined according to each control duration.

[0022] Based on the extreme values ​​of each driving voltage and the preset safety float value, multiple gate line control voltages are determined;

[0023] The critical drive voltage curve is determined based on the set of control voltages and control durations for each gate line.

[0024] Optionally, if the extreme value of the driving voltage is the minimum value of the first driving voltage, then multiple gate line control voltages are determined based on each extreme value of the driving voltage and a preset safety float value, including:

[0025] By adding a preset safety float value to each driving voltage extreme value, multiple gate line control voltages are obtained.

[0026] Optionally, if the extreme value of the driving voltage is the maximum value of the second driving voltage, then multiple gate line control voltages are determined based on each extreme value of the driving voltage and a preset safety float value, including:

[0027] Subtract the preset safety float value from each driving voltage extreme value to obtain multiple gate line control voltages.

[0028] Optionally, if the continuous driving duration reaches any target control duration in the preset control duration set, a target control signal corresponding to the target control duration is sent to the PMIC, so that the PMIC generates a gate control voltage corresponding to the target control signal, including:

[0029] The continuous driving duration is compared with each control duration in the preset control duration set, and the control duration that is equal to the continuous driving duration is determined as the target control duration.

[0030] At the moment corresponding to the target control duration, a target control signal is sent to the PMIC so that the PMIC can find the control voltage corresponding to the target control signal in the control voltage set and determine the found control voltage as the gate line control voltage.

[0031] Secondly, embodiments of this disclosure also provide a drive control circuit, including: Flash, a power management unit PMIC, a timing conversion unit Level Shift, a GOA unit, and a timing controller TCON IC that applies any of the drive control methods described above;

[0032] Both the Flash memory and the power management unit (PMIC) are coupled to the TCON IC. The PMIC is coupled to the timing conversion unit Level Shift, and Level Shift is coupled to the GOA unit.

[0033] Thirdly, embodiments of this disclosure also provide a display device, including: a display panel and the aforementioned driving control circuit;

[0034] The display panel displays information under the drive of the drive control circuit.

[0035] The beneficial effects of this disclosure are as follows:

[0036] In summary, this disclosure provides a drive control method, a drive control circuit, and a display device. The drive control method is applied to a timing controller (TCON IC). The Flash memory and power management unit (PMIC) are both coupled to the TCON IC. The PMIC is coupled to a timing conversion unit (Level Shift), and the Level Shift is coupled to a gate array (GOA) unit. The method includes: determining the continuous drive duration of the GOA unit through a counting value from a timing module, wherein the timing start point of the counting value is the moment when the GOA unit first provides a drive voltage to the gate line; if the continuous drive duration reaches any target control duration in a preset control duration set, a target control signal corresponding to the target control duration is sent to the PMIC to cause the PMIC to generate a gate line control voltage corresponding to the target control signal; wherein each control duration in the control duration set is determined based on the critical drive voltage curve of the drive transistors included in the GOA unit, and the gate line control voltage is determined based on the critical drive voltage corresponding to the critical drive voltage curve and a preset safety float value. The aforementioned TCON IC... When the IC timing reaches different usage durations, it sends different control signals to the PMIC, thereby causing the gate line regulation voltage to change according to the characteristics of the driving transistor, ensuring the display effect of the display panel and extending the product's lifespan.

[0037] Other features and advantages of this disclosure will be set forth in the following description and will be apparent in part from the description or may be learned by practicing the disclosure. The objects and other advantages of this disclosure may be realized and obtained by means of the structures particularly pointed out in the written description, claims, and drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0038] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this disclosure and form part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and are used to explain the disclosure, but do not constitute an undue limitation of the disclosure. In the drawings:

[0039] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the hardware connection corresponding to the drive control method in the embodiments of this disclosure;

[0040] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the drive control method in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0041] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the process for determining the continuous driving duration of the GOA unit through a timing module in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0042] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the generation of the gate line control voltage based on the critical drive voltage curve and the safety float value in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0043] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the process by which the PMIC generates the gate line control voltage based on the target control signal corresponding to the target control duration in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0044] Figure 6 This is a connection diagram of a drive control circuit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0045] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the connection of a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0046] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this disclosure clearer, the technical solutions of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the technical solutions of this disclosure, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments recorded in this disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the technical solutions of this disclosure.

