Low-power-consumption liquid crystal display panel for intelligent hygrothermograph

Abstract

The invention discloses a low-power-consumption liquid crystal display panel for an intelligent hygrothermograph, and belongs to the technical field of liquid crystal display. The display panel comprises a rear glass substrate and a front glass substrate which are oppositely arranged, and a liquid crystal layer clamped between the rear glass substrate and the front glass substrate. A segment electrode layer is arranged on the inner side of the rear glass substrate, and each display unit is physically divided into a shell pen segment and an inner core pen segment which are insulated from each other; a common electrode layer is arranged on the inner side of the front glass substrate and comprises a shell common electrode network and an inner core common electrode network which cover all the shell pen sections and all the inner core pen sections respectively. By connecting the shell and the inner core pen sections corresponding in position in the same display unit to the same section of driving terminal and matching with a common driving signal for time division multiplexing, independent control on the thickness of the displayed characters and the hollow and solid state is realized. Visual gaps between the stroke segments are eliminated through a comb-tooth-shaped meshing structure, the display effect is remarkably improved on the premise that the number of driving pins is not increased, and power consumption is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of liquid crystal display technology, and in particular to a low-power liquid crystal display panel for use in intelligent thermometers and hygrometers. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing popularity of smart home devices, electronic thermometers and hygrometers, as common household monitoring devices, face higher demands on display quality and power consumption. Traditional segment LCDs are widely used due to their low cost and low power consumption.

[0003] In existing technologies, each display segment of a segment LCD screen (e.g., one of the seven segments in the number "8") typically consists of a continuous conductive area. When it is necessary to change the thickness of the displayed font (e.g., switching between high-contrast mode and power-saving mode) or the display style (e.g., switching between solid and hollow fonts), the traditional solution is usually to add additional segments or use a dot-matrix LCD screen. However, adding additional segments significantly increases the number of pins (SEG / COM pins) on the driver chip, leading to increased chip cost and complex circuit board routing; while using a dot-matrix LCD screen will significantly increase power consumption, which is detrimental to the long-term battery life of battery-powered devices.

[0004] Therefore, achieving diversified control of segment LCD display effects without significantly increasing the number of driver pins and power consumption is a problem that needs to be solved in the current technical field. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a low-power liquid crystal display panel for intelligent temperature and humidity meters, which aims to solve the problem that existing segment LCD displays cannot flexibly switch between font thickness and hollow / solid states without adding driving pins.

[0006] The above-mentioned technical objective of the present invention is achieved through the following technical solution: a low-power liquid crystal display panel for a smart temperature and humidity meter, comprising a rear polarizer, a rear glass substrate, a liquid crystal layer, a front glass substrate, and a front polarizer stacked together. A segment electrode layer is provided on the side surface of the rear glass substrate facing the liquid crystal layer, and a common electrode layer is provided on the side surface of the front glass substrate facing the liquid crystal layer. The segment electrode layer contains several display units, each of which is divided into an outer shell segment and an inner core segment that are insulated from each other. The common electrode layer comprises a mutually insulated outer shell common electrode network and an inner core common electrode network; The outer shell common electrode network spatially covers all the outer shell segments, and the inner core common electrode network spatially covers all the inner core segments.

[0007] Furthermore, the outer shell pen segment and the inner core pen segment, which are located within the same display unit and are corresponding in position, are electrically connected and are led out to the same segment drive terminal. All areas of the outer shell common electrode network are electrically connected and led out to the second common drive terminal, and all areas of the inner core common electrode network are electrically connected and led out to the first common drive terminal.

[0008] Furthermore, the junction between the inner edge of the outer shell segment and the outer edge of the inner core segment is feathered to eliminate visual gaps.

[0009] Furthermore, the feathering process is achieved through a comb-like meshing structure, where the inner edge of the outer shell segment and the outer edge of the inner core segment are both comb-like, and they mesh complementarily with each other while having an insulating gap between them.

[0010] Furthermore, the liquid crystal display panel also includes a reflective film, which is disposed on the side of the rear polarizer facing away from the liquid crystal layer.

[0011] Furthermore, the liquid crystal display panel also includes protective glass, which is disposed on the side of the front polarizer facing away from the liquid crystal layer.

[0012] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: 1. This invention achieves physical layering of the displayed content by physically dividing a single display unit into an outer shell segment and an inner core segment, and by using a grouped network design for a common electrode layer. This structure allows the driving circuit to independently control the on / off state of the inner core and the outer shell through the selection signal of the common electrode, thereby realizing the functions of adjusting font thickness and switching between hollow and solid fonts without changing the basic architecture of the external driving chip.

