# US 11,444,130 B2 · Display substrate, display method thereof, display device, and fine metal mask

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- Number: US 11,444,130 B2
- Document ID: US11444130B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/615,971
- Filed: 2019-03-20
- Published: 2021-12-02
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2018-06-29
- Assignees: Boe Technology Group Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Wenjing Tan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11444130B2

## CPC

- G09G 3/20: for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix {no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters}
- C23C 14/042: {using masks}
- G09G 3/3208: organic, e.g. using organic light-emitting diodes [OLED]
- G09G 3/3275: Details of drivers for data electrodes
- H10K 59/121: characterised by the geometry or disposition of pixel elements
- H10K 59/353: {characterised by the geometrical arrangement of the RGB subpixels}
- G09G 2300/0452: Details of colour pixel setup, e.g. pixel composed of a red, a blue and two green components
- G09G 2310/027: Details of drivers for data electrodes, the drivers handling digital grey scale data, e.g. use of D/A converters
- G09G 2340/0407: Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
- H04M 1/0266: {for a display module assembly}
- G09G: ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION (arrangements for transferring data between digital computers and displays G06F3/14; static indicating arrangements comprising an association of a number of separate sources or light control cells G09F9/00; static indicating arrangements comprising integral associations of a number of light sources H01J, H01K, H10H, H05B33/12; scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission, details thereof H04N1/00)
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)
- H10K: ORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES
- H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08)

## Abstract

Disclosed are a display panel, a display method thereof, a display device, and a fine metal mask, and a display area of the display substrate includes a first display sub-area and a second display sub-area, where a plurality of uniformly distributed sub-pixels are arranged in the second display sub-area, and a distribution density of pixels in the first display sub-area is higher than a distribution density of pixels in the second display sub-area.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A display substrate, comprising a display area comprising:
a first display sub-area; and
a second display sub-area, wherein a plurality of sub-pixels are uniformly distributed in the second display sub-area; and
a distribution density of pixels in the first display sub-area is higher than a distribution density of pixels in the second display sub-area;
wherein in case of that the first display sub-area comprises a plurality of first pixel elements and second pixel elements arranged adjacent to each other, wherein the first pixel elements comprise a first sub-pixel and a second sub-pixel, and the second pixel elements comprise a third sub-pixel and a second sub-pixel, the first pixel elements and the second pixel elements are arranged alternately in the column direction, and the first pixel elements and the second pixel elements are arranged alternately in the row direction, in the first display sub-area.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The display substrate according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of sides of the second display sub-area coincide with at least a part of sides of the display area, and other sides of the second display sub-area are surrounded by the first display sub-area;
wherein the first display sub-area and the second display sub-area are arranged in a row direction, or the first display sub-area and the second display sub-area are arranged in a column direction.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The display substrate according to claim 1, wherein the first display sub-area is arranged to surround the second display sub-area, or
the second display sub-area is one of a round, a drop of water, a rectangle, and a trapezium, or
the first display sub-area and the second display sub-area form a consecutive display area, and a shape of the display area is substantially rectangular, the second display sub-area is located at a corner of the display area, or
an area of the second display sub-area is smaller than an area of the first display sub-area.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The display substrate according to claim 1, wherein the second display sub-area comprises a plurality of third pixel elements arranged in a rectangular pattern, and the third pixel elements comprise a first sub-pixel, a second sub-pixel, and a third sub-pixel; and
in a same third pixel element, the first sub-pixel and the third sub-pixel are arranged in a same row and adjacent to each other, and the second sub-pixel is located in an adjacent row to a row where the first sub-pixel and the third sub-pixel are located.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The display substrate according to claim 4, wherein centers of sub-pixels with a same color among the first sub-pixels, the second sub-pixels, and the third sub-pixels in the second display sub-area are distributed uniformly, or
sub-pixels with a same color among the first sub-pixels, the second sub-pixels, and the third sub-pixels in the second display sub-area are arranged at a uniform interval in the row direction, and arranged at a uniform interval in the column direction.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The display substrate according to claim 5, wherein in a case of that sub-pixels with a same color among the first sub-pixels, the second sub-pixels, and the third sub-pixels in the second display sub-area are arranged at a uniform interval in the row direction, and arranged at a uniform interval in the column direction, sub-pixels with a same color among the first sub-pixels, the second sub-pixels, and the third sub-pixels in the second display sub-area are arranged in different columns in adjacent rows, and centers of two adjacent sub-pixels in a same row have a same distance from a center of a sub-pixel which is in a row adjacent to the two adjacent sub-pixels and is closest to the two adjacent sub-pixels, or
sub-pixels with a same color among the first sub-pixels, the second sub-pixels, and the third sub-pixels in the second display sub-area are arranged in different rows in adjacent columns, and centers of two adjacent sub-pixels in a same column have a same distance from a center of a sub-pixel which is in a column adjacent to the two adjacent sub-pixels and is closest to the two adjacent sub-pixels.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

