Driving circuit and refreshing method of segment code electronic paper and segment code electronic paper

Abstract

The invention discloses a segment code electronic paper driving circuit, a refreshing method and segment code electronic paper. The driving circuit comprises a gating module, a driving module and a control module, the gating module comprises an input end and N output ends; the input end of the gating module is connected with the driving output end of the driving module; each output end of the gating module is correspondingly connected with the segment code electrodes; the control module is used for outputting a control signal to the gating module according to the refreshing instruction; a control signal and a data signal are output to the driving module; the driving module is used for outputting a segment code driving signal to the gating module according to the control signal and the data signal; the gating module is used for connecting the input end of the gating module to each output end according to the control signal in a time-sharing manner so as to output the segment code driving signal to each segment code electrode; and when the input end and other output ends are disconnected at different moments, zero-voltage holding signals are output to other segment code electrodes. According to the scheme, the light, thin and low-cost design of the segment code electronic paper is realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present invention relate to the technical field of electronic paper, and particularly to a driving circuit, a refreshing method and a segment code electronic paper for a segment code electronic paper. Background Art

[0002] An electronic paper is a device that uses electrophoretic display technology for display. By applying a voltage to each pixel point through a control circuit on the array layer of the electronic paper, the colored electrophoretic particles in the electronic paper are driven to move to achieve image display. As a reflective display device, after the image is updated, the electronic paper can be maintained for a long time without continuous refreshing, so the power consumption is very low. Due to many characteristics such as low power consumption, wide viewing angle, high contrast, and eye protection, electronic paper is increasingly widely used in many fields such as electronic price tags, e-books, and billboards.

[0003] According to different driving methods, electronic papers can be divided into two types: dot matrix (Dot Matrix) and segment code (Segment). Dot matrix screens usually have a higher resolution and are actively driven by a dot matrix IC. By controlling the opening and closing of thin-film transistors through gate traces, the voltage of the source trace is charged into the storage capacitor of the pixel circuit row by row to drive the movement of electrophoretic particles in the electronic ink; segment code screens usually have a lower resolution and are passively driven by a segment code IC or a segment code driving circuit. By directly applying a voltage to the driving electrode of each segment code, the movement of electrophoretic particles in the electronic ink is driven.

[0004] For segment code electronic papers, the existing driving methods all adopt a simultaneous driving method. The simultaneous driving method can synchronously refresh all segment codes, but in order to achieve simultaneous driving, each segment code driving IC needs to correspond to a driving port or a group of segment code driving circuits. In this way, the cost of using a single segment code driving IC alone is extremely high; for each segment code driving circuit, the quantity is large and the size is large; it will cause the driving board to have a huge size and numerous components on it, thus making it impossible to achieve the thin and light design and low cost of the segment code screen. Especially for segment code electronic papers with the number of segment codes ≤ 8, the channel utilization rate of using a single segment code driving IC alone is extremely low, resulting in extremely high costs; for example, for existing segment code driving ICs, the number of supported channels X is usually 32, 64, 128 or 256. Taking the 32-channel segment code IC with the least number of channels as an example: if the number of segment codes Y ≤ 8, the channel utilization rate of the segment code driving IC is only Y / X ≤ 25% (i.e., Y / X ≤ 8 / 32). Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention provides a driving circuit, a refreshing method and a segment code electronic paper for a segment code electronic paper to achieve the thin and light design and low cost design of the segment code electronic paper.

[0006] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a driving circuit for a segment code electronic paper, wherein the segment code electronic paper comprises: N segment code electrodes; characterized in that it comprises: a gating module, a driving module, and a control module;

[0007] The gating module includes an input terminal and N output terminals; the input terminal of the gating module is connected to the driving output terminal of the driving module; each output terminal of the gating module is connected to the segment code electrode correspondingly;

[0008] The control module is configured to output a control signal to the strobe module according to a refresh instruction; and output the control signal and the data signal to the drive module; the drive module is configured to output a segment code drive signal to the strobe module according to the control signal and the data signal;

[0009] The gating module is used to connect the input end of the gating module to each of the output ends in a time-sharing manner according to the control signal to output the segment code driving signal to each of the segment code electrodes; and when the input end and the other output ends are disconnected at different times, the zero voltage holding signal is output to the other segment code electrodes.

[0010] Optionally, the gating module includes N gating units and N holding units;

[0011] The input end of each of the gating units is connected as the input end of the gating module; the output end of each of the gating units is connected to each of the segment electrodes; the control end of each of the holding units and the control end of each of the gating units are electrically connected to the control module; the input end of each of the holding units is grounded; the output end of each of the holding units is connected to each of the segment electrodes;

[0012] The control signal includes N sub-control signals output in a time-sharing manner; the segment code driving signal includes N different segment code sub-driving signals; the gating unit is used to connect the input end and the output end of the gating unit according to the sub-control signal to output the segment code sub-driving signal to the corresponding segment code electrode;

[0013] The holding unit is used to output a zero-voltage holding signal to the segment code electrode when the input end of the gating unit and the output end of the gating unit are disconnected.

