Source Driver Sensing Channel Multiplexing for Display Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional display devices face challenges in accurately sensing and compensating for the characteristics of the source driver, particularly due to differences in sensing time and temperature changes, which leads to increased chip area and mismatches between pixel and driver sensing channels, resulting in inaccurate image data compensation.
Innovation Solution
A source driver is designed with a switch circuit, first and second sensing channels, and a selection circuit to transfer and convert both pixel and reference signals into digital data, allowing for simultaneous sensing of pixel and driver characteristics without additional channels, thereby reducing chip area and eliminating mismatches.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If additional sensing channels are used to sense source driver characteristics, then the accuracy of source driver characteristic sensing is improved, but the chip area increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pixel sensing channels are designed to perform dual functions: sensing both pixel characteristics and source driver characteristics. The switch circuit enables the sensing channels to be multiplexed between sensing pixel signals during pixel sensing mode and sensing reference signals during source driver characteristic sensing mode, eliminating the need for separate additional sensing channels while maintaining accurate measurement capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the pixel sensing function and source driver characteristic sensing function into a single sensing channel infrastructure. By combining these functions and using time-division multiplexing with the switch circuit, the system reduces the total number of sensing channels required, thereby reducing chip area while preserving measurement accuracy
2Device complexity
If pixel sensing and source driver characteristic sensing are performed at different times, then the sensing channels can be shared, but the temperature change causes inaccurate compensation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic sensing cycles that alternate between pixel sensing mode and source driver characteristic sensing mode. The switch circuit periodically switches between connecting pixel signals and reference signals to the sensing channels, enabling both types of sensing to be performed repeatedly in sequence using the same hardware resources
Solution Approach 2:
The source driver characteristic sensing is performed periodically to obtain up-to-date characteristic data that reflects current temperature conditions. By conducting sensing operations at regular intervals rather than once during manufacturing, the system maintains accurate compensation data that adapts to temperature changes, and the timing controller uses this preliminary sensed data to compensate image data in real-time
3Area of stationary object
If mismatches exist between pixel sensing channels and additional sensing channels, then the chip area can be reduced by using additional channels, but the characteristic sensing accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The sensing channels are designed as universal channels that can accurately sense both pixel signals and reference signals. The switch circuit enables these channels to be flexibly assigned to different sensing tasks, ensuring that the same high-precision sensing infrastructure is used for both pixel characteristic measurement and source driver characteristic measurement, thereby eliminating accuracy deterioration from channel mismatches
Data Source
AI summary
A source driver and a display device including the same, capable of accurately sensing pixels characteristics and characteristics of the source driver. A source driver includes a switch circuit configured to transfer first pixel signals or reference signals; first sensing channels configured to sense and hold the first pixel signals or the reference signals transferred from the switch circuit; second sensing channels configured to sense and hold second pixel signals; and a selection circuit configured to output a sampling signal by selecting the first pixel signals of the first sensing channels and the second pixel signals of the second sensing channels, and thereafter, output the sampling signal by selecting the reference signals of the first sensing channels.