Novel method for saving pins of driving chip, driving chip and liquid crystal display device

Abstract

The invention discloses a novel method for saving drive chip pins, a drive chip and a liquid crystal display device, and the method comprises the steps: embedding a configuration signal on the basis of a conventional Mini LVDS signal; the traditional Mini LVDS signal comprises a reset signal and a picture signal, the configuration signal is located between the reset signal and the picture signal, and the configuration signal is used for transmitting various control signals, so that the control signals in the Mini LVDS signal replace corresponding control signal pins led out from a driving chip; the control signal comprises a polarity selection signal used for controlling polarity switching of the liquid crystal panel; the different-polarity charge sharing mode switching signal is used for controlling the switching state of the different-polarity charge sharing mode; the same-polarity charge sharing mode switching signal is used for controlling the switching state of the same-polarity charge sharing mode; and the reserved bit signal is used for expanding the control signal corresponding to the newly added function. According to the invention, the structure of the driving chip is simplified, and the design cost is saved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of display driver technology, specifically relating to a new method for saving driver chip pins, a driver chip, and a liquid crystal display device. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous development of display technology, the application scenarios of LCD panels are becoming increasingly widespread, and their functional requirements are becoming more diversified. In the driving system of LCD panels, the driver chip, as one of the core components, is responsible for receiving and processing signals from the timing controller and converting them into voltage signals required to drive the LCD panel. However, the current driver chip architecture faces the problem of an ever-increasing number of pins. To achieve richer functions, the driver chip needs to receive various types of signals, including supply voltage, drive voltage, data signals, and a large number of control signals. These control signals cover functions such as DP_SEL (selecting Mini LVDS input mode), PWRC (output buffer power control), CS0 / 1 (selecting charge sharing mode), SEL (selecting the number of output channels), SHL (selecting forward or reverse scan mode), and DIO1 / DIO2 (configuring input or output according to SHL settings). Due to the large variety and complexity of these control signals, the number of pins in the driver chip continues to increase, the architecture becomes bloated, and the size increases accordingly, greatly increasing design and manufacturing costs.

[0003] Meanwhile, the architecture of LCD panels is constantly evolving, with different manufacturers developing various new panel architectures to meet diverse market demands. To improve compatibility, driver chip manufacturers have had to pull out a large number of control signals from the driver chip's pins and configure them through peripheral circuits on a printed circuit board (PCB) to adapt to different panel architectures. This approach not only makes the driver chip design more complex but also increases the difficulty and cost of PCB circuit design. For example, an existing driver chip... Figure 1 As shown, the definitions of the corresponding signal pins are as follows: Figure 2 As shown, excluding the data signal pins, there are over 60 other functional pins to accommodate different scanning methods, polarities, driving methods, driving capabilities, etc. Figures 3(a) to 3(b) The illustration shows compatibility with four different Mini LVDS input modes, which makes the driver chip architecture increasingly bloated, limiting its adoption in miniaturized and low-cost applications. Furthermore, traditional hardware configuration methods present numerous inconveniences during debugging; any modification to control signals requires adjusting peripheral circuitry through soldering, significantly reducing development efficiency and extending product verification cycles.

[0004] Therefore, how to effectively reduce the number of pins in the driver chip, simplify the PCB circuit design, reduce the overall cost, and improve the convenience of the debugging process while ensuring rich functionality and compatibility has become a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved in the current display driver technology field. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the aforementioned problems in the prior art, this invention provides a novel method for saving driver chip pins, a driver chip, and a liquid crystal display device. The technical problem to be solved by this invention is achieved through the following technical solution: In a first aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide a novel method for saving driver chip pins. Based on a traditional Mini LVDS signal, a configuration signal is embedded to form a new Mini LVDS signal. The traditional Mini LVDS signal includes a reset signal and a screen signal. The configuration signal is located between the reset signal and the screen signal and is used to transmit various control signals. By replacing the corresponding control signal pins derived from the driver chip with the control signals in the new Mini LVDS signal, the purpose of saving driver chip pins is achieved. The control signals include a polarity selection signal, a different polarity charge sharing mode switch signal, a same polarity charge sharing mode switch signal, and a reserved position signal; the polarity selection signal is used to control the switching of the polarity of the LCD panel; the different polarity charge sharing mode switch signal is used to control the switching state of different polarity charge sharing modes; the same polarity charge sharing mode switch signal is used to control the switching state of the same polarity charge sharing mode; the reserved position signal is used to expand the control signals corresponding to the new function.

