CN101295081A - non-rectangular display device - Google Patents

Abstract

A display device having a display screen of a non-rectangular shape, driving circuits arranged at a high density, a substrate and a device of a non-rectangular shape and a narrow frame. It is provided with: an active matrix display unit (1) including signal lines (3) and scanning lines (2) arranged in a matrix on a substrate, and pixels and active elements arranged at intersections of the signal lines and the scanning lines; a scanning line driving circuit (8) for driving the scanning lines; and a signal line driver circuit (9) for driving the signal lines, wherein the display unit has a non-rectangular outer shape, active elements constituting the scan line driver circuit (8) and/or the signal line driver circuit (9) are active elements manufactured in the same process as the active elements constituting the active matrix, the scan line driver circuit (8) and/or the signal line driver circuit (9) are each an aggregate of circuit units having the same function, and the circuit units are arranged along the outer periphery of the non-rectangular display unit.

Description

non-rectangular display device

technical field

The present invention relates to a display device in which a display portion has a non-rectangular shape.

Background technique

FIG. 24 is a diagram showing a typical configuration of a conventional active matrix display device. As shown in FIG. 24 , pixels and active elements such as thin film transistors are provided at intersections of signal lines and scanning lines arranged in a matrix. While a selection pulse is input to one scanning line, the active element whose gate terminal is connected to the scanning line is turned on, and the signal potential charged on the signal line is applied to a pixel such as a liquid crystal. Due to this potential, the optical properties of the liquid crystal material change, which can change the display.

The display portion 1 of a conventional active matrix display device is generally rectangular in shape. The scanning line driving circuit 8 and the signal line driving circuit 9 for driving the scanning lines 2 and the signal lines 3 by applying potentials are arranged adjacent to the rectangular display section 1 .

In this way, even for a high-definition display having a large number of scanning lines 2 and signal lines 3 , a display device having a narrow distance between the periphery of the display substrate 10 and the periphery of the display unit 1 and a narrow frame width can be realized.

If the application range of active matrix display devices capable of high-definition display expression is expanded, there will be occasions when the display portion is not generally rectangular but non-rectangular such as circular or semicircular.

For example, the watch shown in FIG. 21 is an active matrix display device capable of switching between analog and digital displays. For an analog watch, it is preferable that the display portion is circular.

Also, in the case of a speedometer mounted on an automobile as shown in FIG. 23, a semicircular shape is suitable.

As a display device in which the shape of the display area is not rectangular, for example, Patent Document 1 (PCT International Publication: Publication No. WO93/04460) discloses a display device in which the display portion shown in FIG. 25 is circular. In Patent Document 1, the scanning line driving circuit 8 and the signal line driving circuit 9 for driving the scanning lines and signal lines of the circular display section are made of rectangular semiconductor ICs, and four ICs are provided on the periphery of the display section 1 and four rectangular substrates. The corners are placed at 2 places each, for a total of 4 places.

The shape of the substrate is rectangular, but, for example, in the case of an analog dial watch having a circular display portion 1 , if the display substrate 10 is also circular in shape similar to the display portion 1 , there are several advantages.

That is, if the distance between the periphery of the display substrate 10 and the periphery of the display unit 1 is narrow, the display unit 1 can be relatively larger; There is no need to reserve extra volume when waiting for other devices.

In FIG. 25 , when the semiconductor ICs of the scanning line driver circuit 8 and the signal line driver circuit 9 are very small compared with the display unit 1 , the size and shape of the display substrate 10 can be close to the display unit 1 .

On the other hand, when the size of the driving circuit is not small, that is, when it is on the same level as the outer periphery of the display unit 1 , the size and shape of the display substrate 10 are limited by the driving circuit.

Furthermore, it becomes difficult to realize a non-rectangular display device with a narrow bezel.

Patent Document 2 (JP-A-2005-528644) discloses a configuration in which a plurality of scanning line driving circuits and signal line driving circuits are alternately arranged around a non-rectangular display portion.

However, also in the configurations disclosed in the aforementioned Patent Documents 1 and 2, the driving circuit has a rectangular shape, and the radius of curvature of the periphery is small. For example, when the drive circuit is arranged adjacent to the periphery of a circle, the same problem as above becomes prominent.

Patent Document 3 (JP-A-2005-311823) discloses a configuration in which fan-shaped IC chips are mounted on a hemispherical base substrate as a drive circuit.

In general, IC chips are cut out of silicon wafers by a scribing device equipped with a scribing saw. However, since the silicon wafer or the scribing saw moves in a straight line, the shape of the cut chip is rectangle.

As techniques for cutting out chips in arbitrary shapes, there are the laser scribing method shown in Patent Document 4 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-246447 ), the on-stage and The movement of the wafer is coupled with a rotating scribing method, etc., but all of them require a special scribing device.

In the portable navigation device disclosed in Patent Document 6 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-347474), a region formed radially extending from the end of the display panel to the end of the substrate is shown, which is similar to the curvature of the display panel. An example of a high-density circuit configuration.

When the display panel is circular, the original area is fan-shaped. This known example discloses a case where a liquid crystal drive circuit is arranged in a region along the periphery of a display panel, and a case where a liquid crystal drive circuit and a liquid crystal panel are formed of thin film transistors on a glass substrate.

However, there is no mention of the positional relationship between the gate lines and data lines constituting the liquid crystal panel and the liquid crystal driving circuit that drives them. That is, the specific high-density packaging solution for the liquid crystal driving circuit is not disclosed.