[0014] Optionally, the gating unit includes a first switch module; the holding unit includes a second switch module;

[0015] The control terminal of the first switching module is connected to the control terminal of the second switching module and receives the sub-control signal; the first ends of the first switching modules are connected and electrically connected to the driving output terminal of the driving module for receiving the segment code sub-driving signal; the second end of the first switching module is connected to the first end of the second switching module and the segment code electrode; the second ends of the second switching modules are connected as the grounding terminal of the strobe module and connected to the common electrode of the segment code electronic paper.

[0016] Optionally, the strobe unit includes a first switching module; the holding unit includes a second switching module and a level conversion module;

[0017] The control terminal of the first switching module is connected to the first end of the level conversion module and receives the sub-control signal; the control terminal of the second switching module is connected to the second end of the level conversion module;

[0018] The first ends of the first switching modules are connected and electrically connected to the driving output terminal of the driving module for receiving the segment code sub-driving signal; the second end of the first switching module is connected to the first end of the second switching module and the segment code electrode; the second ends of the second switching modules are connected as the grounding terminal of the strobe module and connected to the common electrode of the segment code electronic paper.

[0019] Optionally, the strobe module includes a strobe chip;

[0020] The input terminal of the strobe chip is electrically connected to the driving output terminal of the driving module; the N output terminals of the strobe chip are connected to the respective segment code electrodes; the N control terminals of the strobe chip are connected to the control module for receiving the control signal; the grounding terminal of the strobe chip is connected to the common electrode of the segment code electronic paper and is grounded together;

[0021] Optionally, the first switching module includes an NMOS transistor or a PMOS transistor;

[0022] The second switching module includes a PMOS transistor or includes an NMOS transistor.

[0023] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a refreshing method for a segment code electronic paper. The method is applied to the driving circuit of the segment code electronic paper described in the first aspect above. The method includes:

[0024] Obtain a target refreshing image signal;

[0025] According to a preset color priority rule, convert the target refreshing image signal into a refreshing sequence signal; wherein, the refreshing sequence signal includes a sequence control signal and a sequence data signal;

[0026] Output the sequence control signal to the strobe module; and output the sequence control signal and the sequence data signal to the driving module to refresh the segment electrodes in a time-sharing manner.

[0027] Optionally, the preset color priority rule includes: the same color has the same priority; different colors have different priorities, and the segment electrodes corresponding to the higher color priority are refreshed first.

[0028] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a segment code electronic paper, which includes the driving circuit of the segment code electronic paper described in the first aspect above; and further includes: a printed circuit board, a driving substrate, and a segment code screen;

[0029] The driving circuit is integrated on the printed circuit board; the segment code screen includes at least N segment electrodes; the printed circuit board is connected to the segment code screen through the driving substrate.

[0030] Optionally, the printed circuit board includes a common terminal GND; the common terminal GND is connected to the ground terminal on the strobe module.

[0031] In the embodiment of the present invention, a driving circuit is constituted by a strobe module, a driving module, and a control module. The strobe module includes an input end and N output ends; the input end of the strobe module is connected to the driving output end of the driving module; each output end of the strobe module is correspondingly connected to a segment electrode; in this way, the control module outputs a control signal to the strobe module according to a refresh instruction; and outputs a control signal and a data signal to the driving module; the driving module outputs a segment code driving signal to the strobe module according to the control signal and the data signal; thus, the strobe module connects the input end and each output end of the strobe module in a time-sharing manner according to the control signal to output the segment code driving signal to the segment electrode; and when the input end and other output ends are disconnected at each moment, a zero voltage holding signal is output to other segment electrodes. In this way, the thin and light design and low-cost design of the segment code electronic paper are realized by using the strobe module and the driving module, and the high-cost design caused by the segment code IC with multiple driving ports is avoided; at the same time, the segment electrodes are driven in a time-sharing manner by using the strobe module, and other segment electrodes are ensured to be held at the same time, which also ensures the normal display of the segment code electronic paper.

[0032] It should be understood that the content described in this part is not intended to identify the key or important features of the embodiments of the present invention, nor is it used to limit the scope of the present invention. Other features of the present invention will become easily understood through the following description. Description of the Drawings

[0033] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for description in the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings.

[0034] Figure 1 is the longitudinal structure diagram of a segment code electronic paper in the prior art;

[0035] Figure 2 is the schematic plan view of a segment code electronic paper in the prior art;

[0036] Figure 3 is the schematic structure diagram of a front plane laminate in the prior art;

[0037] Figure 4 is the schematic structure diagram of a driving circuit of a segment code electronic paper provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 5 is the specific schematic structure diagram of a driving circuit of a segment code electronic paper provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 6 is the specific schematic structure diagram of another driving circuit of a segment code electronic paper provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 7 is the specific schematic structure diagram of another driving circuit of a segment code electronic paper provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 8 is the specific schematic structure diagram of another driving circuit of a segment code electronic paper provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 9 is the structure of a gating module integrated device provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 10 is the longitudinal structure schematic diagram of a segment code electronic paper provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 11 is the schematic plan view of a segment code electronic paper provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 12 is the flow schematic diagram of a refreshing method of a segment code electronic paper provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 13 are two refreshing image signals of a segment code electronic paper provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 14 It is the refresh sequence signal corresponding to the image 1 signal and the image 2 signal of the segment code electronic paper provided by the embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 15 It is the timing diagram of the sequence control signal corresponding to image 1 provided in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 16 It is the timing diagram of the sequence control signal corresponding to image 2 provided in the embodiment of the present invention. Detailed implementation manners