[0006] In one embodiment of the present invention, the control signal in the new Mini LVDS signal adopts a single-edge sampling method, and the picture signal in the new Mini LVDS signal adopts a dual-edge sampling method, so as to optimize the transmission performance of the control signal and the picture signal.

[0007] In one embodiment of the present invention, the control signal is identified by the rising edge of the clock signal during single-edge sampling; the image signal is identified by the rising edge and falling edge of the clock signal during dual-edge sampling.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present invention, the reserved position signal includes a scanning direction selection signal for controlling forward or reverse scanning mode.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, the reserved bit signal includes an output buffer power control signal for controlling the output buffer power mode.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, the state of various control signals in the new Mini LVDS signal is modified in real time by software, instead of the traditional method of modifying the driver chip pins by soldering with a soldering iron to obtain the required control signals.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, bit fields are allocated to various control signals in the new Mini LVDS signal through a bit field allocation method, and the functions of the corresponding control signals are realized by modifying the values ​​of the corresponding bit fields in real time through software.

[0012] Secondly, embodiments of the present invention provide a driver chip designed using any of the new pin-saving methods described in the first aspect.

[0013] Thirdly, embodiments of the present invention provide a liquid crystal display device, the liquid crystal display device including the driving chip described in the second aspect.

[0014] The beneficial effects of this invention are: This invention proposes a novel method for saving driver chip pins, solving the problems of excessive driver chip pin count, complex PCB circuit design, and low debugging efficiency in existing technologies. It redesigns the Mini LVDS signal format by embedding configuration signals into the traditional Mini LVDS signal to transmit control signals, replacing the control signal pins that originally needed to be pulled from the driver chip. This invention significantly reduces the number of driver chip pins, simplifies PCB circuit design, and lowers hardware design costs. Furthermore, this design allows for real-time modification of control signals via software to achieve functional configuration without relying on hardware soldering or circuit modifications, greatly improving debugging convenience, shortening the development cycle, and enhancing the functional flexibility, scalability, and compatibility of the driver chip. It significantly reduces the design complexity and cost of driver chips, providing crucial support for the development of display driver technology.

[0015] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an existing driver chip; Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The diagram shows the signal pin definitions for the driver chip. Figures 3(a)~3(b) yes Figure 1 The diagram shows the four different Mini LVDS input modes compatible with the driver chip. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a traditional Mini LVDS signal. Figure 5This is a schematic diagram of a new Mini LVDS signal format provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the functional definition of the polarity selection signal provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the functional definition of the same polarity charge sharing mode switching signal provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the functional definition of switching signals for different polarity charge sharing modes provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the functional definition of the scanning direction selection signal provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the functional definition of the output buffer power control signal provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the conventional method of sampling image signals using only dual-edge sampling, as provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the sampling of control signals and image signals using a single-edge and dual-edge combined sampling method provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the front-end TCON IC automatically adjusting the CS_SP switch provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the signal pin definitions corresponding to the driver chip designed using the method proposed in this invention; Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of a driver chip designed using the method proposed in this invention. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments, but the implementation of the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0018] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide a novel method for saving driver chip pins. Based on a traditional Mini LVDS signal, a configuration signal is embedded to form a new Mini LVDS signal. The traditional Mini LVDS signal includes a reset signal and a screen signal. The configuration signal is located between the reset signal and the screen signal and is used to transmit various control signals. The new Mini LVDS signal replaces the corresponding control signal pins derived from the driver chip with the control signals, thereby saving driver chip pins. The control signals include a polarity selection signal, a different polarity charge sharing mode switch signal, a same polarity charge sharing mode switch signal, and a reserved bit signal. The polarity selection signal is used to switch the polarity of the LCD panel. The different polarity charge sharing mode switch signal is used to control the switching state of different polarity charge sharing modes. The same polarity charge sharing mode switch signal is used to control the switching state of the same polarity charge sharing mode. The reserved bit signal serves as a reserved signal bit for the expansion of control signals corresponding to new functions.