[0047] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this invention are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that embodiments of the invention described herein can be implemented in sequences other than those illustrated or described herein.

[0048] In related technologies, outdoor billboards, signs, indoor monitoring systems, and educational devices are becoming increasingly widely used. These products often employ high-brightness backlighting and frequently operate continuously, for example, 24 / 7.

[0049] In the aforementioned application scenarios, the characteristics of the driving transistors in the Gate On Array (GOA) cells of the array substrate will continuously drift in the same direction. When the characteristics of the driving transistors drift to a certain extent, the constant gate control voltage (VGH / VGL) cannot guarantee the normal operation of the GOA cells, resulting in multiple rows of gates being turned on simultaneously. This leads to incorrect charging of pixel cells and abnormal image display. Furthermore, the drift in the characteristics of the driving transistors is irreversible, and severe drift will directly affect the lifespan of the display panel.

[0050] The preferred embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0051] See Figure 1 As shown in the embodiments of this application, a drive control method is applied to a timing controller (TCONIC). The Flash and power management unit (PMIC) are all coupled to the (Timing Controller, TCON)IC. The PMIC is coupled to the timing conversion unit Level Shift, and Level Shift is coupled to the GOA unit.

[0052] In this embodiment of the application, the execution subject of a drive control method is a TCON IC. During the execution of the drive control method, the TCON IC communicates with Flash and PMIC respectively to generate different gate line control voltages at different times corresponding to different usage durations of the display panel, so as to ensure the driving capability of the GOA unit and thereby improve the display effect and service life of the display panel.

[0053] See Figure 2 As shown in the embodiments of this application, the steps of a drive control method specifically include:

[0054] Step 201: Determine the continuous driving duration of the GOA unit by the count value of the timing module, wherein the timing start point of the count value is the moment when the GOA unit first provides driving voltage to the gate line.

[0055] In this embodiment, the timing module of the TCON IC is enabled to count the continuous driving duration of the GOA unit. It should be noted that the aforementioned continuous driving duration is the period from the moment the display panel first displays under the drive of the GOA unit until the current usage time. This period does not include the time the display panel is in a powered-off state, but it includes either a continuous period of time when the display panel is in use or the sum of multiple discontinuous periods.

[0056] The continuous drive duration of the GOA unit is determined by the counting value of the timing module, as described above. (See also...) Figure 3 As shown, it specifically includes:

[0057] Step 2011: When the GOA cell first provides a drive voltage to the gate line, the timing module is started to count and obtain multiple count values.

[0058] During implementation, when the GOA unit first provides driving voltage to the gate line, i.e., when the display panel begins to be used, the aforementioned timing module is activated to start timing from zero, taking the moment when the display panel begins to show the screen as the first count value. As the display panel is used, the count value of the timing module gradually increases, obtaining multiple count values ​​during the counting process. It should be noted that the number of count values ​​from the timing module is related to the usage time of the display panel and the unit counting duration.

[0059] In addition, after detecting that the GOA cell first provides a drive voltage to the gate line, the timing module starts counting and obtains multiple count values, and then the process also includes:

[0060] Step 1: Send multiple count values ​​to Flash so that Flash can store multiple count values ​​respectively.

[0061] To ensure the accuracy of the timing module's counts, during implementation, the TCON IC also sends each count value recorded by the timing module to the Flash memory for storage. Specifically, the registers in the Flash memory are used to store each count value separately, thus backing up the count values ​​recorded by the TCON IC. It should be noted that, to conserve Flash storage space, when the next unit of counting time is reached, the count value stored in the Flash memory is erased, and the count value corresponding to the next unit of counting time is written in, thus updating the count values ​​in the Flash memory.

[0062] Step 2: If the GOA unit is powered off and restarted, the largest count value is read from the multiple count values ​​stored in Flash, and the largest count value is used as the starting point for timing.

