Foldable display panel and foldable display device

{
  "publication_number": "US10520978B1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B1",
  "title": "Foldable display panel and foldable display device",
  "abstract": "A foldable display panel, including: a first non-folding region, a folding region, and a second non-folding region arranged in the first direction; a plurality of gate lines; a plurality of data lines having first and second data lines; a plurality of first data pins located in the first non-folding region; a plurality of second data pins located in the second non-folding region; a plurality of first data leads; and a plurality of second data leads. The plurality of gate lines extends in the first direction from the first non-folding region, passes through the folding region and extends to the second non-folding region. The first data lines are electrically connected to the plurality of first data pins, and the second data lines are electrically connected to the plurality of second data pins. A folding axis of the foldable display panel is substantially parallel to the plurality of data lines.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A foldable display panel, having a first non-folding region, a folding region, and a second non-folding region arranged in the first direction, wherein the foldable display panel comprises: a plurality of gate lines extending in the first direction from the first non-folding region, passing through the folding region and extending to the second non-folding region; a plurality of data lines extending in a second direction and arranged in the first direction, wherein the second direction intersects with the first direction, and wherein the plurality of data lines comprises a plurality of first data lines located in the first non-folding region and a plurality of second data lines located in the second non-folding region; a plurality of first data pins located in the first non-folding region; a plurality of second data pins located in the second non-folding region; a plurality of first data leads, wherein the plurality of first data lines is electrically connected to the plurality of first data pins through the plurality of first data leads; and a plurality of second data leads, wherein the plurality of second data lines is electrically connected to the plurality of second data pins through the plurality of second data leads, wherein a folding axis of the foldable display panel is substantially parallel to the plurality of data lines.",
    "2. The foldable display panel according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of data lines further comprises a plurality of third data lines and a plurality of fourth data lines located in the folding region, wherein a distance between one third data line of the plurality of third data lines and the second non-folding region is greater than a distance between the one third data line and the first non-folding region, and each of the plurality of third data lines is electrically connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of first data pins through a corresponding one of the plurality of first data leads; and wherein a distance between one fourth data line of the plurality of fourth data lines and the second non-folding region is smaller than a distance between the one fourth data line and the first non-folding region, and wherein each of the plurality of fourth data lines is electrically connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of second data pins through a corresponding one of the plurality of second data leads.",
    "3. The foldable display panel according to claim 2, further comprising: a plurality of first data drive units, a plurality of second data drive units, and a plurality of third data drive units; wherein one of the plurality of first data drive units is electrically connected to at least two of the plurality of first data lines and to only one of the plurality of first data pins; wherein one of the plurality of second data drive units is electrically connected to at least two of the plurality of second data lines and to only one of the plurality of second data pins; and wherein one of the plurality of third data drive units is electrically connected to at least two of the plurality of third data lines and to only one of the plurality of first data pins, or is electrically connected to at least two of the plurality of fourth data lines and to only one of the plurality of second data pins.",
    "4. The foldable display panel according to claim 3, wherein: the plurality of first data drive units is located only in the first non-folding region; the plurality of second data drive units is located only in the second non-folding region; and the plurality of third data drive units is located only in the folding region.",
    "5. The foldable display panel according to claim 3, wherein: the plurality of first data drive units is located only in the first non-folding region; the plurality of second data drive units is located only in the second non-folding region; one of the plurality of third data drive units that is electrically connected to one of the plurality of first data pins is located only in the first non-folding region, and one of the plurality of third data drive units that is electrically connected to one of the plurality of second data pins is located only in the second non-folding region.",
    "6. The foldable display panel according to claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of power signal lines extending in the second direction and arranged in the first direction, wherein the plurality of power signal lines comprises a plurality of first power signal lines located in the first non-folding region, a plurality of second power signal lines located in the second non-folding region, and a plurality of third power signal lines located in the folding region.",
    "7. The foldable display panel according to claim 6, further comprising: a plurality of power connection lines extending in the first direction from the first non-folding region, passing through the folding region and extending to the second non-folding region; wherein the plurality of power connection lines is electrically connected to the plurality of first power signal lines, the plurality of second power signal lines, and the plurality of third power signal lines.",
    "8. The foldable display panel according to claim 7, further comprising: a semiconductor layer, a first metal layer, a capacitor metal layer, and a second metal layer; wherein the plurality of first power signal lines, the plurality of second power signal lines, and the plurality of third power signal lines are located in the second metal layer; wherein the plurality of power connection lines is located in the capacitor metal layer and forms an overlapping region with the plurality of first power signal lines, the plurality of second power signal lines, and the plurality of third power signal lines; and wherein the plurality of first power signal lines, the plurality of second power signal lines, and the plurality of third power signal lines are electrically connected to the plurality of power connection lines through a plurality of through holes in the overlapping region.",