[0019] In traditional display driver technology, the design of driver chips requires reserving a large number of pins for various functional signals. These functional signals include, but are not limited to, control signals such as POL, CS0 / 1, SEL, SHL, and DIO1 / DIO2. The introduction of these control signals leads to a significant increase in the number of pins on the driver chip, which not only increases the design complexity but also raises the design cost. Furthermore, all control signals need to be pulled out from the pins of the driver chip and set in hardware on the PCB. This not only makes the driver chip pins and related circuits complex but also makes debugging very inconvenient. Modifying any control signal requires soldering and modifying the hardware circuit.

[0020] Based on the above problems, the inventors proposed a novel form of Mini LVDS signal, redesigning the Mini LVDS signal to reduce the number of PINs on the driver chip. Specifically: Traditional Mini LVDS signal formats, such as Figure 4 As shown, it only includes the reset signal RST and the screen signal DATA. The RST signal is used for reset operation, and the DATA signal is used to transmit the screen signal. However, this traditional Mini LVDS signal structure cannot meet the diverse needs of modern LCD panel architectures. For example, modifying the charge-sharing mode is very difficult; it can only be set on the PCB by pulling high and low through hardware pins (CS0, CS1). This is not only inconvenient to modify, but also has very limited compatibility. Therefore, this method of compatibility design through hardware circuitry leads to problems such as inconvenient debugging and extended development cycles. Figure 5As shown, this invention innovatively solves the above problems by embedding a configuration signal (Config) into the traditional Mini LVDS signal. Specifically, this invention embeds a Config signal between the RST signal and the DATA signal. This Config signal is used to transmit various control signals. The introduction of the Config signal allows control signals that originally needed to be pulled from the PIN of the driver chip to be fully implemented through software configuration. This design eliminates the need for the driver chip to separately bring out control signals to their corresponding PINs, thereby significantly reducing the number of PINs on the driver chip.

[0021] The Config signal in this embodiment of the invention includes multiple subfields, each used to transmit different control signals. These control signals include a polarity selection signal POL, a switch signal CS_DP for different polarity charge sharing modes, a switch signal CS_SP for the same polarity charge sharing mode, and a reserved bit signal CMD. The embedding method of these control signals ensures that the original number of pins in the driver chip is reduced without significantly increasing the signal bandwidth. Specifically, the POL signal controls the switching of the LCD panel polarity, the CS_SP signal controls the switching state of the same polarity charge sharing mode, the CS_DP signal controls the switching state of different polarity charge sharing modes, and the CMD signal, as a reserved signal field, can be flexibly expanded to support more new functional requirements. For example, the CMD signal includes a scan direction selection signal SHL or an output buffer power control signal POWERmode. The SHL signal is used to select forward or reverse scan mode, and the output buffer power control signal is used to control the output buffer power mode. It also provides flexibility for future additions of functions, facilitating support for more LCD panel architectures and functional modes, and adapting to different application scenarios. All control signals embedded in the Mini LVDS signal can be modified in real time via software, and the function configuration can be completed without relying on hardware circuit modifications.