[0013] 2. This invention connects the outer shell segment and the inner core segment at the same location to the same segment driver terminal and uses time-division multiplexing of the common electrode for control. This design eliminates the need for separate segment driver pins for the outer shell and the inner core. Compared to a completely independent control scheme, this design reduces the number of segment driver pins (SEG) by half, significantly reducing the pin requirements of the driver chip and helping to reduce driver chip cost and circuit board wiring complexity.

[0014] 3. This invention employs a comb-like interlocking structure at the junction of the outer shell segment and the inner core segment to feather the design, utilizing the visual integral effect of the human eye. This effectively improves the visual seam problem that may occur when two independent segments are lit simultaneously. This structure allows the inner core and outer shell to visually merge into a continuous and full whole, eliminating the visible insulating black lines and improving the visual consistency and aesthetics of the display panel.

[0015] 4. This invention, through the grouping design of the common electrode network, allows for the direct cutting off or shielding of the drive signals of the common electrode network of the display casing when the display casing is not needed (e.g., in power-saving mode or fine font mode). In this case, the liquid crystal capacitors in the casing do not participate in the charging and discharging process, thereby reducing the dynamic power consumption of the display panel at the hardware physical level and extending the battery life of battery-powered devices such as thermometers and hygrometers. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is an exploded side view of a low-power liquid crystal display panel for a smart thermometer and hygrometer according to the present invention. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the planar structure of the segment electrode layer disposed on the rear glass substrate in this invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the circuit connection principle of the middle section electrode layer of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the planar structure of the common electrode layer disposed on the front glass substrate in this invention. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the circuit connection principle of the common electrode layer in this invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the comb-like meshing structure at the junction of the inner core pen segment and the outer shell pen segment in this invention; Figure 7 for Figure 6 A magnified schematic diagram of the structure at point A in the middle.

[0017] In the figure: 1. Reflective film; 2. Rear polarizer; 3. Rear glass substrate; 301. Segment electrode layer; 3011. Outer shell segment; 3012. Inner core segment; 4. Liquid crystal layer; 5. Front glass substrate; 501. Common electrode layer; 5011. Outer shell common electrode network; 5012. Inner core common electrode network; 6. Front polarizer; 7. Protective glass; SEG1-SEG7. Segment drive terminals; COM1. First common drive terminal; COM2. Second common drive terminal; A. Partial magnified area. Detailed Implementation

[0018] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0019] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0020] Furthermore, 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 technical features indicated. Thus, 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.

[0021] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0022] like Figures 1 to 7 As shown, this invention provides a low-power liquid crystal display panel for a smart thermo-hygrometer. The physical stack-up structure of the display panel is as follows: Figure 1As shown, from bottom to top, the structure includes a reflective film 1, a rear polarizer 2, a rear glass substrate 3, a liquid crystal layer 4, a front glass substrate 5, a front polarizer 6, and a protective glass 7. The working principle of the above components is as follows: The reflective film 1 is located at the bottom of the stacked structure. Its function is to reflect the ambient light incident on the display panel back, using ambient light as the light source, eliminating the need for an additional backlight module and meeting the design requirements of low power consumption; the rear polarizer 2 and the front polarizer 6 are respectively attached to the outer surfaces of the rear glass substrate 3 and the front glass substrate 5, and their polarization axis angles are matched (usually 90 degrees orthogonal or at a specific angle); the rear glass substrate 3 and the front glass substrate 5 are arranged in parallel, together forming the supporting skeleton of the liquid crystal cell, used to encapsulate the liquid crystal layer 4 and support the inner transparent conductive layer; the liquid crystal layer 4 fills the space between the two glass substrates, acting as a light valve to regulate the polarization state of the light. During operation, natural light passes through the front polarizer 6 and becomes linearly polarized light, entering the liquid crystal layer 4. If no effective voltage is applied between the electrodes, the twisted arrangement of the liquid crystal molecules will rotate the polarization direction of the light, allowing it to pass smoothly through the rear polarizer 2 and be reflected by the reflective film 1, eventually passing through the front polarizer 6 again to appear in a bright state (usually the background color). If an effective voltage is applied, the liquid crystal molecules align along the direction of the electric field, the polarization direction of the light does not change, and it is blocked or absorbed by the rear polarizer 2, appearing in a dark state (i.e., displaying content). The protective glass 7 is located on the outermost layer to protect the delicate internal optical components from mechanical damage.

