Apparatus and method of driving light source for image display device and image display device having the same

An apparatus for driving a light source in an image display device in which a gate signal of a gate line includes a gate-on voltage and a gate-off voltage to control activation of pixels of the image display device, the apparatus comprising:

• a signal controller that generates a synchronization signal in response to input control signals externally provided, wherein the signal controller generates a gate control signal to control timing of generation of the gate-on voltage;
• an inverter that generates a driving signal synchronized with the synchronization signal, the driving signal being provided to the light source;
• and,
• a phase shifter that receives the gate control signal from the signal controller and generates the synchronization signal to the inverter, the synchronization signal having a phase difference of 90° with respect to the gate control signal,
• wherein the driving signal includes a wave signal of which a rising slope interval and a falling slope interval are substantially equal to each other during a gate-on voltage interval in which a data voltage of a data line the image display device is charged in corresponding one of the pixels.

An image display device comprising:

• a display panel having gate lines and data lines electrically connected with pixels of the image display device;
• a gate driver that provides a gate signal to corresponding ones of the pixels via the gate lines;
• a data driver that provides a data voltage to corresponding ones of the pixels via the data lines;
• a lamp unit that provides light to the display panel;
• an inverter that provides a lamp driving signal to drive the lamp unit;
• and
• a signal controller that generates a gate control signal to control timing of generation of the gate-on voltage,
• wherein the signal controller generates a synchronization signal to the inverter, the synchronization signal having a phase difference of 90° with respect to the gate control signal, the lamp driving signal being synchronized with the synchronization signal, and
• wherein the lamp driving signal includes a wave signal of which a rising slope interval and a falling slope interval are substantially equal to each other during a gate-on voltage interval in which the data voltage is charged in corresponding one of the pixels.

An image display device comprising:

• a display panel having gate lines and data lines electrically connected with pixels of the image display device;
• a gate driver that provides a gate signal to corresponding ones of the pixels via the gate lines;
• a data driver that provides a data voltage to corresponding ones of the pixels via the data lines;
• a lamp unit that provides light to the display panel;
• an inverter that provides a lamp driving signal to drive the lamp unit;
• a signal controller that generates a gate control signal to control timing of generation of the gate-on voltage;
• and
• a phase shifter that receives the gate control signal from the signal controller and generates the synchronization signal to the inverter, the synchronization signal having a phase difference of 90° with respect to the gate control signal,
• wherein the lamp driving signal includes a wave signal of which a rising slope interval and a falling slope interval are substantially equal to each other during a gate-on voltage interval in which the data voltage is charged in corresponding one of the pixels.

A method for driving a light source for providing light to a display panel in an image display device, comprising:

• providing a gate signal to control activation of corresponding pixels in the display panel, the gate signal including a gate-on voltage and a gate-off voltage;
• providing a data voltage to activated pixels to display images;
• generating a gate control signal to control timing of generation of the gate-on voltage;
• phase-shifting the gate control signal to generate a synchronization signal;
• and
• generating a driving signal to drive the light source, the driving signal being synchronized with the synchronization signal and having a wave signal that is substantially symmetric with respect to a vertical center line within a gate-on voltage interval during which the data voltage is charged in corresponding one of the pixels,
• wherein the phase-shifting the gate control signal includes shifting a phase of the gate control signal by 90° to generate the synchronization signal.