Patent document 1: WO93/04460 publication

Patent Document 2: Special Publication No. 2005-528644

Patent Document 3: JP-A-2005-311823

Patent Document 4: JP-A-2000-246447

Patent Document 5: JP-A-2004-111428

Patent Document 6: JP-A-2004-347474

Contents of the invention

The problem that the invention intends to solve

In conventional non-rectangular display devices, generally, the display part has an arbitrary shape, while the device and the substrate are rectangular in shape.

If the shape of the substrate is made similar to that of the non-rectangular display portion, a display device with a narrow frame can be obtained in which the distance between the periphery of the display portion and the periphery of the substrate is short.

However, what is problematic at this time is the driving circuit typified by the scanning line driving circuit and the signal line driving circuit. As in the past, for a rectangular driving circuit, for example, a semiconductor IC mounted on a display device substrate as in WO93/04460, corners appear on the substrate, and the frame cannot be narrowed.

In order to obtain a narrow frame using an IC chip having a shape conforming to a hemispherical base substrate like the display device disclosed in Patent Document 7, a special scribing device described in Patent Document 4 and Patent Document 5 is required.

The object of the present invention is to provide a display device with a non-rectangular display screen, a high-density arrangement of driving circuits, a non-rectangular substrate and a device shape, and a narrow frame.

Solution to the problem

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention disclosed in this application is roughly constituted as follows.

A display device according to a first aspect of the present invention includes: signal lines and scanning lines arranged mutually in a matrix on a substrate, and active elements and pixels arranged at intersections of the signal lines and the scanning lines. A source matrix display unit; a scanning line driving circuit for driving the scanning lines; and a signal line driving circuit for driving the signal lines, wherein the display unit has a non-rectangular shape, and the scanning line driving circuit and the signal line driving circuit At least one of the driving circuits includes active elements having the same structure as the active elements constituting the active matrix, and at least one of the scanning line driving circuits and the signal line driving circuits has a plurality of the same A functional circuit unit, wherein a plurality of the circuit units are arranged along the outer periphery of the non-rectangular display portion.

According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a display device having a non-rectangular narrow frame that is similar in shape to a non-rectangular display screen. This is because the positions and angles of arrangement are independently determined for each common small circuit unit obtained by dividing the driving circuit, so even if circuit units having a common shape are used, it is possible to achieve a high-density arrangement closer to a non-rectangular display portion. Configure the drive circuit. In addition, since the scanning line driving circuit and the signal line driving circuit having a shape along the outer periphery of the display portion are also composed of active elements having the same structure as the active elements constituting the display portion, it is possible to use the same device , process to manufacture, can share the manufacturing equipment and manufacturing process of the display part.

In the display device according to the second aspect of the present invention, the scanning line driving circuit or the signal line driving circuit is an aggregate formed by connecting rectangular or non-rectangular circuit block units in multiple stages, and the interval between the circuit block units is is changing.

According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a display device capable of adjusting the delay time of signals driving a scanning line driver circuit and a signal line driver circuit. This is because the interval between the above-mentioned circuit cells is not constant, so that the length of the drive signal wiring connected between the cells, that is, the delay time of the signal can be determined between the circuit block cells.

In the display device according to the third aspect of the present invention, among the scanning line driving circuit and the signal line driving circuit, the driving circuit adjacent to the straight side of the non-rectangular display portion is a semiconductor IC having a rectangular shape. A drive circuit adjacent to the curved periphery of the non-rectangular display portion has a non-rectangular shape along the periphery and is a drive circuit composed of the active elements.

According to the present invention, a non-rectangular display device including straight sides can be further made into a narrow frame. This is because, for example, the size of the semiconductor IC is small compared with the case where the driver circuit is formed by using thin film transistors as active elements. Restricted substrate shape.

In the display device according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the length adjacent to the signal line driving circuit in the outer periphery of the display portion is longer than the length adjacent to the scanning line driving circuit.

According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a display device having a non-rectangular narrow frame that is similar in shape to a non-rectangular display screen. This is because by increasing the number of active elements constituting the circuit and increasing the size of the signal line driver circuit, it is possible to lay out a smaller width signal line driver circuit.

In the display device according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the layout size ratio of the circuit units constituting the scanning line driving circuit or the signal line driving circuit is determined by the ratio of adjacent two of the scanning lines and that of the signal lines. Area surrounded by adjacent two is small.

According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce interference between scanning lines or between signal lines. This is because the scanning line driving circuit or the signal line driving circuit and the active matrix can be connected without bending the scanning lines or signal lines and changing the distance from each other.

Invention effect

According to the present invention, in terms of a display device having a non-rectangular display screen, it is possible to provide a display device in which driving circuits are arranged at a high density, a substrate and a device shape are also non-rectangular, and a narrow frame is provided.

The reason for this is that the drive circuits arranged adjacent to the display section are arranged in positions along the outer periphery of the non-rectangular display section for each circuit unit having a common function, so that the drive circuits having a non-rectangular shape can be densely laid out. The circuit can be used as a narrow-frame display device whose substrate shape and size are close to those of the display part.

According to the present invention, there is no need to add a special scribing device for cutting out a drive circuit IC having a non-rectangular shape, a special manufacturing process, etc. in order to obtain a non-rectangular display device with a narrow frame. This is because the active elements constituting the driving circuit are manufactured on the same substrate and in the same process as the active elements constituting the active matrix of the display portion, so that the manufacturing equipment and manufacturing process for manufacturing the driving circuit can be shared.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a shift register.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the layout of a shift register.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of a scanning line driving circuit composed of a shift register.

