Foldable Display Back Gate Signal Segmentation for Power Reduction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Foldable display apparatuses consume power even when inactive areas are not displaying images, leading to inefficiency and increased energy usage.
Innovation Solution
A display apparatus with independent back gate signals for each display area, where the gate driver, data driver, and emission driver do not output signals to inactive areas, and a supplementary buffer is used to maintain black data output, reducing power consumption by controlling pixel current and adjusting back gate signals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If a single back gate signal is applied to all display areas, then the device complexity is reduced, but the power consumption cannot be optimized for inactive areas
Solution Approach 1:
The back gate signal applying lines are segmented into multiple independent lines (first back gate signal applying line, second back gate signal applying line, etc.), each corresponding to a specific display area. This allows independent control of back gate signals for active and inactive display areas, enabling power optimization by applying different signal levels to different regions without requiring a completely new signal distribution architecture.
2Use of energy by moving object
If driving signals are continuously output to inactive areas, then the display uniformity is maintained, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Different back gate signal levels are applied to different display areas based on their active or inactive state. Active display areas receive normal back gate signals to maintain proper pixel operation and image quality, while inactive display areas receive elevated back gate signals (higher than ELVDD) to turn off pixel currents and prevent light emission. This localized signal differentiation optimizes power consumption without compromising display uniformity in active regions.
3Use of energy by moving object
If back gate signal level is increased to prevent light emission in inactive areas, then power consumption is reduced, but display defects may occur
Solution Approach 1:
Before switching a display area to inactive state, black data is preliminarily output to the data lines corresponding to that area. This preliminary action ensures that when the back gate signal level is subsequently increased to turn off pixel currents, the pixels are already configured to display black, preventing any potential display defects or image artifacts that might occur during the transition or while in the inactive state.
4Use of energy by moving object
If independent back gate signals are applied to each display area, then power consumption is optimized, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The back gate signal generator is merged with the gate driver and data driver to form an integrated driver configuration. This integration allows the system to generate and manage multiple independent back gate signals for different display areas without requiring separate dedicated signal generation circuits for each area. The integrated driver shares common control logic and signal processing resources, reducing overall device complexity while still enabling independent back gate signal control for power optimization.
Data Source
AI summary
A display apparatus includes: a first display area, a second display area, a first back gate signal applying line connected to back gate electrodes of pixels in the first display area and a second back gate signal applying line connected to back gate electrodes of pixels in the second display area; a back gate signal generator configured to generate a first back gate signal applied to the back gate electrodes of the pixels in the first display area and a second back gate signal applied to the back gate electrodes of the pixels in the second display area; a gate driver configured to output a gate signal; a data driver configured to output a data voltage; and a driving controller configured to control a driving timing, wherein the driving controller, the data driver and the back gate signal generator form an integrated driver.