[0050] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the solution of the present invention, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0051] It should be noted that the terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of the present invention and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects, and do not necessarily need to be used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged under appropriate circumstances so that the embodiments of the present invention described herein can be implemented in an order different from those illustrated or described herein. In addition, the terms "comprising" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product or device comprising a series of steps or units does not necessarily have to be limited to those clearly listed steps or units, but may include other steps or units not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.

[0052] Figure 1 It is the longitudinal structure diagram of the segment code electronic paper in the prior art, Figure 2 It is the schematic plan view of the segment code electronic paper in the prior art. As Figure 1-2 shown, the segment code electronic paper includes a segment code screen 01, a driving substrate 02, a printed circuit board 03, a segment code driving IC 04 disposed on the printed circuit board 03, and an MCU 05 disposed on the printed circuit board 03;

[0053] The segment code screen 01 includes a front plane laminate (FPL) 011, an insulating cover plate 012, and a packaging adhesive 013;

[0054] The driving substrate 02 includes Ag paste electrodes and a plurality of segment electrodes (not shown); the driving substrate 02 is an FPC substrate, and can also be a glass substrate, a PCB substrate, a PI substrate, etc.; the front planar laminate 011 is located within the display area AA; the front planar laminate 011 is attached to the driving substrate 02 and covers the display area AA; at the same time, Ag paste 014 is also provided on the front planar laminate 011; the Ag paste 014 is provided between the front planar laminate 011 and the driving substrate 02; specifically, the Ag paste 014 is provided at the corresponding position of the Ag paste electrode on the driving substrate 02; holes are drilled in the front planar laminate 011 to expose the ITO electrodes inside the front planar laminate 011 so as to connect the Ag paste electrodes on the driving substrate 02 and the ITO electrodes on the front planar laminate 011 through Ag paste; the isolation cover plate 012 is attached to the front planar laminate 011 and covers the front planar laminate 011 (the edge of the isolation cover plate 012 is located outside the edge of the front planar laminate 013).

[0055] The printed circuit board 03 is disposed below the driving substrate 02 and is connected to the driving substrate 02 through ACF anisotropic conductive paste; the driving ports of the segment driving IC are connected to the segment electrodes on the driving substrate 02 through the traces on the printed circuit board 03; the GND power port of the segment driving IC is connected to the Ag paste electrode on the driving substrate 02 through the traces on the printed circuit board 03; the MCU 05 transmits data signals to the segment driving IC 04 through the traces on the printed circuit board 03.

[0056] Specifically, Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a front planar laminate in the prior art; as Figure 3 shown, the front planar laminate 011 includes OCA (for bonding with the isolation cover plate 012), PET (substrate for depositing ITO electrodes), ITO electrodes (as common electrodes), cup wall A (for separating electronic ink to prevent deposition), electrophoresis liquid B (for carrying electrophoresis particles), electrophoresis particles C (for presenting colors), a sealing layer (for sealing the microcup structure), and an adhesive layer (for bonding the driving substrate 02); SEG capacitors will be formed at the overlapping positions of the segment electrodes on the driving substrate 02 and the ITO electrodes on the front planar laminate; the MCU 05 sends data signals to the segment driving IC 04; the segment driving IC 04 receives the data signals transmitted by the MCU 05 and converts the data signals into voltage timings for refreshing the segment electrodes on the segment driving e-paper; when there is a pressure difference between the segment electrodes and the ITO electrodes, that is, when there is a pressure difference between the SEG capacitors, the electrophoresis particles in the front planar laminate are driven to move, and finally specific colors and patterns are presented on the surface of the front planar laminate.

[0057] The segment code electronic paper using the above-mentioned passive drive by the segment code driver IC and MCU adopts a simultaneous drive method because the existing segment code driver IC driving method all adopts the simultaneous drive method. The simultaneous drive method can synchronously refresh all segment code electrodes; however, in order to achieve simultaneous drive, each segment code electrode requires a corresponding drive port of the segment code driver IC, which will cause the printed circuit board to be large in size, and thus it is impossible to achieve the lightweight and thin segment code electronic paper; and the cost of using a single segment code driver IC is extremely high. Especially for electronic paper with 8 segment code electrodes or less, the channel utilization rate of using a single segment code driver IC is extremely low, resulting in extremely high costs.

