Driving apparatus

Claim 2

A driving apparatus comprising a scanning driver circuit connected to scanning electrodes and a signal driver circuit connected to signal electrodes; said signal driver circuit comprising: (1) a drive signal generating unit which includes a first signal generating circuit and a second signal generating circuit for generating a first voltage signal and a second voltage signal, respectively, of mutually different waveforms; (2) a switching circuit unit for selectively supplying the first or second voltage signal to a signal electrode; and (3) a switching signal generating unit for supplying a switching control signal to the switching circuit unit.

Claim 3

An apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein said switching circuit unit comprises a transistor.

Claim 4

An apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein the transistor in the switching circuit unit is a field effect transistor.

Claim 5

An apparatus according to Claim 3, wherein said field effect transistor is a thin film transistor.

Claim 6

An apparatus according to Claim 4, wherein said thin film transistor comprises a semiconductor film of amorphous silicon, polysilicon, CdSe or ZnSe.

Claim 7

An apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein said switching signal generating circuit includes a serial-parallel conversion circuit, a buffer circuit and an inversion circuit.

Claim 8

An apparatus according to Claim 6, wherein said serial-parallel conversion circuit is a dynamic shift register.

Claim 9

An apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein said switching signal generating unit comprises a field effect transistor.

Claim 10

An apparatus according to Claim 8, wherein said field effect transistor is a thin film transistor.

Claim 11

An apparatus according to Claim 9, wherein said thin film transistor comprises a semiconductor film of amorphous silicon, polysilicon, CdSe or ZnSe.

Claim 12

An apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein said first and second voltage signals are supplied to their exclusive buses respectively from the drive signal generating unit.

Claim 13

A driving apparatus for a display panel of the type comprising matrix electrodes formed by scanning electrodes and signal electrodes arranged to intersect with the scanning electrodes wherein a contrast at each intersection of the scanning electrodes and the signal electrodes is discriminated depending on the direction of an electric field applied to the intersection; said scanning electrodes being connected to a scanning driver circuit and said signal electrodes being connected to a signal driver circuit; said signal driver circuit comprising: (1) a drive signal generating circuit which includes a first signal generating circuit and a second signal generating circuit for generating a first voltage signal and a second voltage signal, respectively, of mutually different waveforms; (2) a switching circuit unit for selectively supplying the first or second voltage signal to a signal electrode; and (3) a switching signal generating unit for supplying a switching control signal to the switching circuit unit.

Claim 14

A driving apparatus for a display panel of the type comprising matrix electrodes formed by scanning electrodes and signal electrodes arranged to intersect with the scanning electrodes wherein a contrast at each intersection of the scanning electrodes and the signal electrodes is discriminated depending on the direction of an electric field applied to the intersection; said scanning electrodes being connected to a scanning driver circuit and said signal electrodes being connected to a signal driver circuit; said signal driver circuit comprising: (1) a drive signal generating circuit which includes a first signal generating circuit and a second signal generating circuit for generating a first voltage signal and a second voltage signal, respectively, of mutually different waveforms; (2) a switching circuit unit for selectively supplying the first or second voltage signal to a signal electrode; and (3) a switching signal generating unit for supplying a switching control signal to the switching circuit unit.

Claim 15

An apparatus according to Claim 12, which further comprises synchronizing means for synchronizing said first and second voltage signals supplied from said signal driver circuit to the signal electrodes with a scanning selection signal supplied from said scanning driver circuit to a scanning electrode.

Claim 16

An apparatus according to Claim 12, wherein each of said first and second voltage signals comprises a voltage of a positive polarity and a voltage of a negative polarity with respect to a reference potential, and the first and second voltage signals have mutually different phases.

Claim 17

An apparatus according to Claim 14, wherein the positive polarity voltage and the negative polarity voltage have the same amplitude.

Claim 18

An apparatus according to Claim 14, wherein said first and second voltage signals are of mutually opposite phases.

Claim 19

An apparatus according to Claim 12, wherein each of said first and second voltage signals comprise a voltage of a positive polarity, a voltage of a negative polarity and a voltage of the same level respectively with respect to a reference potential, and the first and second voltage signals are of mutually different phases.

Claim 20

An apparatus according to Claim 17, wherein the positive polarity voltage and the negative polarity voltage have the same amplitude.

Claim 21

An apparatus according to Claim 12, wherein said switching circuit unit comprises a transistor.

Claim 22

An apparatus according to Claim 19, wherein the transistor in the switching circuit unit is a field effect transistor.

Claim 23

An apparatus according to Claim 20, wherein said field effect transistor is a thin film transistor.