FIG. 5 is a timing chart showing the operation of the scanning line driving circuit.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a rectangular layout of a scanning line driving circuit (comparative example).

7 is a diagram showing the layout of a scanning line driving circuit according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

8 is a diagram showing the layout of a scanning line driving circuit according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the layout of the second scanning line driving circuit of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the layout of a third scanning line driving circuit according to the present invention.

11 is a diagram showing the configuration of a non-rectangular display device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the layout of a shift register according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

13 is a diagram showing the layout of a scanning line driving circuit according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

14 is a diagram showing the layout of a scanning line driving circuit according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

15 is a diagram showing the layout of a shift register according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

16 is a diagram showing the configuration of a non-rectangular display device according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention.

17 is a diagram showing the configuration of a non-rectangular display device according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention.

18 is a diagram showing the configuration of a non-rectangular display device according to a ninth embodiment of the present invention.

19 is a diagram showing the configuration of a non-rectangular display device according to a tenth embodiment of the present invention.

20 is a diagram showing the configuration of a non-rectangular display device according to an eleventh embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 21 is a diagram showing an analog/digital switching table having a circular display portion.

Fig. 22 is a diagram showing a mobile phone incorporating a circular display device.

Fig. 23 is a diagram showing a speedometer having a semicircular display portion.

Fig. 24 is a diagram showing a rectangular display device.

FIG. 25 is a diagram showing the configuration of a conventional non-rectangular display device.

26 is a diagram showing the configuration of a non-rectangular display device according to a twelfth embodiment of the present invention.

27 is a diagram showing details of the configuration of a non-rectangular display device according to a twelfth embodiment of the present invention.

28 is a diagram showing the configuration of a non-rectangular display device according to a thirteenth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 29 is a diagram showing the configuration of a display device having a heart-shaped display unit.

Fig. 30 is a diagram showing a heart-shaped display device.

FIG. 31 is a diagram showing the structure of a thin film transistor.

Fig. 32 is a diagram showing a raindrop-shaped display device.

Fig. 33 is a diagram showing a ship-shaped display device.

Symbol Description

1 Display

2 scan lines

3 signal lines

4 thin film transistors

5 pixel unit (LCD)

6 pixel capacitance

7 common electrode

8 Scanning line drive circuit

9 signal line drive circuit

10 Display Substrate

11 display device

12 mobile phone

21 signal line drive circuit (IC chip)

100 shift registers

101, 102, 103, 104 thin film transistor

105 silicon film

106 gate layer

107 Contacts

108 conductive layer

109 ladder shift register

110 ladder shift register

111 Gate insulating film

CLK1, CLK2: clock signal

VH, VL: input DC power supply

ST: start signal

OUTn, OUTn+1, OUTn-1: scan line drive circuit output

Detailed ways

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

<First Embodiment>

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. The display unit 1 is a circular non-rectangular display device. The display device of this embodiment includes an active matrix display section formed on a display substrate 10 and composed of a plurality of scanning lines 2, a plurality of signal lines 3, and thin-film transistors 4 serving as pixels and active elements arranged at their intersections. 1, and, for example, two scan line driver circuits 8 and two signal line driver circuits 9 composed of thin film transistors.

Here, the planar shape of the scanning line driving circuit 8 and the signal line driving circuit 9 is fan-shaped and bent along the outer periphery of the display unit 1, so that the shape of the display substrate 10 can be Similarly, the size of the display part 1 is close to the size of the display substrate 10, and a display device with a narrow frame can be realized.

The present invention provides a configuration in which active matrix drive circuits can be densely laid out in a sector-like non-rectangular area.

The display of the active matrix is to change the potential of the scanning line 2 sequentially, so that the thin film transistor (refer to 4 in FIG. 24 ) connected to the scanning line 2 with the gate terminal is turned on, and the signal line 3 is applied to the signal line 3 during its conduction period. A potential equivalent to image data charges the pixel.

Therefore, the scanning line driving circuit 8 needs to have a function of sequentially driving the scanning lines 2 . This can be achieved using a multi-stage shift register circuit 100 .

As an example, FIG. 4 shows an example of a circuit configuration of a scanning line driving circuit composed of a shift register. 4, each shift register has a transistor 104 connected to the power supply VH and the node N1, a transistor 102 connected to the node N1 and the power supply VL, a transistor 103 connected to the power supply VH and the output OUT1, and a transistor 103 connected to the output OUT1 and the clock CLK1. Transistor 101. Transistors 101 to 104 are P-type transistors.

The gate of the transistor 101 is connected to the node N1, the gate of the transistor 102 is connected to the output of the previous stage shift register (the start signal ST in the case where the shift register is the primary stage), the gate of the transistor 103 is connected to the clock CLK2, and the transistor 104 The gate of is connected to the output OUT2 of the subsequent stage shift register.

CLK1 and CLK2 are signals with a complementary relationship. If the shift register is an odd-numbered stage, the connection of the clocks is the same as above. In addition, in the case of an even-numbered stage, CLK1 and CLK2 are switched, the transistor 101 is connected to CLK2, and the gate of the transistor 104 is connected to CLK1.