[0058] In order to solve the above problems, this embodiment improves the components on the printed circuit board 03. Figure 4 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a driving circuit of a segment code electronic paper provided by an embodiment of the present invention. The segment code electronic paper to which the driving circuit is applicable includes N segment code electrodes SEG; Figure 4 As shown, the driving circuit includes: a gating module 10, a driving module 20 and a control module 30; the gating module 10 includes an input terminal and N output terminals; the input terminal of the gating module 10 is connected to the driving output terminal of the driving module 20; each output terminal of the gating module 10 is correspondingly connected to the segment code electrode SEG;

[0059] The control module 30 is used to output a control signal to the strobe module 10 according to the refresh instruction; and output a control signal and a data signal to the driving module 20; the driving module 20 is used to output a segment code driving signal to the strobe module 10 according to the control signal and the data signal;

[0060] The selection module 10 is used to connect the input end of the selection module 10 to each output end in a time-sharing manner according to the control signal CTRL to output the segment code driving signal VSEG to each segment code electrode SEG; and when the input end and other output ends are disconnected at each moment, the zero voltage holding signal is output to other segment code electrodes SEG.

[0061] Among them, the driving output end of the driving module 20 in this embodiment is a driving port; the driving module 20 can be a VBD output port; it can also be a group of segment code driving components built by discrete devices; the gating module 10 can be a controllable gating switch; it can realize the selective connection between the input end and multiple output ends of the gating module 10, that is, realize the selective connection between the driving module 20 and multiple segment code electrodes SEG; the gating module 10 can be built by discrete devices or integrated devices; this embodiment is not limited to this; the control module 30 can be an MCU, SOP, SIP or other control devices;

[0062] Specifically, the control module 30 outputs a control signal CTRL to the gating module 10 according to the refresh instruction; and outputs a control signal and a data signal to the driving module 20. Among them, the control signal CTRL is a signal for controlling the time-division connection of the input end of the gating module 10 to multiple output ends; the data signal is a voltage signal required to drive different segment electrodes. In this way, the driving module 20 outputs a segment driving signal VSEG to the gating module 10 according to the control signal CTRL and the data signal. Among them, the segment driving signal VSEG is a voltage timing signal required to drive different segment electrodes output according to the control signal and the data signal. At the same time, the gating module 10 connects the input end of the gating module 10 to each output end in a time-division manner according to the control signal CTRL to output the segment driving signal VSEG to each segment electrode; and when the input end and other output ends are disconnected at each moment, a zero-voltage holding signal is output to other segment electrodes, so as to control the movement of electrophoretic particles in the front laminate corresponding to the segment electrodes to realize color refresh display; while the electrophoretic particles in the front laminate corresponding to other segment electrodes remain unchanged, so as to realize the retention and protection of the refreshed patterns of other segment electrodes. In this way, in this solution, the gating module 10 and the driving module 20 are used to replace the segment driving IC in the prior art. The driving output end of the driving module 20 is a driving port, realizing the thinning and low-cost design of the segment electrophoretic display, and avoiding the high-cost design caused by the segment IC with multiple driving ports. At the same time, the gating module 10 can connect the input end and each output end of the gating module 10 in a time-division manner; and at the same time ensure the retention of other segment electrodes, and also ensure the normal display of the segment electrophoretic display.

[0063] It should be noted that in this embodiment, while the gating module 10 connects the input end and each output end of the gating module 10 in a time-division manner, when the input end and other output ends are disconnected at each moment, a zero-voltage holding signal is output to other segment electrodes SEG, so as to realize the retention and protection of the refreshed patterns of other segment electrodes SEG, and avoid the inability to synchronously retain and protect the refreshed patterns of other segment electrodes SEG due to unstable voltage in the prior art.

[0064] Optionally, on the basis of the above embodiment, the gating module 10 is further refined. Figure 5 It is a schematic structural diagram of a driving circuit of a segment electrophoretic display provided by an embodiment of the present invention. As Figure 5 shown, the gating module 10 includes N gating units 11 and N holding units 12;

[0065] The input terminals of each gating unit 11 are connected as the input terminals of the gating module 10; the output terminals of each gating unit 11 are connected to each segment electrode SEG; the control terminals of each holding unit 12 and the control terminals of each gating unit 11 are electrically connected to the control module 30; the input terminals of each holding unit 12 are grounded; the output terminals of each holding unit 12 are connected to each segment electrode SEG;

[0066] The control signal CTRL includes N sub-control signals CTRL1, CTRL2,... output in a time-sharing manner; the segment code driving signal VSEG includes N segment code sub-driving signals VSEG1, VSEG2,...; the gating unit 11 is configured to connect the input terminal and the output terminal of the gating unit 11 according to the sub-control signal to output the segment code sub-driving signal to the corresponding segment electrode SEG; the holding unit 12 is configured to output a zero-voltage holding signal to the segment electrode SEG when the connection between the input terminal and the output terminal of the gating unit 11 is disconnected.

