Source driver
11211016 · 2021-12-28
Assignee
Inventors
Cpc classification
G09G2330/08
PHYSICS
G09G2320/029
PHYSICS
G09G2310/0291
PHYSICS
G09G3/3291
PHYSICS
International classification
Abstract
A source driver is configured to drive an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display panel. The source driver includes a sensing circuit and an operational amplifier. The sensing circuit is configured to sense pixel information of an OLED pixel circuit through a sensing line of the OLED display panel. The operational amplifier includes an amplifier circuit and at least one switch circuit. The amplifier circuit includes at least one gain circuit. An input terminal of the amplifier circuit is coupled to an output terminal of the sensing circuit. Each of the at least one switch circuit is coupled between a pair of output terminals of a corresponding one of the at least one gain circuit.
Claims
1. A source driver, configured to drive an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display panel, comprising: a sensing circuit, configured to sense pixel information of an OLED pixel circuit through a sensing line of the OLED display panel; and an operational amplifier, wherein the operational amplifier comprises: an amplifier circuit, comprising at least one gain circuit, wherein an input terminal of the amplifier circuit is coupled to an output terminal of the sensing circuit; and at least one switch circuit, each of the at least one switch circuit being coupled between a pair of output terminals of a corresponding one of the at least one gain circuit, wherein each of the at least one switch circuit is configured to short the pair of output terminals of the corresponding gain circuit to pull a pair of output voltages output by the pair of output terminals of the corresponding gain circuit to a certain voltage in a reset phase.
2. The source driver according to claim 1, wherein the certain voltage is at a level between original levels of the pair of the output terminals of the corresponding gain circuit.
3. The source driver according to claim 1, wherein one of the at least one switch circuit is coupled between a pair of output terminals of an output stage of the amplifier circuit.
4. The source driver according to claim 1, wherein the operational amplifier further comprises an additional gain circuit having a pair of output terminals, wherein the pair of output terminals of the additional gain circuit are coupled to a pair of coupling terminals of an input stage of the amplifier circuit.
5. The source driver according to claim 1, wherein the at least one switch circuit is configured to influence the pair of output voltages output by the pair of output terminals of the corresponding one of the at least one gain circuit in a first period of the reset phase and stop influencing the pair of output voltages in a second period of the reset phase.
6. The source driver according to claim 1, wherein the at least one switch circuit is configured to influence the pair of output voltages output at the pair of output terminals of the corresponding one of the at least one gain circuit in the reset phase and stop influencing the pair of output voltages in an amplification phase.
7. The source driver according to claim 1, wherein each of the at least one switch circuit comprises a switch coupled between the pair of output terminals of the corresponding one of the at least one gain circuit.
8. The source driver according to claim 1, further comprising an offset voltage storing and reducing circuit coupled to at least two of the at least one gain circuit.
9. The source driver according to claim 8, wherein an output terminal of the offset voltage storing and reducing circuit is coupled to a coupling terminal of a first gain circuit of the at least one gain circuit of the amplifier circuit, and an input terminal of the offset voltage storing and reducing circuit is coupled to an output terminal of a second gain circuit of the at least one gain circuit of the amplifier circuit.
10. The source driver according to claim 8, wherein the offset voltage storing and reducing circuit is configured to store and reduce an offset voltage of a first gain circuit of the two gain circuits of the amplifier circuit.
11. The source driver according to claim 8, wherein the offset voltage storing and reducing circuit comprises: a pair of sampling switches, each of the pair of sampling switches having a first terminal coupled to the output terminal of a second one of the two gain circuits of the amplifier circuit; a pair of sampling capacitors, each of the pair of sampling capacitors being coupled to a second terminal of a corresponding switch of the sampling switches; and a transconductance circuit, having a pair of input terminals coupled to the second terminals of the pair of the sampling switches, wherein each of a pair of output terminals of the transconductance circuit of the offset voltage storing and reducing circuit is coupled to the coupling terminal of a first one of the two gain circuits of the amplifier circuit.
12. The source driver according to claim 11, wherein one of the least one switch circuit comprises a switch coupled between the pair of output terminals of the second gain circuit and coupled to the pair of sampling switches.
13. The source driver according to claim 11, wherein one of the least one switch circuit comprises a switch coupled between the pair of sampling capacitors and the pair of input terminals of the transconductance circuit of the offset voltage storing and reducing circuit.
