Display Driving Circuit Reducing Chip Area via Integrated Polarity Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional display driving circuits occupy a significant area due to the complexity and number of multiplexors and bus lines required for data latching and polarity control, increasing manufacturing costs and complexity.
Innovation Solution
A driving circuit that simultaneously performs data latching and polarity control signal (POL) storing, utilizing a reduced number of multiplexors and bus lines by employing a series to parallel converter with latches and multiplexors controlled by a polarity control signal, thereby determining output paths before latching, and incorporating a source driver with latches, level shifters, digital-analog converters, and output buffers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If conventional source driver architecture with separate data latching and polarity control circuits is used, then data transmission and display performance are maintained, but chip area and manufacturing cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the data latching function and polarity control function into a single integrated circuit block. The latches simultaneously perform both data storage and polarity signal storage, eliminating the need for separate polarity control circuits and reducing the number of multiplexors required. This merging directly addresses the technical contradiction by reducing chip area while maintaining the necessary functional complexity through clever circuit integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The latches in the patent serve multiple functions: they latch data signals for subsequent DAC conversion and simultaneously store polarity control signals for the output buffer array. This multi-functionality allows the same hardware resources to perform multiple tasks, reducing the overall device complexity and chip area while maintaining both data transmission and polarity control capabilities.
2Area of stationary object
If the number of multiplexors and bus lines is reduced to decrease chip area, then manufacturing cost decreases, but data transmission capability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by determining the output paths of pixel data signals before the latching operation. The polarity control signal is used to pre-select which path the data will take through the multiplexors, and this path selection is maintained throughout the latching process. This preliminary path determination ensures that data transmission reliability is maintained even with fewer multiplexors, as the routing decision is made in advance and held stable.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic control through the polarity control signal that alternates between high and low states. This dynamic signal controls the multiplexors to switch between different output paths, allowing the same reduced hardware configuration to handle multiple data transmission scenarios. The dynamic switching maintains data transmission capability while using fewer static hardware resources.
Data Source
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AI summary
In one aspect of the invention, a method for driving a display includes the steps of processing input image signals into pixel signals associated with the pixel matrix and grayscales of the display, generating a polarity control signal POL, and determining transmitting paths of the pixel signals according to the polarity control signal POL, and writing the pixel signals into the pixel matrix of the display along the determined transmitting paths.