FIG. 5 is a timing chart showing the operation of the shift register in FIG. 4 . When the start signal ST changes from the high level VH to the low level VL, the transistor 102 is turned on, and the potential of the node N1 drops to VL+Vth (Vth is the threshold voltage of the transistor 102 ).

In this way, although the transistor 101 is turned on, CLK1 is at the high level, so the VH output OUT1 becomes the high level VH.

Secondly, if CLK1 changes from high level VH to low level VL, and CLK2 changes from low level VL to high level VH, then due to the bootstrap effect of transistor 101, the output OUT1 will change from High level VH becomes low level VL. At this time, CLK2 serving as the gate of the transistor 103 is at the high level VH, and the transistor 103 becomes non-conductive.

Next, if CLK1 changes from low level VL to high level VH, and CLK2 changes from high level VH to low level VL, the transistor 103 is turned on, and the output OUT1 becomes high level VH.

At this time, even if the transistor 101 is kept on, since CLK1 is at the high level VH, the through current from VH to CLK1 does not flow.

Also, when the output OUT2 of the shift register of the second stage serving as the gate of the transistor 104 becomes low level VL, the transistor 104 is turned on, the node N1 becomes high level VH, and the transistor 101 becomes non-conductive.

By repeating these operations in sequence, pulses of low-level VL synchronized with clocks CLK1 and CLK2 are generated from output terminals OUT1 , OUT2 , OUT3 , . . . of each shift register.

Connecting the scanning lines 2 of the active matrix to these output terminals directly or through a buffer circuit can realize the desired function of the scanning line driving circuit.

Here, an example of a P-type transistor is shown as the transistor, but a similar shift register circuit can also be configured with an N-type transistor. In addition, a shift register circuit having the same function can also be easily configured as a complementary type using both N-type transistors and P-type transistors.

The above is the description of the scanning line driving circuit 8 for driving the scanning lines 2, but the signal line driving circuit 9 for applying a desired signal voltage to the signal lines 3 of the active matrix also has common features. That is, the signal line drive circuit 9 for driving the signal lines of the entire active matrix is composed of a plurality of circuits having the same function for one or several signal lines 3 .

That is, it is possible to drive the scanning line driver circuit 8 and the signal line driver circuit 9 of the entire active matrix using a plurality of identical circuit blocks corresponding to one or more circuit blocks of the scanning line 2 and the signal line 3. .

Circuit blocks with the same function mostly use the same circuit layout pattern inside. For example, a scanning line driving circuit shown in FIG. 4 in the driving circuit is a plurality of shift register circuits 100 connected together, and one shift register circuit 100 corresponds to one scanning line. At this time, the shift register circuit 10 is, for example, as shown in FIG. 2 , the output OUTn of the shift register of the nth stage is connected to the scanning line of the nth stage.

In FIG. 2, OUTn-1 and OUTn+1 are outputs of the n-1th stage and n+1th stage shift register respectively, and are input to the n-th stage shift register. In addition, the power supply VH is a high-potential power supply, VL is a low-potential power supply, and the clock signal is a signal in which CLK1 and CLK2 are inversely related to each other.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a circuit arrangement for realizing the functions of the shift register 100 shown in FIG. 2 . Here, the silicon thin film 105 is, for example, a polycrystalline silicon thin film.

FIG. 31 shows the A-A' cross section of FIG. 3 in order to understand the layered structure of the thin film transistor. The thin film transistor includes a gate composed of a silicon thin film 105 and a gate layer 106 separated by the thickness of a gate insulating film 111 , and a source and a drain in the silicon thin film 105 with locally low resistance. The thin film transistor 101 constituting a circuit and the thin film transistor 4 constituting a pixel may have the same layer structure. Moreover, it can be manufactured with the same film thickness on the same display substrate 10 with the same device and process.

The gate layer 106, which makes the gates of the transistors, also serves as wiring due to its conductivity. The conductive layer 108 is, for example, metal such as aluminum, and is used as wiring.

An electrical connection between the locally low-resistance-reduced source, drain or gate layer 106 of the silicon film 105 and the conductive layer 108 is obtained by means of the contact 107 .

When laying out the scanning line driving circuit 8 in a rectangular shape, the shift register 100 in FIG. 3 may be repeated in the horizontal direction and replicated in parallel.

Here, the clock signals CLK1 and CLK2 are applied so that adjacent shift registers 100 are alternately switched.

As a comparative example, FIG. 6 shows an example in which scanning line driving circuits 8 are laid out in a rectangular shape. The intervals of the plurality of shift registers 100 generally correspond to the intervals of the scanning lines 2 and are constant.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a layout in which the scanning line driving circuit 8 is curved along the outer periphery of the non-rectangular display section 1 in the embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 7 , the direction perpendicular to the scanning line 2 is referred to as the X direction, and the direction parallel to the scanning line 2 is referred to as the Y direction.

As shown in FIG. 6, when the scanning line drive circuit 8 is laid out in a rectangular shape, compared with the case of repeating the layout of the shift register 100 by one stage in the X direction and duplicating it in parallel, as shown in FIG. The features of the example are replicated repeatedly in the X and Y directions while moving in parallel.

Furthermore, it is characterized in that the moving distance in the X direction matches the interval of the scanning lines 2, but the moving distance in the Y direction changes between the first level and the second level, and between the second level and the third level.

This has the effect that each shift register 100 can be arranged closer to the periphery of the curved non-rectangular display unit 1 .