14. The source driver according to claim 11, wherein one of the least one switch circuit comprises a pair of switches, and each of the pair of switches is coupled between one of the pair of input terminals of the transconductance circuit of the offset voltage storing and reducing circuit and a reference voltage.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
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DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
(9) The term “couple (or connect)” throughout the specification (including the claims) of this application are used broadly and encompass direct and indirect connection or coupling means. For example, if the disclosure describes a first apparatus being coupled (or connected) to a second apparatus, then it should be interpreted that the first apparatus can be directly connected to the second apparatus, or the first apparatus can be indirectly connected to the second apparatus through other devices or by a certain coupling means. In addition, terms such as “first” and “second” mentioned throughout the specification (including the claims) of this application are only for naming the names of the elements or distinguishing different embodiments or scopes and are not intended to limit the upper limit or the lower limit of the number of the elements not intended to limit sequences of the elements. Moreover, elements/components/steps with same reference numerals represent same or similar parts in the drawings and embodiments. Elements/components/notations with the same reference numerals in different embodiments may be referenced to the related description.
(10)
(11) In the embodiment illustrated in
(12) The operational amplifier 120 is coupled to the sensing circuit 110 to receive the pixel information. Namely, the sensing circuit 120 may sense the pixel information of the OLED pixel circuit (not shown) through the sensing line 11 of the OLED display panel 10, and then, the operational amplifier 120 may transmit the pixel information to the ADC 130. The ADC 130 may convert the pixel information into digital data. The digital data may be processed to generate a compensated driving voltage level according to the digital data, and the compensated driving voltage level can be returned to the source driver 100, thereby achieving compensation.
(13) In the embodiment illustrated in
(14) The switch circuit 122 is coupled between a pair of output terminals of a corresponding one of the gain circuits of the amplification circuit 121. In other embodiments, a plurality of switch circuits can be disposed, each of which can be coupled to a pair of output terminals of a corresponding one of the gain circuits. In a reset phase, the switch circuit 122 may influence (e.g., reset) output voltages of the pair of output terminals. For example (but not limited to), in the reset phase, the switch circuit 122 may pull the output voltages output by the pair of output terminals of the corresponding gain circuit to a certain voltage in the reset phase. The certain voltage has a level which may be determined based on a design requirement. The certain voltage can be at a level between original levels of the pair of the output terminals of the corresponding gain circuit.
(15) In some embodiments, the switch circuit 122 may be turned on to influence the pair of output voltages output by the pair of output terminals of the corresponding gain circuit in a first period of the reset phase and can be turned off to stop influencing the pair of output voltages in a second period of the reset phase. In the same or other embodiments, the switch circuit 122 may be turned on to influence the pair of output voltages output by the pair of output terminals of the corresponding gain circuit during the reset phase (for at least some time of the reset phase) and can be turned off to stop influencing the pair of output voltages in an amplification phase. Thus, the source driver may mitigate the influence of pixel information of a previous pixel circuit on pixel information of a current pixel circuit.
(16) For example, in some embodiments, the switch circuit 122 includes a switch. The switch is coupled between the pair of output terminals of the corresponding gain circuit of the amplification circuit 121. As one example, one switch circuit is disposed to be coupled between a pair of output terminals of an output stage of the amplifier circuit. As an another example, a plurality of switch circuits are disposed, each coupled between a pair of output terminals of one gain circuit of at least one gain circuit of the amplifier circuit.
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(18) A first terminal of the sampling capacitor C1 is coupled to a second terminal of the sampling switch SW1. A second terminal of the sampling capacitor C1 is coupled to the reference voltage Vref. A first terminal of the sampling capacitor C2 is coupled to a second terminal of the sampling switch SW2. A second terminal of the sampling capacitor C2 is coupled to the reference voltage Vref. A first terminal of the switch circuit SW3 is coupled to the first terminal of the sampling capacitor C1. A first terminal of the switch circuit SW4 is coupled to the first terminal of the sampling capacitor C2. Second terminals of the switch circuit SW3 and the switch circuit SW4 serve as the output terminals of the sensing circuit 110. When the sensing line 11 is selected as the current sensing line, in the reset phase, the switch circuit SW3 and the switch circuit SW4 are turned off. When the sensing line 11 is selected as the current sensing line, in the amplification phase, the switch circuit SW3 and the switch circuit SW4 are turned on. When the sensing line 11 is not the current sensing line, the switch circuit SW3 and the switch circuit SW4 are turned off.
(19) In the embodiment illustrated in
(20) A first terminal of the capacitor C3 is coupled to a first input terminal of the amplifier AMP of the operational amplifier 120. A first terminal of the capacitor C4 is coupled to a second input terminal of the amplifier AMP of the operational amplifier 120. A first terminal of the switch SW5 is coupled to the first terminal of the capacitor C3. A first terminal of the switch SW6 is coupled to the first terminal of the capacitor C4. Second terminals of the sampling switch SW5 and the sampling switch SW6 are coupled to the reference voltage Vref. The level of the reference voltage Vref may be determined based on a design requirement. For example, the reference voltage Vref may be a common mode voltage, a ground voltage or any other reference voltage.