Claim 24

An apparatus according to Claim 21, wherein said thin film transistor comprises a semiconductor film of amorphous silicon, polysilicon, CdSe or ZnSe.

Claim 25

An apparatus according to Claim 12, wherein said switching signal generating circuit includes a serial-parallel conversion circuit, a buffer circuit and an inversion circuit.

Claim 26

An apparatus according to Claim 23, wherein said serial-parallel conversion circuit is a dynamic shift register.

Claim 27

An apparatus according to Claim 12, wherein said switching signal generating unit comprises a field effect transistor.

Claim 28

An apparatus according to Claim 25, wherein said field effect transistor is a thin film transistor.

Claim 29

An apparatus according to Claim 26, wherein said thin film transistor comprises a semiconductor film of amorphous silicon, polysilicon, CdSe or ZnSe.

Claim 30

An apparatus according to Claim 12, wherein a ferroelectric liquid crystal is disposed at the intersections of the scanning electrodes and the signal electrodes.

Claim 31

An apparatus according to Claim 28, wherein said ferroelectric liquid crystal is a chiral smectic liquid crystal.

Claim 32

An apparatus according to Claim 29, wherein said chiral smectic liquid crystal is disposed in a layer thin enough to release the helical structure inherent to the chiral smectic liquid crystal in the absence of an electric field.

Claim 33

A driving apparatus comprising a scanning driver circuit connected to scanning electrodes and a signal driver circuit connected to signal electrodes; said signal driver circuit comprising: (1) a drive signal generating unit which includes a first signal generating circuit and a second signal generating circuit for generating a first voltage signal and a second voltage signal, respectively, of mutually different waveforms; (2) a switching control signal generating unit including (a) a serial-parallel conversion circuit, and (b) a matrix circuit which includes a plurality of switching elements divided into a plurality of blocks, the switching elements in each block being commonly connected to a control line, the output signals from the serial-parallel conversion circuit being distributed to the respective blocks; and (3) a switching circuit unit for selectively supplying the first or second voltage signal to a signal electrode depending on a switching control signal supplied from the switching control signal generating unit.

Claim 34

A driving apparatus comprising a scanning driver circuit connected to scanning electrodes and a signal driver circuit connected to signal electrodes; said signal driver circuit comprising: (1) a drive signal generating unit which includes a first signal generating circuit and a second signal generating circuit for generating a first voltage signal and a second voltage signal, respectively, of mutually different waveforms; (2) a switching control signal generating unit including (a) a serial-parallel conversion circuit, and (b) a matrix circuit which includes a plurality of switching elements divided into a plurality of blocks, the switching elements in each block being commonly connected to a control line, the output signals from the serial-parallel conversion circuit being distributed to the respective blocks; and (3) a switching circuit unit for selectively supplying the first or second voltage signal to a signal electrode depending on a switching control signal supplied from the switching control signal generating unit.

Claim 35

An apparatus according to Claim 31, wherein said switching control signal generating unit includes (a) the serial-parallel conversion circuit, (b) the matrix circuit, and (c) a buffer circuit.

Claim 36

An apparatus according to Claim 31, wherein said switching control signal generating unit includes (a) the serial-parallel conversion circuit, (b) the matrix circuit, (c) a buffer circuit, and (d) an inversion circuit.

Claim 37

An apparatus according to Claim 32, wherein said serial-parallel conversion circuit comprises a dynamic shift register.

Claim 38

An apparatus according to Claim 34, wherein said dynamic shift register comprises a field effect transistor.

Claim 39

An apparatus according to Claim 35, wherein said field effect transistor comprises a thin film transistor.

Claim 40

An apparatus according to Claim 36, wherein said thin film transistor comprises a semiconductor film of amorphous silicon, polysilicon, CdSe or ZnSe.

Claim 41

An apparatus according to Claim 31, wherein said switching elements respectively comprise a field effect transistor.

Claim 42

An apparatus according to Claim 38, wherein said field effect transistor is a thin film transistor.

Claim 43

An apparatus according to Claim 39, wherein said thin film transistor comprises a semiconductor film of amorphous silicon, polysilicon, CdSe or ZnSe.

Claim 44

An apparatus according to Claim 31, wherein said first and second voltage signals are supplied to their exclusive buses respectively from the drive signal generating unit.

