Shift Register Stabilization Node Grouping for Bezel Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional monolithic gate drivers for active-matrix liquid crystal display devices have a large number of thin-film transistors, making it difficult to reduce bezel thickness and exhibit high power consumption due to high clock load.
Innovation Solution
A shift register design with fewer elements, where stage circuits are grouped to share stabilization nodes and controllers, reducing the number of thin-film transistors and clock signals, and using oxide semiconductor thin-film transistors to stabilize output control nodes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If conventional monolithic gate drivers are used with many thin-film transistors, then the display device can be manufactured, but the bezel thickness cannot be reduced and power consumption is high
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple stage circuits are grouped together to share common stabilization nodes and controllers. Specifically, several adjacent stage circuits share a single stabilization node and a single stabilization node controller, reducing the total number of stabilization nodes and controllers needed. This merging approach directly reduces device complexity while maintaining the same functional coverage for stabilizing output control nodes.
Solution Approach 2:
The stabilization node controller is designed to serve multiple stage circuits simultaneously. A single stabilization node controller can control the stabilization nodes for multiple adjacent stages, making it a multi-functional component. This universality reduces the overall number of controllers needed in the gate driver circuit, thereby reducing bezel thickness while maintaining stability across all stages.
2Use of energy by stationary object
If conventional monolithic gate drivers with many thin-film transistors are used, then the display device can operate, but power consumption is high due to high clock load
Solution Approach 1:
By merging multiple stage circuits to share common stabilization nodes and controllers, the total number of active components is reduced. Fewer thin-film transistors mean less switching activity and lower clock load, directly reducing power consumption in the stationary gate driver circuit while maintaining proper operation.
3Length of moving object
If the number of thin-film transistors is reduced, then bezel thickness can be reduced, but maintaining stable operation becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The shared stabilization nodes and controllers are designed to maintain stable operation across all participating stage circuits. The stabilization node controller implements control logic that ensures proper voltage levels are maintained at all shared stabilization nodes, thereby ensuring reliable and stable operation even though the number of components is reduced.
Solution Approach 2:
The stabilization node controller monitors and controls the stabilization nodes through feedback mechanisms. This feedback ensures that the output control nodes remain at appropriate voltage levels, maintaining stable operation of the shift register stages even with fewer components. The controller adjusts its output to maintain stability across the grouped stage circuits.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a monolithic gate driver that includes fewer elements than in conventional configurations. In one aspect, a plurality of stages included in a shift register are divided into a plurality of stage circuit groups, where each stage circuit group includes the stage circuits of P adjacent stages (two stages, for example). Each stage circuit group includes a stabilization node and a stabilization node controller that controls the voltage of the stabilization node. The stabilization node controller includes: thin-film transistors in which the gate terminals thereof are connected to output control nodes, the drain terminals thereof are connected to the stabilization node, and the source terminals thereof are connected to an input terminal for a DC supply voltage; and a thin-film transistor for changing the voltage of the stabilization node to a high level.