[0063] When the display panel is powered off and then powered on again, i.e. when the GOA unit is powered off and restarted, the real-time count value recorded in the TCON IC will be lost. In order to effectively record the continuous drive duration, during the implementation process, the TCON IC reads multiple count values ​​stored in the Flash register and compares the largest count value among the above count values, considering that the largest count value represents the continuous drive duration of the GOA unit.

[0064] Therefore, the maximum count value mentioned above is used as the new timing starting point of the timing module of TCON IC. That is, when the GOA unit is powered off and restarted, the continuous driving duration of the GOA unit continues to be recorded based on the maximum count value mentioned above.

[0065] In addition, to prevent errors in the counting values ​​of the timing module, the above method also includes:

[0066] (1) If the GOA unit is powered off and restarted, the current count value stored in the register is read and the gate line control voltage is obtained from the PMIC.

[0067] Considering that errors in the counting value may occur during implementation, and that the counting process is continuous, in this embodiment of the application, when the display panel is turned off and then turned on again, that is, when the GOA unit is powered off and restarted, the current count value and the gate line control voltage stored in the register can be used to verify the counting value.

[0068] Since the timing module records multiple consecutive count values ​​driven by the GOA unit, when the GOA unit is powered off and restarted, it first reads the current count value stored in the register. This current count value represents the real-time count value corresponding to the GOA unit after power failure and restart.

[0069] Meanwhile, the TCON IC obtains the gate line control voltage from the PMIC, which is the actual value of the gate line control voltage corresponding to the GOA cell after power failure and restart.

[0070] (2) The counting range value is determined based on the grid line control voltage and the unit counting duration. The counting range value represents multiple counting values ​​between the minimum and maximum values ​​of the counting range. The minimum value of the counting range is determined based on the first control duration corresponding to the grid line control voltage, and the maximum value of the counting range is determined based on the second control duration. The second control duration is the next control duration after the first control duration.

[0071] Considering that the duration for which the gate line control voltage acts on the GOA cell is one control duration, during implementation, a counting range value can be obtained by dividing the control duration corresponding to the gate line control voltage by the unit counting duration. It should be further noted that the starting point of the above counting range value, i.e., the minimum value of the counting range, is determined by the first control duration for which the gate line control voltage begins to act on the GOA cell, and the ending point of the above counting range value, i.e., the maximum value of the counting range, is determined by the second control duration for which the gate line control voltage is about to end its action on the GOA cell. That is, the second control duration is the next control duration after the first control duration, or the duration corresponding to the start of the next gate line control voltage action on the GOA cell.

[0072] (3) If the current count value exceeds the count value represented by the count range value, then the minimum value of the count range will be used as the starting point for timing.

[0073] During implementation, the current count value is compared with the count value represented by the count range value. If it exceeds the count range value, the minimum value of the count range is used as the new starting point for the counting process. If the current count value does not exceed the count value represented by the count range value, the counting continues based on the current count value, thereby effectively ensuring the accuracy of the count value.

[0074] Step 2012: Determine the continuous drive duration of the GOA unit based on each count value and the preset unit count duration, where the unit count duration is used to characterize the time length corresponding to a single count of the timing module.

[0075] During implementation, after the timing module obtains multiple count values, it is necessary to convert the count values ​​into the continuous drive duration of the GOA unit. That is, multiply each of the above count values ​​by a preset unit count duration. Here, the unit count duration is used to characterize the time length corresponding to a single count of the timing module, that is, how long a recorded count value represents, and the resulting product is determined as the continuous drive duration of the GOA unit.

[0076] It should be noted that the above-mentioned unit count duration values ​​need to be set in conjunction with the power-on / off frequency of the display panel usage scenario and the size of the register storage space. In principle, the value should be set to ensure that the count value is valid and that the register storage space is saved.