In addition, the moving distance in the Y direction may be a multiple of the length in the Y direction of the pixels constituting the display unit 1 .

That is, as shown in FIG. 8 , in the present embodiment, the display unit 1 is constituted by a matrix of pixels whose length in the Y direction repeats at the interval dy of the signal lines 3 and whose length in the X direction repeats at the interval dx of the scanning lines 2 . The shape of the part 1 is non-rectangular, and the coordinates of the arrangement pixels may be in units of dx and dy.

Therefore, not only the layout of the shift register 100 is moved by the unit of dx in the X direction, but also by the unit of dy in the Y direction, so that the distance between the periphery of the display unit 1 and the shift register 100 can be kept constant. This has the effect that the signals output from the respective shift registers 100 can be input to the scanning lines 2 of the display unit 1 at the same time.

The power lines VH, VL, the clock signal lines CLK1, CLK2, and the mutual output lines (OUTn-1, OUTn, OUTn+1) between the shift registers are also extended in the X direction and the Y direction and connected to each shift register 100. between.

In the example shown in FIG. 7, the power supply line, the clock signal line, and the mutual output line extend only in the X direction or the Y direction, but they may be connected between the shift registers 100 by extending in an oblique direction.

If the interval between the shift registers is changed, the clock signal and the delay time of the output of the shift register will be changed.

This is because the length of the signal wiring changes between the shift registers, and the wiring resistance and wiring capacity change.

Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to realize a drive circuit capable of adjusting delay times of clock signals and shift register outputs, and it is also possible to keep the delay between shift registers constant by design.

<Second embodiment>

Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the layout of the second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, each shift register 100 is tilted at an arbitrary angle in addition to repeated parallel movement in the X direction and the Y direction of FIG. 7 .

In this way, each shift register 100 can be arranged near the periphery of the display unit. In addition, power supply lines VH, VL, clock signal lines CLK1, CLK2, and mutual output lines are connected obliquely between shift registers 100, for example, in the shortest manner.

In this embodiment, among the shift registers 100 , the interval in the X direction is equal to the interval of the scanning lines 2 and is constant, while the interval in the Y direction and the pitch of the rotation angle are variable.

By arbitrarily determining the last two points, the distance between the shift registers 100 , that is, the distance between the clock signal wiring and the mutual output wiring can be adjusted between the shift registers 100 .

In this way, the delay time between the clock signals CLK1 and CLK2 and the output of the shift register 100 can be adjusted, and the delay between the shift registers 100 can also be kept constant by design.

<third embodiment>

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the layout of the third embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the intervals between the shift registers with arbitrary angles along the outer circumference of the display unit 1 are set to a narrower pitch.

That is, the bottom corners of the arrangement of the rectangular shift registers 100 ( FIG. 3 ) approach each other so that adjacent shift registers 100 come into contact. In this way, the length of the overall scanning line driving circuit 8 can be shortened.

In addition, if the scanning line drive circuit 8 of this embodiment occupies the same length as in FIGS. 7 and 9 on the outer periphery of the display unit 1, the layout width of each shift register 100 can be increased.

If the circuit scale is the same, the layout height of the shift register 100 can be reduced accordingly. This means that the width of the scanning line driving circuit 8 becomes smaller, and a display device with a narrower frame can be obtained.

<Fourth embodiment>

Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 11 shows a fourth embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a non-rectangular display device having a more complex shape. The shift register 100 arranged in a rectangular shape is shifted in two directions in parallel to form an arbitrary angle, thereby enabling the arrangement of the scanning line driving circuit 8 along the outer periphery of the non-rectangular display section 1 .

In addition, as for the shift register 100 adjacent to the linear portion on the outer periphery of the non-rectangular display unit 1, it is sufficient to employ parallel movement in one direction according to the conventional method.

<Fifth Embodiment>

Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, the shift register shown in FIG. 2 is laid out not in a trapezoidal shape but in a rectangular shape. FIG. 12 shows an example of the layout of the shift register of this embodiment.

In this trapezoidal shift register 109 , the width of the lower base is narrow (inverted trapezoid), and the thin film transistors 102 and 104 are respectively divided and connected in parallel and laid out. In this way, compared with the rectangular layout of FIG. 2, the width of the upper base is enlarged, while the height direction is shortened.

When the ladder shift registers 109 are connected in multiple stages to form the scanning line drive circuit 8, they may be arranged according to the inclination of adjacent trapezoids as shown in FIG. 13 . In this way, the enlarged upper part of the trapezoid fills the triangular-shaped empty area between the adjacent shift registers 100 in the examples shown in FIGS. will not increase.

On the other hand, the height of each ladder-shaped shift register 109 is shortened compared with that in FIG. 2, so that the scanning line driving circuit 8 having a lower height and a smaller width can be obtained.

<Sixth Embodiment>

Next, a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 14 , it is an example in which the adjacent scanning line driving circuit 8 is constituted by a plurality of ladder shift registers 109 and 110 for a display unit 1 having a complicatedly curved periphery.

As shown in FIG. 15 , the trapezoidal shift register 110 is laid out with a large bottom width. Combining the shift register layout shown in FIG. 15 with the trapezoidal shift register layout 109 shown in FIG. 12 having a large upper base width can follow the complexly curved outer periphery of the display unit 1 .

