OLED Pixel Circuit Sharing Compensation Driving for Resolution

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

The resolution of OLED display panels is limited by photolithographic technology and fine metal mask size, making it difficult to achieve higher resolutions, and compensation pixel circuits that improve brightness uniformity increase the area occupied by driving circuits, which is undesirable for higher resolution displays.

Innovation Solution

A pixel circuit where multiple sub-pixels share a compensation pixel circuit and are driven in a field sequential manner within a single frame, using a single compensation driving circuit to reduce the area occupied by driving circuits and enhance resolution.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If compensation pixel circuits are used to improve brightness uniformity, then brightness uniformity is improved, but the area occupied by driving circuits is increased

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebrightness uniformityVSAvoidarea occupied by driving circuits
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple sub-pixels (first sub-pixel, second sub-pixel, third sub-pixel) share a single compensation driving circuit. The compensation driving circuit sequentially drives different sub-pixels in a time-sharing manner, merging the driving functions that would otherwise require separate dedicated circuits for each sub-pixel, thereby reducing the total area occupied by driving circuits while maintaining brightness uniformity compensation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The compensation driving circuit is designed with multi-functionality to serve multiple sub-pixels. It can selectively drive the first sub-pixel, second sub-pixel, or third sub-pixel based on timing signals, making a single circuit perform the work that would traditionally require multiple dedicated circuits, thus reducing overall circuit area.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Ease of manufacture

If photolithographic technology and fine metal mask size are used, then manufacturing is enabled, but resolution is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing capabilityVSAvoidresolution
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a time dimension to the driving approach by sequentially driving multiple sub-pixels in a time-sharing manner within a single frame period. This temporal multiplexing allows the display to achieve higher effective resolution by driving multiple sub-pixels in sequence rather than requiring all sub-pixels to be driven simultaneously, thereby overcoming the spatial resolution limitations imposed by photolithographic technology and fine metal mask size.

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

Data Source

PatentEP3499491B1Display device and driving method
Publication Date: 2022.08.17 BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO LTD
  • EP3499491B1 patent drawingFigure 1(a)~1(b)
  • EP3499491B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3499491B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

A pixel circuit, a display panel, a display device and a driving method are disclosed. The pixel circuit (100) includes: a light-emitting circuit (110) including a plurality of light-emitting sub-circuits (111); and a compensation driving circuit (120) including an output terminal (121) and a driving transistor. The plurality of light-emitting sub-circuits (111) are all electrically connected to the output terminal (121); and the compensation driving circuit (120) is configured to receive a light-emitting data signal, compensate for a threshold voltage of the driving transistor, and drive any one of the plurality of light-emitting sub-circuits (111) to emit light according to an output signal output by the output terminal. Such an arrangement reduces an amount of the compensation driving circuit, decreases an area of the compensation driving circuit occupied on the backboard, and hence facilitates increasing the physical resolution of the display panel