The display substrate according to claim 4, wherein sub-pixels in a same column of third pixel elements in the second display sub-area are arranged in a same or reverse pattern;
wherein for two adjacent third pixel elements in the row direction in the second display sub-area, the first sub-pixel and the third sub-pixel in one of the third pixel elements are located in a same row as the second sub-pixel in the other third pixel element.

### Claim 8 (depends on 4)

The display substrate according to claim 4, wherein in a same third pixel element in the second display sub-area, an orthographical projection of a center of the second sub-pixel onto a line connecting a center of the first sub-pixel with a center of the third sub-pixel lies between the center of the first sub-pixel and the center of the third sub-pixel;
wherein sub-pixels with same color in adjacent third pixel elements in the row direction in the second display sub-area are not adjacent to each other;
wherein light-emission areas of a first sub-pixel, a second sub-pixel, and a third sub-pixel in the second display sub-area are substantially same;
wherein shapes of a first sub-pixel, a second sub-pixel, and a third sub-pixel in the second display sub-area are substantially same;
wherein the first display sub-area comprises a plurality of first pixel elements and second pixel elements arranged adjacent to each other, wherein the first pixel elements comprise a first sub-pixel and a second sub-pixel, and the second pixel elements comprise a third sub-pixel and a second sub-pixel.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The display substrate according to claim 8,
wherein the second sub-pixel and the first sub-pixel in the first pixel elements are arranged in a same row, and the second sub-pixel and the third sub-pixel in the second pixel elements are arranged in a same row; and
for the first pixel element and the second pixel element adjacent in the row direction, the second sub-pixel in the first pixel element is not adjacent to the second sub-pixel in the second pixel element.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The display substrate according to claim 9, wherein in case of that the second sub-pixel and the first sub-pixel in the first pixel elements are arranged in a same row, and the second sub-pixel and the third sub-pixel in the second pixel elements are arranged in a same row; and for the first pixel element and the second pixel element adjacent in the row direction, the second sub-pixel in the first pixel element is not adjacent to the second sub-pixel in the second pixel element, light-emission areas of a first sub-pixel, a second sub-pixel, and a third sub-pixel in the first display sub-area are substantially same;
wherein for the first pixel elements and the second pixel elements in a same column, the second sub-pixels in the first pixel elements are located in a same column as the second sub-pixels in the second pixel elements.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The display substrate according to claim 1, wherein a shape of the first sub-pixels in the first display sub-area is a rectangle.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The display substrate according to claim 1, wherein the second sub-pixel and the first sub-pixel in the first pixel element are arranged in a same row, and the second sub-pixel and the third sub-pixel in the second pixel element are arranged in different rows and in different columns; and two second sub-pixels are not adjacent to each other in the first pixel element and the second pixel element adjacent in the row direction; and
the first pixel element and the second pixel element adjacent in the column direction are a group of pixels, and in a same group of pixels, the second sub-pixel in the first pixel element is located in a same column as the second sub-pixel in the second pixel element.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The display substrate according to claim 12, wherein in a same group of pixels, two second sub-pixels are arranged adjacent to each other in the column direction, and symmetric in the row direction, or
two adjacent second sub-pixels in the column direction in the first display sub-area are a group of second sub-pixels, and a distance between two adjacent groups of second sub-pixels in the column direction in the first display sub-area is substantially equal to a distance between two adjacent second sub-pixels in the column direction in the second display sub-area, or
in a same group of pixels, shapes of the first sub-pixel and the third sub-pixel are same, and a shape of a combination of two adjacent second sub-pixels in the column direction is same as a shape of the first sub-pixel.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The display substrate according to claim 13, wherein in a case of that in a same group of pixels, shapes of the first sub-pixel and the third sub-pixel are same, and a shape of a combination of two adjacent second sub-pixels in the column direction is same as a shape of the first sub-pixel, in the first display sub-area, a shape of the first sub-pixels, and a shape of the third sub-pixels 3 are a hexagon, and a shape of the second sub-pixels is a pentagon.

