Display Panel Power Routing for Narrow Non-Display Borders

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Solution Overview

Problem

The width of the non-display area in display devices is increased due to the presence of signal pads and circuit boards, reducing the ratio of the display area and deteriorating display quality.

Innovation Solution

A display device design that includes a sub-region with signal pads on one side of the non-display area and a bending area, with the circuit board positioned on the rear surface, and power connection portions disposed between stages of the gate driver to minimize the non-display area width without reducing the number of signal pads.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If signal pads and circuit board are disposed on the front surface in the non-display area, then electrical connection is achieved, but the non-display area width increases and display area ratio decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveelectrical connectionVSAvoiddisplay area ratio
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent moves the circuit board from the front surface (2D plane) to the rear surface of the substrate, utilizing the third dimension (depth/thickness) to resolve the space conflict. This allows signal pads to be disposed on both the front and rear surfaces, enabling electrical connection without occupying front surface non-display area, thus maintaining display area ratio.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The circuit board is positioned within the thickness dimension of the substrate assembly, nested between the front and rear surfaces. The signal pads on the front surface connect to corresponding pads on the rear surface, creating a nested configuration that eliminates the need for lateral expansion into the non-display area.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Area of stationary object

If bending area is introduced to position circuit board on rear surface, then non-display area width is reduced, but curvature must be limited to prevent disconnection or short-circuiting of bending lines

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay area ratioVSAvoidcurvature control
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the bending/curvature requirement from the design by directly positioning the circuit board on the rear surface without introducing a separate bending area. This eliminates the complexity of controlling curvature and preventing disconnection of bending lines, while still achieving the goal of reducing non-display area width.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Area of stationary object

If power connection portions are disposed between stages of gate driver, then non-display area width is minimized, but electrical connection reliability must be maintained

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenon-display area widthVSAvoidelectrical connection
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The power connection portions are positioned in the depth dimension (between front and rear surfaces) rather than occupying lateral space in the non-display area. This vertical stacking approach minimizes the non-display area width while maintaining electrical connection reliability through proper layer-to-layer connectivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP4456056B1Display device
Publication Date: 2026.01.28 SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO LTD
  • EP4456056B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4456056B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4456056B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Provided is a display device including a substrate, a circuit layer disposed on a first surface of the substrate, a light emitting element layer, and a circuit board disposed on a second surface of the substrate. The circuit layer includes pixel drivers, gate lines, a first power supply line and a second power supply line respectively transmitting a first power and a second power, and a gate driver including stages electrically connected to the gate lines, respectively. The second power supply line is electrically connected to the circuit board through power connection portions. The power connection portions are disposed between a number of the stages adjacent to a curved corner of the substrate among the stages of the gate driver.