[0023] like Figure 1 Combination Figure 2 As shown, a first transparent conductive layer, namely the segment electrode layer 301, is fabricated on the inner surface of the rear glass substrate 3 facing the liquid crystal layer 4 using magnetron sputtering and photolithography. The segment electrode layer 301 is not a traditional continuous block structure, but rather it precisely divides each display unit (e.g., an "8" character) into two mutually insulated parts in physical space: an outer shell segment 3011 and an inner core segment 3012. The outer shell segment 3011 surrounds the inner core segment 3012 in a frame-like manner, with a physical gap between them, and they are not electrically connected.

[0024] like Figure 1 Combination Figure 4 As shown, a second transparent conductive layer, namely a common electrode layer 501, is formed on the inner surface of the front glass substrate 5 facing the liquid crystal layer 4. The common electrode layer 501 is not entirely conductive; instead, it is etched into two sets of mutually insulated conductive networks: an outer shell common electrode network 5011 and an inner core common electrode network 5012. The outer shell common electrode network 5011 precisely covers all outer shell segments 3011 in the vertical projection direction, and the inner core common electrode network 5012 precisely covers all inner core segments 3012 in the vertical projection direction. These two sets of networks are spatially nested but electrically completely isolated by insulating gaps.

[0025] The circuit connection relationship is as follows Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown. On the segment electrode layer 301 (rear substrate) side, for the same display stroke position (e.g., the upper right vertical stroke of the number "8"), the corresponding outer shell segment 3011 and inner core segment 3012 are connected together in the non-display area through transparent conductive leads and jointly led out to the same segment driving terminal (e.g., SEG1). This means that one segment pin (SEG) of the external driving chip simultaneously controls the inner core and outer shell at that position. On the common electrode layer 501 (front substrate) side, all the inner core common electrode networks 5012 are connected in series through wires and led out to the first common driving terminal COM1; all the outer shell common electrode networks 5011 are connected in series through wires and led out to the second common driving terminal COM2.

[0026] To optimize the display effect and eliminate the visual disjointedness caused by the physical gap between the inner core and the outer shell, this embodiment adopts the following... Figure 6 and Figure 7 The micro-optimized structure is shown. At the junction of the inner edge of the outer shell segment 3011 and the outer edge of the inner core segment 3012, instead of straight lines, a comb-like interlocking structure is designed. The outer shell segment 3011 extends inward with several micrometer-level fine teeth, and the inner core segment 3012 also extends outward with corresponding fine teeth. These teeth complement and interweave while maintaining a tiny insulating gap (e.g., 10-30 micrometers). When the LCD screen is working, light diffracts and mixes between these tiny interlocking comb teeth. Utilizing the visual integration effect of the human eye, the originally obvious gap lines become invisible, achieving a natural visual fusion of the inner core and outer shell (i.e., a feathering effect).

[0027] The display panel in this embodiment operates using a 1 / 2 Duty or similar dynamic scanning drive mode, achieving independent control of the inner core and outer shell through time-division multiplexing technology. The driving chip (MCU or dedicated LCD driver) periodically applies scanning voltage to COM1 and COM2 at a specific refresh rate (e.g., 60Hz) and synchronously changes the data voltage of the SEG terminal.

[0028] The following uses the display of the number "1" as an example to explain in detail the working principle of three different display modes. Assume that the number "1" is composed of the upper right and lower right strokes of the display unit, and the segment drive terminals corresponding to these two positions are SEG2 and SEG3, respectively.

[0029] The first mode is the high-brightness solid font mode (or bold font mode), typically used in scenarios with strong light or where emphasis on the reading is needed. In this mode, the driving timing is divided into two stages. In the first stage (T1), the driver chip selects COM1 (applies a gating voltage) while simultaneously setting COM2 to a non-selected level. At this time, to display "1", the chip outputs an effective driving voltage (ON signal) to SEG2 and SEG3. Because COM1 is on, an effective electric field is formed between the inner core segment 3012 and its underlying common electrode network 5012, causing the liquid crystal molecules to deflect and the inner core to display. In the second stage (T2), the driver chip selects COM2 and turns off COM1. At this time, the chip continues to output an effective driving voltage (ON signal) to SEG2 and SEG3. Because COM2 is on, an effective electric field is formed between the outer shell segment 3011 and its underlying common electrode network 5011, causing the outer shell to display. Due to the extremely fast switching speed between T1 and T2 (milliseconds), the human eye, utilizing the persistence of vision, sees both the inner core and the outer shell lit up simultaneously, presenting a bold, full solid number "1".