[0077] Step 202: If the continuous driving duration reaches any target control duration in the preset control duration set, a target control signal corresponding to the target control duration is sent to the PMIC so that the PMIC generates a gate control voltage corresponding to the target control signal. The control durations in the control duration set are determined based on the critical drive voltage curves of the driving transistors included in the GOA unit, and the gate control voltage is determined based on the critical drive voltage corresponding to the critical drive voltage curve and the preset safety float value.

[0078] First of all, it should be noted that the reference Figure 4 As shown, the critical drive voltage curve is determined in the following way:

[0079] 1) Pre-obtain the extreme values ​​of the drive voltage required for normal operation of the GOA unit at each time point, wherein the extreme values ​​of the drive voltage include the minimum value of the first drive voltage and the maximum value of the second drive voltage.

[0080] In this embodiment, each control duration in the control duration set is determined based on the critical drive voltage curve of the driving transistor included in the GOA unit. Typically, the critical drive voltage curve is obtained in advance using certain products of the same model before the timing module starts counting. In specific implementation, starting from the timing start point when the GOA unit first provides drive voltage to the gate line, the extreme values ​​of the drive voltage required for normal operation of the GOA unit at each moment are obtained. These extreme values ​​of drive voltage are the critical voltage values ​​required to ensure normal operation of the GOA unit.

[0081] The aforementioned driving voltage extreme values ​​include the minimum value of the first driving voltage, i.e., the driving voltage extreme value is the minimum value of the first driving voltage VGH. When the driving voltage extreme value is smaller than the minimum value of the first driving voltage VGH, the driving voltage provided by the GOA unit to the gate line cannot enable the display panel to work normally. The aforementioned driving voltage extreme values ​​also include the maximum value of the second driving voltage, i.e., the driving voltage extreme value is the maximum value of the second driving voltage VGL. When the driving voltage extreme value is larger than the maximum value of the second driving voltage VGL, the driving voltage provided by the GOA unit to the gate line also cannot enable the display panel to work normally.

[0082] 2) If the extreme value change of any two consecutive driving voltage extreme values ​​exceeds the preset change threshold, then based on the timing start point and the time corresponding to any two consecutive driving voltage extreme values, two control durations are determined respectively, and the control duration set is determined according to each control duration.

[0083] During implementation, as the GOA unit provides continuous drive voltage to the gate line, after each drive voltage extreme value is obtained, the obtained drive voltage extreme value is compared with the previous drive voltage extreme value, for example, by taking the difference or taking the quotient. When the extreme value change of any two consecutive drive voltage extreme values ​​exceeds the preset change threshold (for example, 1V or 0.5V), the timing starting point is used as the timing reference, and the time corresponding to the two consecutive drive voltage extreme values ​​is recorded respectively. The two times are compared with the timing starting point to obtain two durations, that is, two control durations are determined.

[0084] In this way, during the entire process of the GOA cell providing a continuous driving voltage to the gate line, multiple control durations will be determined, and the above control durations constitute a set of control durations.

[0085] 3) Determine multiple gate line control voltages based on the extreme values ​​of each driving voltage and the preset safety float value.

[0086] Since the above-mentioned extreme values ​​of the driving voltage are the critical voltage values ​​required for the normal driving of the GOA unit, considering the influence of various environmental factors, in order to ensure that the GOA unit can work continuously and stably, during the implementation process, a preset safety floating value is superimposed on each of the above-mentioned extreme values ​​of the driving voltage, so that multiple gate line control voltages can be determined.

[0087] In the first case, if the extreme value of the driving voltage is the minimum value of the first driving voltage, then multiple gate line control voltages are determined based on each extreme value of the driving voltage and a preset safety float value, including:

[0088] By adding a preset safety float value to each driving voltage extreme value, multiple gate line control voltages are obtained.

[0089] During implementation, multiple gate line control voltages are obtained by adding a preset safety float value (e.g., 10V) to the minimum value of each first driving voltage corresponding to different control durations. That is, when the extreme value of the driving voltage is the minimum value of the first driving voltage, the value of the first driving voltage is increased by setting the safety float value, thus obtaining a higher gate line control voltage, thereby ensuring that the GOA cell has sufficient driving capability.