[0022] This invention proposes a novel method for saving driver chip pins, solving the problems of excessive driver chip pin count, complex PCB circuit design, and low debugging efficiency in existing technologies. It redesigns the Mini LVDS signal format by embedding configuration signals into the traditional Mini LVDS signal to transmit control signals, replacing the control signal pins that originally needed to be pulled from the driver chip. This invention significantly reduces the number of driver chip pins, simplifies PCB circuit design, and lowers hardware design costs. Furthermore, this design allows for real-time modification of control signals via software to achieve functional configuration without relying on hardware soldering or circuit modifications, greatly improving debugging convenience, shortening the development cycle, and enhancing the driver chip's functional flexibility, scalability, and compatibility. It significantly reduces the design complexity and cost of driver chips, not only meeting the needs of LCD panel technology development but also providing more flexible support for future display driver technology development.

[0023] Furthermore, this embodiment of the invention modifies the state of various control signals in the new Mini LVDS signal in real time via software, replacing the traditional method of modifying the driver chip pins by soldering. Specifically, bit fields are allocated to various control signals in the new Mini LVDS signal through bit field allocation, and the corresponding control signal functions are implemented by modifying the values ​​of the corresponding bit fields in real time via software. More specifically, the allocation of SID bits is used to achieve flexible configuration of the Config signal. Figure 6 As shown, SID bits [648:653] are used to control the POL function. Their specific function definition can achieve real-time switching of the LCD panel polarity through different bit widths. For example, by transmitting a 2-bit POL signal, four polarity modes of the LCD panel can be switched: positive polarity, negative polarity, alternating polarity, and fixed polarity. Figure 7 As shown, SIDbit[0:640] contains 641 CS_SP switches, used to control the CS_SP switch states. Software configuration allows for switching control of the LCD panel in the same polarity charge-sharing mode. Similarly, as... Figure 8 As shown, SID bits [654:659], a total of 6 CS_DP switches, are used to control the CS_DP switch state. This signal can be configured via software to switch the LCD panel between different polarity charge sharing modes. Furthermore, as... Figure 9 As shown, SID bit

[660] is used to control the forward or reverse scan mode, while SID bits [661:663] are used to control the output buffer power mode, such as... Figure 10 As shown. This bit allocation method ensures that all control signals can be modified in real time via software, avoiding traditional hardware soldering methods, significantly simplifying the debugging process and improving development efficiency.

[0024] To ensure signal transmission stability and speed, this invention employs a combined single-edge and dual-edge sampling design. In the new Mini LVDS signal, control signals are sampled using a single-edge sampling method, while video signals are sampled using a dual-edge sampling method. Specifically, in single-edge sampling, the rising edge of the clock signal is used to identify the control signal; in dual-edge sampling, the rising and falling edges of the clock signal are used to identify the video signal. For critical control signals, such as CS_SP and CS_DP, single-edge sampling is used, identifying the control signal via the rising edge of the clock signal to ensure accurate and stable signal transmission. For video signals, dual-edge sampling continues to be used, identifying the data signal via the rising and falling edges of the clock signal to maintain the overall transmission rate. This combined single-edge and dual-edge sampling design improves the reliability of critical control signals without affecting the efficient transmission of video signals. More specifically: Traditional MINI LVDS signals use a dual-edge sampling method during transmission, such as... Figure 11 As shown, identifying the corresponding image signal at the rising and falling edges of the clock, while increasing the transmission rate of the image signal, also reduces transmission stability and accuracy. Therefore, this invention proposes a combined single and dual sampling design in the new MINI LVDS signal, as follows: Figure 12 As shown, single-edge sampling is used for important control signals, which improves the stability and accuracy of control signal transmission. For video signals, dual-edge sampling is still used. In this way, the overall video signal transmission rate is not affected, and the stability of important control signals is improved.