Claim 45

A driving apparatus for a display panel of the type comprising matrix electrodes formed by scanning electrodes and signal electrodes arranged to intersect with the scanning electrodes wherein a contrast at each intersection of the scanning electrodes and the signal electrodes is discriminated depending on the direction of an electric field applied to the intersection; said scanning electrodes being connected to a scanning driver circuit and said signal electrodes being connected to a signal driver circuit; said signal driver circuit comprising: (1) a drive signal generating unit which includes a first signal generating circuit and a second signal generating circuit for generating a first voltage signal and a second voltage signal, respectively, of mutually different waveforms; (2) a switching control signal generating unit including (a) a serial-parallel conversion circuit, and (b) a matrix circuit which includes a plurality of switching elements divided into a plurality of blocks, the switching elements in each block being commonly connected to a control line, the output signals from the serial-parallel conversion circuit being distributed to the respective blocks; and (3) a switching circuit unit for selectively supplying the first or second voltage signal to a signal electrode depending on a switching control signal supplied from the switching control signal generating unit.

Claim 46

A driving apparatus for a display panel of the type comprising matrix electrodes formed by scanning electrodes and signal electrodes arranged to intersect with the scanning electrodes wherein a contrast at each intersection of the scanning electrodes and the signal electrodes is discriminated depending on the direction of an electric field applied to the intersection; said scanning electrodes being connected to a scanning driver circuit and said signal electrodes being connected to a signal driver circuit; said signal driver circuit comprising: (1) a drive signal generating unit which includes a first signal generating circuit and a second signal generating circuit for generating a first voltage signal and a second voltage signal, respectively, of mutually different waveforms; (2) a switching control signal generating unit including (a) a serial-parallel conversion circuit, and (b) a matrix circuit which includes a plurality of switching elements divided into a plurality of blocks, the switching elements in each block being commonly connected to a control line, the output signals from the serial-parallel conversion circuit being distributed to the respective blocks; and (3) a switching circuit unit for selectively supplying the first or second voltage signal to a signal electrode depending on a switching control signal supplied from the switching control signal generating unit.

Claim 47

An apparatus according to Claim 42, which further comprises synchronizing means for synchronizing said first and second voltage signals supplied from said signal driver circuit to the signal electrodes with a scanning selection signal supplied from said scanning driver circuit to a scanning electrode.

Claim 48

An apparatus according to Claim 42, wherein each of said first and second voltage signals comprises a voltage of a positive polarity and a voltage of a negative polarity with respect to a reference potential, and the first and second voltage signals have mutually different phases.

Claim 49

An apparatus according to Claim 44, wherein the positive polarity voltage and the negative polarity voltage have the same amplitude.

Claim 50

An apparatus according to Claim 44, wherein said first and second voltage signals are of mutually opposite phases.

Claim 51

An apparatus according to Claim 42, wherein each of said first and second voltage signals comprises a voltage of a positive polarity, a voltage of a negative polarity and a voltage of the same level respectively with respect to a reference potential, and the first and second voltage signals are of mutually different phases.

Claim 52

An apparatus according to Claim 47, wherein the positive polarity voltage and the negative polarity voltage have the same amplitude.

Claim 53

An apparatus according to Claim 42, wherein said switching control signal generating unit includes (a) the serial-parallel conversion circuit, (b) the matrix circuit, and (c) a buffer circuit.

Claim 54

An apparatus according to Claim 42, wherein said switching control signal generating unit includes (a) the serial-parallel conversion circuit, (b) the matrix circuit, (c) a buffer circuit, and (d) an inversion circuit.

Claim 55

An apparatus according to Claim 49, wherein said serial-parallel conversion circuit comprises a dynamic shift register.

Claim 56

An apparatus according to Claim 51, wherein said dynamic shift register comprises a field effect transistor.

Claim 57

An apparatus according to Claim 52, wherein said field effect transistor comprises a thin film transistor.

Claim 58

An apparatus according to Claim 53, wherein said thin film transistor comprises a semiconductor film of amorphous silicon, polysilicon, CdSe or ZnSe.

Claim 59

An apparatus according to Claim 42, wherein said switching elements respectively comprise a field effect transistor.

Claim 60

An apparatus according to Claim 55, wherein said field effect transistor is a thin film transistor.

Claim 61

An apparatus according to Claim 56, wherein said thin film transistor comprises a semiconductor film of amorphous silicon, polysilicon, CdSe or ZnSe.

Claim 62

An apparatus according to Claim 42, wherein a ferroelectric liquid crystal is disposed at the intersections of the scanning electrodes and the signal electrodes.

Claim 63

An apparatus according to Claim 58, wherein said ferroelectric liquid crystal is a chiral smectic liquid crystal.

Claim 64

An apparatus according to Claim 59, wherein said chiral smectic liquid crystal is disposed in a layer thin enough to release the helical structure inhereint to the chiral smectic liquid crystal in the absence of an electric field.