[0090] In the second scenario, if the extreme value of the driving voltage is the maximum value of the second driving voltage, then multiple gate line control voltages are determined based on each extreme value of the driving voltage and a preset safety float value, including:

[0091] Subtract the preset safety float value from each driving voltage extreme value to obtain multiple gate line control voltages.

[0092] During implementation, multiple gate line control voltages are obtained by subtracting a preset safety float value (e.g., 3V) from the maximum value of each second driving voltage corresponding to different control durations. That is, when the extreme value of the driving voltage is the maximum value of the second driving voltage, the second driving voltage is made smaller numerically by setting the safety float value, resulting in a lower gate line control voltage, thereby ensuring that the GOA cell has sufficient driving capability.

[0093] It should be noted that the aforementioned safety fluctuation value can be a constant value or a floating value that changes over time.

[0094] 4) Determine the critical drive voltage curve based on the set of control voltages and control durations for each gate line.

[0095] During implementation, after determining the control voltage of each gate line, the amplitude of the critical drive voltage curve on the vertical axis is determined by the control voltage of each gate line; after obtaining the control duration set, the time point (T1, T2...T9) of the critical drive voltage curve on the horizontal axis is determined by each control duration in the control duration set, and then the critical drive voltage curve is determined based on the above amplitude and time point.

[0096] If the continuous driving duration reaches any target control duration from the preset control duration set, a target control signal corresponding to the target control duration is sent to the PMIC, so that the PMIC generates a gate control voltage corresponding to the target control signal. (See also...) Figure 5 As shown, it includes:

[0097] Step 2021: Compare the continuous drive duration with each control duration in the preset control duration set, and determine the control duration that is equal to the continuous drive duration as the target control duration.

[0098] In this embodiment of the application, after determining the continuous driving duration of the GOA unit during the operation of the display panel, the continuous driving duration is compared with each control duration in the preset control duration set. The purpose of the comparison is to determine whether the usage duration for adjusting the gate line control voltage has been reached.

[0099] When the duration of continuous drive reaches a certain control duration in the control duration set, the control duration that is equal to the duration of continuous drive is determined as the target control duration.

[0100] Step 2022: At the moment corresponding to the target control duration, send a target control signal to the PMIC so that the PMIC can find the control voltage corresponding to the target control signal in the control voltage set and determine the found control voltage as the gate line control voltage.

[0101] During implementation, after determining the moment corresponding to the target control duration for which the gate line control voltage needs to be changed, the TCON IC sends a target control signal to the PMIC. In this embodiment, the control signal corresponds one-to-one with the control voltage, meaning the PMIC can call a specific control voltage (gate line control voltage) from the control voltage set based on different control signals. Compared to related technologies where the gate line control voltage is a constant value, this embodiment can generate different gate line control voltages based on the usage time of the display panel. This achieves a smaller gate line control voltage in the early stage of the display panel to delay the decay rate of the display panel to the greatest extent. It also achieves a larger first driving voltage and a smaller second driving voltage in the later stage of the display panel, thereby ensuring that the gate line control voltage has sufficient driving capability and guaranteeing the display effect of the display panel.

[0102] In this embodiment, the correspondence between the control voltage set and the control signal, the control voltage set and each control signal are all pre-stored in the PMIC. During implementation, when the TCON IC sends the target control signal to the PMIC, the PMIC can search for the corresponding control voltage in the control voltage set according to the target control signal. The control voltage found is determined as the gate line control voltage, thus realizing the scheme of the PMIC generating the first driving voltage VGH and the second driving voltage VGL at different times.

[0103] Based on the same inventive concept, see [reference] Figure 6As shown, this embodiment of the present disclosure provides a drive control circuit, including: Flash, power management unit PMIC, timing conversion unit Level Shift, GOA unit, and timing controller TCON IC applying any of the above drive control methods;

[0104] Both the Flash memory and the power management unit (PMIC) are coupled to the TCON IC. The PMIC is coupled to the timing conversion unit Level Shift, and Level Shift is coupled to the GOA unit.