[0025] The advantages of real-time modification of the software in this invention are not limited to the debugging stage; they also apply to certain special screen conditions during normal display, such as... Figure 13 As shown, the front-end TCON IC (Timing Controller Integrated Circuit) can automatically switch the CS_SP switch by recognizing the screen content. By enabling adjacent data lines to share charge under specific conditions, it optimizes the grayscale voltage switching speed, thereby reducing power consumption in special scenes. This design not only improves signal transmission efficiency but also enhances the system's adaptability.

[0026] In practical applications, the technical solution of the present invention is achieved through the following steps.

[0027] S1: Embed the Config signal within the traditional Mini LVDS signal to transmit various control signals. Specifically, the Config signal is embedded between the RST and DATA signals, and its content includes the POL, CS_DP, CS_SP, and CMD signals.

[0028] S2: Defines the specific functional allocation of the SID bit to achieve software adjustability of the control signal. For example, SID bit [648:653] is used to control the POL function, SID bit [654:659] is used to control the CS_DP switch state, SID bit [0:640] is used to control the CS_SP switch state, SID bit

[660] is used to control the forward or reverse scan mode, and SID bit [661:663] is used to control the output buffer power mode.

[0029] S3: The number of pins in the driver chip is reduced, retaining only the necessary power supply voltage signals and data signals. The simplified driver chip pin structure is as follows: Figure 14As shown, the number of pins in this driver chip has been reduced from more than 60 to more than 40, only retaining power supply voltage signals such as AVDD, AGND, DVDD, DGND, and hAVDD, as well as data signals such as D0P / D0N to D5P / D5N. Figure 14 The pins highlighted in the middle frame are the pins that can be reduced through the new Mini LVDS signal.

[0030] S4: The CMD signal is used to expand the control signals corresponding to the new functions, thereby enhancing the system's functional expandability.

[0031] S5: Control signals can be modified in real time via software, avoiding the need for hardware soldering. For example, the polarity of the LCD panel can be switched in real time using a 2-bit wide POL signal, eliminating the need for soldering and modifying the PCB circuit as in traditional methods.

[0032] The advantages of this invention become even more apparent during the debugging process. For example, when the polarity of the LCD panel needs to be adjusted, it can be achieved simply by modifying the SID bit [648:653] in software, without the need for soldering and modifying the PCB circuit as in the traditional method. Similarly, when the power mode of the output buffer needs to be adjusted, it can be done simply by modifying the SID bit [661:663] in software. This software-adjustable control signal configuration method makes the verification and debugging process of software development more convenient, not only simplifying the debugging process but also significantly shortening the development cycle. In addition, due to the significant reduction in the number of pins of the driver chip, the PCB circuit design becomes simpler, thereby reducing PCB costs.

[0033] This invention proposes a novel method for saving driver chip pins. By redesigning the Mini LVDS signal format, it solves the problems of excessive pin count, inconvenient debugging, and insufficient signal transmission stability in traditional driver chip structures. By embedding configuration signals into the Mini LVDS signal, the control signal pins that originally needed to be derived from the driver chip are replaced, achieving a significant reduction in the number of pins. Simultaneously, the use of a combined single and dual sampling design improves signal transmission stability and speed. The method of real-time software modification of the control signals in the new Mini LVDS signal simplifies the debugging process and shortens the development cycle. Furthermore, the new Mini LVDS signal allows the driver chip structure to retain only the necessary signals, simplifying driver chip design and reducing costs. The design method proposed in this invention is compatible with various modes, has broad application prospects, can meet the needs of diverse LCD panel architectures, and promote the development of display driving technology.

[0034] It should be noted that since the Mini LVDS signal format has been redesigned, it is conceivable that the front-end and back-end would need to be designed accordingly to adapt to the new Mini LVDS signal. These details are not elaborated here; the focus is on how to reduce the number of PINs in the driver chip by utilizing the redesigned Mini LVDS signal.