<Seventh Embodiment>

Next, a seventh embodiment of the present invention will be described. Referring to FIG. 16 , the display device according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention is a non-rectangular display unit composed of thin film transistors formed on the same display substrate 10 in the same process as the thin film transistors constituting the active matrix display unit 1. A combination of the scanning line driving circuit 8 on the outer periphery of 1 and the signal line driving circuit 21 of the IC chip.

The signal line driving circuit 21 is, for example, fabricated on a silicon wafer, and mounted on the display substrate 10 with an IC chip 21 cut out in a rectangular shape by a general scribing device.

In general, the size of the IC chip 21 is smaller than that of wiring a circuit using thin film transistors. This is mainly because the channel width of the manufactured transistor and the width of the wiring are fine. Therefore, the length occupied by adjacent IC chips on the outer periphery of the display unit 1 can be shortened.

Therefore, the scanning line driving circuit 8 composed of thin film transistors can be laid out longer, and the length occupied by the outer periphery of the display unit 1 can be made longer.

In this way, the width of the scanning line driving circuit 8 is made relatively smaller, so that the size of the display unit 1 is closer to the size of the display substrate 10 , and a display device with a narrow frame can be realized.

<Eighth embodiment>

Next, an eighth embodiment of the present invention will be described. Referring to FIG. 17 , a display device according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention is a combination of a scan line drive circuit 8 composed of thin film transistors and a signal line drive circuit 21 of an IC chip.

On the straight side of the non-rectangular display unit 1, a signal line driver circuit 21 of a rectangular IC chip is mounted adjacently, and on the curved side, a scanning line driver circuit along its shape is adjacently arranged. 8.

Compared with the case where all the driving circuits are formed as rectangular IC chips, a non-rectangular display device with a narrow frame can be realized.

<Ninth Embodiment>

Next, a ninth embodiment of the present invention will be described. Referring to FIG. 18 , a display device according to a ninth embodiment of the present invention includes a scanning line driver circuit 8 and a signal line driver circuit 9 provided adjacent to a display unit 1 along the outer peripheral shape of a non-rectangular display unit 1 .

This embodiment differs from the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 in that the length of the signal line driver circuit 9 is laid longer than the length of the scan line driver circuit 8 . That is, on the outer periphery of the display unit 1 , the adjacent length of the signal line driving circuit 9 is longer than the adjacent length of the scanning line driving circuit 8 .

Compared with the scanning line driving circuit generally composed of shift registers, the signal line driving circuit is composed of digital-to-analog converters, analog amplifiers, etc., so the number of transistors is large and the wiring is also complicated. Therefore, if it is composed of the same thin film transistor, the layout area tends to increase.

Therefore, the length of the signal line driving circuit 9 is lengthened and the length of the scanning line driving circuit 8 is shortened so that the width of the signal line driving circuit 9 becomes smaller and the width of the scanning line driving circuit 8 becomes larger.

If the widths of both are equal, the distance between the periphery of the display unit 1 and the periphery of the display substrate 10 is uniform over the entire circumference, and the display substrate 10 and display device having a similar shape to the non-rectangular display unit 1 can be realized.

<10th embodiment>

Next, a tenth embodiment of the present invention will be described. Referring to FIG. 19 , a tenth embodiment of the present invention is a non-rectangular display portion other than a circle. In the display unit 1 having a straight line left and right and a vertically curved outer periphery, scanning lines 2 are arranged in the horizontal direction, and signal lines 3 are arranged in the vertical direction. The signal line 3 on the right side of the screen is driven by the signal line driver circuit 9 arranged on the upper right, and the signal line 3 on the left side of the screen is driven by the signal line driver circuit 9 arranged on the lower left.

Each signal line driver circuit 9 has a curved shape along the periphery of the curved display portion.

The scanning line 2 is driven by using the scanning line driving circuit 8 divided into left and right.

The scanning line driving circuit 8 arranged on the right drives most of the scanning lines on the screen, and the scanning line driving circuit 8 arranged on the left drives from the left where the scanning lines are interrupted due to the curvature of the display portion.

<Eleventh embodiment>

Next, an eleventh embodiment of the present invention will be described. Referring to FIG. 20, the difference between the eleventh embodiment of the present invention and the above-mentioned tenth embodiment shown in FIG. Portions where none of the line driver circuits 9 are adjacent are contiguous, and in this way the wiring of the signal line driver circuits 9 becomes longer.

In this way, the layout of the signal line driver circuit 9 can be made thinner, and further narrowing of the frame becomes possible.

<12th embodiment>

Next, a twelfth embodiment of the present invention will be described. Referring to FIG. 26 , a display device according to a twelfth embodiment of the present invention includes one scanning line driver circuit 8 and one signal line driver circuit 9 adjacent to display unit 1 formed along the outer periphery of non-rectangular display unit 1 .

This embodiment differs from the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 in that the number of scanning line driving circuits 8 and signal line driving circuits 9 is small. When there are a plurality of scanning line driving circuits 8 and a plurality of signal line driving circuits 9, it is necessary to obtain synchronization between the scanning line driving circuits and between the signal line driving circuits for sequential operations. That is, in the case of the scanning line driving circuit 8, among the plurality of shift registers 100 constituting it, for the shift register outputting OUTn in FIG. 2 , the output OUTn- 1. OUTn+1 to obtain synchronization. The same synchronization is required for the plurality of scanning line drive circuits 8 . If the number of scanning line driving circuits 8 and signal line driving circuits 9 is small as in the present embodiment, it is advantageous that synchronization does not need to be performed or can be reduced.