[0067] Wherein, the working process of the driving circuit is described herein by taking two segment electrodes as an example; that is, taking the gating module 10 including two gating units and two holding units as an example; at the first moment, the first gating unit 11 connects the input terminal and the output terminal of the first gating unit 11 according to the first sub-control signal CTRL1, so as to output the first segment code sub-driving signal VSEG1 to the first segment electrode SEG1, thus realizing the refresh of the first segment electrode; when the input terminal and the output terminal of the first gating unit 11 are connected, the input terminal and the output terminal of the second gating unit 11 are not connected. At this time, the second holding unit 12 outputs a zero-voltage holding signal to the second segment electrode SEG2, so as to realize the holding of the refreshed pattern of the second segment electrode SEG2; at the second moment, the second gating unit 11 connects the input terminal and the output terminal of the second gating unit 11 according to the second sub-control signal CTRL2, so as to output the second segment code sub-driving signal VSEG2 to the second segment electrode SEG2, thus realizing the refresh of the second segment electrode SEG2; the input terminal and the output terminal of the first gating unit 11 are not connected. At this time, the first holding unit 12 outputs a zero-voltage holding signal to the first segment electrode SEG1, so as to realize the holding of the refreshed pattern of the first segment electrode SEG1;... and so on. In this embodiment, the specific number of the gating unit 11 and the holding unit 12 is not limited, and the specific type of the gating unit 11 and the holding unit 12 is not limited either.

[0068] Optionally, in some embodiments, Figure 6 is a schematic structural diagram of a specific driving circuit of another segment code electronic paper provided by an embodiment of the present invention, as Figure 6As shown, the strobe unit 11 includes a first switch module Q1; the holding unit 12 includes a second switch module Q2; the control terminals of the first switch module Q1 are connected and receive sub-control signals CTRL1, CTRL2...; the first ends of the first switch modules Q1 are connected and electrically connected to the driving output terminal of the driving module 20 for receiving segment code sub-driving signals VSEG1, VSEG2...; the second ends of the first switch modules Q1 are connected to the first ends of the second switch modules Q2 and the segment code electrode SEG; the second ends of the second switch modules Q2 are connected as the grounding terminal of the strobe module 10 and connected to the common electrode of the segment code electronic paper.

[0069] Among them, the first switch module Q1 may include an NMOS transistor; the second switch module Q2 may include a PMOS transistor; here, taking two strobe units and two holding units as an example, at the first moment, when the first sub-control signal CTRL1 is a high-level signal, the first switch module Q1 in the first strobe unit is turned on, and the second switch module Q2 in the first holding unit is turned off. In this way, the first segment code sub-driving signal VSEG1 output by the driving module 20 outputs to the first segment code electrode SEG1; realizing the refresh of the first segment code electrode SEG1; correspondingly, the first switch module Q1 of the second strobe unit is turned off, and the second switch module Q2 of the second holding unit is turned on. In this way, the second segment code electrode SEG2 and the common electrode are both connected to the GND power supply. Since the voltage difference between the two ends of the second segment code electrode SEG2 and the common electrode is zero, the second segment code electrode SEG2 is powered off, thereby realizing the holding and protection of the refreshed pattern of the second segment code electrode SEG2. At the second moment, when the second sub-control signal CTRL2 is a high-level signal, the first switch module Q1 in the second strobe unit is turned on, and the second switch module Q2 in the second holding unit is turned off. In this way, the second segment code sub-driving signal VSEG2 output by the driving module 20 outputs to the second segment code electrode SEG2; realizing the refresh of the second segment code electrode SEG2; correspondingly, the first switch module Q1 of the first strobe unit is turned off, and the second switch module Q2 is turned on. In this way, the first segment code electrode SEG1 and the common electrode are both connected to the GND power supply. Since the voltage difference between the two ends of the first segment code electrode SEG1 and the common electrode is zero, the first segment code electrode SEG1 is powered off, thereby realizing the holding and protection of the refreshed pattern of the first segment code electrode SEG1. Of course, it can be understood that when each sub-control signal is a low-level effective signal, the first switch module Q1 may include a PMOS transistor; the second switch module Q2 may include an NMOS transistor; the specific types of the first switch module Q1 and the second switch module Q2 are not limited in this embodiment.

[0070] Optionally, in some other embodiments, Figure 7 is a schematic structural diagram of a specific driving circuit of another segment code electronic paper provided by an embodiment of the present invention, asFigure 7 As shown, the strobe unit 11 in the driving circuit includes a first switch module Q1; the holding unit 12 includes a second switch module Q2 and a level conversion module 121;

[0071] The control end of the first switch module Q1 is connected to the first end of the level conversion module 121 and receives sub-control signals CTRL1, CTRL2...; the control end of the second switch module Q2 is connected to the second end of the level conversion module 121;

[0072] The first ends of the first switch modules Q1 are connected to each other and are electrically connected to the driving output end of the driving module 20 for receiving segment code sub-driving signals VSEG1, VSEG2...; the second end of the first switch module Q1 is connected to the first end of the second switch module Q2 and the segment code electrode SEG; the second ends of the second switch modules Q2 are connected to each other as the grounding end of the strobe module 10 and are connected to the common electrode of the segment code electronic paper.