[0030] The second mode is the energy-saving thin-segment mode, suitable for scenarios with low battery power or low power consumption at night. In this mode, in the first stage (T1), the driver chip selects COM1 and outputs effective driving voltage to SEG2 and SEG3, at which time the inner segment 3012 displays normally. In the second stage (T2), the driver chip selects COM2, but at this time the chip software logic controls SEG2 and SEG3 to output invalid voltage (OFF signal), or directly sets the SEG signal to be in phase with COM2. Therefore, there is no effective voltage difference across the outer segment 3011, and no display occurs. The human eye ultimately only sees the thin line of the inner number "1". In this mode, because the liquid crystal capacitor in the outer shell does not undergo effective charging and discharging in the T2 stage, or the driver circuit directly shields the scanning of COM2, the overall dynamic power consumption of the display panel is significantly reduced.

[0031] The third mode is the hollow font mode, used for special UI interaction prompts or selection status indications. In this mode, in the first stage (T1), the driver chip selects COM1 but outputs an invalid voltage (OFF signal) to SEG2 and SEG3, and the inner core does not display. In the second stage (T2), the driver chip selects COM2 and outputs an valid drive voltage (ON signal) to SEG2 and SEG3, and the outer casing displays. What the human eye ultimately sees is a hollow number "1" composed of the outer frame outline.

[0032] The table below summarizes the driving logic states for the number "1" (associated with SEG2 and SEG3) under the three modes described above:

[0033] Through the above implementation methods, the present invention, without increasing the number of SEG pins (still 7 SEG pins controlling one 8-digit), can achieve a wide variety of display effects and power management functions simply by splitting the COM electrode into two paths, thus solving the technical problem that the existing segment code screen has a single display form and cannot save power at the hardware level.

[0034] This specific embodiment is merely an explanation of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. After reading this specification, those skilled in the art can make modifications to this embodiment without contributing any inventive step, but such modifications are protected by patent law as long as they are within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A low-power liquid crystal display panel for a smart thermometer and hygrometer, characterized in that, It includes a rear polarizer (2), a rear glass substrate (3), a liquid crystal layer (4), a front glass substrate (5), and a front polarizer (6) stacked together. A segment electrode layer (301) is provided on the side surface of the rear glass substrate (3) facing the liquid crystal layer (4), and a common electrode layer (501) is provided on the side surface of the front glass substrate (5) facing the liquid crystal layer (4). The segment electrode layer (301) includes a plurality of display units, each display unit being divided into an outer shell pen segment (3011) and an inner core pen segment (3012) that are insulated from each other. The common electrode layer (501) includes a shell common electrode network (5011) and an inner core common electrode network (5012) that are mutually insulated. The outer shell common electrode network (5011) spatially covers all the outer shell segments (3011), and the inner core common electrode network (5012) spatially covers all the inner core segments (3012).

2. The low-power liquid crystal display panel for a smart thermometer and hygrometer as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The outer shell segment (3011) and the inner core segment (3012) within the same display unit and corresponding in position are electrically connected and are led out to the same segment drive terminal. All areas of the outer shell common electrode network (5011) are electrically connected and led out to the second common drive terminal, and all areas of the inner core common electrode network (5012) are electrically connected and led out to the first common drive terminal.

3. The low-power liquid crystal display panel for a smart thermometer and hygrometer as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The junction between the inner edge of the outer shell segment (3011) and the outer edge of the inner core segment (3012) is feathered to eliminate visual gaps.

4. The low-power liquid crystal display panel for a smart thermometer and hygrometer as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The feathering process is achieved through a comb-like meshing structure. The inner edge of the outer shell segment (3011) and the outer edge of the inner core segment (3012) are both comb-like, and they mesh complement each other with an insulating gap between them.

5. The low-power liquid crystal display panel for a smart thermometer and hygrometer as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The liquid crystal display panel also includes a reflective film (1), which is disposed on the side of the rear polarizer (2) facing away from the liquid crystal layer (4).

6. The low-power liquid crystal display panel for a smart thermometer and hygrometer as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The liquid crystal display panel also includes a protective glass (7), which is disposed on the side of the front polarizer (6) facing away from the liquid crystal layer (4).

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