(21) A first terminal of the switch SW9 is coupled to a second terminal of the capacitor C3. A first terminal of the switch SW10 is coupled to a second terminal of the capacitor C4. Second terminals of the switch S9 and the switch SW10 are respectively coupled to a first output terminal and a second output terminal of the amplifier AMP of the operational amplifier 120. The first output terminal and the second output terminal of the amplifier AMP are coupled to the ADC 130. A first terminal of the switch SW7 is coupled to the second terminal of the capacitor C3. A second terminal of the switch SW7 is coupled to a reference voltage VA. A first terminal of the switch SW8 is coupled to the second terminal of the capacitor C4. A second terminal of the switch SW8 is coupled to a reference voltage VB.
(22) Levels of the reference voltage VA and the reference voltage VB may be determined based on a design requirement. For example, the reference voltages VA and VB may have the same voltage level. Alternatively, the amplifier circuit 121 may use different reference voltages VA and VB, so as to generate an offset voltage level at the output terminals of the amplifier AMP.
(23) In the sampling period (sensing period), the pixel information of the sensing line 11 and the reference voltage Vref are respectively stored in the sampling capacitors C1 and C2. In the reset phase, the switch SW9 and the switch SW10 are turned off, and the switch SW5, the switch SW6, the switch SW7 and the switch SW8 are turned on, such that the capacitor C3 and the capacitor C4 respectively store the reference voltage VA and the reference voltage VB.
(24) In the amplification phase, the switch SW9 and the switch SW10 are turned on, and the switch SW5, the switch SW6, the switch SW7 and the switch SW8 are turned off. When the sensing line 11 is selected as the current sensing line, in the amplification phase, the pixel information stored in the sampling capacitors C1 and C2 is transmitted to the input terminals of the amplifier AMP. In an ideal situation (there is neither any parasitic capacitance nor any offset voltage), the amplifier AMP amplifies the pixel information by a parameter of C3/C1 (or C4/C2) to generate an output signal to the ADC 130.
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(26) In the embodiment illustrated in
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(28) In the embodiment illustrated in
(29) In the embodiment illustrated in
(30) In the embodiment illustrated in
(31) It is assumed that an offset voltage of the transconductance circuit 410 (i.e., the offset voltage of the gain circuit G1) is Vos1, and an offset voltage of the transconductance circuit 430 is Vos2. Referring to
(32) In the amplification phase, the switch SW5, the switch SW6, the sampling switch SW11 and the sampling switch SW12 are turned off, and the switch circuit SW3 and the switch circuit SW4 are turned on. In this circumstance, the offset voltage is Vos'=Vos1/(Gm2*R)+Vos2/(Gm1*R), wherein R represents a resistance value of the loading circuit 420. The input offset voltage Vos1 of the transconductance circuit 410 is divided by an open-loop gain which is Gm2*R, the input offset voltage Vos2 of the transconductance circuit 430 is divided by an open-loop gain which is Gm1*R, and thus, the offset voltage of the amplifier circuit 121 may be effectively reduced. In an actual design, the open-loop gains are usually large enough, and thus, the offset voltages Vos1 and Vos2 may be omitted, such that an input referred offset may be eliminated.
(33) It should be noted that in the amplification phase, the sampling switch SW11 and the sampling switch SW12 are turned off, and thus, the offset voltage storing and reducing circuit 123 does not cause any loading effect to the amplifier circuit 121. Furthermore, because the sampling capacitor C5 and the sampling capacitor C6 are not in a signal path, the sampling capacitor C5 and the sampling capacitor C6 do not influence a capacitance design of the amplifier circuit 121, that is, capacitance values (areas) of the sampling capacitor C5 and the sampling capacitor C6 may be as small as possible.
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(35) In the embodiment illustrated in
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(37) In the embodiment illustrated in
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(39) In the embodiment illustrated in
(40) Based on the above, the source driver provided by the embodiments of the invention has the switch circuit. The switch circuit is coupled to the pair of output terminals of the gain circuits of the amplification circuit. In the reset phase, the switch circuit can reset the output voltages of the pair of output terminals. Thus, the source driver can mitigate the influence of the pixel information of a previous pixel circuit on the pixel information of a current pixel circuit.
(41) It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the disclosed embodiments without departing from the scope or spirit of the disclosure. In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the disclosure cover modifications and variations of this disclosure provided they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.