### Claim 15 (depends on 8)

The display substrate according to claim 8, wherein a spacing between two adjacent first sub-pixels in the column direction in the first display sub-area is not larger than a spacing between two adjacent first sub-pixels in the column direction in the second display sub-area; and
a spacing between two adjacent third sub-pixels in the column direction in the first display sub-area is not larger than a spacing between two adjacent third sub-pixels in the column direction in the second display sub-area, or
wherein a light-emitting area of a second sub-pixel in the second display sub-area is not smaller than a light-emitting area of a second sub-pixel in the first display sub-area;
a light-emitting area of a first sub-pixel in the second display sub-area is substantially equal to a light-emitting area of a first sub-pixel in the first display sub-area; and
a light-emitting area of a third sub-pixel in the second display sub-area is substantially equal to a light-emitting area of a third sub-pixel in the first display sub-area, or
wherein a shape of the first sub-pixels in the second display sub-area is substantially same as a shape of the first sub-pixels in the first display sub-area; and
a shape of the third sub-pixels in the second display sub-area is substantially the same as a shape of the third sub-pixels in the first display sub-area, or
wherein in the first display sub-area, a light-emitting area of a second sub-pixel is not larger than a light-emitting area of a first sub-pixel, and a light-emitting area of a second sub-pixel is not larger than a light-emitting area of a third sub-pixel, or
wherein the sub-pixels in the second display sub-area are located in a same row as a part of the sub-pixels in the first display sub-area, or
wherein the sub-pixels in the second display sub-area are be located in a same column as a part of the sub-pixels in the first display sub-area.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The display substrate according to claim 15, wherein the first sub-pixels in the second display sub-area, and the first sub-pixels in the first display sub-area are located in at least one of a same row and a same column, or
wherein the second sub-pixels in the second display sub-area, and the second sub-pixels in the first display sub-area are located in at least one of a same row and a same column, or
wherein the third sub-pixels in the second display sub-area, and the third sub-pixels in the first display sub-area are located in at least one of a same row and a same column, or
wherein a distribution density of the first sub-pixels in the second display sub-area in the row direction is ½ of a distribution density of the first sub-pixels in the first display sub-area in the row direction;
a distribution density of the third sub-pixels in the second display sub-area in the row direction is ½ of a distribution density of the third sub-pixels in the first display sub-area in the row direction; and
a distribution density of the second sub-pixels in the second display sub-area in the row direction is ¼ of a distribution density of the second sub-pixels in the first display sub-area in the row direction.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

A display device, comprising the display substrate according to claim 1.

### Claim 18 (depends on 8)

A fine metal mask for fabricating the display substrate according to claim 8, in case of that the first display sub-area comprises a plurality of first pixel elements and second pixel elements arranged adjacent to each other, wherein the first pixel elements comprise a first sub-pixel and a second sub-pixel, and the second pixel elements comprise a third sub-pixel and a second sub-pixel, the fine metal mask comprising a plurality of opening areas corresponding in shape and position to one of the first sub-pixels, the second sub-pixels, and the third sub-pixels.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

A display method of the display substrate according to claim 1, the method comprising:
receiving raw image data; and
for a pixel in the first display sub-area, displaying at a grayscale of corresponding pixel in the raw image data;
for a pixel in the second display sub-area, determining a quantity N of pixels in the raw image data, corresponding to a pixel according to a ratio of the distribution density of pixels in the first display sub-area to the distribution density of pixels in the second display sub-area; and displaying according to a grayscale or grayscales of one or more of the N pixels in the raw image data, corresponding to the position of the pixel.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method according to claim 19, wherein for a pixel in the second display sub-area, displaying at an average grayscale of the N pixels in the raw image data, corresponding to the position of the pixel, or
wherein for a pixel in the second display sub-area, displaying at a grayscale of the pixel of highest brightness among the N pixels in the raw image data, corresponding to the position of the pixel, or
wherein for a pixel in the second display sub-area, displaying at a grayscale of a pixel of intermediate brightness among the N pixels in the raw image data, corresponding to the position of the pixel, or
wherein for a pixel in the second display sub-area, displaying according to the N pixels in the raw image data, corresponding to the position of the pixel, and a relative position relationship between the pixel in the second display sub-area, and the N pixels in the raw image data,
wherein the ratio of the distribution density of pixels in the first display sub-area to the distribution density in the second display sub-area is n, wherein n is an integer greater than 1; and
a pixel in the second display area corresponds to n*n pixels, arranged in a rectangular pattern, in the raw image data; for a pixel in the second display sub-area, a pixel at a same position among n*n pixel in the raw image data, corresponding to the pixel is a reference pixel, and displaying the pixel in the second display sub-area at a grayscale of the reference pixel corresponding to the pixel.