[0035] Secondly, embodiments of the present invention provide a driver chip designed using any of the new pin-saving methods described in the first aspect. By using a new MINILVDS signal to transmit control signals, the original control signal pins that the driver chip needed to pull out are replaced, greatly simplifying the driver chip structure. Figure 15 As shown, compared to Figure 1 The existing driver chip structure shown is bloated and complex. The simplified driver chip only needs various power supply voltage signals and data signals. The connection relationship between each module is clear and explicit. Redundant control signal pins and related circuits have been removed, which simplifies the driver chip structure, reduces design complexity, and saves design costs. Thirdly, embodiments of the present invention provide a liquid crystal display device, which includes the driving chip described in the second aspect. Applying the driving chip from the second aspect to the liquid crystal display device further simplifies the structure of the liquid crystal display device and saves design costs.

[0036] The first and second aspects of the embodiments are basically similar to the first aspect of the embodiments, so the description is relatively simple. For relevant details, please refer to the description of the first aspect of the embodiments.

[0037] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0038] Although the invention has been described herein in conjunction with various embodiments, those skilled in the art, by reviewing the specification and accompanying drawings, will understand and implement other variations of the disclosed embodiments in carrying out the claimed invention. In the specification, the word "comprising" does not exclude other components or steps, and "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. While certain measures are described in different embodiments, this does not mean that these measures cannot be combined to produce good results.

[0039] The above description, in conjunction with specific preferred embodiments, provides a further detailed explanation of the present invention. It should not be construed that the specific implementation of the present invention is limited to these descriptions. For those skilled in the art, various simple deductions or substitutions can be made without departing from the concept of the present invention, and all such modifications and substitutions should be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A novel method for saving driver chip pins, characterized in that, A new Mini LVDS signal is formed by embedding a configuration signal on the basis of the traditional Mini LVDS signal. The traditional Mini LVDS signal includes a reset signal and a picture signal; the configuration signal is located between the reset signal and the picture signal. This configuration signal is used to transmit various control signals, so that the corresponding control signal pins derived from the driver chip are replaced by the control signals in the new Mini LVDS signal, thereby saving driver chip pins. The control signals include a polarity selection signal, a different polarity charge sharing mode switch signal, a same polarity charge sharing mode switch signal, and a reserved position signal; the polarity selection signal is used to control the switching of the polarity of the LCD panel; the different polarity charge sharing mode switch signal is used to control the switching state of different polarity charge sharing modes; the same polarity charge sharing mode switch signal is used to control the switching state of the same polarity charge sharing mode; the reserved position signal is used to expand the control signals corresponding to the new function.

2. The novel method for saving driver chip pins according to claim 1, characterized in that, The new Mini LVDS signal uses single-edge sampling for control signals and dual-edge sampling for video signals to optimize the transmission performance of both signals.

3. The new method for saving driver chip pins according to claim 2, characterized in that, In single-edge sampling, the control signal is identified by the rising edge of the clock signal; in dual-edge sampling, the image signal is identified by the rising and falling edges of the clock signal, respectively.

4. The new method for saving driver chip pins according to claim 1, characterized in that, The reserved position signal includes a scanning direction selection signal, which is used to control the forward or reverse scanning mode.

5. The novel method for saving driver chip pins according to claim 1, characterized in that, The reserved bit signal includes an output buffer power control signal, which is used to control the output buffer power mode.

6. The novel method for saving driver chip pins according to claim 1, characterized in that, The software modifies the state of various control signals in the new Mini LVDS signal in real time, replacing the traditional method of modifying the driver chip pins by soldering.

7. The novel method for saving driver chip pins according to claim 1, characterized in that, By using a bit-field allocation method, bit fields are assigned to various control signals in the new Mini LVDS signal, and the corresponding control signal functions are realized by modifying the values ​​of the corresponding bit fields in real time through software.

8. A driver chip, characterized in that, The driver chip is designed using the new method for saving driver chip pins as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. A liquid crystal display device, characterized in that, The liquid crystal display device includes the driving chip as described in claim 8.

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