    "9. The foldable display panel according to claim 8, further comprising: a first power bus, a second power bus, a plurality of first power signal pins, and a plurality of second power signal pins; wherein the first power bus and the plurality of first power signal pins are located only in the first non-folding region, first ends of the plurality of first power signal lines are connected to each other through the first power bus, and second ends of the plurality of first power signal lines are separated from each other; the second power bus and the plurality of second power signal pins are only located in the second non-folding region, first ends of the plurality of second power signal lines are connected to each other through the second power bus, and second ends of the plurality of second power signal lines are separated from each other; the first power bus is electrically connected to the plurality of first power signal pins; and the second power bus is electrically connected to the plurality of second power signal pins.",
    "10. The foldable display panel according to claim 9, wherein first ends of the plurality of third power signal lines are separated from each other, and second ends of the plurality of third power signal lines are separated from each other.",
    "11. The foldable display panel according to claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of first gate drive units located in the first non-folding region and a plurality of second gate drive units located in the second non-folding region; wherein a first end of each of the plurality of gate lines is electrically connected to an output terminal of one of the plurality of first gate drive units, and a second end of each of the plurality of gate lines is electrically connected to an output terminal of one of the plurality of second gate drive units.",
    "12. The foldable display panel according to claim 11, further comprising: a plurality of first gate pins and a plurality of second gate pins; wherein the plurality of first gate pins is located only in the first non-folding region and is electrically connected to the plurality of first gate drive units; the plurality of second gate pins is located only in the second non-folding region and is electrically connected to the plurality of second gate drive units; and the plurality of first gate pins and the plurality of second gate pins, independently from each other, are configured to provide an initial signal or a clock signal to the plurality of first gate drive units and the plurality of second gate drive units.",
    "13. The foldable display panel according to claim 1, further comprising: a first flexible circuit board and a second flexible circuit board, wherein the first flexible circuit board is electrically connected to the plurality of first data pins, and the second flexible circuit board is electrically connected to the plurality of second data pins; and wherein the first flexible circuit board and the second flexible circuit board are separated from each other.",
    "14. The foldable display panel according to claim 13, wherein the first flexible circuit board comprises a first chip, and the second flexible circuit board comprises a second chip; and wherein the first chip and the second chip are configured to, independently from each other, provide display signals for the foldable display panel.",
    "15. The foldable display panel according to claim 1, further comprising: a flexible circuit board comprising a main body portion, a first bonding portion, and a second bonding portion, wherein the first bonding portion is electrically connected to the plurality of first data pins; the second bonding portion is electrically connected to the plurality of second data pins; and the first bonding portion is connected to the second bonding portion through the main body portion.",
    "16. The foldable display panel according to claim 15, wherein: the flexible circuit board comprises a main chip, the plurality of first data pins and the plurality of second data pins are electrically connected to the main chip, and the main chip provides a display signal for the foldable display panel.",
    "17. A foldable display device, comprising a foldable display panel according to claim 1."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present disclosure relates to the field of display technologies, and particularly, to foldable display panels and foldable display devices.\n\nA display device having foldable performance is portable, which is an important attribute and a development trend for the display devices in the future.\n\nAt present, when manufacturing a foldable display device, a plurality of small display screens are generally spliced together to form a complete display panel in which a splicing region serves as a foldable region. The foldable display panel formed by splicing a plurality of small flexible display screens together is then applied to form a large display device. However, when such splicing manner is applied to a small display device such as a mobile phone or a tablet computer, the display effect near the splicing region is not ideal, thereby affecting the display effect of the entire display panel. Therefore, bending the entire large display panel instead of splicing a plurality of small display panels is a development trend for the foldable display devices in the future.\n\nHowever, in the related art, when the display panel is folded, there exists difference between the display effect of the folding region and the display effect of the non-folding region, which results in non-uniform display of the entire panel and affects the user experience. More importantly, since the number of bending actions is increased, the display components in the folding region are prone to failure, resulting in abnormal display of the entire panel and affecting display's normal use for the user.",
  "cpc": [
    "G09G 3/20",
    "G06F 1/1616",
    "G06F 1/1635",
    "G06F 1/1652",
    "G06F 1/1683",
    "G09F 9/301",
    "G09G 2310/0264",
    "G09G 2330/08",
    "G09G 2380/02"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "G06F 1/16",
    "G09G 3/20"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Wuhan Tianma Microelectronics Co Ltd"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Yin Li",
    "Wenke Li",
    "Qin Yue",
    "Baonan WANG",
    "Tao Peng"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2018-12-07",
  "publication_date": "2019-12-31",
  "grant_date": "2019-12-31",
  "priority_date": "2018-08-09",
  "application_number": "US-201816213996-A",
  "family_id": "63969319",
  "cited_by_count": 16,
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}