[0073] Among them, in this embodiment, the transistor types of the first switch module Q1 and the second switch module Q2 are the same and can both include NMOS transistors; the level conversion module 121 can be an inverter; also taking two strobe units as an example, at the first moment, when the first sub-control signal CTRL1 is a high-level signal, the first switch module Q1 in the first strobe unit is turned on, and the second switch module Q2 in the first holding unit is turned off. In this way, the first segment code sub-driving signal VSEG1 output by the driving module 20 is output to the corresponding segment code electrode SEG1; the refreshing of the first segment code electrode SEG1 is realized; correspondingly, the first switch module Q1 of the second strobe unit is turned off, and the second switch module Q2 in the second holding unit is turned on. In this way, the second segment code electrode SEG2 and the common electrode are both connected to the GND power supply. Since the voltage difference between the two ends of the second segment code electrode SEG2 and the common electrode is zero, the second segment code electrode SEG2 is powered off, thereby realizing the holding and protection of the refreshed pattern of the second segment code electrode SEG2. The situation at other moments is similar and will not be elaborated here; of course, it can be understood that the sub-control signal can be a low-level effective signal, and the first switch module Q1 and the second switch module Q2 can also both be PMOS transistors; this embodiment does not limit the specific types of the first switch module Q1 and the second switch module Q2.

[0074] Optionally, Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the specific structure of another driving circuit of a segment code electronic paper provided by an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 9 is the structure of a strobe module integrated device provided by an embodiment of the present invention, as Figure 8 shown, Figure 8 is for Figure 6 the integrated device form in which the segment code electrode SEG in the strobe module 10 is removed and the ports at both poles of the segment code electrode SEG are retained; referring to Figure 8-9, the strobe module 10 includes a strobe chip U1; the input terminal VSEG of the strobe chip U1 is electrically connected to the drive output terminal VSEG of the drive module 20; the N output terminals SEG_1, SEG_2... of the strobe chip U1 are connected to each segment electrode SEG1, SEG2...; the N control terminals CTRL_1, CTRL_2... of the strobe chip U1 are connected to the control module 30 for receiving the control signal CTRL; the ground terminal GND of the strobe chip U1 is connected to the common electrode of the segment code electronic paper and is grounded; wherein, the strobe module 10 can be an integrated device; in this embodiment, the strobe module 10 is integrated into a strobe chip, which can save wiring and further realize a thinner and lighter design.

[0075] Based on the same inventive concept, an embodiment of the present invention also provides a segment code electronic paper, Figure 10 is a longitudinal structure schematic diagram of a segment code electronic paper provided by an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 11 is a planar structure schematic diagram of a segment code electronic paper provided by an embodiment of the present invention, as Figure 10-11 , the segment code electronic paper includes the drive circuit 100 of the segment code electronic paper described in any of the above embodiments; further includes: a printed circuit board 03, a drive substrate 02 and a segment code screen 01; the drive circuit 100 is integrated on the printed circuit board 03; the segment code electronic screen 01 includes at least N segment electrodes; the printed circuit board 03 is connected to the segment code screen 01 through the drive substrate 02. Since this embodiment also includes the drive circuit of the segment code electronic paper described in the above embodiments and has the beneficial effects of the above embodiments, it will not be elaborated here.

[0076] Among them, in this embodiment, the shape of the display area of the segment code screen is rectangular. In actual products, the shape of the display area can be set according to actual needs and is not limited here. In addition, the number of segment electrodes on the segment code screen is not limited, and the number of segments can be set according to actual needs; preferably, the number of segment electrodes ≤ 8. The shape of the segment electrode can be rectangular, or it can be numbers, characters, words, graphics, etc., which need to be set according to actual needs and are not limited here.

[0077] Optionally, continue to refer to Figure 10-11 , the printed circuit board 03 includes a common terminal GND; the common terminal GND is connected to the ground terminal GND on the strobe module 10. Among them, the ground terminal GND of the strobe module 10 transmits the common voltage to the common electrode on the segment code screen 01 through the Ag paste electrode on the drive substrate 02 and the Ag paste in the segment code screen 01. It can be understood that the common voltage in this embodiment is the ground voltage.

[0078] Based on the same inventive concept, an embodiment of the present invention also provides a method for refreshing a segment code electronic paper, Figure 121 is a flow chart of a refresh method for a segment code electronic paper provided by an embodiment of the present invention. The refresh method is applied to the driving circuit of the segment code electronic paper, such as Figure 12 As shown, the refreshing method includes the following steps:

[0079] S110: Acquire a target refresh image signal.

[0080] The target refresh image signal is composed of different color signals to be refreshed on multiple segment electrodes; two images are used for illustration. Figure 13 These are two refresh image signals of the segment code electronic paper provided by the embodiment of the present invention; Figure 13 As shown, taking the segment code electronic paper including four segment code electrodes as an example, the colors to be refreshed by the four segment code electrodes SEG1, SEG2, SEG3, and SEG4 of image 1 are color 4, color 2, color 1, and color 3 respectively; the colors to be refreshed by the four segment code electrodes SEG1, SEG2, SEG3, and SEG4 of image 2 are color 5, color 6, color 5, and no update respectively.

[0081] S120 . Convert the target refresh image signal into a refresh sequence signal according to a preset color priority rule; wherein the refresh sequence signal includes a sequence control signal and a sequence data signal.