[0105] In the drive control circuit, Flash is electrically connected to TCON IC, TCON IC is electrically connected to PMIC, PMIC is electrically connected to LevelShift, and Level Shift is electrically connected to GOA unit.

[0106] In this embodiment, the Flash memory stores an initial control voltage, which can be sent to the TCONIC as a reference voltage. The Flash memory also contains a register primarily used to store the count value of the TCONIC and for the TCONIC to read this count value for continuous counting. This count value is the data recorded by the TCONIC through the timing module. Furthermore, the TCONIC stores a set of control durations. The TCONIC sends a target control signal corresponding to the target control duration to the PMIC by executing a drive control method, causing the PMIC to generate a gate line control voltage. It should be noted that the gate line control voltage can be multiple VGH and VGL voltages that vary with the target control duration. Further, Level Shift converts the gate line control voltage into drive voltages, such as STV, CLK, VSS, VDDO, and VDDE. The display panel displays the image under the drive voltage provided by the GOA unit.

[0107] Based on the same inventive concept, see [reference] Figure 7 As shown, this embodiment of the present disclosure provides a display device, including: a display panel and the aforementioned driving control circuit;

[0108] The display panel displays information under the drive of the drive control circuit.

[0109] During implementation, the display panel performs grid line scanning and data signal loading based on the driving voltage (STV, CLK, VSS, VDDO, VDDE) provided by the drive control circuit at different times of use, thereby displaying the image.

[0110] In this embodiment of the invention, the display device can be any product or component with a display function, such as a mobile phone, tablet computer, television, monitor, laptop computer, digital photo frame, or navigator. Other essential components of the display device are understood by those skilled in the art and will not be described in detail here, nor should they be construed as limiting the invention.

[0111] In summary, the present disclosure provides a drive control method, drive control circuit, and display device. This drive control method is applied to a timing controller (TCON IC). The Flash memory and power management unit (PMIC) are both coupled to the TCON IC. The PMIC is coupled to a timing conversion unit (Level Shift), and the Level Shift is coupled to a gate array (GOA) unit. The method includes: determining the continuous drive duration of the GOA unit through a counting value from a timing module, wherein the timing start point of the counting value is the moment when the GOA unit first provides a drive voltage to the gate line; if the continuous drive duration reaches any target control duration in a preset control duration set, a target control signal corresponding to the target control duration is sent to the PMIC to cause the PMIC to generate a gate line control voltage corresponding to the target control signal; wherein each control duration in the control duration set is determined based on the critical drive voltage curve of the drive transistor included in the GOA unit, and the gate line control voltage is determined based on the critical drive voltage corresponding to the critical drive voltage curve and a preset safety float value. The aforementioned TCON IC... When the IC timing reaches different usage durations, it sends different control signals to the PMIC, thereby causing the gate line regulation voltage to change according to the characteristics of the driving transistor, ensuring the display effect of the display panel and extending the product's lifespan.

[0112] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this disclosure can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program product systems. Therefore, this disclosure can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, this disclosure can take the form of a computer program product system implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including, but not limited to, disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0113] This disclosure is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program product systems according to this disclosure. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, generate instructions for implementing the flowchart illustrations. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0114] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means, which are implemented in a process Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The function specified in one or more boxes.

[0115] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable equipment to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable equipment for implementing the process. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps of the function specified in one or more boxes.

