LED Display Scanning Order Control for Parasitic Capacitance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional display units employing light emitting diodes (LEDs) face issues with reduced light intensity due to parasitic capacitance, leading to darker lines and compromised display quality, particularly in still images at low brightness.

Innovation Solution

A light emission control method that alters the scanning order of common lines between cycles and introduces non-light-emission periods to distribute the reduction in light emission caused by parasitic capacitance, ensuring consistent light intensity across rows and reducing the duration of non-light-emission periods.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the common lines are scanned in a fixed order (C0, C1, C2) in each cycle, then the control method is simple, but the light intensity of the first driven row is reduced due to parasitic capacitance discharge

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol method simplicityVSAvoidlight intensity of first driven row
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by making the scanning order of common lines variable rather than fixed. The scanning order is dynamically adjusted based on the cycle number (e.g., cycle 1: C0-C1-C2, cycle 2: C1-C2-C0, cycle 3: C2-C0-C1), which prevents any single row from consistently experiencing parasitic capacitance discharge effects, thereby maintaining uniform light intensity across all rows.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements periodic action by establishing a repeating scanning order pattern that cycles through different sequences. The scanning order repeats every three cycles, creating a periodic variation that distributes the parasitic capacitance effect across different rows over time, ensuring no single row is consistently disadvantaged.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

2Reliability

If all common lines are scanned in each frame, then complete display coverage is achieved, but the duration of non-light-emission period increases reducing display quality

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay coverage completenessVSAvoidnon-light-emission period duration
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the scanning process into two independent parts: common line scanning (which maintains complete coverage) and light emission timing (which is optimized). The common lines are scanned in a segmented manner across multiple cycles, while light emission is controlled to minimize non-emission periods, achieving both completeness and efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements continuity of useful action by ensuring that the display system operates continuously without unnecessary interruptions. The optimized scanning order and timing control ensure that light emission occurs as continuously as possible, minimizing the non-light-emission periods while maintaining complete display coverage through the cyclic scanning of all common lines.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach prevents the appearance of dark lines, maintains uniform light intensity, and enhances display quality by distributing the impact of parasitic capacitance across cycles, making the display more consistent and effective, especially in still image scenarios.

Implementation Method 1

Display units that employ light emitting diodes (LEDs) as light emitting elements

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight Emitting Diode: Light Emitting Diode

Implementation Method 2

The driving portion 30 can draw currents from the driving lines S0 to S2 so that the currents can flow through light emitting elements 1

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectrical Conduction: Conduction (electrical)

Implementation Method 3

Virtual equivalent capacitors CS0 to CS2 that are included as parasitic capacitances in the lines are shown on the driving lines S0 to S2

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectParasitic Capacitance: Parasitic Capacitance

Data Source

PatentUS8970643B2Display apparatus light emission control method and display unit
Publication Date: 2015.03.03 NICHIA CORP
  • US8970643B2 patent drawing
  • US8970643B2 patent drawing
  • US8970643B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A light emission control method controls a display that includes a display portion, a scanning portion, and a driving portion. The display portion includes light emitting elements in a matrix form. The scanning portion is connected to common lines. Each common line is connected to the anode terminals of corresponding elements in corresponding row so that the common lines are scanned. The driving portion is connected to driving lines. Each driving line is connected to the cathodes terminals of corresponding elements in a corresponding column. The driving portion can drive selected elements when the common line corresponding to the selected elements is scanned. The method displays an image in each cycle including frames. All common lines are scanned in each frame. A part of the rows in one frame in one cycle is/are driven. Other part is driven in a frame after the one frame in the one cycle.