[0082] Among them, the preset color priority rule is a rule for dividing priorities according to the color gamut; preferably, the preset color priority rule may include: the same color has the same priority; different colors have different priorities, and the segment code electrodes corresponding to the colors with higher priorities are refreshed first. Taking 6 colors as an example here, the priority of color 1 is set to 1, the priority of color 2 is set to 2, the priority of color 3 is set to 3, the priority of color 4 is set to 4, the priority of color 5 is set to 5, and the priority of color 6 is set to 6. Among them, priority 1 is higher than priority 2, priority 2 is higher than priority 3, priority 3 is higher than priority 4, priority 4 is higher than priority 5, and priority 5 is higher than priority 6; that is, the segment code electrode brush writing sequence is: segment code electrode corresponding to color 1, segment code electrode corresponding to color 2, segment code electrode corresponding to color 3, segment code electrode corresponding to color 4, segment code electrode corresponding to color 5, and segment code electrode corresponding to color 6.

[0083] The target refresh image signal is converted into a refresh sequence signal; that is, different refresh sequence signals (refresh sequence 1 signal, refresh sequence 2 signal, ..., refresh sequence N signal) are divided according to different color priorities; for example, Figure 14 is a refresh sequence signal corresponding to the image 1 signal and the image 2 signal of the segment code electronic paper provided by the embodiment of the present invention; Figure 14As shown, the refresh sequence signals of Image 1 include Refresh Sequence 1 signal, Refresh Sequence 2 signal, Refresh Sequence 3 signal, and Refresh Sequence 4 signal; the refresh sequence signals of Image 2 include Refresh Sequence 1 signal and Refresh Sequence 2 signal.

[0084] The sequence control signal is a conduction signal for controlling whether the corresponding sequence segment code electrode is connected to the driving module, and the sequence data signal is the voltage signal corresponding to the sequence segment code electrode. Figure 15 is the timing diagram of the sequence control signal corresponding to Image 1 provided in the embodiment of the present invention; taking Image 1 as an example, 1. During the refresh process of Sequence 1, CTRL3 in the sequence control signal is at a high level, and CTRL1, CTRL2, and CTRL4 are at low levels; 2. During the refresh process of Sequence 2, CTRL2 in the sequence control signal is at a high level, and CTRL1, CTRL3, and CTRL4 are at low levels; 3. During the refresh process of Sequence 3, CTRL4 in the sequence control signal is at a high level, and CTRL1, CTRL2, and CTRL3 are at low levels; 4. During the refresh process of Sequence 4, CTRL1 in the sequence control signal is at a high level, and CTRL2, CTRL3, and CTRL4 are at low levels.

[0085] Figure 16 is the timing diagram of the sequence control signal corresponding to Image 2 provided in the embodiment of the present invention; as Figure 16 shown, 1. During the refresh process of Sequence 1, CTRL1 and CTRL3 in the sequence control signal are at high levels, and CTRL2 and CTRL4 are at low levels; 2. During the refresh process of Sequence 2, CTRL2 is at a high level, and CTRL1, CTRL3, and CTRL4 are at low levels.

[0086] S130: Output the sequence control signal to the gating module; and output the sequence control signal and the sequence data signal to the driving module to refresh the segment code electrodes time-divisionally.

[0087] Among them, output the sequence control signal to the gating module, and output the sequence control signal and the sequence data signal to the driving module. The gating module thus time-divisionally connects the driving module and each sequence segment code electrode according to the sequence control signal; the driving module thus converts the sequence control signal and the sequence data signal into a segment code sequence driving voltage signal (the segment code sequence driving voltage signal is the voltage timing signal corresponding to the sequence segment code electrode) to each sequence segment code electrode, so that each sequence segment code electrode can be refreshed time-divisionally or held, thus realizing color display.

[0088] Taking Image 1 as an example for specific illustration: 1. During the refresh process of Sequence 1, CTRL3 in the sequence control signal is at a high level, and CTRL1, CTRL2, and CTRL4 are at low levels. The corresponding segment code sequence drive voltage signal outputs to each sequence segment code electrode, so SEG3 is refreshed while SEG1, SEG2, and SEG4 remain unchanged. 2. During the refresh process of Sequence 2, CTRL2 in the sequence control signal is at a high level, and CTRL1, CTRL3, and CTRL4 are at low levels. The corresponding segment code sequence drive voltage signal outputs to each sequence segment code electrode, so SEG2 is refreshed while SEG1, SEG3, and SEG4 remain unchanged. 3. During the refresh process of Sequence 3, CTRL4 in the sequence control signal is at a high level, and CTRL1, CTRL2, and CTRL3 are at low levels. The corresponding segment code sequence drive voltage signal outputs to each sequence segment code electrode, and SEG4 is refreshed while SEG1, SEG2, and SEG_3 remain unchanged. 4. During the refresh process of Sequence 4, CTRL1 in the sequence control signal is at a high level, and CTRL2, CTRL3, and CTRL4 are at low levels. The corresponding segment code sequence drive voltage signal outputs to each sequence segment code electrode, so SEG1 is refreshed while SEG2, SEG3, and SEG4 remain unchanged.