In the above-mentioned first embodiment, the number of drive circuits 8 or 9 adjacent to the same portion on the periphery of the non-rectangular display unit 1 is limited to one, but in this embodiment, two drive circuits are adjacent to the same portion on the periphery. . How the shift register 100 constituting the scanning line driving circuit 8 and the circuit blocks constituting the signal line driving circuit 9 are arranged at this time is shown in FIG. 27 in which the adjacent two driving circuits are enlarged. When the signal line 3 driven by the circuit block is connected to the pixel array, it will cross the scanning line driving circuit 8. Interference is kept to a minimum. In addition, outside the display unit 1, at the intersection of the signal line 3 and the scanning line 2, there are no thin film transistors 4 and pixel units 5 as in the intersection of FIG. 24, so the influence on the display is small.

<13th embodiment>

Next, a thirteenth embodiment of the present invention will be described. Referring to FIG. 28 , in the display device according to the thirteenth embodiment of the present invention, the block size of the shift register 100 constituting the scanning line driving circuit 8 is an area whose horizontal interval is the scanning line 2 interval and the vertical interval is the signal line 3 interval. the following. That is, the layout size of the shift register 100 is smaller than the area surrounded by two adjacent scanning lines among the scanning lines 2 and two adjacent signal lines among the signal lines 3 .

In this embodiment, the difference from the above-mentioned twelfth embodiment shown in FIG. 27 is that the signal line 3 output from the signal line driver circuit 9 is extended without bending and passes between the shift registers 100, and is connected with the scanning line driver. Circuit 8 is connected to the pixel array without interference. In FIG. 27, the signal line 3 is bent, so the distance between the signal lines fluctuates significantly, and interference between the signal lines becomes a problem. In this embodiment, the distance between the signal lines is kept constant, so that interference between the signal lines can be suppressed. Here, the size of the shift register 100 of the scanning line driver circuit 8 arranged closer to the display unit 1 is limited, and the reverse method may be used when the signal line driver circuit 9 is closer to the display unit 1 .

In addition, in the above embodiments, the active elements constituting the driving circuit and the active elements in the pixels are thin film transistors, but diodes or other active elements can also be used if the purpose and effect of the present invention can be achieved.

Also, it is also possible to combine various active components, for example, diodes are used for pixels, and thin film transistors are used for driving circuits.

Also, in the above embodiments, the pixels are liquid crystals, but electroluminescent materials can also be used if the purpose and effect of the present invention can be achieved. As the electroluminescent material, any organic material or inorganic material may be used. For example, when an organic material is used, a non-rectangular display device with a good design effect can be realized by making the shape of a sealing plate such as a sealing glass used to improve reliability substantially similar to that of the display portion. Also, a non-rectangular display device with a good design effect can also be realized by making the outer shape of an optical member such as a circular vibrating plate that is commonly used to prevent reflection of external light into a shape roughly similar to that of the display portion.

By adopting the embodiment of the present invention, a circular watch with a narrow frame as shown in FIG. 21 can be realized. That is, as shown in FIG. 7 , the scanning line driving circuit 8 and the signal line driving circuit 9 having a curved shape along the outer periphery of the display unit 1 are arranged so that the shape of the display substrate 10 and the display device 11 are similar to those of the display unit 1. .

In addition, if the display unit is an active matrix display unit composed of a plurality of scanning lines, a plurality of signal lines and pixels, a high-definition display can be performed, and the display can be switched between an analog watch and a digital watch. .

Above-mentioned watch also can add strap and use as watch.

Furthermore, it can also be assembled into a mobile phone as shown in FIG. 22 . In this case, a display device with a narrow frame can be effective in reducing excess volume during assembly.

When the present invention is applied to the semicircular speedometer shown in FIG. 23, for example, the embodiment shown in FIG. 17 can be applied. That is, a rectangular semiconductor IC driving circuit is arranged adjacent to the straight line portion of the semicircle, and a driving circuit curved along the periphery is arranged on at least 1/4 circle of the curved periphery.

This makes it possible to realize a speedometer with a semicircular display with a narrow bezel, and to reduce unnecessary volume when it is incorporated into an automobile or the like.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, the heart-shaped display device shown in FIG. 29 can be realized. That is, as shown in FIG. 30 , the scanning line driving circuit 8 and the signal line driving circuit 9 having a curved shape along the outer periphery of the display unit 1 are laid out so that the shape of the display device 11 can be similar to that of the display unit 1 . When the acute corner of the center is set as the lower part, the scanning line 2 and the signal line 3 are arranged so as to be inclined at 45 degrees from the horizontal and vertical, so that a small number of each of the scanning line driving circuit 8 and the signal line driving circuit 9 can be used. The number realizes the display device. This also has the same advantages and effects as those of the twelfth embodiment.

By setting the display unit as an active matrix display unit composed of a plurality of scanning lines, a plurality of signal lines, and pixels, the cardioid display device can be used as a digital pendant or a digital pendant that displays high-definition digital images. According to the present invention, besides a heart shape, for example, a raindrop-shaped display device in FIG. 32 or a boat-shaped display device in FIG. 33 may also be used.

By adopting the embodiment of the present invention to an advertising display displaying an advertising image of a moving picture or a still picture, it is possible to provide a display having a shape suitable for the advertised product by utilizing the feature that the display unit and the device have arbitrary shapes.