[0116] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this disclosure without departing from its spirit and scope. Therefore, if such modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this disclosure and their equivalents, this disclosure is also intended to include such modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A drive control method, characterized in that, The method applies to a timing controller TCON IC, where Flash and a power management unit PMIC are both coupled to the TCON IC. The PMIC is coupled to a timing conversion unit Level Shift, which is coupled to a GOA unit. The method includes: The continuous driving duration of the GOA unit is determined by the counting value of the timing module, wherein the timing start point of the counting value is the moment when the GOA unit first provides driving voltage to the gate line; If the continuous driving duration reaches any target control duration in the preset control duration set, a target control signal corresponding to the target control duration is sent to the PMIC so that the PMIC generates a gate line control voltage corresponding to the target control signal. Each control duration in the control duration set is determined based on the critical drive voltage curve of the driving transistor included in the GOA unit, and the gate line control voltage is determined based on the critical drive voltage corresponding to the critical drive voltage curve and a preset safety float value. If the GOA unit is powered off and restarted, the current count value stored in the register is read, and the gate line control voltage is obtained from the PMIC; The counting range value is determined based on the gate line control voltage and the unit counting duration, wherein the counting range value represents multiple counting values ​​between the minimum and maximum values ​​of the counting range, the minimum value of the counting range is determined based on the first control duration corresponding to the gate line control voltage, the maximum value of the counting range is determined based on the second control duration, the second control duration is the next control duration after the first control duration, and the unit counting duration is used to represent the time length corresponding to a single count of the timing module; If the current count value exceeds the count value represented by the count range value, then the minimum value of the count range is taken as the timing start point.

2. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The determination of the continuous driving duration of the GOA unit by the counting value of the timing module includes: When the GOA unit first provides a drive voltage to the gate line, the timing module is activated to start counting and obtains multiple count values; The continuous driving duration of the GOA unit is determined based on each of the count values ​​and the preset unit count duration.

3. The method as described in claim 2, characterized in that, After detecting that the GOA unit first provides a drive voltage to the gate line, the timing module is activated to start counting, and multiple count values ​​are obtained, the method further includes: Send multiple count values ​​to Flash so that Flash stores multiple count values ​​respectively; If the GOA unit is powered off and restarted, the largest count value is read from the plurality of count values ​​stored in the Flash, and the largest count value is used as the timing start point.

4. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The critical drive voltage curve is determined in the following manner: The extreme values ​​of the driving voltage required for normal operation of the GOA unit at various times are obtained in advance, wherein the extreme values ​​of the driving voltage include the minimum value of the first driving voltage and the maximum value of the second driving voltage; If the extreme value change of any two consecutive driving voltage extreme values ​​exceeds a preset change threshold, then based on the timing start point and the time corresponding to any two consecutive driving voltage extreme values, two control durations are determined respectively, and a control duration set is determined according to each control duration. Based on the extreme values ​​of each driving voltage and the preset safety float value, a plurality of gate line control voltages are determined; The critical drive voltage curve is determined based on the set of gate line control voltages and control durations.

5. The method as described in claim 4, characterized in that, If the extreme value of the driving voltage is the minimum value of the first driving voltage, then determining multiple gate line control voltages based on each of the extreme values ​​of the driving voltage and a preset safety float value includes: By adding the preset safety float value to each of the driving voltage extreme values, a plurality of gate line control voltages are obtained.

6. The method as described in claim 4, characterized in that, If the extreme value of the driving voltage is the maximum value of the second driving voltage, then determining multiple gate line control voltages based on each of the extreme values ​​of the driving voltage and a preset safety float value includes: Subtracting the preset safety float value from each of the driving voltage extreme values ​​yields a plurality of gate line control voltages.

7. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, If the continuous drive duration reaches any target control duration in the preset control duration set, a target control signal corresponding to the target control duration is sent to the PMIC to cause the PMIC to generate a gate line control voltage corresponding to the target control signal, including: The continuous driving duration is compared with each control duration in the preset control duration set, and the control duration that is equal to the continuous driving duration is determined as the target control duration; At the time corresponding to the target control duration, the target control signal is sent to the PMIC so that the PMIC searches for the control voltage corresponding to the target control signal in the control voltage set and determines the found control voltage as the gate control voltage.

8. A drive control circuit, characterized in that, include: Flash, power management unit PMIC, timing conversion unit Level Shift, GOA unit, and timing controller TCONIC applying the drive control method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7; The Flash and Power Management Unit (PMIC) are both coupled to the TCON IC. The PMIC is coupled to the Timing Conversion Unit (Level Shift), and the Level Shift is coupled to the GOA unit.

9. A display device, characterized in that, include: Display panel and drive control circuit as described in claim 8; The display panel displays information under the drive of the drive control circuit.

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