[0089] Note that the above is only the preferred embodiment of the present invention and the applied technical principles. Those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described here. Various obvious changes, re-adjustments, and substitutions can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, although the present invention has been described in detail through the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Without departing from the concept of the present invention, it can also include more other equivalent embodiments, and the scope of the present invention is determined by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A driving circuit for a segment code electronic paper, the segment code electronic paper comprising: N segment code electrodes; characterized in that it comprises: a gating module, a driving module and a control module; The gating module includes an input end and N output ends; the input end of the gating module is connected to the driving output end of the driving module; each output end of the gating module is correspondingly connected to the segment code electrode; The control module is configured to output a control signal to the gating module according to a refresh instruction; and output the control signal and a data signal to the driving module; the driving module is configured to output a segment code driving signal to the gating module according to the control signal and the data signal; The gating module is configured to connect the input end of the gating module to each of the output ends in a time-sharing manner according to the control signal to output the segment code driving signal to each of the segment code electrodes; and when disconnecting the input end and other output ends at different times, output a zero voltage holding signal to other segment code electrodes.

2. The driving circuit of the segment code electronic paper according to claim 1, wherein The gating module includes N gating units and N holding units; The input ends of each of the gating units are connected as the input end of the gating module; the output ends of each of the gating units are connected to each of the segment code electrodes; the control ends of each of the holding units and the control ends of each of the gating units are electrically connected to the control module; the input ends of each of the holding units are grounded; the output ends of each of the holding units are connected to each of the segment code electrodes; The control signal includes N sub-control signals output in a time-sharing manner; the segment code driving signal includes N different segment code sub-driving signals; the gating unit is configured to connect the input end and the output end of the gating unit according to the sub-control signal to output the segment code sub-driving signal to the corresponding segment code electrode; The holding unit is configured to output a zero voltage holding signal to the segment code electrode when disconnecting the connection between the input end and the output end of the gating unit.

3. The driving circuit of the segment code electronic paper according to claim 2, wherein The gating unit includes a first switch module; the holding unit includes a second switch module; The control end of the first switch module is connected to the control end of the second switch module and receives the sub-control signal; the first ends of each of the first switch modules are connected and electrically connected to the driving output end of the driving module for receiving the segment code sub-driving signal; the second end of the first switch module is connected to the first end of the second switch module and the segment code electrode; the second ends of each of the second switch modules are connected as the grounding end of the gating module and connected to the common electrode of the segment code electronic paper.

4. The driving circuit of the segment code electronic paper according to claim 2, wherein The gating unit includes a first switch module; the holding unit includes a second switch module and a level conversion module; The control end of the first switch module is connected to the first end of the level conversion module and receives the sub-control signal; the control end of the second switch module is connected to the second end of the level conversion module; The first ends of the first switch modules are connected and electrically connected to the driving output end of the driving module for receiving the segment code sub-driving signal; the second ends of the first switch modules are connected to the first ends of the second switch modules and the segment code electrodes; the second ends of the second switch modules are connected to the ground end of the gating module and connected to the common electrode of the segment code electronic paper.

5. The driving circuit of the segment code electronic paper according to claim 1, characterized in that The gating module includes a gating chip. The input end of the gating chip is electrically connected to the driving output end of the driving module; the N output ends of the gating chip are connected to the segment code electrodes; the N control ends of the gating chip are connected to the control module for receiving the control signal; the ground end of the gating chip is connected to the common electrode of the segment code electronic paper and is grounded together.

6. The driving circuit of the segment code electronic paper according to any one of claims 3 or 4, characterized in that The first switch module includes an NMOS transistor or a PMOS transistor. The second switch module includes a PMOS transistor or an NMOS transistor.

7. A refreshing method for a segmented code electronic paper, applied to the driving circuit of the segmented code electronic paper according to any one of the above claims 1-6, characterized in that, Comprising: Obtaining a target refresh image signal. Converting the target refresh image signal into a refresh sequence signal according to a preset color priority rule; wherein, the refresh sequence signal includes a sequence control signal and a sequence data signal. Outputting the sequence control signal to the gating module; and outputting the sequence control signal and the sequence data signal to the driving module to refresh the segment code electrodes in a time-sharing manner.

8. The refreshing method of the segment code electronic paper according to claim 7, wherein The preset color priority rule includes: the same color has the same priority; different colors have different priorities, and the segment code electrodes corresponding to the higher color priority are refreshed first.

9. A segment code electronic paper, characterized in that, Comprising the driving circuit of the segment code electronic paper according to any one of the above claims 1-6; further comprising: a printed circuit board, a driving substrate and a segment code screen. The driving circuit is integrated on the printed circuit board; the segment code screen includes at least N segment code electrodes; the printed circuit board is connected to the segment code screen through the driving substrate.

10. The segmented code electronic paper according to claim 9, wherein, The printed circuit board includes a common terminal GND; the common terminal GND is connected to the ground end on the gating module.

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