Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Plural physical display element control system – Display elements arranged in matrix
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-13
2004-11-09
Nguyen, Jimmy H. (Department: 2673)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Plural physical display element control system
Display elements arranged in matrix
C345S003100, C345S003400, C345S699000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06816139
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display (LCD), and more particularly, to an apparatus for driving various types of thin-film transistor liquid-crystal display (TFT LCD) panels having different specifications.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a TFT LCD driver for driving a TFT LCD panel includes gate drivers for driving gate lines (or row lines) of TFTs and source drivers for driving source lines (or column lines) of TFTs. When the gate drivers activate the TFTs by the application of a high voltage, the source drivers apply source driving signals to the respective source lines for displaying colors, and, as a result, a color picture is displayed on the LCD.
However, the characteristics or driving methods of a driver integrated circuit (IC) such as a gate driver or a source driver, and the characteristics, size and resolution of a panel vary from one LCD manufacturing company to another, and even between LCDs produced by the same company, that have different product specifications. Thus, the timing of a control signal for a LCD panel or a driver IC varies, depending on the product specifications of the LCD panel, and controllers for panels and driver ICs have been manufactured as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), resulting in numerous diversified panels or driver controllers.
FIG. 1
is a block diagram of a conventional LCD panel driving system. Referring to
FIG. 1
, the conventional panel driving system
100
includes a graphics card
110
, a display unit
170
including a panel
193
for an LCD, and a panel driving apparatus
120
.
The panel driving apparatus
120
receives composite data DATA_S including color data and vertical and horizontal synchronization (sync) signals (not shown) from the graphics card
110
, converts the composite data DATA_S into a suitable form for the specifications of the panel
193
, and transmits a converted composite data DATA_SS to the display unit
170
. The panel driving apparatus
120
includes a microcontroller
160
, a data converting portion
130
controlled by the microcontroller
160
for receiving and converting the composite data DATA_S and generating a converted composite data CDATA_S and a clock signal CLOCK, a scaler
140
controlled by the microcontroller
160
for scaling the converted composite data CDATA_S, and a transmitting portion
150
for receiving an output signal SCDATA_C and the clock signal CLOCK and transmitting the converted composite data DATA_SS and the clock signal CLOCK to the display unit
170
.
The display unit
170
includes a receiving portion
180
, a timing control portion
190
, and the panel
193
. The receiving portion
180
receives the composite data DATA_SS and the clock signal CLOCK transmitted from the transmitting portion
150
, and transmits the received composite data DATA_SS and the clock signal CLOCK to the timing control portion
190
. The timing control portion
190
applies control signals CSG suitable for the specifications of the panel
193
to the panel
193
to drive the same. The panel
193
is driven by a source driver
196
and a gate driver
199
.
In the conventional panel driving system of
FIG. 1
, the panel driving apparatus
120
receives the composite data DATA_S from the graphics card
110
, scales the composite data DATA_S according to the specifications of the panel
193
, and applies the scaled composite data to the display unit
170
. Here, the specifications of the panel
193
are classified according to panel size and resolution, and panel driving methods of drivers. The timing control portion
190
of the display unit
170
applies the control signals CSG according to the panel specifications to the panel
193
.
However, since specifications greatly vary from one panel to another, the timing control portion
190
is limited to applying control signals CSG to the panel
193
that are compatible only with panels of like timing configuration. Since the timing control portion
190
is manufactured as an ASIC. Manufacture of the timing control ASIC in compliance with a variety of panels having different specifications, would cause the manufacturing cost of the LCD to increase.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To address the above limitations, it is a first object of the present invention to provide a panel driving apparatus for a thin-film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) applicable to a variety of panels having different specifications.
It is a second object of the present invention to provide a LCD panel driving system adopting a panel driving apparatus compatible with a variety of panels having different specifications.
To achieve the first object of the present invention, there is provided a panel driving apparatus compatible with various types of panels for liquid crystal displays (LCDS) having different specifications, the apparatus comprising a microcontroller, a data converting unit, and a panel control unit, and a transmitting unit. The data converting unit is controlled by the microcontroller, receives composite data including color data and horizontal and vertical synchronization signals, and generates converted composite data and a clock signal. The panel control unit is controlled by the microcontroller, receives the converted composite data and the clock signal, and generates control signals for driving a panel and an internal data signal including the color data and the clock signal. The transmitting unit receives the internal data signal from the panel control unit and transmits the received internal data signal to the panel. It is preferable that the panel control unit comprises a scaler for scaling the converted composite data according to the specifications of the panel and a timing control portion for generating the control signals and the internal data signal.
To achieve the second object of the present invention, there is provided a panel driving system compatible with various types of panels for liquid crystal displays (LCDs) having different specifications, the panel driving system comprising a graphics card, a display device including a pane, and a panel driving apparatus for receiving composite data including color data and vertical and horizontal synchronization signals from the graphics card and generating control signals for driving the panel and a predetermined internal data signal. The panel driving apparatus includes: a microcontroller; a data converting unit controlled by the microcontroller, for receiving the composite data including the color data and the horizontal and vertical synchronization signals and generating converted composite data and a clock signal; a panel control unit controlled by the microcontroller, for receiving the converted composite data and the clock signal and generating the control signals for driving the panel, and the predetermined internal data signal including the color data and the clock signal; and a transmitting unit for receiving the predetermined internal data signal from the panel control unit and transmitting the received predetermined internal data signal to the panel.
It is preferable that the panel control unit comprises a scaler for scaling the converted composite data according to the specifications of the panel, and a timing control portion for generating the control signals and the internal data signal.
The microcontroller programs a variety of control parameters according to the specifications of the panel, stores the control parameters, and transmits the control parameters to the timing control portion.
The timing control portion preferably comprises an interface portion for receiving the color data, the vertical and horizontal synchronization signals, a data enable signal, and the control parameters from the microcontroller, and for generating first and second internal control signals and the internal data signal according to the specifications of the panel; a single control portion for receiving the first internal control signal and generating a single internal control signal for driving a pane
Mills & Onello LLP
Nguyen Jimmy H.
Samsung Electronics Co,. Ltd.
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