Utilization examples of the present invention include portable terminals, mobile phones, watches capable of digital and analog multi-function displays such as time, calendar, temperature, air pressure, etc., speedometers of automobiles, etc. Digital photo frames for detailed photos, digital pendants, and electronic displays for storefront advertising in the shape that matches the advertised product.

In addition, each disclosed technique of the said patent document is used here as a reference. Changes and adjustments to the embodiments and examples can be made within the scope of all disclosed technologies (including claims) of the present invention and based on the basic technical idea. In addition, various combinations and selections of various disclosed technical elements are possible within the scope of the claims of the present invention. That is, the present invention naturally includes various deformations and corrections that can be made by those skilled in the art in accordance with all disclosed technologies and technical ideas of the claims.

Claims (18)

1. A display device, comprising: An active matrix display unit comprising signal lines and scanning lines arranged in a matrix on a substrate, active elements and pixels arranged at intersections of the signal lines and the scanning lines; a scanning line driving circuit for driving the scanning lines; and a signal line driver circuit that drives the above-mentioned signal line, It is characterized in that, The outer shape of the above-mentioned display part is non-rectangular, At least one of the scanning line driving circuit and the signal line driving circuit includes an active element having the same structure as the active element constituting the active matrix, At least one of the scanning line driving circuit and the signal line driving circuit has a plurality of circuit units having the same function, A plurality of the circuit units are arranged along the outer periphery of the non-rectangular display portion. 2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein: The above-mentioned active element comprises a thin-film silicon layer, The thickness of the thin film silicon layer of the active element constituting the active matrix is equal to the thickness of the thin film silicon layer of the active element included in at least one of the scanning line driver circuit and the signal line driver circuit. 3. The display device according to claim 1, wherein: In at least one of the scanning line driving circuit and the signal line driving circuit, The layout shape of the above-mentioned circuit units is rectangular or non-rectangular, The above-mentioned circuit units are connected in multiple stages, The above-mentioned circuit units connected in multiple stages include those in which the intervals between the above-mentioned circuit units are varied. 4. The display device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, In at least one of the scanning line driving circuit and the signal line driving circuit, The driving circuit adjacent to the linearly extending peripheral edge of the non-rectangular display portion is a rectangular semiconductor IC, The driving circuit adjacent to the curved periphery of the non-rectangular display part includes the above-mentioned active element formed in a non-rectangular shape along the above-mentioned periphery and manufactured in the same process as the above-mentioned active element constituting the above-mentioned active matrix. element. 5. The display device according to claim 1, wherein a length adjacent to the signal line driving circuit on the outer periphery of the display portion is longer than a length adjacent to the scanning line driving circuit. 6. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of circuit units disposed along the outer periphery of the display portion include relatively uniform distances between the circuit units and the periphery of the display portion. A circuit unit arranged with steps adjacent to each other. 7. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of circuit units are arranged at predetermined intervals in a direction parallel to an arbitrarily selected linear axis on at least a part of the display device. of. 8. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of circuit units arranged along the outer periphery of the display portion include ones arranged in a state inclined relative to other circuit units corresponding to the periphery of the display portion. circuit unit. 9. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of circuit units are arranged at a predetermined angle in a direction along an arbitrarily selected rotation axis on at least a part of the display device. of. 10. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the wiring shape of the circuit units arranged along the outer periphery of the display portion is a rectangle. 11. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the layout shape of the circuit units arranged along the outer periphery of the display portion is a trapezoid or an inverted trapezoid. 12. The display device according to claim 11, characterized in that, As the above-mentioned circuit unit arranged adjacently along the periphery of the above-mentioned display part, it includes Lay out the above-mentioned circuit units whose shape is trapezoidal, Arranging the above-mentioned circuit units whose shape is an inverted trapezoid, At least one of the circuit unit having a trapezoidal shape and the circuit unit having an inverted trapezoidal shape is arranged. 13. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the shape of some of the circuit units of the plurality of circuit units arranged along the outer periphery of the display portion is non-rectangular, and the arrangement of the non-rectangular circuit units is according to The above-mentioned non-rectangular circuit units are combined and arranged roughly in the densest manner. 14. The display device according to claim 1, wherein in at least one of the scanning line driving circuit and the signal line driving circuit, the layout size ratio of the circuit unit is determined by The area surrounded by two adjacent scanning lines and two adjacent signal lines among the above-mentioned signal lines is small. 15. The display device according to any one of claims 6 to 14, wherein the above-mentioned circuit unit includes a shift register, and a plurality of shift registers connected in cascade form the above-mentioned scanning line driving circuit, and the primary The signal input to the shift register is output in response to the clock signal, and is sequentially transmitted to the subsequent shift register, and drives the corresponding scanning line. 16. A display device, characterized in that, A drive circuit is provided. In this drive circuit, shift registers composed of thin film transistors are connected in a multi-stage cascaded manner, and signals input to the primary shift register are output in response to a clock signal, and are sequentially transmitted to the subsequent shift register, And used as a signal to drive the display section, A plurality of the shift registers are arranged to follow the shape of the outer periphery of the display unit, and the shift registers are arranged with steps or inclinations relative to adjacent ones on the curved outline of the outer periphery of the display unit. 17. The display device according to claim 16, wherein the arrangement shape of the plurality of shift registers is a rectangle with the same size. 18 . The display device according to claim 16 , wherein the arrangement shape of the plurality of shift registers is a trapezoid or an inverted trapezoid.

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